Get links to all the football conference and team previews published so far as season openers approach next week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The high school football season kicks off next week and cleveland.com is your source all month for loads of content previewing the area's 136 teams.

Conference-by-conference outlooks and team-by-team previews for every area squad will be posted throughout the month, including lots of videos and pictures. Much of it has already been posted and this story is one place to find all the content.

Look for a compilation post like this every week for one place to see all the previews. This post will be updated daily this week. Then look for a fresh compilation post next week, again updated daily.

Here are the preview posts that have gone live thus far.

Check back every day this week for links to many more conference and team previews.

And don't miss special sections previewing the season in The Plain Dealer and Sun News. The seven-county preview will be published Aug. 29 in The Plain Dealer. Previews zoned by communities will be printed in the Suns on Aug. 28. 

Conference previews with predicted finish and players to watch (slideshows, videos and polls)

Independent teams: See how St. Edward, St. Ignatius, St. Vincent-St. Mary and others compare

North Coast League Blue Division: Benedictine loaded with returnees

Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division: Look for Brush to win fourth straight crown

Northeast Ohio Conference River Division: League features three playoff qualifiers a year ago

Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division: Hudson and Mentor to battle for top spot

Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division: Tough favorite to pick between Kenston, Aurora, Chagrin Falls 

Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division: Beachwood is the team to beat

Premier Athletic Conference: Willoughby South and Madison the strongest squads

Southwestern Conference: Brecksville to challenge for another unbeaten league season

Suburban League: Look for Nordonia to unseat Highland

General

Get a peek at expanded coverage plans for the 2014 season

See a breakdown of OHSAA divisions with every local team listed

Team previews (many include slideshow, video and/or poll)

Avon, including keys to Eagles winning state title

Bay, including keys to Rockets having winning season

Berea-Midpark, including keys to Titans having winning season

Brecksville, including keys to Bees making deep playoff run

Brunswick, including keys to Blue Devils making deep playoff run

Buckeye, including keys to Bucks making playoffs

Chardon, including keys for Hilltoppers making playoffs

Cleveland Heights, including keys to Tigers making deep playoff run

Copley, including keys to Indians having winning season

Elyria Catholic, including keys to Panthers making playoffs

Firelands, including keys to Falcons having winning season

Gilmour, including keys to Lancers making playoffs

Highland, including keys to Hornets making deep playoff run

Holy Name, including keys to Green Wave making playoffs

Hudson, including keys to Explorers winning state title

John Adams, including keys to Rebels making playoffs

John Marshall, including keys to Lawyers having winning season

Keystone, including keys to Wildcats making deep playoff run

Lakewood, including keys to Rangers having winning season

Lutheran East, including keys to Falcons making playoffs

Mentor, including keys to Cardinals winning state title

Midview, including keys to Middies making playoffs

Nordonia, including keys to Knights winning state title

North Ridgeville, including keys to Rangers winning conference

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, including keys to Lions making playoffs

Padua, including keys for Bruins making playoffs

Rocky River, including keys for Pirates making playoffs

St. Ignatius, including keys to Wildcats winning state title

St. Vincent-St. Mary, including keys to Irish winning state title

Strongsville, including keys to Mustangs making playoffs

Tallmadge, including keys to Blue Devils making playoffs

Trinity, including keys to Trojans winning conference

University School, including keys for Preppers having winning season

Wadsworth, including keys to Grizzlies making deep playoff run

Walsh Jesuit, including keys to Warriors making playoffs

Western Reserve, including keys to Pioneers making deep playoff run

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account above and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag. 

Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel knows what is working against him when it comes to the off-season competition with Brian Hoyer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel knows what is working against him when it comes to the off-season competition with Brian Hoyer.

Manziel doesn't have the same experience as Hoyer, the veteran who helped lead the Browns to two wins last season before a knee injury ended a storybook start. As a rookie, it will take Manziel time to get adjusted to the speed of the game.

But that's life as a first-year quarterback. It's what Teddy Bridgewater is going through in Minnesota and what Blake Bortles is seeing with Jacksonville.

Manziel, though, is learning an NFL playbook for the first time, which has been an adjustment coming from Texas A&M. It led to an admission over the weekend.

"I don't think I'm ready for Pittsburgh right now," Manziel told the assembled media in Berea three days before head coach Mike Pettine would like to name his starter for the opener.

Manziel's words echoed through the NFL, creating headlines. But what he said is understandable considering he is preparing for his second preseason game on Monday night against the Washington Redskins. 

Rookies take time to get acclimated, and if the Browns are going to pick the most ready QB for the opener, that's not going to be Manziel – at least not now. He knows that. Pettine knows that. 

The good thing for Manziel is that most ready doesn't always mean the best. Johnny Football explained that to ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden in their Sunday Conversation.

"I think the best person should play whether you are ready or not," Manziel told Gruden during their sit down.

Manziel can only hope the Browns remember his words when the competition ends.

See a season preview for Cloverleaf football, including top players, newcomers to watch, schedule, stats and more.

LODI, Ohio – Check out a preview for Cloverleaf's football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins on the road at Solon on Aug. 29.

5 keys for a successful season

1.Veteran passer: Garrison Flora was the staple of the Colts' offense last season with more than 1,300 passing yards and another 325 yards on the ground. He will once again be the central figure for Cloverleaf's scoring attack. 

2. Experience upfront: One of the Colts' greatest assets this season will be its veteran offensive line which includes seniors Kevin Chester, Ryan Funfgeld and Jon Keene. Cloverleaf also has plenty of talented junior blockers such as Levi Grimm, Jon Doty and Stephen Wallon. 

