Ohio State will play Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game next Saturday in Indianapolis.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State knew after its game against Michigan that it would have to win a Big Ten championship with Cardale Jones at quarterback. Now the Buckeyes know who they'll have to beat.

Wisconsin beat Minnesota 34-24 on Saturday to win the Big Ten West Division.

The No. 6 Buckeyes (11-1, 8-0 Big Ten) will play the No. 14 Badgers (10-2, 7-1) in the Big Ten championship game next Saturday at 8 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

A date with Wisconsin brings a matchup with Badgers running back Melvin Gordon, who leads the nation in rushing with 2,260 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. It will be another matchup against a top running back for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has seen Michigan State's Jeremy Langford, Minnesota's David Cobb and Indiana's Tevin Coleman in the last four weeks.

It's been a struggle, too. All three went for more than 100 rushing yards against Ohio State. Coleman had 228 in Indiana's loss.

The Buckeyes will be without starting quarterback J.T. Barrett, who suffered a fractured ankle in Saturday's win over Michigan. Barrett will have surgery Monday and miss the remainder of the season.

Third-string quarterback Cardale Jones will start in his place. Jones has played sparingly this season in a mop-up role, but his teammates feel he has the skill set to keep the offense moving in the right direction.

Wisconsin has won seven straight games behind Gordon and the No. 2 defense in the country. Ohio State has won 10 straight behind an opportunistic defense, and Barrett leading an explosive offense. The Buckeyes will need to find a new recipe for success to win the conference championship and keep their hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff alive.

Watch video of the Buckeyes singing Carmen, Ohio, after Saturday's win over Michigan.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's seniors started their Saturday afternoon hugging their families. They ended it singing their alma mater. And then they sang the fight song in the locker room. At least, that had been the plan.

"When you say have fun, I'm not sure how to have fun," Urban Meyer said earlier this week of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. "How to have fun is sing the fight song in the locker room after a win against your rival. That's how you have fun. Everything leads up to that fun."

The Buckeyes got to do that after their 42-28 win over Michigan at Ohio Stadium. But that was just for them. Carmen Ohio, was for everyone.

"It's the best part of every game, singing Carmen with your boys," sophomore defensive end Joey Bosa said.

Stadium security allowed fans to pour into the field after the win, and by the end of Carmen Ohio, the football players weren't singing by themselves, as students and fans filled in that end of the field.

And if you had any question about how new quarterback Cardale Jones was feeling after the win, Carmen Ohio told you. Jones took over at quarterback after J.T. Barrett broke his right ankle early in the fourth quarter, and it's Jones who will lead the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship next week against Wisconsin.

Jones was not made available to speak with reporters after the win. But made sure he got to the front row for the alma mater. And as the Buckeyes got to the end to spell O-Hi-O, Jones bent at the waist, leaned back, and made his motions with a little extra, let's say, flair.

Now Jones has to try to lead his team toward a victory song in Indianapolis in a week.

The Skull Session, in a full St. John Arena, included the traditional visit from Coach Urban Meyer and the team, along with guest Chris Carter, a former Ohio State great now in the NFL Hall of Fame. And in the stadium, the atmosphere was electric, with more than 108,000 fans on hand.

For the Ohio State University Marching Band, getting ready for The Game meant learning a new show in a hurry.

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the band had a short rehearsal schedule for the week.

The day for band members on Saturday started hours before Ohio State and Michigan kicked off at Ohio Stadium.

The Skull Session, in a full St. John Arena, included the traditional visit from Coach Urban Meyer and the team, along with guest Chris Carter, a former Ohio State great now in the NFL Hall of Fame.

And in the stadium, the atmosphere was electric, with more than 108,000 fans on hand.

With their leader, J.T. Barrett, out for the season, the Buckeyes still put away Michigan. Now they must rally around untested sophomore Cardale Jones from Glenville in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The last amazement of J.T. Barrett's season came when he scored on a 25-yard scramble, beating the clock and tying Michigan just before the first half ended.

The Wolverines' senior linebacker, Jake Ryan, reached helplessly as Barrett cut to the middle of the field. The redshirt freshman's zigzag path reached the end zone with seven seconds to spare.

"Lou Holtz always said the last five minutes of the first half, the first five minutes of the second half, are where all the momentum is at. And we went into the locker room with a lot of momentum," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.

Barrett quickly directed a five-play drive after the Buckeyes received the second half kickoff, throwing a 52-yard bomb to Devin Smith and then taking the ball in from the 2. The Buckeyes had the lead, and momentum, despite the halftime intermission, seemed to be like the word in the Pledge of Allegiance -- indivisible.

Injury can halt momentum, though. Injury can turn the roaring Horseshoe quiet, can halt churning legs, can imprison accurate arms, and can turn a bright future bleak.

At the top of the playoff stretch drive, on the first play of the fourth quarter,   Barrett broke his right ankle on a run.

As he lay twisted in pain on the Field Turf, Meyer stood stoically on the sideline, refusing for the moment to look.

If you can only go by what you can see, then Meyer probably saw in his mind's eye Barrett getting up, no more fazed than when he played the whole second half on a sprained knee ligament at Penn State and starred in the two overtimes of that squeaker.

Instead, when the coach walked out, the crowd silence had been as much a cue to the severity of the injury as visual proof would have been.

