If you missed it live – and somehow did not see the montage, or the extended cut, or the greatest hits – it might be only because you have not been trying.

Ohio State escaped Maryland last week, 52-51 when the Terrapins failed to convert a two-point try in overtime. The win felt like a loss, another oddly difficult struggle in a season filled with them. But the enduring visual was of Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer on the sidelines, in apparent agony.

Bent over between plays, hands clasped to his head. It was painful just watching. And it’s why, as the Buckeyes’ annual date with Michigan looms, the nagging questions are not so much about what’s wrong with this team, which has not played to its seeming capabilities this season (yet still has College Football Playoff possibilities), but instead what ails its coach.

First, and most important: Is Meyer OK? But next, and inevitably: Could he actually be nearing the end of his tenure at Ohio State?

As The Game approaches, there are no definitive answers.

More: Question of the Week: What is college football’s best rivalry?

More: If Michigan beats Ohio State, Jim Harbaugh is national coach of the year

When Ohio State hosts Michigan on Saturday in Columbus, the stakes are very high: the Big Ten East division title, a shot at the Big Ten championship and beyond that, perhaps the College Football Playoff. Those add intensity to a rivalry that never needs more, ever.

And they heap even more pressure on a coach who is very clearly struggling.

“We’re working so damn hard for this,” Meyer said this week.

He was referring to how badly the Buckeyes want to beat their rivals. But it’s an astounding turn for a coach who, just a couple of years ago, was being hailed as a challenger to Alabama’s Nick Saban in college football’s coaching hierarchy. Now the questions are not about passing Saban or building a legendary legacy, but whether, at 54, he will continue to coach much longer.

Everything suddenly seems so difficult. So painful. So debilitating.

Some of the myriad issues Meyer has endured this season are self-inflicted. His initial comments about former assistant coach Zach Smith at Big Ten media days last July led to a firestorm of scandal that resulted in Meyer’s suspension during August and the first season’s first three games. During the investigation that led to the suspension, many wondered if Meyer would return to the job – but he clearly didn’t believe he should even have been suspended. Since his return, there has not been consistent calm for long, either on the field or off. 

Last month, questioned about his future, he said he planned to coach at Ohio State next season and “for as long as I can.” A day later, he revealed that he’s been dealing with an enlarged congenital arachnoid cyst on his brain. Though Meyer had surgery in spring 2014, he continues to take medicine. The cyst causes occasionally severe headaches – as in one highly visible example, the Buckeyes’ 49-26 win against Indiana, when Meyer dropped to his knees in the fourth quarter.

Last Saturday, as Ohio State struggled to find a way to beat Maryland, the cameras kept returning to Meyer’s tortured sideline demeanor. It was riveting and horrible, and it seemed a reflection of his overall discomfort this season.

Meyer does not look well. And in his seventh year at Ohio State, there are seeming parallels to the end of his tenure at Florida. He retired from that gig after six seasons, citing stress-related health issues.

When he returned to coaching a year later at Ohio State, after a year doing TV work, he promised to do things differently – famously signing a contract with his family (and hanging it in his new office) that promised he would have work-life balance.

But that leads to another revealing nugget. Last week someone asked Shelley Meyer, via Twitter, what her husband’s “most difficult personality trait” is, and she responded:

“(I) think he would be ok if I said his ‘control/perfection’ issues are the most difficult to deal with – as we know LOGICALLY, a person can’t control everything and being perfect is REALLY hard when u can’t control all …”

Make of that what you want. Meyer is not unique in those traits – it’s a character quality/flaw of most college football coaches – but his reputation is that of a control freak to the nth degree. This season has brought myriad issues the coach could not even hope to control. 

Considering what happened at Florida, it could be Meyer is simply so tightly wound, something eventually springs loose and a crash is inevitable.

It might also be the Buckeyes’ defense. Ohio State is allowing 5.91 yards a play and 398.6 yards a game – 85th and 70th nationally, respectively. Through 11 games, it’s statistically the worst defense in the history of the program, and it’s been an anchor on an offense that, with first-year starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, has been among the nation’s best.

Meyer told reporters this week he’s had “uncomfortable and direct” conversations with the Buckeyes’ defensive assistants. And yet the most important numbers are more than fine.

Despite everything, Ohio State is 10-1. Meyer’s career record at Ohio State is an astounding 80-9 and a national championship. With a win Saturday – which would be the Buckeyes’ 14th in the last 15 games against Michigan, and Meyer’s sixth in as many tries – Ohio State would head to the Big Ten championship with at least a shot at making the Playoff.

Although Ohio State is a home underdog, it’s never safe to assume anything in a rivalry. Maybe, finally, a talented roster plays to its perceived potential, stops Michigan’s Playoff bid and promotes its own hopes. But given everything we’ve seen in a tumultuous season, it seems more likely the Buckeyes are in for a painful finish.

