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Former teammate misses Cleveland Browns great Mike McCormack, who passed away Friday

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John Wooten says Mike McCormack was the best team captain he ever played for.

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman John Wooten played with some of the greatest players in NFL history, including Jim Brown, but when it comes to Mike McCormack, no one was better.

"He's the best captain I've been around on any level of football," Wooten said. "I've never seen a captain more committed than Mike. His leadership was outstanding. Of course he was a great football player, but he was also a man of strong character ... It hurts me to hear this news."

McCormack died Friday in Palm Desert, Calif., at the age of 83.

The University of Kansas product was 6-4, 246 pounds during his playing days. He played tackle for the New York Yankees in 1951 and the Browns from 1954-1962. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Wooten said that former Browns coach Paul Brown often spoke highly of McCormack. It was easy to do because of McCormack's character.

Wooten vividly remembers a game in Chicago.

"We had a play where Mike was supposed to call out how I was to block," Wooten said. "He didn't make the call and I didn't block the way I was supposed to. As I came off the field, Paul Brown ate me alive. Mike stepped in and said it was his fault and Paul didn't say another word. That still resonates because that shows how Mike's character was strong at all times."

After his playing days, McCormack became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Colts and Seattle Seahawks. He was also instrumental in Charlotte getting an NFL franchise in 1993.

The Browns released the following statement: "The Cleveland Browns were saddened to learn of the passing of Mike McCormack. His contributions to our history are profound, not only on an individual level, but also with regard to the tremendous success we enjoyed as a team during his career. Both the Browns and the NFL are most fortunate to have shared part of his amazing life. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Ann, and his family."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.



Bryn Forbes scores 24 as Cleveland State beats UT Arlington 83-73

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Bryn Forbes scored 24 points and Charlie Lee added 22 more to lead Cleveland State to an 83-73 win over UT Arlington on Friday night.

ARLINGTON, Texas  — Bryn Forbes scored 24 points and Charlie Lee added 22 more to lead Cleveland State to an 83-73 win over UT Arlington on Friday night.

The Vikings (2-1) shot 11 of 24 from beyond the arc, while holding the Mavericks to a season-low 33 percent from the field.

Cleveland State built a healthy first half lead on a 19-4 run and took a 43-28 into the break.

But the Mavericks (2-2) mounted a rally late in the second half, trimming a 19-point deficit to 71-65 with 2:30 remaining. They cut the gap to 6 points three times in the final two minutes but couldn't capture the lead as Cleveland State stretched its advantage to 10 with 35 seconds remaining on a pair of free throws by Forbes, followed by a steal and dunk by Sebastian Douglas.

Reger Dowell led UT Arlington with 25 points, while Brandon Edwards added 21.


The Ohio State hype video Urban Meyer sent out, and how the 2013 and 2012 Buckeyes would face off: Buckeye Breakfast

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Vote in our poll on what would happen if the Ohio State teams of the last two years played each other.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - All week we've been writing about how the 2013 Buckeyes compare to the 2012 Buckeyes, both of whom never lost on the field, at least so far. Which team was better? 

How do you think the 2012 Buckeyes would have fared against the current Buckeyes? Vote in our poll. And take these stories into account.

Comparing the leadership from 2013 to 2012

Comparing the offense

Comparing the defense

Comparing the special teams

By the highlights, 2013 might be hard to beat.

The official Twitter account for Urban Meyer tweeted out that hype video of the highlights from the Buckeyes' 9-0 start on Friday. It seems like someone was busy during Ohio State's week off last week.

As for the game on the field Saturday, we made our picks for Ohio State's noon kickoff at Illinois in what we believe won't be much of a game.

The Chicago Tribune picked Ohio State 55-17.

Off the field, in the BCS standings, Ohio State is one of four major unbeaten teams left. How does the talent of those teams stack up? We look at the recruiting rankings for the last five years.

Looking in the past, Bill Livingston wrote about a new documentary on the 1973 Ohio State-Michigan tie.  

And don't forget basketball. Ari previews Ohio State's 1 p.m. game at Marquette on Saturday. 

Check back here at Cleveland.com/osu at noon for live coverage of the Buckeyes and Illini, then return again for plenty of postgame coverage.

Cleveland Browns win last game in Pitt Stadium before move to Three Rivers: This Day in Browns History

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This Day in Browns History: Bill Nelsen and Leroy Kelly help the Cleveland Browns win their last game in Pitt Stadium in 1969 before the series with the Pittsburgh Steelers moved to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970.

Bill Nelsen and Leroy Kelly were some of the stars from the Cleveland Browns as they won their last game in Pitt Stadium on this date, Nov. 16 of 1969, before the rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers moved to new Three Rivers Stadium the next year.

Unfortunately for Browns fans, they lost their first 16 games in Three Rivers before finally winning there in 1986.

The victory, increasing the team's lead over the St. Louis Cardinals to three games, wrapped up the Century Division title in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns.

This is the 11th installment in a season-long series on cleveland.com - This Day in Browns History. We'll do what the current Cleveland Browns can't possibly do, guarantee a victory every week as we dig into the files of Browns history.

Enjoy the stories for the game memories, the player names you may recognize, and - especially with the older stories - the writing styles as sports reporting has changed over the years.

Curious about other games? Try out our online database that will connect you to all other Cleveland Browns game stories since the beginning of the franchise in 1946.


BROWNS REBOUND, 24 TO 3
Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh
November 16, 1969

By Chuck Heaton
Plain Dealer Reporter

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - It took a while for the Browns to get on the trampoline, but their late bounce was high enough to whip the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-3, before 47,670 fans yesterday at Pitt Stadium.

That sixth victory of the season, coupled with losses suffered by the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants, practically assured Blanton Collier's team of a successful title defense in the National Football League's Century Division.

pitt-stadium-1999.jpgView full sizePitt Stadium as shown during the Panthers last game, against Notre Dame, in 1999. The Pittsburgh Steelers moved from Pitt Stadium to Three Rivers Stadium 30 years earlier - after the 1969 season.

 The Browns, who meet the Giants in the second-last home game at the Stadium Sunday, now have a three-game lead on the Cards with five games left in the regular season. New York is three-and-a-half lengths behind and the Browns meet the Giants twice.

CLEVELAND MIGHT not have been celebrating a sixth straight victory over the determined Steelers except for some heroics by Paul Warfield. The swift, graceful wide receiver pulled down five passes for 132 yards. Just about all of them came at very opportune times.

The veteran, who along with center Fred Hoaglin and quarterback Bill Nelsen received game balls from their teammates, grabbed one of 12 yards for a touchdown. He also had two six-pointers from Nelsen called back because of penalties.

Nelsen, who snapped back the second half to finish with 18 completions for 32 throws and 290 yards, was the Browns' only casualty. He had to leave briefly in the first half when that nerve in his arm was hit. Nelsen also suffered bruised ribs when racked up earlier.

The passer, who now has beaten his old teammates four straight times, will be X-rayed today at Shaker Medical Center Hospital. It's not believed that the ribs are cracked.

EVEN IF THEY should be, it's likely that he would be taped up and sent into the fray. Cleveland's other touchdowns were scored by Gary Collins, also demonstrating his unusual ability to catch the ball in a crowd, and Leroy Kelly.

Gary opened the point producing in he first quarter by taking a 26-yard pass from Nelsen. That put the Browns ahead to stay.

Kelly, whose 97 yards were his best production of the season, rammed for 1 yard and the third touchdown. Don Cockroft, rebounding with a good day, booted the extra points and kicked a 28-yard field goal.