3.Defensive line: As experienced as Cloverleaf's O-line is, the team's D-line is just as savvy with guys like Keene, Grimm and junior Colton Tompot leading the effort to keep opposing offenses in check. 

4.Develop newcomers: Aside from Flora, the Colts have some fairly inexperienced skill players that will need to step up in a big way. Seniors John Nespeca and Jared Talmon will be called upon to lead the running game while sophomore wide receiver Nick Soika will likely get his fair share of opportunities to prove his sure-handedness in game situations. 

5. Beat conference opponents: If the Colts are to have any chance of being in contention for a playoff berth, they must do something they were unable to do last season: Win within their league. 

MORE ABOUT CLOVERLEAF

2014 schedule

OHSAA division, region: Division III, Region 8.

Conference: Suburban League.

2013 record: 2-8, 0-7. 

Coach: Bob Lake.

Coach’s record at school: 72-88 in 36 seasons.

Coach’s career record: 72-88 in 36 seasons. 

5 key offensive players: 

Conner Carneal, TE/LB, Jr., N/A. 

Kevin Chester, OL, Sr., 5-9, 165. 

Garrison Flora, QB, Sr., 6-2, 205. 

Ryan Funfgeld, OL, Sr., 5-8, 165.  

Kyle Sasinka, K/WR, Sr., N/A. 

5 key defensive players: 

Levi Grimm, DL/OL, Jr., 6-1, 210. 

Tyler Hissom, DB/WR, Sr., N/A. 

Jon Keene, DL/OL, Sr., 6-4, 238.

Tate Surrarrer, LB/RB, Jr., 5-9, 200. 

Colton Tompot, DL, Jr., N/A. 

Newcomers to watch: 

John Nespeca, RB/LB, Sr., 5-9, 180.

Nick Soika, WR/DB, Soph., N/A. 

Jared Talmon, RB, Sr., 5-10, 160. 

Stephen Wallon, OL/DL, Jr., N/A. 

Key stats from 2013: Flora, Passing: 1,300+ yards; Rushing: 325 yards. 

Follow Cloverleaf all season

Bookmark the team’s cleveland.com webpage to see every football post pertaining to Cloverleaf. (use the words “Bookmark the team’s cleveland.com webpage” and link to the school’s football team page in HS database)

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

After an unconvincing night from Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff tells CineSport's Brian Clark the Browns should continue their QB competition.

Washington Redskins inside linebacker Will Compton (46) pursues Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) during the second half of an NFL preseason football game Monday, Aug. 18, 2014, in Landover, Md. AP Photo/Richard Lipski 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After an unconvincing night from Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff tells CineSport's Brian Clark the Browns should continue their QB competition. Click play to watch the video. 

A book says that Jones had to have the draft card with Manziel's name ripped away from him.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the Dallas Cowboys on the clock at No. 16 in the 2014 NFL Draft and Johnny Manziel still on the board, Jerry Jones had the card ready with Manziel's name, at least according to a recent book by Jim Dent:

"'I could just see Jones grabbing Manziel with the 16th choice of the first round. ... I knew that Jones' hands were shaking when the Cowboys went on the clock with Manziel still on the board. I could envision Jones scribbling the name of Johnny Manziel on the draft card. Indeed, all of these things happened.

'As it turned out, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones had snatched the Manziel card straight out of his dad's hand. Otherwise, Jerry would have drafted him and JFF would have sat for at least three years behind Tony Romo.'"

A source within the Cowboys, however, tells Sean Lester of the Dallas Morning News that the incident Dent recounts didn't happen:

"A source in the Dallas Cowboys' draft room last May disputes a report in Jim Dent's latest book that claims owner/general manager Jerry Jones couldn't resist drafting Johnny Manziel, prompting his son Stephen to block the move."

Jones, of course, told the NFL Network in July he was "that close" to picking Manziel.

More NFL links

Marcus Mariota pegged as No. 1 pick in 2015 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports (OregonLive)

Dean Blandino: NFL 'not going to change how we're calling the game' (CBSsports.com)

NFL to expand practice squad to 10 (ESPN.com)

Browns links

Browns notebook: Cornerback Buster Skrine undergoes surgery, first-round draft pick Justin Gilbert makes NFL debut and more (Ohio.com)

Now what does Mike Pettine do? (ESPNCleveland)

Rhode Island Little League coach Dave Belisle gives his team a heartwarming speech after they were eliminated from the Little League World Series.

And this is why the Little League World Series is one of the best sporting events of the year.

Dave Belisle, the coach of the Rhode Island Little League team, spoke to his team after it lost to Chicago Monday night and was eliminated from the Little League World Series. He asked his boys to take a knee for a moment before they headed off to see their parents ... and then delivered a speech for the ages.

"You had the whole place jumping. You had the whole state jumping. You had New England jumping," he said. "You had ESPN jumping. Wanna know why? Because they like fighters. They like sportsmen. They like guys who don't quit."

"It's OK to cry, because we're not going to play baseball together any more. But we're going to be friends forever. Friends forever."

"I love you guys. I love you forever. You're all my boys."

Then they got together for one last hug, and shouted, "Americans."

Watch and enjoy.

Talk Tribe with Northeast Ohio Media Group's Indians beat writer Zack Meisel at noon. Post your questions or concerns in the comments section.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians begin a three-game series at Target Field in Minnesota on Tuesday night before they return home for a weekend set against the Astros.

