Could an offensive clunker at home happen on Saturday? Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State ranks No. 3 nationally in scoring offense with 56.7 points per game, but the Buckeyes' huge game at Oklahoma is in the rearview mirror and they're coming off a bye week.

Could an offensive clunker at home happen on Saturday?

We discuss in the above video with explanations for our outrageous predictions for Ohio State vs. Rutgers.

Bill's outrageous prediction: Ohio State will fail to score 40 points. 

Ari's outrageous prediction: Joe Burrow will throw a touchdown pass. 

Doug's outrageous prediction: Noah Brown will have nine receptions. 

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The quarterfinal competition has begun in our quest to find Greater Cleveland's Best High School Marching Band.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bands from Brunswick and Shaker Heights are now competing in the quarterfinals of cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland.

We encourage you to vote hourly for the band you want to win in the poll below.

Third-seeded Brunswick and No. 6 Shaker Heights are among the eight quarterfinalists that advanced from a group of 32 marching bands in the first round earlier this week.

Related: Vote in the other three quarterfinal match-ups at cleveland.com/best.

Now voting resets as the contest moves to the bracketed tournament format -- with seedings based on where each band finished in first round voting, which attracted more than 50,000 votes.

Voting in each of the quarterfinal match-ups is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m.

Votes must come from the United States and do not carry over from previous weeks. When casting your vote, be sure to complete the captcha step that appears after you click "vote."

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which begin Thursday, Oct. 6.

The final two marching bands will square off in the championship round beginning Thursday, Oct. 13.

Cleveland.com will send reporters to cover each band at the final four and final two rounds, including videos and photos.

Quarterfinal competition has begun in cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fourth-seeded Cuyahoga Falls and No. 5 Elyria are going head-to-head in the next round of voting to find the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland. Each of the Top 8 bands are paired off and will battle it out in seeded competition.

We encourage you to vote hourly for the band you want to win in the poll below.

Cuyahoga Falls and Elyria are among the eight quarterfinalists that advanced from a group of 32 marching bands in the first round earlier this week.

Related: Vote in the other three quarterfinal match-ups at cleveland.com/best.

Now voting resets as the contest moves to the bracketed tournament format -- with seedings based on where each band finished in first round voting, which attracted more than 50,000 votes.

Voting in each of the quarterfinal match-ups is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m.

Votes must come from the United States and do not carry over from previous weeks. When casting your vote, be sure to complete the captcha step that appears after you click "vote."

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which begin Thursday, Oct. 6.

The final two marching bands will square off in the championship round beginning Thursday, Oct. 13.

Cleveland.com will send reporters to cover each band at the final four and final two rounds, including videos and photos.

The quarterfinal competition has begun in our quest to find Greater Cleveland's Best High School Marching Band.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterfinal competition has begun in cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland. The eight bands will now battle it out in seeded competition and this quarterfinal features No. 2 Avon Lake vs. No. 7 Berea-Midpark.

We encourage you to vote hourly for the band you want to win in the poll below.

Avon Lake and Berea-Midpark are among the eight quarterfinalists that advanced from a group of 32 marching bands in the first round earlier this week.

Related: Vote in the other three quarterfinal match-ups at cleveland.com/best.

Now voting resets as the contest moves to the bracketed tournament format -- with seedings based on where each band finished in first round voting, which attracted more than 50,000 votes.

Voting in each of the quarterfinal match-ups is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m.

Votes must come from the United States and do not carry over from previous weeks. When casting your vote, be sure to complete the captcha step that appears after you click "vote."

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which begin Thursday, Oct. 6.

The final two marching bands will square off in the championship round beginning Thursday, Oct. 13. 

Cleveland.com will send reporters to cover each band at the final four and final two rounds, including videos and photos.

Quarterfinal competition has begun in cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The bands from top-seeded Riverside and No. 8 Hudson are now squaring off in the quarterfinals in cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland.

We encourage you to vote hourly for the band you want to win in the poll below.

The Riverside Regiment and Hudson Explorers are among the eight quarterfinalists that advanced from a group of 32 marching bands in the first round earlier this week.

Related: Vote in the other three quarterfinal match-ups at cleveland.com/best.

Now voting resets as the contest moves to the bracketed tournament format -- with seedings based on where each band finished in first round voting, which attracted more than 50,000 votes.

Voting in each of the quarterfinal match-ups is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m.

Votes must come from the United States and do not carry over from previous weeks. When casting your vote, be sure to complete the captcha step that appears after you click "vote."

