"It is frustrating to not be able to touch the ball sometimes, but I know we have a lot of other players who are going to make a play," Smith said. "No matter what it is, whether it is catching a pass or blocking, I am going to do my job and when my opportunity comes, I am going to make it."

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Devin Smith broke behind the secondary and caught a fly route for a touchdown to help lead Ohio State to a program-defining win at Michigan State. 

It's a testament to Smith that the above statement isn't enough information for you to know what year it was. 

But there are differences. Big enough, actually, for Urban Meyer to say he thought Smith played the best game of his career in Ohio State's 49-37 win over the Spartans on Saturday night. 

"Devin Smith, that's his best game that we've had in the past three years," Meyer said. "He's one of the best, if not the best, deep ball players we've ever had."

In 2012, Smith caught a 63-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter in Ohio State's 17-16 win over the Spartans in East Lansing. Meyer refers to that game two years later as the game that helped his program turn a corner. 

On Saturday, Smith caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback J.T. Barrett right before halftime as the Buckeyes stormed back to take control of the game on the road. Unlike the 2012 game when he finished with only two receptions, Smith was all over the field all night Saturday. 

Smith, who caught two passes in the first three offensive plays, finished with six receptions for 129 yards and the touchdown. He also caught a 43-yard pass on 3rd-and-23 along the sideline to keep an Ohio State touchdown drive alive. 

"No disrespect to their team," Smith said of Michigan State, "but I felt all night they couldn't hang with us. I told Coach that all night." 

View full sizeDevin Smith pulls in a 44-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter of Ohio State's 49-37 win over Michigan State on Saturday night in East Lansing. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer 

Smith seemingly played with a new type of aggression. Perhaps he's getting tired of being referred to as a one-dimensional player, one who can only by cornerbacks and score touchdowns on deep routes. 

He has 22 receptions this season, and eight of them have been for touchdowns. Smith likes that ratio, but he wants to be used more in the offense, perhaps be more utilized for intermediate gains. 

It hasn't been easy for Smith this year as roles for players like Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, Mike Thomas and Evan Spencer have expanded. Smith didn't lose his starting spot, but his chances to be a difference maker have certainly diminished. 

Smith admitted after Ohio State's win at Maryland that his senior season hasn't gone the way he envisioned it. It has been tough. 

"It is, especially because you want to go out with a bang. You want everybody to remember who you are," Smith said. "That's one thing I'm trying to do. I'm trying to leave here, not as the best receiver, but I want everyone to know this guy, Devin Smith, he gave it his all every time he came out on the field."

Perhaps he's on his way to achieving that goal, but there has to be more games like the one he had vs. Michigan State. It was only the second time this year he caught more than three receptions, and the only time he hauled in more than five. 

"It is frustrating to not be able to touch the ball sometimes, but I know we have a lot of other players who are going to make a play," Smith said. "No matter what it is, whether it is catching a pass or blocking, I am going to do my job and when my opportunity comes, I am going to make it." 

Every small-market baseball operation dreams of possessing the young, cost-controlled talent that the Indians now boast. If there were ever a time to be aggressive, to operate with a more flexible payroll and to prove to the rest of the league and to the city of Cleveland that the Indians not only expect to dip their toes in the playoff waters, but make a splash -- isn't it now?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Along a cross-country road trip, this would be the point at which the driver acquires that last necessary tank of gas, the one that pushes the car to the finish line.

The Indians aren't too far from the ticker tape. Every small-market baseball operation dreams of possessing the young, cost-controlled talent that the Indians now boast. Now it's time to supplement the group already in place with pieces that will propel the club from a development-based, 85-win campaign to one with end-of-October aspirations.

Corey Kluber, 28, earned $514,000 in 2014. He might win the American League Cy Young award. Michael Brantley, 27, earned $1.5 million and is a finalist for the AL Most Valuable Player honor. Combined, they earned about $2 million and contributed 14.4 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) last year. Both players finished in the top six in baseball in WAR. No other team placed two players in the top 10.

None of Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer or T.J. House has reached birthday No. 28 yet. Carrasco will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. The other three are years away from commanding considerable contracts.

The Tribe rotation logged the league's lowest ERA over the final seven weeks of the season. With run-of-the-mill starting pitchers garnering upward of $12-15 million per season on the free-agent market, Cleveland's situation is quite enviable.

And because of that, now would seem to be the time to strike.

The lucrative deals handed out to Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, a pair of aging, underwhelming veterans, are the anchors weighing down Cleveland's cruise liner. The Indians, though, need to accept those sunk costs and give themselves some financial wiggle room. Swisher and Bourn cannot serve as a reason for winter front-office hibernation. The club can't let business decisions from two years ago hinder the opportunity at hand.

By the time the arbitration numbers for the team's youthful crop escalate, the contracts for Bourn and Swisher will come off the books. Thus, now is the time to spend. Wisely, of course.

Should the Indians maintain their payroll figure from last year, they will have somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million to play with this offseason. Is that enough? It depends on what the team plans to add and the avenue in which it plans to use to add it.

Regression in certain areas should be anticipated. Hence, manager Terry Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti both indicated the desire to reinforce the rotation, the strength of the team in 2014. The defense needs help. The offense could use a boost or two.

The Indians aren't going to fork over $200 million to Max Scherzer or even $80 million to Victor Martinez. They do, however, have plenty of trade chips with which they could part. They have a surplus of well-regarded outfield prospects in Bradley Zimmer, Tyler Naquin, Clint Frazier and James Ramsey. The exercising of Mike Aviles' option gives the team one too many middle infielders whenever Francisco Lindor joins the big league fold. There are pieces that could fetch the Tribe some quality help.

"If there's the right guy available via trade or free agency, we'll look at it," Antonetti said. "We have to figure out exactly how he'd fit on our team or where he'd play.

"We have the depth in our farm system now to make a trade if there's the right trade there. It's an area where we've made steady progress over the last three years and we want to continue on that path and be in a better spot a year from now than we are in today. We have the players in our farm system to make a meaningful trade if that's the direction we decide to go."

Prior to the 1994 season, the Indians bolstered a young core with the free-agent additions of Eddie Murray and Dennis Martinez. They traded for slick-fielding shortstop Omar Vizquel. This isn't 1994. Progressive Field, even in its soon-to-be renovated state, won't be packed to capacity every nightfor the next decade. There are parallels, however, in the foundation of the roster.

The Indians have Brantley, Jason Kipnis, Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana locked up on affordable deals. The glut of pitching talent is in place and on the cheap for the foreseeable future. Now, the manager has a contract that could keep him in Cleveland through 2020. There is stability. There is young talent. There were shrewd business decisions executed to arrive at this point.

"We had a lot of young guys that were coming together and now that we're starting to be established major leaguers, it should be fun to watch," Brantley said. "I know I'm very excited for next year."

The Indians could enter 2015 with the same roster and, reasonably, hope for things to fall into place. And they might. The group could conceivably win the division if certain variables unfold in its favor. But if there were ever a time to be aggressive, to operate with a more flexible payroll and to prove to the rest of the league and to the city of Cleveland that the Indians not only expect to dip their toes in the playoff waters, but make a splash -- isn't it now?

