Ohio State hosts Penn State on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes will be wearing an alternate black uniform for the game.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.

The game will be televised by ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox on the call. A full list of Ohio State's radio affiliates can be found here.

Ohio State (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) is coming off a 49-28 win over Maryland last week, it was the Buckeyes 19th consecutive win. Ohio State deployed a two-quarterback system against the Terrapins, with Cardale Jones starting and J.T. Barrett playing in the red zone. It led to a day where the Buckeyes went 6-for-6 with six touchdowns in the red zone.

Penn State (5-1, 2-0) is coming off a 29-7 win over Indiana last week in State College, Pa. The Lions have won five straight since losing to Temple in their season opener in Philadelphia.

Last year, Ohio State beat Penn State, 31-24, in double overtime at Beaver Stadium.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 16-13.

The Columbus Blue Jackets placed center Alexander Wennberg on injured reserve with a concussion and have recalled Lake Erie Monsters winger Kerby Rychel.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lake Erie Monsters left wing Kerby Rychel has been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets to replace center Alexander Wennberg, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in the opener October 9.

Rychel, 21, was to have made his home debut with the Monsters tonight against Iowa, but instead will be in Columbus as the Blue Jackets take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Wennberg, 21, has not played since the opener against the New York Rangers. The Sweden native was the Blue Jackets first-round pick (14th overall) in 2013 and recorded four goals and 16 assists for 20 points with 22 penalty minutes in 68 games last season.

Rychel had an assist in the Monsters opener, a 6-3 loss at Rochester last Friday. Rychel was the Jackets' second first-round pick (19th overall) in 2013. He played five games with Columbus last season and had three assists.

The Monsters and Iowa Wild play the next two nights at Quicken Loans Arena, tonight at 7 and Saturday at 5.

"The most important thing for us now is to get healthy," Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said. "To do the work that we can do in the games, but not at the risk of players being ready to go when the curtain comes up."

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Typically as the NBA preseason nears its close, coaches begin tightening up their rotations and treating the contest as close to a regular-season game as possible.

Well, it's the exact opposite for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thursday, it led to a blowout at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, 107-85, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Due to a rigorous preseason schedule and a multitude of injuries, Cleveland (0-5) is going to tone down the usage rate even more on main players and ramp things up once the real season kicks off on Oct. 27.

"The most important thing for us now is to get healthy," Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said. "To do the work that we can do in the games, but not at the risk of players being ready to go when the curtain comes up."

Blatt hinted that LeBron James, who was held out of his second consecutive game, could be inactive the final two preseason games. If that holds true, James would have only participated in two of the seven exhibitions.

"I know there's a fine line between the preparation aspect and the health aspect for the start of the season, but we've got a plan and we're following it," Blatt said. "We're staying true to it and we're going to continue to do so throughout the rest of the preparation period."

As for the game, the Cavaliers played carelessly and lackadaisically, committing 23 turnovers. They often looked disoriented. A few times, guys were at the wrong spot only to watch the ball sail into the stands.

It was a product of players not having experience with certain teammates because of guys being in and out of street clothes.

J.R. Smith returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with a sore left hamstring. He said he felt fine and produced 10 points and five assists. One thing that has stood out in his limited time on the court is his improved play-making ability. He's looking to make the extra pass opposed to his own shot.

But one shot he made that generated some buzz in the arena was a step-back crossover that caused his defender to stumble back onto the floor. Smith then drained the uncontested mid-range jumper.

"I'm just still trying to become a better all-around player," he said.

Timofey Mozgov supplied 16 points and six boards. Richard Jefferson has been the most consistent Cav and that trend went interrupted as he registered 14 points on 6-of-9 from the floor in 24 minutes. Jared Cunningham had eight points and eight assists off the bench.

Indiana (4-1) is going through an identity transformation. Roy Hibbert and David West, two defensive-minded, grind-it-out, slow-footed big men, are gone. They're incorporating speedster Monta Ellis and long-striding Jordan Hill into the fold.

The Pacers are using four wings and a big in their lineup in hopes of creating more transition opportunities. They outscored the Cavaliers in fastbreak points, 16-1.

"More of a speed team and we're going to rely on our bigs that are better runners and more versatile," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "Maybe not as big and strong inside as we've been in the past, but hopefully more agile."

Two-time All-Star Paul George continues to impress after suffering a catastrophic leg injury in the summer of 2014. He coasted for 17 points and eight rebounds.

"He looks great," Vogel said. "I think he's in position to have the best year of his career."

Matthew Dellavedova joined the sidelined Cavaliers, dealing with a sore ankle.

Losing these meaningless games shouldn't be alarming. Consider that San Antonio is also winless thus far.

Cleveland will wrap up the preseason at Toronto on Sunday followed by Dallas at The Q on Monday. The team hopes Kevin Love returns for the Toronto game for his first game action since dislocating his left shoulder in April.

J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Mo Williams provide an edge to the Cavaliers that should help in their championship quest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Back in the day, a neighborhood bully would size up someone who looked like an easy target and stare at his brand-new $160 pair of Jordans.

"What size shoes you wear, homie," the bully would ask.

If the response was, "your size," with a stone-faced glare, the bully soon realized he had messed with the wrong person.

If you can relate or know of anyone that fearless, it symbolizes the same tenacious makeup of the Cleveland Cavaliers' edgy dynamic three of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Mo Williams. You can see it in the way they play their game. Their shoes aren't coming off.

"J.R., Shump and Mo, they got to be tough," LeBron James said. "First of all they have to defend at a high level and that's what we want them to do. For Mo, we want him to push the tempo offensively, get guys involved and then knock down open shots. And for J.R., we want him to knock down open shots as well. For Shump, it's about grit and grind for sure. Whatever Shump gives you offensively, it's always extra credit because of what he gives you defensively...He's that good."

They provide toughness and a swagger that keeps opponents on their heels. Most great teams have at least one guy no one dares to disrespect. The Cavaliers are fortunate to have three.

"Nobody is going to punk me," Williams said. "Nobody's going to punk anybody who I stand with, so that's just a motto that I have and I feel like my teammates should have that same motto."

The three players have different personalities, but in ways are similar.

Smith is loose and carefree. He prefers to have a good time in the company of family and friends. He's known for keeping the atmosphere lighthearted and full of energy. He values family and friendship. The love and respect he has for his mother is unmistakably strong. That's the Smith most don't see.

The fiery, intense Smith is who people are probably more familiar with. If someone pushes his button or follows through on a pet peeve of his, don't be surprised if he retaliates.

"I just hate cheap shots," Smith said to NEOMG. "If we're going to play, we're going to play. But don't try to shoot me an elbow on the low and then when I get you back, you're looking at me like, 'What the hell happened?' Nah, don't do that. Because when I do it, it's going to be blatant and I'm going to let y'all know I did it.''

Cleveland Cavaliers' Iman Shumpert, left, and J.R. Smith try to figure out how to pose for a portrait during the NBA team's media day, Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, in Independence, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)Ron Schwane 

Shumpert is loose and easygoing to a degree. You'll often catch him with Smith cracking up to jokes or conversing about life. He cherishes family values, one of the reasons he and Smith are so close. He treasures his relationship with R&B singer/actress Teyana Taylor. The two are expecting a baby girl early next year.

It's no secret that he's proud of being on the verge of fatherhood. But there's another side to Shumpert. He can shift from fun-loving to attack mode, and he's certainly not shy about letting you know how he really feels about you on or off the court.

"Any type of confrontation, I don't really run from it to have a clean-cut image," Shump tells NEOMG. "I'm not in this thing for a clean-cut image. I'm in it for a gold trophy. That's about it. I didn't come to the NBA for anything else."

Opposing players aren't the only ones who've experienced Shumpert's wrath. He's an equal opportunist. Reporters have gotten it, too:

. @ChrisBHaynes on the record. i don't like you. instead of reporting about the game i love, all you do is put out negative vibes to fans.

-- Iman Shumpert I (@imanshumpert) May 16, 2015

Williams is laid-back and quiet. He's guarded. He won't open up to just anybody, but when he does, he's loyal to the end. He's a family man who takes pride in his responsibilities as a husband and father. His community means the world to him.

He established the Mo Williams Academy for kids, not only to instill game enhancement techniques, but also to ingrain quality life principles, and to provide mentorship. He's humble, but don't let his silent nature fool you.

He has a mean streak.

