The Cleveland Cavaliers need to get J.R. Smith back in fold, yesterday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cinesport called to ask about unsigned guard J.R. Smith and his contract stalemate with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It is easy to spend other people's money, especially Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's money. Still, the Cavs need to end the silliness and settle the "dispute.'' If it means overpaying, well, overpaying is the cost of doing business post-championship. Above all else, the Cavs owe it to LeBron James to get all of his guys together without issues, posthaste. Think about how much cash LeBron has generated for this franchise.

The Cleveland Browns have to make sure they continue to find ways to put the ball in the hands of Terrelle Pryor.

LANDOVER, Maryland -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook after the Browns 31-20 loss to the Washington Redskins:

1. I asked coach Hue Jackson about not using Terrelle Pryor more as the quarterback. He played only one snap, tried to run and was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Jackson said the one play had nothing to do with it: "I didn't think it was needed ... I watched the defense and I thought there were other avenues to exploit ... it had nothing to do with him being at quarterback or anything like that."

2. I hope Jackson doesn't just give up on Pryor as a wildcat/quarterback for several snaps a game. He is a major weapon regardless of how you put the ball in his hands.

3. Pryor caught five passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. In the second half, he was well-covered by Pro Bowler Josh Norman. Pryor caught only one pass for four yards. He was targeted five times. Norman also stepped in front of him to pick off a Cody Kessler pass.

4. Kessler said he needs to lead Pryor a little more with the passes, remembering the 6-foot-5 receiver covers a lot of ground quickly. Pryor also dropped a pass in the second half.

5. Kicker Cody Parkey knew he needed a good week. The Browns believe Parkey has a chance to be a long-term solution at kicker. He was a Pro Bowler in 2014 before being injured in 2015. Parkey was 2-of-2 on field goals, converting from 45 and 51 yards.

6. Parkey was 3-of-6 on field goals in the 30-24 overtime loss to Miami. He had a chance to win the game, but missed a 46-yarder. The pressure on Parkey had to be severe. If he failed in this chance with the Browns, it would be a while before his phone would ring with another opportunity.

7. The Browns picked up Cam Johnson this week, replacing linebacker Nate Orchard who is out with a major ankle injury. Johnson had two sacks Sunday. Johnson was in training camp with the Browns, but was cut. They found him on Arizona's practice squad.

8. The other Browns sack was by defensive back Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who was claimed on waivers by the Browns. He had been with Jacksonville. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton used six different players either claimed on waivers or picked up from other team's practice squads. The six were on the Browns depth chart as starters or second-team backups.

9. Playing that many new guys from that many new places is a hard way to develop a decent defense. The Browns defense was without Carl Nassib, Traymon Williams, Ibraheim Campbell and Orchard because of injuries. All have played key roles on defense at times this season.

10. It was painful to see Austin Reiter leave the game in the fourth quarter with what appears to be a serious knee injury. This was his first NFL game. He was picked up by the Browns from Washington's practice squad. Reiter seemed to play well. Notice all the holes open in the middle of the line for Isaiah Crowell to run the ball.

11. Cody Kessler raved about Reiter's attitude and how well he performed in his first game. They stayed after practice each day last week working on snaps to develop a chemistry. Reiter has no problems with his long snaps to Kessler. That was not the case with Cam Erving.

12. The NFL can be very cruel. Here's a guy who was a seventh-round pick by Washington in 2015. He spent a year on the practice squad. He is a pro player living on the edge, trying to find a spot in the league. He was grabbed by the Browns, played well -- and was hurt.

13. With Erving (bruised lung) probably still out for a while and Reiter's knee injury, the Browns will probably move John Greco back to center from his usual right guard spot.

14. Last week, Austin Pasztor had a horrible game as he was flagged for five penalties. Jackson expressed confidence this week and kept Pasztor at right tackle. I didn't notice him, good news for Pasztor. No penalties. The entire line blocked well, especially in the running game.

15. Safety Jordan Poyer had a miserable first quarter. He was beat for an 8-yard TD pass by Jordan Reed. He also was flagged for a 50-yard pass interference penalty on Washington's second possession.

16. Coming into the day, Reed was leading Washington with 16 receptions. It's no surprise he's a main target of Kirk Cousins. That's why it was surprising the Browns didn't pay more attention to him in the red zone. He was isolated on Poyer for the first TD. Later in the first quarter, he caught a 9-yard TD pass when covered by DeMario Davis. An inside linebacker, Davis had no real chance of covering Reed for long.

17. I know Washington has three good receivers -- DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder. But Reed is a star. He reached 200 career receptions faster than any other tight end in NFL history.

18. Kessler is developing some chemistry with tight end Gary Barnidge, who caught all seven passes thrown to him.

19. Mount Union product Pierre Garcon caught his 500th NFL career pass. He had four catches for 39 yards.

20. In my game column, I agreed with Jackson when he said a victory was right around the corner. But this week is hard. New England is in town, Tom Brady is back from a suspension. That's a very wide corner to turn.

A weekly roundup of what Ohio State's record-setting 2016 NFL Draft class is doing in their rookie seasons.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A weekly roundup of what Ohio State's record-setting 2016 NFL Draft class is doing in their rookie seasons.

Thomas, Bell help New Orleans to comeback win

This will be the spot where we'll take complete credit for saying Michael Thomas was going to be the best pro out of Ohio State's 2016 NFL Draft class. Don't believe us? We said it in a podcast a year ago.

OK, we're not the only people who said that. And it's way too early to say that Thomas is the best pro already. But he's off to a good start.

Thomas had four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown to help the New Orleans Saints come back for a 35-34 win over the San Diego Chargers. Thomas' touchdown brought the game to within a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

That scoring chance was set up by a forced fumble from Vonn Bell, who put a helmet on the ball and forced it loose from Chargers running back Melvin Gordon.

So you have Thomas and Bell, a pair of Buckeyes drafted in the second round by New Orleans, playing big roles for the Saints. But let's talk more about Thomas.