Gene Mingo provided the only Steeler points as Chuck Noll's team lost its eighth straight. The kKicker split the uprights from 31 yards out.

THE GAME, PLAYED on a bright chilly day that saw rooters for both teams keeping the police busy, was much closer than that final 21-point differential might indicate.

Mingo's field goal came in the first quarter on the heels of Collins' touchdown. Cockroft's boot was the only score of the second period, and the Browns had a 10-3 lead at the intermission.

That also was the count as the turnpike rivals moved into the final session. That's when the Browns came alive with two good touchdown drives to clinch the decision.

The one that was climaxed by Nelsen's scoring pass to Warfield carried 93 yards. It took 10 plays to go that distance.

WITH THE BALL on the Pittsburgh 7, a Nelsen-to-Warfield pass in the end zone was nullified by a motion penalty. Then the passer, who remained in the game except for a couple of plays despite considerable back pain, came right back with the 12-yard scoring effort to his wide receiver.

The next time the Browns got the ball, they went 59 yards on 10 plays. Warfield, who had taken a 33-yard pass en route to his touchdown, went high to get one of 34 yards in this push. Kelly went the last yard.

Collins finished with six catches for 91 yards, while Ron Johnson and Milt Morin were on the receiving end of three each.

Terry Hanratty started and went the distance for the Steelers. The rookie from Notre Dame, not named to open until the lineups were announced, clicked on 11 of 22 passes. The total was good for only 149 yards, however, and slippery Roy Jefferson, who has two men covering him just about all the time, was held to four catches.

TOTAL GAIN FOR the NFL's leading receiver was only 58 yards. He also wasn't given any opportunity to get open long.

Hanratty, who kept the ball on five occasions and made 54 yards running, fumbled twice. One of those came in the second quarter, with Ron Snidow recovering on the Cleveland 7.

The Steelers had a first and 10 at the Browns' 4 at the time. So that fumble probably was the turning point of the game, as a touchdown would have put Pittsburgh in front.

The butter-fingered Steelers fumbled five times, and the Browns recovered three. Bo Scott and Chuck Reynolds made recoveries in addition to Snidow.

NELSEN THREW FOR those two touchdowns but also had a pair of passes intercepted. The thievery was committed by Paul Martha, who also fumbled twice, and Jim Shorter, the ex-Brown playing a cornerback.

All three of the Cleveland fumble recoveries came in the second quarter and certainly were a big factor in the Steelers' failure to put any points on the board that period. Shorter's interception at the Cleveland 6-yard line killed off a Browns threat.

Warren Bankston, a rookie from Tulane, rolled up 96 yards for the losers. The 225-pound substitute for Earl Gros was particularly effective the first half, when he romped through big holes in the Cleveland line for 77 of those yards. He wound up the day with a 6.4 average.

The Browns started out as though they were going to chew up the luckless Pittsburgh team. Snidow, who played very well, crashed through to topple Hanratty for a 14-yard loss and force a quick punt.

CLEVELAND TOOK OVER on its 36 and moved to a touchdown in six plays. Kelly ran over his left guard for 2 yards before Nelsen hit Collins for 19 yards to the Pittsburgh 43.

Ron Johnson seemed to be stopped at the line of scrimmage on a draw but somehow broke loose for 17 yards to the Steelers' 26.

Three plays later, Nelsen passed to Collins on the old post pattern for 26 yards and the touchdown. The flanker beat Bob Hohn, the left cornerback.

That ended the Browns' explosiveness until the last quarter, but with the aid of a few breaks they were able to hang in there and bounce back from the lopsided licking of a week ago in Minnesota.

And now they have a chance to eliminate the Giants from the Century title picture with a victory next Sunday.


Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball preview breakdown

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Ohio State and Thad Matta were supposed to begin last season vs. Marquette as part of the Carrier Classic, but the game was cancelled. This year, the No. 11-ranked Buckeyes travel to the Bradley Center for an early-season test Saturday.

Ohio St. (2-0) at Marquette (2-0)

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.

Where: Bradley Center, Milwaukee

TV: Fox

Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play) and Jim Jackson (expert analysis)

Tickets: StubHub

Breaking down the Buckeyes: Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft is on the verge of some big career accomplishments. He’s five points away from becoming the 50th player in Buckeyes history from reaching 1,000 career points. When he does that, he reaches that mark, that will make the senior the first Ohio State player in history to reach 500 career assists, 1,000 points and 200 steals … Ohio State was originally scheduled to face Marquette in last year’s season opener aboard the USS Yorktown in the Carrier Classic, but the game was cancelled because of condensation on the court … Ohio State is 5-4 all-time against Marquette … In Ohio State’s game, a 79-69 win over Ohio, junior center Amir Williams posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds … Against the Bobcats, coach Thad Matta left Shannon Scott in the starting lineup with Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr., Laquinton Ross and Williams … Ohio State is 62-29 vs. the current alignment of the Big East and has faced every member in the conference.

Breaking down the Golden Eagles: Marquette opens the season with a four-game homestand, which is the longest it will enjoy all season … The Golden Eagles currently own a 27-game winning streak at home, which is the longest in college basketball … Marquette had eight different players reach double figures in its 114-71 win over Grambling State … The 114-point total was the most Marquette had scored in a game since scoring 118 in a 58-point win over Milwaukee in 1969 … Marquette has reached the NCAA Tournament eight consecutive years, which is the sixth-longest streak in the country … For the first time since joining the conference in 2005-06, Marquette was selected to finish first in the league in the annual preseason coaches poll … Through its first two games, Marquette is averaging 88.5 points … Marquette’s scoring leader is reserve big man Davante Gardner, with 17.5 points per game … Starting forward Jamil Wilson averages 10.5 points and five rebounds per game. 


OHSAA football playoffs: Statewide regional semifinal scores, next week's matchups in all 7 divisions 2013

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here is a look at scores from Friday's regional semifinal playoff games across the state, as well as next week's matchups. Check back Saturday night for the other divisions. The Ohio High School Athletic Association will determine the regional final sites on Sunday. FRIDAY'S RESULTS:

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here is a look at scores from Friday's regional semifinal playoff games across the state, as well as next week's matchups. Check back Saturday night for the other divisions. The Ohio High School Athletic Association will determine the regional final sites on Sunday.

FRIDAY'S RESULTS:

DIVISION II

Region 3

No.1 Glenville d. No.5 Bedford, 26-12, on Friday.

No.6 Madison d. No.2 Brecksville-Broadview Height, 22-21, on Friday.

Next: Glenville vs. Madison next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 4

No.1 Highland vs. No.5 Massillon Washington, 17-14, on Friday.

No.2 Avon vs. No.6 Perrysburg, 24-21, on Friday.

Next: Highland vs. Avon next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 5

No.1 New Albany d. No.5 Mansfield Senior, 26-22, on Friday.

No.3 Zanesville d. No.2 Worthington Kilbourne, 36-0, on Friday.

Next: New Albany vs. Zanesville next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 6

No.1 Loveland d. No.4 Cincinnati Northwest, 45-14 on Friday.

No.2 Cincinnati Mt. Healthy d. No.3 Cincinnati Winton Woods, 13-10 on Friday.

Next: Loveland vs. Cincinnati Mt. Healthy next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Division III

Region 7

No.1 St. Vincent-St. Mary d. No.5 Poland Seminary, 35-7 on Friday.

No.2 Hubbard d. No.6 Aurora, 49-19, on Friday.