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, which begin Thursday, Oct. 6.

The final two marching bands will square off in the championship round beginning Thursday, Oct. 13.

Cleveland.com will send reporters to cover each band at the final four and final two rounds, including videos and photos.

Solon vs. Mentor and Highland at Aurora are among some of the top high school football games to watch in Week 6.

The Buckeyes have rotated Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore and Denzel Ward in a way I never believed they would. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Kerry Coombs was right. I was wrong.

I know it. He knows it. 

Knowing it is enough for him. Wednesday night, I offered Ohio State's cornerbacks coach the chance to let me have it for telling him to his face in the offseason that I didn't believe the plan he was claiming he'd implement.

Coombs said he was going to rotate his cornerbacks, regularly playing the backups and taking out the starters. As a plan. In big games. When it mattered.

Never, I told him. OSU assistants always say things like that and never follow through.

Telling Ohio State the cornerback rotation play isn't believable

It has happened.

Here's the proof. According to numbers from Ohio State, starting cornerbacks Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore have played 239 snaps in three games. The backup cornerbacks - primarily Denzel Ward and Damon Arnette, but a couple others - have played 238 snaps.

Ward and Lattimore have legitimately rotated all season. But even Conley, the one returning starter at corner, has rotated out for rests. After Conley and fellow starter Eli Apple each played more than 1,000 snaps last season, Coombs figures his starters are on pace for something like 500 or 600 snaps. And he wants to rotate more - he thinks Arnette needs to see more playing time.

"You decide to do it when you have good enough players to do it," Coombs said. "Being able to stay fresh and play hard through a long season is important."

The rotation is a real thing. Using it and winning with it at Oklahoma proved that. The topic was the talk of Wednesday night interviews, for Coombs and for Urban Meyer.

They had a plan. They're using it. It's working. They've never done it like this before.

But they were right. 

Coombs said he was too nice of a guy to light me up about it, and you can watch the video at the top of this story to see how he responded to my invitation. Because he earned the right to let me have it.

An inside look at Clark's situation and why things turned out the way they did. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Danny Clark spent many nights crying over the decision he never wanted to make.

When he announced his decommitment from Ohio State on Tuesday morning, it may have seemed like another recruiting transaction in a college football world where commitments, decommitments, flips, transfers and dismissals occur daily.

Yes, Clark's decommitment is another spot that's open in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class, another chance for fans to picture what five-star prospect the Buckeyes can now take instead. 

That's so impersonal. It's the easy way out. 

It's too easy to forget that behind Clark's decommitment is a child that saw the lifelong dream he thought he accomplished taken away, a kid who had a vision for what he wanted for his future changed because of someone else's decisions. 

This was caused by Urban Meyer's mistake. What was that mistake? Offering Clark too early. 

Ohio State never faced any pressure to offer Clark. If you read the heartfelt message posted as part of his decommitment announcement, it's so abundantly clear that being a Buckeye is the only thing that's ever mattered.

Why did Ohio State offer Clark as a freshman when the staff could have waited a few years to see how he developed? Premature offers happen all the time, which is part of the reason why Meyer laments the idea of a sped-up recruiting calendar. But when Meyer and his staff offered the 14-year-old version of Clark, they knew he was going to accept it immediately. Clark said it 1,000 times through the media that he was going to be a Buckeye once he got his chance. 

So this is different than just prematurely offering a prospect. When Ohio State offered Clark, they were prematurely taking a verbal commitment. The staff knew what was going to happen. 

It just wasn't supposed to turn out this way. 

But in a world where a recruiting mistake can have a profoundly negative impact on a program, Meyer had a responsibility to rectify it. 

How? I asked him Wednesday. 

"How do we rectify a mistake? That's pretty hard -- I don't know," Meyer said. "I think honest conversation along the journey. One thing, to go to a place and never playing, that's awful, and you're unhappy at a school. How does the person fit into systems and those certain things, but those are great conversations. Those aren't negative conversations. But I think just open conversation, and it's a relationship process. Just honest conversation." 

Danny Clark, recruiting realities and Ohio State tattoos

When Clark got involved with Ohio State, he knew this was big boy football. For a program to compete at the highest level, to be a national title contender, every single scholarship matters. Sometimes one five-star prospect is the difference between a championship and a two-loss season.

This isn't the first time Ohio State has moved on from a committed prospect. It's happened before with guys like Lonnie Johnson, Tyler Green and, most recently, four-star running back Todd Sibley, Clark's teammate at Archbishop Hoban.

In big-time college football, the recruiting process doesn't end with a commitment. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh came under fire last year when they turned away commitments late in the process, and he referred to it as a "meritocracy." 

Asked if he agrees with that premise, Meyer said he did. 

"I agree with that," Meyer said. "I don't know if I'd use the term meritocracy. I would just call it accountability. If you shut it down as a player, I agree with that."

This is in no way saying that Clark shut it down, but his style of play -- and perhaps talent level -- isn't on par with the Ohio State wants and needs. That was communicated to Clark, and, for the last six months, he worked through it. 

Clark never shied away. Even when the Buckeyes started recruiting other quarterbacks and earned a commitment from five-star dual-threat QB Tate Martell of Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, Clark never wavered in his commitment. He showed up at Friday Night Lights in July and, by all accounts, had his best camp performance going head-to-head with Martell. 

Throughout all of it, Clark was aware of how Ohio State felt. With Dwayne Haskins redshirting this year, Martell coming in and four-star Emory Jones committed in 2018, Clark just wasn't a fit. He wasn't a fit with the tight scholarship numbers and he wasn't a fit in the offense. 

Which brings us back to Meyer's mistake: Why offer Clark? It's not like Clark was a dual-threat quarterback three years ago. He is what he is. 

In a statement Tuesday, Clark said that he was "forced" to accept that Ohio State wasn't a fit. That isn't a kid who didn't want to put up a fight and prove Buckeyes coaches wrong, which was illustrated over and over again through Clark's loyal dedication to helping Ohio State assemble its elite 2017 class. 

So let's get back to Clark, the kid.

Don't go to bed at night thinking that Ohio State did Clark a favor, that the Buckeyes gave him a chance to go somewhere else where he'd have a better chance of playing. Think about how many recruiting letters Clark threw away the last three years while he was staunchly loyal to Ohio State. Opportunities that may have existed 12 months ago just don't exist now. 

What's best for Clark isn't up for anyone to decide but Clark. And by sticking with his Ohio State commitment and showing up to face Martell head on, his message was clear: "I want to be a Buckeye, and nothing is going to stop me from it." 

That's the attitude you want in a quarterback. And he'll probably be successful wherever he goes because that attitude and work ethic is rare. 

It just so happens Ohio State didn't want that quarterback. 

Clark may have eventually taken Ohio State's hint and decided to moved on, but it wasn't the decision he wanted to make. 

When he closed out his decommitment statement, he said, "My story isn't over." 

It just isn't the story Clark wanted. 

It's a sad ending to what could have been one of the most amazing comeback stories in the NFL.

BEREA, Ohio --  Terrelle Pryor, who's emerged as the Browns' new star receiver, had been eagerly awaiting his good friend Josh Gordon's return from his four-game suspension next week.

"It's going to be a dream to play with him,'' Pryor told cleveland.com Thursday before the announcement that Gordon has decided to step away from the game and enter inpatient rehab. "It's going to be awesome. I'm looking forward to it.''

Pryor is as close to Gordon, 25, as anyone on the team, and knows how much a return to the field meant to him.

"I love Josh, man,'' he said. "He has such a kind heart. The athlete and the receiver that he is, you would never expect him to be like I know him. He's so quiet and so humble. He's young still. I'm excited for him. He's been so great. I know it's hard for him. It's got to be hard. It's two years out really, and this year he's out for four games. And he loves the game to death. I'm proud of him.''

Gordon entering rehab; Cleveland Browns career likely over

Now, the once-promising career of the 2013 All-Pro is likely over in Cleveland, and his NFL career is in serious jeopardy, too.

It's a sad ending to what could have been one of the most amazing comeback stories in the NFL.

On the brink of his return from his four-game suspension, Gordon opted to check himself into an inpatient rehab facility instead of pursuing his return to the Browns and to his NFL career.

He was set to rejoin practice on Monday and play Oct. 9th against the Patriots. Instead, Gordon will enter rehab for at least the third time in his Browns career. He checked himself into rehab for two weeks in 2014, but said he was told he wasn't an addict during that stay. He also underwent rehab this off-season, Jim Brown told cleveland.com.

Gordon's decision to call another timeout in his life on Thursday came on the same day that the results of his paternity test came back. According to the plaintiff's attorney, the DNA test revealed that Gordon is the father of a one-year-old Maple Heights girl.  A hearing has been set up for Nov. 8, and Gordon will be expected to pay child support retroactive to her birth. Gordon ignored numerous requests to the take the test over the past year, and a warrant was issued for his arrest last week.

