Ohio State has been the favorite to land Juwuan Briscoe since he decommitted from Clemson in November. The Buckeyes will learn the three-star cornerback's fate on New Year's Day.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer is most concerned with earning a victory over Alabama on New Year's Day, but he could find something to celebrate before Ohio State kicks off its College Football Playoff game in the Sugar Bowl. 

That's because three-star cornerback Juwuan Briscoe of Waldorf (Md.) Thomas Stone is set to announce his decision between Ohio State and Georgia on Jan. 1. 

will be deciding on January 1st

— Juwuan Briscoe (@_AyeeLilWuan) December 23, 2014

Rated by 247Sports the No. 40 cornerback in the 2015 class, Briscoe has been a priority for Meyer for months. Meyer hoped to flip Briscoe from his Clemson commitment when Ohio State hosted him for an official visit for the Buckeyes' 55-14 win over Illinois on Nov. 1.

It didn't happen during the visit, but Briscoe broke ties with the Tigers in November. In the time since, the 6-foot, 182-pound prospect has been on commitment watch for the Buckeyes' 2015 recruiting class. 

Four-star OG Josh Wariboko announced Ohio State in his final three and an announcement date of Jan. 2, 2015 on Tuesday. Do the Buckeyes have room for Wariboko in their class?

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Before Ohio State had such an impressive offensive line haul to put the finishing touches on its 2015 recruiting class, four-star offensive guard Josh Wariboko of Oklahoma City (Okla.) Cassady School was once considered one of Urban Meyer's top prospects. 

But as the Buckeyes earned verbal commitments from Matthew Burrell, Branden Bowen and Mirko Jurkovic since mid-November, it doesn't seem as if Ohio State would have room for Wariboko now. 

Which is why it was interesting Wariboko included Ohio State in his final three with Oklahoma and UCLA and a decision date on Jan. 2, 2015 on Tuesday morning. 

no order!![?] Decision Date: 1/2/2014 pic.twitter.com/nW2DV6PGdv

— Josh Wariboko (@JoshuaJ45) December 23, 2014

Rated by 247Sports the No. 7 offensive guard in the 2015 recruiting class, the 6-foot-3.5, 315-pound prospect likely isn't heading to Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven't been that active in his recruitment, and they already filled up its offensive line quota. 

According to 247Sports' "Crystal Ball" – a tool that polls recruiting experts to predict college destinations for prospects – UCLA is the favorite to land Wariboko with 73 percent of the 30 votes. Oklahoma is second with 20 percent and Ohio State has seven. 

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett had his season end with a fractured ankle against Michigan, but his goal of helping the Buckeyes win a championship remains the same. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.T. Barrett was working out with former Major League pitcher turned quarterback coach Tom House back in May when the topic of Tom Brady came up.

It made sense for Barrett to be working out with House. He was a third-string quarterback coming off a redshirt season who had no idea how much his life would change four months later when Braxton Miller got injured.

What Barrett couldn't wrap his mind around was why Brady — the three-time Super Bowl champion and surefire NFL Hall of Famer — would ever spend his time working with House or any other "quarterback guru."

The answer was simple: Brady just wanted to get a little better. So that became Barrett's mantra.

"Not trying to take it all at one time, not trying to do a million different things at once, but just a little something each week to try to get better at. I'd say that's something I'm most proud about," Barrett said earlier this month when recapping his season just four days after breaking his ankle against Michigan.

He spoke then like a senior who had his final season taken way from him, reflecting on a career rather than just one season.

Barrett still has plenty of time left, but there was a lot packed into his 2014 campaign. He went from relative unknown to a Heisman Trophy candidate before it ended when his ankle fractured on a run early in the fourth quarter of that game against Michigan.

Ohio State will play Alabama on Jan. 1 in the Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes will be part of history as a participant in the first College Football Playoff. Barrett will be there, but won't have a say in the outcome.

The idea behind Ohio State's offense, as Urban Meyer has decried ad nauseam, is surrounding the quarterback with skilled playmakers, so it would be disingenuous to say Ohio State is in this position solely because of Barrett.

But he was certainly part of it. Now he has to watch.

*****

Jim Garfield was at a women's volleyball match at the University of Texas with his daughter when a cold sweat broke out over his body, forcing him to get up and talk a walk to gather himself.

He was watching Ohio State's game against Michigan on his cell phone — football is that important to some people in Texas — when he saw Barrett keep the ball on a read-option and get awkwardly tackled.

"I felt like I was going to throw up," Garfield, Barrett's high school coach, told cleveland.com by phone from Texas. "J.T. doesn't lay down for nobody. I knew when he stayed down something was wrong."

View full sizeOhio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett is carted off the field after fracturing his ankle against Michigan.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Garfield had seen the look on Barrett's face before — the look that his season was over with still so much left to accomplish.

Barrett tore his ACL during his senior season at Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas. Rider went on to reach the state semifinals, and lost in double overtime with Barrett on the sideline.

"Rough game," Garfield said. "I truly believe if we had J.T., and no disrespect to the next man, I believe we play for a state championship."

So Barrett knows what that broken ankle against Michigan cost him. He's had an opportunity to play for a championship taken away from him before.

"You wonder why," Barrett said. "You have those little talks with God and say, 'Why now?' But you never know. You take it for what is."

*****

It's up for debate as to when the conversation surrounding Barrett started to change.

It could've been when he threw six touchdowns in a blowout win over Kent State, but how much stock can you really put in a game like that? It's more likely that the game against Cincinnati was the turning point for Barrett.

The talk that week was all about Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel, the once highly-touted recruit who was finally showing what he could do after being a college football nomad of sorts. With the way Ohio State and Barrett played in a season-opening win over Navy, and in a week two loss to Virginia Tech, it wasn't a given that the Buckeyes would beat a Cincinnati team that was scoring a ton.

Barrett played his best game to that point and Ohio State beat Cincinnati, 50-28. Barrett was decisive, showed an ability to make plays with his legs and most importantly started to shed the freshman jitters that showed in the first two weeks.

Maybe that's when Barrett started to learn something about himself.

"I think it was just that I am able to play in this league at this level, and play well," Barrett said. "But also that all the things that we talk about here, going to plan well so it's not a one-hit wonder, or one of those game where you just balled out. Being consistent over time. You have to prepare, otherwise none of this happens."

There were other struggles, Barrett didn't have his best game in a night game at Penn State, but carried the Buckeyes to a double overtime win on a sprained MCL.

View full sizeOhio State quarterback J.T. Barrett celebrates his first touchdown against Michigan State.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

If there was any thought that Barrett was merely a flash in the pan, or was only playing well because Ohio State was playing bad teams, he put that to bed against Michigan State. It was Barrett's best game of the season. He threw for 300 yards, ran for 86 yards and had five total touchdowns.

He was a quarterback.

"You learn from things," Barrett said after the Michigan State game. "We learn from the Virginia Tech game, learn from the Penn State game as far as offense, and having to move the ball and score in the second half because we didn't do that in that game. Trying to take every experience, good or bad, and learn from it."

Garfield, who watched every game he could, saw a change in Barrett. He always had talent, but this version Garfield was watching on his TV, phone, computer or any other device was different.

"I think it was more of a confidence thing," Garfield said. "He just seemed to be hitting his targets. He kept the ball away from defenders. The great thing that I saw with him were his reads were right on. The runs and things like that, we worked in high school. He seemed a lot sharper in his decision to plant that foot and get going."

The arm strength, which was a question coming into the season, seemed to get better, and Barrett made more plays with his legs than anyone anticipated. At least anyone who never saw Barrett play in high school.

Garfield's favorite play was the 86-yard touchdown run Barrett had in win at Minnesota.

"That's old J.T. stuff," Garfield said. "Get it and go. People don't understand how fast that young man is. He showed it then. Just stick it, get going and out-run folks."