He's found a real home as one of Drew Brees' top receivers. Through four games, Thomas has been targeted 22 times, the third most targets on the team. And he leads New Orleans with 17 receptions. It's possible Thomas landed in the best possible place in a pass-happy offense with an opening for a receiver.

Michael Thomas for six. https://t.co/CWC6BEivB3

-- Grant Edgell (@Edge11W) October 2, 2016

Speaking of the Chargers, Joey Bosa is still out. The No. 3 overall pick missed his fourth straight game but is reportedly nearing his debut after a long holdout and then an injury. And Joshua Perry, a fourth-round pick of San Diego, saw some time at inside linebacker on Sunday. He finished with three tackles.

Another big game for Elliott

Ezekiel Elliott seems to be settling in as an NFL running back. Elliott had 23 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown in a Dallas Cowboys 24-17 win over San Francisco. Elliott leads the NFL in rushing through four weeks.

The patience & vision of @ezekielelliott...

23-yard gain for the @DallasCowboys rookie! #DallasCowboys #DALvsSF https://t.co/jl9OS2A6pq

-- NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2016

Lee still rolling, Marshall out

Darron Lee started again for the New York Jets in a 27-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He finished with seven tackles and found himself in a few pass coverage situations against Jimmy Graham.

Lee apparently held his own against Graham, a three-time Pro Bowler, on a couple of those plays.

Darron Lee has been all over Jimmy Graham and Wilson's just putting the ball in perfect spots. Jimmy Graham catching everything.

-- Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) October 2, 2016

That matchup between the Jets and Seahawks could have been a major meeting of Ohio State rookies, but Jets receiver Jalin Marshall, and Seahawks teammates Tyvis Powell and Nick Vannett were inactive.

Other notes

* Braxton Miller (hamstring) missed Houston's win over Tennessee. It was the second-straight game Miller has missed.

* The New York Giants play on Monday night against Minnesota, but it's possible cornerback Eli Apple misses that game due to injury. He reportedly made the trip but is listed as doubtful for the game.

* Taylor Decker is still starting for the Detroit Lions, who lost to Chicago on Sunday, and has graded out as one of the top rookie left tackles this year.

Pass Blocking Efficiency for rookies just at LT: 1.Ronnie Stanley 94.4 2.Taylor Decker 92.1 3.Laremy Tunsil 91.7

-- Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 30, 2016

* Check out this story no Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington, who went from third-round pick to starter. The Bills shut out New England 16-0 on Sunday. Cardale Jones, as Buffalo's No. 3 quarterback, did not play.

This week's schedule

Sunday

* Houston Texans (Braxton Miller) at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., FOX

* New York Jets (Darron Lee, Jalin Marshall) at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS

* Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions (Taylor Decker), 1 p.m., FOX

* Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott), 4:25 p.m., CBS

* San Diego Chargers (Joey Bosa, Joshua Perry) at Oakland Raiders, 4:25 p.m., CBS

* Buffalo Bills (Adolphus Washington, Cardale Jones) at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., CBS

* New York Giants (Eli Apple) at Green Bay Packers, 8:25 p.m., NBC

The Cleveland Browns and quarterback Cody Kessler were just good enough to lose on Sunday in Landover, Md. The Redskins rallied in the second half to win, 31-20.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cinesport called to ask about quarterback Cody Kessler's performance in a 31-20 Week 4 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday in Landover, Md.

My QB Report grade for Kessler was B-. It is the same as the grade for Kessler's work in a 30-24 Week 3 overtime loss to the Dolphins in Miami, Fla. The Dolphins game was Kessler's NFL starting debut.

• Full QB Report, Game 4

In both cases, Kessler was gritty and gutty. He made some plays. He showed moxie. But he had his limitations, and, just as importantly, his team lost.

How important are first-round playoff home football games to St. Edward and St. Ignatius? The Catholic schools enter the stretch run in danger of not enjoying one.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Two-time defending state champion St. Edward enters a bye. St. Ignatius is clinging to the eighth spot in Division I, Region 1 while entering the heavy portion of its schedule.

St. Ignatius (5-1) would just make the playoffs if they began this week. St. Edward (5-1), meanwhile, is teetering on the top four that comes with a first-round home game.

St. Edward coach Tom Lombardo said earlier this season simply qualifying for Week 11 is what matters – especially with the Eagles’ schedule that stretches beyond state lines.

But can a road trip be pivotal?

Stow and Solon hope so. Both are nipping at the Eagles’ heels in Region 1, which is led by Massillon Jackson and Canton McKinley – two more public schools looking to spoil the parochial party.

St. Edward and St. Ignatius have combined for six of the last 11 titles in Region 1, which has been condensed back to a crowded field with the OHSAA’s reconfiguration of Division I from two regions back to four.

That provided no favors to the public schools also in Region 1, but the scene entering Week 7 is a contrast from the norm.

Massillon Jackson (6-0) is on top. The Polar Bears of Stark County haven’t made the playoffs since 2004, yet here they are.

“People coming into the game didn’t think we had the athletes,” Jackson junior quarterback Jaret Pallotta told FridayNightOhio.com after a 35-10 victory against Canton GlenOak. “Now they know we have it at all levels, physically and athletically.”

Jackson faces Canton McKinley (5-1), which jumped Stow for the No. 2 spot this week, according to JoeEitel.com. That meeting will shake up the top half of the region, which brings us to Solon (5-1) and Stow (6-0).

These two met earlier this season and were separated by just a field goal.

A Suburban League test awaits coach Mark Nori’s Stow Bulldogs this week when they visit Division II power Hudson. Undefeated Brecksville also remains on Stow’s schedule.

Solon, meanwhile, is coming off its first victory against Mentor since 2010. Just don’t tell Comets coach Jim McQuaide his team is in form. He followed a discontent sentiment from Week 5’s resounding win against Euclid with more of the same Friday after beating Mentor.

“We still have a lot of work to do. Our schedule is getting tougher,” McQuaide said. “Last year, we did not have a run game. So we worked on it all summer long.”

Junior Thomas Wilks has carried the workload with senior quarterback Joe Bubonics, also a run threat. Neither started last year for Solon.