"That was a sick feeling. Anytime," said Meyer, who likened it to the loss of Glenville's Christian Bryant, a team leader, last season with a broken ankle.

Medical personnel lifted Barrett onto a motorized cart. Every offensive player on the field spoke to him before he was borne off, while the crowd chanted his name: "J.T! J.T! J.T!"

"We have a lot of confidence in the guy who's going to be doing it. His name is Cardale Jones. He's been here I think for 120 years," Meyer said, jokingly, after the 42-28 victory.

The future, which includes next Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin in Indianapolis, can be fairly said to be indistinguishable from the last resort.

It can also be fairly said to be brash, big and eager for the chance.

Cardale Jones of Glenville will be coming at you full-bore. He played quarterback and led future elite college players for coach Ted Ginn Sr. in a big-school state runner-up season in 2009. He threw a 97-yard touchdown pass in a 16-15 loss to Hilliard that was called back by a pointless clipping penalty by a 320-plus-pound lineman far behind the play.

It's always been something with Jones, whether clipping, or Braxton Miller, the designated starter before he went down, or Barrett, or an unfortunate Tweet in the past about Jones' preference to play football rather than school at Ohio State.

If Jones, a 6-5, 250-pound redshirt sophomore in terms of eligibility, has his way, he might come hurdling into the game, the way he has tried to leap over would-be tacklers, all barriers sighted and, in his view, surmountable.

He also, alas, might run smack into the back into his own blocker when the hole is waiting a step to the right, as was the case on his third-down carry for no gain.

That was his first run. His second was for 18 yards on second-and-15 on the drive that won the game.

On fourth-and-1, at the Michigan 44, with 5:05 to play and Ohio State leading, 28-21, Meyer turned to his offensive line coach

"Can we get it?" he asked Ed Warinner.

"You have to say what's in your heart," Warinner said.

"He looked me in the eye and said we can," Meyer said.

The Michigan defenders bit on motion to the right, with explosive H-back Jalin Marshall and tight end Nick Vannett headed that way, and here came Ezekiel Elliott out of the backfield, snorting  and heading the other way with a handoff and a head of steam. Ryan got an arm on him in the hole, but Elliott was already as good as gone.

As Meyer said, a quarterback is a product of the players around him.

"He is our culture, the way he plays," said defensive lineman Melvin Bennett after Elliott's touchdown run. "A lot of players want to make plays with the ball, but you don't find a lot who block like he does."

It will take a lot of that next week week against Wisconsin – guys who block, who do the unglamorous things, who embody the only culture that is left for a team that must be as unified in reality as the pledge about the country was in theory.

 

"It breaks your heart," junior offensive lineman Taylor Decker said. "For J.T. to step in and have as great of a year as he did, all the odds were against him. ... It sucks. It really does suck seeing a guy like him having such a promising year to have it end like that." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio – You could hear the hum and smell the exhaust from the team bus parked outside the players exit on the west side of Ohio Stadium by the time J.T. Barrett emerged. 

Wearing his black postgame Ohio State jumpsuit, Barrett slowly walked toward the gate that separated the team area from the fans who had just got done chanting his name during the fourth quarter of the No. 6 Buckeyes' 42-28 win over Michigan. 

Some started the chant again. Why wouldn't they? Barrett led Ohio State to its third consecutive unblemished Big Ten regular season, the Buckeyes are headed to Indianapolis next weekend for a shot at the conference title and Barrett is the Big Ten's new record holder for most touchdowns in a season. 

But this wasn't a celebration.

Barrett was using crutches because his right ankle is broken and he'll be lost for the season after undergoing surgery on Sunday. Those chants that rang through the stadium in the fourth quarter? They were supportive ones as Ohio State's most valuable player was carted off the field. 

"It breaks your heart," junior offensive lineman Taylor Decker said. "For J.T. to step in and have as great of a year as he did, all the odds were against him. ... It sucks. It really does suck seeing a guy like him having such a promising year to have it end like that."

This was never supposed to happen because Barrett was never supposed to be Ohio State's starting quarterback this season. 

Thrust into the role after Braxton Miller went down three weeks before the start of the season with a torn labrum, Barrett quickly went from the vulnerable freshman Ohio State needed to protect to one of the most exciting players in college football. 

When he connected with Nick Vannett for a six-yard touchdown on Saturday – Ohio State's first score in its win over the Wolverines – Barrett broke former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees' single-season total touchdowns record. Then Barrett added two more rushing scores, setting the new record at 45. 

"We lost a Heisman contender today," coach Urban Meyer said. Think about that. Then think about it again, because that still doesn't seem like real life. But it is. 

View full sizeOhio State quarterback J.T. Barrett carted off the field after suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes' 42-28 win over Michigan. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

"The chips were against him from the start and everybody had every reason to doubt him," Decker said. "I felt terrible for him at the beginning of the year because he was under a lot of heat. But just to be able to overcome that and have such an amazing year, it's incredible." 

Long before Barrett ever came close to seeing the field – back when this was still Miller's team – offensive coordinator Tom Herman raved about the former four-star prospect's leadership abilities. 

It just seemed like something nice to say about a quarterback that wasn't set to see the field for a few years, something that wasn't tangible. But Herman wasn't lying. Really, he undersold it. 

Because the way Ohio State rallied around Barrett after Miller's injury was special. The Buckeyes truly believed this quiet kid from Wichita Falls, Texas, was going to lead them to the national title. 