Just a little something each week to try to get better at.

*****

People had taken notice, and Barrett's season was over, so Meyer thought it was a good time to make his pitch.

"He's a Heisman candidate too, and he should be invited to New York. If he's not, then there is something wrong," Meyer said before the Big Ten Championship. "He has Heisman statistics ... He's got very excellent statistics, and he's a leader of one of the top five teams in America, so I hope that that young man is invited to New York, and he should be."

Barrett was never going to win the Heisman Trophy. Not with Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota still around. But Meyer was right about the numbers.

View full sizeInjured Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) enters the field on a push cart before the Big Ten Championship.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Barrett is second in the nation in passer rating. His 34 passing touchdowns are an Ohio State record and are the sixth-most in the nation. Barrett broke Drew Brees' Big Ten record for total touchdowns, finishing the year with 45.

Maybe — maybe — if Barrett didn't get hurt against Michigan he would have been invited to New York. He's never been there before, and he thought about it.

"I'd definitely be excited," Barrett said before the announcement. "You dream about that stuff. I haven't even thought about it. Growing up I never thought about going to the Heisman, winning the Heisman, things like that, but it's definitely something crazy. I remember watching Vince Young and Reggie Bush back in 2005, then watching RGIII. That was the first time, when I was fifth grade watching it and seeing that stuff. That would be a blessing."

Barrett didn't get the invite. Mariota won.

Did the injury take something else away from Barrett? Possibly. It's likely he didn't care if it did.

*****

There's an uncertain future as it stands right now with Ohio State's quarterback position. Barrett will be ready for the spring. Braxton Miller is on pace to return for a fifth season by all accounts. The jury is still out in a sense on Cardale Jones, but who saw this coming?

But before any of that matters, Barrett wants to win a championship. Any way he can.

When Barrett went down during his senior season of high school, Rider lost its starting quarterback, but in some ways gained another coach with Barrett on the sideline.

"That was a pretty devastating blow for our team," Garfield said. "The thing we got from it was a vocal leader from the sideline all the time. When he's on the grass, in between the lines, he does some tremendous things with leading by example and with his voice. Those are really unique for a young man his age."

Barrett found a way to stay involved then. And he found a way now.

View full sizeJ.T. Barrett sits in the stands after breaking his ankle against Michigan.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

For as soft-spoken and reserved as Barrett can seem off the field, he's apparently pretty good at getting his team riled up. He gave a speech before the win over Kent State that was talked about all season. He gave another speech after getting injured against Michigan.

And even before the Big Ten Championship, Barrett addressed the team. What was the message?

"Everything that has led up to this point will mean nothing if we don't finish what we had to do in Indianapolis," running back Ezekiel Elliott said.

It was similar to the tone Barrett took when he and Garfield talked about not getting invited to New York.

"He said, 'Coach it doesn't mean anything if we don't win a championship.,'" Garfield said.

That would be the only fitting end to Barrett's season. Even if he's not on the field for it.

"My main goal coming in here was definitely to start and play here, do well, whatever," Barrett said. "At the end of the day I am about the team and winning a national championship. Winning a Big Ten championship. Winning championships period. That's always our goal as a team. I can't do that by myself. All the records and awards are all cool, but if I walk away from Ohio State without a championship, then I'm not satisfied."

Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed recap the news from Berea as Johnny Manziel looks to rebound for the Browns Sunday against the Panthers. Also watch video with Mike Pettine on rookies Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed fill you in on what happened the last couple days in Berea, including Connor Shaw probably starting at quarterback Sunday in place of injured Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel.

Topics include:

• Brian Hoyer still not throwing the football because of his injured shoulder and Johnny Manziel going on the IR.
• Connor Shaw and Tyler Thigpen taking the first team reps.
• Rookie cornerback getting tough love from players and coaches in hopes that he comes back next year and changes his ways and becomes a good pro.
• Rookie running back Terrance West getting some of the same treatment.
• Browns say their not giving up on Johnny Manziel at quarterback after just seven quarters of action.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

Facebook page: CLEvideos

Mike Pettine says he's not even close to giving up on Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert despite their rookie struggles. He predicts a much better year for Gilbert in 2015 and says Manziel will have "every opportunity'' to compete for the job next season.

BEREA, Ohio -- Brown coach Mike Pettine stressed Wednesday that he's nowhere near ready to give up on first-round picks Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert despite their rookie struggles.

Manziel admitted Tuesday that he didn't take his job seriously enough but that it wouldn't be fair to write him off already, and Gilbert has been called out by Pettine and team leaders Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner for not being professional enough. The No. 8 overall pick has watched his playing time fizzle this season, and played only 22% of the snaps last week at Carolina despite Joe Haden being out with a shoulder injury.

"Are we ready to write both of those players off as busts because they didn't produce as rookies?'' Pettine said. "I'm not anywhere near that point. That's just a knee-jerk. Some rookies come in and play right away. Others it takes some time.''

Pettine said he agrees with Manziel, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with his hamstring injury, that it would be unfair to cast him aside after only seven quarters of football.

"Yeah, absolutely,'' said Pettine. "I just think that's being created that we're looking to write him off already. He's a player on our roster. He's going to have every opportunity to compete next year. But that, to me, is so far in the future. We'll assess it all when we get done and every position will be addressed."

Still, he stopped short of annointing Manziel the Browns quarterback of the future -- which is significant considering he was the No. 22 overall pick last year and that the Browns traded up from No. 26 to get him. Most teams that draft a quarterback in the first round unabashedly tout him as their franchise quarterback.
 
"I can't speak on going forward,'' he said. "It's all hands on deck for Sunday. And we have plenty of time to assess, we'll take some time off as coaches, we'll get together with the personnel staff early in January and go through the roster A to Z, prioritize needs, rank it, look at available ... you look at everything. but just still with a game to go, it'd be unfair to sit here and try to talk about a position for next year.''

Asked if it's alarming or encouraging that Manziel has acknowledged he didn't take the job seriously enough, Pettine said, "A little bit of both. I think all rookies go through it. It's rare you have a rookie like Joel Bitonio that comes in and it's seamless. Sometimes you have guys come in that have a brother in the league or a good friend or are somehow better prepared for it.

"But most rookies are shocked by the speed of the game or the challenge it brings. You're going from being a student where football is essentially a part time thing to this is your 9-to-5 plus. You might as well carry a brief case. It's your job. It does probably shock more guys than it doesn't."

Pettine said he has no problem with veterans such Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner calling out Gilbert for not being professional. Dansby said Gilbert isn't living up to his first-round status and Whitner told espn.com that it's been a wasted year for the Oklahoma State product.

"We're in the 'whatever it takes' business and if it takes for that to happen and our guys are confident in saying that -- because what they're saying publicly is no different than what they're saying to the kid -- so it's not like they're trying to communicate with him through the media,'' said Pettine. "And I'm the same way. I can sit here and say some things about him because it's nothing different when I've sat him down in my office and looked him in the eye and said the same things to him.

"As coaches, you have to learn what motivates your guys and everybody's different. You can't broadstroke it. You can't try to coach everybody the same. Part of being a coach is putting on that teacher hat, that psychologist hat and what motivates you might be totaly different from what motivates you and what motivates you, so that's part of what we have to do as coaches is learn how to do it and we're hopeful that this 'tough love' will be beneficial for Justin.''

Gilbert ignored interview requests Wednesday and sprinted through the locker with a cell phone glued to his ear in 'don't-even-bother-trying-to-talk-to-me' mode. He's been largely absent from the open locker room periods for the past month or so while his coaches and teammates have publicly chastised him.

 "It's not his ability, but it's a lot of little things,'' said Pettine. "It's how he prepares each week. It's just a lot of stuff that's internal and our guys see it. That's why whether it's a Dansby or a Whitner, they see it. If he didn't have the ability, if he didn't have the potential to live up to the hype, live up to where we took him, then I think our guys wouldn't really deal with him. But the fact they see how good he can be because he's shown it in flashes, they know he just has to be more consistent. A big part of his consistency needs to come from just being a pro. Our guys see that. Certainly our coaches see that but it's being reinforced by the players."
 