RELATED: Three reasons Solon can be Northeast Ohio’s toughest matchup.

Slicing the Region 1 field in half can make home-field advantage critical. With 16 teams, quarterfinal matchups were played at neutral sites.

That will not be the case this year.

Here are more questions and answers for Northeast Ohio high school football in Week 7’s Read and React.

Who is hot?

• Division II programs: Think cracking the top eight in Division I, Region 1 is difficult? Try playing in the eastern region of Division II, where one loss can make of a balancing act in cracking the top eight.

Remember that 30-point loss Aurora suffered in Week 1 to Solon?

The Greenmen don’t appear to recollect it. They’ve reeled off five straight wins, including a 43-10 rout of 4-2 Highland.

• Bruin a turnaround: Padua is off to its best start since 2010, when the Bruins finished 8-4 and made the playoffs. First-year coach Mike Polevacik’s crew scored a 34-10 win Friday at Walsh Jesuit. It is Padua's first win against the Warriors since 1983. They have played annually since 2003.

Junior quarterback Kevin Peterson was an efficient 8-of-12 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He has 1,082 yards passing and 14 TDs to four interceptions on the year.

“I think Kevin Peterson is one of those names you are going to start hearing around Northeast Ohio,” Polevacik said Friday. “He has all the qualities and attributes of a leader, and he can play football.”

• Speaking of quarterbacks: A week after passing Cody Callaway’s Midview school record for career passing yards, Dustin Crum claimed the Lorain County mark in a 35-14 win against Westlake. Elyria Catholic’s Danny Reaser held the previous record of 7,297. Crum currently has 7,397.

Reasar witnessed his record fall, according to the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. The 2011 Elyria Catholic grad watched while serving as a commentator for radio station WOBL.

Elsewhere, Bedford’s Arshaun Wilson-Boone manufactured his third winning touchdown pass of the season. The senior threw for 357 yards and five touchdowns, including a late strike to Kevin Brewer that kept the Bearcats unbeaten with a 40-33 win at Garfield Heights.

A day later, Shaker Heights junior Jamir Dismukes engineered a two-minute drive to force overtime in the Raiders’ 36-28 win against Elyria. Dismukes threw for five touchdowns and 280 yards. He rushed for an additional 111 yards.

Who is not?

Normandy and Valley Forge are facing a potential merger with Parma Senior amid last week’s proposed budget cuts that could turn all three schools into one.

While Parma is 4-2 after last week’s 49-0 loss to St. Ignatius, the other two schools are winless. Valley Forge’s last victory came in Week 10 last year against Normandy.

The Invaders are amid a 37-game losing streak. The program’s last victory came Oct. 19, 2012 against — you guessed it —Valley Forge.

What’s the game of the week?

Stow visits Hudson (5-1) with positioning in the Suburban League National Division and their respective playoff regions at stake. While Stow is entrenched in Region 1, Hudson enters the week eighth in Division II, Region 5.

Northeast Ohio Top 25

Few changes this week. Most of the top-ranked area squads handled business last weekend, but Shaker Heights and Buckeye moved into the Top 25.

Check for cleveland.com’s statewide Ohio Super 25 on Tuesday. Here is how Northeast Ohio’s best stack up:

1. St. Edward (5-1), 2. Stow (6-0), 3. Archbishop Hoban (5-1), 4. St. Ignatius (5-1), 5. Avon (6-0), 6. Solon (5-1), 7. Medina (6-0), 8. Hudson (5-1), 9. Midview (5-1), 10. Avon Lake (5-1), 11. Chardon (6-0), 12. Bedford (6-0), 13. Copley (5-1), 14. Woodridge (6-0), 15. Aurora (5-1), 16. Cleveland Heights (4-2), 17. Brecksville (6-0), 18. Kirtland (6-0), 19. Perry (6-0), 20. Ellet (6-0), 21. Euclid (4-2), 22. Shaker Heights (4-2), 23. Lorain (4-2), 24. Olmsted Falls (5-1), 25. Buckeye (5-1).

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Winless but not hopeless has value even as the playoffs wave goodbye after an 0-4 start to the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When a team adds great talent, it doesn't do any good unless there's something there to add it to.

That's why the Browns couldn't be in a better spot through four games when it comes to the growth of the franchise. Sure, 4-0 or 3-1 would be lovely. But 3-1 also would potentially be nothing more than a heart-breaking, future-muddling facade. (See 2014 season.)

The Browns have lost games they played well enough to win, which in a season like this is frankly more productive than winning games they should have lost. They probably have earned a 2-2 record but have been handed their first 0-4 start since 2012, and one-quarter of the way through the season they're the NFL's only winless team.

That means they are winning the race to add great talent, either Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett or the quarterback of their choice, with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft. They are also showing that talent will be joining more than a hopeless collection of nothing. 

Even through a rash of crippling injuries, there's something here.

For years, the Browns have produced records better than they were, as strange as that sounds. In the eight seasons between 2008 and 2014, the Browns averaged 4.8 wins per season when they truly behaved much more like a 2-14 franchise.

For once, the Browns are better than what their record shows. Sometimes that happens. And sometimes that serves to propel a franchise forward. 

Take away bad kicking (the blocked extra point against Baltimore started the Ravens' comeback from down 20-0, and three missed field goals killed the hopes in the Miami OT loss) and a backup fullback's fumble against Washington on Sunday, and the Browns could even be 3-1. Truly.

The Browns have five games left with teams currently 3-1 (two vs. Pittsburgh, plus New England, Dallas and Baltimore) and four more games against decent teams that are 2-2 or 2-1 (two vs. Cincinnati, plus Buffalo and the New York Giants.)

If they were 3-1, the mood might be something like this.

The Steelers looked awesome, how can the Browns win those games? The Patriots just lost and Tom Brady's back and you know he and Belichick are going to be ticked Sunday. Sure, Hue knows the Bengals, the Bengals can be beaten, but what about covering A.J. Green? What about the Dallas running game? And Odell Beckham against the Giants? The Bills' defense has looked really good. And the Ravens. The Ravens are going to be looking for revenge.

