Ezekiel Elliott is both what The Grind os all about as he gouges out the tough yards and what the playoff run was about as he gashes for huge gains.

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana -- Running with the power and speed of any back in the proud history of Ohio State football, Ezekiel Elliott is both rebuke and reaffirmation of "The Grind."

This is the concept, named by coach Urban Meyer himself, of Ohio State's season of national championship defense.

It is a statement of the sheer drudgery of blocking and tackling down at the football mill, where times are hard.

Metaphorically, it describes the abrasive wheel, the grindstone, of each opponent  wearing away at the Buckeyes with each team's all-out effort. Ohio State cannot match this because it is impossible to peak every week.

The Buckeyes, the old kings, unanimous No. 1 in the polls before the season began, may totter on their pedestal. But it's October and every game counts toward the Big Ten championship and bowl and College Football Playoff seeding. The leaves are falling and so are tacklers at Elliott's heels.

Ohio State beat Indiana Saturday, handing the surprising Hoosiers their first loss, 34-27, in both teams' Big Ten opener Saturday. The victory was not secure until no time was left on the clock and Eli Apple knocked away Indiana backup quarterback Zander Diamant's desperate, blind heave to the back of the end zone. The ball seemed to hit the hand of leaping Hoosiers' receiver Ricky Jones first, before Apple batted it away.

Elliott scored on runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards. He gained 274 yards, the third-best one-game total in Ohio State history, and 243 of them came after halftime. The Buckeyes might be unbeaten and unconvincing, but not "Zeeeeke!" as the crowd moans when he has a hole in front of him and a step on everyone behind him.

The junior back refutes the labors of grinding out yardage in a return to Jim Tressel's conservative offense, by taking everyone with a step here, a cut there, a hurdle on the edge and accelerating strides toward the goal line, back to what was literally a playoff "run" last season.

Elliott also reaffirms "The Grind'' because of the cumulative effect of sending him at 6-2, 225 pounds into the line for the tough yards that move the sticks or, on fourth-and-1 at the Buckeyes' 35, for 65 yards that gave Ohio State the lead for good at 20-17.

He gouges opponents, and he gashes them too.

The championship season was called "The Chase." But after Alabama was caught, after the victory confetti was trapped in the players' hair in the Jerry Dome, and after the golden trophy was kissed, Meyer was left with a surplus of toys for 2015.

The design is for the Buckeyes to come at other teams in waves, overwhelming them with players with fresher legs who are almost as good as those they replace. The danger is that some players get lost in the shuffle.

Braxton Miller touched the ball two more times than you or I did, losing 9 yards on a short pass off a jet sweep and taking a handoff from Cardale Jones for 14 yards. Said Meyer: "Braxton's got to touch the ball more than two times."

Curtis Samuel had four touches last week, two of them, on a run and a catch, of 40 yards each. He had one touch Saturday.

Michael Thomas, the best returning receiver, did at least get four receptions, one for a touchdown.

At the same time, Jalin Marshall ran back a half-dozen punts and caught six passes, two of which became fumbles. The first aborted a deep thrust into Hoosier territory, and the second gave the Hoosiers a short field for a touchdown drive.

Meyer talks freely about 2009 when the perfectionist in him took abhorrence of weakness and fixation on detail into the darkness of obsession. He proclaimed the mission of his 2009 defending national champions at Florida to be ultimate victory in every game, over every team, on every down, if he had his way.

The stress it brought him, the depression he felt after the lone loss in the SEC Championship Game, chased him into the ESPN booth. Now he is back on the sideline at Ohio State, where his won-lost record is a staggering 43-3

"I've learned to enjoy this," he said, after the second one-touchdown victory of the season and the first game that went down to a last-gasp end zone heave since the conquest of Alabama.

""This was similar to the Penn State game (a double overtime victory last season.). We'll get on the plane after a victory and fly home," Meyer said, smiling.

Relieved? Worried? Exhilarated? Asked to name his mood after the close call, Meyer looked up, happiness and weariness both sharing his face.

"Exhilarated for a 51-year-old man," Meyer said.

See pictures from St. Edward's 24-14 football win over Cocoa (Fla.) on Saturday.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- St. Edward's football team defeated Florida power Cocoa, 24-14, on Saturday afternoon at Lakewood Stadium.

Check out pictures from the game in the gallery above, including images of 2017 Ohio State commit Bruce Judson, a QB from Cocoa who projects as a slot receiver or cornerback at the collegiate level.

And don't miss the game story with reaction, plus watch action video highlights from the game.

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

"We're turning the ball over at an alarming rate," coach Urban Meyer said after the game. "That's obviously a difference in the game. And at some point, that's going to bite you. We have to fix that." Watch video

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ohio State's lead was a measly three points midway through the third quarter, but Cardale Jones had the Buckeyes driving for the knockout blow.

Situated a yard outside of Indiana's red zone, Jones rolled right and threw a pass before spotting Hoosiers linebacker Tegray Scales.

Picked. 

Scales took off down the sideline and returned it to around midfield. Five plays later, Indiana was in the end zone and leading the Buckeyes 17-13 with the fourth quarter rapidly approaching. 

"The defender made a great play," Jones said. "There was a little pressure on the play, but nothing that effected the ball. It should have gone somewhere else." 

Basically Jones is saying, "My bad." That's only an acceptable answer because Ohio State wound up beating Indiana 34-27, surviving a shot into the end zone as time expired to escape Memorial Stadium unblemished. 

But think about that interception again. It was one of three turnovers for Ohio State and it put the Buckeyes on the ropes toward the end of the game. Perhaps if Indiana wasn't overmatched talent-wise -- or stuck with backup quarterback Zander Diamont, who replaced an injured Nate Sudfeld -- Ohio State would have lost. 

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones has thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions through five games. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

"We're turning the ball over at an alarming rate," coach Urban Meyer said after the game. "That's obviously a difference in the game. And at some point, that's going to bite you. We have to fix that." 

Meyer voluntarily brought up Ohio State's turnover problem three times in his six-minute news conference after the game. You could tell he was concerned about it, that he fears that they could cost the Buckeyes a game down the road. 

But here's an interesting thought: If Meyer is so concerned about turnovers, why did the winner of Ohio State's high-profile quarterback battle also happen to be the guy who is more prone to turning it over? 

Through five games this season, Jones has five touchdowns and five interceptions. Though it's important to note that J.T. Barrett also has two interceptions in limited play this season, he had 34 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions through the entire regular season last year. 

Barrett is more of the game-manager. He lacks in pure, physical and raw talent when compared to Jones, but he's the ball distributor that's going to keep calm, get the ball out to playmakers and protect Ohio State from turning it over. And he can make plays, too. He's no sap. 

Jones is different. He's going to make more spectacular physical plays, he's going to throw the ball a mile and he's going to run people over. But he's going to turn it over whether Meyer likes it or not. That's part of the package with Jones, who started the eighth game of his career against the Hoosiers. 

"We have to get it fixed," Jones said of turnovers after the game. "We can't expect to win ball games like that, especially playing a great team like Indiana. Thank God for our defense and the way they played lights out. I think we had three turnovers and they had none, and we still came out with the 'W.' We can't expect that each week." 

Indiana was able to push Ohio State to the brink because it protected the ball. Indiana is plus-nine in turnover margin this season, which is drastically better than Ohio State's minus-four margin through five games. 

Of course, Ohio State scored defensive touchdowns in its previous three games, but that has little bearing on whether Jones and the Buckeyes are taking care of the ball. As the Big Ten season progresses, Ohio State's opponents get better. 

Turnover margin can start mattering.

"It actually started last year near the end of the season," Meyer said of the turnover issue, also reminding everyone that Jalin Marshall fumbled it away twice. "We used to always be the tops in turnovers, because we emphasize the heck out of it, we practice it, the entire practice we have guys hitting them so they put the ball away. The players who touch the ball have to make sure it's tight." 

Or maybe turnover margin won't matter -- Crazy thought, right? -- but that idea could explain how Jones has earned this spot. 

It's not like turning it over is new for Ohio State. Though Jones only three two interception in his three postseason starts a year ago, he's still the guy who ran back 15 yards in the national title game and fumbled the ball away to Oregon deep in Buckeyes territory.

That could have cost Ohio State a national title -- it was perhaps the most careless of the Buckeyes four turnovers vs. Oregon -- but they beat an Oregon team that slaughtered opponents all season by scoring off their turnovers. 

"The turnovers have to change right now," Meyer reiterated. 