That didn't waver after Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech, either. The unrelenting support of the quarterback was almost delusional, but it was pure. Which is why you could see the heartbreak in their eyes after Barrett's injury Saturday. 

"You're heart goes out to J.T.," Herman said. "He has not only meant so much to this team, but this team has meant so much to him in terms of his growth as a young man. We'll keep him involved as much as we can and move forward." 

Barrett doesn't plan on fading away. Instead of leaving the stadium on an ambulance that was parked where that team bus stood the previous hour, he refused to leave the stadium. 

Instead, Barrett, who wore a boot, watched the end of the game among the fans in the stands, even smiling a few times while watching backup Cardale Jones close out the game. 

After Ohio State's latest win was over, he addressed the team in the locker room. 

"That's the toughest kid I've ever met," tight end Jeff Heuerman said. "To see what he's gone through this year, to see how he's rallied this team and to see that happen to him, and even the way he handled, it was special. 

"He just told us to keep going. He said it's all about us and not about him." 

Barrett didn't get on that bus outside of Ohio Stadium. He crutched away by himself, left to deal with his injury alone Saturday night. 

He won't be forgotten, though. 

Because he's still the future. 

Michael Bennett laid into Ohio State's defense again after another sub-par performance against Michigan. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's worked before for Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett, so why try to change a good thing?

Bennett laid into his teammates for the second time in three weeks during Saturday's game against Michigan.

"They were just throwing it, running it and working us," Bennett said after the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 42-28 in Ohio Stadium. "That's not what we're about. I think we're better than them. I let the guys know that we're better than them and that it's not acceptable."

That's not déjà vu you're feeling. The tone of Bennett's speech to his teammates after Michigan tied the game at 21 in the third quarter is similar to the "call to action" he delivered at halftime of Ohio State's win over Minnesota.

He spoke up then because he wasn't happy with the way the Gophers were running the ball on Ohio State. He spoke up on Saturday because he felt like that game shouldn't have even been close.

The Wolverines looked like they were hoping to spoil Ohio State's regular season finale again after making last year's version of The Game a one-point affair. Michigan tied Saturday's game at 21 on a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Drake Johnson with 5:17 left in the third quarter.

Johnson, who was listed in the third slot on Michigan's depth chart coming into Saturday, was a thorn in Ohio State's side all night. It what's become a recurring theme for the Buckeyes, stopping the run was an issue again. Only this time it wasn't against a star Big Ten back.

Johnson finished with 74 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, but didn't return to the game after suffering an injury on that game-tying score. The Wolverines struggled to move the ball from that point.

Was that because of the absence of their best playmaker, or because Bennett's speech actually stirred something in the Buckeyes defense?

"It was important because it was after that touchdown after they called the strip sack back," Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa said. "And at least I had my head down, all the defense was coming off throwing their helmets, and we really needed someone to come pick our heads up and he did that."

Ohio State recovered a fumble on a Bosa strip sack of Devin Gardner earlier in the drive, but the play was waived off because Bosa was offsides. The standout sophomore defensive end was called for another penalty later in the game when he ripped Gardner's helmet off on a sack.

It wasn't the best day for Bosa, but he still managed to make a game-changing play when he caused a Gardner fumble that was picked up by Darron Lee and returned 33 yards for a touchdown to give Ohio State a 42-21 lead.

This defense can make game-altering plays. They've proved that much throughout the course of this season. But they've also shown that they're prone to giving up big hits (like they did against Indiana), and long, sustained drives (like they did against Michigan).

"We were making mistakes on little things and they were capitalizing," defensive tackle Adolphus Washington said.

What kind of little mistakes? How about Gardner's 45-yard completion to Devin Funchess that set up Michigan's first touchdown?

"We felt like we were untouchable, then they had that big play to Funchess," Bennett said.

How about the Bosa penalties?

"It was rough," Bosa said of his offsides penalty. "I was really devastated because that's a play I was looking for all game to help change the game. They scored right after that. It took a lot to keep my head up and keep working."

Little things that can keep Ohio State from winning a game haven't come back to bite the Buckeyes because frankly the competition hasn't been good enough to make them pay.

Wisconsin, which solidified its spot as Ohio State's opponent in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, might be good enough to make Ohio State pay. Especially now that the Buckeyes know they'll be without starting quarterback J.T. Barrett.

The little things need to be fixed.

Bennett may only have so many speeches left in him.

 

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's Chris Fedor brings you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Pacers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are in action against the Indiana Pacers, looking to extend the winning streak to three games. 

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's Chris Fedor brings you the latest on the game in the comments section below.

Make sure you're following Chris as well as Chris Haynes and Joe Vardon on Twitter.

Game 15: Cavs (7-7) vs. Pacers (7-9)

Tip off: 7:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Shawn Marion, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Pacers probable starting lineup: Donald Sloan, Rodney Stuckey, Solomon Hill and Ian Mahinmi.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

Listen to our postgame podcast as we break down the loss to the Bills and the quarterback situation.

• Who should start at quarterback next week?
• Who else on this offense deserves blame for the loss?
• Does this make next week's game a must-win?
• What did you think of the defense?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have released Will Cherry to make room for A.J. Price, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cavaliers have chosen to waive backup point guard Will Cherry, a league source informed Northeast Ohio Media Group on Sunday.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has yet to make an official announcement.