Next: St. Vincent- St. Mary vs. Hubbard next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 8

No. 1 Toledo Central Catholic d.No.4 Tiffin Columbian, 42-13,  on Friday.

No. 2 Clyde d. No.3 Sandusky Perkins, 19-6, on Friday.

Next: Toledo Central Catholic vs. Clyde next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 9

No. 1 The Plains Athens d. No.4 Dresden Tri-Valley, 55-52, on Friday.

No. 2 Columbus Marion-Franklin vs. No.3 Columbus Brookhaven, 20-19, on Friday.

Next: The Plains Athens vs. Marion Franklin next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 10

No. 1 Tipp City Tippencanoe d. No.5 Dayton Thurgood Marshall, 30-13 on Friday.

No. 7 Trotwood-Madison d. No.6 Springfield Shawnee, 44-7, on Friday.

Next: Tipp City Tippencanoe vs. Trotwood-Madison next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

DIVISION IV

Region 11

No.5 Benedictine d. No. 1 Chagrin Falls, 52-21, on Friday.

No. 3 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney d. No 2. Struthers , 42-14, on Friday.

Next: Benedictine vs. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 12

No.5 Bryan d. No. 1 Caledonia River Valley, 49-19, on Friday.

No. 2 Kenton d. No.3 Wooster Triway, 46-6, on Friday.

Next: Bryan vs. Kenton next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 13

No. 8 Steubenville d. No. 4 Zanesville Maysville, 22-20, on Friday.

No. 2 Gnadenhutten Indian Valley d. No.3 Duncan Falls Philo, 7-3 on Friday.

Next: Steubenville d. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 14

No. 1 Kettering Archbishop Alter d. No. 4 Germantown Valley, 28-0, on Friday.

No. 2 Clarksville Clinton-Massie d. No.3 Cincinnati Archsbishop McNicholas, 52-14 on Friday.

Next: Kettering Archbishop Alter vs. Clarksville Clinton-Massie next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

DIVISION VI

Region 19

No. 1 Kirtland d. No. 5 Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas, 49-0, on Friday.

No.3 Mogadore d.No. 2 Canfield South Range, 35-28,  on Friday.

Next: Kirtland vs. Mogadore next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 20

No.5 Haviland Wayne Trace d. No. 1 Defiance Tinora, 40-7,  on Friday.

No. 7 Ada d. No.6 Convoy Crestview, 35-0 on Friday.

Next: Haviland Wayne Trace vs. Ada next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 21

No.4 Newark Catholic d. No. 1 Lucasville Valley, 35-21 on Friday.

No. 2 Columbus Bishop Ready d. No.6 Woodsfield Monroe Centra, 45-14,l on Friday.

Next: Newark Catholic vs. Columbus Bishop Ready next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Region 22

No.5 Mechanicsburg d. No. 1 Casstown Miami East, 31-14, on Friday.

No.6 West Liberty-Salem d. No. 7 Cincinnati Summit Country Day, 21-13 on Friday.

Next: Mechanisburg vs. West Liberty-Salem next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE:

DIVISION I

Region 1

No. 1 St. Edward vs. No.9 Cleveland Heights on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 4 Austintown Fitch vs. No.5 Westerville Central on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Mentor vs. No.7 Stow on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 3 Hudson vs. No.11 St. Ignatius on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 2

No.1 Hilliard Davidson vs. No.8 Pickerington North on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No.13 Dublin Coffman vs. No.5 Huber Heights Wayne on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No.2 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller vs. No.7 Cincinnati Elder on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No.14 Pickerington Central vs. No.6 Cincinnati Colerain on Saturday at 7 p.m.

DIVISION V

Region 15

No. 1 Manchester vs. No.5 Navarre Fairless on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Columbiana Crestview vs. No.3 Gilmour on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 16

No. 8 Doylestown Chippewa  vs. No.5 Coldwater on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 7 Huron vs. No.6 Loudonville on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 17

No. 1 Columbus Bishop Hartley vs. No.5 Baltimore Liberty Union on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Martins Ferry vs. No.3 Wheelersburg on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 18

No. 1 West Jefferson vs. No.4 Richwood North Union on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy vs. No.3 Hamilton Badin on Saturday at 7 p.m.

DIVISION VII

Region 23

No. 1 Berlin Center Western Reserve vs. No.4 Danville on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Norwalk St. Paul vs. No.3 Wellsville on Saturday at 7.p.m.

Region 24

No. 8 Delphos St. Johns vs. No.4 Calvert on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 7 Hicksville vs. No.6 Arlington on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 25

No. 1 Glouster Trimble vs. No.4 Steubenville Central Catholic on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Shadyside vs. No.6 Caldwell on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Region 26

No. 1 North Lewisburg Triad vs. No.4 Sidney Lehman Catholic on Saturday at 7 p.m.

No. 2 Covington vs. No.3 Maria Stein Marion Local on Saturday at 7 p.m.

What went right for the Cleveland Browns in 41-20 loss to Cincinnati Bengals

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Defense kept Andy Dalton, A.J. Green under wraps, but the Browns gave the game away in the other two phases.

CINCINNATI -- If you tuned in late, you missed most of them. Nevertheless, here are three things that went right in the Browns' 41-20 loss to the Bengals:

1. Joe Haden

The shutdown corner was amazing. He was primed to win this game. He picked off Andy Dalton twice in the first quarter, the second for his first career pick-six. It was his first multi-interception game, and he stored the ball away in his bag like it was made of crystal.

He completely nullified A.J. Green once again, holding him to seven yards on two receptions. But Haden's pick-six, a 29-yard return that made it 13-0 in the first quarter, was one of the last good things that happened.

"I always thought it was going to be different than that,'' he said. "I always thought I was going to be so excited, go crazy in the end zone. It’s just a big play in a big game and I was just trying to help our team win. It felt good, but I wanted to go back out there … it was all about the win. I wanted to do whatever we had to do to win.

Game of his life in a 41-20 blowout.

"Bittersweet,'' said Haden.

2. Josh Gordon's TD

The Browns had a brief moment of life in the third quarter when Gordon caught a 74-yard touchdown pass to pull to within 31-20. Gordon was singled up down the left sideline and Jason Campbell hit him over the shoulder in full stride.

It was Gordon's fourth TD of the season and the ninth of his career. But it went for naught after the second quarter from hell.

"Great ball,'' said Gordon. "He can throw a great deep ball. We practiced it all week. It worked out to perfection, I just wish we had maybe a few more plays like that in this game.''

3. Third down defense:

We've been harping all season on the Browns' woeful 29th-ranked third-down defense. They finally got it right. The Browns held the Bengals to 1-of-14 on third down -- and still lost.

They limited Andy Dalton to 13 completions and 93 yards -- and still got blown out.

Maybe they finally got this third-down thing right and it'll come in handy one of these days.

“We’ve got to give credit to the other team,'' said defensive end Desmond Bryant. They made plays, special teams, offense and defense, and we didn’t make enough plays. We’ve got to come back, get in the film room and look at what we did. Everybody really needs to focus on doing their job on every play.”

 


Special teams mistakes cost the Cleveland Browns dearly in loss to Cincinnati Bengals

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A blocked punt and a partially blocked punt turn the tide for the Bengals in the second quarter.

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Browns have committed a staggering variety of mistakes in 15 inglorious seasons since their return to the NFL.

From helmet tosses to ill-advised flip passes, they have invented, patented and mass-produced ways to lose. They have failed to protect leads, the quarterback, the ball and their turf. But never in that time have the Browns had a punt blocked.