LeBron James and the Cavaliers will likely hog the town's attention come springtime. All the Indians can do to spark some interest is win. They can't sell their product on the goals of hoping, wishing and praying for meaningful games in September. They shouldn't have to, either.

Their work to this point has blessed them with a bounty of young, cost-controlled talent. Will they add to it and convert it all into an extended October stay?

The Browns are atop the AFC North with a 6-3 record, followed by Cincinnati at 5-3-1, Pittsburgh and Baltimore at 6-4.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 6-3 Browns had the weekend off after their big 24-3 victory over the Bengals Thursday night, but it didn't stop them from moving into sole possession of first place in the AFC North on Sunday afternoon.

It's the first time they've been all alone in first this late in the season since 1994.

The seismic shift came courtesy of the Steelers' 20-13 loss to the Jets, who were 1-8 heading into the game and had lost eight straight. The Steelers slipped to 6-4 and into a tie for third place with the Ravens, who beat the Titans 21-7.

The Bengals, who have the toughest remaining schedule in the division by far, are in second place at 5-3-1.

In the words of Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who's postgame locker room comments were mistakenly aired by CBS, the Steelers "got their a---- kicked this week.'' The Jets forced four turnovers and never let up. In Pittsburgh, they're blaming it on the Biebs -- pop star Justin Bieber -- who attended the Steelers' Bible study Saturday night.

Entering the game, opposing quarterbacks had thrown 24 touchdowns to one interception against the Jets. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger -- who threw an NFL record 12 touchdowns in his last two games -- threw just one touchdown and two picks Sunday.

As a result of Pittsburgh's misfortune, the Browns are alone in first place in the division after four or more games for the first time in 19 years -- on Sept. 24, 1995, the year hell froze over and the Browns left Cleveland.

The last time the Browns were in first place after week 10 was in 1994, when they started 8-2 under Bill Belichick and finished 11-5 for second place in the AFC Central behind the 12-4 Steelers. The Browns earned a wildcard spot and beat Patriots in their first game, 20-13, but then lost to Pittsburgh for the third time of the season, 29-9, in the divisional round.

With the Browns moving into a tie with Pittsburgh for first place after their big upset of the Bengals, coach Mike Pettine cautioned against a "major overreaction'' and premature playoff talk. But he did acknowledge the postseason has been the aim all along.

 "Yes, of course it was our goal in the beginning of the year -- be a playoff team,'' he said on a conference call Friday. "Why not us? We talked about the number of teams that had gone from – 11, 12 years in a row teams had gone from worst to first, at least one worst to first in the division – and the number of teams that didn't make the playoffs one year that make it the next.

"We weren't going to hide from it, but at the same time, they have to know that in order to accomplish that, we have to be extraordinary. We have to be extraordinary each week. I think as long as you talk about playoff in the context of 'the next game is the most important one and it's a step towards that direction' then I think it's OK.''

Of course, it won't be easy.

Here are the combined records of the remaining opponents for each AFC North team, in order of difficulty:  Bengals 34-31; Browns 32-30-2; Steelers 25-27-2; Ravens 25-30.

The Browns and Bengals each have seven games left, with five on the road for Cincinnati and four on the road for the Browns. In fact, the Bengals next three games are on the road (at Saints, Texans and Bucs). And their home games are no picnic either: the 6-4 Steelers and 7-2 Broncos.

The Browns host the 4-5 Texans -- and first-time starting quarterback Ryan Mallett on Nov. 16 and then travel to Atlanta (3-6) and Buffalo (5-4). They finish with consecutive home games against the 6-3 Colts and 5-3-1 Bengals and then back-to-back road trips to the 3-5-1 Panthers and 6-4 Ravens.

But the Browns will get All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon back in Atlanta Nov. 23 for the final six games of the season. They'll also soon have Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron back from his concussion, giving them their dynamic duo back on the field for the first time since last season.

Browns safety Donte Whitner, who's been to the Super Bowl with the 49ers, believes the Browns are playoff-caliber team.

"We stack up very well,'' he said Friday. "The playoff team that I was on was three years in a row with the San Francisco 49ers, each year we reached the NFC Championship, and the style of football that we played there was similar to the style of football that we play here. We wanted to get a lot of turnovers because we understood that getting turnovers, you get the offense the ball more and there is a direct correlation between turnovers and winning.

"Usually when you go back and look at the statistics at the end of the year, the teams that are in the top 10, top 12, are usually, 95-percent of them, are in the playoffs. We wanted to play a physical style of football, a relentless style of football, and it's similar here.

"As far as individuals, you can't really compare individuals because football is a different type of game, but we have players who can beat Pro Bowlers and All-Pro type players.  That comes along with team success and individual success, and I think there are a lot of guys out there who have shown individual success so far."

Now, if the Browns can just keep the Biebs away from their Bible study. Are you listening Johnny Manziel?

Cleveland Plain Dealer photographers Chuck Crow and Joshua Gunter are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the New Orleans Pelicans. The gallery of their photos will be updated throughout the game. Check back for all the Cavs action.

Cleveland Plain Dealer photographers Chuck Crow and Joshua Gunter are at Quicken Loans Arena tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the New Orleans Pelicans. The gallery of their photos will be updated throughout the game. Check back for all the Cavs action.

MLB's All-Star series against Japan All-Stars begins Tuesday.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Indians first baseman Carlos Santana didn't make the All-Star team in July, but he'll be playing with several All-Stars over the next several days in Japan. Terry Francona, Santana's manager, is also a member of the team.

Francona, unlike Santana, was at MLB's All-Star game at Target Field this year as one of manager John Farrell's coaches.

It will be a five-game series between MLB's All-Stars and Samurai Japan, Japan's national team. An exhibition game will open and close the series.

MLB Network will carry the series. It will show Tuesday's exhibition game at 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. Game 1 of the series begins Wednesday and will be played Kyocera Dome in Osaka.

The series will end Nov. 18 with an exhibition game being played Nov. 20.

Among the MLB All-Stars are pitchers Chris Capuano, Hisashi Iwakuma and Mark Melancon. Some of the All-Star position players include catcher Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau and Ben Zobrist.

The start times for all games on MLB Network will be 4 a.m. with the game being replaced at 9 p.m. on the same day.

Now I can't sleep. So it's Karate time #JapanAllStarSeries2014 #MLB pic.twitter.com/jKeQnf9mvP

— Carlos Santana MLB (@TheRealSlamtana) November 9, 2014

Good season: It has been a good year for Michael Brantley on an off the field. Brantley, the Indians left fielder, ended the season hitting .327 with 200 hits, 20 homers and 97 RBI. He scored 94 runs, stole 23 bases in 24 attempts and hit 45 doubles.

At the start of spring training, Brantley signed a four-year $25 million contract extension. He made the All-Star team for the first time, collecting a $100,000 bonus. At the end of the year, he was named one of the AL's Silver Slugger-winning outfielders and collected a $50,000 bonus.

Brantley is also one of the three finalists for the AL MVP award. Since he finished in the top five of the MVP voting his base salary in 2017 and 2018 jumps by $1 million each year -- $8.5 million in 2017 and $12 million in 2018. The Indians hold a club option for 2018.

