"How much of a surprise is this performance? A little bit surprised," Meyer said. "I thought our skilled guys would perform better. I thought we'd protect a little better. A little bit disappointed."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The postgame transcript from Ohio State coach Urban Meyer after the Buckeyes fell to 1-1 with their 35-21 home loss to Virginia Tech.

MEYER: Thanks for coming. I want to thank our crowd, incredible crowd atmosphere in the stadium. And also our opponent, really did a good job preparing for us and exposed us a little bit, where some of the weaknesses right now on our team. And it was rather obvious what it is. But we can play better on both sides. So anxious to get back to work tomorrow and get a little better.

Q. Quarterback's a function of the line. Where do you put the disappointed in the "O" line. They gave up seven sacks. J.T. throws a pick.

MEYER: The thing that's going to be real obvious the way we operate, there's not going to be this guy's gotta do better. We're not going to do that. Where do you put the blame or something. We don't blame people. We just gotta get a lot better. And that starts tomorrow. We had a good meeting as a team. You really find out about people. And I have a lot of confidence that some of these young people, now they're veteran guys, that are going to get better and better each week. We just have to do a better job. I know that sounds redundant or coach speak, but I'm not sure what else you say. You're surely not going to say, the quarterback's a product of the offensive line. We also had some dropped passes. We had all kinds of issues that we have to get a lot better at.

Q. J.T. made some big plays, struggled at times. How do you assess at first glance how you thought he played?

MEYER: Gutsy effort. They played zero coverage. I don't think our wide receivers played well. We dropped a touchdown early in the game that would have you start hitting some of those like we did, it puts them in the zone coverage. And that happened, I can't remember, I think it was the third quarter we started hitting some plays. Had a couple of speed options. Had a couple of passes caught. Mike Thomas turned a short one into a long one. That's what has to happen against a zero that's a good secondary. Coach does a nice job. That was zero man most of the game, and they put your corners on islands that we didn't expose it. And then we miss a couple of protections and you're on our backs. Gutsy effort by our quarterback. Obviously not good enough, but a quarterback is a product of those around him, and we all have to get better.

Q. Are you fairly disappointed with the skills players?

MEYER: Very disappointed.

Q. Noticed at halftime your running backs, Elliott and Samuel had four carries. And you're down seven. Not to bag on the play calling, but seemed like you were coaching the game as if you were down 20 instead of down seven because you couldn't run it.

MEYER: Everybody was within six yards of the line of scrimmage. We tried there's two unblocked defenders standing right there at the point of attack. We did get some option one thing option does, it equalizes one defender and we had a couple of big hits, one touchdown by Zeke and some plays in the option game. But there's no inside run game when they do that. And it happened a little bit our first year. Purdue did it and Cal did it where they just completely shut down. It happened the year before we got here where there's not enough confidence in our skilled athletes. And we worked so hard, recruited so hard. We gotta do better and win some matchups. That's what it comes down to is winning matchups.

Q. You talked about the special teams matchup coming into this week, and then a couple special team things go wrong early on with the short punt and a couple of missed field goals. How much did you feel that set you guys back early on?

MEYER: Set us back a little bit. And missed a couple of field goals I think we missed a couple of field goals, gave up a punt return. Kickoff coverage was okay. I'm just trying to the game just ended so I'm trying to rally this up here.

Q. A 24 yard punt set up their first touchdown.

MEYER: Yes. Don't punt the ball 24 yards. So we've got to work on that. Don't punt the ball 24 yards.

Q. They were, I think, seven to ten on third down in the first half. Seemed like some problems in the pass defense sort of reared their ugly heads at times tonight. Could you comment on where you guys are on your pass defense, and is that disappointing that that reared up?

MEYER: I'll give you more on that tomorrow. I didn't watch a whole lot of the defense. We were trying to adjust to a brand new they played bear defense no deep. That's what Cal did us against a couple of years ago. Unique defense that you have to expose them in the throw game or it's going to be tough to run. I'll give you all that conversation, I guess, whenever the next time we meet. But to tell you I didn't see a whole lot of it because I was working on offense.

Q. How much of a surprise is this performance to you?

MEYER: How much of a surprise is this performance? A little bit surprised. I thought our skilled guys would perform better. I thought we'd protect a little better. A little bit disappointed. I don't know, coaches don't get surprised, get disappointed. And obviously we just gotta work a little harder, and I still have confidence. We have enough skill on this football team to get by people. It didn't look like it, but we have to get by people or you're going to see what you saw today you'll see every week.

Ohio State struggled on third-defense, particularly early, in Saturday's loss to Virginia Tech.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Vonn Bell called it the "money down." More often than not on Saturday night, Virginia Tech struck it rich on third down.

The Hokies converted 9-of-17 third-down opportunities in their 35-21 win over eighth-ranked Ohio State at Ohio Stadium, but it wasn't the number of conversions that will keep the Buckeyes' defense up at night, it's the situations in which Ohio State allowed Virginia Tech to make something out of nothing.

"We've gotta get off the field," Bell said. "That's the money down right there. We've gotta make plays, we've gotta execute. We'll go back to the drawing board and get better."

The Hokies converted their first five third downs, all in a first quarter that ended with them leading 14-7.

On Virginia Tech's first scoring drive, quarterback Michael Brewer completed 10-yard pass to Willie Byrn on third-and-7. Four plays later he connected with Ryan Malleck for a 13-yard gain on third-and-6. Shai McKenzie scored two plays later on a 2-yard run to put Virginia Tech up 7-0.

Brewer's 11-yard run on third-and-9, and his 8-yard completion to Isaiah Ford on third-and-3 on the next drive helped set up Virginia Tech's second touchdown.

"No excuse," co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "It's not like we weren't pressuring, they rolled the pocket a bit on us. Ultimately you look back at it, that's what killed us. It's not like they were third-and-2s, third-and-3s, we're talking 3rd-and-8, 3rd-and-10, 3rd-and-12, the ideal position that you want to be in and we didn't execute."

Five of the Hokies' nine conversions came on plays requiring six yards or more for a first down, perhaps none was more disheartening that the back-foot throw Brewer made from the back of his own end zone to convert a third-and-17 in the second quarter of what was then a 14-7 game.

Rather than holding strong and forcing the Hokies to punt from their end zone, the Buckeyes ended up losing field position, and started the ensuing drive on their own 31-yard line. That drive ended in a Cam Johnston punt, followed by the Hokies third touchdown of the game that gave them a 21-7 lead heading into the half.

Urban Meyer didn't address the struggles during his postgame news conference, saying he had more than enough to work on with the Buckeyes' struggling offense, which was only 4-for-16 on third downs.

What he'll see when he looks at the film is the Hokies finding success on comeback routes, but also Brewer slipping out of tackles when the pass rush got to him. The failures on third down were not solely a product of the secondary.

"We've gotta get to the quarterback," linebacker Joshua Perry said. "If it's a long situation, it's gonna be a deep route, which means there's more time for your rush to be there. That's gotta be a lot on the linebackers and the front guys to get there. With some stuff that we're really aggressive, so we're putting those guys in a tough situation to cover, so we all have to do our jobs."

"Not very good," offensive coordinator Tom Herman said of J.T. Barrett's performance. "At the end of the day you're judged at that position by whether you win or lose and how many points you score and how the offense moves, and we didn't do that."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Braxton Miller appeared out of the recently-renovated tunnel an hour before kickoff Saturday, the one everyone was standing around with their camera phones ready in anticipation of LeBron James' arrival. 