Cherry, 23, appeared in eight games and averaged 1.9 points and 1.0 assist.

To fill his void, the Cavaliers are bringing back a familiar face -- point guard A.J. Price. On Sunday Cleveland claimed him off waivers, another league source confirmed.

Price, 28, began the year as a member of the Cavaliers before being released on Nov. 1. The Indiana Pacers then picked up the veteran guard before releasing him on Friday.

Price found his scoring touch in Indiana, posting 10.5 points a game while shooting 39 percent from three-point range in 10 games.

With point guard Matthew Dellavedova still recovering from an MCL sprain, Price should see minutes right away to spell Kyrie Irving.

Price played in six preseason games for the Cavaliers and averaged 7.2 points and 1.5 assists in 13.3 minutes per game.

Buffalo Bills front four makes a difference in Browns loss on Sunday.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Members of the Cleveland Browns' offensive line praised the Buffalo Bills' defensive line all week.

The admiration continued Sunday evening.

"Their defensive line is as good as advertised," said right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.

They were indeed. A disruptive and opportunistic defense inspired by its front four was too much for the Browns to handle in a 26-10 loss at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Bills kept the Browns out of the end zone until a quarterback change from Brian Hoyer to Johnny Manziel led to a touchdown with 8:47 left. By that time it was too late.

That was because of the dominance of a D-Line that has 37.5 of its team's league-leading 48 sacks. The Browns only allowed two sacks in our Sunday Showdown between the Browns O-Line vs. the Bills D-Line, but Buffalo also kept the running game in check with 2.8 yards per carry.

"Holding [the defensive line] to one sack is good, but any time you lose a game it's tough," said left guard Joel Bitonio. "We wanted to win."

The defensive line of DE Mario Williams, NT Marcell Dareus, DT Kyle Williams and DE Jerry Hughes was disruptive enough to force All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas into two false starts and three flags for holding (the Bills only accepted two).

"They proved they're the best today," Thomas said. "We didn't run the ball very well on them because we weren't able to open up holes. They did a good job of stopping us up front. We have to give them a lot of credit. They have a lot of incredibly talented guys up front and they have a great scheme. Put those two together and it makes for a tough day."

The day became particularly tough in the third quarter. Shortly after the Bills took a 7-3 lead, the Browns took over at their own 20. Hoyer pitched the ball to Terrance West. Hughes was held by Thomas yet still managed to rip the ball out of West's grasp. Hughes recovered and ran 18 yards for the score.

"It happened so fast, I'm just trying to get to the running back," said Hughes, who had three tackles and one QB hit. "We attack the ball. That's something we harp on. We go over it in practice every Friday, attacking the ball, raking it, pulling it out and scoring."

Trouble remained in the fourth quarter. Thomas had a false start and Hoyer threw an interception two plays later. The switch to Manziel provided a change of pace that kept the defensive line off balance. But that was short-lived when center Ryan Seymour, who replaced the injured Nick McDonald, made a snap that got past Manziel. When Manziel recovered, he was met by DT Kyle Williams just as he made the throw. What was originally ruled a fumble and Bills TD was changed to an incomplete pass.

Williams finished with a sack, three tackles and three QB hits, largely against rookie guard Bitonio.

"Kyle is strong, he was active, he was everything we'd thought he'd be," Bitonio said. "They had some good disruptive plays out there. I don't know if they penetrated as much as we'd thought, but they did a good job."

Listen to Sunday Browns Insider as we break down the Browns' loss to the Bills.

BUFFALO, New York -- The Cleveland Browns lost to the Buffalo Bills, 26-10, at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Johnny Manziel replaced Brian Hoyer in the fourth quarter. Talk about the game live at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday Browns Insider.

Host Dan Labbe will have interviews with Browns beat reporters Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed. Leave your questions and more in the comments and we'll read them on the air as we go along.

Click play on the player below to start the audio.

Follow @dan_labbe

"He finished plays a lot more. He's real good on his feet,'' safety Aaron Williams said of the Browns' backup QB.

ORCHARD PARK, New York – Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes said he didn't pay much attention to Johnny Manziel's prolific college career, but Hughes was alert Sunday when Manziel replaced Brian Hoyer as the Browns quarterback.

"Absolutely,'' said Hughes, a Texas Christian product. "We know he's more of a dynamic player. He's going to give you things, and he also has the element with his feet. We definitely understood that, knowing their playbook now opened up to some other plays.''

The Bills suddenly were backpedaling down the field when Manziel drove the Browns 80 yards in eight plays for their only touchdown, which he scored on a 10-yard run.

Buffalo's defense seemed to find a comfort zone defending Hoyer, who managed just one play of more than 20 yards. Safety Da'Norris Searcy intercepted two Hoyer passes and dropped two others.

Searcy said players in the defensive huddle were telling each other "watch out for this and watch out for that.''

"Once you notice those tendencies, you are able to play certain formations and jump certain routes,'' Searcy said.

That comfort zone dissipated when Manziel entered the game in the fourth quarter and the Browns attempted to rally from a 20-3 deficit. It was a short-lived rally and the Bills won, 26-10.

"He finished plays a lot more. He's real good on his feet,'' safety Aaron Williams said. "He's always been like that since he was in college. We had to keep the outside pocket contained, and I felt like sometimes he got outside that pocket. When that happens, it's longer for us to cover.