Despite the lost season for Gilbert -- he started only two games this season and only because the Browns opened in the nickel -- Pettine is certain that things will be different next year. As a top 10 pick, he should've cracked the starting lineup by at least midseason.

"I'm very much looking forward to a very productive offseason – not just Justin, but the team, but for him especially and an acceleration in his maturity part of it,'' said Pettine. "I'm confident we'll see a better Justin Gilbert next fall."
 
Pettine stressed that Gilbert is listening to his coaches, although he told cleveland.com last month that he resisted the coaching at first, thinking that his way was better.

"He's coachable,'' said Pettine. "It's not from a football standpoint. It's not a lack of coaching. I'm not going to go into details, but it's a lot of little things."
 
He said it's hard to pinpoint what motivates Gilbert, the first cornerback off the board after the Browns traded down from No. 4 to No. 9 and then back up to No. 8 to take him.

"He's responded to some things,'' said Pettine. "Again, I don't want to open up his personal file and start going through it. It is a lot of personal stuff.''

Likewise, Pettine said he expects a better 2015 out of third-round running back Terrance West, who was benched last week at Carolina. Pettine said both West and Gilbert lost game reps because "neither of those guys had a very good week.''

"I just think that big jump is made for a lot of those guys -- like what Johnny talked about--  just the NFL was more than they thought. For some, it just takes times to adjust to it so I'm confident that all of our guys, especially going through a new system in year one because I know we'll be better as a staff next year, as well."

Central Michigan elected to go for two and the win, only to have the pass drop incomplete.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- A miracle comeback for Central Michigan on a record-setting day by quarterback Cooper Rush fell just short at the inaugural Bahamas Bowl.

Down by 35 points with 12 minutes remaining, Central Michigan scored the final five touchdowns of the game, including a three-lateral, 75-yard dazzler on the final play. But Western Kentucky escaped with a 49-48 victory Wednesday when Rush's 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Rush was officially credited with seven touchdown passes, a bowl record, in the first college football postseason game played outside the U.S. or Canada since Jan. 1, 1937. The last of his TD passes came on a wild sequence in which six Chippewas touched the ball.

"It was a roller-coaster ride," said Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty, who threw for five touchdowns and increased his nation-leading total to 49 on the season. "We were just lucky and blessed that we got the win."

Very lucky.

The Chippewas got the ball on their own 25 with a second remaining after a punt, trailing 49-42. Rush threw deep to Jesse Kroll, who caught the ball between three Western Kentucky defenders at the Hilltoppers' 29. Kroll advanced the ball slightly before lateraling to Deon Butler, who got the ball to Courtney Williams just before getting tackled.

Williams then tossed the ball to Titus Davis, who caught it at the 15 and outran three Western Kentucky players to the end zone, reaching to knock over the pylon as he fell out of bounds to complete the bizarre play.

On the conversion pass for the win, Rush tried to find Kroll again, before the play was broken up by Western Kentucky's Wonderful Terry.

A wonderful finish, indeed.

"I want to tell Central Michigan that's one heck of a job by them," Western Kentucky coach Jeff Brohm said. "They showed the heart and spirit that this game is all about."

The ending largely overshadowed a huge day by Doughty, who threw for 486 yards.

Doughty completed 31 of 42 passes for the Hilltoppers (8-5) and capped the sixth-highest single-season touchdown total in major college football history.

Rush threw for 485 yards. He never had more than three touchdowns in a college game, and wound up being credited with five in the final 12 minutes for the Chippewas (7-6). Anthony Wales and Leon Allen added touchdown runs for the Hilltoppers.

Davis had three touchdown grabs and then was credited with a fourth on the final play for Central Michigan.

Western Kentucky got touchdowns on all six of its first-half possessions, with the average length of those drives being a mere 2 minutes, 9 seconds. The quick-strike Hilltoppers finished the season with 577 points, the average of 44.4 points ranking sixth-best among FBS teams in 2014 -- and didn't punt for the first time on Wednesday until 10 minutes remained in the game.

Doughty and Rush exchanged touchdown passes on the game's first two possessions. After that, Western Kentucky went on a tear.

The Hilltoppers got the next three scores to go up 28-7, before Rush made a great play that figured to give the Chippewas a chance to stay in the game.

Facing a fourth-and-15 from the Western Kentucky 30 with 2:55 left in the half and on a drive where penalties had knocked Central Michigan out of field-goal range, Rush stepped up against a blitz and found Williams over the middle for a score to make it 28-14.

But the Hilltoppers got into the end zone twice more before the half, reclaiming full control.

Doughty had a shot at getting his 50th touchdown pass with about 6 minutes left on a 55-yard gain to McNeal, but he was stripped by Central Michigan's Joe Ostman. And not only did the record nearly slip away, but the game nearly did as well.

This game was the first of a planned run of at least six years of bowl matchups in the Bahamas. They'll be hard-pressed to see another one like this.

The problems that are soon to follow with Anderson Varejao out for the year; also, free agent Jermaine O'Neal tells when he'll make a decision.

MIAMI, Fla. – With news that Anderson Varejao is lost for the season with an Achilles tear, the Cavaliers will be forced to accelerate their search for a serviceable big man.

To say this is a huge blow to the organization is an understatement. Varejao was the only legitimate-sized center on the roster who could give them quality minutes.

In the meantime, Tristan Thompson will likely step into the starting center spot.

However, Thompson is not a true center and the extra minutes he receives at the position could limit his effectiveness. Now the question will be who subs for him?

The rest of Cleveland's bigs consist of Brendan Haywood, Lou Amundson and rookie Alex Kirk. That's why it's vital that general manager David Griffin uses the assets at his disposal to bring in immediate frontcourt help.

The Cavaliers will be able to apply for the disabled players exception worth $5 million. They also own a $5.3 million trade exception. Those exceptions cannot be combined to acquire one player.

Cleveland has been linked to Denver's Timofey Mozgov and Memphis' Kosta Koufos, but no movement has occurred. Northeast Ohio Media Group learned that prior to Varejao going down, the Cavaliers inquired about Josh Smith before he agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets.

The feeler on Smith was more of a due diligence call, we're told.

Free-agent center Jermaine O'Neal would be a key fit and he acknowledged to NEOMG that the Cavaliers have reached out. The 18-year veteran says he has personally spoken to a few teams, but the Cavaliers aren't one of them.

Cleveland hasn't been ruled out. He reiterated that his wife, daughter and son would have the final say on if he pursues a 19^th season or hangs it up. He says he expects to make a final decision in the next 2-3 weeks.

"My family has sacrificed all these years," O'Neal told NEOMG. "My wife's career has been on the backburner because of mine. My daughter is one of the best basketball players in the country and I enjoy watching her play. I'm even coaching my son. It's all about them at this point in my life.

"If I play, I would be a tremendous help to a team. I know how to keep my body ready for competition. I absolutely love this game and would give my all. I just need to take some time to evaluate things with my family."

Griffin has a lot of work to do. This is a major setback. We'll soon see how this all unfolds.

Hartley's daughter, Hinsley Rose, died on Nov. 26.

BEREA, Ohio – Garrett Hartley did not point to the sky Sunday after converting his first two field goals with the Browns. There were no outward displays of emotion as the footballs sailed between the uprights.

The new Browns placekicker simply gazed to the heavens in tribute to the baby girl he'll never know.

"I had a guardian angel looking over me," he said.

Less than 48 hours after delivering a eulogy for Hinsley Rose Hartley in New Orleans, he rejoined the Browns and made a pair of field goals and an extra point in a 17-13 loss to Carolina in Charlotte. Hartley did not want to divulge any details other than to say his girlfriend, Olivia Ruby, was seven months pregnant when unexpected complications suddenly arose Nov. 26.

