resume thhat already was impressing the College Football Playoff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tigers wild ninth-inning rally Thursday night, taking them from a 7-2 deficit to a 10-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, began and ended with the bat of Cameron Maybin, who continues to step up when needed for Detroit.Hes been great since he got back, not only as a player, hitting and manning center field, but his energy is real positive in the dugout, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Hes been great to have around, and obviously was a big player tonight.Detroit will look for him to make an impact again Friday night in the second game of the series at Tropicana Field.Maybin missed the first six weeks of the season after fracturing his left wrist in spring training, and he was slowed in mid-June by wrist and quadriceps ailments.On Thursday, Maybin led off the ninth with a single and scored. He came back up with the game tied at 7-7 and outfielders drawn in, as Tampa Bay hoped to avoid letting the go-ahead run score on a sacrifice fly. He lined a shot past them to left-center field, bringing in three runs and capping a super-rare rally: Teams trailing by five or more in the ninth have just three wins in nearly 3,000 games over the past five seasons.Any win is always positive, but a win like that, you put a plus next to it, said Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, who walked as part of the rally. You come out tomorrow and try to win another game and try to continue playing well on the road.For Detroit, the win opened a season-high, 11-game road trip and set the tone for the series against a Rays team that has dropped 13 of 15 games.The bullpen continues to be a major vulnerability for Tampa Bay -- two scoreless innings in Wednesdays win had ended a horrid streak of 13 consecutive games in which Rays relievers allowed at least one run. They were never as bad as they were in the ninth inning Thursday, however.Rookie Ryan Garton, who hadnt allowed a run since his major league debut on May 26, gave up four runs on four hits to open the ninth.Erasmo Ramirez came in with the bases loaded -- he had done that five previous times this season, and had gotten out of the inning without allowing a run all five times. He wasnt as lucky Thursday, giving up four hits and two walks and dropping to 7-7 on the year, his only out coming on a sacrifice fly.Just awful work from me, Ramirez said. I didnt throw my first-pitch strikes. Maybe I was too excited about the bases loaded and tried to get out of trouble quick. When you dont execute those pitches, youre in a hitters count, and thats what I did. Something bad is going to happen when you do that.Tampa Bay matched its largest blown lead in a ninth inning in franchise history, but Rays manager Kevin Cash said, (Ramirez) was the right guy, right spot. It just didnt work out.The Rays will try to bounce back Friday with left-hander Drew Smyly (2-8, 5.32 ERA) going up against right-hander Michael Fulmer (7-2, 2.40 ERA).Smyly, who began his major league career with Detroit, has yet to beat his former team. He is 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in two career starts against the Tigers. He took the loss at Detroit on May 21 when he gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings.Fulmer got the win that day, striking out a career-high 11 and giving up one run in seven innings during a 5-4 victory. That was the rookies lone career outing against the Rays.Fulmer has limited the opposition to no more than one run in each of his past seven starts. He is 5-1 with a 0.61 ERA in that span. Howie Morenz Jersey . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. 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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Curtis Samuel swept in for a 15-yard touchdown after Ohio State barely converted a fourth-and-1 and the second-ranked Buckeyes beat No. 3 Michigan 30-27 in double overtime Saturday to win one of the greatest games in the history of one of college footballs greatest rivalries.Facing fourth-and-1 from the 16, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer decided not to kick a potential game-tying field goal with a kicker who had already missed two short ones in regulation.J.T. Barrett kept it on fourth down and slammed into the back of his blocker, A.J. Alexander, right at the line to gain. The first-down call stood up to video review.That was not a first down, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. Im bitterly disappointed with the officiating today.On the next play, Samuel, who had made a swerving, change-of-direction run to set up the fourth-and-1, found a lane and raced into the end zone to win it.The scarlet-clad crowd soon covered the field. The first game to go to overtime in the 113-game history of the rivalry likely eliminated Michigan from the playoff race and could have locked up a spot for the Buckeyes.The Buckeyes will have to wait until Penn State plays to find out if they will play for the Big Ten title. Still, they added to a resume thhat already was impressing the College Football Playoff selection committee.ddddddddddddMichigan could end up in the Rose Bowl, but the biggest prizes are still eluding the Wolverines in their second year under coach Jim Harbaugh, who dropped to 0-2 against Meyer and the Buckeyes. Michigan has not won the Big Ten since 2004.But if this is just the start of a new Ten Year War for Michigan and Ohio State, with Meyer and Harbaugh playing the roles of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, there is much for to look forward to for college football fans.Ohio State wiped out a 10-point third-quarter deficit and dominated the fourth quarter, but Tyler Durbin missed a 20-yard field goal to tie it with 7:01 remaining.Barrett and the Buckeyes gave him another chance, this time from 23 yards with a second left in regulation and Durbin nailed it.Barrett scored on a quarterback draw and Ohio States first possession of OT to give the Buckeyes the lead, but Michigan tied it on a 5-yard touchdown pass on fourth down from Wilton Speight to Amara Darboh.--More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 . ' ' '