Mike Trout is expected to win the award, but Brantley could earn $150,000 bonus if he finishes third and a $250,000 bonus if he finishes second in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

In demand: It's already been a busy offseason for Tribe bullpen coach Kevin Cash.

He was a finalist for the manager's job in Texas that went to Pittsburgh's Jeff Banister. The Rangers were interested in Cash being their bench coach, but he took himself out of the running and returned to Cleveland.

After Joe Maddon's sudden departure in Tampa Bay to become the Cubs manager, the Rays asked for and received permission to talk to Cash as part of their managerial search. Cash grew up in Tampa and went to Florida State.

"I think Jon Daniels (Texas general manager) did a great job of identifying Kevin as a managerial candidate," said GM Chris Antonetti. "He's our bullpen coach, but he does much more than that for our organization."

Manny Acta, former Tribe manager, is also interviewing for the Rays job.

Help wanted: The Indians are in the market for a couple of minor league hitting coordinators

Alan Zinter left to be the assistant hitting coach for the Houston Astros. Zinter was the Indians minor league hitting coordinator for the last three years.

Luis Ortiz, the Indians lower-level hitting coordinator, has reportedly taken a job with the Padres. Ortiz was also the team's cultural development coordinator, helping foreign players acclimate to their new surroundings.

Testing, testing: Nick Swisher will be in Cleveland this week to get his knees checked. Swisher had surgery on both knees in August.

Ryan Raburn's recovery from September surgery on his left knee is going well. The Indians report he should be able to go through his normal offseason-conditioning program and be ready for spring training.

Finally: The Indians will have scouts watching Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada, 19, Wednesday in his showcase in Guatemala. All 30 big league teams are expected to be there.

The Indians have a good line on Moncada, having scouted him in Amsterdam and Taiwan.

The Tribe has signed eight to 10 international free agents since the start of the July 2 signing period. They are still going through their identity checks . . .Chris O'Dowd, son of former Tribe executive Dan O'Dowd, is catching for Colorado in the Arizona Fall League. Dan O'Dowd, Rockies GM since 1999, recently resigned.

LeBron James plays easily his best game of 2014-15 so far with a triple-double in Cavaliers' win.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James scored 32 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and registered 10 assists for a triple-double Monday in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 118-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

James had promised a big game at The Q -- just his second this season and first since a disappointing season-opener on Oct. 30. He delivered.

There were so many positives for the 29-year-old Cleveland star, from his brilliant third quarter, to Kyrie Irving's 32 points and nine assists, to his two rim-rocking dunks.

According to the Cavaliers, James' triple-double was the 38th of his career.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Pelicans.

1^st Quarter

Stats: 3 pts, 3 rbs, 1 ast, 1-4 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: James streaked down the left side for a layup with 11:02 to go after poking away a Pelicans pass.

Briefing: Quick start, molasses-slow finish for James. In one sequence with less than three minutes left, Tyreke Evans went past him for a layup, and he traveled on the Cavaliers' ensuing possession. James was short on two jumpers, too, including an airball.

2^nd Quarter

Stats: 7 pts, 4 rbs, 4 asts, 2-3 FG, 3-4 FT

Highlight: Irving found James heading toward the rim, and James wound up for a right-handed slam with 2:12 to go.

Briefing: The dunk was James' fourth of the season. Earlier Monday he apologized, a little tongue-in-cheek, for not playing "above the rim." James also found rookie Joe Harris in the corner for Harris' first-career three pointer. Overall, a much better quarter. Through two of them, James is flirting with a triple-double with 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 17 points, 1 rb, 2 ast, 5-6 FG, 6-7 FT

Highlight: With 2.6 seconds remaining, James went barreling down the lane for a thunderous dunk, capping a 16-1 run for the Cavaliers in the quarter.

Briefing: The quarter-ending dunk was one of many highlights. James scored the Cavaliers' first nine points by racing to the hoop and by converting when he was fouled on a three-pointer. James and Irving combined for 30 points in the quarter – easily the most fun 12 minutes of basketball played at The Q in this young season.

4^th Quarter

Stats: 4 pts, 4 rbs, 3 ast, 1-3 FG, 3-4 FT

Highlight: James delivered a strike to Irving in the corner, who knocked down a three-pointer with 2:26 to go and gave James his first triple-double of the season.

Briefing: James soaked in the last several seconds from the bench, leaving the floor with his virtuoso performance having sealed a victory. He had an earlier bulls-eye to Kevin Love in the corner for a crucial three that gave the Cavaliers a 104-99 lead with 3:28 remaining.

Totals: 32 pts, 12 rbs, 10 ast, 9-17 FG, 13-17 FT, 40 mins

 

Game-by-game stats for the 35 triple double games for LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James recorded his 35th triple double in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform on Monday, and his first since returning to the Cavs this season.

His 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists help lead the Cavs to a 118-111 victory over New Orleans.

Cleveland is 28-7 when James records a triple double, including a 5-1 record in playoff games.

In the 35 games, James has averaged 30.3 points, 12.1 rebounds and 11.3 assists.

Here's a rundown of each of his triple doubles for Cleveland.

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Pelicans during the postgame show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second straight game on Monday night, beating the New Orleans Pelicans, 118-111. 

LeBron James led the way with a triple-double, scoring 32 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out a team-high 10 assists. Kyrie Irving matched James in points while also adding nine assists. Kevin Love, the third member of Cleveland's Big Three, added 22 points, making six three-pointers. 

The Cavs are now 3-3, with a few days off before going to Boston on Friday night. 

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Pelicans during the postgame show.

The trio talked about James' big night, the Big Three getting more comfortable, the continued struggles on defense, Kyrie Irving taking on more of a distributing role and Anthony Davis. 

Rev. Jesse Jackson on what it meant for LeBron James to return home to Cleveland: 'Dr. King would be proud'

CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James helped the Cavaliers to their second consecutive win with a 118-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

He secured his first triple-double of the season, registering 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 40 minutes of play. In the four years while James was in Miami, Kyrie Irving was the only Cavalier to reach a triple-double, doing it last February.

It exhibits the serious work James did on the court last night. Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said James' play shouldn't be overlooked just because we're accustomed to seeing it, which is true.

But despite his heroic efforts on the court, it doesn't compare to the magnitude of what his return to Cleveland means to this region.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a well-renowned, longtime civil rights leader, told Northeast Ohio Media Group in an interview that James has catapulted to a height much taller than basketball.

Realizing the impact it would have on the people of Northeast Ohio, James made the decision to return home and, in the process, it did so much more.

"What LeBron has done to the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio should be commended," Jackson said to NEOMG. "The hope and sense of purpose he has instilled in that community and in the African-American community is incredible. He has a gift that goes beyond the basketball court and he recognizes that. He has become a true leader."

Jackson said James' willingness to study and speak on social injustice, racial inequality and economic issues puts him in a class all by himself in this day and age of the millionaire athlete.

Jackson was one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s right-hand men. He was present when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968 outside of his hotel room. There are not many currently alive that can say they were one of King's guys.

Few really knew him. Jackson was one of those few, and he says if King were here today he would be moved with the way things have transpired in Cleveland thanks to James.