He then submitted to the test and appeared in court, during which time the warrant was suspended.

Josh Gordon is father of 1-year-old girl

It remains to be seen if the paternity suit is related to this decision, but it's likely a factor. After the rehab decision was announced Thursday, Gordon tweeted that he's been under a lot of "stress and pressure lately." He also tweeted  "see you soon,'' which means he holds out hope of resuming his NFL career.

But it likely won't be in Cleveland. The Browns have stuck by Gordon through four suspensions, and he's run out of chances here. It's unknown if Gordon violated the substance abuse policy again, but if he's checking himself into inpatient rehab, there's a chance that he did.

If that's the case, he's subject to another indefinite suspension by the NFL, which means at least another full year out of football. And if he sits out the season, it will be extremely difficult to get back into the league. That would mean almost three years out of the game, considering he played only five games in 2014.

The Browns, who are trying to change the culture under Hue Jackson, are ready to close the Gordon chapter and move on.

Gordon was determined to make it work this time, and seemed to have finally realized he had a problem. The denial evident in the previous years appeared to be gone. He seemed humbled and grateful, had tons of team support, including Brown, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Hue Jackson, and friends Robert Griffin III, Pryor and Joe Haden.

When the paternity warrant was issued last week, Jackson continued to stand by him.

"He still is doing well in my opinion,'' Jackson said. "In this building, he's been outstanding. That's what I have to judge on. Now, we'll find out about this other part and know a little bit more about it as we move forward, but I have nothing but great things to say about Josh."

In preseason, Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown said the club had no intentions of trading Gordon. It seemed he had worked his way back into the good graces of the club, and they were ready for him to resume his Pro Bowl career.

He looked great in training camp. In the third preseason game against the Bucs, he caught passes of 44 and 43 yards, the latter for a touchdown.

One of the most naturally gifted receivers in Browns history, the sky is the limit for Gordon on the field. Together, he, Pryor and Coleman could've been unstoppable. At the age of 25, Gordon can play at high level for years if he takes care of himself. Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin told cleveland.com at the Super Bowl in January that Gordon had Hall of Fame ability.

But the sand is running out in his hourglass, and he's almost certainly reached the end in Cleveland.

He could've become one of the greatest receivers in the history of the Browns.

Now, the team and fans will have to wonder what might have been.

Team Europe has won six of the past seven Ryder Cups, including three straight entering the 41st edition this week in Minnesota.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In September 1999, United States defeated Europe, 14 1/2-13 1/2, in Brookline, Mass., to secure the 33rd Ryder Cup.

Team USA did not merely win; it rallied from a 10-6 deficit entering singles matches on Sunday. Players and the host country's fans thoroughly enjoyed themselves, to the extent that Team Europe personnel complained about bad sportsmanship.

Evidently, Team Europe has a long memory. Rosters have turned over, but Team Europe remains steadfast in its determination to dominate Team USA. Since 2002, Team Europe is 6-1; it rides a three-Cup winning streak into the 41st edition this week in Minnesota.

• Meet Team USA
• Meet Team Europe
• The pairings
• Friday morning foursomes

Phil Mickelson of the United States, the most accomplished player on either side, is playing in his 11th consecutive Ryder Cup. A great accomplishment for Phil, to be sure -- except his teams have gone 2-8.

Ryder Cup 2016 begins Friday morning.

Friday's live leaderboard

PGA OF AMERICA

THE RYDER CUP

(The Associated Press contributed)

The Indians end the regular scheduled portion of the season this weekend with a three-game series against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here is the preview and pitching matchups for the Indians' series against the Royals.

Where/when: Kauffman Stadium, Friday through Sunday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the series.

Pitching probables: LHP Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50) vs. RHP Yordano Ventura (11-11, 4.40) Friday at 8:15 p.m.; RHP Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.26) vs. RHP Edinson Volquez (10-11, 5.37) Saturday at 7:15 p.m. and Josh Tomlin (12-9, 4.48) vs. Ian Kennedy (11-10, 3.69) Sunday at 3:15 p.m.

Series: The Indians lead the Royals, 11-5, this season. They lead the Royals, 343-321, overall.

Team updates: The Indians, after clinching the AL Central on Monday, are 1-2 on this final trip of the regular season. The Royals, eliminated from the AL Central and wild card races, have won seven of their last 11 games headed into Thursday night's meeting with the Twins.

Players to watch: Carlos Santana is hitting .327 (29-for-93) with six homers and 19 RBI in September for the Indians. Kendrys Morales has tied a club record with 30 RBI in September for KC.

Injuries: Indians - C Yan Gomes (right shoulder, right hand) and LF Michael Brantley (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. RHP Carlos Carrasco (right hand) is out for the year. RHP Danny Salazar (right flexor muscle) and RHP Corey Kluber (right quadriceps) are day to day. Royals - OF Lorenzo Cain (left hand), LHP Tim Collins (left shoulder), RHP Luke Hochevar (right shoulder), RHP Kris Medlen (right shoulder), LHP Mike Minor (left shoulder) and 3B Mike Moustakas (right knee) are on the disabled list. RHP Dillon Gee (blood clots) is out for the year, while Ventura (back) is day to day.

Next: The Indians, if they don't have to make up Thursday's rainout against the Tigers on Monday in Detroit, will open the American League Division Series on Oct. 6 in a city yet to be determined.

Cleveland.com columnists Doug Lesmerises and Bud Shaw tackle the topic of when the 0-3 Browns are most likely to win their next game. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor says the Browns have a great team and that there's no reason why they can't win the rest of their games.

He said this in the locker room, not -- as you might've guessed -- while skipping down a yellowbrick road.

Pryor walked that back a little Thursday by saying every player in the league should believe that about his team.

That does not apply to every fan or, certainly, every sports columnist.

In my mind the Browns are a 4-12 team.

And as it turns out that's what cleveland.com columnist Doug Lesmerises might consider a big piece of pie in a very blue sky.

Here at cleveland.com we're unveiling something never yet attempted in the sports world - sportswriters arguing on video.

Call it it Prepare for List Off.

This bold new venture will come to you in easily digestible bits throughout the week, as Bud and Doug provide quick lists on a given topic, then explain why the other guy is mistaken.

Sports is often a place reserved for long, serious discussions of important matters, the debate filled with nuance and respect for differing opinions.

Sure it is. Hear us out anyway. Then tell us who got it right.

Today's question asks Bud and Doug to pick the date the Browns will win their next game. It's time to be bold, just not quite Browns-over-New England bold.

Watch the video, see whose list you like more, then come back and vote.

There will be some jockeying for College Football Playoff positioning this weekend.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Is Wisconsin for real? Or is this another case of Notre Dame throwing off everyone's perception?

Texas beat Notre Dame. Texas was good. Then Texas lost to Cal.

Michigan State beat Notre Dame. Michigan State was good. Then Michigan State lost to Wisconsin.

Notre Dame lost to Duke. Notre Dame isn't good. Maybe Notre Dame was throwing off everyone's perception of Texas and Michigan State.

So is Wisconsin actually good? Or do the Badgers have wins over LSU and Michigan State that actually aren't that impressive if you poke at them enough? Eventually you have to stop playing that game. Eventually comes Saturday when Wisconsin visits Michigan for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.

Michigan is good. We think. This matchup with the Badgers is the Wolverines first real test after beating Hawaii, Central Florida, Colorado and Penn State. Michigan is a playoff contender right now, but needs to back it up on Saturday.

There are a couple of those kind of games this week. Stanford plays Washington on Friday night -- we'll find out which is the best team in the Pac-12. Clemson plays Louisville on Saturday night -- who will get on the fast track to winning the ACC?

Meanwhile Ohio State hosts Rutgers at 12 p.m. Saturday. Blah. You'll have to wait until Oct. 15 -- when the Buckeyes travel to Wisconsin -- for the next real Ohio State game ... If it turns out Wisconsin is good.

Here are the games this week that can provide a boost to teams jockeying for position in the College Football Playoff:

Friday

No. 7 Stanford (3-0) at No. 10 Washington (4-0), 9 p.m., ESPN

Saturday

No. 8 Wisconsin (4-0) at No. 4 Michigan (4-0), 3:30 p.m., ABC

No. 11 Tennessee (4-0) at No. 25 Georgia (3-1), 3:30 p.m., CBS

No. 3 Louisville (4-0) at No. 4 Clemson (4-0), 8 p.m., ABC

Get set for another big weekend of college football by reading some of our Ohio State stories:

Our complete re-ranking of the top 50 Ohio State players

Outrageous predictions for Ohio State vs. Rutgers

J.T. Barrett: Flashy enough to win the Heisman?

Kerry Coombs was right, Doug Lesmerises was wrong

Football was gone, but that didn't mean the Browns weren't still a thing in 1996.