He nearly lost two great loves that day, Hartley said, as doctors gave Olivia a 10 percent chance to survive. She spent six days in intensive care and three additional days in a New Orleans hospital.

Nothing is like game day knowing our guardian angel HRH is watching over us @oliviakelsey #DawgPound #blessed pic.twitter.com/izf3zRhIFR

— Garrett Hartley (@GHartley5) December 21, 2014

"She's still recovering, getting a little better every day," Hartley said Friday.

Hartley, who helped the Saints reach and win Super Bowl XLIV, expressed his gratitude to his new teammates and the Browns' organization for supporting him through one of the most trying weeks of his life. The Browns were aware of the family's loss when signing him Dec. 13.

The club allowed him to return to New Orleans last Thursday. He reunited with them Sunday before the game.

Hartley, 28, said the theme of his eulogy was the joy their daughter brought them over the past seven months.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet but Hinsley Rose is the sweetest," he wrote on a social media account. "The service was without question one from a best selling novel, from the flowers to the intricate wood work on her casket. With our family and friends by our side, we managed to get through the trailing day. We were so blessed to have her for the short seven months that we did."

He described the little kicks in Olivia's belly that became big ones and the "priceless" pictures and videos from the ultrasounds.  

"It is unknown at times what God has planned for us as individuals, as a couple, and as a family," he wrote. "I can't fathom for one second that down the road that we will know why He decided to bring her home oh so early."

Standing in the locker room, Hartley spoke of the importance of his faith and how the tragedy has brought the couple closer together.

"Our daughter came into this world without sin and now she's in God's hands," he said.

Other notes include the coach's reaction to his Pro-Bowl nominees.

BEREA, Ohio – Despite winning seven games and leading the AFC North for a week in November, Browns coach Mike Pettine reiterated Wednesday it's all about how you finish a season.

The Browns enter the finale in Baltimore with a chance to compile a winning record for the first time in seven years. They also could end the year on a five-game losing streak.

Pettine said regardless of Sunday's result the campaign is laced with disappointment because of the late-season slide. He added, however, the Browns' goal is building toward long-term success.

He believes owner Jimmy Haslam, who's fired two coaches in the past two years, has a similar vision.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Pettine said. "I get together with Jimmy for a minimum of an hour every week. We are very much on the same page, as far as our vision for the team today, our vision for the team this weekend, our vision for the team moving forward."

After firing coach Rob Chudzinski and the management team last offseason, Haslam set up a new hierarchy in which both the general manager Ray Farmer and Pettine report directly to him.

Pettine was asked if there were things he would have done differently during his rookie season.

"I have a whole list," he said. "I'd do a lot of things differently. Made a ton of mistakes. I admit that. We're going to look at it as an organization, do our own self-scout, our own audit, and make sure they don't happen again."

He was about how quickly the Browns had plummeted from 7-4 and in playoff contention to their current state.

"You're just a couple Sundays away from being a coach-of-the-year candidate to the Village Idiot Hall of Fame," Pettine said. "It's been a roller-coaster ride and it's been tough. You're gauged ultimately on how you finish. What's the end result? We have a chance to get to 8-8. And for us that's disappointing, because we left some wins out there.

"But it's part of the process. We live in a society of instant gratification. Everybody wants to win right now. Nobody wants to hear it takes time. It's a rebuilding process. We don't want to hear that. We want to win. But at the same time understand that we want long-term sustained success. And we need to make sure we build it the right way, with a strong foundation."

--- Quarterback Brian Hoyer (shoulder) and receiver Andrew Hawkins (thumb) remained idle Wednesday at practice.

--- Pettine was happy to see Joe Thomas, Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson named to the Pro Bowl. He was particularly pleased for Gipson, a third-year pro who reached the NFL as an undrafted free agent.

The free safety intercepted six passes in 11 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Gipson should recover in time to play in the Jan. 24 all-star game.

"That's a special one," Pettine said of Gipson. "Here's a guy that was undrafted (and) to go from undrafted to making the Pro Bowl is such an accomplishment . . . To me, it's so well deserved and he was absolutely thrilled and typical him, he just wanted to thank his teammates, his coaches, you just see the kind of kid he is."

--- Thomas became the first offensive lineman in NFL history make the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons.  

"I told Joe Thomas that they were going to change the name of (the Pro Bowl) to the 'Joe Thomas Invitational' or 'Joe Thomas and friends Pro Bowl,'" the coach said.

--- Pettine was asked Wednesday if any other of his players merited Pro-Bowl consideration. (Strong safety Donte Whitner was named an alternate.) Petine mentioned rookie left guard Joel Bitonio.

"It's tough because a lot of guys usually it takes a little bit of time when they first start to play well," the coach said. "Bitonio I know was a guy that's played at a high level all year. I've gotten a lot of comments from opposing coaches, guys that I know that have watched the tape and just see how good a player he is."

Bitonio was "disappointed" not to earn the nod, but also quite understanding given his rookie status.

--- The Browns added long snapper Charley Hughlett to the active roster from the Chiefs' practice squad. The club wants to see Hughlett (6-4, 248 pounds) in practice, but Pettine expects Christian Yount to snap on Sunday. Hughlett has played for the Patriots, Jaguars, Browns and Chiefs. Earlier this season, he spent Week 5 on the Browns practice squad.

--- The Browns also placed defensive line Ishmaa'ily Kitchen (leg) on injured reserve.

It's a bad time for the Heat to be hosting LeBron James, but the team's players and coaches don't seem to mind.

MIAMI – A sizable media pack migrated from its huddle with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after Wednesday's practice and descended upon Dwyane Wade.

"Hey we have media," Wade bellowed. "LeBron James must be in town."

Indeed, James and the Cavaliers are here for a Christmas Day showdown with the Heat. And as Wade observed, the matchup is generating quite a bit of attention – the kind of attention paid to the Heat when James, Wade, and Co. went to four Finals and won two in James' four seasons here.

James' return couldn't come at a worse time for Miami. Chris Bosh has missed the past several games with a calf injury, and Spoelstra said "I'm not planning" on Bosh playing against the Cavs.

The Heat fell to 13-16 Tuesday night by blowing a 23-point lead in a home loss to lowly Philadelphia, which Spoelstra called a "kick in the gut."

Really, though, the kick came on July 11, when James announced he was returning to Cleveland. The Cavs know the feeling – they went 97-215 in the four years after he bolted Cleveland for South Beach in 2010.

But in interviews on Wednesday, the Heat's players and coaches seemed at peace with James' departure because of all that was accomplished while he was here. They spoke proudly of the legacy he left with Miami and without a trace of uneasiness heading into their first game (that counts) against their old teammate.

"He left an unbelievable legacy," Wade said of James, whom Wade called one "of my best friends."

"In four years, he did what players haven't done their whole career," Wade said.

Spoelstra said pictures of James from those championship runs still hang in his office – the Heat won the Finals in 2012 and 2013, losing in 2011 and 2014 – and pictures of James can still be found in parts of AmericanAirlines Arena.

"It's not as if we're trying to deny what happened the last four years," Spoelstra said.

All week, questions asked and stories written have centered on two main questions: what will the Christmas reunion be like for James and his former teammates, and how will Miami fans receive him?

James' first game in Cleveland as a Heat player resurfaced again Wednesday – because it's such an obvious point of reference – and both Spoelstra and Wade spoke of that night (Dec. 2, 2010) when they accompanied James to The Q with a certain kind of awe.

Not the flattering kind for Cleveland, either.

"I can't imagine it ever being anything like that," Spoelstra comparing the atmosphere he expects in Miami Thursday with that night in Cleveland. "That was incredible. That might've been the most volatile regular season crowd I've ever experienced. ... Our fans aren't angry."