A 3-1 record now wouldn't project to 12-4. Yes, Browns playoff talk in October, added to the Cavs title and the start of the Indians postseason run, would create a frenzy. But enough hypotheticals. The 0-4 reality is here.

So is the reality that the Browns have the No. 11 ranked offense and No. 22 ranked defense and aren't anywhere close to hopeless.

Just winless.

Maybe you hated tanking talk before the season, and tanking isn't the point anymore. But the Browns are 0-4 and only one 0-4 team, the 1992 San Diego Chargers, have made the playoffs since the NFL-AFL merger.

The playoffs are dead. If the playoffs are dead, the only thing 6-10 gets you, compared to 1-15, is greater distance from the draft's top talent. So it's not about tanking. It is about understanding what's best for the future.

Look at the Cavaliers.

Adding No. 1 pick LeBron James got the Cavs as far as the NBA Finals, but no farther.

When James left, adding No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving, plus No. 1 picks Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins and No. 4 picks Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters, didn't even get them back to .500.

It took adding James to Irving and Thompson, and turning Bennett and Wiggins into Kevin Love and Waiters into J.R. Smith. It took all that elite talent from the top of the draft. (The Cavs drafted five players in the top four in a four-year span. The Browns have drafted two players in the top four in the last decade - Joe Thomas and Trent Richardson.)

Do you really wish the Cavs had been 39-43 in 2010-11 instead of 19-63 and decreased their chances of getting Irving with the top pick in 2011? Would that have made you feel better?

Certainly, if a few breaks had gone their way and the Browns were 3-1, you'd take that and run, cross your fingers and hope some miracles might get you into the playoffs at 9-7 or 10-6.

This is 0-4 with a roster full of holes. Lots of young players, lots of questions, no depth, few sure things. Still, maybe there are some guys on this roster who can be a Thompson or a J.R. Smith, maybe a Love or even an Irving. Cross those fingers again. But this team needs a football LeBron, too. The best chance to get that is at No. 1. 

Be encouraged by the pieces that may be in place. Be smart about hoping for a superstar who can bring it all together.

Here's a promise. If the Browns are lined up for a chance to take that player next spring, you'll be thanking Cody Parkey for those missed field goals last week and Malcolm Johnson for his Sunday fumble.

Winless, but not hopeless. Take that, cross your fingers and think about what adding some great to the good you've seen this season might be like.

Who I think the top five Heisman Trophy candidates are right now.

The loss to the Redskins was particularly difficult considering what's waiting for the Browns on their return home.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Browns really could have used a win on Sunday. 

OK, teams could use wins every week, but Sunday at FedEx Field was one of those weeks where a team that isn't going to win many just really could have used one. 

The Browns arrived with the news that wide receiver Josh Gordon wouldn't be coming back any time soon - and, likely, not at all. They were coming off their toughest loss so far this season in Miami. They placed yet another player on injured reserve on Saturday. 

On top of all that, they're coming home to face New England this week. The Patriots are coming off of a shutout loss and, oh yeah, Tom Brady is coming back. 

"It's the fourth week that we came close," linebacker Christian Kirksey said after the game on Sunday. "It's definitely frustrating when you see a victory that's supposed to happen and then doesn't." 

It's also frustrating when that loss comes from self-inflicted wounds. Malcolm Johnson's fumble in the red zone prevented the Browns from possibly going up ten points. Duke Johnson's fumble came with the Browns driving, down 24-20. 

"It's just, the team that makes the less mistakes in crunch time wins the game," Kirksey said. "That's basically what we need to work on, eliminating mistakes. We're not going to go into any panic mode or anything like that. We've just got to understand that, in critical moments like that, we can't have mistakes." 

It stood out last week how positive this Browns team was following as tough a loss as they've had during their 0-3 start. There really is a belief in Hue Jackson and his coaching staff. 

Things begin to strain, though, as losses pile up. Keeping the focus on the long game gets more and more difficult as the calendar turns to November and December. Changing a culture is more challenging when there are no results on the field to point to. 

For now, though, the Browns suffered through a game on Sunday in which they had a shot to win - they should have won - and watched it slip away. For now, they were still talking about how close they believed they are. 

"You keep grinding," cornerback Joe Haden said. "It's not like we're far off." 

"Nothing comes easy," Kirksey said. "It's the NFL. Right now we've got to just keep stressing this: It's hard to win the ballgame in the league. Nothing is given to us, so we've just got to keep working." 

"Nobody's holding their heads down," cornerback Jamar Taylor said. "We got one hell of a team. I think everybody comes in and they think they're going to just beat us and we give them a fight. As long as we keep doing that and keep hammering at the nail and let the outside noise just be the outside noise, I think we'll turn this thing around because we have one hell of a team and I know that for sure." 

Looking ahead: The good news for the Browns: they play three of their next five at home after getting just one home game in the season's first four weeks. The bad news: things don't get easier. 

Over the next five, the Browns will play the Patriots, Titans, Bengals, Jets and Cowboys. The Titans and Jets are both struggling, but those other three - it has the potential to be a tough stretch.  

Thirteen of the Browns' 16 rookies played on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns are trying to identify the core of the team this season. That will mean the development of young players, including the 16 rookies on the roster.

Thirteen of them were active for Sunday's 31-20 loss to the Redskins.

How did they do? Check out the rookie tracker below, which explains how each rookie - and first-year player - performed on Sunday.

ROOKIES

Dominique Alexander, LB: Played 14 snaps on special teams.

Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DB (starter): Started as the third cornerback and had one tackle, one sack, one tackle for loss and a QB hit in 35 snaps on defense.

Shon Coleman, OL: Was active for the first time this season, but did not play.

Spencer Drango, OL: Had his offensive snaps increase to 18 due to offensive line injuries. He had five total snaps through the first three games.

Rashard Higgins, WR: Had seven snaps on offense and wasn't targeted in the passing game.

Tyrone Holmes, DE: After making an impact against the Dolphins, he had six snaps on defense and didn't record a tackle.

Tracy Howard, CB: Played mostly on special teams (13 snaps), but got three snaps on defense and didn't record a tackle.

Cody Kessler, QB (starter): Was the starter for the second straight week, finishing 28-of-40 passing for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception (81.6 QB rating).

Derrick Kindred, SS (starter): Replaced the injured Ibraheim Campbell as a starter and had five tackles.  

Ricardo Louis, WR (starter): Began the game in the Browns' three-receiver set and finished with three catches for 28 yards in 50 on offense. He was targeted five times.

Emmanuel Ogbah, LB (starter): Tied for a team-high seven tackles in 38 snaps.

Jordan Payton, WR: Was active but did not play.

Joe Schobert, LB: Had four tackles in 25 snaps on defense. Also got 14 snaps on special teams.

FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS

George Atkinson III, RB: Had one kickoff return for 17 yards.

Austin Reiter, C (starter): Made his first NFL start, which ended in injury after 59 snaps.

Randall Telfer, TE: He was targeted once in the passing game (no catches) in 20 snaps on offense.

INACTIVE ROOKIES

Corey Coleman, WR (injury)

Seth DeValve, TE (injury) 

Carl Nassib, DE (injury)

Bryant was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A day after coach Hue Jackson said he wouldn't "put up with foolishness with any of our players,'' the Browns waived fourth-year linebacker Armonty Bryant.

The move came Monday, the same day his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs ended.

A seventh-round pick in 2013, was due to rejoin the team today and was eligible to play Sunday against the Patriots.

But the suspension, along with his Christmas day arrest and subsequent misdemeanor drug conviction, were the last straws for the Browns.

The move does not bode well for Browns guard Alvin Bailey, who was benched Sunday after being arrested last Monday for driving while impaired, drug abuse and other charges.

"We are going to do things right,'' said Jackson, who confirmed that Bailey was benched for disciplinary reasons. "I'm trying to lay a right foundation for our organization. When people step out of line, there are consequences.''

In July, Bryant pleaded guilty to an amended charge of attempted drug possession, a first-degree misdemeanor, in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

He was sentenced to 68 days probation through Oct. 3, the same day his four-game suspension for PED ends.

Bryant also received a suspended 180-day jail sentence and $1,000 fine stemming from the Christmas morning arrest with former Browns defensive back De'Ante Saunders, who was charged with suspicion of drunk driving and speeding. 

There are only three days left to vote in the quarterfinal round of the Best High School Marching Band contest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - There are only three days left to vote in the quarterfinal round of cleveland.com's Best High School Marching Band contest.

More than 60,000 votes have been cast so far, yet all four matchups are still very close races. Scroll down to see the standings as of Monday morning and to vote in the four polls.

The only way to keep your favorite band in the lead or turn the tables in a matchup is to vote, and to do it often. You're encouraged to vote hourly before the polls close on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m.

The eight quarterfinalists, selected by our readers last week from 32 contestants, are now competing in a bracketed tournament, based on where each band finished in first round voting.

Here's an update on the standings as of Monday at 9:30 a.m.:

No. 1 Riverside Regiment vs. No. 8 Hudson Explorers: Riverside took an early lead and is still holding it with 53 percent of the votes. Hudson has 47 percent. 

No. 2 Avon Lake Shoremen vs. No. 7 Berea-Midpark Titans: The Shoremen are currently trailing slightly behind the Titans, who lead 50.24 percent to Avon Lake's 49.76 percent.

No. 3 Brunswick Blue Devils vs. No. 6 Shaker Heights Raiders: This race is tight, with both schools currently bringing in 50 percent of the votes. 

No. 4 Cuyahoga Falls Black Tigers vs. No. 5 Elyria Pioneers: Cuyahoga Falls has the lead with 54 percent of the vote. 

Again, voting in each quarterfinal matchup is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m. You can vote once an hour so make sure you vote early and often. Remember, 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."

The remainder of the contest will go as follows:

Oct. 6-12: Voting in the semifinals round. Cleveland.com will be at each band's performance at that week's football game for videos, photos and feature content for the website.

Oct. 13-20: Voting in the final round to determine the winner of Greater Cleveland's Best High School Marching Band contest. Cleveland.com will again feature the two finalists during football games this week.

Cleveland.com's "Best of" team will visit the winning band during its game Oct. 20-22 and present the band with an award.

Check back on cleveland.com/best throughout the contest for ongoing coverage.

The Indians secured home-field advantage on Sunday by beating Kansas City and getting some help from the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. Watch video

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Most of the Indians, fresh from a 3-2 win over the Royals, were sitting between two wide-screen television sets in the visitor's locker room at Kauffman Stadium. They were watching two different games to determine where they'd be spending the next several days.

On the screen behind most of the players, Detroit was playing in Atlanta. The Tigers needed a win to return to Comerica Park on Monday to play the Indians in a makeup game to keep their wild-card dreams alive.

The widescreen TV that most of the players were watching carried the Toronto-Boston game at Fenway Park. The Indians will play the Boston in the American League Division Series, but at that moment home-field advantage was still undetermined.

The Indians took care of their end of the deal by beating the Royals. If the Red Sox beat Toronto, the Indians would have to beat the Tigers in Detroit on Monday to win home field.

The Detroit-Atlanta game ended first. When Atlanta's Jim Johnson struck out Justin Upton to end the ninth inning with the tying run on first base, Francisco Lindor shouted, "That's one."

Lindor, by the way, drove in the game-winning run Sunday with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Then the attention turned to the Boston and Toronto. Catcher Chris Gimenez got up to go somewhere, but reliever Bryan Shaw said he had to sit back down next to him. Bullpen catcher Ricky Pacione went to change his seat, but had to return to his old one. No one wanted to break the mojo.

Boston went into the bottom of the ninth trailing, 2-1. Toronto closer Roberto Osuna retired Mookie Betts and Davis Ortiz and the anticipation started to grow. But Osuna walked Hanley Ramirez and allowed a single to Xander Bogaerts.

Tribe clinches home field in ALDS with 3-2 win over KC

When Osuna retired Jackie Bradley Jr. on a grounder to third for the final out, the Indians stood and cheered. Over the sound system in the locker room, Skylar Grey's "I'm Coming Home," played.

"This was everything rolled into one," said second baseman Jason Kipnis. "This is everything that we wanted.

"We were hoping to have a perfect day. We were joking about it, we were saying it was going to be a perfect day and it turned out to be that way.

"It's awesome that we don't have to go to Detroit and that we can go home and get a day of rest. We're happy right now."

The Indians and Texas are tied for the best home record in the AL at 53-28. All season, the Indians been a better team at Progressive Field.

"With a team with a lot of young players, I think it (home-field advantage) is very important," said Kipnis. "Guys can sleep in their own bed, hit in their own cages, dress at their own lockers. I think their routines will be a lot more set in stone because they'll know what to do.

"I think it's important for guys playing their first postseason game to have the crowd cheering for you rather than against you."

Game 1 and Game 2 of the ALDS will be played Thursday and Friday at Progressive Field. The best-of-five series will move to Fenway Park for Game 3 and Game 4, if necessary, on Sunday and then Monday, Oct. 10.

Game 5, if necessary, will be played Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Progressive Field.

"I've never really experienced the postseason, so I'm sure I'm going to be really ready when that time comes," said Josh Tomlin, who pitched 7 1/3 innings Sunday for the win. "It's going to be fun to experience it for sure."

Tomlin, who ended the season with a career-high 13 wins, is scheduled to pitch Game 3 at Fenway Park.

"It's cool, really cool to be playing Boston," said Tomlin. "It's going to be special for some of the guys who have never played in a playoff game. For that game to be in Fenway Park, it's pretty cool. It's a great place to play because of the history there."

When asked his thoughts on playing the Red Sox, Kipnis said, "We're pretty similar. We're No. 1 and No. 2 in offense. We've got good bullpens and some quality starters. It's going to be a fun matchup.

"We've been looking forward to it. I know a lot of guys have been saying we're going to be the underdogs in our own ballpark . . .guys on ESPN and MLB Network. They're talking about teams tanking to play us. All we can do is use that as an advantage and say, 'Be careful what you wish for.' "

The Indians' attendance was miserable this season. They drew 1.6 million, an MLB low for a playoff team. But Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS will be sellouts and that has Kipnis excited.

"If I'm going off anything it's that 2013 wild card game and that was rowdy place," he said. "They're definitely going to put the word 'advantage' into home-field advantage."

Louis was inches away from making the longest play of the day for the Browns on Sunday, but has been taking advantage of his opportunity.

BEREA, Ohio -- A few plays before Malcolm Johnson's fumble on Sunday against Washington, Ricardo Louis was inches away from hauling in what would have been the Browns' longest play of the game.

Quarterback Cody Kessler had a clean pocket with 3:41 left in the third quarter and threw to Louis in a one-on-one matchup down the right sideline. Louis attempted to make a diving, one-handed grab but couldn't haul it in.

"I remember that play," Louis said. "They called the play and I knew that I had to beat the guy deep." 

Louis, the rookie receiver out of Auburn, has been the biggest beneficiary of  fellow rookie Corey Coleman's broken right hand. While the prevailing thought was that rookie Rashard Higgins would step into Coleman's role, Louis has played more, getting 51 and 50 offensive snaps the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Higgins' games have had 18 and seven offensive snaps, respectively. 

Prior to Coleman's injury, Higgins seemed to get the backup snaps, though neither rookie was playing much. Louis had two plays in each of the first two games of the season. Higgins had eight plays in the first two games -- seven in Week 2 against Baltimore. Louis was playing mostly on special teams.

Louis said he wasn't surprised just because, in the NFL, you never know what to expect. 

"In this league, a lot of different things can happen in an amount of seconds, minutes," Louis said. "One day, somebody's starting, one day somebody's not. One day somebody's playing -- it's just like that." 

After no targets in his first two games, he's been targeted nine times the last two weeks, catching six passes for 68 yards. 

"I think as he plays more, he will settle down more, too, but it was good experience for him," head coach Hue Jackson said last week. "It was good to get him out there, and I think he will get better as the weeks go on because he is going to be out there." 

"My mindset coming in was just to be ready at all costs," Louis said. "Whatever it took for me to get ready, I did it and I prepared myself every week like I was a starter, so going into the games all of a sudden it was like, I've been waiting for this, so now I'm stepping up." 

Back to that play, though. 

"As I was running down the field, (defensive back Greg Toler) tried to cut me off a little bit, kind of slowed me down so the ball looked like it was overthrown," Louis said, "so I still kind of sped up to catch it, put a hand out at least, but DB made a great play, slowing me down in my tracks." 

Here's a look from the broadcast angle on the sideline. 

It's interesting to think about what might have been had he been able to catch up to the ball because it likely would have meant no handoff to fullback Malcolm Johnson six plays later. Instead, with Duke Johnson getting checked for a concussion and Isaiah Crowell was taking a breather following a 14-yard catch and run, Malcom Johnson carried and fumbled. 

This isn't to blame Louis, of course. That would have been a tough catch no matter how you look at it. It's simply to say that sometimes a couple inches can set off a chain reaction. Here's another angle: 

"One more step I'd have reeled it in," Louis said. "I would have brought it in. Those are the little things that win and lose games sometimes. It can be the smallest things, stuff like that. I wish I could get it back, redo the play, but opportunities come and go. I'll get another opportunity and when I do, I'm going to make that play." 

----- 

Follow me: on Twitter | on Facebook

Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe talk about the Browns' decision to release Armonty Bryant. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Perhaps the biggest news of the day for the Browns was their decision to release defensive lineman Armonty Bryant. Bryant was just coming off of a four-game suspension and was eligible to return this week.

Mary Kay Cabot and I talked about the team's decision to release the defensive lineman. We talked about what it means as far as Hue Jackson's efforts to change the culture here. We also talked a little bit about where he could end up, even though he could still face further discipline from the league.

Josh Gordon was supposed to come off suspension today, but he remains on the team's reserve/suspended list until further notice from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Gordon, who was due to come off his four-game suspension Monday, but is back to being suspended indefinitely instead.

He'll remain suspended until further notice, and it will be up to the discretion of Commissioner Roger Goodell if and when to let him back in the NFL, a league spokesman told cleveland.com.

In the meantime, he'll remain on the Browns' reserve/suspended list, where he doesn't count against the roster and the Browns don't have to pay him.

Gordon had been conditionally reinstated by Goodell on July 25, with a four-game suspension to start the season to give him a chance to prove he could stay clean and sober.

Instead, Gordon, 25, left the team on Thursday and checked himself into inpatient rehab, meaning he likely violated the the terms of his recovery program again.  A league source told cleveland.com that he's seeking help primarily for an alcohol problem.

Josh Gordon went to rehab for an alcohol problem, league source says

The Browns will cut ties with him at some point, but there's no immediate need to do so. Regardless, Hue Jackson made it clear Thursday the Browns are done with the oft-suspended receiver, who's been banned for 31 of his last 36 games.

"What's best for our football team is that we move forward and move on,'' Jackson said. "He's not going to be with us and we wish him well, but we're moving forward. We're going to move on.

"Obviously Josh is not here and doing what he thinks he needs to for his life which we support 100 percent and after today, today is really the last Josh Gordon comment I want to make about that.''

With Gordon suspended indefinitely, he's likely out for at least the rest of this season. He'll then have to go through the formal process of petitioning Goodell to reinstate him again.

Josh Gordon entering rehab, Browns career likely over

Perhaps the formal step of inpatient rehab will get the 2013 All-Pro closer to his goal of resuming his NFL career someday.

But it will not be in a Browns uniform. The Browns gave Gordon one last chance this season to adhere to his program and return to active status. When he was unable to do it, the Browns decided enough was enough.

Gordon had trimmed down and was gearing up for his return to the field. He had been working out in the fieldhouse during his four-game suspension while the Browns were practicing outside, and was rounding into game shape.

The return to indefinite suspension status comes a little more than a week after Gordon had a warrant out for his arrest for failing to submit to a paternity test. He finally did so, and the test revealed last week that he's the father of a one-year-old Maple Heights girl.

Gordon tweeted that he was under a lot of pressure and stress and needed to take this time out in his life.

At the Super Bowl in February, Goodell said he would need to be convinced that Gordon wouldn't be suspended again if he let him back in the league. He only made it back in on a conditional basis.

In a letter when he conditionally reinstated Gordon, Goodell wrote: "As we discussed at our (July 19) meeting, as Commissioner, I want nothing more than to see you turn your circumstances around and succeed.

"Countless others including your agent, teammates and coaches, Mr. Haslam and the leadership of the organization, the Program professionals and Jim Brown also have pledged to provide you with every resource at their disposal. But as you acknowledged, ultimately, your future is your responsibility. I have every belief that you can make the right choices, but it will be up to you to do so."

Now, Gordon is back to square one in his bid to convince Goodell that he deserves yet another chance.

Cleveland.com columnists Bud Shaw and Doug Lesmerises tackle the topic of the day as the Indians prepare to meet the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division series. Who deserves the credit for the Tribe's great season? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just because I picked the Indians to win 90 games and the division doesn't mean I deserve credit for the Tribe's 94-67 record and home-field advantage over the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series.

But if you insist....

There's certainly enough to go around, from Mike Napoli's contributions on and off the field to the anchor Corey Kluber's starts provided the Indians rotation.

Napoli made my list. Cleveland.com sports columnist Doug Lesmerises has his own thoughts on why things went right for the Tribe. And this time, his thoughts even make some sense.

Here at cleveland.com we've launched Prepare for List Off, a bold venture that will come to you in easily digestible bits throughout each week as Bud and Doug debate the hot topics of the day.

Each will make his point, then explain why the other guy has it wrong.

Sometimes Doug is off base. And sometimes Doug is really off base.

But I do allow for the possibility he gets it right, or less wrong, occasionally.

We'd love for you to chime in on who made the most salient argument.

Our topic today is who deserves the most credit for the Indians' season. 

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

According to VegasInsider.com, the Ohio State-Indiana spread has dropped more than two points from 32 to 29.5.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State opened as a 32-point favorite over Indiana, but apparently the public felt that spread was too high.

Maybe because Indiana is coming off a win over Michigan State? 

According to VegasInsider.com, the Ohio State-Indiana spread has dropped more than two points from 32 to 29.5. 

Ohio State is 4-0 against the spread this season, most recently covering the 38-point spread over Rutgers in a 58-0 home win this past Saturday. 

The Buckeyes were two-point road favorites at Oklahoma on Sept. 17 and won 45-24 after covering 28-point spreads over Tulsa and Bowling Green the previous two weeks.

Other interesting Big Ten lines this week: 

* Iowa (-1.5) at Minnesota

* Maryland (-1) at Penn State 

* BYU (+6) at Michigan State 

* Purdue (+10) at Illinois 

* Michigan (-27) at Rutgers 

Keep up with our Ohio State coverage from Monday: 

* What should Ohio State football think of Indiana after Hoosiers win over Michigan State?

* Everything Urban Meyer said during his Monday news conference previewing Indiana

* Dante Booker listed as probable for Indiana: Five things to know from Urban Meyer's news conference

* Ohio State RB Mike Weber named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after 144-yard performance

* Can J.T. Barrett close gap on Lamar Jackson?: Bill Landis Heisman Top 5

* Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell help key New Orleans Saints comeback win: Ohio State NFL Roundup

From Cincinnati Colerain to Pickerington Central, the best 11 teams in cleveland.com's statewide football rankings did not lose and remain in their respective spots.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The top 11 teams in cleveland.com's Ohio Super 25 remained unchanged from a week ago. From top-ranked Cincinnati Colerain to No. 11 Pickerington Central, each team won in Week 6 of the high school football season.