That streak ended Sunday at rain-soaked, windswept Paul Brown Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns had one punt blocked and returned for a touchdown and another deflected leading to a Bengals TD in a 41-20 defeat before 63,856 fans.

The two special-team gaffes made less than nine minutes apart dramatically swung momentum and contributed to the Bengals' record-setting, 31-point second quarter.

“It's disappointing from a team, disappointing from a special-teams perspective and like I said it's just not good enough,” said punter Spencer Lanning, whose culpability appeared minor on both kicks. “We'll get after it on Monday.”

It was almost 20 years to the day the Browns last had a punt blocked. The Houston Oilers’ Bubba McDowell blocked a Brian Hansen boot on Nov. 21, 1993.

The club has prided itself on strong special-teams play since 1999 and had been enjoying a good season up until Sunday’s pivotal AFC North showdown.

The most damaging play came late in the second quarter with the Browns trailing, 14-13. Rookie Barkevious Mingo missed a block at the end of the line, allowing Jayson DiManche a clear path to Lanning. Chris Ogbonnaya, the punter’s personal protector, was focused on the middle of the line and only got a piece of the Cincinnati linebacker, who reached out and blocked the punt.

Players scrambled for the ball and safety Tony Dye scooped it up and ran 24 yards for a touchdown with 4:25 left in the half.

Mingo wasn’t the sixth pick last April based on his special team’s prowess, but the linebacker understood the seriousness of his mistake.

“That’s my responsibility,” he said. “I didn’t do my job. The guy made a great play, blocked a punt, (they) picked it up. I’ve got to do better than that.”

What made the play so shocking was the Browns had a punt partially blocked earlier in the quarter. The Bengals’ Shawn Williams ran a stunt at the line, looping right and running through a lane that Tashaun Gipson vacated to pick up a charging Cedric Peerman.

Williams got a hand on the punt, which traveled nine yards to the Cleveland 38. Lanning said the snap was fine, but the ball appeared to flutter as he waited for it. The Bengals needed just five plays to take a 14-13 lead on an Andy Dalton touchdown pass.

“As a punter, you try to block it out and go to the next one,” said Lanning, a first-year pro who last had a punt blocked as a sophomore at South Carolina. “You can't sit there and rehash everything that happens in a game or it will drive you crazy.”

The Bengals set a franchise record for points in a quarter and closed out with a 41-yard field goal made possible by a 27-yard punt return from Adam Jones.

“You get an undesirable punt in the middle of the field and that's on me,” Lanning said. “We had him hemmed up and he just came out the other way.”



No. 3 Ohio State holds slim lead over No. 4 Baylor in BCS, as Bears could move ahead next week

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The Buckeyes' lead over No. 4 slipped from .0237 last week to .0013 this week. Ohio State fans should be ready for the Bears to pass the Buckeyes if Baylor beats Oklahoma State next week.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The BCS system is terrible. Some voters often either don't pay attention or just choose to ignore onfield results. The coaches are biased and may not even fill out their ballots. A computer every now and then throws in Northern Illinois as the No. 3 team in the nation, like happened this week.

It's all almost over. The four-team playoff and selection committee are coming next year. This is the last season anyone has worry about this. Everything is hypothetical. And it doesn't matter, because No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida State aren't losing anyway.

The chatter is endless. Here's a sure thing. 

Next week, if No. 4 Baylor beats No. 10 Oklahoma State, the Bears are going to pass No. 3 Ohio State in the BCS standings. And here's a thought - if No. 1 or No. 2 did lose, you'd sure want to be No. 3.

That all became clear Sunday night, when Ohio State's lead over the Bears was revealed to have dwindled even more. Ohio State was No. 3 with a BCS number of .8869, while Baylor was at .8856. That's a lead of only .0013.

Ohio State also was ranked No. 3 last week, with a BCS number of .8926. That gave the Buckeyes a lead a week ago of .0237 over Stanford, which was No. 4 then, and a .0308 lead on Baylor, which was No. 5 last week. Stanford dropped to No. 9 after a loss to USC.

All of this, of course, requires the unbeaten Buckeyes (10-0) and Bears (9-0) to keep winning. And it only becomes relevant with a slip-up in the the top two. But fighting for position does matter, and for weeks, Ohio State has continued to win and watch Baylor gain ground while also staying perfect.

Four weeks ago, in the first BCS standings, Ohio State's lead on Baylor was .1433. The teams were then No. 4 and No. 8. Since then, Ohio State's edge on the Bears went to .1195, then .0975, then .0308, and now .0013.

The only question now is whether Ohio State might move back ahead of Baylor with a potential win over No. 14 Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. That's a very real possibility, as the Spartans continue to gain steam. 

But it could make for a high-wire end of the season for the Buckeyes, especially if the Crimson Tide or Seminoles have lost by then. Either way, both those schools would also be playing that weekend in their own conference titles games in the SEC and ACC. The Big 12 doesn't have a title game, but the Bears also play the last weekend, with a regular-season game against Texas.

At the moment, Ohio State played the 72nd-toughest schedule in the nation according to the Sagarin ratings, one of the six computers used the BCS. Baylor has played the 85th-toughest schedule. Both teams have three games left, the Buckeyes facing Indiana (4-6), Michigan (7-3) and almost certainly the Spartans (9-1). Baylor has Oklahoma State (9-1), TCU (4-7) and Texas (7-3).

That's close. If the Buckeyes wake up at 13-0 on Dec. 8 and the Bears are 12-0, and it matters for the national title game, the argument will never end.

With Alabama locked in at No. 1 in the BCS standings and Florida State at No. 2, the case of the No. 3 Buckeyes is the most interesting part of the BCS now, and it dominated the talk on ESPN's BCS show on Sunday night.

The fascination with the Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 2 in both major polls in the preseason, has grown because they have been on the outside looking in for weeks and now may be passed by another team. All this while building what is now a school record-tying 22-game win streak.

Ohio State was No. 3 in both the Harris poll and coaches poll, with Baylor No. 4 in both polls. Among the computers, with the results of six computers creating a final number that accounts for one-third of the BCS, Baylor is No. 3 and Ohio State No. 5. Among the individual computers, four rank Baylor higher, and two rank Ohio State higher.

Ohio State fans this week should be rooting for the other OSU, and hoping Oklahoma State can win that home game at 8 p.m. against the Bears on Saturday. If that doesn't happen, Ohio State fans should be ready to get passed again.

One of Joe Haden's finest days spoiled by Cleveland Browns' loss to Bengals

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Haden's two interceptions and blanketing of Bengals receiver A.J. Green all go for naught. Watch video

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Joe Haden might have punched his ticket to Hawaii on Sunday.

But on an afternoon the Browns cornerback flashed Pro Bowl form, his team jeopardized a more meaningful trip.

Despite two Haden interceptions, including his first career touchdown return, the Browns’ playoff hopes were dealt a blow in a 41-20 defeat to the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Browns fell to 4-6 after a divisional showdown in which they led 13-0 largely due to Haden’s heroics. He intercepted Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton twice in the first quarter and held red-hot A.J. Green to a career-low seven yards receiving on two catches.

It was arguably Haden’s finest outing, but it came in a losing effort. The Browns now trail two teams by a game for the final wildcard spot and lost ground to the division-leading Bengals (7-4).

Earlier in the week, Haden said Sunday’s matchup represented the biggest game he’d play in since the 2009 BCS national championship with the University of Florida.

