The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio and ESPN.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio and ESPN. On radio, it will be simulcast on WMMS-FM 100.7 and WTAM-AM 1100.

The Cavs, 5-4, are coming off a loss, 106-97, against the struggling Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The loss ended the Cavs' four-game winning streak. Defense was an issue again as the Nuggets became the seventh team to score at least 100 points against the Cavs this season. LeBron James, battling a cold, led the way with 22 points. James is the NBA's second-leading scorer, averaging 27.1 points. 

San Antonio moved to 6-4 after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 100-75 on Monday. The Spurs have won four of their last five games. They are led in scoring by point guard Tony Parker, averaging 16.1 points. 

Later, catch the coverage from shootaround; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage.

Database: Receiver statistics for every Ohio State Buckeyes football player who has caught a pass since 1968, a time period covering the top statistical leaders for receptions in school history.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Search this database to find receiver statistics for every Ohio State football player who has caught a pass since 1968, a time period covering the top statistical leaders for receptions in Ohio State history.

Sources: Ohio State University, Sports Reference LLC., and cleveland.com/datacentral.

Also:

• Database: All-time Ohio State rushing statistics, 1968-present.
• Database: All-time Ohio State passing statistics, 1968-present.
• Database: All-time Big Ten standings, yearly records and all-time school records.

 

Seven Ohio State players collected more than 2,000 yards receiving in their careers, and 15 players have made at least 100 catches. All of these receivers have played for the Buckeyes since 1984, beginning with Cris Carter.

Passing is one area of the game that really didn't take off at Ohio State until the arrival of Art Schlichter in 1978.

This database includes all players since 1968. It also includes statistics for some players before then, if they finished their careers in 1968 or later so as to make their career statistics complete.

Michael Jenkins (2000-03) accumulated more receiving yards than any player in Ohio State history, gaining 2,898 yards on 165 catches.

The leader for receptions is David Boston, with 191 catches for 2,855 yards from 1996 through 1998.

Explore the database to find season leaders, career leaders or even the names of players who made just one catch.

Some sources have conflicting information on the statistics. Efforts were made to make the statistics in the database as accurate a possible. But if you see something in need of correction, email me at rexner@cleveland.com

Watch Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon on the practice field for the first time this season after serving his 10-game suspension with soundtrack from head coach Mike Pettine.

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon practices for the first time since returning to the team Monday from his 10-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The Browns (6-4) began their preparations to play the Atlanta Falcons (4-6) Sunday in the Georgia Dome with the Pro Bowl receiver.

Head coach Mike Pettine said on Monday that they will look to see where Gordon is both mentally and physically and gradually work him into the offense during the week.  

Practice is open to the media for 20-minutes during stretching and individual unit drills.

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Browns All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon appeared happy and in great shape during his first practice back with the team today. He'll address the media after practice.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time since training camp in late August, and looked happy and in great shape.

He'll address the media after practice, but coach Mike Pettine spoke to him this morning and got a feel for his mindset.

 "I can speak on the eagerness,'' said Pettine. "He's ready to go and I can tell he's very excited to be out there.''

Gordon ran and caught passes from the quarterbacks in the 15 minutes or so of practice that was open to the media. He looked like his All-Pro self, the one who led the NFL with 1,646 yards in only 14 games last season.

"We're going to have him on a pitch count,'' said Pettine.  "There needs to be a progression through the week.

  "The trap to fall into is, 'Hey, he's back and let's just go ahead and throw him out there for a bunch of plays. There's certainly danger inherent in doing that and we have to be smart with how we do it and have a plan to progress through the week."

 Asked if Gordon's in football shape, he said,  "I think the answer would have to be, no, at this point from not having played. There's only so much you can do. You can't simulate contact or the rigors of playing in the game physically. Being in shape and being in football shape are two different things and that's what we have the plan where we'll progress throughout the week and try to ramp him up to try and get him where we need him to be."

 He cautioned that Gordon is still learning a new offense.

"He's familiar with the terminology and the plays and he gets it, but it's one thing to look at it and then to process it, whether it's in a no-huddle situation or breaking the huddle and doing it that quickly and recognizing defenses,'' he said. "A lot of it comes back in time, but it just doesn't ... it's not there instantly. It's a lot of information and we're aware of that and we'll plan accordingly."

Falcons coach Mike Smith said on a conference call today that he's expecting a full game out of the third-year pro.

"We're anticipating seeing Josh Gordon on the very first play and seeing him out there for the majority of plays in the ballgame,'' said Smith.  "I expect Josh to play a significant role in the game. He's a playmaker and he creates matchup issues for any team that he's going to be going against. I would imagine that we'll see a lot of him. That's what we're anticipating. I think we're going to get their best players and he's obviously one of the best players on the roster in our estimation.''

He said he hadn't heard about Browns "being smart'' with Gordon and possibly easing him in.

"We know that he's eligible to play and have to prepare for him to go out and take a full workload,'' he said.

He admitted, "with Josh Gordon coming back, there's a little bit of an unknown. We don't know where he's going to line up. Is he going to line up at the X? Is he going to line up at the Z? Are they going to move him around?''