Nobody planned to take pictures of Miller because he was never supposed to walk out dressed in that sharp navy blue suit. Nobody was thinking about Miller. 

There was the side show – James' presence is always fun – and then there was the main event, a freshman quarterback named J.T. Barrett, a former four-star prospect who was somehow supposed to lead the Buckeyes forward as if they never lost the two-time defending Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. 

Many convinced themselves that Ohio State would be fine, that what the team lost in Miller's dynamic playmaking ability would be gained by a distributor in Barrett that throws a prettier ball and supposedly makes better decisions. Miller's playmaking ability – both as a passer and a runner – spoiled a lot of people. 

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster wasn't one of them. He saw it differently. Foster saw a freshman quarterback who had never faced a defense as deep or as athletic as his unit, one that would have to pass to advance to 2-0 in his career. 

View full sizeOhio State quarterback J.T. Barrett made some plays for the Buckeyes, but he finished 9-of-29 and threw three interceptions in his team's 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21... Final. 

"They played zero coverage," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "They put their corners on islands, and we didn't expose it." 

What Foster did was load the box to force Barrett to throw, and Ohio State had to abandon the run for the most part because it doesn't have the offensive line or running back that led them to the Big Ten title game a year ago. Or the quarterback. 

So Barrett made plays, but a dropped touchdown catch by Corey Smith in the second quarter, among other miscues by skill players, made it impossible for the quarterback to overcome. He isn't the one-man show Miller was, and he finished 9-of-29 for 219 yards, three interceptions and a touchdown. 

"Gutsy effort," Meyer said. "Obviously not enough, but a quarterback is a product of those around him, and we all have to get better." 

The defensive strategy may have been harder to carry out had Miller been in the game. Virginia Tech's approach, one that involved relying on talented cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson while stacking the box and applying pressure on the quarterback, may have been cracked by Miller's ability to make someone miss and dart. 

But when Miller was a sophomore, an inexperienced quarterback that couldn't throw proficiently, Cal's similar game plan almost did what Virginia Tech's did to Barrett this year. Except Miller's talent was enough to help Ohio State barely escape with a 35-28 victory over a Cal team that only won three games in 2012. 

That wasn't supposed to work this year. This was supposed to be Miller's senior year, the time he lifted an inexperienced group around him with a playmaking ability that has rarely been matched in college football. 

What if Miller were out there against the Hokies? 

"I don't know," offensive coordinator Tom Herman promptly responded shortly after providing an assessment of how Barrett played. 

View full sizeBraxton Miller smiled at the students in the South Stands who were cheering his name before Ohio State's game vs. Virginia Tech on Saturday night. Ari Wasserman, Cleveland.com 

"Not very good," he said of Barrett. "At the end of the day you're judged at that position by whether you win or lose and how many points you score and how the offense moves, and we didn't do that. It's certainly not a one-man show, there were times he did a lot of good things, and now we have to make sure the good things continue and we minimize the mistakes." 

But what Miller would have done can't matter much right now. What matters is how Ohio State moves forward with Barrett as every team it faces for the rest of the season approaches defending the Buckeyes the way the Hokies did. 

"It is certainly difficult to determine our identity when you're facing a team that's basically saying, 'This is going to be your identity. You're not going to run the ball and you're going to have to beat us throwing the football,' " Herman said. "With every gap inside covered and everyone playing man coverage, we weren't good enough tonight to make them pay for it. 

"We'll continue to find answers and explore ways to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again. The guys we have are the guys we have. We can't go on the waiver wire." 

Or the disabled list. 

Shortly after Miller appeared from that tunnel, the students who stuffed the South Stands starting chanting – "Braxton! Braxton! Braxton!" 

He smiled and pointed back. It was good to be remembered. 

What he did the previous three years won't soon be forgotten, especially now. 

Not this year. 

Be sure to like our cleveland.com Ohio State sports Facebook page, where we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of Ohio State football, basketball and recruiting. 

Last season, Mike Pettine's defense in Buffalo did a decent in a loss to Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Thinking about the Browns game with the Steelers:

HOW THE BROWNS CAN WIN

And yes, they can.

That said, I picked against them and don't expect them to win.

But for an upset to happen, here are some things they need:

1. A  dominating defensive performance, but you know that.

2. They need to run the ball well and control the clock, but you know that, too.

3. They need Brian Hoyer to play the kind of savvy controlled game that he did when the Browns beat the Bengals, 17-6, last season. He was 25-of-38 passing for 269 yards. He threw two TDs (two yards to Jordan Cameron, one yard to Chris Ogbonnaya). He was not intercepted, and sacked only twice for a total of three yards.

4. They need a big game from Cameron. He caught 10 passes for 91 yards in that game against the Bengals. In the two full games played by Hoyer, Cameron caught 17 passes, four for touchdowns. Because he battled injuries and the offense was a general mess in the preseason, Cameron showed very little during training camp.

5. Someone needs to make a big play. It can be an interception returned for a touchdown. It can be a blocked punt, or a TD return by Travis Benjamin. But you don't win in Pittsburgh without a big play on defense and/or special teams.

Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil and head coach Mike Pettine need to find a way to control Ben Roethlisberger. Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer 

PETTINE AND BIG BEN

Pettine's Buffalo defense faced the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger once last season, Pittsburgh winning 23-10.

Looking at the game, Roethlisberger played just OK. He was 18-of-30 passing for 204 yards. He had one touchdown pass, an interception and was sacked four times.

Buffalo gave up a nine-play, 86-yard touchdown drive, Roethlisberger throwing a 5-yard pass to Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone.

The other touchdown drive was 58 yards, Le'Veon Bell scoring from 4 yards out. Bell had 96 yards against the Bills.

For Buffalo, the main problem was the offense and special teams.

The Bills threw an interception that set up one field goal. A 50-yard punt return led to another Pittsburgh field goal. Buffalo had only three points until three seconds remained in the game, when the Bills finally reached the end zone.

In 2012, the Steelers faced another defense coached by Pettine. That was with the Jets, although head coach Rex Ryan still had an influence on the defense.

That's true of Pettine in 2014, as he works with his defensive coordinator -- Jim O'Neil.

Pittsburgh beat the Jets, 27-10. Roethlisberger was 24-of-31 passing for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He controlled the game.

I put more emphasis on the 2013 matchup because that was clearly Pettine's defense. Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone's background is on offense, and he spent much of his time working with rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel. He left the defense to Pettine.

Roethlisberger is 17-1 vs. the Browns. The only loss was 13-6 in 2009. It was a game played in a near-blizzard in Cleveland, and it was the finest moment in Eric Mangini's two years as coach.

In the preseason, Andrew Hawkins emerged as the favorite target of Brian Hoyer. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

ABOUT THE BROWNS

1. General Manager Ray Farmer's point is that the media and fans should give the unheralded receiving group a chance to prove itself -- a chance for someone to make an impact. He has a list of receivers such as Victor Cruz, Wes Welker and Donald Driver who weren't drafted, were drafted low and/or cut by other teams.

2. Very curious to see if the Browns play Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel at the same time. Both are about 5-foot-8. They are speed guys. In the last two preseason games, Hoyer threw six passes to Hawkins -- and the free agent from Cincinnati caught them all.