"That's just my background. It's not a show. I mean honestly, I've just got a temper," he said. "I'm cool, calm and collected, but sometimes I don't know how to throttle the line. At times that has gotten me into trouble, but at the same time, that's the emotion I put into anything."

Smith, Shumpert and Williams don't go out of their way trying to be the intimidator. It probably just comes off that way if you're not well connected to them. They're no-nonsense players who were forced to develop a hardened shell and survival tactics due to the influences and culture ingrained in Jersey, Chicago and Alabama.

"That's just in me. That's comes from home," Shumpert said. "You get stepped on at home if you don't have it."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith pulls his shirt up over his face on the bench in the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, in Cincinnati. The Hawks won 98-96. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)John Minchillo 

And it's not that these three individuals are feared. Opponents know who not to mess with, and at times that can be a competitive advantage.

"I mean, if people are already thinking that, then we have them psyched out before we play," Smith said. "That's my thing: If I can beat you before we even step on the court, then we won twice in my eyes."

Fans have not seen what the 2015-16 Cavaliers can look like this preseason, because of injuries and the rest players have been receiving.

In January, the league will see how the Cavs play when they mix these three hard-nosed figures with LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

"It's good to know now that people are intimidated," said Smith with a chuckle. "That's good. I want them to be like that."

Breaking a 52-year championship drought in the city doesn't come without determination, and intestinal fortitude. That's why this team welcomes Smith, Shumpert and Williams. They embody what Cleveland is all about: a hard-working, smash-mouth town that's passionate and at times, intimidating.

These three players fit in perfectly.

Follow along with this live blog for updates from Day 2 of the OHSAA girls tennis state tournament.

MASON, Ohio — Here is a live blog of updates from reporter Tim Bielik from Day 2 of the OHSAA girls tennis state tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Action begins at 10 a.m.

Follow this post all day for live updates featuring all local tennis players still competing, including photos and videos.

Check out a recap of Day 1 from Mason as well as the semifinals pairings.

If you want to ask questions of Bielik throughout the day, leave a comment below and he will do his best to answer as many as possible throughout the day.

Seattle fans - urging on "Big Unit" Randy Johnson - chanted "refuse to lose." But the Indians - and their own small but spirited contingent of fans - refused to listen.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The story posted here is a reprint of Michael K. McIntyre's story in The Plain Dealer's edition of Oct. 18, 1995. The day before, Oct. 17, the Indians eliminated the Seattle Mariners in Game 6 of the 1995 AL Championship Series at the Kingdome, 4-0. This story is part of our 20-year retrospective on the 1995 Indians' playoff run:

SEATTLE, Wash. (Oct. 17, 1995) - The Indians made history, the Mariners are history, and for the first time in 41 years, Cleveland has a World Series in its future.

The Indians vs. the Braves. The World Series. Let that ring in your ears like a two-strike count in the Kingdome.

The Tribe became the best team in the American League last night by beating the best pitcher in the American League and ending Seattle's reign with Kenny Lofton's lightning legs and Dennis Martinez's ageless arm. The final: Indians 4, Mariners 0.

Seattle fans - urging on "Big Unit" Randy Johnson - chanted "refuse to lose." But the Indians - and their own small but spirited contingent of fans - refused to listen.

"Cleveland fans have wanted this for a long time," said third baseman Jim Thome. "They're so deserving."

Sharon Hargrove, wife of manager Mike Hargrove, sat behind home plate celebrating with other Tribe fans as the Kingdome, for a moment, fell silent.

"Whoop, ya, ya, whoop, ya!" shouted the first lady of Cleveland baseball. All that excitement, and only one regret.

"I wish it could have been at home," she said.

Cleveland, 2,300 miles away, was drowning in wahoos for the pennant-winning Tribe. And there were a few wahoos in Seattle, too.

"Out of this world," said Akron native Tim Watters, 27, of Tacoma. "The biggest party in Cleveland is about to happen."

Paul Reilly, 28, of South Euclid, had a Chief Wahoo smile.

"Unbelievable," he said. "Talent finally prevailed over emotion."

The Mariners showed true grit and their fans showed true gratitude, standing and applauding as the Indians celebrated on the field.

Mariner fan Vance West, 32, of Puyallup, Wash., shook hands with Reilly as he left the ballpark.

"Great game. Great series. Great teams," he said. "This was great for baseball."

Game 6, 1995 ALCS. Dennis Martinez outpiched Cy Young winner Randy Johnson. Kenny Lofton scored from second base on a passed ball. And the Cleveland Indians earned their first trip to the World Series in 41 years. Watch video

SEATTLE, Washington -- Dennis Martinez outpiched Cy Young winner Randy Johnson. Kenny Lofton scored from second base on a passed ball. And the Cleveland Indians earned their first trip to the World Series in 41 years.

On this date in 1995, the Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners, 4-0, to win the American League Championship Series in six games.

"After all I've been through in my career, this was the game I was looking for," Martinez said after his first postseason win. "Finally, I did something we can all remember. The people of Cleveland have been waiting for this for such a long time."

This month, marking the 20th anniversary of the Indians return to postseason baseball play, cleveland.com is recounting the days when the Indians baseball team captured the hearts of even the most casual sports fans in Northeast Ohio.

Beat writer Paul Hoynes and columnist Bud Shaw, reporters covering the Indians both then and now, are digging into the past through fresh interviews. Indians writer Zack Meisel, author "100 Things Indians Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," is doing the same. And I've offered statistics to capture the 1995 team's place in history.

Plain Dealer coverage of Game 6 of the 1995 American League Championship Series.The Plain Dealer 

We are also re-publishing game stories, box scores and newspaper pages from the playoff run.

Here's today's package:

'Lofton scores from second,' an oral history

The story of the 1995 pennant is retold through new interviews with Kenny Lofton, Dennis Martinez and others.

On to Atlanta

Read the original game story and box score from the victory in Game 6 of the 1995 ALCS, a win that sent the Indians to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

Fans explode: 'We did it! We did it!'

Seattle fans - urging on "Big Unit" Randy Johnson - chanted "refuse to lose." But the Indians - and their own small but spirited contingent of fans - refused to listen. Remember the night from the fans' perspective.

Video: Lofton scoring from second:

The full game broadcast:

The final out:

Previously

Plain Dealer coverage of Game 2 of the 1995 American League Championship Series.The Plain Dealer

Orel Hershiser talks 1995 playoffs

Orel Hershiser reflects on what brought him to Cleveland and the 1995 playoffs.

Recollections from Charlie Nagy

Charlie Nagy talks to NEOMG columnist Bud Shaw about what it was like for a pitcher who grew up in New England to face the Red Sox in Fenway Park.

Recollections from the players and management

Several players and others involved with the Indians offer their memories of Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox.

Belle's biceps steal the show

The Red Sox asked for umpires to look at Albert Belle's bat after he hit a home run in Game 1, angering Belle, who still proudly says his power came from weight training and anger.

Pena's home run to remember

Tony Pena says his game-winning homer in Game 1 of the division series against the Boston Red Sox was the greatest moment he could have ever hoped for in baseball.

'95 Indians hold place in history statistically, 20 years later

A statistical review by the Northeast Ohio Media Group shows how the regular season remains one of the best in the modern history of major league baseball.

Also:

Plain Dealer coverage following Game 3 of the 1995 American League Division Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox.The Plain Dealer

Original game stories and box scores

• ALCS Game 1: Mariners 3, Indians 2
• ALCS Game 2: Indians 5, Mariners 2
• ALCS Game 3: Mariners 5, Indians 2 (11 innings)
• ALCS Game 4: Indians 7, Mariners 0
• ALCS Game 5: Indians 3, Mariners 2

• ALDS Game 1: Indians 5, Red Sox 4 (13 innings)
• ALDS Game 2: Indians 4, Red Sox 0
• ALDS Game 3: Indians 8, Red Sox 2

The fans reaction

• ALCS Game 1: Fans story
• ALCS Game 2: Fans story
• ALCS Game 3: Fans story
• ALCS Game 4: Fans story
• ALCS Game 5: Fans story

• ALDS Game 1: Fans story
• ALDS Game 1: Sights and sounds of Jacobs Field
• ALDS Game 2: Fans story
• ALDS Game 3: Fans story

 

Despite missing three of its top offensive players, Aurora's football team beat Copley, 28-21, on Friday, which demonstrated just how deep the team's talent pool really goes.

AURORA, Ohio -- Aurora football coach Bob Mihalik was reluctant to disclose to the media that his starting quarterback, Nolan Sotka, would not play against Copley on Friday. 

Sotka, a senior, suffered a separated shoulder during the Greenmen's 42-7 win against Revere in Week 7. 

Mihalik's trepidation to publicize the fact Sotka would miss Friday's game is understandable. After all, it doesn't do a coach any good to tip off his upcoming opponent that his team will be without one of its top offensive players. 

But Aurora wasn't just without Sotka during their 28-21 comeback win against Copley. 

Their top two senior running backs, Ben Nelson and Austin Piunno, are also out with injuries, meaning the Greenmen beat the Indians, who where undefeated entering the Week 8 matchup, missing three key pieces of their backfield. 

Try to imagine how many teams could lose their starting quarterback and not one but two of their best running backs and still beat arguably the toughest team in their conference. 

The short answer is: not many. 

The fact that Aurora was able to do so is a commentary on the depth of talent the Greenmen possess and how sound the team is as a whole to essentially have to ask three guys with some pretty big shoes to fill to step up and see them all deliver. 

Junior running backs Chris Vanzo and Bubba Arslanian have done a remarkable job filling the voids left by the injuries to Nelson and Piunno while another junior, Mac Austin, also deserves praise for his work filling in for Sotka under center against Copley. 

Aurora is 16th in the cleveland.com Top 25 and Copley is 20th. 

Vanzo recorded four rushing touchdowns against Revere and followed that performance up with 139 rushing yards against Copley. 

Arslanian picked up 73 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Indians in addition to some tremendous blocking and a pick-6 on defense. 

Mihalik feels Arslanian is among the best linebackers in Northeast Ohio despite being undersized at 5-foot-10, 180-pounds. Luckily for an Aurora team in need of rushers, he fancies himself a just as much of a runner as a defender. 

"My whole life I've been a running back," Arslanian said. "I'm used to running the ball and all that. It's nice to be back there again but it's a shame (Nelson and Piunno) though." 

Mihalik is optimistic that Sotka could be healthy in time for the playoffs but with Nelson and Piunno out for the foreseeable future, Arslanian and Vanzo are likely to see a many more carries going forward and that is not a bad thing for Aurora, which is very much still a high-level contender despite the team's injuries. 

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

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), on Twitter (@rrozboril) or on Facebook (facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Get live updates and videos Saturday from the final day of the OHSAA boys and girls golf state championships in Columbus and Sunbury.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out a live blog Saturday with updates and videos from the final day of the OHSAA boys and girls golf state championships from Northeast Ohio Media Group reporter Joe Noga.

Noga will be providing the latest news and videos in the comments section below from the Division II and III boys tournaments, as well as the Division II girls championship. The state tournaments are being held at the Ohio State University Golf Club in Columbus (Division II girls and Division III boys) and Northstar Golf Club in Sunbury for Division II boys.

Play begins at 8:30 for Division II boys and 9 a.m. for the other tournaments. 

Follow this post all day for live updates on how local players are faring. Chat with Noga and other golf fans in the comments section, too.

Check out a recap of Friday's first round from each tournament.

If you want to ask Noga questions, leave a comment below and he will do his best to answer as many as possible throughout the day.

Two games today could help define the Mid-American Conference East Division race as College Football 2015 reaches Week 7.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's Week 7 of the 2015 College Football season and all 13 teams from the Mid-American Conference are playing today, including two key games for the East Division race -- Akron at Bowling Green and Western Michigan at Ohio. Also, No. 22 Toledo puts its 5-0 record on the line at home against Eastern Michigan.

In Division III, unbeaten Mount Union plays at Heidelberg and Baldwin Wallace plays host to Wilmington. Unbeaten Ashland is home to Hillsdale in Division II and Notre Dame College welcomes Concord.

Key Top 25 games include No. 1 Ohio State hosting Penn State, No. 6 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida, No. 7 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan, No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Alabama, and No. 14 Notre Dame hosting Southern Cal.

Below is our schedule/scoreboard, including broadcast information, links to previews and other stories of interest, and live Twitter updates.

TODAY'S MAC SCHEDULE

• Eastern Michigan at Toledo, Noon, BCSN/Time Warner Cable SportsChannel/ESPN3
• Western Michigan at Ohio, Noon, American Sports Network/ESPN3
• Buffalo at Central Michigan, 1, ESPN3
• Northern Illinois at Miami, 2:30, ESPN3
• Akron at Bowling Green, 3, ESPN3
• Georgia State at Ball State, 3, ESPN3
• Kent State at UMass, 3:30, ESPN3

• Concord at Notre Dame, Noon, Audio
• Hillsdale at Ashland, 1, Audio
• Lake Erie at Saginaw Valley, 7, Live stats
• Wayne State at Walsh, 6, Live stats

• Ohio Wesleyan at Hiram, 1, Live stats
• John Carroll at Marietta, 1:30, Audio
• Wilmington at Baldwin Wallace, 1:30, Live video
• Mount Union at Heidelberg, 1:30, Live video
• Case Western Reserve at Geneva, 7, Live video
• Oberlin at Wooster, 7, Live video

TODAY'S TOP 25 SCHEDULE

• No. 1 Ohio State vs. Penn State, 8, ABC, Ch. 5
• No. 2 Baylor vs. West Virginia, Noon, FOX, Ch. 8
• No. 3 TCU at Iowa State, 7, ESPN2
• No. 4 Utah vs. Arizona State, 10, ESPN
• No. 5 Clemson vs. Boston College, 7, ESPNU
• No. 6 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida, 7, ESPN
• No. 7 Michigan State at No. 12 Michigan, 3:30, ESPN
• No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Alabama, 3:30, CBS, Ch. 19
• No. 11 Florida State vs. Louisville, Noon, ESPN
• No. 13 Mississippi at Memphis, Noon, ESPN2
• No. 14 Notre Dame vs. Southern Cal, 7:30, NBC, Ch. 3
• No. 17 Iowa at No. 20 Northwestern, Noon, ABC, Ch. 5
• No. 19 Oklahoma at Kansas State, 3:30, ABC, Ch. 5
• No. 22 Toledo vs. Eastern Michigan, Noon, BCSN/Time Warner Cable SportsChannel/ESPN3

Tweets from https://twitter.com/EmilyMBamforth/lists/mac

NEWS AND NOTES

Making their Case: The Case Western Reserve Spartans have a four-game win streak entering their Saturday night game at Geneva and they they have scored 224 points  through five games. That's more than the team scored in the 2013 (182 points) and 2014 (220 points) seasons.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky among local Division I football players to watch this weekend.
• Ohio State's two-quarterback system was an overdue move by Urban Meyer: Bill Livingston.
• Akron coach Terry Bowden says Bowling Green offense is 'chess vs. checkers'

Cleveland Browns notes about Johnny Manziel, Sammy Watkins, the equal opportunity offense and Barkevious Mingo.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Under new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, the Browns have an equal opportunity offense.

It's not equal in the sense that everyone receives the same chances.

The equality part enters into the Xs and Os because DeFilippo doesn't worry about his lack of stars on offense. Rather, he wants to put players in positions where they can glitter, even if it's only for a few plays.

In the last three record-setting passing games for Josh McCown, the Browns have thrown to 8, 8, and 9 receivers, respectively.

DeFilippo believes the NFL is a matchup league. If a team has a large cornerback whose best assets are his strength and size rather than speed, is there a way to force him to cover a smaller, quicker receiver, such as Andrew Hawkins or Taylor Gabriel?

Can they force a bulky linebacker to try and defend Duke Johnson when the speedy rookie running back lines up as a wide receiver?

DeFilippo talked about being a "briefcase coach" and leaving the office at "5 o'clock." He meant being married to a certain system on offense. He said it's the coaches job to have "the right plays and the right guys running those plays."

He also has given McCown the freedom to switch from a pass to a running play ... or the run to a pass ... in several situations during the game.

Travis Benjamin is emerging as a deep-threat receiver. He has caught 22 passes for an 18.7 average and four touchdowns. Before this season, the most receptions that Benjamin ever had in a year was 18.

Gary Barnidge leads the Browns with 24 catches, the most in his seven-year NFL career. He has caught three touchdown passes, and DeFilippo has had a knack of calling plays where the tight end is wide open.

A member of the Baltimore front office mentioned how the Browns do a good job throwing the football to their small, speedy receivers in spots where they can use their quickness to pick up yards after the catch. He was talking about Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel, both in the 5-foot-7 range.

DeFilippo stills want to establish a running game, but defenses have been stacking the line of scrimmage against the Browns. That has led to short passes to running backs Isaiah Crowell and Johnson.