He said Gordon brings another dimension to the corps.

"I've been very impressed with the speed of the receivers as a group,'' he said. "They've got to be one of the fastest groups. He brings the element of size and speed, and I think coach (Kyle) Shanahan does a great job of setting up the pass plays by what he does in the run game. They've been very good at creating explosive plays with the guys they've been playing with. He's just got another weapon to throw the ball deep.''

Watch Browns Insider live tonight at 7:30.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- How will the Browns bounce back from their loss to Houston? Was cutting Ben Tate the right move?

Watch Browns Insider with Tom Reed and Dan Labbe live tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The three will talk about all things Browns, including a look ahead to Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

You can join them to ask your questions about the Browns in the comments section below.

Come back at 7:30 p.m. to watch the live show, now available both on desktop and mobile devices.

Cleveland State University will likely add men's lacrosse as part of its efforts to increase enrollment and attract more academically qualified students.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State University will likely add men's lacrosse as part of efforts to increase enrollment and attract more academically qualified students.

Administrative approval is expected within the next 30 days, which would allow CSU to hire coaches, recruit students for fall 2015 and field a team in the spring of 2016. The team would play on the university's soccer field.

CSU would become only the second public university in Ohio to offer the sport. Ohio State University has men's and women's teams.

CSU would also add a women's sport, either lacrosse or indoor/outdoor track and field, said President Ronald Berkman and Athletics Director John Parry.

Adding two sports would cost about $900,000 a year for coaches, equipment and scholarships, Berkman said. But officials believe the investment is worth it to attract new students to the fast-growing sport.

In recent years lacrosse has become the latest recruitment tool for private universities in Ohio and other Midwestern states.

Relatively inexpensive to start, the sport has grown in popularity at high schools, especially those with middle-class students.

By offering the chance to play at the next level, colleges hope to attract students who otherwise wouldn't have considered those campuses.

Parry said on Wednesday that he received an email from an athlete in Tulsa, Oklahoma and a call from a high school senior in Toledo within days of a September article in Lacrosse Magazine about CSU considering adding the sport. The Toledo athlete has visited the campus with his parents.

 "I was surprised," he said about the interest. "This is a different dynamic – it is enrollment driven."

The university has been studying how to increase enrollment at a time when the number of high school graduates is declining and competition is increasing.

Men's lacrosse was added as a club sport last year, Parry said.

Lacrosse Magazine said the University of Dayton will add women's lacrosse in 2016 and Ohio Northern University will add men's and women's lacrosse the same year.

There has not been a Division I men's addition announced since the New Jersey Institute of Technology said 11 months ago it would add a team in 2015, the magazine said.

In 2013 there were 61 men's and 100 women's Division I lacrosse teams, according to scholarshipstats.com. There were 51 men's and 76 women's Division II teams and and 209 men's and 229 women's teams in Division III. 

A Division 1 men's team has about 45 members.

Parry said lacrosse is as fast-paced as basketball, which attracts students.

He played lacrosse while at Brown University and completed football and lacrosse coaching stints at Brown while working as the assistant athletic director between 1975 and 1979.  

He served two stints on the NCAA men's lacrosse committee. His wife, Candis, is an assistant women's lacrosse coach at lacrosse at Baldwin Wallace University.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has fun blasting media in defense of LeBron James returning home

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The notion that the San Antonio Spurs are partly responsible for LeBron James returning to Cleveland doesn't resonate with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

After shootaround on Wednesday in preparation for the Cavaliers tonight, Northeast Ohio Media Group asked Popovich what comes to mind when he hears that.

"Nothing," he said in typical Popovich fashion. "You guys have to have something to say. I'd be saying the same stuff if I had your job...It's cool."

Popovich was then asked if he was surprised James elected to go home after the Spurs annihilated the Miami Heat in The Finals, four games to one. Popovich used this time to annihilate the media, and it was good.

"No. I always thought you guys always had something to say," he responded. "If LeBron went right, you said he should have gone left. If he shot, he should have passed it. If he passed it, he should have shot it, and I always thought that was all baloney.

"He's a great player. He's not just athletic. He's incisive. He understands the game the way Magic [Johnson} did, the way Larry [Bird] did, the way Tim Duncan does. He knows a whole lot more of about what he's doing and what he has been doing than you all. He's a character guy, he's good people, and he's got a great heart."

James said had the Heat won that Finals series, it would have been difficult to exit over the summer with a rare chance to attempt a four-peat. Regardless of how much the Spurs had a hand in James' decision-making process, Popovich said he's genuinely happy for James and his family.

"I'm just happy for him whether he went to Timbuktu, he should do what's best for him, his family," he said. "Everybody else can go swim in a lake. You all do what you want to do; LeBron should be able to do what he loves to do."

The Cavs will be tested this evening. So far, they're not living up to their billing on paper. The organization has stressed patience, and Popovich concurs.

"Whatever you think of the Cavs now, good, bad or in between, they're going to be a heck of a lot better come playoff time," said Popovich. "With coach [David Blatt], the players they have, the character of the players, management is going to do what they need to do, it's only going to get better. And I'm not just blowing smoke. That's a fact."