At 62-61, the Tribe sits 6 1/2 games out of first place in the American League Central and 4 1/2 games back in the race for the second Wild Card spot. Following the series against Houston this weekend, Cleveland will have an off-day on Monday and then will play 30 games in 30 days.

Does the team have another late-season surge in it, like it did last year?

Talk Tribe with Northeast Ohio Media Group's Indians beat writer Zack Meisel at noon. Post your questions or concerns in the comments section below. 

While we're still waiting to hear about the results of Miller's MRI – one he took this morning and will give a reasonable timetable for his return – Ohio State returned to the gambling boards with new odds to win the national title: 18-1.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shortly after news broke that Braxton Miller re-injured his shoulder in practice Monday evening, Las Vegas reacted by taking all gambling lines involving Ohio State off the board. 

While we're still waiting to hear about the results of Miller's MRI – one he took this morning and will give a reasonable timetable for his return – Ohio State returned to the gambling boards Tuesday morning. 

Monday morning the Buckeyes' odds to win the national title were 10-to-1. 

Now they're 18-to-1. 

Bovada drops Ohio St from 10/1 to 18/1 to win national title, after Braxton Miller injury. More on #Buckeyes odds: http://t.co/JOGnT0Ye8z

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) August 19, 2014

The move in the odds is interesting because there has been no confirmation that Miller is out for the entire season. Ohio State's schedule is favorable – even with a backup quarterback – in the first part of the season, so if Miller only misses six games, the Buckeyes could still have a shot at a national title. 

By comparison, Michigan State and Wisconsin's national title odds are 35-to-1 – both also considered front-runners for the Big Ten. 

Which is why the odds didn't drop too far. 

Miller missed all of spring while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery stemming from an injury he sustained on the first drive of the Orange Bowl. After he played through it, he said the pain he felt was a 9.5 out of 10. 

And though Miller missed all of spring practice – yielding all the live reps to backups J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones – the expectation was that he'd be ready to go come fall camp. 

But that wasn't necessarily the case. Before the injury occurred Monday evening, Miller was limited in his reps due to excessive soreness. 

Now the Buckeyes will likely turn to Barrett, who passed up Jones in the derby to be Ohio State's backup quarterback. 

Johnny Manziel was finally given his shot to pull closer in the Browns quarterback competition, but in a showdown on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins, the only lasting memory he left was flipping the bird to the Redskins bench.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel was finally given his shot to pull closer in the Browns quarterback competition, but in a showdown on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins, the only lasting memory he left was flipping the bird to the Redskins bench.

It was clear Manziel was frustrated. Those highlight reel plays fans grew accustomed to at Texas A&M were stifled. He wasn't on the same page with his receivers as his passes sailed into the turf repeatedly.

The rookie finished the night hitting seven of 16 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown, which came on a pass that sailed maybe two yards into the waiting arms of running back Dion Lewis. 

Brian Hoyer, the main competition for the starting job, didn't fare much better as he went 2-of-6 for 16 yards.

The struggles led to "Maybe Rex Grossman" becoming a national trend on Twitter, which was referencing the QB the Browns signed last week. Grossman hasn't played in the regular season since 2011. 

Monday night's game was supposed to bring some clarity to an off-season competition. Instead, Head coach Mike Pettine was left with more questions. The goal was to name a Week One starter later today. But Pettine might call an audible on that. After last night, the coach has to be wondering whether he has any competent option to send to Pittsburgh on Sept. 7. 

Talk sports with Terry Pluto live at noon.

View full sizeTerry Pluto talks Cleveland sports at noon.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cleveland sports.

Pluto will talk with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor about the Browns game against Washington, what head coach Mike Pettine should do about the quarterback competition, the Indians up-and-down season and the Cavs getting a deal with Shawn Marion.

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

Exactly when have any of the "quarterback competitions" ever worked for the Browns?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles and grumbles the day after an utterly deflating Browns preseason game in Washington...

1. While the national media puts the focus on one finger that Johnny Manziel gave the Washington bench, I'm concerned about the entire right-hand -- and his arm. Not that he's injured, but how he threw the ball. He looked rattled, frustrated and took several steps back in terms of performance and poise.

2. Then there was Brian Hoyer, who looked rattled, frustrated and took several steps back in terms of performance. That's right, I used many of the same words that I applied to Manziel. For Hoyer, the best thing he did was not making a Manziel-like obscene gesture. This game could easily have cemented Hoyer as the starter, but the man heading into his sixth NFL season appeared overwhelmed by a preseason game.

3. By now, I'm resigned to the fact that Manziel does dumb attention-seeking things for no reason. My hope is that at the age of 21, he will figure out that part of his life. But on the field, he has had some practices -- and some throws in the first preseason game at Detroit -- where he set his back foot and was crisp and accurate. There were perhaps two throws like that Monday night.

4. But too often, Manziel is throwing off-balanced. He seems to be rushing things. It hurts his accuracy.

5. During the first play of the game, Hoyer was not looking when the ball was snapped. So either Alex Mack snapped it early, or the center and quarterback had a miscommunication. Making it worse, offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz just stood there as Washington's Ryan Kerrigan ran right past him and smashed Hoyer for a 7-yard loss. Maybe Schwartz didn't know the ball was snapped. Hey, it seemed no one knew what was happening ... AND THIS WAS THE FIRST PLAY.