"Sometimes a guy makes plays, and you have to tip your hat to him.''

Hughes said he didn't follow Manziel because he's a Texas Christian product and Manziel played at Texas A&M.

"Go Frogs,'' he added wryly.

Williams, who is from Texas and played at the University of Texas, professed no such ignorance.

"I've known Manziel for a while. I know he's a playmaker,'' Williams said. "He was goofing around after the game and said, 'I didn't think I was going to come in today.'

"His name was called and he did a great job and got a score, unfortunately. Props to him.''

Williams said the defense always prepares some for a backup quarterback, especially when it's a severe change of gears the more mobile Manziel presents compared to Hoyer. Buffalo coach Doug Marrone said that preparation was limited because there is so little meaningful film on Manziel with the Browns.

"I think you've got to see what happens first,'' Marrone said. "You've got to see how he plays. You've just have to make sure of some of the contain elements that you've got to take care of because, obviously, he can run.

"We faced that the week before with Michael Vick, but he has the ability to run the football, and he showed that today.''

Manziel completed five of eight passes for 63 yards and he had a 3-yard run in addition to the touchdown. He also was flattened on a scramble and fumbled into the end zone in what initially was ruled a Bills touchdown, but was reversed to an incomplete pass.

Sunday's game had it all. Here's how it played out on Twitter.

BUFFALO, New York -- Sunday's Browns loss to the Bills had it all. Inept offenses. Turnovers. Johnny Manziel getting his first significant playing time.

It was a feast for the likes of Twitter and, as usual, here is our weekly rundown of how the Browns' loss to the Bills played out on Twitter. Make sure you hit the button at the bottom to read the entire Storify.

Follow @dan_labbe

The Cleveland Browns have two home games remaining against two winning teams. They are 7-5. This isn't the time to completely change course. It could be in a week or two, but not now -- Bud Shaw. Watch video

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Johnny Manziel reached one end zone in a superhero's leap. He found the other one flat on his back staring at the sky after he miscommunicated a snap count and turned up daisies under a stampede.

That should be your starter from here on out, with the playoffs still in the offing? Really now.

It's not enough to ask why not. Why?

Let's step away from the crash scene here, let the adrenaline subside, and take stock of the season not just the damage suffered in a confidence-shaking 26-10 loss to Buffalo.

The Browns fell to 7-5 on a day when Pittsburgh and Baltimore lost, too. They have consecutive home games ahead, against the Colts and division-leading Bengals.

You know that critical-crucial point in the proceedings that announcers only reference 18 times every Sunday? This actually is one.

Turning over a playoff chase to Manziel based on a couple late-game drives? Better make sure it only takes a village to raise a rookie quarterback and not two villages. Because this is all hands on deck with no room for error.

Mike Pettine didn't say he would start Manziel next Sunday. But by not saying he wouldn't, he invited the conversation to practice this week and gave it a seat of high honor when the talk should be about how to keep the season afloat against a prolific Colts' offense.

"We will watch the tape," said Pettine, which said it all. That tells me he's going with Manziel.

He will no doubt see Hoyer take a sack on a pass play where – in Pettine's words – "that's one that literally goes into the play call ... you can't take a sack."

He'll see Hoyer throw as bad an interception as he's had all year, and have another one or two dropped.

He'll also see Joe Thomas with two false start penalties and with three holding flags thrown in his direction. He'll see Terrance West fumble. He may even see Josh Gordon go left when the route (and the pass) went right. He'll see Gordon get a taunting call on a first down pass.

The question he has to ask himself is if Manziel fixes that, or does enough other things well to keep the playoffs a real possibility. The veterans in Pettine's locker room are expecting it. The town has waited 12 years to see it.

"We're all about competition," Pettine said Sunday, even though he knows it's always been different at the quarterback position. "So, I've said all along. We get together as a staff each week and at the beginning of the week and we say, 'Who gives us the best chance to win?' So far, Brian has been the answer to that question."

Really, they've asked that question about Hoyer and Manziel every week? Who knew?

Then Pettine showed he was of a different mind Sunday in the fourth quarter. Or of a tired mind at least.

The offense was excruciatingly bad at times, though Hoyer had directed a 15-play, 91-yard drive that ended in a field goal. Billy Cundiff missed another.

After Hoyer's sack and terrible interception, with Buffalo out to a 20-3 lead, Pettine made the change. He likened it to pulling his goalie.

An emergency situation called for an emergency quarterback. OK. That's what Manziel is to be fair to him this late in the season. An emergency quarterback or package quarterback.

That was Manziel on Sunday. That's not what's called for this week against Indianapolis. At least certainly not to start the game.

Pettine cautioned against reading too much into Manziel's first-drive success. Manziel used his legs, made some throws, then saw the Buffalo defense sag enough to run 10 yards for a TD.

It was great theater, complete with the money-gesture flourish to finish it. Everyone seemed to sense that the genie was out of the bottle even if Manziel was much less sure.

"Very nervous," he said, adding he was "thankful" teammates rallied to him.

He admittedly was anxious about getting plays called and having everyone in the proper place. That's not a knock on him. He was 12 games into a 16-game season while having one incompletion to his name.

"You have to be careful sometimes at the end of the games when you're getting softer coverage or a little bit more predictive defense," said Pettine, who also said he'd have to look at that tape.