Old-timers Dennis Martinez, Charles Nagy and Paul Assenmacher will be in attendance. So will Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar, as well as a slew of players.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Past and present will congregate at Progressive Field in January for the third-annual Tribe Fest event, a yearly assembling of fans, players, coaches and franchise alumni.

The off-season affair will take place at the ballpark on Jan. 24-25. Old-timers Dennis Martinez, Charles Nagy and Paul Assenmacher will be in attendance. So will Indians bench coach Sandy Alomar, as well as a slew of players: Yan Gomes, Cody Allen, Carlos Carrasco, Nick Swisher, Jason Kipnis, Mike Aviles, Trevor Bauer, Michael Bourn, Lonnie Chisenhall, T.J. House, Roberto Perez, Jose Ramirez, Marc Rzepcyznski, Danny Salazar, Carlos Santana and Bryan Shaw.

Tickets ($10 for adults in advance) are available online only, beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at Indians.com/TribeFest. Kids can attend for free with reserved purchase of an adult ticket. The event will be split into three sessions: Jan. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Jan. 24 from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; Jan. 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fans can secure autograph privileges with the purchase of a $20 ticket for current major leaguers or $25 for alumni.

Fans can also take tours of the Indians' clubhouse, listen to Q&As with the team's broadcasters and players and hit in the ballpark batting cages.

Lake Erie College's Anthony Bilal topped 2,000 yards and led the nation in rushing touchdowns after being overlooked by many recruiters.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Barely recruited out of Riverside High School in 2011, Lake Erie College junior Anthony Bilal was thought to be too small to be a big-time running back. Now he has a chance to be among the top Division II backs of all time.

Bilal (5-7, 170 pounds) proved a brilliant sophomore season was not a fluke by getting even better this fall. He finished with 2,091 yards rushing in 11 games, which ranks second in all NCAA divisions. He led Division II in rushing touchdowns (29) and yards per carry (8.2), and was second in yards per game (184).

Bilal, who rushed for 1,542 yards in 2013, said his goal this year was 1,750 yards and 27 TDs. He played behind an offensive line that averaged 313 pounds.

"I'm pretty surprised (by gaining 2,000 yards), but I knew with the offensive line I had, we could have a great season running the ball,'' Bilal said. "It's nice to be the first 2,000-yard rusher in the conference -- 2,000 yards is another level.''

Bilal's career numbers are 4,448 yards and 61 touchdowns in 31 games. The Division II records are 7,962 (Danny Woodhead) and 107 TDs (Germaine Race).

Bilal has a shot at the Division II record for touchdowns per game. He is averaging 1.97 TDs per game in his career and the record is 2.09. He would need 28 TDs in 11 games to break the mark.

Bilal's yards did not come easy. Lake Erie (4-7, 3-7) plays in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which produced three playoff teams and is regarded as perhaps the toughest Division II league.

Bilal broke his own school record with 270 yards on just 27 carries in the season finale last week against playoff-bound, No. 19 Michigan Tech. LEC lost, 59-14. It was his sixth 200-yard game of the season.

He also ran for 193 yards against No. 3 Ferris State, and 163 yards against No. 8 Ohio Dominican. Bilal was named GLIAC Back of the Year this week.

Rankings: Mount Union (10-0) is third in the D3football.com poll and John Carroll (9-1) remained No. 6 after losing to the Purple Raiders, 31-24, last week. Wisconsin-Whitewater (10-0) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (10-0) are 1-2.

Playoff-bound: Mount Union opens the playoffs against unranked Adrian (Michigan) College (8-2) at noon Saturday at Mount Union Stadium.

John Carroll plays host to No. 18 Centre College (10-0) of Danville, Kentucky, at noon Saturday.

No. 12 Wittenberg hosts No. 19 Washington & Jefferson, and the winner of that game plays the Mount Union-Adrian winner.

If John Carroll and Mount Union advance, they would face each other in a regional final Dec. 6 at Mount Union.

The Stagg Bowl national championship is Dec. 19 in Salem, Va.

Click here for the Division III bracket.

Individual rankings: Notre Dame College senior Ray Russ led Division II with 36 touchdown passes. His 3,757 passing yards ranked third. NDC sophomore Mitchell Shegos's 1,153 receiving yards ranked sixth and his 9.5 catches per game were second.

In Division III, John Carroll's Mark Myers finished the regular season No. 1 in passing efficiency (187.4) and Mount Union's Kevin Burke was third (182.6).

Myers was third in touchdown passes (32), and he broke the school record held by JCU coach Tom Arth.

Honors: Notre Dame College's Russ, Shegos, offensive tackle Doniel Gambrell and tight end Ray J. Brown were named first-team All-Mountain East Conference. Gambrell, from Glenville, is expected to be drafted or signed by an NFL team after the draft. He is a major factor in Russ being sacked just 12 times. Brown, from Brunswick, caught five TD passes and had a 28-game receiving streak.

NDC finished 7-4, its first winning season.

Ashland quarterback Travis Tarnowski (North Royalton) was the GLIAC Freshman of the Year. Findlay wideout Lloyd Henry (Garfield Heights) and LEC linebacker Tanner Wells were first-team selections.