"Dr. King would be proud," Jackson said. "You don't see that type of character, integrity in a lot of athletes today. He has truly separated himself and it's inspiring to see. We're all very proud of him. Dr. King would be proud if he were here with us. These are the type of young men we need in this world."

James was flattered when informed of the details of the interview with Jackson. King is a legendary figure in world history and now James is leaving his imprint, with more to come.

"Obviously, the great man is not here with us, but that's humbling," James told NEOMG. "You would want to hear it from the man himself, but I don't do stuff in my community to get praise. I do it for my family; I do it for my friends and my community and the kids that get the opportunity to benefit from it. Just helping my people."

One league executive told me about a month ago that James is the modern day Muhammad Ali. Agree or not, it's enlightening.

It's not easy making it out of a neighborhood infested with drugs and crime. James beat the odds and he wants to make sure others follow suit. Triple-doubles are fine, but it's all about the changing of a culture. Renewing of one's mind. Doing away with negative psychological thinking.

No one wants to move to Cleveland? No one wants to raise a family in Northeast Ohio? No one can make it out of Akron? The best player in the world did. And that's more than enough validation.

"This is amazing what he's doing. He's truly saving lives. Tell him to keep it up. Give LeBron my best," Jackson said.

Here are Chris Fedor's five observations from Cleveland's latest win against New Orleans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers rallied in the second half, scoring 67 points, to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 118-111.

It's the second straight win for the Cavs, who have now scored at least 100 points in the last three games.

While LeBron James was the star of the night, recording his first triple-double of the season, Cleveland got contributions from other players despite being shorthanded.

Here are five other observations from Cleveland's latest win:

Kyrie Irving responds to the challenge – It's been two games since Kyrie Irving scored 34 points and finished with zero assists against the Utah Jazz. Following that loss, fingers were pointed in his direction and there were a number of stats tweeted out about his selfish style.

Since that night, Irving has dished out 15 assists, including a season-high nine on Monday.

It's not a coincidence that both games have been wins. Irving, like many of the players on the roster, is being asked to do different things, and it will likely take time for him to get completely comfortable. But LeBron James has proclaimed Irving as the floor general, and Irving is beginning to look the part.

"I thought Ky really played a high-level game tonight," Coach David Blatt said following the game. "We all know what a tremendous scorer he can be but he distributed the ball extremely well."

It's also helped that Irving, who averaged 2.7 turnovers in 2013-14, has just four total in the last four games compared to 20 assists. Irving still has his flaws and will occasionally stop the offense at inopportune moments, but Blatt wants to keep focusing on the many positives, which is probably a wise move.

"I wish people would make more of (his lack of turnovers) than the 34-point game with no assists game that everybody talks about all the time," Blatt said. "How many point guards in the world do you know that play four games and have one per game? That's an amazing stat. Kyrie is making good decisions, understanding how to feed off other players as well as feed others. He's a great basketball player."

Big Three shows its potential – For the first time this season, Cleveland's Big Three dominated in the same game, giving a taste of what could be coming.

The talented trio combined for 86 of the team's 118 points, with Kyrie Irving and LeBron tying for a team-high 32. Kevin Love added 22 points, hitting a season-high six triples.

They did most of the damage during an exciting second half. Of Cleveland's 67 second-half points, the Big Three scored 61, including Irving's 27. The other six points were split among Tristan Thompson, Anderson Varejao and Shawn Marion.

James set the tone right out of the locker room. With his team trailing by five, James scored nine straight to open the third quarter.

"He grabbed the game," Blatt said. "He understood the moment. We play the way we play, but carpe diem. Seize the day. He made it his day."

So did Irving, who got off to a rough start. He had five points at the half and was harassed by Jrue Holiday, who has given Irving issues in the past. It would've been easy for Irving to get down on himself, but he didn't thanks to some help from veterans Mike Miller, James Jones and Brendan Haywood.

"The guys kept me locked in," Irving said. "This is one of the closest teams I've been on, if not the closest team. They just told me to stay aggressive and play my game. With me being aggressive, it makes everything easier for everybody out there. I wasn't necessarily out of the game mentally, but they just kept me locked in. Consistenly in my ear and telling me to continue to be aggressive."

The two-time All-Star scored 13 points in the third period, combining with James to equal 30 of Cleveland's 34 points in the second-highest scoring quarter of the season. The Cavs finished on a 16-1 run, capped off by James' thunderous slam that electrified the crowd. 

Monday night was the first game Love, Irving and James each scored at least 20 points, and it's game No. 6. Miami's Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh accomplished the feat in the seventh game. 

Love picks up the slack – James, who played 40 minutes for the fifth time in the first six games, took a rest 30 seconds into the fourth quarter.

At that time, the Cavs were leading by four, 85-81. With a shortened bench because of the injuries to Dion Waiters (back) and Matthew Dellavedova (knee), the Cavs needed someone to keep the team afloat. Love answered the call, scoring all nine of Cleveland's points with James resting. Love and the Cavs outscored the Pelicans 9-8 before James came back for the stretch run.

It's exactly what the Cavs had in mind when putting together the formidable Big Three. Irving and James took over the third quarter. Then Love did the same in the fourth. They are starting to figure it out. When it finally clicks, the Cavs will be scary on offense.  

"As we play together more we are going to continue to get better on both sides of the ball," Love said following the game. "It's something that can be very special, but it's going to take a little bit of time."

Love also had the challenge of dealing with Anthony Davis, a player that many on the Cavs believe can be a superstar.

Love helped pull Davis away from the basket, making him guard out to the three-point line. Davis, who averages more than four blocks per game, didn't have a block in the first half and had only eight points before a second-half outburst led to him finishing the night with 27 to go along with 14 rebounds.

"He's a monster," Love said. "He's a guy that is going to continue to get better. Just to kind of body him and keep him out of the lane. When you do that you are going to give up something else and you saw that with Ryan Anderson. We wanted to slow (Davis) down and make him work for everything."

Defense still an issue – The Cavs have now won two straight, but after giving up 111 points to the Pelicans on Monday and 101 to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Cleveland continues to have issues on defense.

"I'm a little disappointed in the moments of lethargy that we have on defense," Blatt said. "Our guys need to understand that if we want to consistently beat great and good teams and very good teams like the one we saw tonight then we can not afford to sleep for parts of the game. You have to defend throughout the course of the game. I'm more concerned than happy."

The three-point line was one of the areas where the Pelicans found success, canning 12 three-pointers, which is seven more than normal. They also hit 44 percent despite coming in shooting 28 percent from deep.

"I think we got to do a better job of recognizing what guys do, what their pros (are), what they don't like to do and force them to do something that they're not comfortable with doing," James said. "Tonight we gave up 12 3-point attempts to one player (Anderson) and he hit eight of them. He's a knock-down shooter, we got to try to make him do a little something that's different."

Love agreed with James, saying the first half was not indicative of what the team is capable of. 

"We have to trust each other, know our assignments and know what we are doing out there," Love said. "We more often than not get it right in practice, we just have to get it right when the bright lights come on. That's something that should come first, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way."

Rebounding has been an early key – The Cavs were not only trailing on the scoreboard at the end of the first half, 56-51, they were also trailing in the rebounding department, 24-20.