“It sucks,” said Haden, bidding for his first playoff and Pro Bowl berths. “I deeply felt like we were doing a really good job and they weren't running the ball on us. They weren't passing the ball on us. But the next thing you know, you look up and they got 31 points. That was just real tough.”

 Special-teams gaffes and two critical turnovers ignited a 31-point second quarter for the Bengals. Cincinnati went to the locker room with an 18-point lead while managing just three first downs and 108 yards total offense.

“They weren’t really doing anything (offensively) so we couldn’t change up what we were doing because what we were doing was working,” Haden said. “It was just a whole lot of other things going on that are not really my position to say anything about.”

If Haden does earn a Pro Bowl nod, his work against Green will have been a major factor.

He blanked the Bengals playmaker for a second time this season. The Pro Bower had seven catches for just 51 yards in the first meeting, a Browns’ 17-6 win.

Green had more than 100 yards receiving in each of his last five games, but was a non-factor Sunday. As in the first meeting, Haden hammered him with a hard hit early in the game.

But the highlight was Haden’s first career two-interception day. The first one occurred with 4:02 left in the opening quarter as Green got knocked off his route by D’Qwell Jackson and the ball sailed into the arms of Harden, who returned it 15 yards to the Cincinnati 14.

Two first-quarter trips into the red zone produced just a pair of Billy Cundiff field goals. It took Haden’s second INT to get the Browns into the end zone. He stepped in front of Green and raced 29 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-0.

It was his first pick-six at any level. He had joked earlier in the season about having choreographed dance moves over the years to commemorate his first TD. But when the big moment arrived he simply celebrated with teammates and took the ball to the sidelines. (He tossed the ball from his first pick to a Browns fan wearing a “Haden” jersey, he said.)

“I always thought it was going to be different than that,” Haden said. “I always thought I was going to be so excited, go crazy in the end zone. It’s just a big play in a big game and I was just trying to help our team win. It felt good, but I wanted to go back out there … It was all about the win. I wanted to do whatever we had to do to win.”

After being victimized by Haden twice, Dalton targeted Green just two more times, five in total. It was the receiver’s poorest day since Pittsburgh limited him to one catch for eight yards a season ago.

“I’ve been practicing for it, praying on it, just trying to develop my game as a corner,” said Haden, who also has neutralized Miami's Mike Wallace and Detroit's Calvin Johnson this season. “When I go up against players like A.J., that’s when you step up. It’s either you step up or you get embarrassed.”


Cleveland Browns lose to the Cincinnati Bengals, 41-20: What people are saying (slideshow and video)

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The Cleveland Browns come back from their bye week and lose to the Bengals in embarrassing fashion. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — And just that fast, the wheels come off the Cleveland Browns bandwagon.

Two weeks ago the Browns defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 24-18, ending an 11-game losing streak to the Ravens that stretched to 2007. Quarterback Jason Campbell threw three touchdown passes, and the team headed into the bye week at 4-5 and hopes of staying in the hunt for the AFC North title.

The Cincinnati Bengals welcomed the Browns after the break with a rude slap back to reality.

The Browns saw an early 13-0 lead evaporate in a second ... a second quarter in which the Bengals scored 31 points and cruised to a 41-20 victory.

How did the Bengals score so much, so fast? Well, the Browns couldn't move the ball on offense, and just punting became a challenge as well. The Bengals blocked one punt and tipped another, returning the blocked punt for a touchdown and using the other to set up a TD. Campbell, who looked so poised against the Ravens, threw an interception (on a tipped pass) that set up a touchdown as well. Oh, to top it off there was a fumble returned for a touchdown. At one point the Bengals had 99 yards of total offense yet led by 15 points.

Cincinnati capped the half by adding a field goal with only 19 seconds left. There was another half to play, but it was clear from the Browns' offensive ineffectiveness that the game was basically over. (Go here to listen to a podcast with analysis of the game from Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and Dennis Manoloff.)

Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto says going in this was the biggest game of the season for the Browns. Now he's wondering how they will respond to the debacle they left behind in Cincinnati:

The Browns ended the 2012 season with three losses. They concluded the 2011 season on a six-game skid. They lost four in a row to end 2010. Why is the recent Browns history always so depressing? They have been a resilient group this season. They won in Week 3 after the Trent Richardson deal, and came back to beat Baltimore to snap a three-game losing streak. But now they are 4-6 and have lost four of five. Pittsburgh won again, and also is 4-6 when it comes to town next Sunday. How will the Browns react? By the way, the Ravens are 4-6, too.

What concerns Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw is the play of Campbell. (Go here to grade his performance.) Campbell was 27-for-56 for 248 yards, with a touchdown and three interceptions. Shaw says Campbell's play seemed "timid," and he thinks the quarterback's ribs might be bothering him after injuring them against the Ravens. But there are other factors:

The Browns can only revive themselves in the division if Campbell is at his best. And then some. His career isn’t as much an arc as a fluctuating stock. And that was while playing for some teams that had more dependable running games. ... A quarterback whose career tells you he’s more journeyman than star needs more help than the Browns provided Sunday. A team whose youth and talent tell you it’s not yet a serious playoff contender needs a productive quarterback playing over his head to lift it above .500 and into the postseason conversation. Sunday’s first half was the worst of that co-dependent relationship.

Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal says the loss to the Bengals likely offered a glimpse at the "real" Jason Campbell:

Those euphoric over the recent performance of Campbell, who came into the AFC North showdown Sunday against the division-leading Bengals with a 106.6 rating, may have been — in the immortal words of Derek Anderson — smoking crack. There was even talk among fans that the impressive efforts of Campbell and Brian Hoyer, out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, might allow the Browns to use both their first-round draft picks on other positions next May. If that ever was a possibility, it might be moot now. ... Campbell has six more games to redeem himself, starting Sunday at home against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. His performance against the Bengals could have been an aberration. But so, too, could have been the two that came before it.

It's clear that a lot of things went wrong for the Browns on Sunday. Does anything go right in a 41-20 loss? Well, yes, believe it or not, there were a few bright spots, most notably cornerback Joe Haden, who had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in the first quarter. Haden held Bengals receiver A.J. Green to a career-low 7 yards receiving on two catches. But the loss sullied the effort for Haden:

“It sucks,” said Haden, bidding for his first playoff and Pro Bowl berths. “I deeply felt like we were doing a really good job and they weren't running the ball on us. They weren't passing the ball on us. But the next thing you know, you look up and they got 31 points. That was just real tough.”

Haden isn't the only one disappointed. The loss was a severe letdown for Browns fans, who have seen their team lose four of their last five games after starting 3-2. Some reaction from Twitter:

Terry Pluto doesn't blame them. He says the team let its fans down with its poor effort in such a big game:

The Browns are a relatively young team and no one expected them to be in contention in the AFC North. But fans should expect so much more than what the Browns delivered on this rainy, windy afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium. Yes, it was a tease. There were two weeks of playoff dreams following the impressive 24-18 victory over Baltimore on Nov. 3 -- 14 fun days to talk about this season rather than the 2014 NFL draft. But here's reality: The Browns have lost four of their last five in falling to 4-6.

It was disappointing. However, expectations of the fans and the media have exceeded the skill level of this team, says Pat McManamon of ESPN.com:

It was nice to think and talk that the Browns could make a playoff push -- ESPN’s Merrill Hoge picked them to win the division before the game -- but this is a team that is a ways from that level. They have done something with what they have, but they walk too fine an edge to be playoff-caliber yet.