Case Western Reserve linebacker Gavin Sandidge was first-team All-Presidents Athletic Conference.

Happy Hiram: Hiram's 35-13 victory over visiting rival Oberlin gave the Terriers (5-5, 4-5 North Coast Athletic Conference) their first non-losing season since 1988.

A 15-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter by senior linebacker James Romanowski (Kenston) stopped an Oberlin comeback attempt and gave Hiram a 28-13 lead. He had 11 tackles.

Oberlin sophomore Justin Cruz caught two touchdown passes, giving him 11 for the season and breaking a 40-year-old school record.

BW nemesis: Baldwin Wallace has to be the happiest team in the OAC to see Cartel Brooks graduate from Heidelberg. The senior tailback totaled 728 yards rushing and eight touchdowns in two games against BW.

Brooks rushed for 263 yards and five touchdowns in Heidleberg's 52-20 victory last week. In 2013, Brooks's 465 yards rushing set an NCAA all-divisions record. He did not play against BW as a freshman or sophomore.

Brooks, from Galion, Ohio, finished with 5,168 career rushing yards and set an Division III record for average yards per carry (7.71).

Case delivers upset: Case Western Reserve's women opened its home basketball slate in style Tuesday with a 61-56 upset of No. 18 Baldwin Wallace. Senior forward Berit Eppard scored 16 points, including six of the game's final nine, and had seven rebounds and seven assists. Jessica McCoy scored 14, Brooke Orcutt had 12 and Laura Mummey added 10.

The win lifted Case to 2-1.

Baldwin Wallace tournament includes MSJ: BW (0-1) hosts a four-team tournament Friday and Saturday. Mount St. Joseph plays Buffalo State at 5 p.m., followed by BW and Buffalo State. The losers meet at 2 p.m. Saturday, with the championship at 4 p.m.

Mount St. Joseph features freshman Lauren Hill, whose fight against a rare form of brain cancer has touched the nation. Her health is failing and she will not play. A decision on her making the trip to Berea is expected Friday morning.

Cross country national qualifiers: The Mount Union cross country team team and the UMU and Oberlin women's teams will run in the Division III cross country championships Saturday in Mason, Ohio.

The Purple Raiders' men earned their spot with a second-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional last weekend on the same course at Kings Island. Senior Dan McGeary and junior Alex Wilson (Nordonia) finished first and second, respectively. John Carroll's Tadhg Karski and Elliot Thorkelson are individual qualifiers, as are Oberlin's Geno Arthur and Joshua Urso.

Oberlin and Mount Union finished second and third, respectively, in the women's regional. Case Western Reserve's Kelsey Aamoth and John Carroll's Becky Rohwer are individual qualifiers.

The Dry Land Sled Dog Challenge has been cancelled at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland because of too much snow.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sled dogs generally race over snow-covered trails, but the weekend Dry Land Sled Dog Challenge at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland had to be cancelled because of too much snow.

The Dry Land Sled Dog Challenge events are designed for racing on dry land with scooters, bikes and three-wheeled carts. The snow and cold temperatures forced the cancellation.

A meet and greet with Trailbreakers Sled Dog Club members and their dogs will still be held on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Farmpark admission is $6. For information call 1-800-366-FARM or visit lakemetroparks.com.

Check out a scouting report on some of the remaining 2014 football playoff contenders from coaches who faced the teams this season.

Check out a scouting report on some of the remaining 2014 football playoff contenders from coaches who faced the teams this season.

A list of what we should keep, and get rid of, in college football

With almost a full season under our belts, there are things about this new world of college football that I want to see more of and some other things we can do without.

Let's play a little game of "Get rid of it," or "give me more."

Get rid of it ...

The idea that only "the best teams" deserve a playoff spot

That, to me, is a tired phrase left over from the BCS era that we can retire. In its place, let's insert the phrase "most deserving teams," and not get too caught up on an intangible, hypothetical standard of greatness. We'll let the playoffs sort out who's best.

Specifically, I'm thinking that one-loss champions of major conferences should have a huge advantage in getting in the playoffs over one-loss non-champions. That means the winner out of Baylor or TCU in the Big 12 should have an advantage over, say, Mississippi State. If it's close -- and that's a key phrase -- the advantage should go to the team that won a conference championship.

I think what happened in the BCS in 2011, when Alabama was given a second shot at LSU, was bad for all of college football except for one program. Part of the reason college football plays such a limited postseason is it wants to make the regular season matter. If championships determined in the regular season don't matter, then that objective is invalid.

That doesn't mean non-champions should automatically be eliminated. But if it's close, the benefit of the doubt should always go to conference champions.

Give me more ...

Seniors who stick it out

What's remarkable about Mississippi State's season isn't so much that it is contending for a Western Division crown in the SEC -- the Bulldogs last won the West in 1998 -- but that it's doing it at a time, unlike in 1998, when the West is particularly strong.

Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney is a fourth-year junior. The stars of many of the MSU's rivals are gone to the NFL by their fourth season.Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press 

That isn't supposed to happen because MSU, with its isolated location -- in tiny Starkville -- and its limited resources -- it doesn't lure the elite talent that division rivals Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M are able to attract in recruiting hotbeds.