With Omer Asik, Davis and Anderson, boards aren't easy to come by against New Orleans, but rebounding has been a story early this season.

The Cavs turned the advantage around in the second half, finishing with a 45-40 advantage on the glass, thanks in part to James' 12.

The importance can't be overstated. Cleveland has won all three games when outrebounding the opponent; it has lost each game when losing the battle of the boards. 

LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love scored 61 of the Cavaliers' 67 points in the second half of a victory over New Orleans on Monday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 118-111, Monday night at The Q. Here is a capsule look at the game after a dvr review of the Fox Sports Ohio telecast:

Heating up: The Cavs improved to 3-3 with their second straight victory. They won for the first time in two games at home. They had not played at The Q since losing to the New York Knicks in the season opener Oct. 30.

As advertised: The Cavs are projected to contend for an NBA title because they feature three terrific players: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The wine-and-gold's "Big Three'' delivered -- and how -- against the Pelicans, combining for 86 points, 22 rebounds and 21 assists. All three shot better than 50 percent from the floor.

James, periodically in the role of point-forward, secured his 49th career triple-double (including postseason). It had teeth: 32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists.

Irving, seemingly as comfortable off the ball as with it, shot 11-of-21 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and scored 32. Oh, by the way: He notched nine assists and committed one turnover in 41 minutes. It added up to scintillating.

Love was 6-of-9 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points.

Nothing (but fun) to see here: In what amounted to bad news for the skeptics, James and Irving certainly appeared to enjoy playing alongside each other. Their games dovetailed better than in any of the previous five. Afterward, Irving sounded like a player who is listening to the two-time world champion James, and that Irving is willing to tweak his ball-dominant approach for the good of the team.

Strong counter: The Pelicans lack a Big Three, but they do have Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. The duo combined for 59 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists. Whereas Davis performed as expected (27 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks), Anderson's production had an ambush feel to it (32 points on 11-of-19 shooting in 34 minutes off bench.)

The Pelicans overcame a 7-0 deficit through 90 seconds and led, 28-24, at the end of the first quarter. Davis scored early and gave way to Anderson, with Doc Rivers' son Austin mixing in a couple of 25-footers.

Anderson stayed hot in the second quarter as the Pelicans remained pesky and led, 56-51, at halftime. Anderson was 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, for 23 points. The Cavs struggled to locate him in transition and were loose on several defensive assignments -- a bad combination.

In addition to Anderson's sniping, New Orleans slowed the pace effectively. The Cavs failed to get the ball into the forecourt quickly, and their set pieces lacked fluidity. Selfishness was not the problem: The Cavs attempted to move the ball; they simply weren't solving the New Orleans riddles well enough, especially when it came to pick-and-roll switches.

Winning time: Irving told Fox Sports Ohio reporter Allie Clifton after the game that James spoke with him during intermission. At that point, Irving had five points.

"He asked me if I was ready to play now,'' Irving, smiling, told Clifton. "I said, 'Yes.'''

It was not as if Irving had been doing anything "wrong.'' For the second straight game, he made a concerted effort to get his teammates involved. He made the extra pass, moved without the ball and played with energy at both ends. But  James wanted Irving to push the pace and begin flexing his scoring muscle -- because the Cavs needed it.

Irving not only poured in the points in the second half, scoring 27 on 9-of-14 shooting, he did so within the flow of the game. His two big-name teammates offered plenty of support; James scored 22 and Love 12.

The Big Three's 61 points after the break accounted for a staggering 91 percent of the Cavs' total (67). And it wasn't as if James, Irving or Love demanded the ball each time down the floor. It was a case of three superior players doing what comes naturally to help their team rally to win.

James opened his second half by scoring Cleveland's first nine points using the variety pack: running 8-foot hook; driving layup; layup off a run-out; and three free throws. The first two baskets came off weave action out top. Irving assisted on the second layup.

Problem for the Cavs was, their on-ball and help defense continued to have issues. The Pelicans scored two points before James' run and answered each of his baskets/free throws. They led, 66-60, with 8:26 remaining in the third.

The Pelicans eventually pulled ahead, 78-69, with 4:37 remaining. Then Irving took over, bagging nine straight points in a 90-second span to tie the score. He drove smoothly to the hole from the left wing; sank a jumper in transition; used an Uncle Drew move to shake Eric Gordon for a layup (James assist); and drilled a 3-pointer topside.

The 3-pointer was telling as much for how it came to be as the shot itself. At the other end, Tristan Thompson had rejected Davis's short follow, giving Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr license to say: "Get that weak stuff out of here!'' Irving moved the ball up the floor, and, with the crowd roaring, could have been influenced into forcing matters. Instead, he patiently set up, pulled back and used Thompson's screen to create a good look.

Gordon's free throw gave New Orleans the lead again, but Irving's four-star pass from the left wing turned into a Thompson dunk and 80-79 advantage with 1:36 remaining. James closed the quarter on a personal 5-0 run to make it 85-79.

Then it was Love's turn to join the fun in earnest. He scored Cleveland's first nine points of the fourth quarter on three 3-pointers, the third of which gave the Cavs a 94-85 lead with 8:42 left. The Pelicans chased the rest of the way.

The geneses of the first two 3-pointers were Mike Miller and Irving, respectively, dribbling away from Love before reversing the ball with accuracy. The third 3-pointer came after Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound, opted not to force a shot back up in traffic and located an open Love on the right wing.

Love sank his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter with 3:29 remaining, assist James. Irving and James scored the Cavs' final 14 points.

Dialed back in: In his previous two games, Love was a combined 1-of-10 from 3-point range.

Dropping the hammer: James ended the third quarter with a dunk worthy of a king. He worked off a Thompson screen, split two Pelicans and threw down with one hand.

Fox Sports play-by-play man Fred McLeod said: "Welcome home, King!''

James' outside shot is not close to where it can be -- there have been no "heat checks'' this season -- but he continues to compensate with an endless supply of power moves. The Pelicans brought no one who could stop James when he was in attack mode, yet they did a lot of whining and complaining when obvious fouls were called.

Don't forget about me: An under-the-radar performer for the Cavs was rookie shooting guard Joe Harris. In a season-high 20 minutes, Harris shot 2-of-6 from the floor and scored five points. He played active defense when the Cavs desperately needed it. He posted the game's best +/- rating (18).

Harris, with Dion Waiters sidelined because of a bruised lower back, almost tripled his minutes from his previous three games combined (seven).

Both of Harris' baskets -- 3-pointer, layup -- came in the second quarter on assists from James. The layup closed the half.

Finally: Irving has committed just one turnover in each of his last four games (combined 162 minutes.)

LeBron James registered his 38th career triple-double and the Cavaliers won, but that's not what was most important about Monday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Yes, LeBron James had a triple-double Monday night.

Thirty-two points. Twelve Rebounds. Ten assists. Two hard dunks. The Cavaliers, riding James' performance and a few other notable efforts, beat a good New Orleans Pelicans team, 118-111.

The biggest takeaway, the most important part, of what happened at The Q Monday night probably wasn't James' stat-stuffing night, however. It might not have even been the win, which pulled the team to .500 through a half dozen games.