In the first five games of the season, the Browns have only dropped eight passes. Brian Hartline, Jim Dray and Barnidge each have two. Benjamin has not dropped a pass this season. His excellent hands make him even more dangerous as a receiver.

Browns General Manager Ray Farmer has stressed that good scouting can uncover receivers who aren't at the top of the draft. Often, they just need an opportunity to prove they can be effective.

The season is only five games old and a lot can change. But so far, the combination of DeFilippo, McCown and the variety of receivers has led to the Browns being the sixth-ranked passing team in the NFL.

ABOUT SAMMY WATKINS

Had the Browns kept the No. 4 pick in the 2014 draft and selected Sammy Watkins, I would have praised the move.

Watkins had a solid rookie year with Buffalo, 65 catches for a 15.1 average. He caught six touchdown passes and had only four drops.

But this season has been a mess for Watkins. He had some minor injuries in training camp. He caught seven passes in the first two games, 14.1 average.

Since then, he has been out with a calf injury. While injured, Watkins complained to the Buffalo News that he wasn't being targeted with enough passes. He wants to be thrown at least 10 passes a game.

"You're making me look bad and you're making yourself look bad," Watkins told reporter Tyler Dunne. "Why not make both of us look good?"

The Browns look bad because they used the deal for Watkins to add two first round picks -- Justin Gilbert and Cameron Erving. Perhaps one of them will deliver in the future, but both are on the bench right now.

Manziel is the backup to Josh McCown. Gilbert is playing a lot on special teams. He didn't play a single snap at cornerback in the 33-30 overtime victory in Baltimore.

The Bills are 3-2. Watkins is hurt. His outburst makes little sense at this point, other than he's frustrated.

if the Browns had to do it over at No. 4, they probably should have taken linebacker Khalil Mack. He was the No. 5 pick in that draft. He has three sacks in five games with Oakland and appears to have a Pro Bowl future.

ABOUT JOHNNY MANZIEL

Not all the details about what happened between Johnny Manziel and his girlfriend when they were detained by police earlier in the week have been made public. No one was charged with a crime, but police said they both had been drinking.

That's a major problem for Manziel, who spent 11 weeks in a rehabilitation center earlier in the year.

The Browns quarterback has never discussed why he went into rehab, but his actions last season in various nightclubs indicated an obvious problem with alcohol. There were too many embarrassing pictures of him being intoxicated.

GM Ray Farmer issued a statement saying, "It is a matter that we take seriously and have expressed our concerns to Johnny."

They should.

When you spend 11 weeks in rehab, the goal is a sober lifestyle. That means staying away from people and places where drinking is the norm. Now, it's up to Manziel to use this as a warning and be serious about changing parts of his life or bigger trouble looms.

The question for Manziel is this, "Do you really want to change your life?"

If not, there will only be more pain.

In the meantime, he once again hurt the Browns and all his fans who have stood by him.

This also explains why the Browns signed Austin Davis to a three-year deal. They want more protection at quarterback in case Manziel has more trouble.

ABOUT THE BROWNS

1. DeFilippo has said he wants to have Brian Hartline on the field more and a bigger part of the offense. The veteran receiver played 52 percent of the snaps against Baltimore. In the last two games, he has caught only two total passes. The ball was thrown to him four times. Hartline has nine catches on the season.

2. I don't know why defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil keeps talking about Barkevious Mingo being a "big part of the game plan," when he's hardly been playing linebacker. The defensive coordinator may have had bigger plans for Mingo, but he was on the field for four snaps in Baltimore. In the last three games, his snap totals have been dropping, from 23 to 18 to 4. The Browns prefer rookie Nate Orchard and Armonty Bryant ahead of Mingo. They don't say that, but the recent snap counts scream it.

3. With Scott Solomon injured and out for the season, Orchard has a tremendous chance to prove he can make an impact. He was a second-round pick from Utah. Orchard had a rough preseason as he missed several weeks with back problems. His snap count has been increasing from 13-20-25-43. He is supposed to be a pass rusher, and now he needs to record his first sack.

• Terry's Talkin' Cavs
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

Cleveland Cavaliers avalanche of injuries will be a real test for Coach David Blatt and LeBron James.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's going to be rough.

That's what I keep thinking about the Cavaliers this season, at least until the All-Star break.

It's going to be a rocky start and maybe a very uneven middle of the season.

None of that automatically prevents them from reaching the NBA Finals again. When you have LeBron James reasonably healthy, you have to be a favorite to reach The Finals.

James has done it in each of his last five seasons.

While his critics will never admit it, David Blatt also grew as a coach in the playoffs as he transformed his injured team into a defensive force. Yes, he relied on assistant coach Tyronn Lue and James as the three of them formulated the plans and sold it to the team.

But rather than that being a negative, it should be viewed as a positive in the modern superstar-powered NBA.

Blatt, Lue, the other assistant coaches and James will have to be at their leadership best early in the season because the Cavs will be without so many key players, including their projected starting backcourt.

Consider that five of their key players all had surgeries within the last 10 months: Kevin Love, Kryie Irving, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Anderson Varejao. A sixth (Tristan Thompson) is not with the team due to a contract dispute.

That's why the Cavs probably will be very inconsistent early in the season.

ABOUT THE BACKCOURT

Shumpert emerged as a defensive specialist. James said Shumpert is destined to make an All-NBA defensive team. When healthy, he can defend both guard spots and even some small forwards.

But the 6-foot-5 Shumpert is out for about three months following wrist surgery. Then he'll have to play his way into shape during the middle of the season. Shumpert also has an injury history. He had knee surgery in 2012. He missed six weeks last season with a dislocated shoulder.

Compounding this problem is Irving, who is still recovering from surgery in June to repair his fractured kneecap. He is not taking part in any serious practices and there has been no timetable made public for his return. It will be this season, but certainly not in the next few weeks.

Obviously, Irving is a huge loss. He's an All-Star coming off his best season. Like Shumpert, he will be trying to return with no training camp.

Irving also has battled injuries in his young career. He missed only six regular season games in 2014-15 before his knee began to act up in the playoffs.

But in his first three pro seasons, Irving missed an average of 15 games per year with different physical problems.

THERE IS HELP

David Griffin signed Mo Williams, the general manager correctly believing the 32-year-old Williams could still start for some NBA teams. He was a 14-point scorer last season.

He also brought back J.R. Smith on a very club-friendly contract. Smith did start 51 games between the Knicks and Cavs last season.

So Williams and Smith are experienced. Backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova had some excellent playoff games. In the end, his weaknesses were exposed when having to playing huge post-season minutes in place of the injured Irving.

The Cavs are not in terrible shape in the backcourt.

They also have 34-year-old Richard Jefferson, who can play shooting guard and back up James at small forward.

But the grand plan was for all these players to come off the bench. If that happens, Blatt can turn to Smith, Jefferson, Williams and Dellavedova for depth in the backcourt. Smith and Jefferson also can play some small forward.

But early in the season, those guys will be on the court a lot, some in the starting lineup.

ABOUT THE FRONTCOURT

Many fans are angry about Tristan Thompson's contract dispute with the Cavs. The view is, "Forget him."

Well, they do need him. As for the contract stalemate, I have no idea when it will end.

But I do know with Love just now returning from shoulder surgery, it would be nice to have Thompson The Rebounding Machine as another big man.

The Cavs can start Timofey Mozgov at center, Love at power forward. But they also need to watch the minutes for both players.

The 7-foot Mozgov had what was considered minor off-season knee surgery and he has looked healthy in the preseason. Nonetheless, it's wise to keep him under 30 minutes.

Love also should not be required to carry a heavy load early in the year. If he's ready for the opener (as it appears), that's a real bonus and a tribute to his post-season work ethic.

Anderson Varejao can help at power forward and center. He's been an incredible surprise coming back from Achilles surgery. But the 33-year-old Varejao has a discouraging history of major injuries. I wrote about Varejao last week.

If he is asked to play a lot of minutes early in the season, that's just begging for another injury.

So the three key big men -- Love, Varejao and Mozgov -- are all coming off some type of surgery.

Sasha Kaun is a 6-foot-10 Russian signed by Griffin. He is a defensive presence, a physical center. It will take him time to adjust to the speed and athleticism of the NBA game after playing six years in Europe.

James Jones is 35 years old and will probably be able to wake up in the middle of the night and swish a 3-pointer from the corner at the age of 65. He is a terrific standstill shooter. He also can play some meaningful minutes at power forward.

