with eight.Odenigbo definitely will catch

Rafa Benitez was overseeing preseason training sessions involving Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos this time last year, preparing Real Madrid for a shot at the Champions League and an annual La Liga title fight with Barcelona.Things are very different for the Spanish coach 12 months on.Benitez finds himself in the second tier of English soccer, one day away from starting his bid to guide Newcastle back into the Premier League. He is perhaps the most high-profile manager to coach in the League Championship, with trips ahead to the likes of Huddersfield, Rotherham and Barnsley.Benitez didnt have to be in this position. After failing to keep Newcastle in the top flight in a 10-game stint as manager at the end of last season, he could have exercised a break clause in his contract and looked for another job. He surely would have found one, given his impressive resume that includes Champions League (Liverpool), Europa League (Chelsea) and Spanish league (Valencia) titles as well as spells with six leading European clubs.Yet, Benitez liked the passion of Newcastles fans. He was impressed by the size of the club with its 52,000-seater St. James Park stadium that dominates the northern city, and content with the control and financial backing he was promised from the board. So he agreed to a new three-year deal in May in a huge, surprise coup for Newcastle.And after an offseason of squad reshuffling and seemingly astute purchases, Newcastle starts the season against Fulham on Friday as the odds-on favorite with British bookmakers for promotion.After the last two months of last season, I knew the team, knew the players. And I knew we had to change something to create a positive atmosphere, Benitez said Thursday. We know its very difficult, the Championship, and every game will be complicated but now we have the hope we can do well, the belief we can do well. That is the main thing at the beginning.Among the eight players brought in by Benitez are midfielders Mo Diame and Matt Ritchie, striker Dwight Gayle and defender Ciaran Clark. They have a mixture of Premier League know-how and experience of playing in -- and getting out of -- the grueling League Championship.In terms of the mentality of the team, it has changed a lot, said Benitez.Benitez isnt the only Champions League-winning manager coaching at this level this season. Roberto Di Matteo, who won European club soccers biggest prize with Chelsea in 2012, was hired by Aston Villa in the offseason and takes over a side playing out of the top division for the first time since 1988.Villa was the European champion in 1982. Nottingham Forest, the European Cup winner in 1979 and 80, is also in the Championship. Blackburn and Leeds, English champions in the 1990s, are in the division, too.There are big names throughout the second tier but Newcastle will be the team to beat.Newcastle, everybody knows, is a Premier League team -- a big name, a massive club, said Diame, who dropped down a division from Hull to sign for Newcastle. Well be back in the Premier League, Im sure. Cheap Los Angeles Rams Jerseys . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Cheap Chicago Bears Jerseys . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. https://www.cheapjerseys-wholesalechina.com/?tag=cheap-tampa-bay-buccaneers-jerseys . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. Cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Cheap New York Jets Jerseys . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time in five seasons under Urban Meyer, Ohio State lost a Big Ten regular-season road game. And its 20-game road winning streak also ended last Saturday night in State College, Pa., when Penn State pulled off a 24-21 upset.After a rare conference loss and a narrow overtime win on the road the previous week, the Buckeyes dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press poll. They now trail Michigan by a game in the Big Ten East Division standings.It was the first defeat for Ohio State in October under Meyer, whose record dipped to a still-spectacular 56-5 with the Buckeyes.The good news for Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) is the loss doesnt damage its title aspirations. Win out the rest of the way, including a victory over Michigan in the traditional regular-season finale, and the Buckeyes will go to the Big Ten championship game in December in Indianapolis.Every goal is still alive, Meyer said after the loss. Were not a great team right now.Ohio State returns home this weekend to face Northwestern (4-3, 3-1) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the first of two straight games in Ohio Stadium that could define the season. The following Saturday, the Buckeyes play host to No. 7 Nebraska.Neither game figures to be easy. Northwestern brings a three-game winning streak to Columbus. Nebraska, which plays at Wisconsin this weekend in his first reason test of the season, is unbeaten.Wow, that is as improved a team as Ive ever seen from beginning to now, Meyer said of Northwestern. Theyve had three big wins with two on the road. Their defense is outstanding.While the Wildcats are on a roll, the Buckeyes are licking their wounds after falling at Penn State. Though the Buckeyes have lost only five times since Meyers first season in 2012, they do have some experience bouncing back from tough losses.Last year, they fell at home to Michigan State late in the season but responded the following week with a win over Michigan. In 2014, after the stunning early-season loss to Virginia Tech at home, Ohio State ran the table and won the College Football Playoff national championship.Meyers Ohio State teams have lost two straight only once -- in 2013 when the Buckeyes were beaten by Michigan State in the Big Ten championship game and Clemson in the Orange Bowl.We have to move forward, Meyer said. You have to let it hurt for a while. If you lose a game, youre not a loser. If you lose a game, you accept it. That was the message to our players. ... It happened, so move on and get ready for a very good team coming iin here.ddddddddddddNorthwestern has rebounded after losing three of its first four games to start the season, winning three straight Big Ten games against Iowa, Michigan State and Indiana.Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald realizes the Buckeyes are a little different animal than their previous opponents.Now the heavy lifting starts, Fitzgerald said. Nobody has a stiffer challenge than us. We have to take on the Buckeyes.Northwestern has some weapons on offense to throw at Ohio State. Justin Jackson leads the Big Ten in rushing with 792 yards, Austin Carr is the conferences leading receiver with 50 catches for 720 yards and nine touchdowns, and Clayton Thorson is the third-leading passer, averaging 240.9 yards per game with 14 touchdowns.On defense, Columbus-area native Godwin Igwebuike is sixth in the Big Ten in tackles and Ohio native Ifeadi Odenigbo leads the conference in sacks with eight.Odenigbo definitely will catch Ohio States attention after the offensive line struggled against Penn States pass rush, giving up six sacks.The Buckeyes uncharacteristically let a 21-7 lead slip away against the Nittany Lions, when they were outscored 17-0 in the fourth quarter.Ohio State outgunned Penn State 413-276 in total yards and had a 17-minute advantage in time of possession, yet still couldnt come away with a win.The loss raised questions about Ohio States passing games -- in particular its offensive line play -- that had been bubbling toward the surface the past two games. Quarterback J.T. Barrett doesnt believe its a catastrophic issue.Overall, the passing game, I think we put our O-line in bad spots early on in drives, so we were second-and-long, said Barrett, who is closing in on a Big Ten career record with 90 combined touchdowns rushing and passing. I think that harmed us.Meyer doesnt expect any personnel changes this week on the offensive line, which gave up two sacks at the end of the game that stopped Ohio States final drive.There are a multitude of things (that went wrong), Meyer said. We did not play very well in a couple of areas on offense. What do you do? You identify it and work on it.(The offense) has regressed a little bit. Certainly there were plays to be made. If we hook up on those plays, we go on and win the game.Ohio State is a three-touchdown favorite to get back on track against Northwestern, which hasnt visited Columbus since 2007 and has lost 29 of the last 30 games between the teams. ' ' '