6. OK, one bad play. But on the next play, All-Pro offensive tackle Joe Thomas was flagged for a false start. Then Hoyer threw a pass a bit behind Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron. It was a catchable pass, but Cameron didn't see to be looking for the ball. IS ANYONE READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL ON OFFENSE?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer throws downfield to MarQueis Gray, one of his two complete passes on the night.John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer 

7. I know, TOO many capital letters? But weren't you yelling at your TV at different parts of the game when the Browns had the ball? Did you watch that and wonder, "Did they practice at all last week?" Hoyer and Manziel combined to complete 9-of-22 passes for 81 yards. It was as if both guys were working hard to lose the starting job. Obviously, that's not the case. But it was the result.

8. That's why I wrote a column about picking one of these guys now and moving forward. The offense (other than the running game with Ben Tate) appeared disjointed. It didn't seem to fit Hoyer. It didn't seem to fit Manziel. It regressed from the first preseason game in Detroit (13-12 loss) and even from some of the very ragged practice sessions.

9. Watching this latest "quarterback competition" play out, I wondered if I've ever seen one of these work with the Browns. Can't think of any. They usually create a situation with two quarterbacks not prepared for the regular season.

10. Think back to Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn ... or Kelly Holcomb/Tim Couch ... or Trent Dilfer/Charlie Frye ... or Frye/Anderson ... or ... OK, you get the point.

11.  I'd give the job to Hoyer and go back to the tapes from his games against Minnesota and Cincinnati last season, where the Browns won. What did he do that worked? OK, put some of that into the offense.

12. A year ago, Hoyer was tossed into action in Game 3 after Brandon Weeden was hurt. He played with a bold, "I have nothing to lose attitude." We've not seen that this year. Is it because the enormity of the opportunity to really be the Browns starting quarterback is weighing on him? Hard to know. But he needs some of that confidence back.

13. As for Manziel, he seems very uncomfortable in a standard NFL offense. And he's done some very immature stuff. Is this a surprise, given how he played in the no-huddle, free-flowing offense at Texas A&M? Is this a surprise, given some of his other off-the-field antics while in college?

It was such a bad night for Johnny Manziel that he didn't even have any effective runs. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

14. When the Browns drafted Manziel at No. 22, they thought he was the most NFL-ready of this year's college quarterbacks. I never understood that line of reasoning because he played only two years in an offense that was so unlike the NFL.

15. Time for some kind words about the defense: Early in the second quarter, Washington had the ball on the Browns 3-yard line, first down. Alfred Morris ran it 1-yard line, second down ... one yard away from a touchdown. And on the next three plays, Washington failed to run the ball into the end zone.

16. The stat sheet credits inside linebackers Craig Robertson and Chris Kirksey with key tackles. But they had plenty of help from several defensive linemen, including John Hughes and Ahtyba Rubin. Safety Donte Whitner also made a good play on one of the runs.

17. It was an impressive showing. Most of the night, that was true of the first-string defense. The Browns had two sacks -- Armonty Bryant and Paul Kruger. Kruger also had a quarterback hit. I don't have the "harassment stats," which count the number of times the Browns forced the quarterback to throw early and/or under pressure. But it seemed like it happened quite a few times.

18. Just as important, the Browns defense picked off two passes in the first half -- Joe Haden for 37 yards, Tashaun Gipson for 43 yards. In the fourth quarter when the backups played, veteran Browns safety Jim Leonhard also snared an interception and ran it back for a touchdown.

19. But back to the offense. There were too many plays where the timing was not just off, but utterly hopeless. Yes, this is a new offense with a new coordinator in Kyle Shanahan. But it's also true that the Browns looked worse this week than in last week's 13-12 loss at Detroit.

20. Yes, it's preseason. But is that an explanation for regression? That's especially discouraging given that the coaching staff challenged Hoyer and Manziel to make a statement about starting in this game. The discussion of Manziel's gesture to the Washington bench should not hide the overall horrible performance of the first-string offense (other than Ben Tate).

21. Yes, Josh Gordon is still awaiting word on his suspension. And yes, Jordan Cameron has been injured for much of training camp and looked very rusty.
But Gordon seemed disinterested in Monday's game, catching only one pass despite playing into the second half. Cameron had no catches. Granted, the throws were generally poor, but how hard were they working to get open?

22. Coaches always want to create competition in training camp, the idea being that no one truly believes their job is safe. There is much validity to this approach. But it doesn't seem to apply to quarterbacks. That's why I'm saying to pick one and get ready for the season. The competition is just creating chaos.

 

The nuts and bolts of college football's new playoff system.

Are you ready to start a new era of college football?

A playoff is finally here and while some may think it's not big enough, it still marks the first-ever tournament to determine a champion at college football's highest level.

Here are the nuts and bolts of the system and what it means for college football:

The basics

The College Football Playoff (its official no-nonsense name) is a four-team tournament incorporating six major bowls that will alternate the rights to host semifinal games on or around New Year's Day.

This season, the Sugar and Rose bowls will host Jan. 1 semifinals. The Orange and Cotton bowls get the semifinals in 2015-16, and the Peach and Fiesta bowls get them in the 2016-17 season.

The semifinalists will be picked by a 13-member committee, which will seed them 1-4. They will match up the No. 1 team vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3. The top seed will be placed in a bowl closest to its fan base while not allowing the No. 4 seed to enjoy a home field advantage. The winners of the two semifinals will then square off for the national title.

The site of the championship game will be decided through a bid process, similar to the Super Bowl. This season's title tilt will be played in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12.

Future sites include Glendale, Arizona for the 2015-16 season and Tampa, Florida for the 2016-17 season.