Yes, they probably do. 

But, as Meyer's decision indicates, the excitement and playmaking ability Jones brings outweighs them. 

See how the Associated Press Top 10 Ohio football teams fared in Week 6 for all seven divisions through Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Find out how the Associated Press Top 10 Ohio football teams fared in Week 6 for all seven divisions through Saturday.

DIVISION I

1, St. Edward won, 24-14, vs. Cocoa (FL).

2, Huber Heights won, 35-0, at Springfield.

3, Cincinnati Colerain won, 35-0, at Fairfield.

4, Westerville Central won, 14-9, at Hillard Bradley.

5, Lancaster won, 21-6, at Groveport-Madison.

(tie) Findlay lost, 21-7, at Toledo St. John’s.

7, Cincinnati Elder won, 24-17, at Cincinnati St. Xavier.

(tie) Cincinnati St. Xavier lost, 24-17, to Cincinnati Elder.

9, Hilliard Darby won, 38-0, at Canal Winchester.

10, Fairfield lost, 35-0, vs. Cincinnati Colerain.

DIVISION II

1, Cincinnati La Salle won, 13-7 in OT, at Cincinnati Moeller.

2, Perrysburg won, 42-27, vs. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne.

3, Aurora lost, 38-28, at Highland.

4, Midview won, 61-20, vs. Westlake.

(tie) Mayfield won, 45-13, vs. Brush.

6, Worthington Kilbourne won, 23-16, at Sunbury Big Walnut.

7, Cincinnati Turpin won, 41-14, at Withrow.

8, Logan won, 28-0, at Shadyside.

9, Maple Heights lost, 21-6, vs. Cleveland Heights.

10, Hudson won, 45-0, vs. Cuyahoga Falls.

(tie) Avon won, 42-7, vs. Lakewood.

DIVISION III

1, Benedictine won, 44-15, vs. Padua.

2, Archbishop Hoban won, 48-7, vs. Walsh Jesuit.

3, Poland Seminary won, 42-14, at Struthers.

4, Wapakoneta won, 35-14, vs. Celina.

5, Zanesville won, 37-0, vs. Dover.

6, Buckeye won, 54-6, vs. Wellington.

7, Trotwood-Madison won, 59-21, at Sidney.

8, Sandusky Perkins lost, 25-22, vs. Port Clinton.

9, St. Vincent-St. Mary won, 35-20, at Canton GlenOak,

10, St. Mary’s Memorial lost, 28-7, vs. Lima Bath.

DIVISION IV

1, Steubenville won, 48-12, vs. Youngstown Ursuline.

2, Middletown Bishop Fenwick won, 24-10, vs. Cincinnati McNicholas.

3, Perry won, 23-10, at Chagrin Falls.

4, Johnstown-Monroe won, 35-0, at Johnstown Northridge.

5, St. Clairsville won, 45-6, Cadiz Harrison Central.

6, Kettering Archbishop Alter won, 52-7, vs. Cincinnati Purcell Marian.

7, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin won, 37-17, at Lake Catholic.

8, Hamilton Badin won, 28-7, at Dayton Carroll.

9, Cincinnati Indian Hill won, 21-14, at N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor

10, Woodridge won, 56-7, vs. Cloverleaf.

DIVISION V

1, Coldwater won, 42-7, at Rockford Parkway.

2, Columbiana Crestview won, 69-9, vs. Hanoverton United.

3, Wheelersburg won, 48-0, vs. Oak Hill.

4, Chillicothe Zane Trace won, 15-8 OT, vs. Bainbridge Paint Valley.

5, Cadiz Harrison Central won, 45-6, at St. Clairsville.

6, Millbury Lake won, 49-0, vs. Tontogany Otsego.

7, Milan Edison won, 36-33, at Sandusky St. Mary.

8, Brookville won, 49-21, at Dayton Oakwood.

9, Swanton won, 53-15, vs. Metamora Evergreen.

10, Apple Creek Waynedale lost, 41-13, at Doylestown Chippewa.

DIVISION VI

1, Maria Stein Marion Local won, 54-20, at Anna.

2, Cincinnati Country Day won, 20-7, vs. Cincinnati North College Hill.

3, Spencerville won, 32-8, at Columbus Grove.

4, Columbia won, 44-0, at Lutheran West.

5, Bainbridge Paint Valley won, 15-8 OT, at Chillicothe Zane Trace.

6, Lucasville Valley won, 35-14, at Waverly.

7, Cuyahoga Heights won, 34-12, at Richmond Heights.

8, Mechanicsburg won, 44-0, at West Liberty-Salem.

9, Lisbon David Anderson won, 33-12, vs. Wellsville.

10, Defiance Ayersville won, 41-3, vs. Sherwood Fairview.

DIVISION VII

1, Danville won, 68-0, vs. Crestline

2, Caldwell won, 40-0, at Zanesville Rosecrans.

3, Fort Recovery won, 40-0, vs. New Bremen.

4, Lucas won, 20-7, vs. Loundonville.

5, Warren John F. Kennedy won, 40-12, vs. Cleveland Central Catholic.

6, Mogadore won, 42-7, at Mantua Crestwood.

7, Minster won, 52-28, vs. Delphos St. John’s.

8, West Unity Hilltop won, 30-12, at Oregon Stritch.

9, McComb won, 37-8, vs. Leipsic.

10, Miami Valley Christian Academy lost, 46-14, vs. Fayetteville-Perry.

Urban Meyer seems to be trusting his quarterback, saying he never considered taking out Cardale Jones. "No, no, not then because he was playing OK," Meyer said. "No." Watch video

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- What were you waiting for with the ball in the air and the game in doubt?

"I'm just waiting for the crowd to go, 'Oooooo,'" Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington said Saturday. "Something to show me that he didn't catch the ball."

While Indiana waited for a tip or a deflection or the kind of lucky bounce an underdog program never forgets, a legion of Ohio State fans waited for a team they can trust.

The Hoosiers didn't get the bounce, backup quarterback Zander Diamont's desperate throw off a fumbled snap falling to the ground in the endzone on fourth-and-9 as No. 1 Ohio State survived with a 34-27 win. 

Anyone watching in scarlet and gray didn't get that team, with another win secured on late-game raw talent rather than confident execution, the 5-0 Buckeyes resorting to survival mode against a program they hadn't lost to since 1988.

The Buckeyes had running back Ezekiel Elliott and his 274 rushing yards and three scores. The Hoosiers had running back Jordan Howard and his injured ankle that he kept trying to play on but couldn't, his day over after 14 carries and 34 yards.

Elliott gives Ohio State edge on almost every team (even as Howard entered the game as the nation's leading rusher) as long as the Buckeyes give him the ball. Closing in on the halfway point of the regular season, there isn't much else Ohio State can absolutely count on.

That signals either a looming disaster ... or a championship repeat.

How much trust does a team earn from a National Championship? That's what the Buckeyes are riding now. The problems this year are reminders of the problems last year. Indiana pushed the Buckeyes last November, too, you know. And we know how all that turned out. 

Ask Alabama and Oregon.

So the players filled social media after the win with affirmations that any victory is to be cherished and 5-0 salutes ... you know, Twitter stuff. 

Not always gunna be pretty but I'm proud of my team for a hard fought win.

-- Joey Bosa (@jbbigbear) October 4, 2015

Never given, always earned. #5-0

-- samwise (@Sam_Hubbard_) October 4, 2015

But what from this season backs up those words? Sure, there's NFL talent. Sure, there are offensive players known to be fast and nimble and adept at running away from defenders. Sure, the defense seemed to scare Indiana into ramming running backs into the middle of the line on first and second down.

If you fully and without hesitation believe in the 2015 Buckeyes, your faith is rooted primarily in Dallas championship confetti and the three title rings on Urban Meyer's fingers.

Five weekends in, games this close, is this all still normal progress?

"Sure, sure," said the championship coach who weekly promises to enjoy every win.

Or does something need to change?

"The turnovers have to change right now," Meyer said. "I mean right now."

In victory, Meyer referenced last season's overtime escape at Penn State and those losses and close calls dealt to other top 25 teams. If this had been a loss, maybe more would change.

Personnel on offense, and not meaning the quarterback?

Game plan strategies that would demand Elliott early and often regardless of the defense?

A thinning of the skill player herd to focus on the couple of guys most prepared to make plays?

A radical shift in the play calling structure that maybe changes who calls the plays or where they do it from?

A loss and there would have been plenty of areas for questions in the kind of search for answers that just doesn't happen after a win, no matter how dicey.

Maybe it would have included another quarterback contemplation. Or maybe not. Jones as the guy may be as settled as anything right now. After removing Jones in the first halves in week two and week three, a bad Jones pick in the third quarter that led to an Indiana go-ahead score didn't rattle Meyer.

Did he consider a move away from Jones to J.T. Barrett?

"No, no, not then because he was playing OK," Meyer said, before pausing and deciding on one more clear answer. "No."

Asked if he thought a hook might be coming, the quarterback who finished 18 of 27 for 245 yards and one score seemed almost insulted by the question, maybe rightly so.

"No," Jones said.

Why?

"Because I didn't."

So the quarterback is sure in his place, a positive sign. If only everything for Ohio State was so sure, so free of doubt.

Because this season has been like that ball in the air from a 180-pound Indiana quarterback who has completed less than half his career passes and hadn't thrown a pass this season before Saturday. Diamont was inserted only because IU starter Nate Sudfeld aggravated an ankle injury, meaning the Hoosiers drove 48 yards in the final 3:44 down to the 9-yardline without their starting running back and starting quarterback.

Yet Washington was left waiting.

"I didn't hear anything," the senior said. "But I got up and our sideline was running so that kind of let me know it was a good thing."

Washington was left searching because he crashed into the sideline and helped knock Indiana coach Kevin Wilson for a loop. What was on the line for the Buckeyes was on the line for the Hoosiers, who were coming off a 4-0 start for the first time since 1990, but the other way.

"We dialed it up, had an option, and all of a sudden he was scrambling for his life," Wilson said. "I got smoked on this. Did you see that? Ran right into me. Made a nice little hit on the quarterback, shoved him, I went right in the kicking net, like the bang-bang out-of-bounds pass."

Wilson joked he wanted a late hit flag for a coach taking a blow.

"I have a bruise right there on my knuckle where he got me," Wilson said.

If Meyer has bruises, you can't see them. Just like you can't see what's wrong with the Buckeyes by their record.

Back in 1987, after absorbing Ohio State's first loss to Indiana in 36 years, OSU coach Earle Bruce said, "I've known about Ohio State football since I was a freshman here in 1949. This is the darkest day in Ohio State football since I have been associated with it."

Meyer didn't have to go there. If the last play had worked, Wilson said he was considering going for a two-point conversion and the win. But the pass into a crowd hit Indiana receiver Ricky Jones in the hands but that was all. Game over.

"I've learned to enjoy it," Meyer said, "but I'm very frustrated. I guess for a 51-year-old man, I'm pretty exhilarated right now."

Meyer smiled, knowing the exhilaration, the word planted in his mouth by the question, was shallow. Exhilaration - that was last year. 

 

See Ohio high school football statewide scores for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school football statewide scores for Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015.

Akr. Firestone 42, Akr. Kenmore 0

Bishop Donahue, W.Va. 38, Bowerston Conotton Valley 7

Cle. Benedictine 44, Parma Padua 15

Cle. Rhodes 18, Cle. Lincoln W. 6

Cle. VASJ 46, Youngs. Valley Christian 0

Edgerton 61, Fremont St. Joseph 14

Hunting Valley University 37, Gates Mills Gilmour 6

Lakewood St. Edward 24, Cocoa, Fla. 14

Malvern 30, Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 26

Newark Cath. 10, Heath 0

Norwalk St. Paul 34, Plymouth 0

Parma Hts. Holy Name 21, Elyria Cath. 14

Steubenville Cath. Cent. 40, Bellaire 14

Tiffin Calvert 35, Montpelier 14

Warren JFK 40, Cle. Cent. Cath. 12

Willow Wood Symmes Valley 42, Beaver Eastern 16

Woodlan, Ind. 29, Lima Cent. Cath. 26

The Indians beat the Red Sox on Saturday night as Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn homered and Corey Kluber and Cody Allen cobined on a three-hit shutout.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians, on a cold wet night at Progressive Field, received some early firepower from Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn and let Corey Kluber take care of the rest.

Santana hit a leadoff homer in the second inning and Ryan Raburn started the fourth in the same fashion as the Indians beat Boston, 2-0, to give themselves a chance to finish the season with a winning record.

Kluber and Cody Allen combined on a three-hitter for the victory. Allen earned his 33rd save with a scoreless ninth.

On his last start of the season, Kluber (9-16, 3.49) ended a personal three-start losing streak. He struck out nine, walked two and allowed three hits.

It was Kluber's best performance since he returned from a strained right hamstring on Sept. 17. Kluber was 0-3 with a 8.45 ERA (10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings) in his first three starts following the injury.

Kluber ends the season with 245 strikeouts in 222 innings. Last year he struck out 269 in 235 2/3 innings.

Boston left-hander Craig Breslow, a career reliever, was making his second straight start because Boston's rotation has been hit hard by injuries. In 524 appearances, Breslow has made 522 as a reliever.

Santana turned Breslow's 0-1 pitch into his 19th homer of the season to start the second inning. In Friday's 8-2 victory, Santana drove in three runs with a double.

It was only Santana's fourth homer from the right side of the plate.

Raburn connected on a 2-0 pitch, driving it a little bit deeper into the left field bleachers than Santana's drive. Raburn's drive measured 426 feet, while Santana's came in at 406.

It was Raburn's eighth homer and first since Sept. 7.

Breslow (0-4, 4.15) handled himself well. He allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter.

Kluber came into the game with an 0-1 record against the Red Sox this season. He allowed six runs on six hits in six innings in a 6-4 loss at Fenway Park on Aug. 19. Overall, he was 0-2 with 6.28 ERA in six appearances, including five starts, against Boston.

Things were different Saturday night.

Kluber struck out the side in the second and third innings. He gave up his first hit, a single to Travis Shaw, with one out in the fourth. Kluber retired the next two batters and kept going.

The Red Sox never pressured him through eight innings. It was the Indians 10th shutout of the season.

What it means

The Indians (80-80) are back to .500 with a chance to end the year with their third straight winning season if they can beat Boston on Sunday. They have only been above .500 twice since April 9.

Boston (78-83) are putting the wraps on their second straight losing season. The last time they had consecutive losing seasons with 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Thanks for coming

The Red Sox and Indians drew 17,342 fans to Progressive Field on Saturday night. The Indians have drawn 1,371,061 fans in 77 home dates.

What's next?

The Indians and Red Sox finish the regular season Sunday when RHP Danny Salazar (13-10, 3.51) faces Boston righty Rick Porcello (9-14, 5.02) at 3:10 p.m.

The Tribe is 8-3 when Salazar pitches at home this season. He's 1-0 against the Red Sox this season and 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts against the AL East.

Porcello has not faced the Indians this season, but he has a long hsitory against them from his time in Detroit. He's 9-3 with 3.40 ERA in 20 starts against the Indians.

"I think we were definitely overdue for a game like this," Elliott said. "The offensive line and I have been feeling that way for the past couple games. It finally happened at a good time." Watch video

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ezekiel Elliott was so put off by the questions last week that he walked away from the interview after a few minutes.

He hasn't watched LSU running back Leonard Fournette, or Georgia's Nick Chubb. Why would he know anything about Indiana running back Jordan Howard?

Yes, those guys all are all good running backs, among the best in the nation at running the football. So is Elliott, but that doesn't mean he sits at home watching them. So he left his interview session last Wednesday after three successive questions about running backs he doesn't care about.

He was asked about those guy because they're Heisman Trophy candidates. After what Elliott did on Saturday against Indiana, he should get used to the Heisman questions. Because now he's officially a part of the conversation.

OK, maybe he was always part of it. His campaign started last year when he carried Ohio State to a national championship. But the argument could be made that through four weeks, Elliott was simply hanging around while guys like Fournette and Chubb went crazy and pulled ahead.

Wait around any longer, and the gap Elliott would have to make up to get invited to New York in December might have been too wide. Consider it closed.

Elliott ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in the Buckeyes' 34-27 win. He got 243 of those yards in the second half. It wasn't just the big totals, it was the big hits: Touchdown runs of 55, 65 and 75 yards.

Heisman runs.

"I think we were definitely overdue for a game like this," Elliott said. "The offensive line and I have been feeling that way for the past couple games. It finally happened at a good time."

That last one was actually huge.

Elliott broke through the hole, looked like he might have been stopped, then bounced off a tackle and raced 75 yards for a touchdown that put Ohio State up by 14. That difference loomed large after Indiana scored to cut it to seven, then missed a potential game-tying throw to the end zone in the final seconds.