Instead, it could've been this:

"This is one of the closest teams I've been on, if not the closest team," Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving said afterwards.

The context for Irving's quote: he had scored just five of his eventual 32 points at in the first half, and he was asked if his teammates talked to him in the locker room to encourage him.

The answer: yes, and then some. When the Northeast Ohio Media Group relayed Irving's thoughts to James, his eyes grew big.

"That's great to hear from him," James said. "Hopefully we can continue that throughout the locker room. We're trying to build something here, trying to build a winning franchise, a winning attitude in the locker room every day. And we want to build it from the ground up and everyone feels like they're a part of something special, so I'm happy he's saying that."

In game no. 6 of an 82-game slog, almost anything that happens on the court is insignificant when the totality of the season is considered.

For James, who had registered 37 career triple-doubles (48, when including the postseason) prior to Monday night, well, he's done it before. It was the 19th time in his career he accumulated at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Perhaps there were some nervous nellies in Cleveland wondering about James' slow starts in two games, his shaky season-opening performance at home, or even that he didn't seem to be playing above the rim. (He acknowledged and apologized for that last one, tongue in cheek).

So it was undoubtedly good for the Cavaliers to see James like this. He dominated the third quarter, scoring Cleveland's first nine points. He scored 17 overall in the quarter, including a streak down the lane for a thunderous dunk with 2.6 seconds left that capped a 34-point period for the Cavaliers and gave them a six-point lead.

"I don't care that we all know he can do it, if you go out there and you have a triple-double and you lead your team in a moment of truth the way that he did, it's easy to overlook that," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "It's easy to overlook that guy, because ... we've come to expect it. That's not a small thing that he did out there."

All true words. But James isn't trying to build his numbers. He's trying to build a team that wins in June. For that, he needs Irving.

And lest anyone forget, it was James and Irving who appeared at odds last week – if not personally, then certainly over how they thought the game should be played.

The Cavaliers lost two of three games last week. James tried to make his point about putting the team first to Irving publicly – he purposefully stood on the perimeter in a loss to Portland while Irving and Dion Waiters jacked up shot after shot.

There was reportedly a private exchange between them in the locker room that both men denied but Blatt seemed to confirm Sunday.

In a loss to Utah, Irving had 34 points but zero assists. The Cavaliers registered just six as a team. These were awkward episodes in a weird week for the team.

All of a sudden, the Cavaliers come home and Irving is talking about this team maybe being the closest of any on which he's played. If he truly feels that way, then nothing else that happened Monday night was more important to a team with a new coach and new players trying to figure each other out.

Irving made the statement after he had added nine assists to those 32 points. One was to James for his first dunk of the night in the second quarter. James' triple-double-clinching assist was to Irving – a three-pointer in the corner with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter that put the Cavaliers up by 11.

James and Irving had 30 points together in the third quarter. James, Irving, and Kevin Love combined for 61 of Cleveland's 67 points in the second half.

James' formula for success includes more than just Cleveland's Big 3. Personally, James said "I've got a couple more kinks I have to work out" in his own game, but he was headed in the right direction.

No one expected otherwise from James. But James and Irving getting on the same page, six games in, after all that happened last week?

Big step.

Impressive wins can only help the Buckeyes' cause, and Las Vegas thinks they'll get one on Saturday when they travel to Minnesota. Ohio State opens as 14.5-point favorites over the Golden Gophers. Get our full coverage from Monday inside.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State is coming off its most impressive win of the Urban Meyer era and now is in the middle of the College Football Playoff debate. 

Impressive wins can only help the Buckeyes' cause. 

Las Vegas thinks they'll get one on Saturday when they travel to Minnesota, as Ohio State opens as 14.5-point favorites over the Golden Gophers. 

Ohio State is 6-2 against the spread this year. Without coincidence, the two losses are the Buckeyes' two worst games of the year – a home loss to Virginia Tech and the close double overtime win at Penn State. 

Let's take a look at Ohio State's last six games and the spreads:

• 17-point favorites vs. Cincinnati. Ohio State won 50-28. 

• 7-point favorites at Maryland. Ohio State won 52-24. 

• 21-point favorites vs. Rutgers. Ohio State won 56-17. 

• 13.5-point favorites vs. Penn State. Ohio State won 31-24 in double overtime. 

• 28.5-point favorites vs. Illinois. Ohio State won 55-14. 

• 3.5-point underdogs vs. Michigan State. Ohio State won 49-37. 

Other interesting Big Ten spreads: Temple (+10.5) at Penn State; Iowa (-5.5) at Illinois; Nebraska (+6) at Wisconsin; Northwestern (+17) at Notre Dame; Indiana (+8) at Rutgers; and Michigan State (-12.5) at Maryland. 

Must-read links for our Minnesota coverage: 

• Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett has been great, would Braxton Miller do this, too? Doug Lesmerises analysis

• What losing Dontre Wilson to a broken foot means for the Buckeyes

• Urban Meyer says "blessed, fortunate" to have two QB options for 2015 like J.T. Barrett, Braxton Miller

• Teachers congratulating linemen: How the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrated their win over Michigan State

• 'They couldn't hang with us': Ohio State WR Devin Smith's career game conveniently came vs. Michigan State

The Cleveland Browns have changed the conversation from skepticism to rosy optimism -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

(The Condensed Midweek Edition)

Hey Bud: Braylon Edwards  said that Mark Sanchez was babied by the New York Jets. Isn't that the same guy who was wearing only socks when he got spiked by men wearing cleats? Romeo Crennel then said, "Well you know how kids like to run around barefoot in the grass." – Ted, Concord

Braylon could've been wearing Buzz Lightyear socks and that wouldn't have made a Top 10 list of reasons to question his maturity.

Bud: Did you hear about the latest overpriced software? That's right! Andy Dalton 2.0! -- Kenneth

The only less effective operating system I can remember is Jeff Garcia 0.0.

Bud: Let's trade Nick Swisher and a player to be named for Madison Bumgarner -- Faybones  

Sounds simple. But what if in addition to that the Giants also insist on Jason Giambi?

Bud: Where do you guys who work from home go when you are sick? – O. Bill Stone

Like so many healthy You Said It contributors, I go into a self-imposed basement quarantine.

Bud: Now that the Browns have a winning record, will you be less likely to print sarcastic, pessimistic questions about the team? – Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

The glass has always been half full here at Spin. Cyanide. But still half full.

Bud: I love the Browns but don't follow the rest of the NFL so much. I turned on the Eagles-Panthers game Monday night and heard Jon Gruden raving about a special teams touchdown scored by Darren Sproles. What's a "punt return?" -- Mark

First-time You Said It winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

Bud: Is there a timetable for when Johnny will wreck this league? -- Tom Hoffner

Repeat winners should lower their expectations for a backup shirt.

The guy whose high school peers voted him most likely to be a professional athlete was selling T-shirts. At times, he was depressed. He estimated that he gained 15-20 pounds. He watched some friends walk a legal tightrope. He watched others lose their lives. And here he was, stuck in neutral, dissatisfied and discouraged. Not gone, but forgotten.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Stith stood in front of his orange seat at First Energy Stadium, his brown leather vest and camouflage cap absorbing the Lake Erie breeze.