Wade added: "It was very unfortunate the fans felt they needed to act that way that night, when the best player in their history was coming back.

"But at the same time, you do understand the hurt, you know, of losing their son, their child, their basketball god, in a sense, but that was awful," Wade said.

The psychology associated with "The Decision" has long been discussed. But putting aside the emotions of James' northeast Ohio roots and their impact on both his departure and return to Cleveland, when James left the Cavaliers he was not yet a winner.

The closest James ever brought Cleveland to a title was the 2007 Finals, when the Cavaliers were swept by San Antonio.

"He'll do phenomenal things there," Wade said, reiterating a point he's made over and over that James' decision to return to Cleveland was the "right" one because it's "home."

There's still an awkwardness factor, or at least there was, for Miami to see James wearing Cavs colors again. But much of that seems to have been dealt with when the two teams met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the preseason.

"That was probably more, for me, more awkward," Spoelstra said. "I can't speak for the rest of the team. In my anticipation, that was more awkward than what I can anticipate tomorrow."

Or, as Wade joked: "The NBA messed up, put us together in the preseason. So we got that out of the way."

"I don't think it's going to be awkward at all," said Miami's Mario Chalmers, who, like Wade, has maintained contact with James. "I think it's going to be fun. I am sure he's going to bring his A game, the fans are gonna be there, we've got to bring our A game as well."

Browns linebacker Karlos Dansby urged both Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert to step up to the plate and start acting like first-round picks. He said they'll be gone if they don't dedicate themselves to the game and work to be great.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns linebacker Karlos Dansby said first-round picks Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert both wasted their first seasons and better get it together in a hurry or they'll be gone.

"When you're a first-round pick, you've got to c'mon, man'' said Dansby. "They've got to reset their goals and they've got to do it fast.''

He agreed with safety Donte Whitner that Gilbert wasted his rookie season by not working hard enough and said Manziel obviously feels he wasted his by not putting in the time.

"There's so much (Gilbert) could've done better and he didn't put forth the effort,'' said Dansby. "So yeah, it's a wasted year.

"Like Johnny said the same thing, it's a wasted year for him. That's how he feels. He's like 'damn, I've got to take this more seriously. I've wasted all this time.' That's basically what he's saying. So it's like 'don't waste your time man, because it's precious bro. You never know when you're going to be done. You're one play away from never playing this game again.'''

Dansby said he was surprised to hear Manziel publicly admit Tuesday that he has to take it more seriously because this is his job now.

"When did you figure that out?'' said Dansby. "When I saw the statement, I was like 'hold on, so what are you saying?' But that's the thing with a lot of rookies these days. Their only goal is to get into the NFL. They want the glam and the flash but they're not willing to put in the grind and the work and the time in order to be great. They want it to just fall in their lap and it doesn't happen like that.''

Dansby rattled off a list of first round picks, especially quarterbacks, that flamed out quickly after only a few years, the Matt Leinarts and Ryan Leafs and Tim Tebows.
 
"The list goes on and on,'' said Dansby. "All of a sudden, it's your second year, third year, fourth year and then you're gone. There's no time to waste. You can't take a day off. You've really got to put in some work and now they understand that. It's a job, this is work.''

Dansby said he and Whitner have taken it upon themselves to bring out the greatness in Gilbert, the Browns' No. 8 overall pick.
 
"You've got to live up to expectations and you've got to play up to expectations and that's what we expect of him,'' said Dansby.  "It's a learning curve for him and we all understand that, but at some point the switch has to turn on and you've got to go for it and we haven't seen him just go for it and do it on a consistent basis.''

He said Gilbert hasn't shown the willingness in any facet of his preparation.

"He needs to step up to the plate  in practice, meetings, everything,'' he said. "Being a pro, it takes a lot. It's a lot of stress, a lot of pressure. We're trying to teach him.  But he's got to want it for himself. If you don't want it for yourself, you'll be average, and we know the potential that he has.

"You see it and we want him to go, put your head down and go. Be the guy that we know you can be. We see it, he'll show a flash here and there, just do it on a consistent basis.''

He said he's played with some of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and he knows what they do to be great.

"I've played with Patrick Peterson, Vontae Davis, Sean Smith, Joe Haden and they do it on a consistent basis,'' he said. "They study film. They know what the hell's going on. They know their role, their position, how they're supposed to play their technique. They got it down pat and they're working on it day in and day out all the time. They want to be the best, every last one of them.''

He said the Browns have used "tough love'' on Gilbert all year because coddling doesn't work in the NFL.

"You can't babysit nobody,'' he said. "This is a grown man's game, so we have to give him that tough love because we know he's got it in him. Somehow, someway we have to pull it up out of him. If it's ticking him off, then we have to tick him off.

"We've got to strike that nerve in him to make him take his game to the next level because we know he's got it in him. We see it.''

He said he's seen plenty of guys turn it around after a rocky start.

"That first year is going to be rough as hell,'' he said. "Once it clicks in that second year, I've seen guys take off and never look back.''

Whitner said Gilbert didn't say anything to him about him telling him publicly to stop acting like a kid.

"No, because it's the truth,'' he said. "He understands that. We're going to move forward. We need him to be that fourth or fifth guy in the secondary that can go out there and make plays that we can rely on. He's going to work on it and he's going to become that guy. He understands now. He's been able to go through a full season with us. he wants to be a great player, hopefully he can act on that.''

Like coach Mike Pettine, Whitner believes the Oklahoma State product has the talent to succeed.
 
"It's all about mindset in this league. he has all the physical ability in the world. take the job seriously? are you very detail-oriendted. just come with right mindset day in, day out, he'll be ok.''

Said Joe Haden, who just made his second straight Pro Bowl: "Everybody has their bumps in the road as a rookie. I know I did. It's just making sure you have to be very, very professional. It's a business at end of day and you have to realize that. It's not like college football, high school football. You've got to be able to be mature enough to start making all your meetings and just making everything you need to be to. He's starting to really learn that. He's starting to get better at it, it just takes a little time. I did the same thing. he's going to be all right.''

The best from the NBA this week

The Trail Blazers are legitimate contenders in a top-heavy Western Conference, and consistent production from third-year guard Damian Lillard is a big reason why. Meanwhile, Grizzlies veteran Vince Carter threw down a dunk that hearkened back to his younger years.

Dunk of the Week

Carter has a reputation for high-flying slam dunks, but it's been a few years since he did anything quite like this. At 37 years old, Carter still knows how to get to get to the rim and put defenders on a poster.

Play of the Week

If this play looks familiar, it's because it's nearly identical to the shot Lillard drained to send the Trail Blazers past the Rockets in the playoffs last season:

Top Performances

5. Monta Ellis, Mavericks
Dec. 20 vs. Spurs: 38 points, 4 steals, 1 assist

When Rajan Rondo arrived in Dallas there were questions about how he and Ellis would coexist. Ellis showed there wasn't going to be an issue right out the gate, dropping 38 points in Rondo's Mavericks debut, a 99-93 victory against the Spurs. So far, Rondo (the league leader in assists) and Ellis (a heavy shooter) are getting along just fine and there's no reason to believe they won't produce more of the same.

4. Jimmy Butler, Bulls
Dec. 19 vs. Grizzlies: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist

With oft-injured guard Derrick Rose in and out of the lineup, Butler has been providing the consistent scoring threat the Bulls need to be contenders in the Eastern Conference. Butler's 31-point, 10-rebound outing helped Chicago knock off the Grizzlies in Memphis. The night before, Butler poured in 35 points in a win against the Knicks. On Dec. 22, Butler showed his versatility with 27 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and four assists in beating the Raptors. There's no doubting Butler is the Bulls' MVP so far this season.