"Zeke is just such a good second-level runner," Urban Meyer said. "He had three big hits, and it's great to see him get to the second level."

It was vintage Elliott, the guy that ran himself in to the Heisman conversation in the first place last December and January.

That's not to say he's been bad this season, and he'll tell you he doesn't care about winning the Heisman Trophy, but the big hits were eluding Elliott -- a combination of play calling, poor blocking and his own hesitation.

He was trying to get back to the guy who was a 60-yard touchdown waiting to happen by the end of last season. Those were the kind of plays that vaulted him into the top part of the hierarchy of Ohio State running backs, and he knows his standing now. He knew that he tied Keith Byars for second place on the single-game rushing list with his 274 yards.

Elliott is now tied for the second and third best games for a Buckeye running back ever. He's 12th on Ohio State's career rushing list with 2,869 yards. Antonio Pittman (2,945) is the next one in his sights.

"It's just an honor to be mentioned with those guys, with the great running back pedigree at Ohio State, it's a honor to go and continue that legacy," Elliott said.

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns against Indiana.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

That legacy includes a couple of Heisman Trophies, and Elliott is squarely in the conversation to add another.

But while Elliott was on a plane back to Columbus, Fournette was in the middle of putting up 200 rushing yards for the third straight game.

So Elliott will still be behind in yards and touchdowns when the picture becomes more clear on Sunday morning. The important thing is that that gap no longer exists, and Elliott's going to be a workhorse, just like Fournette.

Meyer has said that Elliott is a guy who needs to get 20-25 touches per game. He got exactly 25 (including two catches for 12 yards) and you saw what he did with it. Maybe he'll get more as Ohio State's offense continue to work through turnover issues a new playcalling system that seems to be slowing things down.

Elliott is a big-play machine, and that's what wins Heismans for running backs.

It's not three yards and a cloud of dust. It's 75 yards and cloud of black rubber pellets.

That's who Elliott was last December and January. That's who he was on Saturday, and the Buckeyes want you to see more of him.

"Coach Meyer made an emphasis in games like this, on the road, big plays are gonna spark the team and I knew that I needed that," Elliott said.

Here are high school sports highlights from Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Saturday. See below for information on how your team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups. 

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Vermilion Invitational: Westlake won the team title with three runners finishing in the top six. Medina was second, Elyria fourth, Amherst fifth, Open Door seventh and Firelands seventh among 20 teams.

Sandusky Perkins’ Owen Krewson won the race in 16:39, but Westlake’s Sebastian Francesco and Nick Irwin were back-to-back in third and fourth. Teammate Jacob Kraft was sixth, as the Demons outnumbered the Pirates in the top six.

Oberlin’s Simon Perales won the open race in 17:54.

Midwest Meet of Champions: Solon won the team title with leading runner Danny Cohen finishing second overall. No other results were available.

Joe Polakowski 15:37 New School record today in the rain and cold. #onceacard@MentorAthleticspic.twitter.com/ucXlmk1AqI

— Second Sole Mentor (@2ndSoleMentor) October 3, 2015

Panther Invitational: Justyn Moore of Shaker Heights finished fourth in 16:27, about 20 seconds off the winning time. As a team, the Raiders were eighth.

Old Fort Invitational: Independence’s Tyler Polman finished in 15:56 to win the race by nearly 24 seconds. The Blue Devils were the lone participating Northeast Ohio team.

Woodridge CVNP Invitational: Twinsburg’s Josh Gogan won the race in 17:40.6 seconds, just 0.2 ahead of teammate Ryan Adkins to win. They helped Twinsburg finish second overall to Woodridge.

Brecksville was third and led by Ben Good’s third-place finish, 10 seconds behind the Twinsburg tandem.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Vermilion Invitational: Bay’s Amanda Cusimano finished in 20:14 to win the race, fueling her Rockets to a second-place finish. Bay finished ahead of Elyria, North Olmsted, Amherst, Firelands and Westlake, which finished third through seventh.

Sandusky Perkins won the team title. Cusimano won the race by nearly 2 seconds past the Pirates’ Calah Bishop.

Bay’s Abby Christel won the open race in 21:57.

Old Fort Invitational: Dana Zaccardelli finished fifth in 19:49 to pace Independence.

Panther Invitational: Shaker Heights won with three top 16 finishers, led by Mimi Reimers’ fourth-overall place in 18:53. Teammates Sophie Carrier (seventh) and Alexa Jankowski (16^th) ran the course within 20:06.

Woodridge CVNP Invitational: Woodridge won the event with the top three runners, led by Molly Howard’s 20:58 time. Teammates Clare Willett and Nicole Fleming were second and third. Brecksville’s Dana Dosen placed fourth, helping the Bees to a second-place team finish.

GIRLS TENNIS

Division I Sectional: No. 2-seeded Emily Thomas of Jackson beat No. 1 Kayla Pukys of Louisville in the singles final, 6-3, 6-2. Perry’s Kasey Pukys, the third seeded, lost a third-place match to Hoover’s Alessa Koinolglou, 6-4, 6-2.

Canfield’s Hannah Cianiola and Ashley Kaleel won the doubles title with a 6-3, 6-1 win vs. Hoover’s Lynn Daugherty and Sydney Bergman.

Division II Rocky River Sectional: Cloverleaf junior Emily Dunbar won a sectional singles crown with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win against Hathaway Brown’s Lauren Gillinov.

In the semifinals, Dunbar swept Gillinov’s teammate, freshman Maddie Lynch.

However, Hathaway Brown took home a doubles title. Catherine Areklett and Ally Persky used a 6-2, 6-2 finals win against teammates Isabella Daverio and Rebecca Wolf.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Revere 3, Wadsworth 2: Revere rallied at home and emerged from a marathon match, 29-27, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-8.

With it, Revere’s Erinn Kahoe and Viktoria Farian broke the school record for kills in a match. Farian is now the record holder with 24, while Kahoe is No. 2 with 21. The old record was 19.

To make the record-setting day possible, Chloe Still had 39 assists and Cassidy Kohmann had 25 assists for Revere.

St. Joseph Academy 3, Valley Forge 0: The hosts won, 25-9, 25-5, 25-6. Madison Sasena had eight kills and 10 digs to lead visiting Valley Forge, which also got 11 digs from Nikolette Kacsmarik.

Riverside 3, Aurora 0: Olivia Maczuzak’s 13 kills paced Riverside to a 25-10, 25-17, 25-15 home victory. Anna Zito provided 13 assists, while Sara Apanavicius supplied three service aces, four assists, 12 digs and three blocks. Hannah Brentar led Riverside’s defense with 21 digs.

Amherst 3, Perrysburg 0: The Comets left with a 25-14, 25-21, 25-17 nonconference win. Ashley Makruski led Amherst with 15 kills and five service aces. Setter London Voss had 30 assists.

Kenston 3, Beaumont 0: The visitors won, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20.

Euclid drops three at quad: Dayna Shrirer had 10 digs for Euclid, which lost a 25-9, 25-11 match to Madison. Against Normandy, a 25-23, 26-24, 25-12 loss, Rayjon Harris supplied a team-high nine kills for the Panthers. Against Wickliffe, which won 25-16, 25-20, Courtney Ritchey dished out nine assists.

BOYS SOCCER

Brunswick 3, Padua 2: The Blue Devils held off host Padua with two goals from Ryan Scott and another from Cory Gilbert. Gavin Leindecker had eight saves for Brunswick, while Padua’s Nick Pullar and Nathan Marcus scored goals.

Oberlin 4, Lutheran West 1: The Phoenix jumped out to a 3-0 lead by halftime in their Patriot Athletic Conference road win.

Hawken 4, Gilmour 1: Reed Abrams and Anderson Clyde each scored two goals and had assists for Hawken. Eric Oyen added two assists for the Hawks.

Olmsted Falls 8, Normandy 0: Cameron Robinson and Austin Lockhart each scored twice for the Bulldogs, who scored five times in the first half. Rylan Wikle provided two assists, while goalkeeper Austin Mitchell had four saves in the shutout for 10-1-2 Olmsted Falls.

Medina 5, Berea-Midpark 0: The Bees won a road nonconference game on a rainy, windy day.

GIRLS SOCCER

Fairview 2, Brooklyn 0: Paige Strandhal and Olivia Howard scored to lead Fairview.

Canton McKinley 7, Shaw 0: McKinley scored three-first half goals on its way to a road win.

North Royalton 5, North Ridgeville 2: The Bears took a 3-1 halftime lead at home and added to it.

Trinity 10, Our Lady of the Elms 0: Trinity scored six times in the first half for a home victory.

Chagrin Falls 1, Beaumont 1: These nonconference foes played to a draw at Beaumont.

Gilmour 1, Hawken 1: Both teams scored second-half goals and played to a draw.

FIELD HOCKEY

Maumee Valley Country Day 2, Western Reserve Academy 1: Sarah Boyk scored twice for the visitors. Cristen Barnett had Western Reserve’s goal.

Ottawa Hills 4, Western Reserve Academy 2: Cristen Barnett and Chloe Zampelli scored for Western Reserve, but Ottawa Hills left with the win.

How your team can be included in these roundups

These roundups are based on box scores and game notes entered in cleveland.com’s database by school or team representatives. If your team is not participating in the box score program please contact your athletic director or coach and encourage them to do so. They can obtain instructions and database login information from High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com. 

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

Homers by Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn supported Corey Kluber as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox, 2-0, Saturday night at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Corey Kluber allowed three soft singles and struck out nine in eight innings as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox, 2-0, Saturday night at wet and chilly Progressive Field. Carlos Santana and Ryan Raburn homered.

Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Different type of pressure: The Indians (80-80) did not qualify for the postseason for the second straight season, but they have given themselves an opportunity to be above .500 in each of Terry Francona's three seasons as manager.

In 2013, the Indians went 92-70 and lost in the wild-card game. In 2014, they were 85-77.

The 2015 Indians will finish above or below .500 because Game 162 will not be played. In mid-September, rain washed out a game against Detroit that only would be made up if it meant something.   

Props to Los: Santana led off the second against lefty Craig Breslow by belting an 0-1 fastball (89 mph) into the left-field bleachers. Breslow wanted to get the pitch   deep inside but it stayed over the plate.

Santana finished 2-for-3 with the homer, a hustle double and a walk. He leads the Tribe with 19 homers, 85 RBI and 107 walks. 

Rain man: Under a passing shower in the fourth, Raburn led off against Breslow by launching a 2-0 cutter (85 mph) into the left-field bleachers. The pitch didn't cut nearly enough and provided plenty of swinging room.

Former Indian Breslow allowed the two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. The longtime reliever made his second career start.

Klubotic: Kluber walked two and hit one. He threw 74 of 107 pitches for strikes.

Kluber benefitted from not facing a former AL MVP (Dustin Pedroia) and a 503-homer man (David Ortiz). No matter: Pedroia and Ortiz, had they not been given the night off, would have been hard-pressed to produce because Kluber's stuff was nasty.

Kluber relied on a fastball/cutter/breaking pitch combination. He subtracted some velocity from the fastball in order to gain more late wrinkle. As one indication of how much movement came with his pitches, in general: 27 called strikes.

At one point, Kluber recorded six consecutive outs via strikeout.

Kluber (9-16, 3.49 ERA) finished the season with 245 strikeouts in 222 innings. He received two runs or fewer in 21 of 32 starts.

Here is the result of each plate appearance against Kluber on Saturday (final pitch type/velocity):

FIRST INNING

(R) Mookie Betts -- walk (3-2 fastball/94 mph).

Skinny: Kluber and catcher Yan Gomes were sure the pitch caught the outside corner. Plate umpire David Rackley disagreed.

(R) Josh Rutledge -- swinging strikeout (2-2 cutter/90).

Skinny: Betts stole second on Kluber; terrific throw by Gomes nearly secured double play.

(R) Xander Bogaerts -- liner to short (0-1 fastball/92).

Skinny: Bogaerts jammed.

(L) Travis Shaw -- fly to center (0-0 fastball/91).

Skinny: Fastball ran to end of Shaw's barrel.

SECOND INNING

(R) Rusney Castillo -- called strikeout (0-2 breaking pitch/81).

(L) Brock Holt -- called strikeout (1-2 fastball/91).

Skinny: Holt gave up on pitch, which featured superb comeback action to middle of plate.

(R) Deven Marrero -- walk (3-2 fastball/93).

Skinny: Kluber thought he had strikeout. K-box showed pitch was low.

(L) Sandy Leon -- called strikeout (0-2 fastball/91).

Skinny: Serious comeback action.

THIRD INNING

(L) Jackie Bradley Jr. -- called strikeout (2-2 breaking pitch/82).

(R) Mookie Betts -- swinging strikeout (3-2 cutter/88).

Skinny: Off outside corner.

(R) Josh Rutledge -- called strikeout (2-2 fastball/92).

Skinny: Comebacker to outer third.

FOURTH INNING

(R) Xander Bogaerts -- grounder to first (0-1 breaking pitch/80).

Skinny: Off end of bat.

(L) Travis Shaw -- single to right (1-2 breaking pitch/80).

Skinny: Shaw kept the hands back long enough and flicked the ball over shifted second baseman Jason Kipnis. More credit to Shaw than blame on Kluber.

(R) Rusney Castillo -- swinging strikeout (0-2 fastball/91).

Skinny: Gomes was set up on outside corner. Pitch ran over plate and above belt.

(L) Brock Holt -- grounder to short (1-1 breaking pitch/80).

Skinny: Francisco Lindor fielded chopper past the mound and erased Holt by a step.

FIFTH INNING

(R) Deven Marrero -- grounder to first (0-2 fastball/91).

(L) Sandy Leon -- single to left (1-1 fastball/89).

Skinny: Pitch ran to outer third. Leon dumped it in front of Mike Aviles.

(L) Jackie Bradley Jr. -- pop to right (0-2 breaking pitch/81).

Skinny: With Red Sox attempting a hit-and-run in 0-1 count, Bradley swung and missed at cutter down and in. Gomes released over a crouching Bradley and easily cut down Leon. The next pitch was popped to right.

SIXTH INNING

(R) Mookie Betts -- pop to left (2-1 fastball/90).

(R) Josh Rutledge -- grounder to short (2-1 fastball/92).

(R) Xander Bogaerts -- liner to center (1-1 cutter/87).

Skinny: Pitch to outer third took sting out of bat.

SEVENTH INNING

(L) Travis Shaw -- called strikeout (1-2 fastball/91).

Skinny: Kluber might have caught a break because pitch appeared to be outside.

(R) Rusney Castillo -- grounder to second (0-1 cutter/87).

(L) Brock Holt -- hit by pitch (0-2 breaking pitch/82).

Skinny: Holt was plunked on left knee and remained on ground before exiting game.

(R) Deven Marrero -- grounder to first (0-0 cutter/85).

Skinny: Cued to Santana.

EIGHTH INNING

(L) Sandy Leon -- single to right (0-1 cutter/87).

Skinny: Leon muscled it into shallow right. He entered the night at 19-for-109 this  season.

(L) Jackie Bradley Jr. -- GIDP 3-6-1 (3-1 fastball/91).

Skinny: One-hopper to Santana.

(R) Mookie Betts -- fly to center (2-2 fastball/92).

Locking it down: Cody Allen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save.

See all of the high school football follow-ups, videos and stories from Saturday on cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Week 6 began with an upset Thursday in the cleveland.com Top 25. A few more came Friday, but no such setbacks for top-rated teams Saturday.

No. 1 St. Edward spoiled Cocoa’s trip from Florida and handed the Tigers a 24-14 loss on Saturday.

All of the action is broke down in highlights here.

Friday night followups

If didn’t come back Saturday morning, you missed more stories and video highlights. Here they are:

• North Ridgeville football shows it's more than Demario McCall Show on Southwestern Conference stage.

• Watch an action highlight video of No. 25 Lake Catholic football's upset win against No. 24 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

• Highlights from Solon football's 42-35 upset against No. 3 Mentor.

• Highlights from No. 23 Nordonia football's 49-34 win against No. 12 Brecksville.

• Highlights, reaction from No. 6 Archbishop Hoban's 48-7 win over Walsh Jesuit.

• See how North Ridgeville dispatched No. 18 North Olmsted, hear Ohio State recruit Demario McCall's reaction.

• Highlights from No. 22 Euclid football’s 33-7 win against No. 16 Strongsville. 

• Varsity Blitz Rewind for Week 6 also chronicled Friday’s news.

How the cleveland.com Top 25 fared

Take a look at how Top 25 teams fared after the full weekend of games, including Saturday.

How the AP Top 10 fared

See how the top teams in all seven divisions throughout Ohio fared this weekend.