He began his instruction.

This is what we need to do.

Let's attack this way.

Kiero Small's family completed the six-hour trek from their Baltimore home to watch the fullback suit up for the first time as a member of the Browns. The group arrived at its seats just as Cleveland kicked off to the Oakland Raiders and it wasn't long before the inner coach of Stith, Small's father, surfaced.

"Like he could really hear me," Stith said, laughing.

Once the penchant for armchair quarterbacking tired, Stith soaked in the surreal moment. Here was his son, a sort of Baltimore football prodigy in his youth, living out his Sunday dream. Stith knew it would eventually happen this way, even if that vision briefly vanished for his son.

For a year and a half, Small was running in place. Now, his legs, two stocky limbs that haven't stopped churning since he salvaged his career, pave the way for a potent running game on a team enjoying unforeseen prosperity.

Ever since his Pop Warner days as an 8-year-old force on the football field, Small sparked lofty expectations. So when his career timeline suffered an abrupt halt after high school, a harsh reality overcame him.

"After that year, everybody pretty much looks at you like you're a failure," Small said. "All-conference, all-city in high school and then just another guy that didn't make it."

Instead of proceeding to play at a Division I program, Small attended Valley Forge Military Academy in an effort to boost his academic resume. His SAT scores fell just short of Division I requirements.

"He was considered 'the man' here in Baltimore," Stith said. "For him to not go to a Division I school, that was a letdown. Then he saw some of his childhood Pop Warner guys and high school guys go to big schools. It was a little embarrassing for him."

At the academy, Small's performance in the classroom and on the gridiron didn't meet his own expectations. He had enough of the pre-dawn wake-up calls and rigorous schedule. He anticipated he would receive offers from other programs. They never came.

"Out of frustration, I just ended up dropping out," Small said.

Only, his parents were never going to agree with that decision. So before he left the academy, he committed to Shepherd University, a Division II school in West Virginia. He never really intended on going there.

"I just wanted to get out of there," Small said, "so I did it."

Small returned home. There, he did nothing.

School didn't seem to be in the cards. Working wasn't an attractive option. Football was a fleeting fantasy.

"I thought football was over," Small said. "It didn't work out."

Stith stepped in and delivered a condition. Small had to go to school or get a job. He couldn't sit idly by and waste away critical years of his life.

"He was at a crossroads," Stith said.

So Small joined his father's T-shirt business, an initiative originally founded at the Patapsco Flea Market in Baltimore. Eventually, Stith opened his own downtown store, the T-Spot. There, Small spent more than year opening and closing the establishment, handling the money and running the day-to-day operation.

Still, he wasn't doing what he wanted. He wasn't doing what both he and everyone else had expected.

"At some points, it looked like I was going to be working at a T-shirt shop forever," Small said.

The guy whose high school peers voted him most likely to be a professional athlete was selling T-shirts. At times, he was depressed. He estimated that he gained 15-20 pounds. He watched some friends walk a legal tightrope. He watched others lose their lives.

And here he was, stuck in neutral, dissatisfied and discouraged. Not gone, but forgotten.

"It was crazy," Small said. "People forget about you. For a year and a half, it felt like I was running in place. I wasn't going anywhere."

Small was the oldest of five children that grew up in the family household. When his parents weren't home, Small was in charge. He was the one to look up to, the leader, the hero in the helmet and pads. When he didn't play Division I football, he felt he failed them.

"They looked up to me," Small said. "They came to my games. I was the role model and I felt like I let them down."

Stith kept a close eye on his son.

"All he could do was blame himself," Stith said. "But he did what he had to do. As a father, I watched him. He wasn't making any bad decisions to where I had to say, 'Hey, look, you're going down the wrong road.'"

But was he ultimately headed down that dangerous path? He reversed course before it was too late. Fed up with the status quo and with watching friends toil in trouble, Small opted to apply to junior colleges in California.

"I decided to go to school before it was me," he said.

He ended up at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif.

"I was all for it," Stith said. "I never wanted him to stay in Baltimore. I was like, 'Let's go. Let's further your education and anything over that is a plus. Let's go.'

"Football is one thing, but his character is going to take him a long way once he takes the cleats off."

Small played linebacker and fullback at Hartnell in 2010. Then, the Razorbacks came calling. And they were the only ones to come calling. He attended Arkansas, the only school to offer him a scholarship, from 2011-13, though a broken foot wiped out the majority of his 2012 campaign.

His stout, 5-foot-8, 240-pound frame and his willingness to embrace contact enticed the defending champion Seattle Seahawks to select him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. He never made it to the regular season with Seattle, but the Browns scooped him up and added him to their practice squad. On Oct. 20, Cleveland released fullback Ray Agnew and replaced him with Small.

Six days later, he entered the fray, with family on hand.

"It all hit me, like a revelation," Stith said. "The pride, being humbled and excited, all of that. Being a proud father, parent -- it all came pouring in at one time."

It's why Stith can't wipe the smile off his face when he reflects back on that sunny Sunday afternoon.

"Seeing him in that brown, orange and white -- I was just like, 'Wow,'" Stith said. "It was a surreal moment."

Ohio State sophomore Jalin Marshall has seen his role expand greatly in his sophomore season. He has been utilized in the Buckeyes' Wildcat formation – could a pass be coming?

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jalin Marshall was so diversely talented in high school, his coach had no choice but to play him at quarterback.

It doesn't matter that the former five-star prospect of Middletown, Ohio, may have been playing out of position. He had to have the ball in his hands every play. 

"We put the APB out every year for the multi-dimensional athlete on offense," Meyer said. "The thing I always look at is –– (Cleveland Browns cornerback and former Florida star) Joe Haden was a quarterback in high school. You're not just going to put your best player out there for 30 plays a game at corner.  If he's a great player, he's going to touch the football." 

That Marshall could play wide receiver, running back, H-Back and quarterback at the college level is the reason Urban Meyer couldn't live without him in Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class. 

And now that's paying off for Ohio State. Marshall, a redshirt freshman, has played receiver and H-Back for the Buckeyes this season, and he's probably going to be more heavily involved in the offense now that Dontre Wilson is out with a broken foot. 

But even before Wilson's injury, Ohio State used Marshall as the quarterback in its Wildcat formation in its 49-37 win at Michigan State on Saturday.

That role, Meyer said, will continue to expand because he feels comfortable having Marshall receiving snaps.

"More with Jalin because he's a quarterback," Meyer said, describing what Ohio State wants to do with the Wildcat formation. "I think the Wildcat is legitimate, especially at tempo. But Jalin gives you (something) – and he can throw.

"We have a couple of passes ready for him, too." 

The Indians received big contributions from several rookies in 2014, but right-hander Trevor Bauer did the most followed by Jose Ramirez, T.J. House and Kyle Crockett. Looking toward 2015, Francisco Lindor, Jesus Abreu and Tyler Holt are the leading candidates for the Tribe's rookie of the year award.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The verdict is in on the American and National League Rookies of the year.

The Jackie Robinson award as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America went to Chicago's powerful first baseman/DH Jose Abreu in the AL and Mets right-hander Jacob deGroom in the NL. Abreu was a unanimous pick, while deGroom received 26 of the 30 first place votes.