Next week the Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who after an 0-4 start are now 4-6 following a 37-27 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Browns, Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are all tied at 4-6 in the AFC North, all trailing the 7-4 Bengals. The Steelers somehow managed to win after Lions receiver Calvin Johnson had six catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Johnson didn't have any catches in the second half. And now Steelers fans are where Browns fans were: Wondering if their team can somehow make a move to get to the playoffs. From Alan Robison of the Pittsburgh Tribune:

They've climbed back onto the fringe of the AFC wild-card race by winning four of six, but they still probably need to win five of their remaining six to have a chance. At least five teams remain an obstacle in the race for what appears to be one wild-card spot. ... Games against AFC North rivals Cleveland (4-6) on Sunday and Baltimore (4-6) on Thanksgiving in a five-day stretch might tell whether the Steelers will have anything to play for in December.

Alabama vs. Baylor and Florida State vs. Ohio State - The College Football Playoff is a year late: Buckeye Breakfast

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We take a look at Baylor coverage, think about next year and get ready for the Buckeyes to play Indiana at 3:30 on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The official website of the College Football Playoff has a countdown until the four-team playoff that will begin after the 2014 regular season. It's at 408 days. Anyone willing to hack the website and make the playoff happen now?

As this season continues, with three weeks remaining, we could be looking at the best possible setup for that playoff if Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor all remain undefeated.

At the moment, Baylor did move past Ohio State in the AP poll. And in the last year of the BCS, the No. 3 Buckeyes have to be ready for No. 4 Baylor to pass them next week in the BCS standings with a win over No. 10 Oklahoma State. There are plenty of numbers in the story if Ohio State fans are looking to refuel their outrage tanks.

Next year, there'd be no outrage about this. Sure, there would be a battle at No. 5 to fight for position if one of the top four lost.

That's what the Buckeyes and Bears are doing right now, fighting for postion if the Crimson Tide or Seminoles lose. But oh, if this was next year.

How would Baylor's offense stack up against Alabama's defense in a Sugar Bowl semifinal?

Would Florida State and Ohio State both score 50 in a Rose Bowl semifinal?

And then the winners next season will meet at AT&T Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys play in Arlington, Texas, in the first true title game.

Dare to dream.

Ohio State Buckeyes 60, Illinois Fighting Illini 35View full sizeUrban Meyer and the Buckeyes beat Illinois on Saturday behind the run game, which was helped when left tackle Jack Mewhort came back in the game.

 Back in reality, Baylor could be a real problem for the Buckeyes. This game story from Saturday's win over Texas Tech includes a Mike Tyson reference. Remember, Buster Douglas is from Columbus.

More Baylor coverage from the Dallas Morning News

BCS news and notes

If you enjoy studying the full BCS breakdown

And a ton of our coverage from Ohio State's 60-35 win over Illinois on Saturday, as the Buckeyes look ahead to a 3:30 kickoff against Indiana on Saturday in the home finale:

Ohio State did some damage getting fired up in the Illinois locker room, among 15 postgame observations

What if Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde and Bradley Roby had never missed any time?

Hyde is closing in on 1,000 yards and it sounds like he maybe could have run for 300 on Saturday

Saturday showed how the Buckeyes really need Jack Mewhort, turtle wrangler

The injuries weren't the only issues for the Buckeye defense

Can Michigan State make a case for beating Ohio State in Indianapolis on Dec. 7?

Bill Livingston on Braxton Miller and a day in the wind

We'll continue our Ohio State coverage with live updates from Urban Meyer's news conference at 11:45 a.m. Monday. A full day of player interviews will follow, so continue to check back. 

As always, thanks for reading.





Torrance Gibson, a four-star QB prospect from Florida, has an offer from Ohio State and will visit Columbus soon: Buckeyes recruiting

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Four-star quarterback prospect Torrance Gibson, a junior from Florida, has offers from virtually every college football powerhouse in the country. Gibson, who will visit Ohio State after the conclusion of his junior season, still considers himself new to the recruiting process.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Torrance Gibson earned scholarship offers from virtually every national power by the time he reached his junior season, but somehow the four-star quarterback of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage is still new to the recruiting process.

“I have only taken one visit to Miami,” Gibson said in a phone interview with Cleveland.com on Sunday. “I know I have a lot of scholarship offers, but I won’t really know too much until I start going out and visiting more.”

A 6-foot-4, 195-pound prospect, Gibson has consistently lit up box scores with his arms and his legs on his way to earning scholarship offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Clemson and many more.

Though Gibson is emerging as one of the best prospects in the 2015 class and a quarterback elite enough to earn an early Ohio State offer, he still says he has a long way to go before being able to identify a leader.

Gibson, who tries to model his game after Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton or Washington Redskins signal caller Robert Griffin III, said he’ll likely know a lot more about his recruitment after his season when he takes more visits.

On his list of programs he’d like to see are Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida State and Florida. The Buckeyes have become a team of interest because Urban Meyer runs a spread offense, and Gibson said he’d fit nicely into that scheme.

“I talk to (Ohio State) offensive coordinator Tom Herman once a week and I really like Ohio State,” Gibson said. “I want to visit there because Coach Herman really knows what he is doing, and Urban Meyer is a great coach. They run the spread offense, and look what Coach Meyer was able to do with the Florida Gators with it.”

Ohio State was picky with their quarterback scholarship offer list in the 2014 class, but Meyer and his staff have issued more in the 2015 class to the top quarterbacks in the country.

Along with targets like Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep’s Brandon Wimbush, Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison's Lorenzo Nunez and Baltimore (Md.) Gilman School's Kai Locksley, Gibson has become a top quarterback priority for Ohio State in the 2015 class.

The Buckeyes, though, have plenty of work to do to get Gibson out of Florida, particularly with interest coming from Florida State and Florida. Along with a scholarship offer from Alabama, Gibson also recently picked up an offer from LSU.

But Ohio State will get their chance to make their case soon.

“I talk to Ohio State once a week, so they’re definitely interested,” Gibson said. “But I am taking it slow right now. I have scholarship offers from a lot of big schools, so I have to take my time and visit all of them before I find out which one I like the most.

“It’s kind of tough having all those offers because you can only pick one. It’s hard because all the schools are great programs with great coaches and great tradition.”

Monday Morning Musings, or It's the Great Pumpkin, Rob Chudzinski: Bill Livingston

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The clock struck early for the Cinderella Man, Jason Campbell. So did the Bengals' punt blockers against the terrible Browns' punt unit.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The ugly, uglier and ugliest in the Browns’ 41-20 loss to Cincinnati:

1. I said in my pre-game prediction of a Browns’ victory -- It was made before the malarial fever broke -- that Jason Campbell would probably turn into a pumpkin sooner or later, but that I was going with later.

The clock struck 12 early for the Cinderella Man, out of nowhere (or, actually, out of third on the depth chart on a team that hasn’t had a consistently good quarterback since Bernie Kosar.) The metamorphosis back into a gourd began when the Browns settled for field goals in the red zone on two drives in the opening moments.

Although they eventually took a 13-0 lead on a touchdown interception return by the almost peerless Joe Haden, it could have been 21-0, which might have taken it out of double punt block jeopardy.

That it did not was almost solely due to the AFC Player of the Week two weeks ago, Campbell. Perhaps he spent the bye week remembering who he was.

Anyway, he didn’t see Jordan Cameron, the Pro Bowl-worthy tight end, open in the end zone one time. The tight end, always a big, rangy target, is usually a quarterback's best friend when the playing space shrinks near the goal-line.

He didn’t put any air under the ball when Greg Little was open another time, and the pass was knocked down.