Where does everybody else go?

Aside from the four playoff qualifiers, 72 other college teams will play in 36 bowls. Including the playoffs, 76 of the 128 teams in the FBS will make the postseason.

Who's on the selection committee?

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock speaks during the NCAA college Big 12 Conference football media days in Dallas, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. (AP Photo) 

The 13 members include Arkansas athletic director and selection committee chair Jeff Long, Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez, former Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, USC AD Pat Haden, West Virginia AD Oliver Luck, former NCAA executive vice president Tom Jernstedt, former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Archie Manning, former Nebraska coach and AD Tom Osborne, Clemson AD Dan Radakovich, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, former USA Today sportswriter Steve Wieberg and former Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham.

Current conference commissioners, coaches and media members were excluded from consideration for the committee.

Committee members who are paid by a school or maintain a professional relationship with that school are recused from participating in votes regarding that school.

How are the four playoff teams chosen?

The selection committee picks the playoff field based on a series of broad criteria: conference championships, strength of schedule, win-loss record and head-to-head results.

The committee will meet throughout the season and release weekly Top 25 rankings each Tuesday beginning Oct. 28. The protocol for voting on the College Football Playoff Top 25, however, is far different from the traditional pick-your-25-in-order vote (get a step-by-step breakdown here). The four playoff teams, picked through this process, will be announced on the Tuesday following the conference championship games.

There is no limit on how many teams from one conference can be invited to the playoffs and no conference champion will receive an automatic playoff spot. The committee alone will determine the best four teams.

Will this end the controversy that came with the BCS?

Not a chance.

With five major conferences (the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) and only four playoff spots, at least one power conference champion won't participate, which will make the process feel, if not as incomplete as the BCS, then maybe close.

A season ago, neither Baylor nor Michigan State, champions of the Big 12 and Big Ten, respectively, would have made the tournament, College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said.

Instead, both Alabama and Auburn would have made it out of the SEC, along with Florida State and Oregon.

When that happens in the future, it won't be analogous to other postseason snubs like, say, the NCAA basketball tournament. The first team left out of that tournament is the 37th team in line, aside from the 32 conference champions that qualify automatically.

In this case, the selection committee will always leave out at least one major conference champion, even in years when it doesn't pick two teams from one conference.

That means controversy is inevitable, and because of that many think we'll eventually move to eight teams, which would allow for all major conference champions to get in, plus a few at-large berths (including one possibly for a mid-major champion).

MAC and ESPN continue strong football partnership with extension of new TV deal through 2026-2027.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference and ESPN jointly announced a new extension of their rights agreement that goes through 2026-2027, with exclusive rights for football and basketball, and selected rights for other sports.

While the financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, it is understood the value escalates over the length of the deal, with each university in line for roughly a $1 million annual payday.

MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher described the deal as "more lucrative and more extensive. We're in a different area code from where we have been in the past."

According to a release, this agreement provides ESPN with exclusive television and digital distribution rights for all MAC sporting events, and guarantees coverage of every football game, and select men's and women's basketball and Olympic sporting events through the 2026-27 academic season.

The deal, over time, however, seems to be less MAC exposure for all other sports on ESPN's TV platform -- ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU -- and much more emphasis on its internet site, ESPN3. The MAC and ESPN are also in partnership on several post-season football bowl games.

This deal seems to push just about everything with the exception of football to more internet programming, even as ESPN's Burk Magnus, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisitions, says ESPN3 is wave of the future.

In ESPN's eyes ESPN3 is not 'internet' although users need some kind of extra electronic supplement to get it.

"As it relates to ESPN3 as the internet now, is kind of off-base,'' Magnus said. "It's got distribution access that far exceeds linear sports networks in terms of its accessibility. More and more people are obtaining ESPN3 through watching ESPN on their mobile devices, through gaming consoles, ... all the new technologies ESPN is readily accessible.''

For schools with strong journalism programs like Ohio University, Kent State and Ball State, this ESPN3 internet access can be a bonus. But the majority of MAC schools are currently not at that level.

"As part of the new arrangement, the MAC and ESPN will establish campus originated productions bringing additional MAC events, such as basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, wrestling and many Olympic sports to ESPN's digital distribution along ESPN3,'' Kent State athletic director Joel Nielsen said.

"This component will open up nearly 92 million households from ESPN3, providing additional exposure and visibility for many of our nationally competitive programs.  Plus, we intend to utilize our nationally recognized College of Communication and Information (CCI) and their students to produce these contests ... a great way to integrate our students and faculty into the athletic program."

Steinbrecher said this season there will be a regular run of ESPN-televised MAC basketball games on Fridays. But while MAC football is clearly locked in with its mid-week platform going forward, that is not defined beyond this season for basketball. Yet the ESPN3/internet MAC component will definitely grow.

"This will give us more basketball exposure than we have ever had before,'' Steinbrecher said.

To maximize the internet deal, all MAC schools would need to build and pay for their own production programs. Still, MAC officials hail the deal as progressive.

"This agreement reinforces the strong relationship between ESPN, the MAC and its member institutions," said Central Michigan Director of Athletics, David Heeke. "It is clear that the hard work by the conference and its members over the past few years, along with continued exposure on ESPN's networks, has built a national identity that led to this opportunity. Being able to further showcase our programs on a national level is critical to growing our brand in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

The Cleveland Browns' No. 1 priority should be getting their starting quarterback -- and floundering offense -- ready for Pittsburgh. Dragging out an uninspiring QB competition for another week isn't the answer, which is why head coach Mike Pettine should name Brian Hoyer his starter as soon as possible. Then swallow hard.