Their coach might be, too.

The first significant rain in months in northern California all but extinguished the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history on Wednesday but also raised risks of flash flooding that could hinder teams searching for human remains.

Between 102-152mm of rain was expected to fall through the weekend in areas around the town of Paradise, the community of nearly 27,000 people 280km northeast of San Francisco that was largely incinerated by the so-called Camp Fire.

The blaze killed at least 83 people and 563 remain unaccounted for, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told a news briefing on Wednesday.

“The rain is a concern for us and there is the potential for mudflows,” Honea said. Searchers would be pulled out of areas threatened by mudslides, he said.

Richard Ventura of Orange County’s FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team said on Thursday the rainy, windy, cold conditions are making the search process “miserable.”

His team has 27 people involved in the effort in northern California.

Ventura said the rain “clumps things together” while making the terrain soggy and harder for workers to see and move.

The storm added to the misery of evacuees camped out in a Walmart parking lot in nearby Chico.

Mitchell Manley was cold and wet but thankful he persuaded his elderly mother to evacuate. He said most of the dead were retirees who thought they could ride out the flames in their homes.

“I was lucky to get her out, she was going to sit it out,” said Manley, who was camping at Walmart while he waited to go back to his home in Concow.

Warehouses were opened in Chico to provide evacuees protection from the cold and rain. Others are being welcomed by nearby families for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Some 830 people had signed up to spend their Thanksgiving combing through ash and rubble in forecast heavy rain, searching for human remains, Honea said.

Rivers of mud possible

The rains, which in some areas were likely to be accompanied by winds of up to 72kph, raised risks of ravines turning into rivers of mud. The fire has burned across 62,000 hectares of the Sierra foothills and is 85 percent contained. 

“There’s no vegetation to hold the earth and there’s a risk it could just start moving, with mud carrying everything in its path,” National Weather Service forecaster Johnnie Powell said in Sacramento.

Firefighters installed straw tubes known as wattles to stop hillsides being washed away.

“With the heavy rains, the fire activity is practically nothing,” said Cal Fire Operation Section Chief Josh Bishop.

The death toll has been gradually rising, with two more names added to the list on Wednesday to bring the total to 83 people, with 58 of them tentatively identified, Honea said.

The number of people unaccounted for, which has fluctuated widely over the past week, declined by 307.

Asked about the effects of rain on the search for remains, Honea said it would make going through debris more difficult but he was less concerned about remains washing away than the headaches posed by mud.

Still, he said some remains might never be found.

“What we’re looking for in many respects are very small bone fragments so, as we go forward, it’s certainly possible that not all of them will be located,” Honea said.

The Camp Fire incinerated 13,503 homes in and around Paradise. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The state is undertaking the largest single wildfire cleanup operation in its history to remove toxic and radioactive ash and debris at burned home sites, said Eric Lamoureux from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Butte County says evidence from recent fires in California showed that some destroyed homes and property contained “high and concerning levels of heavy metals, lead, mercury, dioxin, arsenic and other carcinogens. Some property may have the presence of radioactive materials.”

West Indies v Australia & England v India in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 – in-play clips, radio & text – Live – BBC Sport

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The Michigan agency in charge of law enforcement licensing has formed a committee to study the issue of unlicensed civilian reserve officers, following a Detroit Free Press investigation that exposed a lack of state oversight.

The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards designated the three-member committee at a meeting earlier this month.

The agency has had the authority for nearly two years to set training requirements for reserve officers, who are generally volunteers. The law giving MCOLES that power went into effect in January 2017. Officials with the agency previously told the Free Press, though, that other responsibilities and limited resources had taken precedence.

Michael Wendling, chairman of MCOLES, said last week that the issue will be a priority in 2019. He said reserve officers have a legitimate role in law enforcement.

“MCOLES would like to see them trained in a way that they can be a safe resource to be used,” Wendling said.

Investigation: They look like cops, but they’re not. And they’re all over Michigan

Last month, the Free Press reported that Michigan has no state-established standards for reserve officers, putting it behind other states that have already implemented requirements, such as training  and background checks. 

The investigation also found MCOLES officials did not know how many such civilian officers there were statewide. Using Freedom of Information Act requests, the Free Press tallied about 3,000 unlicensed civilian officers across Michigan. Most are reserves or auxiliary officers, but other civilian officers were also identified, including those on sheriff’s posses and mounted and marine units.

The responsibilities of reserve officers vary. Some communities allow them to patrol,sometimes pairing them up with licensed officers. Reserves do not have law enforcement authority unless they are paired with a licensed officer, officials have said. 