3. DeMarcus Cousins, Kings
Dec. 21 vs. Lakers: 29 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists

Cousins missed 10 games with viral meningitis but picked up right where he left off in his return, posting a double-double in a one-point loss to the Bucks and following it with another double-double in a win over the Lakers. Cousins, who leads the Kings in points (23.9), rebounds (12.3) and blocks (1.5) has been one of the only bright spots for Sacramento this season. The league is just better when Cousins is healthy and up to his usual tricks.

2. Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Dec. 18 vs. Rockets: 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists

Davis scored 30 or more points in three of the Pelicans last five games, including a huge night against the Rockets during which he got the better of Dwight Howard. The Brow scored just seven points and missed 11 shots on a bad night against the Trail Blazers, but followed it up with 38 points and 12 rebounds in a narrow win against the Thunder. If the Pelicans manage to make the playoffs Davis will be reasons one through 10 why they made it.

1. Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
Dec. 23 vs. Thunder: 40 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

In less than three seasons in the NBA, Lillard has earned a reputation for being one of the most clutch players in the league. Lillard came through for the Tail Blazers twice this week, topping 40 points each against the Spurs and Thunder in a pair of victories. But it's not just the scoring output that makes Lillard special, it's the way he takes over late in games. He scored 16 points in three overtimes against the Spurs and seven more in overtime against the Thunder after sinking a three to tie the game at the end of regulation.

.@Dame_Lillard's career numbers in OT periods, UPDATED #CLUTCH 15 GP 30/44 FGAs (68.2%) 11/19 3FGAs (57.9%) 19/20 FTAs (95.0%)

-- NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) December 24, 2014

On his list of holiday NFL wishes, this writer is hoping for the Super Bowl's first overtime game, among other things

'Tis the season for holiday wishes and, led by the desire for a Super Bowl to go to overtime, here are three on one writer's NFL list.

First wish: Super Bowl OT

Anything would be better than last year when the only Super Bowl suspense was limited to whether mass transit could accommodate those arriving and leaving MetLife Stadium.

Of course, those fans who were not seated until the second quarter could see that Seattle was well on its way to the largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl since Dallas ripped Buffalo 21 years earlier.

There have been a number of outstanding Super Bowls in recent years that have kept fans glued to the tube for much more than debating if the millions of dollars sponsors spent on commercials were YouTube worthy. Prior to last season five of the previous six Super Bowls were single-digit affairs, including three games decided in the last minute of regulation.

But in 48 Super Bowls there has not been one that required overtime.

A lot of pubs and restaurants would certainly be in favor of a game that goes extra time, and I mean that only half kiddingly. Think about the enormity of an overtime game as far as fan interest and the countless trickle down benefits. With all the nonsense that has played off the field this season fans should be rewarded with such a conclusion to this season.

So is there such a potential matchup out there? Seattle and New England, perhaps? Dallas and Denver? Maybe the Broncos get another shot at the Seahawks and don't abandon ship after the coin toss? Whatever, we're due.

Second wish: Franchise stability for all

Commissioner Roger Goodell announced there will be no franchise relocation to Los Angeles for 2015. In other words, 2016 is very much in play.

Chargers fans got an early holiday gift when Roger Goodell announced no team would move to Los Angeles prior to the 2015 season.Denis Poroy/Associated Press 

The Colts left Baltimore in the middle of the night. Cleveland was marooned without an NFL franchise after the Browns became known as the Ravens and split for Baltimore. Al Davis took his Raiders from Oakland to L.A. and back. St. Louis was left without a team when the Cardinals took off for the desert.

Granted these are franchise relocations that took place no less than 15 years ago, but the stains last a long time. Just mention the late Art Modell's name in Cleveland for proof.

This year has yielded much discussion concerning the potential shift of more than one team. Terry Pegula came to the rescue to keep the Bills from becoming the first NFL team located outside the U.S. Instead of packing their footballs for Toronto, however, Pegula's $1.4 billion bid rooted the Bills right where they've been since becoming a charter member of the AFL in 1960. Buffalo is home. That's the way it should be.

That brings us to the Rams, Chargers and Raiders. It seems just a matter of time before L.A. gets back into the game, and that may mean the Rams returning to Southern California where they played from 1946-94. (Hard to believe the Rams have been in the Heartland for two decades.)

Granted much NFL talk regarding the City of Angels often seems to exist for no other purpose than for owners in other locales to gain leverage with local politicians to obtain favorable financing for plush, state-of-the-art stadiums. However, fans in St. Louis, Oakland and San Diego can be pardoned if they have been feeling a little uneasy, especially with aging stadiums in those cities looming as a one-way ticket out of town.

If L.A. is to get another team anytime soon, hopefully it will be in the form of an expansion franchise and not at the expense of another city losing a team.

Third wish: Playoffs for winners only

The winner of the NFC South could win a playoff game and still finish the season with a losing record. The way to avoid such embarrassment is to make sure teams with sub-.500 records fail to crash the postseason dance.

Quarterback Matt Ryan passed the Falcons to the brink of the NFC South crown last week in New Orleans.Bill Haber/Associated Press 

It happened four years ago when 7-9 Seattle was the best of the NFC West and it will happen again this season. In fact, if the Falcons and Panthers tie on Sunday then a division winner with only six wins finds its way past the doorman to mingle with the privileged. Think about that.

The solution to this eyesore is simple: Do not automatically reward division winners. If a division winner finishes under .500 -- perhaps even 8-8 -- then the league needs to "invite" the team with the best record among those that would otherwise be on the outside peering in. If that team's record is not better, then the division winner gets in.

In the case of the NFC this season Philadelphia, guaranteed no worse than 9-7, would be postseason bound instead of Carolina or Atlanta. (In 2010, the Giants, Packers and Bucs each won 10 games and stayed home for the postseason.)

To some it may not seem fair for a division winner not to advance. Many more, I am sure, will have no problem leaving a team with a losing résumé over the course of 16 games home for the playoffs.

Stocking stuffers

Nearly $15,000 on a professionally graded Johnny Manziel rookie card as a last-minute gift? I mean, seriously, that's $375 dollars per passer rating point depending on the exact sale price. As for the seller, go flash the money sign while enjoying your egg nog.....In completing 18-of-20 with four touchdowns against the Colts Sunday, Tony Romo compiled a remarkable passer rating of 151.7. Yet, it was only the second-best mark on his team that day. Brandon Weeden came on in the fourth quarter and threw one pass, a 43-yard touchdown. And that, folks, equates to the highest possible rating of 158.3. (Is time to hoard Weeden's rookie cards.).....Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston? Maybe another big name to fill another big need? Whatever, a season-ending gift for Buccaneers fans would be knowing their team is on the clock. A loss at home to the Saints on Sunday would clinch the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft. The Bucs have a very good shot because losing at home has been routine. Including preseason, they have lost 10 straight at Raymond James Stadium with their most recent victory there coming last Dec. 8 when they topped the Bills.

What a college football fan should be asking for this Christmas

Think you're done with your holiday shopping? Here's one last list to check twice.

1. For the Big 12, two more teams: The bottom line is the Big 12 needs a championship game so the five power conferences can be on a level playing field when the playoff committee is judging them against each other.

According to NCAA rules, a conference needs at least 12 teams to hold a championship game. Even it if adds two more schools to reach that threshold, it will still be undersized by power conference standards. 

The ACC, Big Ten and SEC all have 14 members. (The Pac-12 has 12.) The Big 12 needs to be more like those monster leagues in order to minimize the possibility of regular season rematches in championship games.

In three of the this season's four championship games in the power five conferences (Florida State-Georgia Tech, Wisconsin-Ohio State and Missouri-Alabama), the title game was the first meeting between the two teams. Only Oregon-Arizona in the Pac-12 was a rematch.

Oregon avenged a regular-season upset loss to Arizona, but what if the tables are turned and the underdog wins the rematch? It's hard for even the best teams to beat another good team twice. Having a large lineup and limited games between divisions greatly reduces the number of times your best team will have to beat another good team twice in the same season.