3. Also curious to see if the Browns get much out of veteran Miles Austin. He seemed to have very little chemistry with Hoyer in the preseason. Austin had 10 catches in the opener last season, but only 14 for the rest of the year as he battled hamstring problems.

4. From ESPN: Last season, the Browns had nine touchdown passes and only two interceptions when Josh Gordon was the receiver. With everyone else, it was 17 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

5. Last year, the Browns led the league in passes attempted. That is not supposed to happen again. Let's see how offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan mixes up the running and passing game. I'm interested to see if Terrance West or Isaiah Crowell is the first substitute at running back for starter Ben Tate.

Last year the Indians came out of nowhere to win 92 games and claim the AL's first wild card spot. This year their record isn't as talented, but Terry Francona has done a better job managing than he did in 2013.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are 10 reasons why Terry Francona has done a better job managing the Indians this season than he did last season when he was named AL Manager of the Year.

After 139 games last year, the Indians were in second place in the AL Central. They were 75-65, 6½ games behind Detroit in the division and three games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot.

They finished the year at 92-70, claiming the first wild card spot.

After 139 games this year the Indians were in third place in the Central. At 72-67, they trailed the first place Royals by six games and were 4½ games behind Seattle for the second wild card spot.

Let the countdown begin:

No. 10.

Closer found: As shaky as Chris Perez was last season, he was an established closer entering the season. This year the Indians gambled on free agent John Axford, but it didn't work.

Francona replaced Axford with Bryan Shaw, Scott Atchison, Cody Allen and Marc Rzepczynski. It was clear Allen was the closer-in-waiting, but Francona eased him into the role instead of hitting him over the head with it.

No. 9.

Home for Brantley: After bouncing Michael Brantley in and out of almost every spot in the lineup last year, Francona put him in the No.3 spot this year and watched him become an All-Star and the team's best hitter.

No.8

No Nasty Masty: Opening day starter Justin Masterson was expected to lead the staff, but injured his knee in the second start of the season and struggled until he was traded on July 30 to St. Louis.

Corey Kluber and the rest of the rotation immediately filled the void.

No.7

Good listener: When Carlos Carrasco struggled after opening the season in the rotation, he was moved to the bullpen and seemed destined to stay there. Francona told reporters in August that pitching coach Mickey Callaway, bullpen coach Kevin Cash and people in the front office kept nudging him to put Carrasco back in the rotation.

Francona listened and Carrasco is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA in five starts since rejoining the rotation.

No. 6

Young at heart: Francona has kept the Indians competitive this year with a much younger lineup than in 2013.

When the Indians beat Baltimore, 6-2, on Sept. 4, 2013 in their 139^th game of the season, they didn't use one rookie. When the Tribe beat the White Sox, 2-1, Friday night in their 139^th game, they started four rookies with a rookie pitcher, CC Lee, earning the win.

No. 5

No fear: Francona has shown no hesitation about playing rookie Jose Ramirez at shortstop following the trade of Asdrubal Cabrera on July 30. The Indians lost offense in the exchange, but Ramirez has improved their defense.

No. 4.

No excuses: Francona has kept the Indians on the cusp of the race despite an offense whose best trait is often the ability to draw a walk. Carlos Santana got off to the worst start of his career. Nick Swisher is done for the season with surgery on both knees. Jason Kipnis and Ryan Raburn are having lost years due to lingering injuries. Michael Bourn has been on the disabled list three times because of left hamstring problems.

Somehow the Indians still rank seventh in the AL in runs.

No. 3.

Puzzle solved: The Indians finally got a look at what Lonnie Chisenhall could do over a full season because they found a way to challenge him. Chisenhall made the big league club coming out of spring training, but Francona told him he'd have to earn everything from that point on.

They still don't know if Chisenhall is the guy who was hitting .393 on June 11 or the guy who went into a two-month slump after that, but they know a lot more now than they did at the start of the season.

No.2.

Master manipulator: What Francona does best is handle a bullpen. His ability to match up, to use pitchers where they are best suited, has helped cover a lot of the team's weaknesses. Plus he's done it with a pitching staff supported by the worst defense in the big leagues.

No.1.

Pitching, pitching, pitching: Last year the Indians reached the wild card led by veteran starters Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir.

This year they're trying to do it with a much younger staff in Kluber 28, Carrasco 27, Zach McAllister 26, Danny Salazar 24, T.J. House 24 and Trevor Bauer 23.

Credit the organization for finding and developing the best crop of young starters it has had in years. Credit Francona, Callaway and Cash for finding the right spots for them.

This week in baseball

There are three strikes in an out, three outs in a half inning. Here are two more sets of three to think about from last week in baseball. All stats through Friday.

Three up

1. Detroit's Victor Martinez hit .500 (7-for-14) with two homers and five RBI last week in a critical four-game series against the Indians.

2. Boston's Yoenis Cespedes has 26 RBI in 32 games since being acquired from Oakland on July 31.

3. White Sox rookie Jose Abreu extended his current hitting streak to 14 games Friday against the Indians. It's his third streak of 14 games or more this season.

Three down

1. In the Brewers' nine-game losing streak, which ended Friday, they averaged two runs per game, while allowing 6.64. (mlb.com)

2. Oakland's Coco Crisp is hitting .188 (16-for-85) with 12 RBI over the last 31 games.

3. Washington closer Rafael Soriano has blown three of his last five save opportunities and is in danger of losing his job.

Tribe talk

"He really dug deep. He pitched out of so many binds and executed so many pitches. It flew past encouraging," manager Terry Francona on Carlos Carrasco's start against Detroit on Tuesday.

MLB talk

"The guys is like a father to me and honestly I felt like I lost my dad," Texas left-hander Derek Holland on manager Ron Washington's surprising resignation on Friday.

Stat-o-matic

1. It's all about runs: At the hallway point of the season the A's were 51-30 with a run differential of +135. Since then they've gone 28-31 with a run differential of +19.

2. Two awards, one month: Angels' rookie right-hander Matt Shoemaker was named the AL pitcher of the month and rookie of the month for August. Shoemaker (6-1, 1.31) is the first Angel pitcher to win six games in August since Dean Chance in 1964.

3. Talented trio: Seattle's top three starters are a combined 40-18 with a 2.78 ERA (161 earned runs in 517 2/3 innings): Hisashi Iwakuma (14-6, 2.97), Felix Hernandez (14-5, 2.18) and Chris Young (12-7, 3.46).

The list

Ron Washington, winningest manager in Texas Ranger history, surprisingly resigned Friday for a personal reason. Here's what the Rangers did under Washington in the AL West.

Year    Record           Pct.    Finish

2007   75-87             .463     4^th.

2008   79-83             .488     2^nd.

2009   87-75             .537     2^nd.

2010   90-72             .556     1^st.

2011   96-66             .593     1^st.

2012   93-69             .577     2^nd.

2013   91-72             .558     2^nd.

2014   53-87             .379     5^th.

Totals 664-611         .521.

*The Rangers won the AL pennant in 2010 and 2011 only to lose in the World Series both years. They qualified for the wild card in 2012. 

The Browns vs. Steelers game will be broadcast on CBS.

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- The Cleveland Browns open the regular season on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

You can watch the game locally WOIO Channel 19. The game is being broadcast by CBS.

The game can be heard live on the radio on 92.3 The Fan, 850 ESPN Cleveland WKNR and 98.5 WNCX. Get the full list of Browns radio network affiliates here.