Ohio State opens its Big Ten schedule against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday in Columbus.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Undefeated and second-ranked Ohio State plays its Big Ten opener Saturday in Columbus against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Knights are 38-point underdogs, so on the surface it looks like this could be an easy opener for the Buckeyes.

But, Ohio State and Rutgers have a couple of recent ties which may or may not influence the game's outcome. One big one is that Rutgers' head coach, Chris Ash, was the Buckeyes' co-defensive coordinator last year, giving him inside knowledge of OSU's personnel and schemes.

The second is that the Buckeyes' associate head coach and defensive coordinator is Greg Schiano, who was Rutgers' head coach for 11 years. With Schiano as head coach, Rutgers became a team to be reckoned with in the old Big East conference. Ash is trying to restore some of the pop that Rutgers had under Schiano.

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

Of course the Cavs would be interested in signing Chris Bosh if he were a free agent, assuming the very, very serious health concerns about Bosh were alleviated and that the 11-time All-Star would take the league minimum to come to Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a Cavs question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Joe? Submit it here or tweet him @joevardon.

Hey, Joe: Under what conditions does a team have to pay a player who retires? Does there have to be a reason, such as injury? -- Paul C., Berea

Hey, Paul: Glad you asked. Here's the long answer.

Mo Williams exercised the option in his contract this summer to return to the Cavs at a price of $2.2 million. Then, as you know (I assume this is why you're asking), after seesawing all summer, and then announcing he would return, Williams decided 10 minutes before media day Monday to have his agent call general manager David Griffin and inform him his client would not be playing basketball after all.

Now, let me take you back to late August, when I wrote that Williams was strongly considering retirement, and the Cavs were considering whether to "stretch" him -- which means waive him before Aug. 31 so they didn't have to pay him $2.2 million in the event he retires. That's why Williams' agent, Raymond Brothers, told Griffin before that Aug. 31 deadline that his client would play this season, even though Williams had told virtually everyone close to him he wasn't going to play.

Why would the Cavs "stretch" (they didn't)? Because Williams is under no obligation to formally retire, or, to file the proper paperwork with the NBA. If he were to file those papers, he wouldn't get his $2.2 million. For instance, both Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett retired this season, but they will be paid by the Spurs and Timberwolves, respectively.

What the Cavs will probably try to do is reach a buyout agreement.

Hey, Joe: Out of (Norris) Cole, (Kirk) Hinrich, and (Mario) Chalmers, who is the best fit for the Cavaliers? -- Angelo C., Cleveland

Cavs eye Mo's replacements

Hey, Angelo: Cole is the youngest at 27 and thus, one could argue, has the greatest upside. He averaged a career-high 10.6 points per game in 45 contests with the New Orleans Pelicans, but back spasms forced him out for the final 20 games of the season.

Cole is a former teammate of LeBron James in Miami, as is Chalmers. But Chalmers, 30, is coming off a torn Achilles -- it's a terrible injury for anyone, probably about the worst for a basketball player.

Hinrich is 35 and trending downward (watch, he is who the Cavs will sign and someone will immediately show him "trending downward"). Cleveland is already the NBA's oldest teams. The Cavs don't need to get any older.

Hey Joe: Any chance they would consider bringing in Chris Bosh if released from contract with Miami? -- Rick, Cape Coral, Fla.

LeBron jabs Riley over Bosh

Hey Rick: The real question is, would Bosh consider coming to Cleveland for about $1.6 million when he'll make $22.2 million from the Heat, whether he plays or not?
If the Heat waives Bosh because of his recurring blood-clot issue, and the Cavs were not concerned about his health, then, yes of course they would be interested.

But the league's other 29 teams are going to have the same concerns as the Heat. And whichever team decides to get over those concerns and pursues Bosh, the 11-time All-Star is almost surely going to want to go to an organization that can pay him above the league minimum. So let's just say the odds are long he ends up with the Cavs.

Jason Lloyd, on the TV, is famous.Joe Vardon 

Hey Joe: I sometimes sit behind media at games and I see you guys eating sunflower seeds like crazy. Is this a sportswriter thing or what? Do the Cavs players eat them, too? -- Lloyd Haynes, Tallmadge

Hey Lloyd: OK, folks, this is definitely a phony question from someone either in the Cavs' organization or who is credentialed to cover them. There are myriad giveaways, like, say, the first name (Lloyd, as in, the Beacon Journal's excellent Cavs beat writer Jason Lloyd), the last name (Haynes, as in, my former partner on this beat, Chris Haynes), the hometown (I'm a Tallmadge High graduate) and the fact that we do not eat sunflower seeds most nights during the games. However, myself, Lloyd, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin eat them every night, in every city, after every game. And, yes, during media day Iman Shumpert asked for and received some seeds.