CLEVELAND, Ohio –- So Johnny Manziel opted for a middle-finger salute of Washington. He is a taxpayer after all.

Such a lapse in professionalism and poise shouldn't rule him out of the starting job in the season opener.

Not when there are better, more obvious reasons for the Browns to name Brian Hoyer and be done with this uninspiring duel.

Browns' head coach Mike Pettine has been clear that Manziel's biggest obstacle is the playbook. That was seconded in the ESPN segment aired during Monday's game, the one where Jon Gruden asks Manziel to call a play and finally shakes his head and says, "Good luck to you."

This was no vanilla defense Manziel faced. Washington defensive coordinator Jim Haslett brought blitzes that predictably confused the rookie. Gruden later pointed out that Manziel needed to change protections on one snap, not just backpedal and throw it toward the hot receiver.

He clearly tried to limit his running and instead make plays from the pocket. You'd hope he embraces that philosophy. This is the NFL. When he did run, the pursuit corralled him.

Manziel's hesitation behind center is hardly surprising. He'll pick it up. There's just not enough time for it to happen before Pittsburgh on Sept. 7 without offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan curtailing the offense.

(You could argue he needs to do just that after watching the Browns v. Washington and after hearing Manziel try to answer Gruden's question. Manziel was either trying to call a play or give the coordinates for a moon landing).

Had Hoyer and Manziel simply looked awful all by themselves Monday, Pettine could more easily justify letting them jab at each other for another week without naming a starter.

But on display was an offense totally out of sorts. The timing was as bad as anything seen in an Open Mic night at a comedy club.

The exhibition season is growing dangerously late. Drag this out another week, then what? Another week giving each quarterback two series each? The end game – that one of them will slightly outplay the other? – doesn't justify the delay.

The Browns hoped to go into Pittsburgh with one quarterback having distinguished himself enough to elevate the confidence of an offense with a rebuilt line, new running backs and a receiving corps expected to be without Josh Gordon. That's not going to happen with one more night of exhibition football.

 

The problem for Pettine is his timing in naming either quarterback the starter so soon after Monday's debacle. But it's something he should do and all he needs to say is it's time to devote total focus to beating the Steelers.

Hoyer is the default setting for the Browns' offense. That's not the highest compliment or the best reason to name him starter but the Browns must throw their support behind him and get him ready for Pittsburgh.

Manziel is still learning the playbook. Next comes learning the many disguises worn by NFL defenses. In a city where so many NFL seasons have launched with the Browns so ill prepared for the occasion, Pettine has a chance to change that against his team's biggest rival.

Waffling for another week isn't the way to do it. He already too easily dismissed his wide receivers inability to catch the ball as something that just happens in training camp. He'd be making another mistake to keep waiting for the quarterback competition to sort itself out.

This is not an endorsement of Hoyer as the answer. It's just to say this offense is floundering and needs stability. Hoyer is the best chance of that taking hold in time for the first barrage of the season – Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Baltimore.

Committing to Hoyer gives the offense a chance to operate under a single voice. One that can at least translate the playbook. 

Pettine is the head coach, no longer a defensive coordinator. If the offensive coaches are split on Hoyer and Manziel, that's understandable. It's also counter productive to continue the debate much longer.

Hoyer had the edge when camp started. Manziel has improved but hasn't supplanted him.

Get Hoyer -- and by extension, the offense -- ready for Pittsburgh. Time isn't on anybody's side but least of all Manziel's.

QB Connor Shaw completes 45-yard TD pass to tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi in the final seconds of Monday's game.

LANDOVER, Md. - Emmanuel Ogbuehi has not had much time to celebrate his 24th birthday (last Saturday) because he's in the midst of trying to make an impression  with the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns picked up Ogbuehi off waivers from the Miami Dolphins in June. Now he's competing for one of the few tight end positions. Until Monday, he has not had much of an opportunity to showcase his ability as a pass catcher.

He did on Monday in the final seconds vs. Washington in the Browns second preseason game. And now it's time to celebrate. Ogbuehi caught a Hail Mary pass as time expired to bring the Browns within one.

"I've never caught a Hail Mary pass before," Ogbuehi said. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

The play: On second-and-15 at the 45 with nine seconds left, quarterback Connor Shaw took the snap, rolled to his left and let the ball fly. The ball sailed high among a group of receivers and defensive backs. Wide receiver Willie Snead tipped the pass and it Ogbuehi made the grab for the touchdown. The Browns failed on the 2-point conversion and lost 24-23.

The Bowling Green Falcons capped a stellar season in 2013 by winning the MAC's East Division and MAC title. Now they look for a repeat. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Bowling Green Falcons, over the course of two seasons, showed just how it is done in the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons showed their talent well in 2012, then imposed their will on the rest of the division and the conference in 2013. Now, can they keep those championship fires burning?

New head coach Dino Babers brings some new excitement with him. And in a league with more than its share of ant hill offenses, Babers promises to have one of the fastest and most kinetic with the idea of running 100 plays or more a game. It is a style that will test the stamina of both the offense and the defense.

More importantly, BG looks to have the talent to play at that pace, including at quarterback. And while the defense will have five new faces from last season, those that return are among the best in the league.

The Falcons will have their challenges, as several teams in the division are taking the same steps they have in the past. But if they can play at its frenetic pace for 12 games without fatigue or major injury, and maintain its 2013 level of play, they will be hard to beat.