You can also listen to live games with the NFL's Audio Pass. You can watch archived games using the NFL's Game Rewind. Both services require a fee.

Brian Hoyer will start at quarterback for the Browns.

Watch Week 2 highlights in hyperdrive as No. 3 Mentor football takes down No. 4 St. Ignatius at Byers Field.

PARMA, Ohio -- Did you miss No. 3 Mentor football's Week 2 win against No. 4 St. Ignatius? Well, here is your chance to get the whole stadium experience in a little more than three minutes.

The video below was created using time-lapse footage and takes you inside the gates at Byers Field - from warm-ups to the marching bands to the post-game handshake. 

Which games would you like to see appear in High School Hyperdrive highlights? Log in and tell us in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account above and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag. Contact high school sports reporter Joe Noga by email (jnoga@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Indians and Tigers have split 16 games this season, but numbers don't tell the whole story.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians and Tigers have split 16 games this season. So why does it still feel like 2013 when the Indians went 4-15 against Detroit?

A lot of it has to do with how the Tigers handled the Indians last week at Progressive Field in a critical four-game series. In the Indians last best chance to make a dent in the postseason race, the Tigers took three out of four, winning two of the three games in their last at-bat.

David Price, Detroit's newest ace, beat the Indians only ace, Corey Kluber, in Game 1. In Game 2, first-year closer Cody Allen gave up a three-run homer in the ninth to turn a 2-1 lead into a 4-2 loss. Danny Salazar out-pitched Justin Verlander in Game 3 for the Tribe's only win. In Game 4, the Indians tied Max Scherzer late only to give up seven runs in the 11^th in a 11-4 loss.

The Tigers usually beat the Indians in all phases of the game. Last week the Indians pitched with them, but couldn't keep pace with the offense of Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez. (As an aside, don't you get the feeling that Victor Martinez delights in tormenting his old club?)

It takes a team with no weaknesses to reach and advance in the postseason. The Tigers, with owner Mike Ilitch's bottomless bank account behind them, have always realized that. The Dolan family has not. September is not a time to roll out three and four rookies in the starting lineup and say you're a playoff team. It's the time to rollout Victor Martinez with a chip on his shoulder.

The biggest reason for most of Virginia Tech's seven sacks on Saturday night? The Hokies brought more guys than the Buckeyes had blockers. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When J.T. Barrett was sacked for the first time Saturday night, Virginia Tech only brought pass five rushers.

Only.

A blitzing linebacker was set free while right guard Billy Price and center Jacoby Boren double-teamed an interior lineman. Left tackle Taylor Decker was beaten on a spin move and left guard Pat Elflein was late sliding across to get an end. But the big problem was the free man.

In the end, the offensive line wasn't the biggest problem in Ohio State' 35-21 loss.

It was the impunity in which Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster attacked the OSU backfield with multiple blitzers. (Not a shock.) He was looking for the Buckeyes to give him reasons not to do it. He never got enough of them. So the Hokies kept coming.

On the first play on the second half, Virginia Tech sacked Barrett again, but it was waved off because a defender put his hands to the face of Elflein and drew a penalty. The Hokies in on the sack that was wiped away? The guy who drew the penalty and the unleashed blitzing linebacker, a sixth rusher who couldn't be blocked because the five OSU linemen were all occupied with one-one-one battles and no one else was around.

By the end, Barrett had been sacked seven times. Six of them came in the Buckeyes' final three drives in the last 12 minutes.

Those sacks?

Six rushers, five rushers (with left tackle Taylor Decker beaten by an outside speed move leading to a backside hit on Barrett), a late free linebacker blitz, right guard Billy Price getting knocked out of the way in a one-on-one battle, and an untouched corner blitz. According to ESPN's stats, the Hokies brought more than five rushers all night.

VT brought 5 or more pass rushers on 34 of J.T. Barrett's 43 dropbacks. The Hokies sacked Barrett 7x on those plays pic.twitter.com/DLvTQ0dKNh

— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) September 7, 2014

Yes, Price was beaten a few times. So was Decker, the only veteran on the line. But often, the Buckeyes were done in by the numbers. Why? Because Ohio State never consistently made the Hokies' defense pay for its aggressiveness. I watched all these plays when I got home after the game, and I have to disagree with anyone who put most of the offensive blame on the line.

Yes, the line is young, and yes, early issues should have been expected by anyone who knows the team. But the problem was the relentless attack, and the fear the Buckeyes didn't strike in the Hokies. Ohio State hit a 58-yarder to Devin Smith when the Hokies brough seven rushers. Once.

Late in the game, Barrett overthrew a swing pass to Dontre Wilson when seven rushed. Wilson was wide open and would have run all day with a completion. But Barrett was hurried, and missed him.

You'll find other adjectives out there to describe the line play, and the Buckeyes sure could use Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley right now if they weren't starting for in the NFL. But the adjective for the line here?

Overwhelmed. And that's certainly not only their fault.

2. Virginia Tech's corners were much more aggressive on a regular basis than the Buckeyes' corners. You saw the perils of that. Buckeye Mike Thomas broke one rather simple tackle on a short slant and turned it into a 53-yard touchdown because there was no safety help. But in general, the Buckeyes weren't on top of the Tech receivers as much as Tech was on top of the Buckeyes.

3. We've heard the coaches talk a lot about the six receivers they consider "starters." There's a lot more than needs to be seen before that talk is to be believed. Meyer  

said he was disappointed in the skill players Saturday night.

4. Every issue with the offense has been sitting there since Braxton Miller went down on Aug. 18. Ari and I talked about it before the season. See the video on the right. Nothing that happened, and didn't happen, for Ohio State on Saturday night should have been a surprise.

5. Joey Bosa really seemed to have a solid relationship with former defensive line coach Mike Vrabel, who played a major role in his recruitment. But when Bosa forced a huge fumble on Saturday night, his major celebration included a sprint all the way to the OSU sideline. The guy he was clearly looking for? First-year defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

Be sure to like our cleveland.com Ohio State sports Facebook page, where we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of Ohio State football, basketball and recruiting.

The Indians scored two runs in the seventh inning Saturday night to beat White Sox, 3-1. They have won nine of their last 13 games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians didn't overwhelm Corey Kluber with offense Saturday night, but an excess of run wasn't needed.

Kluber ended a three-game losing streak with his third complete game of the season as the Indians beat Chicago, 3-1, at Progressive Field.

The Indians won it with two runs in the seventh off former Indian Zach Putnam (4-3) after Jose Quintana held them to one run on even hits in six innings. After Michael Bourn walked with one out, rookie Jose Ramirez sent him home with a triple off the right field wall for a 2-1 lead.

Michael Brantley delivered Ramirez with a single that bounced between first baseman Andy Wilkins and second baseman Carlos Sanchez. In Kluber's last six starts, the Indians have scored 12 runs.

Carlos Santana got the offense started with a lead-off homer in the fourth to pull the Indians into a 1-1 tie.

Kluber (14-9, 2.47) allowed one unearned run on five hits. He struck out eight and didn't walk a batter on 104 pitches, including 74 strikes. It was his first victory since Aug. 9 against the Yankees and his first complete game since July 30 against Seattle.

What it means

The Indians gained ground on the two teams ahead of them in the AL Central. They cut the first-place Royals lead to five games. The Royals fell to the Yankees on Saturday.