So, you know, the silly question gave me a chance to pull back the veil on what it's like to be us.

Hey Joe: Are the Cavaliers looking to sign another center? -- Brian H., Lake Charles, La

Hey Brian: No, not at the present time. They like Channing Frye stretching the floor off the bench, and if they want someone to pack the paint, they think Chris "Bird Man" Andersen is their man. And, of course, starter Tristan Thompson really is their man. Hasn't missed a game since his rookie year.

Hey Joe: How can we break up Tristan and the K-chick (the group that must not be named)? -- Bronsfan, Jacksonville, Fla.

Hey Bronsfan: Who, Khloe Kardashian? I hear she's nice.

Tristan is dating Khloe

Hey Joe: Do you think LeBron will go full throttle and go for that 5th MVP (as he has said he's chasing Michael) or do you think he will coast as he has done for majority of last two seasons? -- David, Flushing, New York

Hey David: Man, tough crowd. Coast?

Yes, James has averaged 25.3 points per game each of the last two seasons -- tied for second lowest of his career. But, I mean, he IS playing with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. And J.R. Smith has canned the second-most 3s in the NBA the last two years.

Plus, James played in 76 games last season.

He would love a fifth MVP and the conditions are ripe for him to get it. But the Cavs coaching staff (not LeBron) will try to keep his minutes down and make sure he's in tip-top shape come playoff time, when it really counts.

LeBron, Kyrie on minutes 'watch'

All the turnovers Ohio State's is getting? That's Greg Schiano's touch. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Greg Schiano surveyed the room during his first meeting with Ohio State's defense. It was an introductory meeting, and Schiano wanted to set a new tone.

He wanted to let his players know exactly what he thought about the talent on the Buckeyes defense.

"The first thing he did was he counted how many players in the room he thought could go first round," linebacker Chris Worley said.

Imagine that, a former NFL head coach telling a group of players who at that point had largely done nothing that they could be first-round draft picks. Through some prodding of Ohio State players on Wednesday, I tried to find out exactly how many players Schiano pointed out.

Nobody would bite. So that's going to be a fun game to play the rest of the year: Who are the first-rounders Schiano sees on this defense?

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore did tell cleveland.com that the number was larger than he thought it would be, and Lattimore was one of them. 

"When a coach from the NFL tells you something like that, that really opened my eyes and I try to be the best player I can be," Lattimore said. "Him telling me that was motivation for me."

So Schiano, who replaced Chris Ash as co-defensive coordinator when Ash took the head coaching job at Rutgers, pumped up his defensive players by highlighting their collective talent. Then Schiano put his touch on the defensive principles Ash left behind.

Ohio State's CB rotation is working

The result has been Schiano and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell building one of the most tenacious and opportunistic defenses in college football. Now Ash, coaching Rutgers against Ohio State on Saturday, will have to find a way to contend with the monster that he helped create.

"One of the things (Schiano) said after he studied our team was we don't generate enough turnovers," cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said. "We spent a lot of time in some turnover circuits in spring practice and fall camp designed to do that. I think it's paid some dividends."

The scheme hasn't changed much. Ash changed the coverage to press quarters in 2014, and Fickell built on that by establishing an aggressive front seven. Schiano harped on creating turnovers, and this is what you get:

Ohio State has nine interceptions this season. Four of them have been returned for touchdowns. The Buckeyes have also forced three fumbles and recovered two.

Coombs said that touchdown number could be higher if some of those players who picked off the other five passes had run Ohio State's sideline return play the right way. The play is simple: Intercept a pass, get to the nearest sideline, everybody else find somebody to block.

Why is Ohio State so good at getting INTs?

Still, there isn't another team in football who is returning interceptions for touchdowns at the rate Ohio State is right now. Just for a point of reference, Ohio State had 12 interceptions all of last year and returned three of those for scores.

It's about more than the turnovers, though.

Ohio State is 13th in the country in total defense, 19th in rushing defense and 24th in passing defense. The Buckeyes haven't allowed a rushing touchdown, and have scored more themselves on defense than opposing offenses have this year.

That's Schiano building off what Ash and Fickell had already established.

