eptions for the Spartans.ddddddddddddMichigan State: Dantonios team threw everything it had at Ohio State, executing a succe

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Trailing by nearly a point entering the final rotation and his chances of a second Olympic all-around title very much in jeopardy, Kohei Uchimura pondered what for the last seven years has been unthinkable.He thought about losing.I felt really close to admitting that it might be really difficult, Uchimura said.It was. It just wasnt impossible. Not for the greatest mens gymnast of all time. Delivering a fearless high bar with a gold medal on the line, the Japanese superstar put all the pressure on Ukraines Oleg Verniaiev. And when Verniaievs routine minutes later ended with a small hop and an ever-so slight lean to the left on his dismount, Uchimura was back where hes always been while Verniaiev shrugged his shoulders.What are you gonna do? Its Uchimura. Maybe thats why Verniaiev couldnt stop smiling even though Uchimuras total of 92.365 was less than a tenth ahead of Verniaievs 92.266.I think this is really the coolest thing in the world, Verniaiev said. The very fact we can compete with him is amazing. Today we managed to put on an amazing show.One that ended the way it always has since Uchimura captured his first world championship in 2009: with the supremely elegant Uchimura standing atop the podium with a gold medal around his neck and the Japanese anthem playing over the loudspeakers.This really was the trickiest for me, Uchimura said after becoming the first man in nearly 50 years to repeat as Olympic champion.Looked like it. Verniaiev led from the second rotation on, answering every time it seemed Uchimura was ready to take over. When Uchimura drilled a 15.566 on vault, Verniaiev responded with a 15.5. Verniaievs precise parallel bars routine -- his body pencil straight as he pressed into a handstand, his legs seemingly duct taped together -- put him up by .901 points heading into high bar. When Uchimuras high-flying set ended with a stuck landing and a 15.8, Verniaiev needed a 14.9 to win Ukraines first all-around Olympic title.Instead, he got a 14.8. And he seemed kind of pumped up about it.Im quite happy I managed to make Kohei very nervous, Verniaiev said with a laugh.Max Whitlock earned Great Britains first all-around medal in 108 years by taking bronze, just ahead of Russias David Belyavskiy. American Sam Mikulak recovered from a fall on vault to rally to seventh. Chris Brooks finished 14th while capping a memorable rise through the qualifying process to make his first Olympic team at 29.Really, though, the night belonged to Verniaiev and Uchimura. Their two-hour duel provided the closest call in Uchimuras run of two Olympic crowns and six world all-around championships.Theres only the tiniest gap, a 0.1 gap, Uchimura said. I really have no confidence I should say, that I can beat Oleg.Verniaiev equated Uchimura to the gymnastics version of Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, territory the ever gracious Uchimura shied away from immediately.Everybody in the world knows these names, he said. But Kohei Uchimura? Who is this man? I dont think Im well known in the world.Theres time. Uchimura will take a break following the Rio Games but has no plans to retire. The next Summer Olympics are back home in Tokyo. The opportunity to finish things off in front of his fellow countrymen -- and his daughter -- will be far too attractive to pass up.By then my daughter would be old enough so that I really hope I will be able to show her what her father can do, he said.Heres the answer: pretty much whatever he wants.Uchimura arrived in Rio as the overwhelming favorite to back up the all-around gold he won in London four years ago. Yet he stressed repeatedly the only thing that mattered was the team gold. That triumphant moment happened on Monday when Japan soared to victory.While Uchimura was exulting in triumph, Verniaiev was basically just warming up. Ukraine qualified for the team final but basically gave up when Maksym Semiankiv couldnt participate in the finals due to injury. Rather that put in a replacement athlete to fill in for Semiankiv, Ukraine instead just entered two athletes instead of three, dooming whatever medal chances they had.Verniaiev shrugged off the decision and insisted his team did not tank on purpose so he could prep for the all-around.We never blew a single contest, he said, calling it a silly and unpredictable situation.Cheap Air Force 1 Black . PETERSBURG, Fla. Wholesale Air Force 1 Mens . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. http://www.airforce1shoesireland.com/nike-blazer-wholesale-ireland.html . 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The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season.EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Before Ohio State could move on to next weekends showdown with Michigan, the Buckeyes had to deal with a different nemesis.As usual, Michigan State gave Urban Meyers team all it could handle.Mike Weber ran for 111 yards and a touchdown, and No. 2 Ohio State held off Michigan State 17-16 on Saturday after the upset-minded Spartans missed a 2-point conversion with 4:41 remaining.Tough day at the office right there, Meyer said. Well take the win against a team that we know very well and on the road in November. Were 10-1 and getting ready for rivalry week.Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 2 CFP) can now focus on Michigan, but only after withstanding a spirited challenge from a Michigan State team that derailed the Buckeyes national title bids in two of the previous three seasons. The Spartans (3-8, 1-7) were down 17-10 when LJ Scott scored on a 1-yard run with 4:41 to play. Michigan State went for the lead, but Tyler OConnors pass on the 2-point conversion attempt was intercepted in the end zone.All week long Id said that, hey, if we get close at the end of the game, were going for 2, and were going to take an aggressive approach and play to win the football game rather than to tie, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. They had us covered up on that particular play, so good job by them.The Spartans got the ball back one more time, at their own 20 with 2:04 remaining. Tyquan Lewis sacked OConnor on the first play, and then Gareon Conley intercepted him on the second.Scott ran for 160 yards and also scored on a 64-yard catch-and-run in the first minute of the game, but the Ohio State defense didnt allow much more after that. J.T. Barrett threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel in the first quarter, and the game was tied at 10 at halftime.Webers 4-yard TD run in the third gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.THE TAKEAWAYOhio State: The Buckeyes had to claw their way to this win, but it was still a sweet one against the team that has given them more trouble than any in recent seasons. Michigan State beat Ohio State in the 2013 Big Ten title game and again late in the regular season last year. Ohio States stellar pass defense was the difference. OConnorr and Damion Terry were a combined 8 of 21 with two interceptions for the Spartans.ddddddddddddMichigan State: Dantonios team threw everything it had at Ohio State, executing a successful fake punt in the fourth quarter and later going for 2 when an extra point would have tied it. The Spartans fell just short in the end, unable to establish any consistent offensive threats aside from Scott.The 2-point conversion may be second-guessed in the days to come, but OConnor said the team was on board with it.We dont play for second place, obviously, OConnor said. Everybody was all in on going for it.POLL IMPLICATIONSOhio State: The Buckeyes trailed only top-ranked Alabama coming into this weekend, but the bigger concern for them is their playoff position. Even if Ohio State beats Michigan, it could lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with Penn State for the division title.TOUGH SLEDDINGMichigan State managed only 127 yards passing, over half of it on one play. Ohio State wasnt very productive through the air either. Barrett went 10 of 22 for 86 yards on a windy day that included sporadic snow flurries. The Spartans, who had only seven sacks coming into the game, had three against Ohio State.MILESTONEWeber became the third Ohio State freshman to reach 1,000 yards rushing. Robert Smith (1990) and Maurice Clarett (2002) were the other two.It means a lot, he said. It was a goal that I had set at the beginning of the year. My offensive line executed and made it happen.GREAT SCOTTScott had 236 total yards, including a highlight-reel play in the third quarter when he hurdled an Ohio State defender near the sideline.UP NEXTOhio State: The Buckeyes have lost only once in their last 12 meetings with Michigan. Ohio State will be at home next weekend, where it has not lost to Michigan since 2000.Michigan State: The Spartans play at Penn State next weekend, meaning they could have another chance to play spoiler in the Big Ten title race.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '