The Buckeyes are at the point at which they are playing against the reputation that have built in their offensive explosions. They better get used to such opposing efforts as Hawaii mustered.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State was not playing Hawaii so much as the Ohio State of the College Football Playoff and the Buckeyes of five days ago at Virginia Tech.

Those teams scored 42 points in three straight games. They were so explosive that they shrugged off turnovers, poor field position, and the odds by simply outgunning or outmuscling any team in their way.

On Saturday, gone were those thrilling days of last year and even of last Monday.

• Cardale Jones, the strong-armed quarterback from Glenville, who directed those offensive sprees, as well as Saturday's 38-0 rout of Hawaii, kept saying that he "tipped his hat" to Hawaii for the Rainbow Warriors' effort. Jones better get used to it. The defending national champion gets everyone's best shot.

• The Buckeyes seemed to be emotionally drained, playing as they did only 4 1/2 days after defeating Virginia Tech on the road. The Hokies were the only team to beat Ohio State last year. Victory in that game was a commitment to emotion, preparation and revenge.
• It was not that way against the Mountain West Conference's Rainbow Warriors. This was reflected in Ohio State's seven penalties for 115 yards and by three bobbled snaps by Jones. To be fair, he had to be alert, with the way Jacoby Boren's shotgun snaps were coming back hot and high or to one side or the other.

• It says something about the disjointed way the game went that much of the interest in the first half came from a "Where's Waldo?" variation, featuring H-back Braxton Miller, who move hither and yon in the formation. 

• Using Miller at wildcat quarterback was a tribute to his dynamic speed and cutting ability. But its effect was only barely better than the way the Browns used former Kent State QB Josh Cribbs. Miller always ran, as Cribbs either ran or threw fly pattern bombs.
• Miller has yet to throw a pass because of his often damaged shoulder, although he was looking to throw across field to Jones at Virginia Tech. Jones was, however, tightly covered.

• The journalism gods have been very kind lately. Davone Bess, whose loopy behavior was a highlight/lowlight of the survey I made of the worst Browns players since the franchise came back to town on a banana peel, played, I have discovered, at Hawaii in the latter part of the last decade. Bess was a third team All-American there, landing in paradise after serving 21 months at a juvenile facility for allowing a friend to stash stolen goods in his car.

• You can never outrun the long arm of Brownie incompetence.

• Ohio State had the ball for 19:33 of the first half, which made the slight 14-0 lead more disturbing.

• The pre-game dance vs. exercise class competition went decisively to Hawaii for the Haka, a Maori war dance from New Zealand. OSU's answer was "quick cals" (calisthenics), a series of arm movements vaguely reminiscent of shadow boxing or a bad martial arts movie. This is one of the few Urban Meyer innovations that have been less than successful. Actually, it is sort of bad. OK, get rid of quick cals.

• Hawaii's players' brandished a shark-toothed ax on the sideline before the game. Luckily, Ohio State has no players named Quint and Ahab.  
• Name of the match came when Hawaii outside linebacker Makani Kema-Kalelwahea was announced, which left stretcher bearers to tend to the tongue of the PA man.

•  Ohio State next plays Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The latter gave Michigan State all it wanted in their opener at Kalamazoo. Traditionally, Ohio State has had little to gain by such games against the Big Ten's "little brothers." Especially since, after Bowling Green's rout of Maryland and Toledo's immensely popular 16-12 upset of Arkansas and mouthy coach Bret Bielema Saturday, the MAC will be coming in on quite a roll.

• Two years ago, Buffalo of the MAC lost to Ohio State, 40-20, in the season opener. The game was more like a 40-34 contest than the actual final score. The best player on the field was Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, now with the Oakland Raiders. Just saying.

Benedictine running back Decavilon Reese sprained his left shoulder and did not return to the game.

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- Benedictine junior running back Decavilon Reese left Saturday's 28-0 Bengals victory against Holy Name in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury and his status is uncertain, according to coach Joe Schaefer.

Reese, who entered the game on Benedictine's second offensive series, carried the ball twice and gained 20 yards, but landed awkwardly after being tackled on his second carry and lay on the turf for several minutes.

Schaefer said Reese was examined at a nearby medical center and returned to the stadium to rejoin the Bengals before the team departed following the game. He called Reese's injury a "shoulder sprain or strain" and said the junior's status is "day-to-day" at this point.

Reese rushed for 1,240 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore and opened the 2015 season with a 183-yard performance against Toledo Central Catholic.

With Reese out, backup RB Aubrey Ward carried 19 times for 58 yards, mostly in the second half Saturday with Benedictine comfortably ahead.

The Bengals (3-0) travel to University School to face the Preppers at 1 p.m. on Sep. 19.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Joe Noga on Twitter (@JoeNogaCLE), by email (jnoga@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Cleveland Heights football team drops third game in 20-7 loss to Glenville.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Glenville senior cornerback Aaron Pope had the game of his career Saturday, catching three of the Tarblooders' five interceptions against Cleveland Heights.

Pope recovering a fumble and returning two interceptions for touchdowns helped lift Glenville, ranked No. 9 in the cleveland.com Top 25, to a 20-7 nonconference win against Cleveland Heights at the Collinwood Athletic Complex.

“It was good,” Pope said. “It was a great feeling just to put my team up.”

Both teams struggled moving the football and converting third downs and the game was scoreless at halftime following heavy rainfall.

“I just told them we have to buckle up and play football,” Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. said. “They came to play and played great defense. We just had to man up and play football.”

Glenville wide receiver Ralph Davis responded in the third quarter, helping to put the Tarblooders (2-1) in great field position. Davis caught a 47-yard reception from quarterback Marcus Drish deep in Cleveland Heights territory. Glenville then took a 6-0 lead a few plays later when Drish ran in one yard out.

At the start of the fourth quarter with Cleveland Heights driving in the red zone, Pope intercepted the Tigers and returned the pick 98 yards for a touchdown.

“When I threw that first pick all I can say was ‘what am I doing,’” Cleveland Heights quarterback Reggie Harris said. “The ball was still wet, cold, all of that. It was really my fault with all the turnovers we had.”

Cleveland Heights (0-3) responded with a touchdown following a Glenville turnover midway through the fourth quarter as senior Artemus Watts recovered a fumble and ran it in for a 33-yard score to get the Tigers within 14-7.

After a turnover on downs by Glenville, Cleveland Heights had an opportunity to close the deficit again. But Pope came to the rescue for Glenville with a 7-yard pick-six for a 20-7 lead. 

“The big thing in this type of weather and conditions we’re playing under was going to come down to which team could make plays in the end,” Cleveland Heights coach Mac Stephens said. “Unfortunately they made a few more plays than we did.”

Glenville will begin conference play on Friday hosting John Marshall at 3 p.m. The game will be played at the Collinwood Athletic Complex instead of Bump Taylor due to maintenance work.

Cleveland Heights will look to earn its first win of the season after three games. The Tigers will travel to Toledo Scott on Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

Catch up on football action from Saturday in Week 3 as well as video highlights and follow-up posts from Friday night's games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Saturday's football action included two Week 3 celebrations for Top 25 teams while St. Edward did not fare as well in its first game since moving up one spot in the poll. 

No. 9 Glenville defeated Cleveland Heights, 20-7, with the help of Alex Pope, who caught three of the Tarblooders' five touchdowns. Read about those plays and more in a recap by reporter Nathaniel Cline. 