I expect Pettine will make the switch. I just don't think he should.

I'm not campaigning for Hoyer as much as for the situation. Two more home games. I wouldn't take a flyer on either one of them and that's what starting Manziel feels like this deep into a winning season. 

Start Hoyer. Use Manziel for change of pace if necessary.

Be willing to call out all the stops along the Playoff Express. (I think it might be a local now, but still.)

Asked if it would be tougher now to go back to Hoyer, Pettine said it wouldn't.

"We'll hit the reset button," he said. "We're not going to overreact when we win and we're certainly not going to overreact when we lose."

That was the right answer. Now we'll see if he does the right thing.

 

Akron Zips begin a four-game homestand by defeating Bryant University.

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron sixth man Deji Ibitayo sparked a second-half surge to earn a 72-66 victory over Bryant on Sunday evening in Rhodes Arena.

With the Zips trailing, 44-40, early in the second half, Ibitayo, a 6-4 senior, came off the bench to record seven of his 12 points and four steals. It helped trigger runs of 14-0 and 19-2 by Akron to regain the lead and push it out to 59-46.

Ibitayo, a former starter, helped the Zips young starters -- freshman Noah Robotham and sophomore Kwan Cheatham -- plus improving junior Pat Forsythe, settle in for the stretch run.

But the Bulldogs, heavily reliant on 3-pointers, closed within 69-66 with the ball off an inbounds steal, but missed their last 3-pointer to tie with 17.8 seconds to lock up the victory for Akron (4-2).

Bryant was playing without head coach Tim O'Shea, who stayed behind to be with his ailing 90-year-old mother. The Bulldogs did make a change to their staring lineup, inserting junior Curtis Oakley, a product of Brush High.

The Zips were playing at home for the first time without suspended senior forward Demetrius Treadwell. And judging from the pregame team video, which had no images or highlights of the 6-7 senior, the Zips apparently do not expect him back.

Akron still jumped to early leads of 18-12, 23-14 and 29-18 behind solid inside-out production from center Forsythe (10 points) and rookie guard Robotham (14). But Bryant closed the opening half with an 11-3 run, fueled by five of Oakley's 13 points to cut Akron's lead to 32-29 at the half.

The Bulldogs came out hot in the second half with a 3-pointer from Oakley giving Bryant its biggest lead of the game, 44-40. That led Akron coach Keith Dambrot to get his veteran presence, Ibitayo, on the court.

The Zips survived a 13-of-28 3-point barrage from Bryant to get the victory.

The running game has to be revived, and being on their fourth center (Ryan Seymour) does not help the Browns in that area. Watch video

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook after their 26-10 loss Sunday at Buffalo:

1. Because Mike Pettine benched Brian Hoyer in favor of Johnny Manziel in the fourth quarter, most of the attention will be on the quarterback situation. Adding to that, Pettine didn't name a starter for next week -- and may not do so until Wednesday. But the Browns had so much more go wrong than Hoyer in this game.

2. Center Nick McDonald left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Ryan Seymour came in, and "did an admirable job," according to Pettine. Seymour is the fourth center to play this season. Alex Mack (broken leg) is out for the year. Guard John Greco switched to center for 1 1/2 games before going back to guard when McDonald started. The point of all this history is that the running game has not been nearly as effective after Mack was hurt in the fifth game of the season.

3. The Browns couldn't run at all Sunday. They had 74 yards rushing on 26 attempts -- and 13 yards belonged to Manziel in his two carries. Rookie Isaiah Crowell was frustrated, gaining only 29 yards in 17 attempts. Terrance West had one fumble that became a Buffalo touchdown. He also lost another fumble, but the officials' replay system ruled that he was down.

4. Pettine was very upset with West. After the game, he called West's fumble "inexcusable," using that word twice. I wonder if rookie Glenn Winston will get a chance next week. On the active roster, he has yet to carry the ball in a game.

5. Somehow, the Browns need to regain their running attack. Manziel will help, but they also should not want their rookie QB running with the ball too much. That's just asking for an injury.

6. Josh Gordon ran the wrong route at least twice, one resulting in an interception. He drew an unsportsmanlike penalty early after he caught an 11-yard pass -- then flipped the ball at a defender. He caught seven passes for 75 yards. He also had his first drop. Gordon really needs to work with the quarterbacks and study his playbook.

7. Joe Haden had a great game with an interception, blocked punt and excellent coverage -- usually on rookie Sammy Watkins. Buffalo's rookie caught only three passes for 11 yards. So nothing special from him.

8. As I wrote in my game column, so many things hurt Hoyer. For the second week in a row, he was forcing passes to Gordon. He wasn't able to get the ball into the end zone in the first half -- when the Browns had a 3-0 lead and the defense was superb. That really bothered Pettine. Buffalo had only 92 yards of offense and six first downs in being shut out through two quarters.

9. The Browns had the ball on their 30 early in the third quarter. It was still a 3-3 game. On a third-and-10, Hoyer was sacked and lost eight yards, taking the team out of field-goal range. It was not what you'd expect from a veteran quarterback, who should have just thrown it away. That's why there was concern. Hoyer seemed slow making decisions made quickly in earlier games. As Pettine said, "That ... goes into the play call ... you can't take a sack."