The committee formed by MCOLES at the Nov. 7 meeting will study issues such as how reserve officers are being used by law enforcement agencies and possible standards, said Kenneth Grabowski, a commission member on the committee and legislative director for the Police Officers Association of Michigan.

Related:

How problem cops stay on Michigan’s streets

Background checks could keep some cops off streets, but don’t

Michigan has tried to get tougher on bad cops, but …

Grabowski said the Free Press investigation was discussed. 

“The newspaper article and the topic was broached by several commissioners and we decided to take a look at it,” he said.

Wendling said it’s unclear how long it might take the commission to reach a consensus because commissioners have differing opinions on the issue. The commission is made up of members from all areas of law enforcement, including police management and labor leaders.

“I think everybody has the same goal — to have the most professional law enforcement officer on the street,” he said. “But there’s a lot of budget concerns amongst small departments and things that have to be taken into consideration.”

Gina Kaufman and Jim Schaefer are members of the Free Press Investigations Team, specializing in criminal justice issues.

Contact Kaufman: 313-223-4526 or gkaufman@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ReporterGina

Contact Schaefer: 313-223-4542 or jschaefer@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DetroitReporter

To read more on police misconduct and other Free Press investigations, go to www.freep.com/news/investigations. If you have a tip that should be investigated contact us at investigations@freepress.com

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If you decided to wait until Black Friday to upgrade from an Xbox One to an Xbox One X, that was a good choice. There are plenty of deals this year that will help you save big, including bundle deals with some of the hottest games from this year.

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday 2018 sales, right in one place

For anyone who already has a full library of games and just needs the console, the Xbox One X is $100 off at a number of retailers, bringing the price down to $399.99. But if you’re looking for something new, the bundles available include Battlefield V, Fallout 76, PUBG, NBA 2K19, or Shadow of the Tomb Raider for $429 or $429.99 (depending on the store.)

Here’s where you can find the Xbox One X:

• Xbox One X 1TB system at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Macy’s

• Xbox One X 1TB Fallout 76 bundle at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, GameStop, Macy’s

• Xbox One X 1TB NBA 2K19 bundle at Amazon, Walmart, Target, GameStop, Macy’s

• Xbox One X 1TB PlayerUnknown’s Battleground bundle at Amazon, Walmart, Target

• Xbox One X 1TB Shadow of the Tomb Raider bundle at Best Buy

• Xbox One X 1TB Battlefield V bundle at Best Buy

Many of the major retailers are carrying the Xbox One X on sale, and while some may have cycled through stock already, stores are doing their best to make sure they have plenty more waiting in the wings. So if you see the dreaded “Out of Stock” message, keep checking back — there’s a good chance there will be more.

 

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more

• Smart home deals: Amazon Echo, Roomba, Google Home, Apple HomePod

• Instant Pot deals: Where to get the cheapest price

Senior Jordanian military officers have expressed displeasure over the renaming of one of the country’s combat brigades after the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

On Tuesday, King Abdullah II presided over a ceremony where the military renamed one of its special forces units “Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Rapid Intervention/High Readiness Brigade” from “Desert Brigade”, angering many of Jordan’s armed forces high command.

The move is “deeply insulting to Jordan’s military traditions”, said a senior office who wished to remain anonymous.

“Sadly, it looks like money can change and buy everything, including our military and its traditions.”

Jordanian military officers are barred from commenting publicly about political and military issues, including the renaming of the brigade, and could be charged if found to have done so.

The UAE signed a $100m grant agreement with the Jordan’s Crown Prince Foundation during al-Nahyan’s visit to the country on Tuesday to support business development in Jordan.

“The renaming of the brigade is ill-conceived and it contradicts Jordan’s military values,” Mahmoud Hammad, a retired general and former commander of Jordan’s land forces, told Al Jazeera.

“The military divisions are named after royal family members and historic Muslim commanders. I respect Abu Dhabi’s crown prince and his late father but to have one of Jordan’s armed forces units named after him is just too much.”

His Majesty King Abdullah II, the Supreme Commander of the #Jordan Armed Forces, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the #UAE Armed Forces, present the new Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Brigade Flag to the flag-bearer pic.twitter.com/aqHkX03Lz4

— RHC (@RHCJO) November 20, 2018

Earlier, a statement by Jordan’s royal court said: “Naming the brigade after the UAE crown prince is an expression of the deep brotherly ties between the two nations.”

The brigade was established in 2014 during the Syrian civil war with the help of the US army.

The US Central Command, which lists Jordan, Syria and Iraq as part of its area of responsibility, envisioned the brigade as a strike force to target ISIL fighters in Iraq and Syria.

The US also equipped the brigade with eight US-made Blackhawk helicopters.