If the Big 12 continues its current schedule where everybody plays everybody, and then adds a championship game, it guarantees that every championship game will be a rematch, which will be, at best, awkward for its best team.

2. For college football playoffs, four more teams: There simply is no way the current playoff system can feel comprehensive enough if it does not include all the major conference champions. So we need a bigger playoff with all five power conferences getting an automatic berth.

The best way to get there would be an eight-team playoff. My suggestion would be to have the five major champions, two at-large spots and a spot from the "group of five" non-power conference teams. Others would rather skip the group of five and go with the three best at-large teams.

Either way, I think having to choose between Ohio State and (sorry, TCU) Baylor was a choice no committee should have to make. They won conferences with similar budgets, non-conference results and access to athletes. And they are also two conferences that rarely play each other. So how can you accurately compare them?

3. For Mike Slive, good health in retirement: As the longtime SEC commissioner heads into the sunset of retirement, here's wishing him well and congratulating him for overseeing the SEC's ascension to being the unquestioned best league in college football.

The downside to his retirement announcement was the news that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Here's wishing for a healthy retirement for the commish.

Greg Sankey shows off his fitness on his Twitter account. He's a guy fit to lead the SEC in the post-Mike Slive era.Greg Sankey Twitter account 

4. For the SEC, Greg Sankey as commissioner: Most think Slive's longtime right-hand man, associate commissioner Greg Sankey, is the man who will get the job.

And while there have been suggestions for more well-known names like Condoleezza Rice and Archie Manning, the best candidate is already in house in Sankey.

I've known Sankey since he was commissioner of the Southland Conference and he's one of the sharpest people in the business. As Slive's top lieutenant, he's been a big part of league's rise to football dominance.

And that's a huge point here. The SEC is in a position of strength that comes from not only having a great roster of programs that make up its members, but also from having a lot of talent in the conference office. It doesn't need to try to bring in a celebrity name to shake things up.

Sankey or associate commissioner Herb Vincent would both do well at the job. But it seems now like Sankey's the guy lined up to take the job. He's been a commissioner before on a smaller stage in the SLC, so the job won't be completely foreign to him. And his knowledge of what has brought the SEC to this point makes him the best candidate to keep the momentum going forward.

So here's to Sankey getting the job. And beyond that, here's wishing the best of luck to him or whoever gets the job as Slive will be one tough act to follow.

5. For the Big Ten, a return of talent: It's beating a long-dead horse to talk about the depth of talent in SEC country, but it's striking to see the gap in top recruits between what Ohio State saw in Big Ten play and what they'll see against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.

So here's wishing a return of big-time talent to the Midwest.

I'm a traditionalist. I'd love to watch Big Ten games again and be able to assume what I'm watching is a bit meaner and tougher than the rest of the country, the way it was when Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler walked the sidelines.

6. For Marcus Mariota, NFL success: Is it too early to wish Mariota pro success?

Sure he has one, maybe two college games left. But here's to NFL joy beyond that, because that's been harder and harder to come by for Heisman Trophy winners.

Robert Griffin III is out of favor in Washington. Cam Newton has regressed as a passer in Carolina. Mark Ingram is having his best year, but he still hasn't rushed for 1,000 yards in a season (though he could with a big game on Sunday). Tim Tebow has segued to a TV career. You have to go all the way back to Charles Woodson in 1997 to find a Heisman winner who was a perennial All-Pro.

I think Mariota is a guy who can break that streak. He has the size and strength at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds to be an NFL quarterback. And while he runs extremely well, he hasn't always been as dependent on his legs to make plays as RGIII and Johnny Manziel. 

Where Mariota separates from Florida State's Jameis Winston, obviously, is off the field and as a potential locker room guy. Where he separates himself from a player like Newton is that Mariota may be a better pure passer (certainly, he's better than most give him credit for).

So here's wishing Mariota success in the pros. He has the tools and attitude to do it.

Who has the strongest coaching staff for the Sugar Bowl matchup? Bill Landis of cleveland.com and Michael Casagrande of AL.com break down the staffs for Ohio State and Alabama.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — What is the mark of a good coaching staff? You could say it's that other schools want to take your assistants away.

If that's the case, then we're dealing with two of the strongest coaching staffs in the country when it comes to the Sugar Bowl macthup between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Ohio State in a College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year's Day.

In our latest daily breakdown of the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes, Michael Casagrande of AL.com and I break down the coaching staffs for each team.

Who has the strongest coaching staff between the No. 1 Crimson Tide and No. 4 Buckeyes?

Ohio State will lose co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tom Herman to Houston when this run is over. Co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Ed Warinner was a rumored candidate for the Kansas job, and co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash reportedly interviewed for the head job at Colorado State. The success these guys have had at Ohio State has made them hot commodities.

When it comes to Alabama, longevity is the name of the game a big reason why the Tide are the top program in the country. Nick Saban has managed to keep some assistants around even when others have come calling. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is among the highest paid assistants in the country, and newbie offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has expanded Alabama's offense this season.

The series

Dec. 17: Freshman game changer 

Dec. 18: Offensive game changer

Dec. 19: Defensive game changer

Dec. 20: Unheralded player to watch

Dec. 21: Offensive weakness for each team

Dec. 22: Defensive weakness for each team

Dec. 23: Most improved player

Dec 24: Secret stat

Dec. 25: Strongest coaching staff

Coming Friday: Why Ohio State will win

LeBron James is the NBA's top vote getter for the Feb. 15 All-Star game in New York thus far.

MIAMI -- LeBron James leads the NBA in votes through first returns on 2015 All-Star ballots, presented by Sprite.

With 552,967 votes, the Cavaliers' James edged Golden State's Stephen Curry (549,095) from the Western Conference as the league's top vote-getter.

In James' 12th season, and first with the Cavs since 2009-10, he's averaging 25.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.

Cleveland's Kyrie Irving (237,356) is third in the Eastern Conference among guards. Kevin Love is fifth (169,818) among East forwards/centers. At 17-10, the Cavaliers play in Miami today in the NBA's featured Christmas game.

If the All-Star game were today (the game is Feb. 15 in New York) the East's lineup would feature James, New York's Carmelo Anthony, Chicago's Pau Gasol, Miami's Dwyane Wade, and Washington's John Wall.

In the West, joining Curry in the top five are New Orleans' Anthony Davis, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, the Clippers' Blake Griffin, and Memphis' Marc Gasol.

According to an NBA news release, fans can vote on NBA.com, via Twitter and Facebook (players' first and last names, #NBABallot), and texting players' last names to 6-9-6-2-2, among other methods.

Balloting concludes Jan. 19.

James is a 10-time All-Star and a two-time All-Star Game MVP. Irving is a two-time All-Star and was the game's MVP last season, and Love is a three-time All-Star.

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Heat.

MIAMI, Fla. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will return to the Christmas Day schedule on Thursday when they travel to Miami to play the Heat, LeBron James’ former team.

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

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

Game 28: Cavs (17-10) vs. Heat (13-16)

Tip off: 5 p.m. at American Airlines Arena

TV/radio: ABC; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

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

Heat probable starting lineup: Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Shawne Williams and Chris Anderson.

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.

The Browns haven't received much help from their top draft picks -- Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rarely are we permitted to hear the real truth of what some veteran players think about rookies.

But we did this week, when Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner talked about the Browns disappointing first-round draft picks.

Justin Gilbert should buy Johnny Manziel dinner as a gesture of thanks.

For what? Keeping the heat off Gilbert, who was the Browns' top pick in the draft. Remember, it was Gilbert who was selected at No. 8. Manziel was the No. 22 pick.

A veteran safety, Whitner told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler: "It's time (for Gilbert) to grow up and not be a kid anymore. It's a wasted year for him. There were so many ups, so many downs -- a lot of it has been brought on by himself."