10. Jim Leonhard made a sensational play picking off a pass in the end zone intended for Watkins. The veteran safety read the play perfectly, stepping in front of Watkins at the right time. He's played 10 years and is one of Pettine's favorite players -- with Bills defensive coordinator Pettine last season, as well as with assistant coach Pettine in Baltimore (2008) and the Jets (2009-11).

11. The Browns had a 15-play, 91-yard drive in the first quarter, but settled for a field goal. In the second quarter, they had a 13-play, 61-yard drive, but Billy Cundiff missed from 37 yards. So two good first-half drives yielded only three points.

12. Former Brown MarQuies Gray caught two passes for 71 yards. The Browns cut him at the end of training camp.

13. He was with the team in 2013, catching two passes for eight yards. He also ran it six times for 43 yards out of the wildcat. After the Browns cut Gray, he was picked up by Minnesota and former Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner. He caught one pass there. When Minnesota claimed former Brown Ben Tate on waivers, Gray was cut. He was picked up by Buffalo two weeks ago.

14. The return game is so painful to watch. Travis Benjamin returned two punts for a total of seven yards. Leonhard actually ran one back for 12 yards -- the Browns' second-longest punt return of the season. I do wish they'd give Taylor Gabriel a chance to return kicks and punts. Their longest kickoff return this season has been a modest 32 yards by Marlon Moore. Gabriel was an excellent return man at Abliene Christian.

15. This was a big loss for the Browns, because Baltimore and Pittsburgh also lost. Along with the Browns, they are 7-5. The more games the Bills lose, the better for the Browns because they have the Bills' first-round pick next season from the Sammy Watkins deal. But now, the Bills are 7-5.

See a selection of Plain Dealer game photos in under a minute in this fast-paced audio slideshow with music. And see the complete photo gallery below.  

See a selection of Plain Dealer game photos in under a minute in this fast-paced audio slideshow with music. And see the complete photo gallery below.

 

Rookie Terrance West had a key fumble that cost the Browns and sent them on the road to a loss at Buffalo.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In a game in which two teams with playoff aspirations combined for as many turnovers as third-down conversions, sloppy didn't come close to describing it.

No play better depicted Sunday's football follies than the one that cost the Browns any chance at winning.

Midway through the third quarter, rookie halfback Terrance West lost a fumble along the left sideline and nobody in white jerseys bothered to touch the Bills' Jerry Hughes, who was on the ground cradling the ball. Flags flew. Confusion reigned. Finally, the defensive end jumped to his feet and ran 18 yards into the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Bills' an 11-point lead en route to a 26-10 victory at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

On a day remembered for Johnny Manziel's first meaningful snaps, the rookie quarterback might never have left the bench if not for West's gaffe. The bizarre play capped a 14-point Bills' eruption in a span of 10 seconds, all but ensuring defeat for the Browns.

"Most games in the NFL one play can change the whole game," West said. "I blame this game on me. When I fumbled the ball, lost the ball, they scored. That changed the game, it changed the momentum of the game so I blame this one on me."

Coach Mike Pettine did not disagree with his young running back, who also had a second-quarter fumble overturned by video review. The big mistake came just seconds after the Bills grabbed a 7-3 lead on a 3-yard Kyle Orton TD pass to Chris Hogan.

"I think the fumble by West really changed the whole flow of the game. It would've been a one score game and that's the frustrating thing. You can't be that loose with the football. It's inexcusable."

In fairness to West, there was ample blame to dispense between two offenses that committed five turnovers -- three by the Browns – and went a combined 5-of-27 on third down. On an unseasonably warm afternoon with temperatures in the 50s, the Browns (7-5) and Bills (7-5) only played like there was still seven feet of snow on the ground.

"Yeah, the turnovers kill you in this game," said quarterback Brian Hoyer, benched after throwing his second interception in the fourth quarter. "I don't think any of us played well enough to win today, myself included, and that's a shame because of where we're at in the season."

The Browns were flagged 10 times for 76 yards and that sum doesn't reflect a declined holding call on Joe Thomas during the West fumble. Whether it was the sight of the flags or the proximity of the turnover to the sidelines, many players stopped as Hughes stripped the ball from the running back and fell to the ground.

The Browns simply needed to tag Hughes for the play to be blown dead at the 18. Keep in mind, the Bills did not convert their first third down until 7:29 remained in the game. If they had limited the Bills to a field goal it would have remained a one-possession game. Hughes admitted he wasn't thinking of scoring after he pried the ball loose.

"When I get up and (Bills linebacker Brandon) Spikes yells, 'run' so I just take off," he said.

The turnover continued West's season of inconsistency. He's been good at times, unreliable at others. Such is life as a rookie halfback in the NFL. Both West and fellow first-year back Isaiah Crowell struggled Sunday against the Bills' stout defense.

West finished with seven carries for 32 yards, while Crowell managed 29 yards in 17 attempts on a day center Nick McDonald was lost to an ankle injury. The Browns rushed for 162 yards a week ago in Atlanta.

The Towson product believes Hughes just made an alert play on the fumble.

"I was just trying to fight for more yards and the guy had a good strip, a good play on his behalf," West said.

The rookie didn't get another carry until 9:37 remained. By then, Hoyer was gone and this strange game had been decided.