The No. 2 Eagles got off to a good start against St. Joseph Regional (N.J.) but quickly found themselves battling from behind from the mid-first quarter on. Their rally attempt fell two points short in the end by a final of 22-20.

No. 4 Benedictine's Dontez Rash rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of the Bengals' 28-0 win against Holy Name. 

Friday follow-ups

No. 1 Mentor running back Alex Mathews said the Cardinals' 59-13 loss to St. Xavier is something his team needed to quell overconfidence. See action footage from that game as well.

No. 7 Berea-Midpark earned a 41-21 Southwestern Conference win against North Ridgeville on Friday and reporter Tim Bielik feels the Titans are poised to repeat as conference champions this season. Friday's game was also a matchup of two future Big Ten rivals in Berea-Midpark's Joey Bachie and the Rangers' Demario McCall. 

Mayfield remained hot this week with a 36-6 win against Garfield Heights, led by running back Michael Canganelli and quarterback Mario Monastero. Canganelli and Monastero are two of four keys to the Wildcats' victory, according to reporter Joe Noga. Also, check out action highlights from the game.

Can't get enough action highlights or post-game interview videos? Neither can we! See below for videos featuring top plays and coaches' comments from all games we covered on Friday night. 

Kirtland topped Villa Angela-St. Joseph on Friday and we have first and second half highlights that are easy to find on our site. See first half highlights below. 

If you're curious about top plays that led to No. 12 St. Vincent-St. Mary's 10-7 win against No. 23 Lake Catholic, we've got you covered on that as well as what coaches for both teams had to say after the game. 

Play the video below for STVM coach Dan Boarman's postgame comments. 

Now see what Lake Catholic coach Scott O'Donnell had to say. 

After entering the Top 25 this week at No. 23, Strongsville scored a big 49-14 win against Brush on the strength of a 243-yard rushing effort by Zach Kahn. Check out action highlights from that matchup, including first half highlights below.

Off-the-field content

The Brecksville and Brunswick marching band and their fans were among many around the area braving the rain on Friday night. See a photo gallery of Bees fans and musicians as well as those of the Blue Devils who were on hand during Brecksville's win.

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

No makeup date announced for Saturday's rainout against the Tigers, but Mike Aviles hopes the Indians have to play it. Sunday's doubleheader starts at 1:10 p.m. at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It is the end of the year and every game is precious to a team trying to reach the postseason.

Friday's game between the Indians and Tigers was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday at Progressive Field.

There was no makeup date announced for Saturday night's postponement of the Tribe's game against the Tigers, but that didn't matter to Mike Aviles.

He wants to play that game. He needs to play that game.

"Hopefully, we need to play this game," said Aviles. "That's what it comes down to. Hopefully, we get it up and get it done at some point."

If the Indians have to play Saturday's game, it means it could carry postseason implications. The Indians came into Saturday 4 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot and one game below breakeven at 69-70.

The game could be played on Oct. 5, the day after the end of the regular season.

The Indians are rolling. They've won 11 of their last 15 games to put themselves in the wild card picture.

That's why Aviles found the weekend rainstorm that hit Cleveland so annoying.

"I'm so over the rain. I would be very happy if I don't see this ever again," said Aviles. "It's kind of annoying after a while.

"We're all here. You want to play .You want to get it done."

Aviles, however, did not think going two days without playing would hurt the Tribe's momentum.

"I don't think it really hurts us,' he said. "No one thought we'd be here anyway, except ourselves. I think it may help us. It gives the body two days of rest where you're not completely banging yourself around."

Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson will face Justin Verlander in the first game of Sunday's traditional doubleheader at 1:10 p.m. Anderson and Verlander have had their start pushed back for two straight days because of the rain.

"Instead of being locked in for one day, you're locked in for three," said Anderson. "It's a little difficult to adjust your routine, but I played in the Carolina League and this happened all the time."

Anderson and Verlander met on Sept. 6 at Comerica Park. Anderson threw seven scoreless innings in the Tribe's 4-0 victory.

Trevor Bauer will face Detroit's Randy Wolf in the second game on Sunday.

Rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor has been in the middle of the Indians' surge. He's hitting .348 (70-for-201) since the All-Star break and .294 (10-for-34) in September.

Lindor, like Aviles, did not think the consecutive rainouts would hurt the Indians.

"I don't like waiting around, but a little break is good," said Lindor. "We're not completely off. We came to the field, worked in the cage and went to the trainer's room. But sometimes a little break is not only good for the players, but for the coaches and everyone."

Lindor says the Indians' chemistry is strong.

"We're not only playing for the name on the back of the jersey, but the front as well," he said. "We have a great chemistry right now. We want to win. We're doing the little things because we care about each other."

By the late rounds, Mayweather was both talking to Berto and taunting him, secure in the knowledge he was winning big against the 18-1 underdog.

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. wasn't about to change what he does best in his last fight.

Both dominant and defensive, a trash-talking Mayweather used all the tricks learned in a 19-year pro career Saturday night to take a lopsided 12-round decision over Andre Berto and retain his welterweight titles in what he insists was his final fight.

Mayweather ran his perfect record to 49-0, tying a mark set by the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, in a fight where he was chased but never really tested. He piled up points with a sharp jab and quick counter punches, leaving Berto swinging at air most of the night.

By the late rounds, Mayweather was both talking to Berto (30-4) and taunting him, secure in the knowledge he was winning big against the 18-1 underdog. In the final seconds of the fight he took a victory lap, fist raised in air.

The ringside scorecards reflected Mayweather's dominance, with one judge scoring it 120-108, giving him every round. The other scores were 118-110 and 117-111, while The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 119-109.

Mayweather earned another $32 million for the fight, and once again he didn't seem to have to work too hard to make it. Berto, who had lost three of his last six fights, tried to make it a fight but his punches were wide and mostly missed their marks.

"What can I say, I was the better man tonight," Mayweather said.

Mayweather did what he's done best in his 19-year career, fighting defensively and picking his shots against Berto. He was especially effective when Berto rushed at him, using his counter punching skills to keep Berto away.

It was a winning combination once again, just as it had been in his 48 previous fights.

"I pushed him to the limit," Berto said. "But he was just better."

Mayweather had vowed to give fans an action fight in his last bout, after being criticized for fighting defensively in his win over Manny Pacquiao. He did trade punches with Berto on several occasions, but never stayed in the pocket long enough for Berto to find his mark.

Mayweather complained to his father in the corner during the fight that he hurt his hand, but said since he is retiring it didn't matter.

"You gotta know when to go. I've had a great career," Mayweather said. "I'm leaving with all my faculties. I feel like I'm smart and sharp."

"I've accomplished everything," Mayweather said. "I've done everything in my sport."

Ringside punch stats showed Mayweather's defensive wizardry. Mayweather was credited with landing 232 of 410 punches, while Berto landed only 83 of 495.

"I was in great shape but it was difficult to fight him," Berto said. "He was really, really slippery."

Mayweather weighed in at 146 pounds, a pound more than Berto.

If Mayweather retires it will end a career that saw him become a pay-per-view star and earn more money than any boxer before him. Though most in boxing believe he will some day fight again, the 38-year-old said he had plenty of money and his health is more important than chasing records.