THEN THERE'S JAMES

Consider who started the opening game of the 2015 Finals for the Cavs: Irving, Shumpert, Mozgov, Thompson and James.

Only James and Mozgov are likely to be in the opening day lineup for this season.

Blatt will be tempted to play James major minutes early in the season because the roster is depleted. But the lesson from last season is that less is more with James when it comes to playing in the first few months.

He missed two weeks early in January as he dealt with back and leg problems. The Cavs were 1-7 in those games. He may not play any more preseason games, which makes sense. He had a shot for some back pain, something that was planned.

Jefferson should supply far more help at small forward than Shawn Marion and Mike Miller did last season. Marion's season-high was 13 points, and he only had six games with at least 10. He was nailed to the bench in the playoffs.

In the postseason, Miller and Marion combined to play only 90 minutes. They scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

Jefferson is averaging 11.4 points in the preseason and looks far more prepared to help than Miller and Marion.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

It won't be easy for Blatt and his coaching staff to develop any real continuity.

Significant players will be out. Others will be limited. Blatt's coaching will once again be questioned because the team is likely to have an underwhelming first few months of the season.

Yes, the Cavs have been looking at some young guys such as Joe Harris, Jared Cunningham, Quinn Cook and Austin Daye. But none of them are ready for regular rotation duties on a playoff team.

The 6-foot-4 Cunningham comes the closest because of his athleticism. But the 24-year-old has been with four different teams in the last four seasons, playing in a grand total of 40 NBA regular season games. So it's hard to expect much from him.

A strong return of Love will be a major boost, but Cavaliers fans should be warned. The first few months of this season will serve up a large dose of frustration as patience will be tested.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Indians

Batting .350 with runners in scoring position is yet another reason the Cleveland Indians believe Francisco Lindor should be Rookie of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Who was the Indians' top clutch hitter in 2015?

I assumed it was Michael Brantley. That's usually a safe guess. After all, Brantley is a career .329 hitter with runners in scoring position (RISP).

But he's not No. 1 this season on the Tribe, despite hitting .324 in those situations.

The top hitter in the clutch was ... Francisco Lindor.

Yet another reason for him to be Rookie of the Year.

As a team, the Tribe batted .250 with runners in scoring position. That was No. 11 in the American League, and it explained some of their problems scoring runs.

That's especially true when you add in the fact that they were .212 with the bases loaded, dead last in the league. Even Lindor had a problem with the bases loaded, as he was 1-of-9.

Here's the breakdown of RISP for the Tribe in 2015:

1. Lindor, .350.
2. Chris Johnson, .333.
3. Michael Brantley, .324.
4. Ryan Raburn, .313.
5. Jason Kipnis, .298.
6. Lonnie Chisenhall, .277.
7. David Murphy, .265.
8. Carlos Santana, .261.
9. Jerry Sands, .233
10. Mike Aviles, .224
11. Michael Bourn, .218
12. Roberto Perez, .216
13. Jose Ramirez, .200
14. Brandon Moss, Giovanny Urshela, .185.
15. Abraham Almonte, .184
16. Yan Gomes, .141
17. Nick Swisher, .138

ABOUT ZIMMER AND FRAZIER

During the post-season meetings, the Indians talked about top outfield prospects Brad Zimmer and Clint Frazier.

A few points were made:

1. The 21-year-old Frazier had a major breakthrough in the second half of his season at Class A Lynchburg. Frazier was a first-round pick in 2013. Frazier batted .248 before the All-Star break. After, it was .325 (.961 OPS). The key was Frazier no longer being so fixated on pulling the ball.

2. For the year, he hit .285 (.842 OPS) with 16 HR and 72 RBI. Frazier turned 21 on September 6. The right-handed hitting outfielder will open 2016 at Class AA Akron. The Indians believe he will soon hit with even more power, and do it to all fields.

3. Zimmer fouled a pitch off his foot in late June. The foot was x-rayed, and no break was found. Zimmer continued to play. He batted .308 (.896 OPS) with 10 HR and 39 RBI in 286 at bats for Class A Lynchburg. He also stole 32 bases. He was promoted to Akron, but batted only .219 (.687 OPS) with 6 HR and 24 RBI in 187 at bats.

4. Zimmer didn't tell anyone that his foot was bothering him until after the season. It was x-rayed again and revealed a hairline fracture. He finished the season 1-of-27. The team's top pick in the 2014, Zimmer and the Tribe were relieved to discover the problem. It explained his second-half problems and drop in speed.

5. Zimmer will be 23 on November 27. He is expected to open 2016 in the same outfield as Frazier. Zimmer will be in center. Frazier will play left or right. The Indians believe one (or maybe both) will be big league ready by 2017. Zimmer could advance faster because he is older.

ABOUT THE LITTLE TRADES

The Indians made three small deals during the season. I'm not talking about the Nick Swisher/Michael Bourn for Chris Johnson deal with Atlanta. That was a major trade because of the payroll implications.

Here's a look at the other small mid-season moves:

1. The best was sending lefty reliever Marc Rzepczynski to San Diego for Abraham Almonte. Rzepczynski had a miserable time with the Padres, 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in 14 2/3 innings. Almonte batted .264 (.766 OPS) with 5 HR, 20 RBI and was 6-of-6 in stolen bases. In 196 plate appearances, he also had 6 triples and 9 doubles.

2. The Indians rated Almonte's defense above average in center field. Manager Terry Francona praised Almonte's baseball acumen, throwing to the cutoff man, etc. Fangraphs rated him at No. 9 among 17 American League center fielders in defense. He was a definite upgrade over Bourn, who was well below average.

3. Almonte will have a role on the team next year, either as an extra outfielder or a starter. It depends what moves can be made to help the outfield in the off-season.

4. The Tribe traded David Murphy to the Angels for shortstop Eric Stamets. Murphy hit .265 (.681 OPS) with 5 HR and 23 RBI after the July 28 trade. He has a team option for $7 million and it's doubtful the Angels will pick it up.

5. The Indians considered Murphy a below average right fielder, and rating services such as fangraphs agree. That opened the position for Lonnie Chisenhall, who recreated himself as an outfielder. Chisenhall played an outstanding right field. The question for him will be if he can hit enough to play every day. But had they kept Murphy, they would not have had an opening for Chisenhall.

6. Stamets is a very good fielding shortstop. He made only five errors in 95 Class AA games. He played 33 errorless games at Akron after the deal. But Stamets batted only .197 (.500 OPS). The 24-year-old is a career .257 minor league hitter. A native of Dublin, Ohio, it's hard to see Stamets in the Majors unless he can figure out how to produce more with his bat.

7. This is a two-part deal. Before the 2015 season, the Tribe sent second base prospect Joey Wendle to Oakland for Brandon Moss. With the Tribe, Moss had a miserable time, batting .217 (.695 OPS) with 15 HR and 50 RBI. He hated playing in Progressive Field. He thought the wind was usually blowing in from his power zone of right field. He had only two homers in 185 at bats in Cleveland.

8. Wendle had a good year in Class AAA for Oakland, batting .289 (.765 OPS) with 10 HR and 57 RBI. He batted .342 after the All-Star break and was named the All-Pacific Coast League second baseman. He has a good chance to make Oakland's roster next season.

9. The Tribe traded Moss to the Cardinals for pitcher Rob Kaminsky. He was the Cardinals first-round draft pick in 2013. In the minors, he has a career 14-11 record with a 2.22 ERA. Last season, he was 6-6 with a 2.24 ERA in Class A. He had some minor back problems and didn't pitch in the last three weeks of the season. Kaminsky is an excellent prospect. He had a 1.79 ERA in his last 10 starts.

10. After the trade, Moss batted .250 (.753 OPS) with 4 HR and 8 RBI in 151 plate appearances for the Cardinals. Moss is not a free agent, but arbitration eligible. He earned $6.5 million in 2014. The Cardinals have some interest in bringing him back, but it will depend on the price.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs

Jack Cooley will return to Cavaliers for camp and Chris Johnson will be waived.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing some reshuffling with their camp invites.

Yahoo! Sports reported the Cavaliers will bring in free agent Jack Cooley and Northeast Ohio Media Group has learned that center Chris Johnson will be waived to make room.

Cooley, 24, went undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2013. The Utah Jazz waived him four days ago, where he was also on a camp deal. He played on the Cavaliers' Summer League team in 2014.

The small forward/power forward has spent the majority of his professional career playing in the NBA Development League.