2. In a surrealistic moment recently, when the discussion came up about an unusual, bizarre, and thoroughly memorable name for a high school  team, my daughter Julianne  suggested the “Angry Clowns.” A vision arose of Jack Nicholson as the Joker with his disfigured rictus of a grin, with psychotic Bozos holding  seltzer bottles full of toxins following closely behind him, squirting away.

Fans with a sense of rhyme and the sarcasm of the emotionally jilted sometimes call the Browns the “Clowns” after such games as Sunday’s. If the players, who are well-paid to deliver such execrable performances, aren’t angry after that game, find some new ones.

3. Any chance for a blow-out died with the early field goals, and soon the punt team was out there in big shoes and fright wigs. One blocked punt will usually cost you a game because so many yards are at stake in the play. Two will effectively demoralize a defense.

One really wasn’t a statistical block, because it wobbled forward for nine yards off Spencer Lanning’s foot. Details, details.

4. Given that the  former Ohio State coach and fervent Browns fan, Jim Tressel, channeling one of his heroes, Paul Brown, used to say constantly, “The punt is the most important play in football,” the punting follies touched off some Tressel riffs on Twitter.

Tweeted Marcus Hartman of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, one of the many pundits who enlivens the Ohio State football press box: If terrorists captured Jim Tressel, they would make him watch not the 2004 Iowa game but that Bengals-Browns 2nd quarter.

The Buckeyes lost that Iowa game, 33-7, but the silver lining was that ineffective quarterback Justin Zwick, knocked out of the game with an injury, was replaced by Glenville’s Troy Smith, who won Ohio State’s seventh Heisman Trophy two years later.

5. There is no new hope warming up in the bullpen for the Browns. Analyst Rich Gannon, who teamed with a surprisingly error-prone Marv Albert on the telecast, said Campbell was playing tight because he might be worried the backup (Brandon Weeden) would be coming in.

Well, no.

If Weeden plays again, he will have to earn back every jot and tittle of respect he squandered after being handed the job in training camp in 2012 ahead of Colt McCoy. Never say never in sports, but the front office, the fans and his fellow players don’t have any confidence in him right now.

6. That said, Jason Weeden, or maybe it was Brandon Campbell, played in a manner we have seen too often –- holding the ball too long, taking sacks, reducing offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s vaunted vertical passing game to a bunch of checkdowns and four-yard dinks, except for a false-hope 74-yard touchdown strike to Josh Gordon.

7. The Bengals, in a Stat of the Century contender, had the ball for 3 minutes, 42 seconds of the second quarter and the Browns for 11:18. Score for the quarter: Bengals 31 (a team record), Browns 0.

The halftime score was 31-13, which is either a palindrome or, given the Browns' ineptitude, a new definition of parody.

That was because of the blocked punts, a fumble run in for a TD, and, despite capricious wind and difficult conditions, the apparent cloning of Weeden.

8. Everyone complains about how bad the Big Ten, dominated by Ohio State, is these days. How about the AFC North, a.k.a., the Incredible Shrinking Formerly Toughest Division in Football? It produced these stats in the "Battle of Ohio": Campbell –- 27 of 56, 248 yards, one TD, three interceptions, 4.4 yards per pass attempt, 44.3 QB rating; Andy Dalton – 13 of 27, 93 yards, three TDs, two interceptions (one for a TD), 3.4 yards per pass attempt, 62.7 QB rating.

It was a game of people choking up on the bat, of dumping the puck into the corners, of two quarterbacks dwindling before your very eyes. Dalton and the Bengals weren’t good. The Browns just out-crummied them.

9. At halftime I Tweeted: The AFLAC duck better bring his A-game pep talk.

Retorted Paul_In_Maple (@CLE_CLCFAN): Back in the day, (Mike) Ditka would have plucked and roasted that waterfowl in anger.

10. This is why Twitter is invaluable, as a source of either laughter or solace. There is a whole community out there (even if more than a few of them are trolls) and you have to smile at the lines or sometimes even give them the old thigh-slapper, rib-tickler guffaw.

11. The final judgment isn’t very funny, though. This shabby, tawdry circus has gone on for 15 years now, never with a quarterback you could believe in, this in a quarterbacks’ league, and now with a pie fight going on with the special teams.

Asked about his team’s execution, John McKay, coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they were losing 26 games in a row, said: “I’m in favor of it.”

It was that kind of game down by the river by the team from up by the lake.

Weekly Wolverine Watch: Crazy late field goal helps Michigan avoid seeing its season bottom out

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Michigan was down to its final drive at Northwestern, but a crazy field goal at the end of regulation helped propel the Wolverines to a 27-19 win over the Wildcats in three overtimes Saturday at Ryan Field. Thanks to kicker Brendan Gibbons, the Wolverines avoided seeing their season bottom out.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Down by three points with only 2:18 remaining in regulation, Michigan started its drive at its own 22 yard line knowing it had to at least get a field goal to avoid watching the season bottom out.

Luckily for the reeling Wolverines, they were playing a Northwestern team that already saw that happen to theirs.

Led by quarterback Devin Gardner, Michigan drove, though sloppily, down the field on the Wildcats, a team that started the season 4-0 before a heartbreaking home loss to Ohio State in their Big Ten opener trigged what is now a six-game conference losing streak.

After a dropping an easy interception that would have ended the game, Northwestern still seemed to be in good position when it had a timeout-less Michigan in a third-and-23 situation with 18 seconds left at the Wildcats 43.

Gardner found receiver Jeremy Gallon for a 16-yard gain down the sideline, but Gallon was tackled in-bounds with 12 seconds remaining. The Wolverines, however, got their kicking team onto the field as the clock ticked and snapped the ball with one second remaining, and Brendan Gibbons nailed it to force overtime as time expired.

Michigan rode the momentum and won in three overtimes, 27-19.

For a Northwestern team that was playing for the first time since losing on a last-second Hail Mary to Nebraska, it was another heartbreaking loss in a season that now looks devoid of hope.

For Michigan, it was another game where the team’s glaring weaknesses were exposed. But it was a win, and the Wolverines snapped their two-game Big Ten losing streak to improve to an even 3-3 in conference play.

And Gibbons’ field goal, one of the more remarkable plays of this year’s college football season, saved Michigan from hitting rock bottom.

“That tells you about the discipline of these guys playing together,” Michigan coach Brady Hoke said after the game when describing the field goal. “How they got on the field, how the guys who weren't on the (field goal) team got off the field.

“It might be the best single play I've ever seen, because it was a team play.”

While that may have been the biggest play of the game, MLive.com reporter Nick Baumgardner wrote that it was the heroic play of Gardner that kept Michigan’s season alive. Despite being battered for much of the previous two weeks, Michigan’s quarterback stood tough and delivered when the Wolverines needed him the most.

“He’s a competitor,” Hoke said of Gardner. “I wouldn't think he was any more focused in overtime, he just found a little bit more of a rhythm. He had the hot hand (late), so we went with him and we kept the ball in his hands.”

Baumgardner also wrote a column about how a large amount of Michigan fans have given up on the season already, one that was filled with hope of potentially competing for a Big Ten title or even more. However, the Wolverines haven’t given up on themselves.

And there was a new faces at running back for the Wolverines in freshmen Derrick Green and De’Veon Smith, both of which replaced Fitzgerald Toussaint’s place as he remained out with an undisclosed injury. The result? A positive team rushing performance, something that eluded the Wolverines for two games. 