So how is it happening?

We may be seeing the beginning of a trend in college football that we've already seen in college basketball -- a place among the game's elites for teams that are built on veteran talent. With more and more top college players leaving for the NFL after their third season -- either a redshirt sophomore or true junior year -- there may be more room at the top for teams with a little less heralded talent, but more developed, solid college players in their fourth and fifth seasons in a program.

Mississippi State starts 13 seniors and seven juniors and has five more seniors and five more juniors are on its two-deep. That means 30 of the 44 players most likely to take the field have been learning the Dan Mullen system for at least three years.

Few of those players were 4-star recruits coming out of high school. But they are hitting their stride in the system around the same time that blue chip players from the same recruiting classes from rival schools, like ex-Alabama star HaHa Clinton-Dix and ex-LSU star Odell Beckham Jr., are already in the NFL.

That makes Mississippi State's run analogous to Florida's SEC champion basketball team a season ago. The Gators lacked NBA first-round draft pick talent, but with a mostly senior starting five, they beat out a younger, and more talented Kentucky team for the conference title.

It's also comparable to a number of mid-major basketball teams that have made March runs on veteran talent -- think Butler in recent years -- taking advantage of the youth of the powerhouse programs that regularly lose top players after a season or two in the program.

Could we be moving to an era where that starts happening in football? Is Mississippi State the first of many "second-tier" programs from major conferences that will build playoff-contending teams on lesser talent, but more experience?

I hope so, because before MSU, we were seeing the "program player" get devalued in college football. I'd like to see the return of powerhouse programs based on guys staying and developing.

Here's another example of the same trend: Fifth-year senior Blake Sims, who stuck around at Alabama as A.J. McCarron's backup rather than transferring and is now getting a chance to lead the Tide to a national championship.

Let's get rid of ...

Uneven schedules for the power five

I'm for one more round of conference re-alignment. Let's get two teams -- BYU? Cincinnati? Central Florida? -- into the Big 12 and have a conference championship game.

That way, all five power conferences will have a championship game and we aren't left comparing a 12-game schedule of a Big 12 champion that did not play in a conference championship game to a 13-game schedule of four other conference champions who did play a championship game.

Similarly, let's get everybody on the same page in terms of size of conference schedule. Right now, it's trendy to beat up on the SEC for its eight-game conference schedule, but that should be the norm, not the exception.

All five leagues should play eight conference games leading to conference title games. But here's the thing: All five leagues should mandate two non-conference games against teams from the other power five conferences.

Right now, teams in the power conferences don't play each other enough. If we increase the number of conference games they play, big programs will likely shy away from big matchups like the Oregon-Michigan State and Auburn-Kansas State showdowns we saw this season. 

Let's encourage more of them by mandating them.

Give me more ...

MAC-tion

On Wednesday, I watched Toledo's 27-20 win over Bowling Green in a big MAC game (Toledo stayed in a first-place tie in the Western Division while upsetting the East leader), and it struck me that the MAC has gotten something right the most of the "group of five" hasn't figured out: regional rivalries matter.

For all of the conference free agency that's been going on, the MAC has understood that its strength is in its traditional rivalries. Bowling Green and Toledo are programs separated by 25 miles and they've been playing each other since 1919.

Louisiana Tech and Louisiana-Monroe are rivals separated by 35 miles that don't play each other. Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech is in the same conference as Marshall (separated by 1,061 miles) and Louisiana-Monroe is in the same league as Idaho (separated by 1,718 miles).

If you aren't in the power five conferences, where TV money can offset the inefficiency of, say, West Virginia being in a league full of Texas schools, then you are best served cutting costs and maximizing locally accessible rivalries. Marshall should be playing Georgia Southern and Appalachian State for championships. Louisana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech should be playing for championships.

Instead, Tech may play Marshall in a Conference USA title game and, in the Sun Belt, UL-L and Georgia Southern appear headed to be co-champions.

Learn from the MAC and realign one more time.

This time, use a map and keep rivalries close and relevant.

The 22-year-old Will will start for the Monsters on Friday as the team tries to halt a five-game losing streak.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Fortunately for the Lake Erie Monsters, Roman Will likes it when shots are flying at him. The 22-year-old goalie would rather face a barrage of pucks and non-stop action than the alternative. 

"I think every goalie likes when he's busy during the game," Will said after practice this week at OBM Arena. "That's why I like it more over here." 

"Over here" is hockey in the United States, which is a new experience for Will. The Czech Republic native spent the last two years playing professionally in his home country before joining the Monsters this season. 

Will is about to be thrust into his first real test over here, earning the start Friday when the Monsters host Grand Rapids and try to halt a five-game losing streak. The 4-7-1-2 Monsters will play without goalie Calvin Pickard, who was called up to the Colorado Avalanche this week. It's his second call-up this season.

Pickard's move makes way for Will to show if he has adjusted to life in the United States – both on and off the ice. 

Will, who has an .843 save percentage in four games this season, said he's had to adjust to a smaller playing surface and more action. 