 

Wide receiver Miles Austin was hospitalized with a kidney injury following the Browns loss to the Bills.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Cleveland wide receiver Miles Austin suffered a kidney injury and was taken to a Buffalo-area hospital for further evaluation, the Browns said following Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Bills.

Austin complained of abdominal pain after the game and was transported to Erie County Medical Center as a precaution. He was to remain hospitalized overnight for observation, the team said in a statement.

Austin caught seven passes for a team-leading 86 yards, including a 30-yarder from Brian Hoyer in the second quarter. Austin was targeted nine times, and he was the recipient of Johnny Manziel's first career completion.

Austin's final play was a five-yard catch on fourth-and-six at the Browns' 16 with 2:43 remaining. Coach Mike Pettine challenged the spot of the ball, short of the first down, and the play was upheld.

Austin spoke briefly to reporters following the game and did not mention any discomfort.

Asked to pinpoint the issues with the passing game in recent weeks, Austin replied, "Honestly, the coaches would probably know a lot more about that. They probably know a lot more X's and O's than I do. I just have to go out and do my job.''

Austin is second on the team with 47 catches for 568 yards and has two touchdowns.

Gordon, Game 2: Josh Gordon also caught seven passes (13 targets) for 75 yards. Criticized last week for not fighting for balls that were intercepted, he knocked down at least one pass. However, he appeared to miss a cut on another that was intercepted.

"I'm not sure,'' Pettine said of the interception. "I'll have to check with Kyle (Shanahan) and Dowell (Loggains) and Mike McDaniel to get to the root of it.''

When the Browns needed Gordon's big-play ability to spark a rally in the second half, Gordon was limited to one catch, an 18-yarder from Manziel on the Browns' lone touchdown drive.

Bills safety Aaron Williams said keeping pressure on the quarterback was key to the corners keeping Gordon in check.

Holding back: Offensive tackle Joe Thomas was whistled for three holding penalties, but two were declined. The first declined penalty was on a third-down sack by linebacker Nigel Bradham, and on the second, Thomas' attempt to keep defensive end Jerry Hughes away from running back Isaiah Crowell was fruitless. Hughes stripped the ball, recovered the fumble and scored on an 18-yard return for a 14-3 lead.

Trailing, 17-3, on the 20-yard line in the second half, Thomas began a Browns' drive with a false start.

Thinner: The Browns lost two players in the first quarter at positions where they already were skating on thin ice. Tight end Gary Barnidge suffered a rib injury on a seven-yard catch during the opening drive. He did not return. The Browns once again were missing Jordan Cameron, who is recovering from a concussion.

Center Nick McDonald went out with an ankle injury on the next drive, which ended in a field goal. McDonald was hurt blocking on a running play. Sunday was his sixth start since replacing starter Alex Mack, who suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Ryan Seymour finished at center. He had an errant snap that resulted in Manziel getting crushed on an incomplete pass, but Manziel might have taken his eye off the ball.

Pick and a block: Cornerback Joe Haden intercepted a Kyle Orton pass and blocked a field-goal attempt. The interception was his third in three games, after getting none in the first nine games.

Haden blocked Dan Carpenter's 53-yard attempt at the end of the first half, preserving a 3-0 lead.

Plus-minus: Safety Jim Leonhard also intercepted an Orton pass in the end zone in the first half. Leonhard started for injured Tashaun Gipson, who led the NFL with six picks.

But with quarterback Brian Hoyer's two interceptions and Terrance West's lost fumble (for a touchdown), the Browns were minus-one on the day.

Cleveland has forced 20 turnovers on defense, and lost 13 of its own.

Return to sender: Leonhard's 12-yard punt return was the highlight of the Browns' struggling return game. Travis Benjamin had plenty of room to roam on Colton Schmidt 54-yard punt, but Benjamin fell when running toward the sideline. He later had a seven-yard return.

Remember him? Former Browns tight end MarQueis Gray's 41-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter set up a field goal. Gray also had a 30-yard catch in the first half.

Gray was with the Browns last season and caught two passes for eight yards. He was cut by the Vikings and recently signed by the Bills.

"Playing against my former team made it a lot more fun and a lot more competitive,'' he said.

Cundiff miss: Kicker Billy Cundiff hit a 22-yard field goal in the first half, but was wide on a 37-yard attempt after what appeared to be a high snap. He is 20-of-25 on the season.

Quick hits: Manziel's 10-yard touchdown was the first rushing TD by a Browns quarterback since 2010 (Colt McCoy).

The Browns were 2-for-12 on third down, and the Bills were 2-for-15. Cleveland had 10 penalties for 75 yards, Buffalo six for 45.

After going 3-for-3 with touchdowns in the red zone against the Jets on Monday, the Bills were 1-for-5 Sunday. The Browns were 1-for-3. Each team turned the ball over once in the red zone.

The Browns have won 12 of 20 games against the Bills since the AFL-NFL merger. The Bills lead the combined scoring, 386-366.

Up next: Cleveland (7-5) hosts the Colts (8-4) next Sunday at 1 p.m. Indianapolis beat Washington, 49-27, on Sunday.

Buffalo (7-5) plays at Denver, which was 8-3 heading into Sunday night's game against Kansas City.

Listen to the archive of our Sunday night Browns show.

• The quarterback switch.
• Will Mike Pettine stick with Johnny Manziel?
• Who else deserves blame for today's loss?
• Is next week's game a must-win?

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