"I'm leaving the sport with all my faculties," Mayweather said. "I'm still smart and I'm still sharp."

The game can be seen locally on WOIO Channel 19 and kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets get their seasons underway on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The game will be broadcast locally on WOIO Channel 19. CBS is carrying the game. The Browns radio network will broadcast the game on WKRK/92.3 FM, WKNR/850 AM and WNCX/98.5 FM and on Westwood One.

NFL Game Pass allows users to listen to games live online. It also offers replays of all games and condensed games. There is a cost associated; however, the service is offering a 7-day free trial.

For complete coverage of the game, check out cleveland.com/browns.

The Cleveland Browns have high hopes for their opener against the New York Jets: Crowquill

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Today, the Cleveland Browns go on the road to open the 2015 regular season against the New York Jets.

Every year the opener represents a chance for even the most pessimistic fan to entertain optimism that the Browns will somehow rekindle their glory days. A chance to believe their mission is not impossible.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

The Browns won seven games a year ago, but not many people expect the team to show much progress in the win column this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns open up their 2015 season on Sunday against the New York Jets. They are coming off a season in which they finished 7-9 -- which isn't bad -- except they lost five in a row to end the year. Their GM is suspended, they've made a bevy of roster moves since setting their 53-man roster last weekend and they're starting a new quarterback -- 36-year-old Josh McCown.

What's new, right? Well, maybe this is the year they flip the script on the AFC North. We'll find out over the next four months. Meanwhile, here is our 2015 season preview including predictions for the team and the league:

Browns head into opener against Jets after week full of adversity

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Cleveland Browns Coach Mike Pettine talks to Terry about everything from texts to trades to fans

Mike Pettine enters Year No. 2 as the Browns head coach after surviving a five-game losing streak to end the year, a texting GM and a disastrous first round of the 2014 draft. Now he's looking to take the next step forward. Read more>>>

Forget 'play like a Brown,' the Cleveland Browns need Danny Shelton to play like a No. 12 overall pick

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Isaiah Crowell: From undrafted and called out by position coach to carrying the load for Cleveland Browns

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The Browns will finish:

Mary Kay Cabot: 7-9 Read why>>>

Tom Reed: 6-10 Read why>>>

Terry Pluto: 7-9 Read why>>>

Dan Labbe: 8-8 (maybe) Read why>>>

Chris Fedor: 5-11 Read why>>>

Bud Shaw: 6-10 Read why>>>

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Mary Kay Cabot: New England Patriots Division winners, MVP and rookies of the year>>>

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Check out the best stories from Saturday, a banner unveiling, the shiny game program and whether the Buckeyes were rooting for Michigan State during the Spartans' big win over Oregon. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Darron Lee hit Hawaii's punter with a high forearm Saturday on a punt rush that surprised the Ohio State linebacker in the Buckeyes' 38-0 win. 

The 15-yard penalty in Hawaii's own endzone (the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-7 had been the 5-yardline) gave the Rainbow Warriors new life in the second quarter, with a first down at the 20.

But Lee's wild rush and hit around the neck wasn't a good look for the Buckeyes' special teams.

"I couldn't slow down," Lee said, explaining that Hawaii had changed its punt protection from what he expected. "I didn't expect to even come free. We worked on it in practice and I wasn't really supposed to come free. I didn't mean to push the guy, I know it looked bad.

"Oh well, we went out and stopped them again, so it is what it is."

Gareon Conley intercepted a pass on third-and-6 three plays later to set up Ohio State's second touchdown, so no damage was done on the scoreboard by the roughing the punter call. But, as he said, Lee knew it looked bad. He hit social media after meeting with reporters to apologize.

Also, I apologize for that penalty on that punter... was not cool at all. Won't happen again guys.

-- Darron Lee (@DLeeMG8) September 12, 2015

* Recognizing the champions: The numbering on the facade of the upper deck of Ohio Stadium has been there for months. During the game, Ohio State finally pulled off the sheet to unveil the 2014 that recognizes the Buckeyes' eighth national championship.

ICYMI: they unveiled the National Championship Banner at the @OhioStAthletics football game! http://t.co/rOgYVAUqbD

-- Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 12, 2015

* Program time: The first game program of the season for Ohio State featured all three Ohio State quarterback options. 

Cover of Ohio State gameday program #shiny pic.twitter.com/30LzKB5ElK

-- Doug Lesmerises (@DougLesmerises) September 12, 2015

* Rooting for the Spartans: Michigan State pulled out a big home win over Oregon on Saturday night - and the Buckeyes were rooting for that.

MSU gotta get this win for the Big 10

-- EzekielElliott#15 (@EzekielElliott) September 13, 2015

I hate Michigan state but I want them to win this one.

-- Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) September 13, 2015

* Saturday game coverage: Here's everything from our coverage of Ohio State's win. Next up for the Buckeyes is Northern Illinois at home in a week.

* Do we want a grade from Urban Meyer on how he's handled his QBs? How about this so far - this isn't a controversy

* Joey Bosa returns and happy that "at least I got one shrug"

* Jalin Marshall ready to play any position now that suspension is over

* Did the Buckeyes look good? Time for a grade

* Urban Meyer, photobomb king, strikes again. Watch it

* Breaking down the details of the QB performances

* Gamer recap of the OSU win

* How did it affect Ohio State's perception?

* Livy column

* Livy final thoughts

* See Hawaii do the haka (video)

* Former Ohio State band director Dr. Jon Woods dies

 

ESPN released a report this week claiming "Spygate" was far worse, extensive and systematic, than the NFL had let on.

CLEVELAND,Ohio-- In terms of offensive coaching, Browns assistant Andy Moeller may be in a different league than Bill Belichick, at least when comes to alleged offensive behavior that's criminal, not just unethical.

The Cleveland Browns suspended their offensive line coach indefinitely following a Saturday domestic dispute at Moeller's Berea home.  

A woman, who is engaged to  Moeller, called 9-11 after fleeing Moeller's home, telling the dispatcher, "He tried to strangle me and beat me up."   

The woman ended up spending the night at a local hotel. The following morning she called Berea Police telling them she no longer wanted to file charges.   This is not uncommon in domestic violence cases.   

Berea prosecutor Jim Walters  is continuing to review the case for possible charges.   The 9-11 tapes of the woman's call are disturbing to say the least.

The incident makes the decision of the Browns not to sign Ray Rice seem even wiser.   And it highlights the importance of the NFL's new domestic violence policies applying to all NFL employees, not just players.

Unfortunately, by the end of the week, the Browns made the police blotter a second time before making the season opener highlight reel even once.

Justin Gilbert, the team's 2014 #1 draft pick, crashed his car into a ditch while  allegedly trying to flee another driver chasing him during a road rage incident.     Both drivers were cited.

Suddenly, memories of Johnny Manziel floating with a bottle of booze on an inflatable swan in Vegas seem quaint..

If only New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick had "Spygate"  footage of the Moeller and Gilbert incidents to assist police.   Heck, the Feds might be curious to see if he has footage of Jimmy Haslam's truck stop company's staff meetings discussing rebate schemes.

ESPN released an investigative report this week that "Spygate" was far worse,extensive and systematic, than the NFL had let on, and that Roger Goodell swept it under the astroturf. 

According to the report, Bill Belichick used multiple methods, all prohibited, to spy on every Patriots' opponent. And had done so for years.    ESPN claims Goodell ordered extensive evidence found in the Patriots' offices destroyed on site.   NFL investigators reportedly stomped on tapes and shredded the paper trail in the Patriots' executive offices. 

ESPN suggests Goodell threw the book at Brady on deflategate as a kind of "make up call" for looking the other way on the far more serious spygate.

The ESPN report just adds to the reasons Goodell should be removed and a new Commissioner needs to have a third party govern such conduct issues.

As if the Browns didn't have enough bad omens to start the season, they flew to New Jersey on United Airlines.   United's CEO resigned this week as a result of a Federal investigation into whether the airline traded favors with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  But then again, maybe it's fitting, since Pilot Flying J is also the subject of Federal investigation that's still ongoing.

The band performed after learning Saturday morning of the death of former band director Dr. Jon Woods.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State Marching Band members young and old, past and present, found out the news together.

According to one band member, the current band and members of the OSU alumni band were warming up together Saturday morning when it was announced to the combined group that Dr. Jon Woods, the former director of the band for 28 years, had died Saturday morning.

"My condolences to Dr. Woods' family," Urban Meyer said after Ohio State's 38-0 win over Hawaii. "He was a friend of mine, and obviously I'm a tremendous fan of our band and what he's been a big part of, I believe it was 28 years. That's incredible."

Expect a greater tribute to Woods from the band next weekend, likely a whole halftime show dedicated to him. On Saturday, a moment of silence was held for Woods at the pregame Skull Session, and he was recognized in Ohio Stadium with a message on the videoboard.

And then the band went out and performed this halftime show.

Called "Making the Great State of Ohio Proud," it featured, among other things, a light bulb for Thomas Edison, born in Mylan; a runner for Jesse Owens, the Olympic hero raised in Cleveland; and a plane for the Wright Brothers. 

While the American League offers a number of interesting races over the final three weeks of the season, most of the running has been done as the National League enters the stretch drive.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It appears aficionados of the stretch run will have to confine themselves to the American League as the regular season winds down and the postseason beckons.

The National League's five postseason teams have seemingly already been named. The Mets have an 81/2 games lead over Washington in the NL East. In the NL West, the Dodgers have a 71/2 game lead over San Francisco.

St. Louis, MLB's best team, has suffered a temporary slip, but the Cardinals have still been in first place in the NL Central since April 16. At one time they had a 91/2 game lead, but after losing six of their last eight games, the lead is down to 31/2 games over the Pirates.

Should the Cardinals falter, it wouldn't mean their season would end. They'd simply replace the Pirates in the first wild-card spot. The Pirates have a 31/2 game lead over the Cubs for the first wild card spot. The Cubs have a 9 1/2 game lead over the Giants for the second wild card spot.

In the AL only the Central Division appears to be settled. The Royals own a 10-game lead over the Twins. In the two other divisions, and the wild card, uncertainly rules the day.

Toronto, 35-14 since the All-Star break, has a 21/2 game lead over the Yankees in the AL East following Friday's 11-5 victory at Yankee Stadium. The Blue Jays and Yankees, including the remainder of this weekend's four-game series, will meet six more times before the end of the regular season.

In the AL West, the Astros are trying to fend off Texas and the Angels. The Rangers are 11/2 games back, while the Angels are 41/2 back.

The Astros have seven games left against Texas. After finishing a three-game series against the Angels on Sunday, they'll meet three more times.

In the wild card, the Yankees have a 3 1/2 game lead over Texas for the first spot. Texas, meanwhile, owns the second wild card spot with a one-game lead over the Twins, a two-game lead over the Angels and a 4 1/2 game lead over the Indians.

Here are this week's 2015 MLB power rankings by beat writer Paul Hoynes. Stats are through Friday.

No. 1. St. Louis Cardinals. (1).

What gives: The Cardinals, in spite of some shoddy play of late, are two wins shy of their third straight 90-win season.

No. 2. Pittsburgh Pirates. (No.2).

What gives: There's still a lot of race to run in the NL Central. The Cardinals magic number to win the division over Pittsburgh is 20.

No. 3. Toronto Blue Jays (No.4)

What gives: Josh Donaldson leads the big leagues with 119 runs, 117 RBI, 78 extra base hits and 323 total bases.  But shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's left shoulder injury on Saturday couldn't have come at a worst time.

No. 4. Chicago Cubs (No.7).

What gives: The Cubs are on pace to win 95 games. It would be their most wins since 2008 when they won 97 games.

No. 5. Kansas City (No3).

What gives? The Royals have lost six of their last seven games. Their magic number to clinch the AL Central is 13 over the Twins. Johnny Cueto, acquired from Reds to carry the Royals deep into the postseason, has allowed 22 runs in his last 20 innings.

No. 6. New York Mets (No.8).

What gives? Forget the angst over Matt Harvey's innings limit and remember that Bartolo Colon, 42, is 4-0 in his last five starts.

No. 7. Los Angeles Dodgers (No.6).

What gives? Rookie Corey Seager is hitting .385 (10-for-26) with four doubles and four RBI in his first eight games for the Dodgers.

No. 8. New York Yankees (No.5).

What gives: The Yankees, entering Saturday's doubleheader vs. AL East-leading Toronto, are 4-9 against the Blue Jays this season.

No. 9. Houston Astros (No.7).

What gives? Twelve of the Astros final 21 games are on the road. They are 28-45 on the road, a fact that could cost them the AL West.

No. 10. Texas Rangers (No. 10).

What gives? Shin-Soo Choo has a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by the Rangers this season. He's reached base in 31 of his last 32 games.

No. 11. Minnesota Twins (No.11).

What gives: The Twins, playing the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field this weekend, are 12-5 against them this season. The Twins have hit 21 homers against Chicago this season, including five by Brian Dozier.

No. 12. Los Angeles Angels.

What gives: The Angels lead the big leagues with 17 runs scored on wild pitches. No other team has scored more than nine.

No. 13. Indians. (No.15).

What gives: The Indians have won 11 of their last 15 games. In their last 13 home games, they've collected 10 or more hits in each game.

No. 14. San Francisco Giants (No.13).

What gives: The Giants, who have fallen off the pace in the NL West and wild-card race, have sold out 393 straight games at AT&T Park. The sellout streak, the longest in the big leagues, started on Oct. 1, 2010 against San Diego.

No. 15. Washington Nationals. (No. 14).

What gives: Not only did the Mets sweep the Nationals last week to extend their lead in the NL East, the Nationals lost set up man Drew Storen, who suffered a broken right thumb after a bad performance against New York on Wednesday. Storen told team officials Friday that he accidentally slammed his thumb on the lock box of his locker after giving up a homer to Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes.   

No. 16. Tampa Bay Rays (No. 16)

What gives: The Rays have lost a club-record 10 straight extra-inning games this season.

No. 17. Baltimore Orioles (No. 17).

What gives: The Orioles were 61-56 on Aug. 17 and right in the middle of the AL East race. They didn't stay there long, losing 17 of their next 24 games.

No. 18. Arizona Diamondbacks (No.18).

What gives: Paul Goldschmidt, since his big league debut on Aug. 1, 2011, has hit 18 homers and driven in 59 runs against the Dodgers.

No. 19. Seattle Mariners (No.21).

What gives: The Mariners have played an MLB-high 21 extra-inning games this season. They're 10-11 in those games.

No. 20. Boston Red Sox (No.22).

What gives: Jackie Bradley Jr., is rolling. Twenty one of his last 30 hits have gone for extra bases -- 13 doubles, two triples and six homers.

No. 21. Chicago White Sox (No.20).

What gives: The White Sox have used just eight starting pitchers this season, tied with Baltimore and Pittsburgh for the second fewest in the big leagues. Those eight starters lead the AL with 871 1/3 innings pitched.

No. 22. San Diego Padres (No. 19).

What gives: The Padres lost eight of their first 11 games in September.

No. 23. Detroit Tigers (No. 23.)

What gives: The Tigers are in last place in the AL Central, but have a 32-25 record against their Central foes.

No. 24. Miami Marlins (No. 25).

What gives: First baseman Justin Bour's 16 homers are tied for fourth among MLB rookies.

No. 25. Milwaukee Brewers (No.24).

What gives: The Brewers seven-game winning streak against NL Central rival Pittsburgh ended Friday night.

No. 26. Colorado Rockies (No. 27).

What gives: Third baseman Nolan Arenado continues to lead the NL with 38 homers and 109 RBI. Teammate Carlos Gonzalez is second with 37 homers.

No. 27. Oakland Athletics (No. 26).

What gives: The A's have the worst record in the AL, but are 10-5 against the Rangers this season. That flaw could cost the Rangers a chance at the postseason.

No. 28. Cincinnati Reds (No.30).

What gives: The Reds have been delayed by rain 23 times this season.

No. 29. Philadelphia Phillies (No. 28).

What gives: The Phillies starting rotation has the highest ERA (5.52) and fewest wins (35) in the big leagues.

No. 30. Atlanta Braves.

What gives: The Braves have lost 22 of their last 25 games and 37 of their last 48. They have not been 24 1/2 games out of first place since 1990.

"A shutout in college football right now is really really hard," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Quick, when's the last time the Ohio State football team had two shutouts in a five-game span?

The Buckeyes beat Hawaii 38-0 on Saturday in Ohio Stadium, it was the second shutout in the last five games if you back to last year's 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Sure, there were nine months between the two shutouts, but still five games.

You actually don't have to go back that far to find the last time that happened. Ohio State had back-to-back shutouts of Toledo and Illinois in 2009. They had shutouts against Florida A&M and Purdue in a span of six games in 2013.

A shutout, in any fashion, in any time span, is still a big deal. This was the Buckeyes' fifth under Urban Meyer.

"A shutout in college football right now is really, really hard," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. "I think for our kids, it's an accomplishment that doesn't get talked about very much, but it's still an accomplishment, we bowed up pretty good on our side of the field."

It was the first time Hawaii has been shut out since 2012. The Rainbow Warriors were held under 100 passing yards for the first time since 1998.

On a day when Ohio State's offense wasn't playing up to its explosive standards, the defense was stout, even adding a touchdown on a scoop-and-score by Vonn Bell in the fourth quarter. Bell also had an interception, and got his hands on two more.

Joshua Perry, Darron Lee and Jalyn Holmes all had sacks. Joey Bosa returned and had two tackles. Gareon Conley got the first interception of his career.

It gave Ohio State something to feel positive about even things looked out of sorts at times on offense.

"It's a product of everything," Perry said. "They gotta find a way to block our guys up front. The defensive line has been really good. I think the linebacker corps has developed better pass rushing, our skill set is better, they're more confident in us (blitzing). The guys on the back end are some really good players, so when you have confidence in that we're allowed to be more aggressive, you want to be more aggressive."

Here are more notes, quotes and nuggets from Ohio State's win:

* The loss dropped Hawaii to 1-7 all-time when playing in the Eastern Time Zone, the only win came at Army in 2010. The Warriors are 0-2 all-time playing in Ohio.

* For the second straight game, Meyer seemed unhappy with the play of the Buckeyes' offensive line. Hawaii finished with four sacks, and Ohio State averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.

"They out-schemed us a little bit," Meyer said. "We checked the protection, and then they come the other way. They kind of screwed with our offensive line a little bit. But we just have to get better."

* Cardale Jones started, J.T. Barrett played more than he did against Virginia Tech. Neither threw touchdown pass. It was the first time Ohio State was held without a touchdown pass in 25 games.

* Ohio State kicker Jack Willoughby connected on a 20-yard field goal in the third quarter. Willoughby, a fifth-year senior, transferred from Duke this summer and beat out sophomore Sean Nuernberger for the field goal job.

Before arriving at Ohio State, Willoughby was a kickoff specialist at Duke. Saturday's field goal was the first he's ever made in a game at any level.

* Bell scored Ohio State's first defensive touchdown of the season with a 14-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.

"Any time you get a takeaway or make a play that makes a difference in the game, it's fun," co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash said. "When you get a score on defense, it ignites the team, it ignites the stadium."

* Here's a rundown of freshmen and redshirt freshmen who saw their first game action on Saturday:

Stephen Collier, QB; Denzel Ward, CB; Isaiah Prince, OL; Eric Glover-Williams, CB, Davon Hamilton, DT; Demetrius Knox, OL; Brady Taylor, C.

 

"I have to self-evaluate too and make sure we're doing the right thing by those guys," Meyer said. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This story isn't about a quarterback controversy. Although it maybe was going to be. And maybe Urban Meyer thinks it will be.

Watching the final minute of Ohio State's 38-0 win over Hawaii from behind the Buckeyes' bench changed that. The win secured by that point, Cardale Jones (Quarterback 1) and J.T. Barrett (Quarterback 1A) stood together after virtually ignoring each other most of the game. Stephen Collier (Quarterback 3) made that possible.

Collier was playing his first college football game, and Jones and Barrett were standing together, laughing and making fun of him.

"We was turnt," Jones said. "We told him he might play this game and I wish he'd gotten a chance to play earlier and that's totally on me and the offense. You could tell he was freaking out and he got them to jump offsides the first play, so we was hyped for him."

Until that time, when Jones removed his knee brace and Barrett's helmet hung by his side and it was clear the answer to "Who is Ohio State's quarterback?" was at that moment neither of them, angst was in the air.

It's been that way for a couple weeks with Meyer. Every time he talks about his two quarterbacks, he sounds pained. He's made it clear he loves both, this is choice, and he'll play the quarterback he feels in that moment has the best chance of leading the team.

Against Virginia Tech, that was Jones.

Against Hawaii, for the first four drives, that was Jones. For drive five, with the Buckeyes leading only 7-0 more than 22 minutes into the game against a 41-point underdog, that was Barrett.

That was a thing. It wasn't a rotation. No one plans on four drives for the first guy, then series five for the second guy. This was a change because the offense wasn't working. And it cracked the door, in that moment in the second game of the season, exactly eight months after Meyer's team won the national championship, on the question.

Who's the quarterback?

It did so in the context of Meyer having kept prying media eyes from viewing preseason camp, in the context of Meyer's choice of Jones serving as an upset in the minds of many. He'd made one choice. And now he'd made another.

So we've asked how the quarterbacks have handled this, and how the team has handled this. But after the game I asked Meyer how he thinks he has handled this quarterback situation so far, picking who plays and when.

"How do you think I've handled it?" Meyer asked. "We're 2-0. Would you like a grade or something, how have I handled it?"

Well, 2-0 kind of is a grade, one would suppose.

"I don't know," Meyer said. "I guess you could ask (athletic director) Gene Smith. That's the guy to talk to. I've never thought of it that way. I guess I'll let you know. I'll do a little eval here. I think our execution is not where it needs to be."

The offensive line needs to block better, and Meyer admitted the new play-calling structure with offensive coordinator Ed Warinner working on the sideline, after Tom Herman called plays from the coaching box last year, is a work in progress, no surprise. 

But Meyer did all but pull out his three national championship rings, slide them on and hold out his fist as he returned after a later question to the idea of evaluating the quarterback evaluator.

"I can promise you this," Meyer said of the win. "We shall enjoy it. I'm not going to evaluate myself tonight. If you need me to, I'll do it probably Sunday."

Emphasize the enjoyment. Meyer made that point in direct contrast to what happened in 2009, the last time he was trying to defend a title, when that season at Florida after the Gators' 2008 title basically drove him out of coaching.

It's an incredibly important point. Here's another one: Jones and Barrett are great friends, but they didn't look like they were having fun Saturday, as Jones finished with 41 snaps at quarterback, Barrett had 20 and Braxton Miller took another eight, all of them runs.

Jones finished 12 of 18 for 111 yards, with six runs for 20 yards, while Barrett was 8 of 15 for 70 yards with one carry for 7 yards. Neither threw a pick nor a touchdown.

Last week, Barrett greeted Jones on the sideline with a quick hand slap after most drives. Saturday, that didn't happen. These are two guys who have lost count how many times they've sat together in Jones' apartment and played video games, yet they sat on the bench next to each other after Barrett's first TD drive and barely looked at each other, much less spoke.

After Barrett came in for the last three series of the first half then Jones took over again after halftime, Barrett was slapping hands with everyone but Jones on the sideline.

Whether he's playing or not, Barrett's habit after every drive is to walk the length of the bench where the offensive starters are sitting and offer fist bumps to all five offensive linemen and then every running back and receiver there. He did so Saturday, conspicuously skipping Jones.

Before Ohio State's last drive of the first half, when the Buckeyes took over at the Hawaii 44-yardline with 21 seconds left, there were 20 different offensive players out on the field huddling with coaches. Jones wasn't one of them. He was several steps back, talking with backup tight end Marcus Baugh, when he obviously heard his name called and walked over to the huddle. 

Barrett stayed in.

These are not conclusions, only observations through binoculars of the two friends involved in the most interesting position situation in college football. And Jones admitted he doesn't really want to talk.

He said he told Barrett and coaches that in practice, that if he does something wrong he doesn't want a lot of people giving him pep talks.

"I know what I did wrong. I kind of want to sit down with my guys," Jones said. "I want to sit and reflect on what I can do better."

Jones said Barrett is more amenable to the sideline small talk. And he's also OK with how Jones goes about it.

"If there's not that much conversations on the sideline, it's because he knows how we are," Jones said. 

How are they? Asked for his response to those who might wonder if there's a quarterback issue after this game, Jones said, "I'm not the head coach, I'm not the quarterbacks coach, I'm not the offensive coordinator. You've got to take that up with Coach Meyer and our staff."

For now, here's an evaluation of the evaluator - this isn't that easy to figure out and Meyer is at times making it look like it's not easy.

"I can't recall in major college football history when I remember witnessing something like that, where you have two good guys," Meyer said. "I have to self-evaluate too and make sure we're doing the right thing by those guys."

Those two guys? They didn't talk much, but they'll probably squeeze in a video game this week.

A 2-0 record is kind of a grade. And two weeks in, this isn't a controversy.

All you needed was a friend for Jones and Barrett to laugh about to prove that.

The Cleveland Browns lost their opener for the 11th straight season, this time to the New York Jets. With a lopsided loss, 31-10, against New York, there weren't many positives, but rather a number of disappointing performances worthy of a failing grade. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns lost their opener for the 11th straight season, this time to the New York Jets. With a lopsided loss, 31-10, there weren't too many positives. There were, however, a number of disappointing performances worthy of a failing grade.

So, which specific player or area got an "F" this week? Were there any that deserved a "A" for their performance? 

Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw and I debated that as part of our Monday morning Browns show. Check out the videos above and to the right. We'll have more videos coming today at cleveland.com/browns.

(Note: Reghi used the phrase "woof tickets" in an earlier segment during the show. I decided to put it to use as well because coming up with an actual answer seemed incredibly challenging.)

Check out the individual staff ballots and explanations for the cleveland.com football Top 25 going into Week 4 of the 2015 season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – With the Nos. 1 and No. 2 teams losing in Week 3, the Northeast Ohio Media Group high school sports staff had to decide whether there needed to be a shake-up at the top of the new cleveland.com high school football Top 25.

Four out of six staffers voted to move St. Edward ahead of Mentor this week, while the other two voted to keep the top of the poll intact. Mentor lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier, 49-13, in Week 3, while St. Edward fell to St. Joseph Regional (N.J.), 22-20. 

Also, Perry earned several votes this week after beating Madison, 27-26, knocking the Blue Streaks out of some ballots. 

Voters are Tim Bielik, Nathaniel Cline, Matt Goul, Joe Noga, Scott Patsko and Robert Rozboril. Below are individual ballots for each voter, as well as an explanation on some of their decisions.

Share your take and/or your Top 25 in the comments section below. 

Bielik's ballot

1. Mentor, 2. St. Edward, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Midview, 5. Benedictine, 6. Avon, 7. Berea-Midpark, 8. Glenville, 9. Mayfield, 10. Stow, 11. Archbishop Hoban, 12. Brecksville, 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 14. Maple Heights, 15. Aurora, 16. Solon, 17. Nordonia, 18. Bedford, 19. Elyria, 20. Hudson, 21. Chardon, 22. Strongsville, 23. Lake Catholic, 24. North Olmsted, 25. Perry.

Bielik's ballot explanation

Despite losses by the top two teams in the poll, I kept the top two unchanged this week. Mentor's loss is understandable because of the emotions of it's Week 2 win against St. Ignatius and the 4-hour drive south to Cincinnati. Plus, Cincinnati St. Xavier is a strong contender for the Division I title. As Saturday's loss showed, St. Edward's schedule is unforgiving. But the good news is it won't leave Ohio any more the rest of the season. The biggest reason, however, that Mentor is still No. 1 is because I think a team should only move to No. 1 with a win, which St. Edward didn't do. The only change in the top 15 is a minor shuffling with St. Vincent-St. Mary and Maple Heights flipping spots. The Irish have a slightly better resume after a narrow win against Lake Catholic than the Mustangs, who have two wins against winless teams. The last spot in the top 10 was difficult to choose from despite Stow and Archbishop Hoban both being 3-0. The Bulldogs have scored 42 in every game this season, but the Knights have not allowed any points through three games. Two new teams enter the poll as Strongsville jumps up to No. 22 after back-to-back wins, and Perry joins at No. 25 after its win against Madison. The bottom six spots were tough choices to make. Ultimately, I kept Lake Catholic and North Olmsted in the top 25 despite tough, close losses. And it's tough to drop North Olmsted out after a triple-overtime loss against my No. 6 team after it just lost to my No. 4 team. The Eagles are 1-2, but they've played two of the best teams in the area. Lake Catholic hung with St. Vincent-St. Mary and fell short of a big upset. But those tough losses aren't enough to take them out of the poll this week. 