"It's a big difference," he said. The ice is small. In Czech, it's a bigger ice, so there are a lot more shots, a lot of screens. That's a big difference from Czech hockey. But, I feel I like this hockey more than over in Europe." 

View full sizeMonsters goalie Roman Will.AHL photo

Will saw time in the Avalanche training camp before returning to the Monsters squad. So far, he's been happy with the move to North America. 

"It's been my dream to play in America, so I'm so glad to be here," he said. "I have no problem with being far from my family. Of course, I miss them, but I'm so happy to be here, and this is what I want – to play here. I'm so glad." 

Will will be counted on to help snap the Monsters' losing streak that has seen the team play inconsistent hockey. Will started one of the five losses, a 4-2 stumble to the Adirondack Flames, and had 20 saves.  

"We haven't put together a full game," said forward Mike Sgarbossa. "I think it's not so much boiling one thing down or multiple things, I think it's just that each guy has to play up to his standards. If you can do that, we can play as a team as we'll be able to win." 

Coach Dean Chynoweth said he isn't ready to panic yet, but is concerned that his team is able to quickly turn things around. 

"We've been beating ourselves," Chynoweth said. "And what I mean by that is making a lot of mental errors, and obviously they're ending up in our net." 

Chynoweth said it will help that forwards Ben Street and Tomas Vincour are back in the lineup after missing the bulk of the season thus far with injury. 

"They've both been out for a long time, and both are veteran guys who can obviously contribute on both ends of the rink," Chynoweth said. 

Still, the additions of veterans and a new starting goalie won't be solutions to all the Monsters' woes, Chynoweth said. 

"We've had a mixture of beating ourselves to having certain passengers each and every night, and we don't have the depth for that," he said. "We need guys playing their best and competing as hard as they can from whistle to whistle. I can't say collectively, as a group, that we've done that enough. We're searching for an identity, how's that?"

Analysis of the schedules for Ohio State, Mississippi State, TCU and Baylor shows that the race for the fourth spot in the four-team college football playoff could tighten as the season winds down (and should each team win out).

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Breaking down the schedules of Ohio State and its key competitors for the fourth spot in college football's first four-team playoff reveals how close the race may be.

Records of opponents past and future, and including potential league title games, places Mississippi State ahead in this category with an opponent winning percentage of .577, followed by Ohio State at .545, TCU at .511 and Baylor at .473.

Baylor, however, has the best win among the schools, having beaten current No. 5 TCU.

Should all four of these schools win out, Ohio State could end up having the next best win.

Ohio State defeated current No. 11 Michigan State. Assuming Mississippi State defeats current No. 8 Mississippi, Michigan State would likely move ahead of Mississippi in the rankings.

The Buckeyes also are the only one of these four teams currently in line to play in a conference title game, a high-profile showcase opportunity on the final weekend of the year. But Baylor does play Kansas State the same day in a regular season game.

Then there's the factor the committee has not had an opportunity to consider yet: credit for winning a league title. Ohio State, TCU and Baylor all could do so.

But Mississippi State cannot win the SEC unless Alabama loses to Auburn, clearing the way for Mississippi State to advance to the SEC title game with a win over Mississippi.

Figuring out how the playoff selection committee will view each team at the end is somewhat of a mystery. But here's our weekly effort to break down the resumes and what remains ahead for each of the top teams in contention from the five major conferences.

Undefeated or one-loss contenders

x-Statistics exclude games against schools from the FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA. The NCAA does not factor these games into its strength-of-schedule data. Included are projected conference title games, based on the standings as of Nov. 18.

Key games

SEC

• Nov. 29 - Auburn (7-3) vs. Alabama (9-1).
• Nov. 29 - Mississippi State (9-1) vs. Mississippi (8-2).
• Dec. 6 - SEC championship game; pairing as of Nov. 18: Alabama (9-1) vs. Missouri (8-2). Note: Missouri is one-game ahead of Georgia (8-2), but Georgia has the tiebreaker if they should end up tied. Mississippi State could replace Alabama should Alabama lose to Auburn.

ACC

• Dec. 6 - ACC championship game; pairing as of Nov. 18: Florida State (10-0) vs. Georgia Tech (9-2). Note: Duke (8-2) would replace Georgia Tech if it wins its last two games.

Pac 12

• Dec. 5 - Pac 12 championship game; pairing as of Nov. 18: Oregon (9-1) vs. USC (7-3). Note: UCLA (8-2) would replace USC if it wins out, including a game against USC.

Big 12

• Dec. 6 - Kansas State (7-2) vs. Baylor (8-1).
• Big 12 does not have a championship game.

Big Ten

• Dec. 6 - Big Ten championship game; pairing as of Nov. 18: Ohio State (9-1) vs. Wisconsin (8-2). Note: Nebraska (8-2), Minnesota (7-3) and Iowa (7-3) are all one game behind Wisconsin.

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talked all things fantasy football on today's Fantasy Football Insider.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Should owners be starting any running back who plays the Browns, no matter who it is? How will Atlanta's skill players perform on Sunday?

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talked all things fantasy football on today's Fantasy Football Insider. Chris answered your questions and more during the show.

