the nail in the coffin | A Cleveland sports podcast

For the second straight year, Ohio State won the Big Ten championship, but missed out on the College Football Playoff, which, also for the second straight year, will include Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma. Being left out of the playoff field wasn’t a surprise, but also finishing behind two-loss Georgia this year? That’s a little more dubious. The guys discuss the selection committee’s wonky logic, the Big Ten’s struggle to get its champion into the playoff, and the value of a do-or-die regular season vs. an expanded playoff that lets in all worthy contenders.

Plus: A half-baked Fox vs. ESPN TV rights conspiracy theory and Dwayne Haskins’ Heisman odds.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher

Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ohio State and Michigan meet on Saturday with the Big Ten East Division title on the line. Bill Bender of The Sporting News will be in the press box at Ohio Stadium this weekend, but first, he’s back on The Nail to break down The Game, from the dynamic abilities of Buckeyes QB Dwayne Haskins to the disastrous big plays allowed that have plagued a depleted OSU defense. Does Jim Harbaugh have a team capable of giving Michigan its first win in the Horseshoe since 2000? … Plus: LeBron James is back in The Q on Wednesday night, but his old team, the Cavs, are in a state of disarray. The guys discuss the grim stories of LeBron’s departure and disgruntled veterans that have made headlines this week, and the trouble with a front office rapidly losing its team’s trust.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher

Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With two weeks of headlines to catch up on, the guys dust off "What's the Deal?", a fan favorite format from last year. Topics covered in this version include: OSU coming back from the dead in the College Football Playoff picture, the Jerry Jones vs. Roger Goodell feud in the NFL, the Browns, Peyton Manning, Corey Kluber winning the AL Cy Young and early Indians offseason rumblings, and LeBron and the Cavs starting to get it together. Plus, with the recent airing of ESPN's "Nature Boy" documentary and WWE Survivor Series coming up this weekend, Tom shares a story about the time he interviewed Ric Flair, as well as Vince McMahon and Triple H, back in 2004.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play Music | Stitcher

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sunday, the Cavs fired the only head coach in franchise history who guided the team to an NBA title. On Monday, the Browns fired a coach who was…just a bit less successful. Now, the two Cleveland sports team who are in season are without coaches, and each organization finds itself at a crossroads. The guys discuss what went wrong for Hue Jackson and Ty Lue, how attractive the Browns job is, what exactly the Cavs are trying to do this year, and what traits both teams should be prioritizing when making their next coaching hires.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher

Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carter Rodriguez, co-host of The Chase Down podcast and a contributor for FearTheSword.com, joins the show to preview the Cavs season, which tips off on Wednesday night. The guys discuss recalibrating their expectations with title contention off the table for the foreseeable future, continuing to cover the team after the bandwagon clears out, the potential for Cavs Twitter's favorite son Cedi Osman and rookie point guard Collin Sexton, and the franchise's search for a feel-good identity in a post-LeBron world.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher

Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few days removed from the Indians’ ALDS debacle, the guys air their remaining grievances about the Tribe’s all-too-short postseason run, and then discuss some of the fallout this week since the series ended and what, if anything, there will be to get excited about in the regular season next year. (It’s not an upbeat first 20 minutes, folks!)

Plus: Bakermania and the cult of personality that is driving a real change in the Browns’ culture and finally making NFL Sundays exciting in Cleveland again.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher

Catch us on WaitingForNextYear.com

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/TheNailPodcast

Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast 

Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com

Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices