Mike Pettine had numerous coaching blunders. Brian Hoyer tossed three interceptions during a miserable performance against the league's worst pass defense. The Browns lost safety Tashaun Gipson to a knee injury that will reportedly keep him out for around two months. But they still won and remain in the playoff hunt with five games left.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns did it again.

Right when it looked like they were going to lose their second straight game, they rallied late on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, improving to 7-4, and solidifying a season in which they will not finish with double-digit losses.

Mike Pettine had numerous coaching blunders. Brian Hoyer tossed three interceptions during an uneven performance against the league's worst pass defense. The Browns lost safety Tashaun Gipson to a knee injury that will reportedly keep him out for around two months. But they still won and remain in the playoff hunt with five games left.

Here is what they are saying nationally after the Browns' most recent win:

CBSSports.com's John Breech hands out his weekly grades and has concerns with the Browns even in a win.

"The Falcons couldn't stop Isaiah Crowell (12 carries, 88 yards), but that didn't matter because Mike Pettine did it for them. Even though Crowell averaged 7.3 yards per carry, the Browns let Brian Hoyer throw it 40 times. Three of those 40 passes were picked off. Grade: C."

ESPN.com's Pat McManamon hands out his game ball for Week 12 and this time it goes to Browns kicker Billy Cundiff.

"At one point in his football life, Cundiff thought his career was over. Sunday he stood calm and poised in giving the Browns a heart-stopping victory. Cundiff's winning kick was never in doubt, and he gets the game ball over several others who could have gotten it -- including Brian Hoyer (for the winning drive) and Isaiah Crowell (two touchdowns)."

Pete Prisco from CBSSports.com writes in his Monday Musings about a risky decision made by coach Mike Pettine.

"Mike Pettine almost blew it at the end by calling his last timeout after a first down with 16 seconds left. Why not spike and save the timeout? He got away with it, but that strategy was way too risky."

NFL.com's Marc Sessler believes Isaiah Crowell's touchdown run was one of seven plays that helped explain Week 12.

"There was no better player for the Browns on Sunday than a back-from-suspension Josh Gordon. Cleveland wouldn't have nipped the Falcons, though, if it weren't for running back Isaiah Crowell. The undrafted rookie dialed up a season-high 88 yards on the ground with two touchdowns. The second score was a thing of beauty." 

Don Banks from SI.com thinks the Browns showed how far they have come this season.

"The Browns and quarterback Brian Hoyer were absolutely lousy in the red zone all day against Atlanta, with field goals and interceptions being the rule and not the exception for Cleveland. But strangely enough, I think it says a lot about how far Mike Pettine's team has come this year that the Browns can still win a road game when they play that badly.

When has Cleveland ever had enough poise and maturity to overcome all that went wrong on Sunday and still find a way to get the job done? The correct answer is never. That's why the Browns' 26-24 last-second win -- on Billy Cundiff's 37-yard field goal at the gun -- is definitely a case of the glass being half-full today. Cleveland gutted out an ugly win, and didn't let a string of mistakes keep it from beating an inferior Falcons club."

Nate Davis of USA Today says Josh Gordon is one of the winners from Week 12.

"In his first action of 2014, following completion of a 10-game suspension for substance abuse violations, the Browns' all-pro receiver picked right up where he left off in 2013, when led the NFL in receiving yardage in just 14 games. Gordon snared eight passes in Atlanta for 120 yards, his final catch a key 24-yarder that was the longest play on Cleveland's game-winning field goal drive as time expired."

Monday Morning Quarterback's Peter King is still trying to figure out whether the Browns are the best team in the AFC North or the worst.

"How can you know? We could enter Week 13 with all four teams in the division having seven wins.

They won their third very strange game of the season Sunday in Atlanta when Mike Smith mishandled the clock late, Brian Hoyer drove Cleveland 61 yards in 44 seconds, and kicker Billy Cundiff drilled a 37-yard field goal with no time left. Cleveland 26, Atlanta 24—despite two interceptions by Hoyer in the last five minutes.

Mike Pettine told me he didn't consider putting Johnny Manziel in (he last appeared in a game 64 days ago), nor is he considering it now. He wants to give Hoyer the benefit of playing with explosive wideout Josh Gordon, who debuted with an eight-catch, 120-yard performance on Sunday."

Neil Hornsby from Pro Football Focus believes the quarterback play has little to do with the team's success.

"The bottom line is that Hoyer is a below-average QB whose deficiencies are being masked by excellent play from his offensive line and a group of receivers that have played so far above expectations that their mentor, Mike McDaniel, would be a shoe-in for WR coach of the year if there was such an award.

Every quarterback in the NFL consistently performs better from a clean pocket than when under pressure, so playing behind an O-line group that is currently rated as the second-best of 2014 in that regard has to be helpful. They'd probably be No. 1 except for the season-ending injury to center Alex Mack."

Dennis Manoloff talks about his most recent quarterback report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns escaped Atlanta with their seventh win of the season. Billy Cundiff kicked a game-winning field goal to cap the 26-24 triumph.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff joins CineSport's Noah Coslov to hand out his weekly QB grade while analyzing Hoyer's performance in the win.

Click play to watch.

On today's show, Chris and Dan discuss Brian Hoyer, the defense and more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns beat the Falcons on Sunday. On Monday's Morning After show, cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe talked about the win. Among the topics discussed:

• Is it safe to say we now know what the Browns have in Brian Hoyer?
• What impact did the return of Josh Gordon have on the entire team?
• Who gets game balls?
• Who else stood out on Sunday?

You can watch the show every Monday morning following Browns games at 10 a.m. and get involved by calling in or by weighing in in the comments.

A look at the Division IV football playoff bracket for OHSAA state semifinals 2014

A look at the Division IV football playoff bracket for OHSAA state semifinals 2014

Check out printable football playoff brackets for Division I entering the 2014 OHSAA state semifinals

Check out printable football playoff brackets for Division I entering the 2014 OHSAA state semifinals

Here is a look at the printable football playoff brackets for Division VI entering the 2014 OHSAA state semifinals

Here is a look at the printable football playoff brackets for Division VI entering the 2014 OHSAA state semifinals

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are to right the ship, LeBron James must be the leader this team needs him to be.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – If the Cavaliers are to right this ship, their captain, LeBron James, will have to lead by example - something he hasn't been doing during this four-game slide.

Players have reverted to the old habits of not moving the ball, not playing defense, not getting back in transition and displaying poor body language.

And James is not exempt.

"We got a four-game losing streak, so I stink," James said after Monday morning's shootaround in advance of tonight's game against the Orlando Magic.

He too, at times has been lost on defense. On occasion, his man has slipped by for layups while James' attention was elsewhere. Far too often he has chosen to argue with the referees instead of getting back in transition, placing the Cavaliers in a vulnerable state defensively.

As the leader of this team, James is being watched. Not just by the media and the fans, but most importantly by his teammates. They're watching his every move, seeing how he responds in pressurized situations.

This is a group of young, impressionable individuals seeking the guidance of James. What he does on the court will be emulated by the likes of Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Joe Harris.

"I'm not doing my job," James said. "I got to do a better job and it will help our team."

It's no surprise that when James doesn't show up, the Cavaliers have a higher probability of losing. He is averaging 19.0 points and shooting 39 percent in their seven losses; and averaging 32.6 points and shooting 54 percent in their five wins.

Playing inefficient basketball is a contagious virus, and the one guy you'd expect not to have caught the bug has it just as bad as the rest of the Cavaliers.

"When you're not playing well, no one is playing well," he said. "We all want to be playing well at the same time and I think it starts with me, my approach to the game and then it goes down to everyone else."

That's true. That's the way it flows. When the leader isn't putting out maximum effort, surely the inexperienced and "fragile" will follow suit. James said this would be his toughest test in leading this team, introducing them to a brand of basketball conducive to winning at a high level.

We have seen it at times, but not nearly enough.

There are no taking games off; James can't afford to. His one slip might be what Waiters picks up and carries the duration of his career. James has a responsibility to heed his own advice.

Because sooner or later, the championships won in Miami will have lost their luster. He's back in Cleveland with a new set of challenges, with fans posing the question: "what have you done for me lately?"

And lately, he hasn't been the leader this team needs him to be.

Johnny Manziel has been convicted on the basis of lifestyle by many fans and relegated to the bench in part because Brian Hoyer and coach Mike Pettine share similar life experiences.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The latest dust-up of Johnny Entourage, his merry men and the eager fan is shocking only to those who live by the slogan of "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healhty, wealthy and wise."

The advice was popularized by Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers and one of the great rogues of Colonial America and the scrum for independence.

I'm shocked, shocked, that Johnny Football was out late at night, possibly in an establishment where adult beverages were served, probably singing naughty songs.

Who knew Johnny had great potential -- and the ability to do great harm to it off the field? Only everyone. The Browns took him in the first round anyway.

The latest incident is proof that celebrity athletes have bodyguards who take their duties seriously. I'm not criticizing the fan, but Johnny Manziel is the biggest celebrity athlete in town other than LeBron James, who himself is probably the biggest since Michael Jordan. An intervention is always possible when approaching such athletes.

After Browns coach Mike Pettine's devotion to Brian Hoyer was sealed by a fraternity handshake as brothers in the Loyal Order of the Overlooked (to use Hoyer's term for himself and his teammates), Manziel has been a spare part. He is not even used when the package of plays emphasizing his mobility might have helped start the offense.

It seems more and more that Pettine views Manziel as a distraction waiting to happen.

Worse, some fans, probably not close to a majority though, see Manziel as a egocentric rich kid, presenting himself via his copyrighted nickname as bigger than the sport. It is a silly thought. Don't hate on Manziel for having shrewd business advisers.

It might be a small thing, but in the brief exposure we have had to Manziel since the Hoyer Asscendancy, I have never heard him speak of himself in the third person. This is the "royal we" of jockdom, a construction much used by James, among many others.

Yet it seems that some perceive Manziel -- who wants nothing more than to play and help the team win, just as Hoyer does -- to be an enemy because he comes off as the anti-Hoyer.

Hoyer actually has benefited from so much good wishes as Brian Ignatius or Moses Cleaveland-Hoyer or whatever the fan ID of the day for him is, that Browns' victories in spite of his spotty play are fully accredited to him.

So was a victory over Buffalo last year, in which he played barely longer than the national anthem before getting hurt. Technically, he was the starter, but actually, Brandon Weeden, of all people, won that that game.

From here, Pettine has failed in one of his primary duties, that of finding a quarterback for the future.

From here, Hoyer is what he is – a middle- to back-of-the-pack starter, beset by inconsistency, but one with whom fans identify because of his Cleveland roots and his hard work and seriousness. 

From here, the Browns would be foolish to throw huge money at him or to apply a franchise player tag to him. It will be interesting to see how many suitors he has as a free agent.

No one knows what Manziel can do, since he never gets a chance. He has always been a different player when the bright lights are on, fans are in the stands, and attention is being paid.

The playoff chase, however, has probably scuttled any chance to see Manziel in action.

Instead, Andy Dalton, just good enough to get the Bengals to the playoffs but not good enough to do anything once they are there, and Hoyer might duel for the division championship. It is a thought no one held at the start of the season, admittedly.

For Manziel's part, the extraneous noise that follows him around has drowned out  a reasonable discussion of his possibilities. He has been convicted on the grounds of his lifestyle.

These moralistic and censorious critics have forgotten what it is like to be 21 years old. They went straight from childhood to yelling at kids to get off their lawns.

Coaching records for all head coaches involved in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan football game. Jim Tressel has the highest winning percentage. Fielding Yost and Woody Hayes won the most games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Jim Tressel has the best winning percentage for any coach who has been involved in more than just a few Ohio State-Michigan games, and Fielding Yost and Woody Hayes share the title for most victories.

But no coach other than Urban Meyer successfully has gone unbeaten in The Game after being involved in more than one.

Meyer puts his perfect 2-0 record on the line Saturday, when Ohio State and Michigan meet in Ohio Stadium.

Below is a list 35 coaches and their records in the storied football rivalry.

Eleven Michigan-Ohio State game coaches are winless, including Ohio State's A.E. Herstein, who was 0-4 in 1906-09. A coach these days probably wouldn't have the opportunity to start 0-4 before being shown the door, though John Cooper was 2-10-1 from 1988-2000. Michigan's Rich Rodriguez came close to the Herstein mark, but lost his job after starting 0-3.

Michigan's Brady Hoke is 1-2.

Ohio State's Tressel sits atop the record book for winning percentage with his 9-1 mark (or 8-1 with the removal of the vacated game from 2010 because of NCAA rules violations). Next best in winning percentage is Michigan's Yost, who was 16-3-1 from 1901-23 and 1925-26. Yost shares the title for most victories with Ohio State's Hayes, who was 16-11-1 from 1951-78.

Hayes has the distinction of coaching in more Ohio State-Michigan games (28) than anyone else.

x-Tressel's record is 8-1 (.889) after vacating 2010 win because of NCAA rules violations.

Sources: cleveland.com/datcentral and Ohio State University

Also:

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

That Instagram you saw of LeBron James dressed like a woman? Yeah, that's part of a unique, digital-only ad campaign with Progressive Insurance

CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James is the new pitchman for Mayfield Village-based insurance giant Progressive, starring in a unique, online-only ad campaign.

James is featured as "FloBron," the hideous wig-, apron-, and hairband-wearing twin of popular Progressive spokeswoman "Flo," played by comedienne Stephanie Courtney.

Courtney, who has appeared in dozens of Progressive commercials over the past six years, and James clown around in a basketball setting in the ads. But rather than saturating the TV airwaves with the new campaign – which is the norm for ads from Progressive and commercials featuring James – Progressive is limiting its "The Switch" campaign featuring FloBron to social media platforms for the time being.

The digital campaign began on Halloween.

The ads – both still shots and videos -- are available primarily to the 5.4 million people who "like" Flo from Progressive's Facebook page, and to Progressive's 12,000 followers on Instagram. They can also be seen on YouTube.

Sources said that a TV commercial could grow out of the on-line campaign, but Progressive was not ready to discuss next steps at this time. Progressive refers to its campaign strategy as "situational content," or "sit-con."

"We chose to go digital first with FloBron because it allows us to develop content and a story in a way that's more flexible than simply launching a TV spot," said Jeff Charney, chief marketing officer for Progressive, in a statement provided to Northeast Ohio Media Group. "This is a counter-intuitive way to run a campaign, but it works for us because it allows us to develop characters, not just commercials. ... We're very happy with the results so far. 'The Switch' is just the beginning. Stay tuned."

Terms of the agreement between James and Progressive were not disclosed. The insurance company is the only significant, personal marketing partner James currently has in Ohio.

The ads were filmed over a four-hour session at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School earlier this fall.

Like James' new ads with Nike, Sprite, and Beats by Dre, James' marketing team sought a relationship with Progressive to highlight his Akron/Northeast Ohio roots. But James and Progressive were brought together by a Boston brand manager working with James' LRMR marketing firm, which manages all of his endorsement deals.

Fenway Sports Management, a partner of LRMR's since 2011, put Progressive on a list of potential Ohio-based suitors for James following James' July decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fenway Sports has an office across the street from iconic Fenway Park in Boston, and is owned by the majority owners of the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Sports has a relationship with Boston-based Arnold Worldwide ad agency, which claims Progressive as a client. That's how the introduction was made.

There is a cardboard cutout of FloBron in Fenway Sports Management's lobby.

From Fenway Sports Management's lobby in Boston.Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

"Progressive had an idea they wanted to explore with us," said Mark Lev, managing director for Fenway Sports Management. "We started a conversation with them, but it just so happened that when we started the conversation, they were already thinking of something wanted to present to LeBron."

Lev works with Maverick Carter, James' long-time friend and business partner who runs LRMR.

Fenway Sports is the marketing arm of the Red Sox, Rousch Fenway Racing, the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tournament, and England's Liverpool FC soccer club, which is owned by Fenway's parent Fenway Sports Group.

As part of the agreement between Fenway and James, the Cavaliers' superstar received a small financial stake in Liverpool. Fenway brought Dunkin Donuts – a Red Sox marketing partner – to James for an ad campaign in Asia in 2012 that ended earlier this year (in part because of James' global agreement with McDonald's, in part because his contract with Dunkin expired).

Fenway benefits from its partnership with James, too. Samsung, a marketing partner with James, is now partnered with the Red Sox, too.

"We went in and basically said to Maverick, 'We are interested in a relationship with representing you and LeBron because we are not in the business of representing athletes,' " Lev said, recalling Fenway's courtship of James. "We're in the business of representing brands. Maverick, being a sharp guy, instantly got it."

Fenway also works on projects for Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel because Manziel is represented by LRMR.

James has not discussed with FloBron campaign with the media. But he called his relationship with Fenway – which brought Progressive and LRMR together – a "great partnership" because of the authenticity of their work, something that's important to James.

"Everything they do is real and not fabricated," James said of Fenway. "From Day 1 that was my whole point, before I decided to go with them and they understood that."

James and Courtney, FloBron and Flo – a tandem that is nothing if not authentic.

Red Sox fans cried foul over an innocuous tweet the team acknowledges was ill-timed — the second social media gaffe by a Boston pro sports team in as many weeks.

BOSTON  — Red Sox fans cried foul over an innocuous tweet the team acknowledges was ill-timed — the second social media gaffe by a Boston pro sports team in as many weeks.

The Red Sox tweeted: "So how was everyone's Monday?" The tweet went out a minute after a Missouri prosecutor announced a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old.

The @RedSox sent out an ill-timed tweet one minute after #Ferguson announcement. http://t.co/IvWUKPrNup pic.twitter.com/GmwTpCUNdS

— Yahoo Canada News (@YahooCanadaNews) November 25, 2014

"Seriously?" responded Georgy Cohen, a digital communications consultant from Somerville, Massachusetts.

"This is what happens when social media managers have tunnel vision," said Jamie DeLoma, who oversees social media at Quinnipiac University.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox issued a statement conceding the tweet went out at an awkward moment as it was preparing to announce two big free agent signings — Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez — that had thousands of fans abuzz.

"We hope all realize that our tweet yesterday related to baseball news in Boston," the team said. "We sincerely apologize if it was associated with the troubles in Ferguson. Our hearts go out to all who are suffering."

Earlier this month, the New England Patriots apologized after sending out a tweet that thanked a follower with a blatantly racist Twitter handle.

The Patriots' tweet went out automatically as part of a promotion to celebrate becoming the first NFL team with 1 million Twitter followers. It, too, quickly deleted the tweet, but not before it was widely circulated and ridiculed.

Dan Kennedy, interim director of the journalism program at Northeastern University, called the Red Sox tweet "completely tone deaf" and said it points up how teams need to pay attention to what's happening outside the wide world of sports.

Otherwise, he said, "something hideously inappropriate can happen."

The goal for Tuesday's daylong "Feed the Need" event at TownHall: serve more than 4,000 meals to the hungry.

For the second straight year, "Feed the Need" has attempted to do just that.

The annual event for the needy of Cleveland was started and continues to be driven by Bobby George, the owner of TownHall, 1909 West 25th St. in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood -- the site of Tuesday's gathering.

George told The Plain Dealer's Michael K. McIntyre for an earlier column that he was inspired to stage the charity event by his uncle, who runs a small diner in Detroit and who also feeds the needy every year.

This year, former and current Cleveland Browns stars, among them Jim Brown and Bobby Hoyer, turned up as celebrity servers. Also among the star servers: Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

The participating organizations, which work with the hungry every day of the year, included: The City Mission, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland, United Way, St. Augustine Hunger Center, St. Malachi Catholic Church, Riverview Towers, Frontline Services and the West Side Catholic Center.

George told McIntyre that the real credit for coordinating the logistics of such an undertaking should go to Sister Corita Ambro of the St. Augustine Hunger Center.

George's TownHall kitchen staff was planning to prepare 2,000 pounds of turkey and 1,500 pounds of mashed potatoes.

The goal for the daylong event: serve more than 4,000 meals to the hungry.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer confirmed on Tuesday that fourth-year juniors Chris Carter and Antonio Underwood wont' play beyond this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer confirmed on Tuesday that defensive lineman Chris Carter and offensive lineman Antonio Underwood, both fourth-year juniors, won't play beyond this season.

"This will be their final year," Meyer said on the Big Ten coaches conference call. "These were player decisions. They're going to graduate, move on with their lives and go about their business."

Both Underwood and Carter will be honored on Saturday as part of Ohio State's senior day ceremony before the Buckeyes play Michigan.

Currently at 80 scholarship players, Ohio State will lose 12 scholarship seniors this year, assuming quarterback Braxton Miller does return for a fifth season. Carter and Underwood's departure will make two more scholarships available.

• Inside Ohio State's scholarship math for 2015

The Buckeyes will bump from 82 scholarships to the full 85 next year. With the loss of the seniors, and Carter and Underwood, Ohio State will have 19 scholarships available.

Ohio State's 2015 recruiting class currently has 22 commitments, and the Buckeyes have a few more players on their radar.

Carter, a Cleveland John F. Kennedy graduate, redshirted as a freshman and has seen time on special teams throughout his career. He was never able to crack the rotation on defensive line this year.

Underwood, a Shaker Heights graduate, lettered as a true freshman, but had a setback last year, missing the entire season after tearing his ACL. He practiced with the first-team offensive line this spring, before settling into a backup role. He's played in 10 games this season.

• Suspended defensive end Noah Spence reportedly has an appeal hearing with the Big Ten on Tuesday, but Meyer said he's had no part in the process.

"I'm not involved. I know a little bit about it. That's it," Meyer said. "I do know there's something going on today. We'll cross that bridge. Gene Smith and the administration are handling that."

• Meyer also addressed two concerns with the Buckeyes during the conference call. First: The turnover problems that have plagued Ohio State over the last three weeks.

Ohio State turned it over three times against Indiana last week. The Buckeyes have turned it over 20 times this season, and are 42nd in the nation in turnover margin.

"It's something that you hold the coaches accountable for their position," Meyer said. "This is the most turnovers, as long as I've been a head coach, that we've had. So it's very alarming."

• The other concern is run defense. Ohio State has allowed 100-yard rushers in three-straight weeks against three of the top backs in the country: Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, Minnesota's David Cobb and Indiana's Tevin Coleman.

Coleman ran for 228 yards against the Buckeyes on Saturday, including a 90-yard touchdown run that gave the Hoosiers a brief lead in the third quarter.

"The big hits are the problem," Meyer said. "Very, very concerned about that. We're gonna work hard to correct it."

Watch, participate in “NEO Varsity Live,” a new high school football video show every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Watch, participate in “NEO Varsity Live,” a new high school football video show every Tuesday at 8 p.m.

Terry Pluto talked Browns, Cavaliers and Indians in a live chat on cleveland.com earlier today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Did Brian Hoyer's performance on Sunday help or hurt his long-term chances of being Browns starting quarterback? How much will the injury to Tashaun Gipson hurt the Browns during the playoff run?

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered that question and more in his weekly podcast with cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Among other topics discussed:

• The return of Josh Gordon.

• Does LeBron James look like himself early in the season?

• Should coach David Blatt make a lineup change?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to also like Terry Pluto on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Share your memories of Ohio State vs. Michigan, and see what Buckeyes players and coaches had to say.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Urban Meyer's earliest memory of the The Game goes back to when he was a child in Ashtabula. His mother dragged him out on an errand on the day Ohio State was playing Michigan.

"I looked at her like she was out of her mind," Meyer said.

The trip created a lasting memory.

"We went to some outdoor area. It was like an outdoor mall," Meyer said. "They were playing the game over the loud speakers. And I just — I'll never forget that as long as I live. Listening to the game it was Pete Johnson and Archie Griffin and the boys."

What are your favorites memories of Ohio State vs. Michigan? Share them in the comments section below.

Meyer grew up an Ohio State fan and sees the rivalry through a different light now as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He also shared a story about watching the game at 5 a.m. in Hawaii while he was an assistant coach at Colorado State.

With the No. 6 Buckeyes hosting Michigan at noon Saturday in the 111th edition of The Game, we asked some Ohio State players to share some of their favorite memories. Cleveland.com writers Doug Lesmerises and Ari Wasserman also shared theirs.

Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com

The 2006 Ohio State-Michigan game was already going to be in the argument as the greatest game in the history of the rivalry. And then Bo Schembechler died. The passing of the Michigan legend on the day before the game, as it turned out, really signaled an end of era at Michigan. Standing outside Ohio Stadium as the Michigan buses arrived and talking to Michigan fans, you could tell how much they wanted to win this game for Schembechler now.

"We have somebody watching over us now," said Bill Balint, a U-M fan who drove in from Springfield, Mass., told me. "He's going to take care of us."

And then attending a concert that night on High Street in Columbus by the Dead Schembechlers, the punk band who played songs about hating Michigan, but had a respect for the coach whose name they used, it hammered home how much Schembechler and Woody Hayes both meant to their schools, as if anyone needed a reminder.

The Ohio State fans at that concert, like the band, appreciated Schembechler as the ultimate rival, the way the Michigan fans saw him as their ultimate leader. The game the next day was still No. 1 vs. No. 2, but Friday helped remind you that no matter who won that day, something about the Ohio State-Michigan game wouldn't ever quite be the same.

Ari Wasserman, cleveland.com

I've covered every Ohio State-Michigan game since 2009, but ironically enough it was the Buckeyes' 40-34 loss in the Big House in 2011 that always stands out in my mind. That was the most intense the rivalry ever tangibly felt to me.

I stood in the back of the end zone late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State desperately trying to extend its winning streak over the Wolverines to eight. It was all the Buckeyes had left after a disastrous season in which it lost Jim Tressel and was still feeling the pressure of the tattoo-for-cash scandal. 

Braxton Miller was a freshman, and I'll never forget the bomb he overthrew to De'Vier Posey that would have resulted in the go-ahead touchdown for the Buckeyes late in the fourth quarter. 

Simply put, the intensity of that game felt like a real throwback. 

Joshua Perry, Ohio State LB

"It was really cool to see (Tyvis Powell's interception on Michigan's two-point conversion last year). I know Tyvis, that meant so much to him because he's been a Buckeye fan and he's always wanted to play for the Scarlet and Gray since he was a youngster and he always talks about that. That was pretty cool."

View full sizeOhio State Buckeyes defensive back Tyvis Powell (23) leaps into the air with teammate Doran Grant (12) after intercepting Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner's (98) two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter last year.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

"The real cool thing was he caught the ball and I don't think he put it down until he got back home in Columbus. I mean he went in the shower with that thing, he was getting dressed with the ball, the whole deal. So it was just really cool to see. That was obviously such a big play and he's got that ability to make big plays like that."

Darryl Baldwin, Ohio State RT

"So far my favorite memory was actually beating them last year. I was there a couple years ago when we went there and we lost and this time beating them at their place made it a lot better."

Curtis Grant, Ohio State LB

"I'd have to say last year since I've been here. Like I said, I really didn't watch it growing up. I'd say last year just because it was a very intense game. You don't know what's going to happen, but you just want to win so bad. For them to gamble for it all, and Tyvis makes that play and it's just like, 'Wow. This is a great joy and feeling after the game.'"

Doran Grant, Ohio State CB

"I would say the 12-0 year my sophomore year in 2012. That was a good team win and everybody rushed the field, undefeated season. We didn't get to go anywhere after that, but it was just good to be with your teammates after that one."

Baseball, without a salary cap, has no chance of having a balanced playing field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – There is never going to be competitive balance in baseball. In a game where the players have proven time and time again that they will strike to prevent it, perhaps it was never meant to be.

Bud Selig leaves the commissioner's office on Jan. 24. He has accomplished more than anyone who has held the office before him, but he couldn't wrestle this problem into submission.

Selig championed revenue sharing and it has kept many teams, the Indians included, afloat during troubled times. But afloat and competitive are different things, especially when the use of revenue sharing funds can be siphoned to other areas besides player payroll.

At every All-Star game, Selig would meet with baseball writers and say how good it was to see so many teams still in contention. He instituted one wild-card team for each league in 1994 to the groans and wails of purists. It worked so well that he added another wild card to each league in 2013.

But all that progress suffers when the Red Sox can simply open their wallet and pay free agent infielders Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez a reported $183 million in combined salaries. Sandoval's deal was announced Tuesday and an announcement on Ramirez is believed to be close.

Two years ago the Red Sox won the World Series. This year they finished last in AL East at 71-91.

During the course of the 2014 season, much was written about Boston rebuilding with young players such as Brock Holt, Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Christian Vazquez and others. The movement went against the tradition of the deep-pocketed Red Sox that said they don't rebuild, they simply spend more money. The rebuilding effort lasted about a half a season before Boston's owners waved their wallet at the problem.

The wealth of the Boston ownership and the loyalty of Red Sox Nation has allowed it to work the system. They're good at developing their own players and have been aggressive on the international free agent market. Plus they have more than enough money to correct mistakes and fill holes.

It is a tough combination to beat. Sandoval and Ramirez both received qualifying offers from their old clubs, the Giants and Dodgers, respectively. It means the Red Sox, if they sign both players, will forfeit two high draft picks in June, but not their first pick. That will be protected because of their last place finish this year. 

In case you're wondering, that did not happen by accident.

Adding the Kung Fu Panda and Ramirez could push the Red Sox payroll above the $189 million luxury tax threshold for next season. They already have $115 million committed to 10 players for 2015, not including Sandoval and Ramirez.

There are 29 other teams in the big leagues and not all of them are as talented or as wealthy as the Red Sox.

This is what happens when there is no salary cap. The teams that can afford to burn money do it whenever necessary. The teams that can't, have no choice but to stand and watch.

It's not just a practice of the rich. It seems as if every team takes its shot now and then. The rich teams just have more ammunition.

The Indians spent a combined $104 million on free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn before the 2013 season. Halfway through their four-year deals it has not been money well spent.

The Twins spent $84 million last off-season on free-agent pitchers Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey.

Giancarlo Stanton wasn't a free agent when the Marlins gave him a 13-year, $325 million extension earlier this month, but it certainly was a shot across the bow that carries no expectation of a repeat performance. Especially by Marlins fans, who have a firm grasp on what is here today is not necessarily here tomorrow.

The current bargaining agreement ends after the 2016 season. The expiration of the deal will mark 22 consecutive years of labor peace for baseball after eight work stoppages in the previous 22 years.

Will that be the time the owners once again try to impose a cap on team payrolls? Will this generation of players, untouched by labor strife and under new union leadership, respond as steadfastly as their predecessors?

Or will baseball simply continue to be a game where only the uber-rich can compete as owners? Where teams like the Indians, owned by Paul Dolan and family, have no realistic chance at ending a World Series drought that will be entering its 67th year come opening day in 2015?

The Browns have refused to be overwhelmed by all their major injuries, and the coaches deserve some credit for that.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Another week, another key player injured for the Browns.

This time, it's Tashaun Gipson who will be out for Sunday's game at Buffalo -- and perhaps the rest of the season -- because of a knee injury.

Gipson is leading the NFL with six interceptions. Profootballfocus.com rated him at No. 4 among all NFL safeties this season. While that ranking is subjective, Gipson seemed destined to be a Pro Bowl pick before his injury.

Gipson allowed only three catches of at least 20 yards when in pass coverage.

Now, the Browns are without him. Just as they will be without Phil Taylor (knee injury), Armonty Bryant (knee), John Hughes (knee), Karlos Dansby (knee) and Alex Mack (broken leg) for the rest of the season. Mack and Taylor are former first-round draft picks. They each have missed six games.

Yes, every team has major injuries, but the Browns have dealt with a lot of pain.

Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron has battled concussions. He's missed five games. He may play in Buffalo, but there's no final word on that.

SOMEHOW, THEY ARE 7-4

I mention all this because the Browns have reached 7-4 with many key players missing many games.

Unless Dansby makes a near miraculous comeback, the defensive captain will miss his second game in a row. Until he was hurt in the loss to Houston, Dansby had played every snap. Gipson played 99 percent of the snaps prior to his injury in Atlanta.

These are major losses.

Coach Mike Pettine has talked about the "next man up" approach. Guys get hurt, other guys have to play. He praised Craig Robertson, who took over for Dansby in Atlanta and played every snap in the 26-24 victory. The Browns won with rookie inside linebacker Chris Kirksey and third-year man Robertson. They won with Jabaal Sheard limited to only 20 snaps because of a foot injury.

Filling in for Sheard at outside linebacker, Barkevious Mingo had "perhaps his best game of the season," according to Pettine. Mingo had three quarterback hurries and batted down a pass. He has played most of the season with a very sore shoulder.

"Mental toughness was tested because things weren't going the way we wanted them to," said Pettine about the victory at Atlanta.

But somehow, the Browns prevailed.

CAN IT CONTINUE?

Just as the Browns are a surprising 7-4, Buffalo is a shocking 6-5. The Bills have exactly the kind of defense that has given the Browns ulcers. They have a rugged four-man front and lead the NFL with 46 sacks.

Brian Hoyer ranked 27th out of 28 quarterbacks when passing "under pressure," according to profootballfocus.com. He has completed only 39 percent of his passes in those situations.

Two of his three interceptions in Atlanta came when he rolled out, was chased by tacklers and then threw soft, off-balance passes that were begging to be picked off. But Hoyer found a way to complete four passes in the final 44 seconds to set up the game winning field goal.

"I'm proud of Brian," said Pettine.

He has played every snap. He played the first 10 games without the suspended Josh Gordon. Because of a shoulder injury followed by a concussion, Cameron has only 13 catches this season.

Consider that top free agent running back Ben Tate has been waived, and the Browns have had their own waiver claim (Nick McDonald) playing center in place of Mack.

It's hardly been ideal circumstances.

WHAT IT MEANS

The temptation is the say that the Browns are in big trouble as they head to Buffalo, given all their injuries. But there has been something about this team that has allowed them to stay in contention.

Like some general manager/coach combinations before, Ray Farmer and Pettine talked about toughness and an attitude of "no excuses." Unlike most seasons, their team has usually played up to that standard. That also goes for the coaches, who have had their rookie moments.

I appreciate Pettine admitting, "I lost my mind," when he didn't handle timeouts correctly and then had poor Billy Cundiff attempt that ridiculous 60-yard field goal at the end of the half in Atlanta. This is at least the second time Pettine hasn't handled the clock well in a game.

In the last two games, Kyle Shanahan has been pass-happy, calling 90. That's a surprise given how the offensive coordinator had been so dedicated to the run in the first nine games.

So all is not close to perfect. And it will just get tougher each week.

But as Pettine said, "Our games are meaningful at this point ... and the biggest game is your next one."

The fact that the coach can say that with a straight face in late November is why this season has been so much fun.

Check out the girls basketball preseason cleveland.com Top 25 poll for the 2014-15 season.

Check out the girls basketball preseason cleveland.com Top 25 poll for the 2014-15 season.

LeBron James speaks out against shootings, but declined to specifically cite race relations or gun control.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – A day after LeBron James responded on Twitter to a grand jury's decision not indict a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager, James said such shootings have to stop.

"In some way, shape or form that has to stop from a pedestrian with a firearm or a cop with a firearm," James said following Cavaliers practice Tuesday, referring to the Ferguson shooting and the Trayvon Martin shooting from two years ago. "It's a sensitive subject and it's a thing that we just can't continue to go through."

Monday night, following the Cavaliers' 106-74 victory over the Orlando Magic, James said on Twitter. "As a society how do we do better and stop things like this happening time after time." He also said "Violence is not the answer people. Retaliation isn't the solution as well."

As a society how do we do better and stop things like this happening time after time!! I'm so sorry to… http://t.co/VTe0rwXeek

— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 25, 2014

Accompanying his Tweet was an illustration depicting Ferguson teen Michael Brown, who was shot by police officer Darren Wilson in August, and Martin, an unarmed African-American teen who was shot after an altercation by a man who was on neighborhood watch in Florida in 2012.

On Tuesday, James said "the issue is much bigger than that.

"It's not just one instance," he said. "It's not just Mike Brown or Trayvon Martin or anything that's going on in our society. I think it's much bigger than that. Like I said last night, violence is not the answer and retaliation is not the solution. My prayers and best wishes goes out to the families of anyone that loses a loved one, especially a kid today."

James Tuesday that "I don't have anything against the cop or anything against what's going on." When he spoke to CNN in September about the Martin shooting, he spoke about it within the context of race relations. But he declined when asked about race and gun control Tuesday.

"That's a bigger conversation than me," he said. "One thing I can comment on is these families who continue to mourn their loved ones at a young age and that's where the energy should be going to, supporting these families, man, and not just black families but all families that their kids leave home one day and you expect them to return and then they don't return because of either someone's stupidity or just someone's knowledge of not knowing what's going on."

James said he would try to keep news like these shootings away from his two young sons for the time being.

In 2012, James led the Miami Heat in protest of the Martin shooting. On Tuesday, he spoke for about eight and a half minutes – only one question was about basketball.

James also decried the rioting that took place Monday in Ferguson following word that there would be no indictment.

"Yeah, that's not the answer," James said. "What does that do? What does that actually do? Hurt more families, hurt more people, draw more attention to things that shouldn't even be going on instead of people going to the family's household and praying with them."