This is the second in The Plain Dealer's week-long preview of MAC East football.

BOWLING GREEN

Coach: Dino Babers, first year.

Last season: 10-4 overall, 7-1 MAC.

Offense: The defending MAC champs return eight starters, including QB Matt Johnson (3,467 yards, 25 TD) and tailback Travis Greene (1,549 yards, 11 TD) and three veteran OL starters for Babers to tinker with as he installs an even more fast-paced offense for the Falcons this season.

Defense: Productive, yet under-appreciated unit only has six returning starters, but all up the middle; on the line with Charlie Walker (37 tackles, 7 tackles for lost yards), linebacker with Gabe Martin (85 tackles, 2 sacks) and safety with Ryland Ward (81 tackles, 2 INT).

Major loss: WR Chris Gallon is a 6-4, 225-pound big-play artist lost to injury. His presence would have created even more nightmares for the opposition in such a wide-open offense. Replacements are on hand, but their big-play aspects are yet to be determined.

Player to watch: Linebacker Martin is one of the better defensive talents in the league, but he will be a player to watch if BG's new frentic style of play slows him down, wears him down, and/or makes him less effective.

Non-conference schedule: at Western Kentucky, VMI, Indiana, at Wisconsin.

Key game: Nov. 4 at Akron -- Losses become harder to make up at the end of the season, and this begins a four-game stretch that includes Kent State, at Toledo and Ball State to end the season. Perhaps not murderers row, but a gauntlet just the same where weather and injuries can also play a part.

Overview: Falcons are favored by most to win it all again, but a new system always has its kinks to work out, and the defense in particular must prove itself once again. The talent, experience and schedule (Western Michigan, UMass) all favor a repeat title season. But it will not come easy.

For schedule, roster and more on Bowling Green, click here.

MAC Football 2014: Plain Dealer MAC East preview schedule this week; Monday -- Akron; Tuesday -- Bowling Green; Wednesday -- Buffalo; Thursday -- Kent State; Friday -- Massachusetts; Saturday -- Miami; Sunday -- Ohio University.

Post your questions while we wait for answers from Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller reinjured his surgically repaired shoulder in practice Monday. The program is expected to provide an official update Tuesday when more information about the severity of the injury is known.

For now, Ohio State fans have to wait and wonder how the Buckeyes' season could be changing. So let's talk about that.

Ari and I will be here for a chat starting at noon, barring news breaking right as we're ready to go. Even if that happens, we'll get to your questions.

What are you most worried about right now? Have you read our profile on redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, who could be the starter if Miller is out? What's your level of confidence in Barrett?

How good could the Buckeyes be if Miller is out for an extended period of time? Ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP poll, the Buckeyes have just one other team ranked in that poll - No. 8 Michigan State - on their regular-season schedule. Could they survive with Barrett running the offense and getting the ball to playmakers while relying on a talented defensive line to shut down opposing offenses?

I broke down last night what could change for Ohio State if Miller is out for a while. I don't see this going like 2011, when the Buckeyes went 6-7 after Terrelle Pryor left school before his senior year. But I also don't see the season going like it would have gone with Miller if he misses a big chunk of it.

So while we all wait for answers, go ahead and bring your questions. You can post them early if you'd like, and we'll jump in at noon.

Miller reinjured his throwing shoulder on Monday afternoon.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State said it would provide an update on injured quarterback Braxton Miller later Tuesday when more information was available while canceling previously planned interviews with coaches and players on Tuesday morning.

Miller reinjured his right throwing shoulder during Monday afternoon's practice. He originally had surgery on the shoulder in late February after injuring it early in an Orange Bowl loss to Clemson. At that time, Ohio State called the procedure "minor outpatient surgery" that would limit Miller during spring football in April.

After that loss to the Tigers to end the season, Miller said the pain in his shoulder was a 9.5 out of 10.

• What would change without Braxton Miller

Instead, Miller sat out all of spring practice as backups Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett ran the offense. Miller was cleared to begin throwing in early July and said he threw every other day to his receivers on his own. But the Buckeyes had limited him during the first two weeks of preseason camp, as Miller dealt with what was described as soreness in his shoulder muscles. He said Monday morning, before the afternoon practice, that he was 100 percent and ready for the season opener at Navy on Aug. 30, but that he didn't want to go too hard and hurt his shoulder.

"I can't throw every day and just blow it out and be sore for the next three days," Miller said Monday morning. 

And then Monday afternoon happened.

Miller was hurt at the team's Ackerman Road fields down the road from the Buckeyes' home at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Ohio State's original schedule said practice would continue at Ackerman through Aug. 23. Tuesday morning, the team took to the regular practice fields at their home at the WHAC. Meanwhile, Miller was reportedly set to undergo an MRI.

Ohio State waits, knowing Miller's official diagnosis could change everything about its season.

Check out a preview of the Central Catholic football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins on the road against Warrensville Heights Aug. 29.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Check out a preview of the Central Catholic football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins on the road against Warrensville Heights Aug. 29.

5 keys for making a deeper run in the playoffs

Leader at QB – This will be senior quarterback Desmond Lundy’s second year under center for Central Catholic. Coach John Lundy says the coaching staff has been thrilled with Lundy’s improved leadership this summer. He also said Lundy has had success during some 7-on-7 drills over the summer and has improved his reads.

Position of strength – Coach Lundy identified the receiving corps as a position of strength. That unit will be led by senior Brandon Brown, a four-year varsity player, along with seniors Ty Hall and Dushawn Harris and sophomore Mark Patterson. Lundy expects multiple receivers to start garnering more division I interest from colleges.