Cline's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Benedictine, 5. Midview, 6. Avon, 7. Berea-Midpark, 8. Mayfield, 9. Archbishop Hoban, 10. Glenville, 11. Stow, 12. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 13. Brecksville, 14. Maple Heights, 15. Nordonia, 16.  Aurora, 17. Elyria, 18. Bedford, 19. Madison, 20. Solon, 21. Hudson, 22. North Olmsted, 23. Lake Catholic, 24. Strongsville, 25. Highland.

Cline’s ballot explanation

I voted for St. Edward No. 1 in my Top 25 ballot last week and I’m sticking with it again after Week 3. St. Edward took a tough 22-20 loss on Saturday, but still remains as one of the top teams in the Northeast Ohio. As for the rest of the Top 25, I’m voting Mentor and St. Ignatius at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. I still see Mentor as the No. 2 team after topping St. Ignatius 63-56 in Week 2. The Wildcats’ shutout win against Valley Forge was nothing to motivate me to vote them any higher this week. My only other change in the top 10 is moving up Archbishop Hoban, which is outscoring opponents by at least 25 points. Quarterback Danny Clark is proving to be a key and consistent piece for the Knights. Hoban’s defense has allowed zero points. Hoban moving up drops Glenville and Stow down a spot despite wins this week. While no loss is good, North Olmsted’s loss to Avon in triple overtime was eye-catching. Madison picking up its first loss against Perry, 27-26, looked to be a close game, but not enough for me to move Madison or any other team this week.

Goul’s ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Mentor, 4. St. Ignatius, 5. Midview, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Mayfield, 8. Archbishop Hoban, 9. Avon, 10. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 11. Glenville, 12. Stow, 13. Brecksville, 14. Elyria, 15. Maple Heights, 16. Nordonia, 17. Aurora, 18. Solon, 19. Bedford, 20. Strongsville, 21. Hudson, 22. Perry, 23. Madison, 24. Lake Catholic, 25. Copley.

Goul’s ballot explanation

This week reminds me of when Ohio State made the national title game vs. LSU; enough teams losing at the top, who is No. 1? After sitting down, I realized the answer is much easier than I thought Saturday afternoon. St. Edward went on the road and nearly beat St. Joseph Regional. I wrote last week that St. Ed’s and Mentor could flip even if they both won out. My logic is considering the whole body of work, which changes from week to week. I would be hypocritical for not using that logic when both lose. Pound for pound, Benedictine, Midview, Berea-Midpark and Hoban would be my top four. However, strength of schedule (which includes school size) must be considered. I have no reservations about moving St. Edward up one spot despite a 22-20 loss, traveling across Pennsylvania and to New Jersey to face stiff competition. Another notable is dropping Avon after its 41-40 triple overtime thriller. This is not an indictment against the Eagles — teams four through 13 feel fluid. In fact, I’m leaning heavily toward picking Avon to beat Midview this week. Teams to watch outside the Top 25 are: Olmsted Falls, Chardon, Elyria Catholic and Highland.

Noga's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Midview, 5. Benedictine, 6. Avon, 7. Berea-Midpark, 8. Stow, 9. Mayfield, 10. Brecksville, 11. Glenville, 12. Archbishop Hoban, 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 14. Aurora, 15. Maple Heights, 16. Nordonia, 17. Bedford, 18. Elyria, 19. Solon, 20. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 21. Strongsville, 22. Kenston, 23. Lake Catholic, 24. Perry, 25. Madison.

Noga's ballot explanation

I had a real debate with myself about whether to move a team that lost this week up into the top spot, but that's exactly what I did. St. Edward appears to be the only one of the top three teams on my ballot willing to play enough defense to warrant the No. 1 spot. So the Eagles will stay there until a team comes along that can expose them for 56 or 63 points. I still have Midview ahead of Benedictine. Initially that move was made because of Midview's superior quarterback. But until we get clarity on Benedictine RB Decavilon Reese's status, the Bengals will stay put. Just like teams 3-18 on my ballot all did this week. Garfield Heights and North Olmsted dropped off the bottom of my ballot while Perry and Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin made their first appearances. The Pirates shocked rival Madison with 5-foot-7 sparkplug Josh Petrucelli leading the way against his former team, and the Lions upended their former coach, Ben Malbasa, and are rolling as they head into a showdown with Central Catholic.

Patsko’s ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Benedictine, 5. Avon, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Midview, 8. Stow, 9. Mayfield, 10. Archbishop Hoban, 11. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 12. Glenville, 13. Brecksville, 14. North Olmsted, 15. Nordonia, 16. Maple Heights, 17. Aurora, 18. Elyria, 19. Strongsville, 20. Lake Catholic, 21. Hudson, 22. Highland, 23. Solon, 24. Bedford, 25. Perry.

Patsko’s ballot explanation

Here’s what I wrote last season after St. Edward lost on the road to Cincinnati Elder in Week 4: “I kept St. Edward No. 1 despite Saturday's loss. I still think the Eagles are the best team in our coverage region. Losing by a touchdown on the road in Cincinnati doesn't change that. To me, the Top 25 should be a list of the best teams in Northeast Ohio. Strength of schedule and school size means a lot when you're ranking teams that (mostly) don't play each other.” That’s how I’m approaching this week’s ballot. Two of my top five teams lost, and another – Avon – escaped in triple OT. But they’re all staying put. I still think St. Edward is the best team in NE Ohio today. I think Mentor runs the table in the GCC. The Avon/Berea-Midpark/Midview jumble will sort itself out the next two weeks as they play each other. Benedictine is 3-0, and that’s great, but it doesn’t mean I think the Bengals could beat my top three teams. Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. likes to say that the scoreboard doesn’t always dictate the play of his team. I feel the same way about records when it comes to the Top 25. Elsewhere on my ballot, North Olmsted and Lake Catholic basically stay put after close losses to higher ranked teams. Madison falls out and Perry jumps in at No. 25.

Rozboril's ballot

1. Mentor, 2. St. Edward, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Midview, 5. Benedictine, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Glenville, 8. Mayfield, 9. Stow, 10. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 11. Avon, 12. Brecksville, 13. Maple Heights, 14. Nordonia, 15. North Olmsted, 16. Bedford, 17. Hoban, 18. Aurora, 19. Elyria, 20. Solon, 21. Strongsville, 22. Highland, 23. Hudson, 24. Perry, 25. Madison. 

Rozboril's ballot explanation

Keeping Mentor in the top spot after a big loss to St. Xavier on Friday was not an easy decision. I debated whether St. Edward should move ahead of the Cardinals. I decided against the logic that a team that lost by two points to one of the best teams in New Jersey (St. Joseph Regional) is better than another team that lost to one of the top teams in Ohio by more substantial margin. I kept Mentor and St. Edward in the top two spots because they earned them in past weeks but should the Cardinals falter in the near future, I could definitely see the Eagles sliding into the No. 1 spot in my ballot. St. Ignatius, Midview and Benedictine all won in Week 3 but not against opponents that seemed to warrant a leap ahead of the Cardinals and Eagles. That's enough about what didn't change in my ballot. What did change is I finally brought North Olmsted into the mix and in a very nice position after coming within one point of Avon, the Eagles' toughest opponent of the season to date by far, which slid back a couple spots in the process. I've bumped Strongsville up a spot after witnessing an impressive showing against Brush and Perry enters the mix this week just ahead of Madison, which the Pirates beat to earn some recognition. Lorain and Euclid slipped out of my ballot this week. Although both teams turned in Week 3 wins, neither victory was significant enough to keep them from getting knocked out of this week's ballot. 