They moved to within three games of second-place Detroit. The Tigers lost their second straight game to the Giants on Saturday.

September thunder

Santana pulled the Indians into a 1-1 tie with a leadoff homer in the fourth. Santana hit Quintana's first pitch onto the home-run porch in left field for his third homer in September and 25^th overall.

It was Santana's eighth homer from the right side of the plate. Santana's career high is 27 homers in 2011.

Slapping leather

Bourn's diving catch in center field in the fifth against Adam Eaton not only ended the inning, but preserved a 1-1 tie.

Tyler Flowers two-out double put runners on third and second against Kluber. Eaton, swinging at Kluber's first pitch, sent a soft liner to center that Bourn turned into the third out.

Leave them loaded

The Indians wasted a great scoring chance in the fifth when they loaded the bases with one out.

Bourn doubled off the wall in right. Ramirez reached on an infield single to third that withstood a White Sox review challenge. Bourn was upset at himself for not advancing to third on Ramirez's hit and it cost the Indians dearly.

Brantley followed with a bloop single to center to load the bases. Santana, swinging at Quintana's first pitch, fouled out to first. The inning ended when Yan Gomes struck out.

That's an E3

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the third when Jordan Danks singled, stole second and scored on an error by first baseman Jesus Aguilar.

After Danks singled over Jason Kipnis' head at second, Kluber struck out Flowers for the second out of the inning as Danks stole second. Eaton sent a grounder to the right side of the infield that Aguilar couldn't handle on the backhand as Danks scored from second.

The Indians may have had a play if Aguilar had let Kipnis field the ball. He could have at least stopped Danks at third.

What's next?

The White Sox and Indians conclude their season series Sunday when Carlos Carrasco (6-4, 2.94) faces Chicago's Scott Carroll (5-9, 5.07) at 1:05 p.m. at Progressive Field. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game.

Headed into Saturday night's game, Chicago led the series, 9-8. Last year the Indians went 17-2 against Chicago.

The Angels come to town Monday for a one-game makeup at 1:05 p.m. Danny Salazar (6-6, 3.80) will face LA's Jered Weaver (15-8, 356). SportsTime Ohio and WTAM will carry the game.

Browns coach Mike Pettine said the coaches never considered putting Manziel in the game because the situation didn't call for it.

PITTSBURGH -- Mike Pettine was never tempted to unwrap the Johnny Package in Pittsburgh. For all the talk of whether or not the Browns would throw Johnny Manziel into the fire against the Steelers, it never happened.

Pettine had said on Friday that it was available and that it be would be "a feel thing.''

But he just never felt like it, even when the Browns fell behind a stunning 27-3 in the first half.

Asked if considered starting Manziel in the second half, he quickly answered, ''No.''

Never mind that Brian Hoyer completed only 4-of-11 attempts in the first half for 57 yards and a 54.0 rating. And 47 of those yards came on one pass -- to tight end Jordan Cameron.

But Pettine's restraint paid off.

In the second half, Hoyer -- operating almost exclusively out of an uptempo no-huddle -- led the Browns to three touchdowns and a field goal on the first four drives to even the score 27-27.

With Hoyer getting in the zone, Pettine never had to play the Johnny Football card.

"The way the game went, we just never felt the need for him,'' said Pettine.

He said the switch to the no-huddle didn't preclude Manziel from entering the game.

"No. I don't think so,'' he said. "We'd be able to run no-huddle with all of our quarterbacks.''

That doesn't mean Pettine was thrilled with Hoyer's outing. He missed some big plays in the first half, including a few that could've gone for touchdowns.

"He made some big plays for us but there were a couple that he left out there,'' said Pettine.

But if he can keep up his second-half performance, he'll keep Manziel tethered to the bench.

 

Gilbert gave up more than his share of key receptions in the Browns' loss. Watch video

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Only one game into his regular-season career, Justin Gilbert is tiring of the words, "learning experience."

In a subdued visitors locker room, following a 30-27 loss to the Steelers, the Browns rookie cornerback patiently answered questions. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had targeted the No. 8 overall draft pick early and late in a game where momentum swung wildly after halftime.

Someone asked the 22-year-old – who had a rough end to his preseason – if he considered Sunday's performance another leaning experience.

"No," he said.

No?

"No, I just gotta play ball," Gilbert said. "I know they're going to come after me so there's nothing to learn from this game because I already knew what was going to happen. Just gotta make plays."

The Steelers drove 33 yards with under a minute remaining to set up Shaun Suisham's game-winning, 41-yard field goal as time expired. Roethlisberger hit second-year receiver Markus Wheaton twice on the drive with Gilbert in coverage.

The first play was an 11-yarder along the left sideline with the cornerback in man coverage. The second was a 20-yarder over the middle with the Browns in zone. Gilbert was tracking Wheaton but slipped on the play.

Roethlisberger audibled out of the original play to find Wheaton with five seconds left.

"(We were) letting the routes develop, but at the top of the route I kind of slipped," Gilbert said.

It was a crushing conclusion for the Browns, who rallied from a 24-point halftime deficit. After an embarrassing first-half effort, one filled with missed tackles and opportunities, the defense limited the Steelers to six first downs and no points until the final drive.

"It was pretty quiet," Gilbert said of the halftime locker room. "We had a handful of guys motivating everyone. You didn't see guys hanging their heads. Everybody stayed positive. Most definitely you could feel the momentum change. I saw it in guys' eyes."

The Steelers won thanks in part another superb effort from Roethlisberger, who's 18-1 lifetime against the Browns, and a strong showing from a young receiver.

Wheaton caught just six passes for 64 yards in his rookie season. He snared six for 97 yards on Sunday – mostly with Gilbert providing coverage -- including a 40-yarder that led to the Steelers' first touchdown.

Gilbert, who surrendered three touchdowns in the Browns' final two exhibition games, recognizes the need to improve. ProFootballFocus.com ranked him 166^th among 196 cornerbacks in preseason.

All Pro Joe Haden, who had his own problems with Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, said Gilbert's struggles are part of the rookie experience for cornerbacks.

"They're going to go after you," Haden said when asked about advice he'd dispense. "Just keep his head, just keep playing. He has all the ability that he needs. Just play it like practice, be comfortable, poised and just make plays."

Gilbert said his confidence has not been rattled after three straight trying games

The assignments don't get any easier. Next week, the Browns host the prolific New Orleans Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium.

"Yep," Gilbert said. "It should be fun."

Jordan Cameron and Ben Tate both left the 30-27 loss to the Steelers with injuries made on costly big plays.

PITTSBURGH -- Browns tight end Jordan Cameron and running back Ben Tate both made big plays in the first half, but both were costly.

Cameron reinjured his sprained shoulder on a 47-yard catch in the first quarter, and Tate suffered a knee injury on a 25-yard run in the second-quarter.

Cameron gutted it out for the rest of the first half and then succumbed to the pain after one play in the third quarter.

Tate tried to run back on the field two plays after his big run to serve as the third-down back, but realized he couldn't do it and told West to stay in the game.

Both players will be re-evaluated back in Cleveland, but the Browns can ill afford to lose either one.

"We're still in a wait-and-see deal,'' said Browns coach Mike Pettine. "We'll see soon enough.''

Cameron is the Browns' big playmaker in the absence of Josh Gordon, who's awaiting word on whether or not he'll be reinstated when the new drug policy is approved.