This move by management is to strengthen the practices moving forward to give the Cavaliers on guaranteed contracts some quality work before the season tips off on Oct. 27.

Johnson appeared in four preseason games for the Cavaliers in a limited capacity. His best outing was a four-point, four-rebound game in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The camp total stands at 20, the maximum allowed. NEOMG wrote in detail of the team's plan for the camp guys moving forward.

No one knows for certain if the Indians will have to trade one of their starting pitchers to improve their offense. If they do, considering the premium there is on quality starting pitching, they can't come away on the short end of such a deal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here or Tweet him at @hoynsie. 

Hey, Hoynsie: Assuming that the Tribe will improve by trading from depth (starting pitching) to fill a weakness (hitter), my question is about value in the present day game. Can a controllable top of the rotation starter (Danny Salazar) bring a controllable top of the order hitter (Xavier Bogaerts)? How about if a high-level prospect was added? - Phil Trimble, Mentor. 

Hey, Phil: I'm still not sure that the Indians will trade one of their prime starters, but if they do it won't be a one-for-one deal. I would think they'd want an established big league player and at least one quality prospect. Good starting pitching is still the most sought after skill in the big leagues. 

@hoynsie when is Jim Thome eligible for the HOF? I just want to know when I should book my hotel room in Cooperstown. Steve Rose Sidney, OH

-- Steven Rose (@Rosey252525) October 14, 2015

Hey, Steven: Thome and Omar Vizquel will be eligible in 2018. A player must be retired for five years before being eligible to be placed on the ballot for the Hall of Fame.

Thome and Vizquel's last season was 2012.

Manny Ramirez, a teammate of Thome and Vizquel's, is eligible in 2017.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Indians are so close. Wouldn't it be foolish to trade pitching or a top prospect for a bat? Bradley Zimmer, Clint Frazier and Bobby Bradley's ETA appear to be 2017 so a one-year Band-Aid might work. - Bill Willis, Albany, Ky.

Hey, Bill: The Indians could get lucky with a six-year minor league free agent or a Brandon-Moss-type trade. But I think trying to sell a Band-Aid approach to an already disgruntled fan base would be a mistake.

This team has been one or two players away from doing something big for two years and sat on their hands. It's about time they try to add a qualified hitter to the lineup. Naturally, such a move would be expensive, but that's the cost of business if you're going to beat the Royals in the AL Central.

@hoynsie Hoynsie, if LA loses & Mattingly is fired, shouldn't the Tribe try to hire him as a hitting coach? Seems far fetched, I know...

-- Evan Crissinger (@EvanCrissinger) October 14, 2015

Hey, Evan: If Mattingly does get fired following the Dodgers loss to the Mets in the NLDS, I believe he'd look for another manager's job first. Or maybe he'd take some time off. I don't think being the Tribe's hitting coach would be his top  priority.

By the way, I don't think Matting deserves to be fired.

Hey, Hoynsie: Since the Indians are supposedly willing to trade Danny Salazar or Carlos Carrasco, what player or package of players would make a move like that happen? I personally don't see any upside in trading either and the ony player I'd take for one of those guys would be Colorado's Nolan Arenado, based on the Tribe's needs and payroll constraints. And please don't try to tell me Marcell Ozuna is the answer. - Jeff Bowers, New Philadelphia.

Hey, Jeff: You have expensive tastes and that's good. I think the Indians could find a spot in the lineup for Arenado, who tied Bryce Harper for the NL home run lead with 42 and plays an excellent third base. I'm not sure how Carrasco or Salazar would feel pitching at Coors Field.

Look, I'm not sure that Carrasco or Salazar are available, except in kick-the-tires conversations, but the Tribe can't think small if that's the route it's going to take.

@hoynsie #HeyHoynsie would Indians have any interest in bringing in Justin Morneau at DH for a 2 year deal at 10-15 mill?

-- Lee (@leeakrish) October 13, 2015

Hey, Lee: With all due respect to Justin Morneau, who has had a fine career, why would the Indians do that? He's 34 and played only 49 games this year with the Rockies as he once again dealt with concussion problem that have hounded him for the last several years.

Morneau has a mutual option for the Rockies in 2017, but I expect he'll be on the free agent market this winter. Unless he would come to camp on a make-good, minor-league, one-year deal, I think that would be a gamble for the Tribe.

Hey, Hoynsie: My dad and I have heated discussion as to who was more valuable and vital to the Indians success this past season. I say it was All-Star Jason Kipnis, but he says Michael Brantley because he's more of a five-tool player. We want your take. -- Victoria, Glenallen, Ark.

Hey, Victoria: You know what Lincoln said about a house divided. I try to avoid all family squabbles so I'll take the middle ground and say they both had an equal impact on the Indians success in 2015.

How's that for taking the chicken way out?

@hoynsie Are they going to keep spending more money on Prog Field instead of the team? Kurt Ramage, Parma

-- Kurt Ramage (@kurtramage) October 13, 2015

Hey, Kurt: It remains to be seen. Progressive Field is undergoing further renovations this offseason. I don't believe the money for the renovations and the money to improve the team is coming out of the same bucket. 

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any chance Cleveland can be considered for the All-Star game again in the near future? It would be nice to showcase our beautiful park with the great new upgrades and the city would be prepared for it after hosting the Republican National Convention next year. How about 2019, the 25^th anniversary of Progressive Field? -- Paul Coletta, Gates Mills.

Hey, Paul: San Diego, Miami and Washinton, D.C., will host the All-Star games from 2016 through 2018. So maybe there's a shot for the Tribe in 2019.

The Indians have hosted five All-Star games, tied for the third most in history. I know when the renovations were being planned, the Indians talked about trying to bring the All-Star game back to Cleveland. There's a lot of competition for the game.

The All-Star game used to switch between an AL and NL city every year, but new Commissioner Rob Manfred has changed that process. Whether that helps or hurts the chances of the All-Star game returning to Cleveland is unknown.

@hoynsie what impact will Shapiro's departure have on how Tribe approaches its roster make-up? Gary Hemphill, New York

-- Gary Hemphill (@Gary_Hemphill) October 13, 2015

Hey, Gary: Little if any, especially if there's a limited amount of cash to spend.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Tribe has long needed a third baseman. They haven't had one since Travis Fryman. It's a time to get one. If not keep Mike Aviles until they find someone else. Also didn't Houston's third baseman play for the Tribe at one time? - Clyde Perry, Mansfield.

Hey, Clyde: The Indians, before they go out and get a third baseman, have to make a decision on Giovanny Urshela. He was promoted from Class AAA Columbus in June and played well defensively, but didn't hit. Then he hurt his right shoulder just after the All-Star break and it cost him playing time.

Aviles can be a free agent after the World Series, but the Indian have expressed an interest in keeping him and Aviles is more than open to that.

Luis Valbuena, Houston's third baseman, played for the Indians from 2009 through 2011 before he was sold to Toronto. This year Valbuena hit a career-high 25 homers for Houston, while hitting .224.

Johnny Manziel is squandering what little is left of a career he almost sabotaged last season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The biggest shock might be how little shock accompanied news of the latest boozy incident of Johnny Screw-up.

The whispers had been loud recently that Johnny Manziel was drinking again, in public, in downtown Cleveland. After the roadside quarrel on Interstate 90 with his girlfriend, it seems he will never reach his potential because of his demons. The swan raft-riding, bubbly-spraying, meeting-missing fool of his rookie season is back, older, but no wiser.

Master Football is wasting the little that is left of a career he sabotaged in its earliest stages, spoke of redeeming through rehab, and now is squandering again.

The sack

I was probably Manziel's biggest fan in the Cleveland media last season. I am resistant to the idea that a great, mobile college quarterback can't make the transition to the NFL. He could with a proper play package, I thought.

But I wonder now if the former Johnny Football, a nickname he has renounced,  will ever outrun the dominant memory of last year? That was when Cincinnati defensive tackle Brandon Thompson burst through the offensive line, which, frankly, did not seem all that interested in blocking for Manziel, and dragged him down with a disdainful, one-handed sack.

That, as my friend Todd Jones of the Columbus Dispatch said, happens on the Serengeti, not on the football field.

Manziel, however, is the one sacking Manziel now

Magic in a small package

The Thompson sack recalled how small Manziel looked, from the first day in the field house at the Browns' training complex in Berea all the way through to Thompson's sack and mocking "money sign" gesture over the fallen little quarterback wanna-be.

The lack of size was part of his magic, of course.

This was the kid who was more electrifying than the mighty and mightily muscled Cam Newton at Auburn?