OHSAA football playoffs: What the players are saying

BCS schedule breakdown shows on-field tests remain for Ohio State, Alabama, Baylor; off-field concerns for Florida State

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BCS schedule breakdown shows tough games ahead for Alabama, Baylor and Ohio State. A look back, shows Alabama is alone among the top four with multiple wins this season over ranked teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - While Alabama, Ohio State and Baylor still face highly ranked opponents in their quests to reach the national title game, the biggest concern with Florida State could be off the field.

There is uncertainty involving FSU's star quarterback, Jameis Winston. As reported by the Orlando Sentinel and other outlets, the state attorney's office may decide soon whether to charge Winston in connection with a sexual assault allegation. FSU athletic department policy calls for immediate suspension of those charged with felonies.

As for on-field concerns, the remaining schedule for Florida State is the weakest among the top undefeated teams.

As part of a weekly exercise, we once again crunched the numbers for the remaining schedules to get a handle on what could stand in the way of perfect seasons.

But before looking into the future, a step back to examine the resumes of the top four teams shows that only Alabama has multiple wins over teams that are currently ranked in the AP Top 25. We look at current rankings, rather than rankings at the time the games were played, because those were just predictions of how good teams were. We now know more about each.

Wins to-date over ranked teams

SchoolWins over
ranked
teams
Rankings and game scores
Alabama   3(9) Texas A&M, 49-42; (18) LSU, 38-17;
and (24) Ole Miss, 25-0.
Florida State   1(7) Clemson, 51-14.
Ohio State   1(16) Wisconsin, 31-24.
Baylor   1(22) Oklahoma, 41-12.


As for looking ahead, six teams remain unbeaten. We'll focus on the four in contention for the national title game. 

  • No. 1 Alabama has the toughest road ahead almost any way you look at it. Should Alabama defeat Auburn (10-1) in the regular season finale, Missouri (9-1) will be the likely opponent in the SEC title game.
  • No. 2 Florida State would appear to have the easiest path. As it stands now, No. 25 Duke would be FSU's opponent in the ACC title game.
  • No. 3 Ohio State actually has the toughest schedule in terms of combined record for remaining opponents from among FSU, Baylor and OSU. And if OSU plays an 11-1 Michigan State team in the Big Ten title game, that will help Ohio State's schedule.
  • No. 4  Baylor has managed to move up the rankings but a look at Baylor's schedule, past and future, doesn't make it look much different than the schedules of Ohio State and Florida State.

See explainer from cleveland.com OSU beat writer Doug Lesmerises on what these schedules could mean for the computer end of the BCS rankings.


Remaining games for the undefeated

These numbers include projections for league title games based on current standings, not predictions. The record for Alabama opponent Chattanooga was not included because Chattanooga is not an FBS school.

BCS
rank
School Games
left
vs.
above
.500
vs.
AP
ranked
vs.
AP
top 10
Opp.
record
Opp.
pct.
1 Alabama 3 2 2 2 19-2 .905
2 Florida State
3 1 1 0 13-17 .433
3 Ohio State 3 2 1 0 20-10 .667
4 Baylor 3 2 1 0 20-11 .645
15 Fresno State 3 1 0 0 15-15 .500
16
Northern Illinois 3 2 0 0 15-16 .484

A look inside the schedules finds some quirks and other things of note.

Baylor, unlike all others, would not have to contend with a league title game. The  Big 12, with actually only 10 members, does not have a league title game.

Fresno State has a shortened schedule because a Sept. 14 game against Colorado was cancelled due to rain and flooding. Colorado found a replacement (Charleston Southern). Fresno State has not.

Fresno State or Northern Illinois could land an invitation to a BCS bowl game, but both will not make it. This means the two are in a race for the highest ranking and possible BCS bowl game. 

Buckeye Numbers is a weekly feature from cleveland.com focusing on stats involving Ohio State football.


The schedules

The rankings for upcoming opponents are AP, to include as the season goes along any potentially ranked teams who are on probation. The championship game opponents are projected based on current standings.

BCS No. 1 Alabama (10-0)
Nov 23 H Chattanooga (non-FBS) 8 3
Nov 30 A (6) Auburn 10 1
SEC title N (8) Missouri 9 1
BCS No. 2 Florida State (10-0)
Nov 23 H Idaho 1 9
Nov 30 A Florida 4 6
ACC title N (25) Duke 82
BCS No. 3 Ohio State (10-0)
Nov 23 H Indiana 4 6
Nov 30 A Michigan 7 3
Big Ten title N (13) Michigan State 9 1
BCS No. 4 Baylor (9-0)
Nov 23 A (11) Oklahoma State 9 1
Nov 30 A Texas Christian 4 7
Dec 7 H Texas 7 3
No league title game
BCS No. 15 Fresno State (9-0)
Nov 23 H New Mexico 3 7
Nov 29 A San Jose State 55
MWC title H Boise State 73
BCS No. 16 Northern Illinois (10-0)
Nov 20 A Toledo 7 3
Nov 26 H Western Michigan 1
10
MAC title N Buffalo or Bowling Green 7
3

Sources: cleveland.com/datacentral analysis of records and schedules published by cbsports.com.

What would you ask the area's top high school basketball players and coaches? HS sports question of the day

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – We're stepping back from playoff football to get ready for the tipoff of basketball season at the Northeast Ohio Media Group. This week, we're hosting Media Day sessions with high school hoops players and coaches from 20 of the area's best teams - and we want to hear from you what we should ask them.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – We're stepping back from playoff football to get ready for the tipoff of basketball season at the Northeast Ohio Media Group. This week, we're hosting Media Day sessions with high school hoops players and coaches from 20 of the area's best teams - and we want to hear from you what we should ask them.

Post your questions below and check back Monday and Tuesday as we upload videos, photos and interviews with top talents such as VJ King of St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio State recruit Dave Bell, Defending Division I champ Mentor and more!

So, our high school sports question of the day is: What would you ask the area's top HS basketball players and coaches? Share your answers in the comments section below.

New this school year: Readers can now comment on all cleveland.com high school sports stories — and we encourage it.

Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here for an account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Talk Browns with Mary Kay Cabot today at 2 p.m.

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Talk Browns with Mary Kay Cabot and Glenn Moore at 2 p.m.

X00032_9.JPGTalk Browns with Mary Kay Cabot at 2 p.m. 

Get your Browns questions ready and join Mary Kay Cabot today at 2 p.m. as she talks Browns football.

Mary Kay will talk with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about the Browns' loss to the Bengals Sunday and their matchup next week against the Steelers.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Mary Kay's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.


Fans react to Jason Campbell's performance against the Cincinnati Bengals

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The Browns went into Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals looking to show they were ready to win a big game against the division's top team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns went into Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals looking to show they were ready to win a big game against the division's top team. But with a chance to close the gap on the Bengals' lead in the AFC North and keep their own playoff hopes alive in the wide-open AFC, the Browns fell flat, turning in their worst performance of the season. 

It didn't start that way. The Browns charged out to a 13-0 lead and intercepted Bengals QB Andy Dalton twice in the first quarter. 

Then everything changed.

The Browns were outscored 41-7 the rest of the way, including a 31-point second quarter, a quarter Cleveland would like to have wiped from its memory. 

Jason Campbell struggled, finishing 27 of 56 for 248 yards and three interceptions to go with his one touchdown. As is the case in the NFL, the quarterback tends to get the most blame when things go wrong and the most praise when they go right. Yesterday was no exception.

Here are some of the best tweets reacting to Campbell's disappointing Sunday in Cincinnati:



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