It was bad enough for the Browns when Cameron first sprained the AC joint, which can mean some degree of separation, during the Family Day scrimmage Aug. 2 and sat out the first preseason game. If he has to miss regular-season games it will be even worse.

 "I don't know how serious it is,'' said Cameron. "We'll wait and see."
 
He said landed on it after the 47-yard reception, which led to a field goal on the first drive. Cameron, who was targeted five times, made only one other catch in the game for no yards.

He kept his helmet on in the second half, just in case.

"I was ready to go if they needed me,'' he said. "That's all that was."

Tate went to the locker room to have the knee examined and never came back out. Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Tate sat out his entire rookie year with an ankle injuries and has missed some games with injuries over his first four seasons.

But he gutted it out through broken ribs last season and is known more for playing hurt than being hurt.

In Tate's absence, the two rookie running backs came up big. Third-round pick Terrance West rushed for 100 yards on 16 carries, with a long gain 29. Isaiah Crowell rushed for 32 yards on five carries, including a two TD runs of 3 and 15 yards.

In Cameron's absence, tight end Jim Dray caught two passes for 30 yards, including a long gain of 20 and Gary Barnidge caught one for 13.

"Those rookies, those guys ran their butts off,'' said Cameron. "The tight ends stepped up. Gary Barnidge didn't get much reps with the tight ends this week, and he came in and knew what to do and executed exactly what we needed him to do. Jim Dray and those guys played really hard on special teams, on offense. I was happy to see that."

Cameron was proud of the way the offense battled back -- especially with two fallen comrades.

"There's no moral victories. We didn't win the game. We failed. We're 0-1,'' said Cameron. "But the fact that didn't give up and we kept going and fighting says a lot about our team. Things didn't go our way at the end. But we didn't bow down and tank at halftime like a lot of teams would.
 
"We've got to carry this momentum from the second half into the next game."
 
Even if Cameron and Tate can't be part of it.

The Lake County Captains defeat Fort Wayne TinCaps, 5-4, to advance to the Midwest League Championship Series.

- 

EASTLAKE, Ohio – The Lake County Captains will play for the Midwest League Championship after eliminating the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday at Classic Park, 5-4, to sweep the East Division series.

Nellie Rodriguez had two hits, including a homer, scored twice and knocked in three as the Captains reached the championship series for the first time since 2010.

The Captains will open the best-of-five championship series against Kane County on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Geneva, Ill. Game 2 is also there on Thursday, then the series moves to Classic Park for the remaining games, beginning Saturday at 7 p.m. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, would be Sept. 14 and 15, both at 7 p.m.

Rodriguez singled to left to open the eighth inning and moved to second on a ground out, then scored the winning run on a throwing error by Fort Wayne shortstop Trea Turner.

Lake County jumped on top in the bottom of the fourth on a three-run homer by Rodriguez. Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer both lined singles to start the inning then rode home on the Rodriguez shot to left.

Zimmer singled again leading off the sixth, moved to second and third on two wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dorssys Paulino to make it 4-1.

Fort Wayne tied it with three in the eighth. Reliever Carlos Melo issued two walks, a run-scoring double, and committed a throwing error that scored two more.

Dace Kime started and worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Trevor Frank struck out two in the ninth and earned the save.

Zimmer also finished with two hits and scored twice for Lake County.

When Ben Tate went down to an injury, two Browns rookies stepped up and got the ground game going.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Jim Brown is always the best running back in whatever room he stands.

But as the 78-year-old gridiron icon walked slowly from the Browns locker room, he acknowledged the strong performance he had just witnessed.

In their NFL regular-season debuts, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell combined for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns' 30-27 loss at Heinz Field.

"They did a helluva job," said Brown, a special adviser to the franchise. "You quote me there, you got me."

The Browns rushed for 183 yards – the most in four seasons – despite losing starter Ben Tate to a first-half knee injury. West registered 100 yards on 16 carries to become the first Browns halfback to hit the century mark in his NFL debut since Larry Mason did it 1987.

Crowell contributed 32 yards on just five carries and scored twice, including one on a 15-yard, third-quarter run.

View full sizeCleveland Browns running back Terrance West (28) carries the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) latches on in the third quarter. (Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer) Sept. 14, 2014 at Heinz Field, PittsburghThomas Ondrey 

Trailing by 24 points at halftime, Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan did not abandon the run even with their star back sidelined. The team responded with 121 yards on 19 carries while employing a no-huddle offense. West and Crowell, a pair of big backs, seemed to wear down the Steelers.

"Those guys were fresh, and they ran hard," Browns coach Mike Pettine said.

The organization has made running the ball an emphasis this season. They switched blocking schemes, acquired Tate in preseason, drafted West in the third round and kept Crowell, an undrafted free agent, after his 102-yard effort in the final preseason game.

But with the Steelers leading 27-3 at intermission, few expected the Browns to rely on the ground game. Its effectiveness opened opportunities for Brian Hoyer and the passing game. The quarterback completed 15 of 20 second-half passes for 173 yards and a touchdown.

West sensed fatigue in the Steelers defense and the holes widen as the game unfurled. He wishes his sparkling debut would have come with a happier ending.

"I'd turn all my yards in for the win," said West, who returned to his familiar No. 28 after Dion Lewis was released. "It's all about winning. We just came up short. But it's a learning process. We can't start off slow in the NFL. We gave up 24 points. We can't start like that."

View full sizeCleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell dives into the end zone in the third quarter for a touchdown with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel at his heels. Sept. 7, 2014, Heinz Field, PittsburghThomas Ondrey 

The small-college product had an underwhelming preseason. He appeared slow and indecisive, often running laterally instead of picking a lane and attacking it. He lost a fumble in the pre-season finale and watched from the bench as Crowell excelled.

Pettine met with the Towson University standout and told him to take what his line and defense gave him. It's not about hitting 20- or 30-yard runs on every carry, Pettine explained. There's nothing wrong with a 4-yard gain

"He expects a lot from me," West said of Pettine. "He expects me to make plays even though I'm a rookie."

West believes the tandem of first-year backs can carry the running game until Tate returns. Pettine supplied no post-game update on the veteran who rushed for 41 yards on six attempts.

Crowell said he and West fed off each other's momentum in the second half. A season ago, the Browns rushed for just four TDs. Crowell had half that sum on his first three carries as pro, scoring in runs of 3 and 16 yards.

"I feel like me and Terrance got a lot to prove just because we're rookies," Crowell said. "But I feel like we can be a good combination and we're gonna do real good this season."

They certainly have the attention of the game's greatest running back.

The Browns rally in the second half but fall short against the Steelers at Pittsburgh. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It's easy for a team's fans to overreact to the results of the first game of the season.

Cleveland Browns fans are no different. After the first half Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the Browns trailing, 27-3, there was little reason to be hopeful. "Embarrassment" was the common theme. The most notable play was Browns punter Spencer Lanning getting kicked in the face by Steelers punt returner Antonio Brown.

And then there was the second half. Anyone who tells you they saw that coming likely will also claim he's related to royalty and that he's dating Scarlett Johansson.

The Browns outscored the Steelers, 24-3, in the second half to tie the game. Unfortunately, that 3 was all the Steelers needed as they won in the final seconds, 30-27. (Listen to an analysis of the game from Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff.)

Coach Mike Pettine's reaction?