"(Schiano) said we have the ability to be a good defense, but he wants us to be a smothering defense," Worley said. "He doesn't want to just stop people, he wants to get takeaways. That was the first thing he said to the defense. To this point in the season that's what we've been doing, but we're nowhere near where we need to be."

Here are four other reasons Ohio State will beat Rutgers on Saturday:

2. Howard? The Bison, and FCS team that went 1-10 last year, were at one point up 14-0 on Rutgers in a game earlier this year. That only happens if you're not very good. Rutgers ended up winning, 52-14, but still. Ash needs to build up the talent level on this Rutgers roster.

3. J.T. Barrett loves playing against Rutgers. The Buckeyes quarterback is a Heisman candidate, and he can make a big move if he plays the way he's played in his first two career games against Rutgers.

Against Rutgers, Barrett is averaging 346 total yards and five total touchdowns per game. Ash has made Rutgers defense better than it's been the last two years (No. 45 in total defense now), but is the talent there to slow down Barrett and the Buckeyes offense?

4. Mike Weber is growing. Maybe you didn't know that Weber is top 20 in the country in rushing yards per game with 117. Maybe you didn't know that with 351 rushing yards, Weber is well ahead of where Ezekiel Elliott was through the first three games of the 2014 season (141 yards).

Weber has been somewhat quietly very good for Ohio State, and he's only going to get better.

"He's getting better every week, and he's getting more comfortable every week," running backs coach Tony Alford said. "The first week he was getting tripped up and stumbling over the last tackle. He's getting better with that."

Against Rutgers, a team ranked No. 88 in the country against the run, Weber could have his breakout game -- big yards, and touchdowns.

Those touchdowns have eluded him. He was angry about it after one game. Now he's accepted that they're going to come.

Maybe they'll come as soon as Saturday.

"Does he still have to improve? Absolutely he does," Alford said. "The way he studies the game and his approach has really changed. He's maturing, but he should. That's part of it."

-- Subscribe to the Buckeye Talk podcast channel on iTunes

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Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe preview Sunday's game. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns travel to Washington, D.C. on Sunday to take on the Washington Redskins. The Browns are 0-3 and the Redskins are 1-2.

Mary Kay Cabot and I previewed the game on Thursday following Browns practice. We talked about what to expect in the game. We also talked about the possible return of Joe Haden and whether we'll see a repeat from Terrelle Pryor of Sunday's performance. 

We'll have complete coverage of the Browns game on Sunday throughout the day at cleveland.com/browns.

The NFL International Series in London resumes on Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars face the Indianapolis Colts in Wembley Stadium. Here's a capsule preview, with TV, live scoreboard and updates.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Jacksonville Jaguars have not won a game since Week 14 of last season when they blew out the Indianapolis Colts by 35 points. So after losing three straight games to start this season, the Jaguars will get a chance to stop their 0-3 start when they play the Colts on Sunday in London's Wembley Stadium.

The game will be televised by CBS beginning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. You can follow live all day on our NFL Scoreboard.

It's the first of three NFL games in London this season and there will be another game in Mexico City as part of the NFL's International Series. The Jags are playing in Wembley Stadium for the fourth consecutive year. 

The Jaguars will catch the Colts at a favorable time in London because the Colts are struggling on defense and quarterback Andrew Luck has not been himself so far this season. Over the past two weeks, Luck has thrown for a combined 528 yards and two touchdowns and he has turned the ball over four times.

• The NFL games in London sell out every year but still no profit.
• Colts are treating game in London as a business trip.
• Jaguars and Colts is more bad football in London?
• The Jaguars have their eye on the opponent.
• Five keys to the Jaguars and the Colts.

Indianapolis Colts (1-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)

Doug, Ari and Bill give their score predictions for Saturday's game between Ohio State and Rutgers. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What will Chris Ash have up his sleeve to help Rutgers beat Ohio State football on Saturday afternoon? Probably not much. Which is why we picked this game the way we did.

The Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights will kick off at 12 p.m. on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.

Watch the video above to hear game picks from Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis of cleveland.com.

Records

Straight-up: Ari 3-0; Bill 2-1; Doug 2-1.

Against spread: Ari 1-2; Doug 0-3; Bill 0-3

-- Subscribe to the Buckeye Talk podcast channel on iTunes

-- Follow cleveland.com's Ohio State coverage on Facebook and Instagram

-- Follow cleveland.com writers Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis on Twitter

-- Download the cleveland.com Ohio State app for iPhone and Android