Statewide scores

Click here for Saturday’s results from around Ohio.

Saturday photo gallery (St. Edward vs. Cocoa, Fla.)

Game balls

• Vote for the best offensive performance of Week 6.

• Vote for the best defensive performance of Week 6.

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

Adrien Broner wins his fourth title in four different weight classes, stopping Khabib Allakhverdiev.

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Adrien Broner uncharacteristically went silent in the promotion of his latest title shot because of his beef with a national reporter. But Broner's actions were loud and clear as he dismantled Khabib Allakhverdiev to win the vacant WBA super lightweight title Saturday night at U.S. Bank Arena.

A barrage of unanswered punches with less than 40 seconds left in the final round was enough for referee Harvey Dock Jr. to stop the fight.

The victory gives Broner his fourth title in four different weight classes. And he gets the victory after his loss last June to Shawn Porter at 144 pounds.

Under 140 is likely an ideal weight for Broner. Before his loss to Porter, Broner won three straight fights under 140 pounds. He lost to Marcos Maidana at 146 1/2 pounds before the three fight win streak.

Broner pitched a shutout against Allakhverdiev. It's hard to image how Allakhverdiev could have won a round. The action started slow before Broner picked up the pace with right leads. Allakhverdiev was game in each round but the punishment to his face began to take a toll. Broner continued to pile up the punches and the points before the fight was stopped.

"There's no question Broner won the fight," said Vlad Hryunov, Allakhverdiev's promoter. "He's the real thing and he showed it."

In an earlier bout, Cleveland lightweight Raynell Williams (10-0) won a unanimous eight-round decision over Eduardo Reyes (6-4) of Mexico.

LeBron James finally weighed in, via social media, on the saga between the Cleveland Cavaliers and restricted free agent Tristan Thompson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Many anticipated this happening a long time ago, but LeBron James finally weighed in, via social media, on the saga between the Cleveland Cavaliers and restricted free agent Tristan Thompson.

For the most part, James been careful not to interject himself into what has been three months of back and forth negotiating that has led to nowhere. On Tuesday he said he was done talking about Thompson's contract situation.

But in the wee hours of the night, the four-time MVP reversed course.

While both players attended a wedding in Miami on Saturday night, James posted an Instagram photo of the two with a caption urging for a prompt resolution to this negotiating stalemate.

Get it done!!!! Straight up. #MissMyBrother @realtristan13

A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Oct 3, 2015 at 9:03pm PDT

It is the first time James has taken to social media in support of Thompson. The two share the same agent in Rich Paul. It's reminiscent of what James pulled off last year when Paul was in a similar stalemate with his then restricted free agent client Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns.

The sides barely communicated each other leading up to September. James then went to Instagram and posted a photo of the two working out together along with a message saying, "Great work today lil bro @ebled2!! Future All-Star in this league in no time. PHX break bread. #Klutch #Work #GymRats #StriveForGreatness."

It took the basketball world by storm. It's rare that you see a player supporting and voicing his opinion on a contract dispute that involves a player on another team. Did it help? Nobody knows for sure, but on Sept. 24, Bledsoe and the Suns reached a deal on a four-year, $70 million contract.

Thompson is labeled a holdout after declining the one-year qualifying offer at the Thursday deadline. He has missed the entire first week of training camp. James said in August that Thompson was the team's No. 1 objective.

Sensing things have gotten out of control; James probably feels this is his way of adding a sense of urgency to the proceedings. We'll see how it all plays out from here.

The game can be seen locally on WOIO Channel 19 and kickoff is slated for 4:05 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers face off on Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium. The game is scheduled for 4:05 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 offers a 7-day free trial.

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

Twenty years after the Browns left Cleveland, the Chargers are one of three NFL franchises who might move to Los Angeles.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Kevin Hoyt mailed letters recently to fellow Southern California Browns Backers that included tickets to Sunday's game, an invitation to a Saturday party and an unusual request.

The 54-year-old chapter president and Cleveland native asked his members to be respectful of Chargers' fans inside Qualcomm Stadium.

"(They) maybe a little upset that they (might) be losing their team," Hoyt wrote. "We all remember the feeling so be classy."

The reference was not lost on any of the 800 members who purchased tickets.

Twenty years ago, Hoyt and other stunned Browns fans sat in the same stadium against the same opponent wondering if they would see their beloved Browns again. The late Art Modell had announced his intentions to move the iconic franchise to Baltimore in 1996.

As the Browns went through the desultory paces of their fifth straight defeat on Dec. 3, 1995, Hoyt held aloft a sign reading: "Dear Santa, Art Was Bad." His picture ran in USA Today.

"I knew we were fighting hard to keep the team or get an expansion team, but I felt anger toward Art Modell," he said. "We had been sucker punched."

Two decades later, Chargers fans are the ones who might be watching their final games in this laidback sun-kissed city along the Pacific Ocean. The Chargers, Raiders and Rams are eyeing possible relocation to Los Angeles as early as next season.

Kevin Hoyt is the president of Southern California Browns Backers.Courtesy Kevin Hoyt 

Unlike Browns fans, surprised by Modell's clandestine plans, citizens of San Diego have known for years of owner Dean Spanos' threats to leave the 48-year-old venue.  

Next week could prove pivotal as NFL owners meet in New York with the topic of Los Angeles relocation on the agenda. Relocation fees, timetable and temporary stadium sites are expected to be discussed. The Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities, which includes six owners and commissioner Roger Goodell, was formed in recent weeks.

In the middle of the firestorm is a name familiar to many Browns fans. Former team president Carmen Policy is spearheading a coalition to link the rival Chargers and Raiders to a $1.7 billion stadium project in Carson, Calif, a city just south of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has purchases a tract of land in Inglewood with hopes of winning league approval if a deal can't be brokered in St. Louis.

Relocation scenarios abound but observers here grasp the serious nature of the coming weeks. Scott Kaplan, a local sports talk radio host and NFL sideline reporter for CBS and Westwood One, said the fan base is engaged and fighting to keep the Chargers in San Diego. The group Save Our Bolts has staged protests at three NFL owners meetings.

But the city and franchise could not agree on a new stadium proposal in time to put the issue on the ballot by January and many expect the Chargers to apply for relocation.

"My prediction changes by the week," said Kaplan, a talk show host for The Mighty 1090 AM. "If I had to make a prediction, it's that the NFL pumps the breaks on LA and says ,'We want to do the right thing.' The owners committee is just starting to dig into the issue and there are too many moving parts right now to cram a team in LA."  

'Enron By the Sea'

Former Browns defensive lineman Jerry Sherk lives in San Diego and he watches games every week with his 92-year-old mother, Doris.

Mom is a passionate supporter of the Chargers, who like the Browns won their city's last major sports title in 1964. (The Chargers captured the American Football League championship.)

Browns defensive tackle Jerry Sherk, shown here sacking Chargers quarterback John Hadl, said Chargers are not as much a part of the community fabric here as the Browns are in Cleveland because of the high number of population transplants.Richard T. Conway, Plain Dealer 

"She is a huge fan," said Sherk, who will attend Sunday's game with former Browns quarterback Brian Sipe. "But once in awhile, after a tough loss, she will say, 'That OK, they'll probably move to LA, anyway.'"

Sherk, a four-time Pro Bowler, said the region boasts plenty of Chargers' loyalists, but he doesn't sense a consensus in the eclectic city of 1.3 million residents.

"People are from all over out here, it's not like the Cleveland area," he said. "A lot of people have allegiances to teams from where they are from.

"The difference between what happened in Cleveland 20 years ago is the Browns were part of the fabric of that community . . . It's not the same sense of tragedy I felt when I was back there for the last game the Browns played before they moved to Baltimore."

Hoyt made a similar observation via email:

"I think San Diego is just not a football-priority town. It's a fishing town, a military town, a soccer town, and football falls in afterward."

Kaplan said the criticism is fair to a point. There are ample outdoor activities and competition for the Chargers in a region where the weather seems perpetually set on 75 degrees and sunny. The radio host said San Diego is not unlike some NFL markets, where the team must play well to draw fans. Kaplan also points to a long history of distrust among fans, the city and Chargers' ownership.

In the mid-90s, city officials agreed to buy up tickets to avoid televised blackouts. It became a wildly unpopular venture in a town dealing with a pension crisis and political malfeasance, earning San Diego the title, "Enron By the Sea."

The Chargers let the city off the hook for the tickets in the middle of the last decade in exchange for allowing them to go year to year with the stadium lease.