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Monday's series opener between the Indians and Royals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Monday's series opener between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (12-10, 3.70 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-7, 3.49)

Lineups

Indians

1. DH Jason Kipnis

2. SS Francisco Lindor

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF Lonnie Chisenhall

6. C Yan Gomes

7. CF Abraham Almonte

8. 3B Giovanny Urshela

9. 2B Jose Ramirez

Royals

1. LF Alex Gordon

2. 2B Ben Zobrist

3. CF Lorenzo Cain

4. 1B Eric Hosmer

5. DH Kendrys Morales

6. 3B Mike Moustakas

7. C Salvador Perez

8. RF Alex Rios

9. SS Alcides Escobar

Northeast Ohio Media Group reporters break down what they learned in Week 3 of the 2015 football season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Watch Northeast Ohio Media Group reporters Scott Patsko, Joe Noga, Matt Goul and Nate Cline break down what they learned about local teams during Week 3 of the 2015 high school football season.

Get their takes on Mentor, St. Edward, Mayfield, North Olmsted, Avon, Glenville and Cleveland Heights.

Check back later this week for predictions on Week 4 games.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

The Browns are preparing Johnny Manziel to start Sunday's home opener against the Titans with Josh McCown sidelined with his concussion for now. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- With Josh McCown still in the concussion protocol, the Browns are preparing Johnny Manziel to start  the home opener Sunday against fellow Heisman Trophy Winner Marcus Mariota of the Titans.

"I think that's accurate to say,'' said Pettine. "If we have our starting quarterback in the protocol - it's an ideal situation that Josh would be back at the end of the week--  but we have to plan otherwise that he won't be available at least early for practice. We'll see how it plays out. Johnny early in the week will get the starting quarterback reps."

If McCown is cleared by Friday, Pettine said he'll make his decision on a starter at that point.

"We'll just see how it goes,'' Pettine said.

Manziel started the Jets game with a flourish, throwing a 54-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin on his opening drive. But he committed three second-half turnovers to prevent a comeback. Mariota, meanwhile, threw four TD passes and earned a perfect rating in a 42-14 victory over the Bucs in his NFL debut.

But the clash of the two Heisman Trophy winners might not happen.

McCown woke up Monday morning feeling much better than he did during Sunday's 31-10 loss to the Jets, a league source said. He suffered the concussion when he dove toward the end zone and got hit twice, first by safety Calvin Pryor, who jarred the ball loose, and next by Demario Davis, who earholed him and sent him helicoptering into the end zone.

The blast looked worse than it felt, the source said, and if McCown has his druthers, he'll rally and play against the Titans. The problem for McCown is, it's not his decision. Once in the concussion protocol, he's at the mercy of the independent neurologists to clear him to play.

As it was, McCown was given the green light to watch and attend meetings at the Browns facility Monday morning.

"They come in and get evaluated and some guys end up very light sensitive from it so they can't be in a dark room with a bright image projected on the wall,'' said Pettine. "I think it's all a tolerance thing. It's different how guys react to it.''

If McCown is ruled out, newcomer Austin Davis, signed by the Browns last week after he was cut by the Rams, will serve as Manziel's backup. Davis started eight games for the Rams last season, going 3-5.

 Even if McCown is cleared to play, Pettine might be inclined to activate Davis, who was in streetclothes Sunday.

"If there's a higher likelihood of having a guy injured, we would try to carry another number,'' he said.

The Browns are lucky Manziel came through the Jets game unscathed. He was drilled in the shoulder by former Browns cornerback Buster Skrine at the end of a long run that was wiped out by an Alex Mack holding penalty, and his head slammed to the turf. Manziel popped up, only to be swarmed and strip-sacked om the next play.  All told, he was sacked three times in the second half and hit hard a few others.

 "I think (he's) a little sore, but nothing specific,'' said Pettine. "Arm-wise he felt OK."

Manziel played most of the game despite resting most of the previous two weeks with tendinitis in his elbow. He said he felt some tightness during the game, but nothing out of the ordinary. But with McCown sidelined and no backup behind Manziel on the roster -- Brian Hartline would've been the emergency quarterback -- Pettine held his breath on Manziel's scrambles and rollouts.

  "There was an instance or two where he could've stuck with the read and part of it is that he saw a gain in front of him and went ahead and took it,'' said Pettine. "There were a couple I thought it was textbook. He got positive yardage, he slid down and we were ready for the next play and then there were the few -- the one for sure -- that he took the real big hit on that was unnecessary, especially in light of that Josh was already down for the game."

Davis, who broke Brett Favre's records at Southern Miss, acknowledged he'd have to improvise if pressed into service.

 "I think we'd have to limit the package,'' he said. "I think I'd come up with a set part of the offense I'd feel comfortable with and go play. I did it the last three years. There's enough football I know I think I could get it done."

 He's not expecting to get any reps with the first team offense -- just like Manziel didn't have any last week.

 "That's difficult because if you don't expect Josh to play you have to get Johnny ready,'' he said. "That's life as a backup quarterback. You have to be able to not take reps and still go in and execute the game plan. I feel comfortable in my ability to do that if it comes to that. Obviously it's not ideal. I've been there a week. I don't think anyone wants that, but if it happens I'll be ready to go."

After watching McCown whirl through the air again on film, Pettine re-iterated that he did what he had to do on that third and 14 at the Jets' 14. The fateful plunge came on the 17th play of the 90-yard drive, one that shaved 9:59 on the clock.

"How do you tell him different?,'' said Pettine. "You're talking about a guy that was instinct for him to do that. Had the play occurred at the 10-yard line or midfield, more than likely, this is a question better for him, but he probably would've slid. But you're that close to the end zone, I mean if he had hung onto the ball and not gotten helicoptered in and landed and we had won the game, we're carrying him off the field--  in a good way.

"So it's easy in hindsight to say that because we know the end of the movie, but that would be real difficult to try to coach out of him, say, 'Hey, listen, don't risk yourself.' I think he just in his mind it was the situation. 'Hey I've got a chance to score a touchdown here. It's third down.' If it's second down, my guess is that he would've slid."

Left tackle Joe Thomas, who spent the summer touting McCown and his veteran experience, took a different view.

"Certainly we're going to encourage Josh again to maybe slide, start learning how to slide,'' he said. "I think back to the last game he played in Tampa and he took a bunch of huge, unnecessary shots in that game because he wants to prove he's old but he's not frail. That's good to an extent. After the Tampa game he said, 'Boy, I really wanted to beat these guys' and I'm thinking, 'OK, but you had better start sliding in the regular season.' ''

Thomas shared that sentiment with McCown after the game and will remind him again this week.

"On that first drive he took two big shots really unnecessarily,'' he said. "You want him going for that first down and touchdown, but at the same time you want him to realize, 'Hey, we've only got one of you' We've got a lot of linemen and receivers we can throw in there, but the starting quarterback is the one who gets all the reps during the week and we need to preserve him.''

He'll soon find out if McCown gets another chance this week to heed that advice.