"We take out of it that we're 0-1," Pettine said. "I told the team afterward that this is a pass-fail league, and we failed. ... There are no moral victories in this league, but I was proud of the character and resolve that showed up. They went out and executed the plan in the second half. It's a valuable lesson, but it doesn't change the fact that we're 0-1."

No, it does not. It also doesn't change the fact the Browns lost the season opener an NFL-record 10 times in a row and are 1-15 in openers since 1999.

But it did change the mood surrounding the game. Like most people watching Sunday's game, Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto saw no positives during the first half. After the second-half rally, his outlook had improved:

While much will be made of which veterans said exactly what to inspire a far better second half, what really matters is that adjustments were made. That's reason to be encouraged. The players did respond to the coaches. Another reason to feel a bit better about these Browns. ... The Browns came back and at least made it game, losing on a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the game. But at least it was a game, and the next step is figuring out how to win.

Cleveland.com's Tom Reed says it was a strange day for the Browns defense, which did little to slow Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers during the first half, but shut him down until the final moments in the second half. Reed also said the decision to run a no-huddle offense was a key decision and that the running game was solid. He had less-than-kind words for special teams:

It was a game of dramatic swings for the Browns' offense and defense. Not so for the special teams, which was bad from start to finish. ... The Browns were repeatedly victimized by penalties on their own returns. They also got caught napping on a successful fake punt by the Steelers and failed to cover a punt inside the 5 resulting in a touchback.

And despite taking a foot to the face, Reed says punter Spencer Lanning was the Browns best special teams player on Sunday. It was a rough day for special teams: They allowed the Steelers to get a first down on a fake punt in the fourth quarter and missed a great chance to pin the Steelers on the 1 during a punt, with the ball just breaking the goal line.

It was a rough day, too, for rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert. He found himself targeted often by Roethlisberger and gave up to long receptions on the Steelers' winning drive. He dismissed the suggestion that it was a "learning experience":

"No, I just gotta play ball," Gilbert said. "I know they're going to come after me so there's nothing to learn from this game because I already knew what was going to happen. Just gotta make plays."

Gilbert was the Browns' top pick in the NFL Draft. Another rookie who has received a little bit of attention didn't make it on the field Sunday, and Brian Hoyer's solid second half (15-of-20, 173 yards, TD pass) should at least temporarily quiet talk about playing Johnny Manziel, says The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw:

Asked if he considered using Johnny Manziel Sunday, Pettine curtly said, "No." Moving on ... Actually, moving on is one of the benefits of what happened Sunday. It moved the conversation past which quarterback should start against New Orleans and Drew Brees. My guess is that was happening at halftime in many Northeast Ohio living rooms and bars. ... What (Hoyer) did, overall, is silence the call for Manziel. That's a plus for an offense that looked like a bunch of strangers standing around a bus stop for most of the preseason. 

Meanwhile, two key Browns veterans are dealing with injuries from Sunday's game. Tight end Jordan Cameron reinjured his sprained shoulder on a 47-yard catch in the first quarter, and running back Ben Tate suffered a knee injury on a 25-yard run in the second-quarter. Both injuries will be re-evaluated in Cleveland.

Was Sunday's loss a moral victory for the Browns?

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- Sunday started off about as bad as a game could start off. The Steelers blitzed the Browns, turning a 3-3 tie in the first into a 27-3 halftime lead. Anything Pittsburgh wanted to do, they did, and fans were thinking about the 2015 draft.

Then things started coming up Browns. Isaiah Crowell ran in a couple touchdowns. Brian Hoyer sharpened up. Terrance West got his legs churning and his shoulder lowered. The defense started tackling.

It was a thing of beauty and fans stopped thinking about the 2015 draft and about maybe being 1-0. 

That didn't happen. The offense stalled twice -- once in Steelers territory that resulted in a punt, and once deep inside the Browns territory. That stall led to the Steelers' game-winning drive.

Browns fans have been through this before: Trying to find positives in a loss. Trying to find some nugget of hope.

So, is this a moral victory for the Browns? Or are you tired of moral victories. Take the poll and sound off in the comments.

Which the upsets of cleveland.com Top 25 football teams in Week 2 do you think was the most surprising?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Walsh Jesuit football beat No. 8 St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday, the Warriors became the first team to beat the Irish in 22 straight games. 

That outcome raised some eyebrows, as did a win by another unranked team against one in the Top 10 this week. 

Strongsville earned a 34-6 win against No. 9 Cleveland Heights on Friday night.

Lorain and Euclid also upset Top 25 teams with wins against No. 14 Elyria and No. 23 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, respectively. 

Let us know which upset that surprised you most in Week 2 by voting in the poll below. Also, take a look at how all of the Top 25 teams fared this past weekend. 

We invite you to also comment on your choice and chat about your favorite team(s).

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.

See video of the Ohio State marching band's halftime performance, paying tribute to different TV shows over the last half-century.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State marching band has set a pretty high standard with some of its halftime shows.

Its 2014 opening act at Ohio Stadium will be tough to top.

A routine entitled "TV Land" (you can see the full show in the video above) payed tribute to some of the iconic TV shows and theme songs over the last half-century.

The band ran the gamut of shows from "The Simpsons", complete with a skateboarding Bart Simpson, to "Game of Thrones", with a fire-breathing dragon, and "M.A.S.H.", with a helicopter taking off and dropping a bomb on a block M, for Michigan.

It was the band's first gameday performance inside Ohio Stadium since former band director Jon Waters was fired for allowing a "sexualized culture" to exist within the band, according to university officials.

Supporters of Waters were out at Ohio Stadium for Saturday's game, holding signs saying "We Stand with Jon Waters." A plane was also spotted flying over the stadium before the game carrying a banner with the same slogan.

Here's our coverage from Sunday:

Stupid, meaningless polls prove why BCS died: Ohio State still ahead of Virginia Tech in coaches poll

'We took it on the chin': Honeymoon over after Urban Meyer's first regular-season loss at Ohio State — Now what?

11-1 is now the mantra for Ohio State: Quotes, notes and nuggets from the Buckeyes' loss to Virginia Tech

And more coverage from Ohio State's loss:

Ohio State D failed on the 'money down,' third down

What if Braxton Miller were healthy? Tech defense may have changed

Lesmerises: Special teams put Buckeyes in an early hole

Livingston: Virginia Tech cracks OSU's defense often enough to win

Buckeyes J.T. Barrett breakdown

Recap of the 35-21 Ohio State loss

Our postgame video breakdown

Everything Urban Meyer said after the loss (with video)

Doug observations

Ari observations

Bill observations

Be sure to like our cleveland.com Ohio State sports Facebook page, where we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of Ohio State football, basketball and recruiting.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer's offense produced four straight scoring drives in the second half, but it needed more. The Steelers won, 30-27.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterback Brian Hoyer made all of the dropbacks in the Browns' 30-27 loss to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Hoyer went 19-of-31 for 230 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked three times.

Upon DVR review of the CBS telecast, here are some observations:

Results-oriented business: Quarterbacks ultimately are responsible for securing victories, and Hoyer's team lost. Hoyer slipped to 3-1 in his career as Browns starter. He went 3-0 last season.

Third-down issues: The Browns were 2-for-13 on third down. Hoyer is not entirely responsible, of course, but it is the QB's offense.

Uneven ride: Hoyer's day could be chopped into four parts.