Topics discussed include:

• Is Isaiah Crowell or Terrance West worth a start?
• What sort of players should owners try to acquire at the deadline?
• What's the best fantasy trade Fedor's ever pulled off?

Watch Fantasy Football Insider and ask your questions every Thursday at 12:30.

Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe were joined by Mary Kay Cabot, Joe Vardon and Paul Hoynes on today's edition of Sports Insider.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On today's Sports Insider, cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and Chris Fedor talked Browns, Cavs and Indians. You can watch the archive of the show above.

Mary Kay Cabot joined the show to discuss the return of Josh Gordon, Ben Tate getting released, how much the Browns will miss linebacker Karlos Dansby, if the Browns should have signed Josh Cribbs and whether the Atlanta Falcons are a good team. 

To recap the Cavs-Spurs at The Q on Wednesday night, Joe Vardon called in. He talked about LeBron James' struggles, limiting his minutes and whether it is a surprise that the Cavs seem to struggle so much when James has an off night. 

Paul Hoynes discussed the Indians' chances of trading Nick Swisher, whether the Indians would be hesitant to spend money because of previous failures in free agency and the goals for the team this off-season. 

The Cavs are 5-5 and that should not be a big surprise.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some people expected the Cavaliers to win close to 70 games this season and immediately become one of the elite teams in the NBA.

I never bought into those assumptions, and wrote a column about that on the morning of the Cavs opening game.

The NBA is a hard, unforgiving place.

Yes, you need stars (at least two) to win, but the presence of stars does not guarantee championships. Look at how Dwight Howard has migrated from Orlando to the Lakers to Houston -- and he's only been in one NBA Finals. That was in 2009, when his Magic lost to the Lakers.

The media loves to compare these Cavs to the Miami Heat of 2010-11. That was when Chris Bosh and LeBron James joined forces with Dwyane Wade.

Well, consider the following:

1. The 2009-10 Heat were 47-35 and made the playoffs. They were coached by Erik Spoelstra, in his second season.

2. Wade already had a championship ring.

3. James had been to the 2007 Finals (losing to the Spurs). He was in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. He made the playoffs five times in his first stint with the Cavs -- and never lost in the first round.

4. Bosh had been to the playoffs twice with Toronto, losing both times in the first round.

5. That 2010-11 Heat team was 6-4 after 10 games, and staggered to a 9-8 start. They eventually finished 58-24, and lost to Dallas in the Finals.

Now, compare that to the current Cavs, where Kevin Love and James joined Kyrie Irving:

1. The Cavs were 33-49 last season. The Cavs haven't been to the playoffs since 2010, the final season of James before he went to Miami.

2. David Blatt is an experienced international coach, but he is a rookie head coach in the NBA. He never even coached 48-minute games until the Las Vegas Summer League.

3. Love never reached the playoffs in his seven seasons with Minnesota. Nor did he ever play on a team with a winning record.

4. Irving never has played on a winning NBA team or appeared in the playoffs.

5. James has two championship rings and five appearances in the Finals. Shawn Marion, James Jones and Mike Miller have extensive playoff experience and championship rings. Marion is the only one playing regular minutes.

6. So a rocky 5-5 start isn't surprising.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Anderson Varejao had a big night with 23 points. He often was set up by passes from LeBron James. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

The last four games have revealed where the Cavs are as a team right now:

1. Last Friday, they beat the Celtics 122-121 in Boston. They were losing by 17 points heading into the final period, and then outscored the Celtics, 38-20. They decided to play like a contender. James scored 41.

2. Last Saturday, they smashed Atlanta, 127-94, at Quicken Loans Arena. They played dominant basketball, continuing what they had done in the fourth quarter in Boston.

3. Last Monday, they lost, 107-96, to Denver at Quicken Loans Arena. They didn't take the Nuggets seriously. The Cavs defense was indifferent, the offense was uninspired. The result was a home court loss to a team with a 2-7 record.

4. Last Wednesday, the Cavs lost, 92-90, to San Antonio. The defense and intensity were much better. The defending champions were not at their best, but they were certainly engaged in the game.

Add it all up and the Cavs were 2-2. A good guess is that we'll see more stretches like this, where the Cavs vary widely from game-to-game.

TAKING STEPS

That's what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told me when I asked him about building a team.

The team has to take certain steps in terms of finding an identity and trust between the players and with the coaching staff. Popovich won his first title in his third year as the Spurs coach.

Popovich was able to sell his team on defense with Tim Duncan and David Robinson guarding the rim. But stand close to 7 feet. Both like to defend. Other players fit into that structure.

Cavs coach David Blatt has a team where defense is not natural to many of the key players.

After the game, Popovich told reporters: "They're going to be a helluva team. But it's a new system, new bodies and it doesn't happen quickly. I'm glad we played them now. They'll be a lot tougher later in the year."

Here are some key points from the Spurs game:

1. Irving showed he could defend. He held future Hall of Famer Tony Parker to eight ugly points on 2-of-8 shooting. Irving scored 20. Blatt said it was the best overall game that Irving has played this season -- and that praise is correct.