And Dansby told reporters about Manziel and Gilbert: "They've got to reset their goals and they've got to do it fast."

Right now, neither selection looks great for Ray Farmer. To be fair to the Browns general manager, players can mature.

Also, second-rounder Joel Bitonio has been outstanding. He was a left tackle at Nevada, converted to guard by the Browns. Had Bitonio been the 22nd pick, he'd receive raves. He is a future Pro Bowler, perhaps the best rookie offensive lineman in the draft.

While it's not the final say, Profootballfocus.com ranks Bitonio as the No. 2 guard in the NFL this season.

"It's rare that you have a rookie like Joel Bitinio that comes in and it's seamless," said Coach Mike Pettine. "Most rookies are shocked by the speed of the game ... You're going from being a college student and football is essentially part time to where this is your 9-to-5-plus (job) ... I think that probably shocks guys ..."

Farmer's third-rounders, Chris Kirksey and Terrance West, have promise. Kirksey looks like a definite NFL starter. I really like fourth-rounder Pierre Desir and wish he had played more earlier in the season.

So I'm not going to bury Farmer because of the struggles of Gilbert and Manziel. But I am going to suggest that the Browns look at the attitude part of their evaluation, because it's clear that Manziel and Gilbert floundered in this area.

But I will praise Pettine and his coaching staff for not simply playing Gilbert and Manziel due to their draft positions. Nor did Farmer insist they do so. That is a very good message to the rest of the team about the need to earn positions.

And Pettine is correct when saying there is no reason to write off his top picks.

DRAFT OF ENTITLEMENT

Dansby made an interesting point when he told reporters: "That's the thing with a lot of rookies these days. Their only goal is to get into the NFL. They want the glam and the flash, but they're not willing to put in the grind and the work and the time in order to be great."

Veterans have said words like those for decades when it comes to rookies -- but rarely are they spoken to the media. That's why I sense the Browns have a problem with Gilbert and Manziel. The two rookies have not earned the respect of the veterans. It's also why Dansby and Whitner are going public.

The NFL has been trying to turn the draft into a second annual Super Bowl for years. For some players, the main goal becomes simply being drafted high -- rather than proving teams right for making that investment.

Remember how there were very few pictures of Manziel at parties for about six months before the draft? He was working hard to combat his playboy image. His interviews were almost perfect, as he talked about being a "small town guy" and how he would need to work to make it in the NFL.

But not long after being drafted, the photos and stories about Manziel in Las Vegas, Manziel on the inflatable swan, and the other sometimes disturbing images surfaced.

The NFL wisely put a rookie salary cap into the last labor agreement, or the situation would be worse. But part of the problem is the fault of the league, which sells the draft relentlessly.

That makes too many young players believe that they can walk into an NFL camp and claim a starting spot. That certainly seems true of Gilbert.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Gilbert has the natural physical gifts to be a good NFL player.

"It's not his ability," said Pettine. "It's a lot of little things. It's how he prepares each week. It's a lot of stuff that's internal, and our guys see it."

The coach seemed pleased that Whitner and Dansby spoke out about the top picks. Perhaps peer pressure will be a factor. Given that there is one week left in the season, you can sense the frustration the coaches and some veteran players have about Gilbert.

With so many injuries to the secondary, Gilbert has been needed this season. Yet, he has lost snaps to undrafted K'Waun Williams. Now fourth-rounder Desir has moved ahead of him. Desir was on the inactive list most of the season, but used his time wisely on the scout time and in the film room. The young man from little Lindenwood College was ready when his chance came in the last two games.

This is not to make Desir the next Hanford Dixon or Joe Haden, but he didn't appear overwhelmed even when his man caught passes.

That was not true of Gilbert in some games.

In his press conference earlier in the week, Manziel admitted that, "It's been a year of growing up for me. This is a job for me now and I have to take it a lot more seriously than I did at first ..."

Dansby's response made me smile: "When did you first figure that out? ... You can't take a day off. You've really got to put in some work. And now they understand that. It's a job, this is work."

Manziel is 22. Gilbert is 23. Handing millions of dollars to men their age is never a recipe for maturity and wisdom.

"At some point, the switch has to turn on," said Dansby.

It's easy to mock the "Play like a Brown" motto installed by Pettine, but that's what Whitner and Dansby are talking about publicly. It's what other veterans are pushing privately to the younger players.

And it's what this team needs if things are ever going to change here.

LeBron James knows no one is going to feel sorry for them. He wants guys to step up in the absence of Anderson Varejao.

MIAMI, Florida – You could see the anguish from the reaction of LeBron James when asked about losing his center Anderson Varejao for the season with an Achilles' tear.

"It's an emotion I didn't even want to go back there right now," James said before the Cavs took on the Miami Heat. "It's tough. It hurts our team. More than anything it's just tough on him. [He's] somebody that can't catch a break from an injury and I know he was looking forward to this season. He's a great a friend of mine and I hate the fact that the season is taken away like that."

Varejao sustained the injury in the third quarter of Tuesday's home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. An MRI the following day revealed the tear in the left Achilles' tendon.

James has a connection on the court with Varejao that is like no other on the roster. Their pick-and-roll game is one of the most effective weapons in the Cavaliers' offensive arsenal.

His production will be missed dearly, but James understands there's no room for feeling sorry. He's challenging his guys to bring it.

"We need guys to step up," he said. "That's what this league is all about, [an] opportunity. He's a huge part of our success. It's going to be hard to replace him so everybody has to do their job even more."

As of now, Cavs coach David Blatt isn't prepared to name Tristan Thompson the starting center. He'll take it one game at a time.

"We will approach it initially on a game-to-game basis, maybe more matchup-oriented," Blatt said. "We will look down the line to see what we can do on a more permanent basis. Our guys will step up."

LeBron James is introduced in Miami as a Cavalier and he received mostly cheers from the crowd. The Heat introduced him as the first Cavalier player during the pregame.

MIAMI -- LeBron James was treated to mostly cheers by Miami fans during pregame introductions for today's Christmas matchup featuring the Cavaliers and Heat.

This is James' first game in AmericanAirlines Arena since leaving Miami last summer for Cleveland, following four seasons, four Finals appearances, and two titles.

"I just had some butterflies coming in," James said, speaking Thursday before the game about his walk into the arena. "Like I said, I've played some great basketball here with my teammates. I miss my teammates more than anything, the camaraderie we had."

James expressed excitement to return Miami for the game earlier this week, while the Heat's Dwyane Wade said fans should receive him warmly.

On Thursday, James also cut an emotional testimonial video on his Miami return for the Bleacher Report.

As expected, Miami's greeting of James was nothing like what he encountered on Dec. 2, 2010, when he and the Heat visited The Q for the first time following James' decision to leave Cleveland for South Beach. There were only a few, early boos before the crowd drowned those out with cheers for James.

The response to James when the Cavaliers took the floor for pregame warmups was muted -- a smattering of cheers and boos but there weren't enough people in the stands to gauge it.

This is James' first road game in Miami since the Cavaliers played here on Jan. 25, 2010, when the Cavs won by a point and James scored 32.

The last time James played here at all was June 12, a 21-point loss to the Spurs in the Finals.

"I can't live in the past or live with regrets," James said. "I gotta live in the future or live in the present moment, and, you know, what you guys want from me? I go out and play the game of basketball at a high level, no matter what uniform I'm in, no matter what city I'm in."

James said his relationship with the Heat was "probably where it stood before, but if not then I don't mind it as well.

"I'm here in Cleveland, I'm back home and I'm feeling good."

James and the Cavaliers have played the Heat on Christmas before -- in 2007 -- but that game was at The Q. This will be James' sixth road game on Christmas.

Previous posts that inaccurately stated the location of James' first game on Christmas against the Heat have been updated with correct information.