This was the littlest field general who took Texas A&M out of the shadows of the University of Texas in which it had dwelled for most of the last century, into the big, bad Southeastern Conference, where he made Heisman Trophy magic happen with a gesture of two fingers rubbing two thumbs?

In the second game of the current season, on two long touchdown throws to Travis Benjamin in a victory over Tennessee in the home opener, Cleveland saw what all the fuss had been about.

But now we're seeing the same lack of character and commitment as he showed last season.

Shared dreams and demons

I wanted to believe in him on many grounds. He could be great for this city, I thought, another Bernie Kosar. 

Moreover, Manziel and I had a similar background of being Texans (Dallas for me, Kerrville in the Hill Country for him), attending SEC schools (Vanderbilt for me) and sharing a friendship (on my part) and a working relationship (on Manziel's) with enormously talented, enormously troubled author Jim Dent.

Dent who wrote a book about Manziel that was serialized in The Plain Dealer last year, wrote an "open letter" to Manziel on Facebook late in the player's rookie season:

"You will be selling cars alongside daddy in Longview next year, if you are lucky. The Browns are about to dump you. Even Jerry Jones no longer wants you. If you had pulled this s--- with Landry, he would have cut you. Jimmy Johnson would have taken the pleasure of personally cleaning out your locker. Partying two nights before the end of a disappointing season with the entire team was insane. Even the Aggies hate you. That is hard to do, Hoss! Adios."

Jim is in a Texas jail, serving a 10-year sentence for decades of inability to control his drinking, as shown by the 10 DUI convictions that resulted. 

Dent has been a friend to me for over 40 years. He and I both embraced the culture of alcohol in the newspaper business in the 1970s, as did most of our peers. It was, however, done so somewhat less effusively - because none of us had that kind of money - than Manziel embraced the celebrity lifestyle.

I have no reason to be self-righteous about what has happened to either Manziel or his biographer. I only pray that Manziel will make behavioral changes that stick before he loses all that Jim did.

Jordan announced that he has decided to enroll at Ohio State early and that he'll play in the U.S. Army All-America Game. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michael Jordan of Canton (Mich.) Plymouth had everyone on the edge of their seats the last few days as they anticipated Saturday morning's "huge announcement." 

* Another Michigan Buckeye -- What Michael Jordan's commitment to Ohio State over Michigan really means

Some feared it could be Jordan announcing his decision to reopen his recruitment. 

It was basically the opposite of that. 

Jordan announced that he has decided to enroll at Ohio State early and that he'll play in the U.S. Army All-America Game. 

Rated the No. 14 offensive tackle in the 2016 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, the 6-foot-7, 302-pound prospect chose the Buckeyes over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Iowa, Nebraska, Miami (Fla.), Penn State, Boston College and others. 

Jordan has been a big part of a Plymouth offensive line that has helped his team average more than 300 rushing yards per game. As a defensive lineman, Jordan has posted 36 tackles this season. 

Here are 5 things to watch on Sunday as the Browns take on the Denver Broncos.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- 19 players on the Cleveland Browns 53-man roster weren't even born the last time the Browns beat the Broncos. It was 1990 and it took a last-second field goal by Jerry Kauric. 

Peyton Manning has never lost to the Browns, though his 80.9 career passer rating against them is his lowest against any team. He did manage to torch them for 339 yards and three touchdowns the only time he's faced them while with the Broncos.

None of this really means anything, of course, on Sunday. The Broncos are undefeated, not because of Manning but because of a defense as complete as any you'll find in the NFL. The Browns are coming off of a win in Baltimore not because of a defense that came into the season with high expectations but an offense led by a quarterback in Josh McCown whose career has been the polar opposite of Manning's.

The Browns ended one streak last week, winning a road game against the Ravens for the first time since 2007. Will they end another this week? Here are five things to watch:

1. Keep Josh McCown upright

"Defensively, we have not gone against a defense like this, one that rushes the passer like they do, get off the ball, very good in the secondary."

Those are Mike Pettine's words, and he's not kidding. Denver's defense is the best in the league, and getting to the quarterback is where it starts.

"Obviously, (pressuring quarterbacks is) a huge thing in this league," Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak said this week. "If you can't get there, it's very tough."

Denver has the most sacks in the NFL this season with 22 in five games. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware leads the team with 4.5 sacks and may miss Sunday's game, but his likely replacement, Shaquil Barrett, has two sacks of his own this season. Left guard Joel Bitonio put it best earlier this week: "They just have players, man."

"We are going to try to get the ball out of our hand," offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said on Thursday. "We are going to change up some protections and keep them off balance as much as we can, but it is definitely a pass rush we are going to respect, but at the same time we are not going to shy away from."

2. The Browns need to get their running game going

Isaiah Crowell and the Browns will try to get their running game going against Denver.John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

One way to avoid quarterback pressure is to keep the defense honest against the run. It's something the Browns haven't done and it's something the Broncos haven't had much trouble defending. The Browns have the fifth-worst rushing attack in the NFL. Denver, meanwhile, is fifth in the league defending the run.

"We were able to run the ball effectively in the second half against Baltimore," Pettine said on Thursday, "and that opened some things up for us. You have to strike some type of balance, but I like that there is comfort knowing that we have the flexibility that we can swing toward either end."

"I was really pleased with the way we ran the ball in the second half (against Baltimore)," DeFilippo said. "I think we had 74 yards rushing. The thing that was good to see was we ran the ball when they knew we were going to run it."

The Browns did, as DeFilippo said, rush for 74 of their 83 yards against the Ravens in the second half. Isaiah Crowell carried the ball nine times for 45 yards in the final 30 minutes plus overtime. Part of the reason for the low rushing totals overall could also be contributed to the Browns looking to the air so often. Josh McCown threw 51 passes against the Ravens and 41 times against San Diego. The Browns ran the ball a combined 46 times in those two games.

"I don't think that last game was our idea of going and throwing 50 times, however many times we threw it," Duke Johnson said on Thursday, "but we got down early and that's what we needed to do."

The Browns are likely to welcome back Robert Turbin, claimed off of waivers prior to the start of the season. Turbin injured his ankle in the preseason while still with Seattle.

"I think (Turbin brings) back power running," Johnson said. "(Turbin's) a big, powerful, strong dude. He's ready to play. We can't wait to have him out there playing with us."

The Browns need to make every effort to make sure Denver's defense can't sit back and tee off on McCown.

3. Don't be the defense that lets the Broncos get their running game going

One of the four teams worse than the Browns rushing the football is Denver. They're averaging just 71.6 yards per game. The Browns, however, are the second-worst team in the league in stopping the run, giving up 149.4 yards per game and second-worst in the league in giving up 5 yards per carry. They've given up a league-worst three runs of 40+ yards. It hasn't been pretty.

The Broncos have rushed for more than 69 yards just one time this season, against Minnesota, with 72 of those yards coming on one run by Ronnie Hillman. If the Browns can't get their run defense right against this team, they aren't going to get it right at all.

4. Keep finding Duke Johnson and Gary Barnidge

Good things have happened this season when Josh McCown has thrown to Gary Barnidge.Joshua Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

All Barnidge has done in the last three games is catch 20 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He's also made two spectacular catches, a bobbling reception falling out of bounds against San Diego and a catch with his feet against Baltimore.

"I think anytime you have a big body that can occupy the middle of the field it is a plus for this offense," DeFilippo said.

Part of Barnidge's success has been his chemistry with McCown.

"I'm fortunate that I got to play with Josh back in Carolina when I was there," Barnidge said, "but it's also the whole team because I think everybody has good chemistry with Josh and we're doing a good job."

Johnson, after not being targeted in the first two games of the season, has 21 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown.

"I think it's a lot of different guys are doing their job to make everyone else open," Johnson said. "It's really just a handful of us. Some guys get more credit than others but it's always the guys you don't see that actually make the play work."

Whatever it is that's making it work, the Browns need to keep doing it and keep Barnidge and Johnson involved.

5. The depth of the secondary will again be tested

Jordan Poyer will be asked to step in for Tashaun Gipson on Sunday.Joshua Gunter, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

This won't be the first time Desir has had to step into a difficult matchup. When Joe Haden was a surprise inactive in San Diego, Desir was thrown into the starting lineup and went up against Chargers receiver Keenan Allen. This week, with Haden out, Desir will be asked to cover either Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders.

"Each game definitely helps," Desir said. "It definitely helps the confidence to get more reps out there and to get the experience. Each game has definitely helped me be more comfortable when I go out there."