"The city was going through a lot of turmoil when the Chargers came to it with a reasonable game plan of building a new stadium with the right to develop the land around it," Kaplan said. "But there was so much mistrust. They couldn't get it done . . . It was hard to get things done with so much political instability."

The Padres built a downtown stadium, Petco Park, in 2003 through a public-private partnership.    But Kaplan notes the recession, which hit later in the decade, made it difficult for city officials to pledge any financial backing to the Chargers.

Nowadays, there's little appetite in California to grant public subsidies for stadium projects.

While Modell moved his team in 1996, the city was able to field an expansion replacement within three years. Kaplan doesn't believe San Diego would be as fortunate.

"The fear is if the league leaves, it's not coming back," he said.  

'We're All In?'

Chargers fans are not the only ones dealing the uncertainty. Quarterback Philip Rivers isn't keen on leaving San Diego, but said players are compartmentalizing relocation talk the best they can.

"We all care because it affects all of our families and affects each guy . . . but it is something we can't control," Rivers said in a conference call. "We are trying to be where we are, which is right now trying to find a way to score more than two touchdowns or one touchdown like we did last week. We have our hands full with what we can control."

Josh "Road Warrior" Casillas, Johnny "Bolt Pride" Abundez and "#1" Rafael Alvarez have been instrumental in the Save Our Bolts campaign.Courtesy Johnny Abundez 

It will be interesting to see what happens to the club's focus next week should Chargers' relocation plans receive favorable reviews at the NFL owners meetings. The Browns, who started 4-4 in 1995, fell apart after news of the pending move leaked out, winning only one more game.

Sherk chuckles at the Chargers' 2015 slogan: "We're All In."

"There's some irony there, huh?" he said.

The Save Our Bolts organization is doing what it can to ensure the club remains in San Diego. Leaders have met with public officials, attended NFL functions and spoken with groups in Sacramento and Buffalo, cities that managed to retain pro franchises endanger of relocating.

Group organizer Johnny "Bolt Pride" Abundez said he was heartened by the support he received from Browns' fans he met in Canton over the summer.

"They told us to keep fighting," Abundez said. "They told us about the hole it left in their hearts to lose the team for a few years and how it can be taken away in a blink of an eye."

The Rams and Raiders vacated Los Angeles a year before Cleveland lost the Browns. Whichever team returns will reap a financial windfall. Some believe the Chargers are in prime position because of Spanos' popularity among fellow owners and the fact his organization has become Southern California's de facto team since the Rams and Raiders left.

The Browns invade Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday. Hoyt expects several thousand Cleveland fans to attend. They will cheer, bark and holler. It's the chapter president's wish they also will be mindful of Chargers' fans.

"We've been in those exact same shoes," Hoyt said. "And, it's not a good feeling."

Dan Labbe, Chris Fedor, Bud Shaw and Michael Reghi predict where the Browns will finish in the AFC North this season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After Sunday's win against the Baltimore Ravens, the Cleveland Browns moved to 2-3 on the season, putting themselves in an unfamiliar spot: out of the AFC North basement.

They briefly found their way to the top of the division last season, but stumbled down the stretch and once again finished in last place, with just seven wins.

The AFC North has been ravaged by injuries. Pittsburgh has been playing without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Ravens have suffered their share of setbacks as well, most notably Terrell Suggs' season-ending Achilles injury. 

With a hot quarterback, Josh McCown, who has thrown for at least 300 yards in three straight games and a surprisingly explosive passing attack that ranks sixth in the league, the Browns could be looking at a finish higher than fourth. 

Where will they end up when the season concludes? Can they use the most recent divisional win as a springboard for the rest of the season?

Michael Reghi, Bud Shaw and I gave our answer during the "fill in the blank" portion of our morning Browns show. Check out the video above. We have more videos at cleveland.com/browns.

Ohio State is in the mix for some of the Trojans' commits, including four-star outside linebacker Daelin Hayes of Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline, who decommitted from USC on Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the wake of USC's firing of head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Trojans' elite 2016 recruiting class seems prime for the taking. 

Ohio State is in the mix for some of the Trojans' commits, including four-star outside linebacker Daelin Hayes of Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline, who decommitted from USC on Sunday. 

Rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 9 outside linebacker in the 2016 class, Hayes is scheduled to take an official visit to Ohio State on Nov. 7 for the Minnesota game, according to Rivals.com recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt. 

Ohio State still has some work to do before it becomes a major player for the 6-foot-4, 235-pound linebacker, but setting an official visit is certainly a step in the right direction. 

According to the Detroit News, Hayes is really high on Notre Dame right now. He'll take an official visit to South Bend this weekend for the Irish's game against -- wait for it -- USC. 

"If I had to give a No. 1 school right now, Notre Dame would probably be it," Hayes told the Detroit News. 

Michigan State is also right in the middle of Hayes' recruitment. 

"Michigan State is (involved), I'm not so sure about Michigan," Hayes told the Detroit News. "Yes, they (Michigan) offered me when he (Jim Harbaugh) first got there, but I haven't really talked to him since. I have talked to Coach Dantonio, definitely. Michigan State's been a powerhouse under Coach Dantonio the last few years."

Hayes isn't the only former USC linebacker commit that Ohio State has on its radar. There's also five-star prospect Mique Juarez of Torrance (Calif.) North, who publicly announced his decommitment from the Trojans on Tuesday morning. 

pic.twitter.com/9E598FfOBz

-- Mique (@miquejuarez3) October 13, 2015

If you look at Penn State's 2016 recruiting class, there are multiple players committed to the Nittany Lions that also have Ohio State offers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If there has been any coach in the Big Ten who can take on Urban Meyer head-to-head in battles for top prospects, it's Penn State's James Franklin. 

Those battles, however, have typically happened in Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., New Jersey and Virginia. 

Franklin would like to add Ohio to that list. 

As Penn State prepares to come to Ohio Stadium to face the No. 1 Buckeyes on Saturday night, Franklin made note in the opening statement of his press conference that the Nittany Lions need to have a bigger presence in Ohio. 

"The thing that kind of shocked me is looking at our roster, we always kind of look at teams we play each week and how many players we have from that region," Franklin said. "And we only have one player from the state of Ohio on our roster, and that's Chance Sorrell. 

"And if you look back historically at Penn State, we've had some great players from the state of Ohio, so that's something that we're obviously looking at and want to do a better job there.

"It's an area that we would consider in our footprint, and like I said earlier, there's been a lot of good players coming from the state of Ohio who've had great careers at Penn State. We want to make sure that we're continuing to do a good job there." 

If you look at Penn State's 2016 recruiting class, there are multiple players committed to the Nittany Lions that also have Ohio State offers. Defensive back Lavert Hill of Detroit Martin Luther King and safety Andrew Pryts of Hermitage (Pa.) Hickory are a few examples of players Meyer has wanted. 

But only one of Penn State's 2016 commits -- three-star offensive tackle Alex Gellerstedt of Dublin Coffman -- is from Ohio. And Gellerstedt doesn't have an Ohio State offer. 

That doesn't mean Gellerstedt is not good. There are plenty of really good players in Ohio that for which the Buckeyes don't have room, and that's a major concern for Meyer. 

Franklin doesn't mind battling Meyer for prospects both programs wants. But he'll also take really good ones from Ohio the Buckeyes can't take because of numbers. 

We've written extensively about these topics.

Check out these links below: 

* Urban Meyer concerned Ohio State's national recruiting presence leaving Ohio 'ripe for the picking'

* Urban Meyer 2.0 - Penn State's James Franklin is changing the culture of the Big Ten, which is good and bad news for Ohio State

The Browns' offense appears well prepared and able to adjust to circumstances.

BEREA, Ohio - John DeFilippo didn't get married until age 36.

Most football coaches are wed to their work, but few seem as willing to admit it as the new Browns offensive coordinator.

"I'm one of those guys who puts my job first," DeFilippo told NEOMG in the summer. "A lot of people will say that's wrong, but I knew what I wanted to do and I knew how to get there and I had to do it the right way."

Time spent on 10 college campuses and inside six pro organizations has prepared the 37-year-old for the task of coordinating the NFL's Isle of Misfit Toys. To the surprise of many outside the walls of Berea, DeFilippo hasn't coached like a first-time pro playcaller.

The Browns (2-3) head into Sunday's game against the Broncos ranked eighth in total offense and 13^th in scoring. Quarterback Josh McCown and his unheralded supporting cast deserve much credit for executing the game plan, particularly over the past three weeks.