2. James had a rough night shooting, 6-of-17. Hard to believe he took only one free throw, because he drove to the rim several times. He didn't receive many calls from the officials. He also had five turnovers, two very costly in the final 40 seconds. But James also did a good job defending Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who scored 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. But Leonard defended James well, just as he did in the NBA Finals.

3. The Spurs clogged the middle whenever James appeared ready to drive. They double-teamed James on pick-and-rolls. That led to Anderson Varejao being wide open as he picked for James and then ran to the hoop. Varejao scored 23 points and added 11 rebounds.

4. Joe Harris played 26 minutes, including the final 18 of the game at shooting guard. If Blatt trusts the rookie to play these big minutes against the Spurs, why not start him at shooting guard? That will allow Marion to return to the bench and back-up James.

5. Yes, Harris was tricked by Manu Ginobili and gave up a key layup at the end of game. But Blatt had Harris on the court for too long in one stretch -- and Ginobili has been chewing up rookies in situations like this for 13 years.

6. Blatt ran out of timeouts with 17 seconds left. It would have been nice to have one more for the final possession. He finally was able to control the minutes for James, cutting them to 34. James had been averaging 39, third-most in the NBA. The 12-year veteran expressed concerns about the load, and those worries are real. Perhaps Blatt is now figuring out how to handle the playing time for James.

7. Kevin Love has lost his offense. He had 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Love struggled to defend Boris Diaw (19 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds). Love sometimes seems about where to find shots -- or even when he should shoot. He is averaging 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds, but shooting only .389 from the field.

8. The Spurs Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker have played together for 13 years -- all under Popovich. They all know where to go -- and how to find each other on the court.

9. Dion Waiters also looked lost, shooting 2-of-7 for six points in 21 mostly frustrating minutes.

10. But overall, the Cavs played hard and they were focused and determined -- especially on defense. James was right about it being a step in the right direction. Now, they have to make sure they don't take too many steps backwards, as has happened already this season after a good performance.

Ohio Edison and FirstEnergy are building new power substations in Bath and West Akron, hoping to replace a flood-prone station in the Cuyahoga Valley and improve reliability in the area.

BATH TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- FirstEnergy subsidiary Ohio Edison is building two new power substations to increase its capacity in West Akron and replace a substation in the Cuyahoga Valley that has suffered from persistent floods in recent years.

This week the company opened a new $3.4 million substation in Bath Township and is building a similar station on Sourek Road in West Akron to replace the capacity of a valley station that has flooded with increasing regularity. 

Opened in 1974, the Ira substation has suffered from flooding caused by unusual amounts of rain in recent years, according to Bath Township Administrator Vito Sinopoli. 

FirstEnergy Spokesman Mark Durbin said that the company hopes the new stations will improve reliability while handling growing population west of Akron. 

"Bath/West Akron is growing and one of the ways you serve that load is to make sure the substation and wires in place," Durbin said.

Both new substations were built using a modern design. The Bath substation took just 8 months from groundbreaking to electrification. 

"The new substation is designed to enhance service for nearly 10,000 customers in Bath Township and parts of West Akron, while helping to prepare our system for future growth," said Ohio Edison Regional President Randall Frame.

For the latest Akron news, like us on Facebook and bookmark our Akron homepage.

Follow @akronohionews

Juwaun Briscoe, a three-star prospect from Maryland, decommitted from Clemson on Wednesday night. Ohio State is now in the driver's seat to land his commitment.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer was hoping to flip three-star cornerback Juwuan Briscoe of Waldorf (Md.) Thomas Stone from his Clemson commitment when Ohio State hosted him for an official visit for the Buckeyes' 55-14 win over Indiana on Nov. 1.

That didn't happen, but the after effects of that visit could now be setting in. 

Briscoe announced his decommitment from Clemson on Twitter Wednesday evening, and now the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat to land the prospect 247Sports rates as the No. 45 cornerback in the 2015 recruiting class. 

In his message on Twitter, Briscoe wrote: "I am truly grateful for the opportunity Clemson University fans, coaching staff, especially Coach (Dabo) Swinney have granted me. With the support of my family, I have decided to decommit from Clemson University." 

I thank everyone for all the love but I'm officially decommitting from Clemson University pic.twitter.com/V4driX0KVG

— Juwuan Briscoe (@_AyeeLilWuan) November 19, 2014

Ohio State offered Briscoe a scholarship in mid-October, and hosted him for a visit two weeks later.

Perhaps Briscoe's best attribute is his speed, so it's no wonder Meyer has offered him late in the process. He's been clocked at running as fast as a 4.37 40-yard dash. 

Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers – schools who heavily recruit the Maryland area – have also offered Briscoe. 

Will Braxton Miller transfer following the season? Does playing in the Big Ten Championship game give Ohio State an edge when it comes to playoff rankings? Ohio State beat reporter Bill Landis answered those questions and more during today's podcast.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Will Braxton Miller transfer following the season? Would playing in the Big Ten Championship game give Ohio State an edge when it comes to playoff rankings? 

Ohio State beat reporter Bill Landis answered those questions and more during today's Ohio State podcast with cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Among other topics discussed:

• Why does Shannon Scott appear so much more comfortable?

• Is Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman going to be a candidate for a head coaching gig following the year?

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player to the right.