Passing explosion? - Lundy’s experience and improved route-reading, matched up with a lot of experience at receiver, has Central Catholic poised for more passing. That’s if a young offensive line can mesh together quickly—Lundy called the inexperience along both lines the main question mark heading into the season.

New attitude – Central Catholic last year won the North Coast League White Division but was bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by Chagrin Falls. This season, Lundy says the Ironmen won’t be satisfied with anything less than a trip to Columbus for the state playoffs. He also mentioned Central Catholic isn’t pleased with being left off of multiple state-wide top-25 polls this preseason.

Secondary – While Central Catholic hopes to have more success through the air this season, stopping the pass might be just as stout. The secondary is led by Hall and Harris, who are excellent in man coverage, according to Lundy. Those two being able to be put on an island will allow a youthful front seven to blitz more often.

More about Central Catholic

2014 schedule

OHSAA division, region: Division IV, Region 11

Conference: North Coast League, White Division

2013 record: 8-3

Coach: John Lundy

Coach’s record at school: 43-27

Coach’s career record: 43-27

5 key offensive players:

Brandon Brown, WR, Sr., 6-1, 160 pounds

Antonio Common, RB, Sr., 5-9, 180 pounds

Anthony Duncan, TE, Sr., 6-2, 200 pounds

Desmond Lundy, QB, Sr., 5-8, 160 pounds

DeVaunte’ Turner, OG, Sr., 5-7, 210 pounds

5 key defensive players:

Ty Hall, CB, Sr., 5-9, 170 pounds

Dushawn Harris, CB, Sr., 5-8, 160 pounds

Curtis Parks, LB, Sr., 6-0, 205 pounds

Isaiah Pope, DT, Jr., 6-2, 280 pounds

Tyler Seward, DT, Sr., 6-2, 280 pounds

Newcomers to watch:

Jay’von Benton, QB, freshman, 5-9, 180 pounds

Gianni Robinson, RB, Jr., 6-2, 225 pounds

Key stats from 2013: Brown, 31 catches, 593 yards, nine receiving touchdowns. Lundy, 18 passing touchdowns.

Follow Central Catholic all season

Bookmark the team’s Cleveland.com web page to see every football post pertaining to Central Catholic.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Ryan Lewis by email (rlewis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@RyanLewisWrites). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Check out a preview of the Villa Angela-St. Joseph football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins at home against Liberty Aug. 30.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Check out a preview of the Villa Angela-St. Joseph football team as it enters the 2014 season, which begins at home against Liberty Aug. 30.

5 keys for winning the conference

Second year in system – The Vikings last season transitioned to a spread offense from a power-running scheme and had some success, winning nine games and making the playoffs, though their playoff trip was short after a first-round exit. An experienced offense returns at least nine seniors who should see significant playing time in this scheme’s second season.

Tre’Von at QB – One of those returning seniors is quarterback Tre’Von Williams, a second-team All-Ohio selection last season. The big change this upcoming season is the freedom Williams will have at the line of scrimmage. Now with a year under his belt, Williams will have more control at the line to alter plays and there will be more options in the playbook, making the scheme more complex.

All-state RB – The Vikings are running more of a spread offense but senior running back Marvelle Ross is still putting up monster numbers. Last season he topped 2,000 total yards as a junior. He earned a place on the All-State first team in Division VI and is primed to return there again in 2014.

Big uglies – Despite the expected production from Ross and Williams, the biggest strength of the VASJ offense might be its offensive line, which features five seniors who have all played together as a unit for three seasons. Led by Kovas Kijauskas, a third-team All-State selection in 2013, this line is as talented and experienced as any in the area.

Young defense – Vikings coach John Storey said during camp the offense has been ahead of the defense, and that’s largely due to experience. Linebacker is a particular area of concern, as it’s shaping up to be led by three sophomores, TreShon Walker Smith, Laron Jones and Howard Hill. Walker Smith isn’t a linebacker by trade, as he’ll be moving from his defensive end spot to fill the void.

More about Villa Angela-St. Joseph

2014 schedule

OHSAA division, region: Division VI, Region 19

Conference: North Coast League White Division

2013 record: 9-2

5 key offensive players:

Brandon Green, WR, Sr., 5-11, 175 pounds

Kovas Kijauskas, OL, Sr., 6-5, 275 pounds

Marvelle Ross, RB, Sr., 5-11, 170 pounds

Erin Williams, OT, Sr., 6-1, 240 pounds

Tre’Von Williams, QB, Sr., 6-4, 205 pounds

5 key defensive players:

Marcel English, DL, Sr., 5-10, 195 pounds

James Moncrief, DE, Sr., 6-0, 240 pounds

Aaron Roquemore, CB, Sr., 5-9. 165 pounds

Brandon Turner, DL, Sr., 5-11, 240 pounds

Danny Villegas DL, Sr., 5-10, 240 pounds

Newcomers to watch:

Mason Alexander, LB, Soph., 6-1, 195 pounds

Kevin Roberts, WR, Jr., 6-2, 180 pounds

Key stats: Ross, 1,703 rushing yards, 32 touchdowns, 363 receiving yards. Williams, 1,640 passing yards (54 percent), 23 touchdowns, 656 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns.

Follow Villa Angela-St. Joseph all season

Bookmark the team’s Cleveland.com webpage to see every football post pertaining to the team.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Ryan Lewis by email (rlewis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@RyanLewisWrites). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.