The Browns will also be without Gipson again, which puts the spotlight on Jordan Poyer. Pettine said that Poyer received a game ball for his play against Baltimore.

"We really challenged him," Pettine said. "Two weeks ago (against San Diego), he made some mistakes out there that I know he wish he had back, and he did a good job responding for us."

It will be interesting to see if Justin Gilbert, who played just eight defensive snaps in San Diego and didn't play any defensive snaps against Baltimore, will see added playing time at cornerback alongside his kick return duties.

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Browns QB Johnny Manziel was questioned by police on the side of the road for arguing with his girlfriend. Alcohol was involved. Manziel told police he had two drinks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio  --- Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was back in the news Friday, but not for throwing 60-yard touchdown passes.

It was for a messy argument on Monday with his live-in girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, which began on Interstate 90 and ended on the side of the road in Avon -- with police called to the scene and alcohol involved.

The two were not charged, but Manziel made the kind of headlines the Browns hoped were over when their 2014 first-round pick spent 10 weeks in an addiction treatment center in the offseason.

According to Sgt. George Ruple, who responded to the 911 calls, Manziel was not intoxicated but admitted to having two drinks earlier in the day - at around 2 p.m. downtown. Crowley, a student at Texas Christian University, was significantly impaired, according to Ruple.

And although Crowley told police that Manziel hit her a couple of times in the car and "pushed her head against the glass,'' they ultimately determined that Manziel had not physically harmed her and was therefore not charged with domestic violence.

A police spokesman also told NEOMG that the investigation has been suspended and "our department is not forwarding it to the prosecutor's office for further review.''

The Browns recently parted ways with offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who was accused of domestic violence by his fiancee but not charged.

The Browns issued the following statement from general manager Ray Farmer: "We were aware of the situation,'' said Farmer. "It is a matter that we take seriously and have expressed our concerns to Johnny directly. Those conversations will remain private and we will refrain from further comment at this time.''

A Browns spokesman said Manziel's status for Sunday's game against the Broncos hasn't changed. He's currently the backup behind Josh McCown and set to be pressed into service if McCown gets injured. If that plan changes between now and the game, Austin Davis would serve as the backup.

An NFL spokesman also told NEOMG that the league is "aware (but) we do not have further comment.''

Manziel is possibly in the NFL's substance abuse program because of his stint in rehab, but it's unknown if the incident violates any terms of his aftercare program. Manziel never revealed the nature of his treatment at the Caron rehab facility in Pennsylvania, and it's not known if he was required to abstain from alcohol.

The only physical sign of a struggle was an abrasion on Crowley's wrist, but officers determined that it was from Manziel trying to keep her in the car as she was attempting to exit the moving car.

Police say they didn't arrest Manziel because of the lack of physical evidence except for the wrist, Crowley's drunken state, the inconsistencies of her statements, and the fact neither wanted to pursue charges.

Shortly after the story broke,  Manziel and Crowley took to social media to present a united front and let the world know all was well.

"J & I are good," Crowley wrote on her Instagram account. "I appreciate the people who stopped to check on us and call the police, I could see how it may have looked. Anytime anyone sees a guy and a girl arguing on the side of a road they should definitely stop, you never know what that could be. Fortunately it was just an argument, it was private, and we are all good!"

Manziel also assured folks 'everything is fine' on twitter.

"Colleen and I got into a dumb public argument on the way home Monday afternoon," Manziel wrote. "It probably looked more interesting than it was and I know I would stop and check if I saw a couple arguing on the side of the road. It was embarrassing but not serious and when we talked to the police and they realized everything was alright and I was sober, we went home together and everything is fine."

The argument began after Manziel and Crowley had been drinking downtown on Monday afternoon. The Browns had the day off after beating the Ravens, 33-30 in overtime on Sunday. While Manziel admitted to having two drinks, Crowley told police that she had at least "three Crown and Cokes.''

The couple planned to see a movie, but when Manziel decided to bring a friend, Crowley became upset and the argument escalated. When he refused to give her cell phone back, she threw Manziel's wallet out the window.

A female witness called 911 and said she observed a white Nissan sports car driving recklessly on the highway, cutting over several lanes and driving about 90 mph on the berm.  The witness said that as the Nissan exited on Nagel, Manziel's arm and elbow were around Crowley's neck and kept her from exiting the moving vehicle.

When police asked Manziel if he struck or punched Crowley or pulled her hair, he said emphatically "NO.''

When Ruple arrived at the scene, he saw Manziel standing near the car and Crowley sitting in a ditch on the side of Nagel Road. Browns linebacker Paul Kruger showed up, which infuriated Crowley. "He doesn't need to be here!'' she yelled, according to the police report. Kruger, who lives in Manziel's development, said he was driving by when he saw Manziel pulled over. He told police he didn't witness the argument.

When officers asked Crowley if she was fearful of Manziel causing physical harm to her, she said, "no, he was fine."

Crowley was described throughout report as "intoxicated'' with "slurred speech and blood shot eyes." At one point, she was ordered to calm down and sit in the patrol car or be arrested for disorderly conduct. She continued to have trouble focusing and exhibited mood swings, the report stated.

She asked if she could walk from the scene and was told she was too drunk. She said she felt fine leaving with Manziel and the two drove away.

It wasn't the first time Manziel has been involved in a police matter since he was drafted by the Browns in 2014. He was involved in an altercation with an overzealous fan at his downtown apartment last year, but was not charged after police broke up the fight. He also threw a water bottle toward a heckler at a golf tournament this offseason, but was not charged in that incident either.

The Browns were hoping that Manziel, who's mostly kept a low profile since he was released from rehab in April, had put such off-the-field incidents behind him. He moved to a quiet west side golf community was focused on becoming the Browns quarterback of the future.

NEOMG Crimes Reporter Jane Morice contributed to this report

Get ready for today's Browns-Broncos game with the stories you may have missed this week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns and Broncos play on Sunday. The Broncos are unbeaten while the Browns are coming off of a win in Baltimore. Here are a bunch of stories to get you ready for today's game:

Game previews

• Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos: Predictions and poll
• Getting to know the Denver Broncos
• Broncos vs. Browns: Manning on the downside
• The Cleveland Browns need to withstand Denver's pass rush and 4 other things to watch on Sunday
• How the Cleveland Browns offensive line will try to slow down the best pass rush in the NFL
• Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson ruled out for Broncos: 'That's a blow' says Gipson
• Donte Whitner and Cleveland Browns' defense have a chance to change the conversation Sunday: Tom Reed
• Tom Brady, New England Patriots will defeat Indianapolis Colts in Deflategate payback: DMan's NFL Picks, Week 6
• Cleveland Browns uniform tracker: No all-white unis probably a good thing vs. Broncos
• Watch the final seconds of the last time the Cleveland Browns beat the Denver Broncos

Features

• How Cleveland Browns' Pierre Desir spent his offseason preparing for a challenge like he faces in Peyton Manning

News

• Johnny Manziel questioned by Avon police for arguing with girlfriend, alcohol involved
• Johnny Manziel, girlfriend Colleen Crowley respond: 'We are all good'
• Danny Shelton apologizes to fans for his 2 penalties: 'I put the team in a critical situation'
• Barkevious Mingo on if he'd ask to be traded: 'I don't think it's there yet'
• Robert Turbin aiming for 1,000 yards: 'I feel like this is going to be my team'
• Broncos' T.J. Ward on facing the Browns: 'I didn't feel like I was welcome back'
• Catching on: Year after playing almost no role in passing game, Cleveland Browns' backs excelling in it
• Josh McCown bracing for Broncos' No. 1 defense with sore ankle: 'We'll be mindful of that,' says Mike Pettine
• Browns running back Duke Johnson strives to live up to his own high expectations

Columns

• Johnny Screw-up -- the continuing, disappointing story of Johnny Manziel: Bill Livingston
• Johnny Manziel breaks no laws, but again violates the trust of the Cleveland Browns: Tom Reed
• It's time for Johnny Manziel to go back into rehab: Mary Kay Cabot analysis
• Cleveland Browns need to send Johnny Manziel a strong message: Bud Shaw
• Cleveland Browns have Terry Talkin' about Johnny Manziel, Sammy Watkins and the passing game
• It's early, but John DeFilippo doesn't look like a rookie offensive coordinator for Cleveland Browns: Tom Reed
• Josh McCown has authored a promising story line: Bud Shaw
• Cleveland Browns 2015: passing game looks well coordinated: Bud Shaw