The awards were announced Monday night on MLB Network.

Regarding the Indians, let's look at who should be their rookie of the year for 2014 and then take a look at 2015.

Here are my top four picks for 2014: Trevor Bauer, Jose Ramirez, T.J. House and Kyle Crockett.

1. Bauer: The right-hander with the funky delivery started the season at Class AAA Columbus. He made a spot start for the Indians on April 9 against San Diego before joining them for good on May 20.

Bauer (5-8, 4.18) made 26 starts and finished second on the team with 153 innings pitched. He totaled a career-high 199 innings between Class AAA Columbus and Cleveland.

Among AL rookie pitchers he finished fourth in starts, tied for fourth with 143 strikeouts and fifth in innings pitched.

Bauer's won-loss record wasn't great, but the fact that he never missed a start helped turn the Tribe's rotation into a strength. He pitched into the fifth inning in 25 of his 26 starts and struck out eight or more batters seven times.

In franchise history Bauer ranks third behind Herb Score and CC Sabathia in average strikeouts per nine innings. Score averaged 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings, Sabathia 8.50 and Bauer 8.41.

Pitchers needed at least 150 innings to qualify.

2. Ramirez: After the trade of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington on July 31, Ramirez because the Tribe's starting shortstop and played like a veteran even though he started the year with only 28 days in the big leagues.

Ramirez hit .262 (62-for-237) with 10 doubles, two homers and 17 RBI for the Tribe. Defensively, he brought much needed range and consistency to the most important defensive position on the field.

He scored 27 runs and stole 10 bases in 11 attempts.

Ramirez, 22, opened the year at Columbus where he hit .302 (74-for-245) with 15 doubles, five homers and 29 RBI. He stole 19 bases in 30 attempts and posted a .801 OPS.

3. House: The left-hander was one of the biggest surprises of the season and showed the depth of the farm system.

House went 5-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 19 appearances, including 18 starts, for the Indians. The Indians went 13-5 in his 18 starts.

The Indians drafted House in the 16^th round in 2008. This was his sixth year in the organization and he celebrated by bouncing between Columbus and Cleveland five times.

House struck out 80 and walked 22 in 102 innings. The homer burned him, as he allowed 10 long balls. He countered that by going 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 10 second- half starts.

4. Crockett: Once Crockett got his feet on the ground, he became one of three reliable left-handed relief options along with Marc Rzepczynski and Nick Hagadone for manager Terry Francona.

Crockett, a fourth round pick by the Tribe in 2013 out of the University of Virginia, went 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in 43 appearances for the Tribe. Lefties hit .097 (3-for-31) against him.

He started the season at Class AA Akron where he had six saves and a 0.57 ERA. The Indians promoted him from Akron and he made his big league debut on May 16. Crockett was optioned to Columbus on June 8 and recalled on June 13.

He spent the rest of the year in the big leagues.

As for 2015, my three choices are outfielder Tyler Holt, shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman/DH Jesus Aguilar. Lindor would be the easy pick based on his resume, but right now his path to Cleveland is blocked by Ramirez.

The same can be said for Aguilar because Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher, if healthy, are entrenched at first base and DH.

Holt, who received a third place vote in this year's AL Rookie of the Year voting by the BBWAA, could have the best shot because he can play all three outfield positions. This season he played 36 games for the Tribe.

Still, it is a long offseason and an even longer season. Everything is subject to change.

A player is considered a rookie until he gets 130 at-bats, pitches 50 innings or spends 45 days in the big leagues under the 25-player limit, not including military service or days on the disabled list.

In the video inside, we discuss Ohio State's game at Minnesota and talk about everything other than why the Buckeyes should be "wary" of the Gophers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State's players and coaches are faced with a similar question every time the Buckeyes are playing a team that by all rights shouldn't even compete.

So this happens a lot: 

How do you make sure you don't look past them? 

How do you keep focus? 

How do you not look past them? 

Is this a tra... Nope, not even going to finish that last question. 

It's a fascinating story angle, especially considering Ohio State has very rarely lost a game to an inferior opponent in the 15 years. 

By definition, Ohio State's game at Minnesota could be considered a "TG" because the Buckeyes are coming off their biggest win of the Urban Meyer era – a 49-37 win at Michigan State last weekend. 

But because the Buckeyes are 14.5-point favorites and they really haven't lost a game like this since dropping one at Purdue in 2009, we're just going to assume Ohio State wins. 

If Ohio State doesn't, that'll be a huge story that we'll cover from Minneapolis. It's a non-story until it happens. 

In the above video we discuss the Buckeyes' upcoming game at Minnesota, and we'll talk about everything but how this could be a "TG." 

Cleveland Cavaliers pick up their second consecutive win with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers win their second consecutive game with an 118-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, breaking their two game winning streak.

Cleveland (3-3) did a good job of keeping Anthony Davis out the paint on defense. Kevin Love's presence on the outside had to be respected by Davis. That strategic plan resulted in Davis going into the half failing to get a block when he came in averaging 4.4 a game. He did swat three when it was all said and done.

Love also added 22 points and was six-for-nine from downtown. Budding superstar Davis finished the evening with a double-double of 27 points and 14 rebounds. Love did his part by equalizing Davis.

Kyrie Irving started off slowly, but picked it up immensely after providing five points in the first two quarter. Irving went for 27 of his 32 points in the second half.

With no Dion Waiters, who sat out with a back contusion, the Cavaliers gave rookie a Joe Harris a shot and he had some solid spurts. He ended the second quarter with a buzzer-beating driving layup. Harris had five points on two-of-six shooting.

Pelicans' reserve Ryan Anderson came into tonight's game averaging 13.0 points off the bench. He went beyond the call of duty and exploded for a season-high 32 points. He was a tough matchup for Cleveland's big.

They're used to hanging around the painted area and Anderson is a big who orchestrates around the perimeter. It led to a lot of open three-point opportunities. He was eight-of-12 from three-point range.

However, he was held to nine points in the second half.

Player of the game

LeBron James picked up his first tripe-double of the season, registering 31 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 41 minutes.

James ended the third splitting the defense at the top and finished with a one-handed jam with only a couple of seconds left on the clock. It was by far his best highlight of the season.

Plays of the game

Early in the third quarter LeBron James was at the top of the key and Kyrie Irving took a hard backdoor cut towards the rim. Jrue Holiday, who was guarding the Cavaliers floor general, slipped and Irving went into Amir Asik's body and got up a successful reverse layup.

That play could have easily been an and-l opportunity. It was James' sixth assist of the game.

Defense still work in progress?

The lack of rim protection really showed tonight. New Orleans made a concerted effort to get to the paint.

There was a play late in the second quarter where Eric Gordon drove baseline and met Anderson Varejao and Kevin Love at the rim. He converted the layup with little resistance. That needs to be a block or the player sent to the floor.

Who's next?

The Cavaliers will travel to Boston for a visit with the rebuilding Celtics on Friday.

Watch Nordonia football's Jeff Fox in the season finale of Riding in Cars with Coaches.

Watch Nordonia football's Jeff Fox in the season finale of Riding in Cars with Coaches.