Since the 1960s, Jordanian military officers have trained and advised UAE and other Gulf militaries.

Jordan currently has “between 80 and 100” combat special forces that support the UAE’s efforts in the war in Yemen, according to senior Jordanian officers.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter: @ali_reports

Max Verstappen has defended his “normal response” after he shoved Esteban Ocon when the Frenchman had denied him a likely win at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, 21, was leading on lap 44 when backmarker Ocon tried to un-lap himself and the pair collided.

The Dutchman spun and lost the lead to Lewis Hamilton, eventually coming second, before pushing Ocon in the chest three times after the race.

“It could have been much worse,” said the Red Bull driver on Thursday.

Speaking at a news conference before the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen added: “What do you expect me to do? Shake his hand and say ‘thank you very much for making me second instead of first’? I think it is quite a normal response.

“We are all emotional and at the time I had lost a victory. Pushing, in any sport, it happens. I actually saw it a few days ago in football again. So from my side, I thought it was quite a calm response.”

He remonstrated with Ocon in the driver weighing area after the race and both drivers were then called to see the stewards to explain the incident.

Verstappen was ordered to carry out two days of public service to atone for “making deliberate physical contact with” Ocon, who was given a 10-second stop-go penalty for the collision during the race.

Verstappen said he only reacted the way he did because of something the Force India driver said.

“You don’t hear what is said, you just see me pushing. I was after an apology and I got a bit of a different response,” Verstappen added.

“But if you understand the whole conversation you will see it as a bit different. He said something that I didn’t expect to hear. It doesn’t matter what it was.

“I don’t expect to crash with a backmarker. If you get hit like that, I honestly don’t understand what I should do differently.”

Ocon, who will not be driving in Formula 1 in 2019, said: “It’s not a great thing to be involved with a crash with the leader. It’s not a thing you want to see and I’m sorry for Max.

“It was his race to win, he did a fantastic job during the whole race. We have to move forwards in what happened. We can’t change the past.”

How to follow the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on BBC Sport

BBC Sport has live coverage of all the season’s races on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus live online commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobile app – including audience interaction, expert analysis, debate, voting, features, interviews and video content.

All times GMT. Broadcast times are subject to change at short notice.

John Legend is setting the record. 

The “All of Me” singer took to Twitter before his performance at Macy’s Thanksgiving parade Thursday in defense of Rita Ora and himself, after fans called out the performers for visibly lip-syncing. 

“Fun fact. We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance,” he tweeted. 

However, Legend promised his fans that the same could not be said for his concerts. He is currently embarking on “A Legendary Christmas” tour, promoting his new album by the same name. 

“Hope y’all enjoyed it anyway. Know that if you come to my shows, the vocals are 100% live!”

Fans took to Twitter to comment on her performance. 

“I don’t blame Rita Ora for what just happened… But that was the most cringeworthy thing I’ve watched in awhile,” user @theBurk3nator tweeted. 

@DeeH_NYC said a Thanksgiving turkey isn’t the only thing “getting roasted.”

@Mishyyfishyy pointed out that Ora wasn’t “singing on time at all.”

Ora also responded, sharing Legend’s tweet. 

“Thank you for clarifying what I was also about to tweet.”

 

More: Watch Chrissy Teigen get teary-eyed talking about husband John Legend

More: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a go, despite record low temperatures in Manhattan

 

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Image: Getty Images / Michael Loccisano

Dragon Ball fans, rejoice!

The main hero of the Dragon Ball series, Goku, made his premier (in balloon form) at the 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Fans of the animated series will notice that the balloon depicts Goku in Super Saiyan Blue to promote the release of the 20th animated film in the series’ history, Dragon Ball Super: Broly. 

The new series is set to debut on Jan. 16, 2019 and promises to give fans an in-depth look at the background and history of Saiyans (a race of extraterrestrials in the anime series) and how the main villain, Frieza, enters the cartoon’s universe.

According to Macy’s official parade lineup, the Goku balloon stands at 56-feet tall, 36-feet wide, 70-feet long, and requires a total of 90 handlers to maneuver it through two-and-a-half miles of New York City streets during the parade.

Even with all the handlers, Goku briefly met his match when a strong gust of wind nearly blew the giant balloon away early this morning.

CBS briefly caught the entire incident on camera, as a strong gust of wind manhandled some of the handlers who were tethered to Goku.

Luckily for everyone watching the parade nearby, the balloon was quickly wrangled and brought back on course for the rest of its historic journey through the streets of Manhattan.

Goku joins Pikachu as the only as the only other fictional character from a Japanese anime to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001. 

The 92nd Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade runs from 9 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET, but don’t worry if you can’t catch it during its nationwide broadcast. The parade is also being streamed on YouTube. 

Happy Thanksgiving!