The rest of the fall sports will begin practice on Monday, Aug. 1.
Until then, we’ve got plenty to talk about, including the Reds, Bengals and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Read on for more on all those topics from the world of sports in the Miami Valley this week:
Can the Reds continue to fight for a playoff spot?
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Entering today’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Reds are just two games out of a wildcard spot.
Nick Lodolo was dominant on Wednesday afternoon against the Washington Nationals, helping the Reds avoid being swept for the first time this season.
The upcoming homestand against the Rays, Dodgers and Braves could determine how the Reds approach the July 31 trade deadline.
The Reds will play eight games at home before heading to Bristol, Tenn. to face the Braves in a first-of-its-kind game played inside Bristol Motor Speedway. It will also be the first-ever MLB game played in Tennessee (and the first in racetrack-themed uniforms).
For more Cincinnati Reds coverage, click here.
Can the Bengals get off to a fast start?
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
All signs point to Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals playing more valuable reps in the preseason, which begins Aug. 7 ... against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
After a 1-4 start last season, the Bengals have to get off to a much better start this fall to avoid missing the playoffs for a third straight season.
While practice is important, Burrow told reporters earlier this week, the preseason games are a much better indicator of what he’ll face in Week 1 against Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7, he said.
“For me, you can practice full speed against the defense all you want, but you’re not getting hit,” Burrow said. “You’re not quite feeling that. And the D-line is stopping. Free runners are stopping a couple of yards before they get to you, number one. And then you can work on scrambling a little bit. You can get that timing of how quickly you actually have to get the ball out of your hand in those preseason games, whereas in training camp, you try to simulate that as best as you can, but it’s not quite the same.”
Speaking of the Bengals defense, linebacker Logan Wilson used a TikTok term - the same one I hear from my kids - to describe their new attitude.
“I just feel like the aura is just a little different in terms of our mindset on defense because we didn’t play as good as we wanted to on defense last year, and we know we’ve got to be better,” Wilson said.
Wilson gets +1000 ‘aura points’ for using aura this early in training camp.
For more Bengals coverage, click here.
Jeremiah Smith still has plenty to prove
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith won Big Ten Freshman of the Year, broke a plethora of Middletown native Cris Carter’s freshman receiving records and helped guide the program to a national title.
And he made the cover of one of the biggest video games of the year, EA Sports College Football 26.
The sophomore told reporters at Big Ten Media Days earlier this week that he’s got a better understanding of the game heading into Year 2 in Columbus.
“So I feel I’m going to be able to play faster than I did last year,” Smith said. “Last year, I wasn’t really playing as fast as I want to. But this year, I know exactly what’s going on.”
That could spell big trouble for the rest of the Big Ten.
We’ll get a first look at Smith and the defending champion Buckeyes in one of the most anticipated games in recent memory when Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns travel to Columbus on Aug. 30.