But DeFilippo, with the help of coach Mike Pettine, has quietly put the offense in good position thanks to his knowledge, confidence and willingness to adapt to circumstances. Whether it's condensing the playbook for Johnny Manziel or tailoring a plan to an opponent, the coordinator has been as nimble and unflappable as a high-wire walker in the face of lakefront gusts.

"He sees the game, and when a play breaks down, he knows immediately why it happened," Pettine said. "He is very good at troubleshooting and very good at understanding defenses and what they are trying to take away and how to take advantage of it and how we can get our guys in the right position to make plays."

DeFilippo's attack is not without shortcomings. The Browns aren't efficient in the red zone. They don't run the ball with any consistency. Their playmakers, save for Gary Barnidge, lack size and the recent trend of asking McCown to throw 45 to 50 times per game doesn't seem sustainable.

But who in July thought the offense could excel behind the talents of McCown, Barnidge, Travis Benjamin and rookie Duke Johnson? John DeFilippo, that's who.

He was McCown's biggest backer in the organization from their days together in Oakland when so many criticized the free-agent signing. DeFilippo took one look at Benjamin running routes in the spring and said the returner needed to be more involved in the passing game. He's made exceptional use of Barnidge's soft hands (feet and thighs) and told anyone who would listen Johnson would become a match-up nightmare for opponents out of the backfield.

The Browns rank sixth in passing, averaging 289 yards per game, on the strength of a veteran quarterback who can make use of the entire playbook and a varied offense that employs multiple formations and lots of motion. They have scored on 16 of their last 26 possessions dating to halftime of the Raiders' game.

"Like I said last week, I feel him getting better every week and doing a good job of adapting really to what the game needs as far as where we're at offensively," McCown said. "(He) does a good job of staying calm and working through the call sheet and trusting his preparation. That's been huge for us, obviously."

DeFilippo understood the skepticism surrounding his hiring. The Browns went from veterans Norv Turner and Kyle Shanahan to a coordinator who had only called plays for two seasons at San Jose State.

If not for Ray Farmer's text messages and the front-office meddling, DeFilippo wouldn't have the opportunity. But the NFL is all about taking advantages of chances. So far, so good for the assistant Pettine calls "a hot-blooded Italian," one who likes his red wine and Hoyo De Monterrey cigars.

The Browns haven't scored fewer than 20 points since the opener against the Jets when McCown was lost on the first series to concussion. He staunchly backed Pettine's decision to roll with McCown even after Manziel beat the Titans with a pair of TD passes to Benjamin.

Can the offensive production continue? That's unclear. Lets not forget the Browns also enjoyed a quick start last season before another bridge quarterback, Brian Hoyer, began to play down to his level.

The league's top defense comes to town Sunday and formidable Rams and Cardinals units await the Browns over the next three weeks.

DeFilippo, however, has the short and intermediate passing game humming. The swing passes to the versatile Johnson and Isaiah Crowell supplement a rushing attack averaging just 88.4 yards.

Instead of grinding it out against the Ravens, a strategy that would have played into Baltimore's favor, McCown threw the ball 51 times. The fact the Browns fell behind aided in the decision to stay aggressive through air. By game's end, the Ravens' defense was exhausted and the Browns found some success running the ball.

McCown finished with a franchise-record 457 yards passing.

"I know Josh is going to get heaped with praise, and it is well deserved, but I just think we functioned extremely well as a unit," Pettine said.

That includes the man calling the plays.

DeFilippo has much to learn as he grows into the job. He won't lack for effort, however. He has a strong work ethic and an understanding wife to thank for that.

Josh McCown has made Mike Pettine look brilliant for blocking out the Johnny Manziel noise and returning to McCown after his concussion.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Josh McCown is making Mike Pettine look brilliant for going back to him over over Johnny Manziel when McCown was cleared from his concussion.

"I didn't get caught up in the external debate about it,'' Pettine said Monday. "It was a decision that we thought was best for our football team and the way Josh has played -- and the guys have played around him -- certainly looks to have validated it.''

No one would've blamed Pettine for sticking with Manziel after his thrilling 28-14 victory over the Titans, one in which he zipped around and threw touchdown passes of 50 and 60 yards Travis Benjamin. The victory electrified the FirstEnergy Stadium crowd and had fans excited about the future.

What's more, McCown, who's battling a sore ankle heading into Sunday's game against the 5-0 Broncos and might even need to sit out a day of practice, looked rusty in his first half back after the concussion, completing only 7-of-15 attempts against the Raiders en route to a 69.9 rating and a lusty chorus of "John-ny! John-ny!'' chants.

But since that ragged first half, McCown has been on fire, setting the Browns three-game record with 1,154 yards and throwing for a franchise record 457 yards in a 33-30 overtime victory over the Ravens Sunday.

The victory improved the Browns to 2-3 and kept them from going into the tank. It also gave them a 1-0 mark in the division for the first time since 2004. Immediately afterwards, NFL experts from all over the country jumped on the McCown bandwagon and gave him his just dues.

"Praise and recognition to Josh McCown,'' CBS Sports analyst Pat Kirwan said on SiriusXM NFL radio. "He's playing better than any quarterback in the league right now.''

AUDIO: @JoshMcCown12 talks about breaking Otto Graham's CLE record & updates ankle injury! >>>http://t.co/82aRYhzt25 pic.twitter.com/zh6n27jCJV

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) October 13, 2015

Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback reached McCown by phone on Sunday night and featured him in his widely-read column on Monday.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports admitted he was wrong for blasting the Browns for starting McCown over their 2014 first-round pick, whom they're still not sure can cut it at this level.

"I didn't make that decision alone,'' said Pettine. "I talked to a lot of people about it and specifically the guys that I would rely on for that position the most are Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) and (quarterbacks coach) Kevin (O'Connell). We make the (decisions) and we move on.''

McCown has rewarded the trio handsomely for the faith they've shown in him since the moment they signed him Feb. 27th. The Browns always knew McCown was going to be their starter this season and they never wavered, not during the offseason, not during training camp and not after McCown made like Harold the Helicopter against the Jets and had to sit out the Titans game with a concussion.

Pettine heard the same "Johnny!" chants during the Raiders game and the hue and cry for Manziel by the media in a season when the Browns aren't expected to make the playoffs.

And now, McCown is rewarding him for blocking out the noise. Heading into Sunday's game against the undefeated Broncos, he's eighth in the NFL with a 102.8 rating, behind a star-studded top seven that features Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Tyrod Taylor. He's thrown six touchdowns against only one interception and he's 10th in the league with a 67.8 completion percentage.

He's also a candidate this week for FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week, along with Sam Bradford and Eli Manning.

"It's been tremendous,'' said Pettine. "He's a guy you root for, but a big thing is understanding how we're well we're playing around him. The backs have stepped their game up. The offensive line is improving. The receivers are playing well. Just to have a guy that can be that calming influence. He doesn't get too up. He doesn't get too down. He's always very positive on the sideline. He'll be the first one to criticize himself and say he missed a throw or he missed a read or missed a change in the protection or getting us in the right place.

"His success, while on the outside of the building is surprising, we knew if we played well around him that he was capable of this."

While all the accolades and the interviews and the fantasy football attention have been great, McCown, who's aggressively treating his ankle in hopes of practicing Wednesday, was still smarting Monday over the plays he left out on the field, including an overthrown deep ball down the left sideline for an open Benjamin that could've gone for a TD before the break. Instead, the Browns settled for a field goal that pulled them to within 14-9 as time expired in the half.

"When you're pushing to play at a high level, that's what gives you that edge is because you don't accept those misses,'' he said. "You deal with them when you have them in the game, but you also have to let them fuel you to want to be better. There's a ton of stuff that I'm not pleased with, to be quite honest with you, starting from the way we finished against Oakland and the different spots throughout the San Diego game and yesterday where I just feel like the execution could be better, so that's what we'll keep striving for.''

By Monday afternoon, McCown had stopped reading his congratulatory texts and had already moved onto the Broncos and their top-ranked defense. The Broncos have one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in Von Miller and a premier safety in former Brown T.J. Ward. They're also first in the NFL with 14 takeaways.

"We have to put that (victory) on the shelf and move forward and get focused on Denver and have that one-game-season mentality, where that's all we're thinking about,'' he said. "I know the veterans and coach Pett will be hammering that home this week so we come out with that mindset.''

But the Browns know they head into the formidable challenge in good hands and with the right quarterback under center.