Part I lasted one play.

The Browns, trailing, 3-0, opened their first possession at the Cleveland 25. Three rushes gained 11 yards. On first-and-10 from the Cleveland 36, Hoyer connected with tight end Jordan Cameron for 47 yards. Hoyer looked left, then threw right to a wide-open Cameron, who caught the ball at the Pittsburgh 29 and tumbled to the 17 before being touched down.

Cameron released cleanly off the line and beat linebacker Lawrence Timmons on a speed route. Hoyer made a superb play from snap through release. He stayed calm as the pocket shrunk and dropped the ball into Cameron's hands. In real time, Hoyer appeared to have slightly over-thrown Cameron, causing him to lose his balance and preventing a potential touchdown. Replays showed that Cameron, not the throw, was responsible for the tumble.

Part II lasted from the middle of the first quarter until halftime. The offense sputtered repeatedly and the Browns fell behind, 27-3. Hoyer was not sharp.

After the long pass to Cameron, Hoyer went 2-for-3 for 1 yard and the Browns settled for a field goal.

Blame must be shared for the possession having fizzled. On second-9 from the Pittsburgh 16, Hoyer connected with Miles Austin for a 14-yard gain -- until an illegal-shift penalty assessed to Austin nullified the play. The official announcement was that "multiple'' Browns were in motion simultaneously. The Browns in motion were Austin, moving left to right, and Cameron, moving back from the line. Cameron, not Austin, seemingly is on the hook for this one. (The NFL stat book incorrectly listed Hoyer's nullified completion to Austin as 10 yards, not 14.)

On second-and-14, Hoyer was forced to unload because Steelers defensive lineman Brett Keisel broke through untouched. For some reason, the left side of the Browns' offensive line did not account for Keisel as he scraped across. On third-and-14, Hoyer's dink to Cameron had no chance for a first down.

After the Steelers scored a TD on the ensuing possession, the Browns took over at the Cleveland 14. They ran twice for nine yards. On third-and-1, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan dialed up one of his many boot actions, and Cameron was open near the Cleveland 35. Hoyer, however, faded away as he threw and over-shot the target. His mechanics abandoned him in a big spot.

Moments later, Browns linebacker Karlos Dansby granted Hoyer a mulligan by intercepting Ben Roethlisberger at the Pittsburgh 34. The Browns did nothing with the gift, going three-and-out.

Terrance West rushed for three yards on first down. On second-and-7, Hoyer dropped back after two play-fakes, double-clutched and was engulfed by Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones for a sack and 10-yard loss. Jones shoved aside Cameron.

On third-and-17, Hoyer spotted Cameron open on a dig route over the middle at the 29 -- but threw a sinker that landed at the 30. Instead of being in field-goal range, the Browns were forced to punt.

The Steelers scored a TD on the ensuing possession to make it 17-3. The Browns responded by going three-and-out from deep in their own territory.

On third-and-5 from the Cleveland 14, Hoyer threw incomplete intended for rookie Taylor Gabriel over the middle at the 21. The ball glanced off diving Gabriel's gloves. In real time, Hoyer appeared to have made a subpar throw, too far in front of Gabriel. But replays showed that Gabriel didn't finish his route. Analyst Dan Fouts said: "You can see just a little bit of a hesitation there.''

The Steelers capitalized on a short field, needing two plays to move 50 yards and take a 24-3 lead. The Browns responded with one first down before punting. On third-and-4 from the Cleveland 43, Hoyer wanted Gabriel over the middle but never saw Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who nearly intercepted at the Steelers 46.

With two minutes left in the first half, the Browns faced third-and-4 at the Cleveland 21. Hoyer made a quality throw under pressure to Gabriel crossing from left to right at the 28. Gabriel caught the ball but failed to secure it through his roll as Ike Taylor defended. Replays once again showed Gabriel hesitating slightly before reaching for the ball. Fouts: "You've got to make that catch. In that situation, with the score as it is, end of the first half, somebody on this Cleveland team has got to make a play.''

The Steelers punished the Browns for the drop. They moved from the Pittsburgh 20 and kicked a field goal in the final seconds of the half.

At the time, it didn't seem like almost every point would matter.

Part III lasted from the beginning of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth. Hoyer was on fire.

Hoyer, operating the no-huddle to near-perfection, orchestrated four consecutive scoring drives (touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown) as the Browns pulled even, 27-27.

On the first TD drive, the Browns moved 80 yards in six plays. Hoyer was 3-of-3 for 38 yards.

On the second TD drive, the Browns moved 59 yards in six plays. Hoyer was 2-of-2 for 30 yards.

On the FG drive, the Browns moved 75 yards in 12 plays. Hoyer was 4-of-5 for 63 yards. The completions included a terrific throw that resulted in a 25-yard completion to Andrew Hawkins on third-and-12 from the Cleveland 27. Hoyer also found Jim Dray twice -- in a tight window for 10 yards and wide open for 20.

However, a mental mistake in the red zone cost the Browns potentially four points. On third-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 5, Hoyer turned to his right to hand off -- but neither fullback Ray Agnew nor tailback Isaiah Crowell was there. Hoyer continued turning and, with nowhere to go, was tackled for a 2-yard loss. Of the play that ended the third quarter, Fouts: "He missed the handoff to Ray Agnew. It was going to be a fullback dive over the left guard.''

After the game, Hoyer accepted blame for the wrong turn.

On the third TD drive, the Browns moved 51 yards in seven plays. Hoyer went 3-of-4 for 31 yards. Two plays stood out:

On second-and-14 from the Pittsburgh 26, Hoyer was unfazed by pressure and connected with Hawkins for 17 yards. Fouts: "Look how calm and cool Hoyer is under that pressure, finding Hawkins in the middle of that zone.''

On first-and-goal from the 9, Hoyer executed Shanahan's boot action to perfection and shot a pea to Travis Benjamin in the left corner of the end zone. Fantastic play and throw. Benjamin beat Taylor.

Part IV lasted the final 5:20 of the game. Hoyer's offense sputtered.

With the score tied, 27-27, the Browns faced first-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 38. They gained three yards in the next three plays: Hoyer to Austin for 3, Hoyer incomplete to Austin, Hoyer incomplete intended for tight end Gary Barnidge. Hoyer threw into tight coverage in each of the last two.

The Browns went from being on the cusp of a field goal to punting.

Pittsburgh's ensuing possession ended with a punt. The Browns faced first-and-10 at the Cleveland 20 and, given a second chance to win, lost 14 yards in three plays: Hoyer sacked for minus-6, Hoyer incomplete intended for Hawkins, Hoyer complete to Hawkins for minus-5.

The sack, by Cameron Heyward, affected the next two plays. (Heyward used a bull rush to beat right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.) Hoyer threw short and into double coverage on second down; the incompletion gave Pittsburgh a bonus timeout. The third-down play never had a chance.

Fouts: "How much do they miss Jordan Cameron, out with a shoulder injury, and Josh Gordon? No real threat, at this point in the game. A go-to guy they just don't have for Brian Hoyer.''

After the Browns punted, the Steelers capitalized on a short field and kicked the game-winning field goal.

Bottom line: Hoyer, while far from spectacular, was solid. He is not the reason the Browns lost. His injury- and suspension-depleted offense generated 27 points against the Steelers on the road. That should have been more than enough.

Hoyer's grade: B