St. Ignatius is the first team to move up, a beneficiary of Cincinnati Elder's 31-7 loss to Cincinnati St. Xavier.

St. Edward is the highest rated Northeast Ohio program, remaining at No. 3 and entering a bye after the cancellation of its game against Philadelphia's West Catholic. Here is how the Super 25 looks entering Week 7:

1. Cincinnati Colerain (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 1, beat Mason, 30-16.

This week: Friday vs. Middletown.

2. Huber Heights Wayne (5-0-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 2, beat Centerville, 45-8.

This week: Friday vs. Beavercreek.

3. St. Edward (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 3, beat Naperville Central (Ill.), 35-14.

This week: Bye.

4. Stow (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 4, beat Twinsburg, 42-14.

This week: Friday at No. 23 Hudson.

5. Cincinnati St. Xavier (4-2)

Last week: Ranked No. 5, beat Cincinnati Elder, 31-7.

This week: Friday at No. 6 Cincinnati La Salle.

6. Cincinnati La Salle (4-2)

Last week: Ranked No. 6, beat Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller, 55-14.

This week: Friday vs. No. 5 Cincinnati St. Xavier.

7. Archbishop Hoban (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 7, beat Lake Catholic, 41-10.

This week: Friday at Padua.

8. Toledo Central Catholic (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 8, beat Fremont Ross, 35-18.

This week: Friday at Toledo St. Francis de Sales.

9. Olentangy Liberty (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 9, beat Westerville Central, 24-14.

This week: Friday at Westerville South.

10. Upper Arlington (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 10, beat Westland, 56-0.

This week: Friday at Hilliard Davidson.

11. Pickerington Central (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 11, beat Gahanna-Lincoln, 20-18.

This week: Friday at Lancaster.

12. St. Ignatius (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 13, beat Parma, 49-0.

This week: Friday at Canton GlenOak.

13. Dublin Coffman (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 15, beat Marysville, 49-7.

This week: Friday vs. Central Crossing.

14. Avon (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 16, beat Lakewood, 42-6.

This week: Friday at Lakewood.

15. Trotwood-Madison (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 17, beat West Carrollton, 66-6.

This week: Friday at Fairborn.

16. Fairfield (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 18, beat Cincinnati Sycamore, 35-27.

This week: Friday at Mason.

17. Solon (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 20, beat Mentor, 37-8.

This week: Friday at Strongsville.

18. Massillon Jackson (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 21, beat Canton GlenOak, 35-10.

This week: Saturday at No. 21 Canton McKinley.

19. Cincinnati Elder (4-2)

Last week: Ranked No. 12, lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier, 31-7

This week: Friday at Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller.

20. Columbus St. Francis DeSales (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 22, beat Columbus Bishop Watterson, 32-8.

This week: Friday vs. Edgewood.

21. Canton McKinley (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 24, beat Uniontown Lake, 20-14 (2OT).

This week: Saturday vs. No. 18 Massillon Jackson.

#GoPups#FNO's Game Night Highlightshttps://t.co/clwZphnU6N https://t.co/TaqntkT9fM

— The Bulldog (@CantonMcKinley) October 1, 2016

22. Warren G. Harding (6-0)

Last week: Ranked No. 4, beat Ashtabula Lakewide, 48-0.

This week: Friday at Youngstown Boardman.

23. Hudson (5-1)

Last week: Ranked No. 25, beat Cuyahoga Falls, 37-6.

This week: Friday vs. No. 4 Stow.

24. Lewis Center Olentangy (5-1)

Last week: Unranked, beat Westerville South, 31-0.

This week: Friday at Olentangy Orange.

25. Lebanon (5-1)

Last week: Unranked, beat Clayton Northmont, 35-14.

This week: Friday vs. Centerville.

DROPPED OUT

Archbishop Moeller (3-3, was ranked No. 14), Hilliard Bradley (5-1, was No. 19), Mason (4-2, was No. 23).

KEEP AN EYE ON

Chardon (6-0), Copley (5-1), Findlay (6-0), Medina (6-0), Springfield (4-2), Worthington Kilbourne (5-1).

Trubisky could be part of a trend where Ohio quarterbacks thrive somewhere other than Ohio State. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Jim Tressel was still the coach at Ohio State, there's no way Mitch Trubisky would not be a Buckeye. Right?

He was a strong-armed kid with good size from Northeast Ohio, one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. Forget the fact that Trubisky is from Mentor High School, and Tressel's father coached there. That kind of kid from any high school in Ohio would likely be a Buckeye.

Trubisky is a Tar Heel.

He's thriving as North Carolina's quarterback, and has entered the Heisman Trophy conversation after throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Florida State on Saturday.

Trubisky is sixth in the country in passing yards (1,711) and passer rating (182.65). Of the 19 quarterbacks in America who have thrown at least 13 touchdown passes, he's the only one without an interception.

How is a kid like that not at Ohio State?

"Yeah I grew up an Ohio State fan when Coach Tressel was coaching there," Trubisky told cleveland.com by phone on Monday. "Coach Meyer got there and I really started getting recruited."

Ohio State offered Trubisky in the 2013 recruiting class, but it was always unclear if it was actually a committable offer. Then the Buckeyes took J.T. Barrett and Trubisky had to change his approach.

It's easy to grow up a fan of Ohio State, and dream of playing there. It's even easier when you're as good as Trubisky and the prospect of playing at that dream school is a tangible thing. But...

"You lose your fan side of things and you gotta see it more as a player," he said. "I used to root for the Buckeyes. That's how it is. But I play for Carolina now. This is my home. This is my family. I'm a Tar Heel."

This isn't about Ohio State missing on a guy, because the Buckeyes got Barrett in the 2013 class. Clearly that worked out.

It's about Ohio State's approach to quarterback recruiting possibly creating more scenarios where there are really good quarterbacks from Ohio doing great things at other major programs.

Not the under-the-radar kind of guy, but quarterback prospects who were good enough to play at Ohio State coming out of high school, but ended up somewhere else because the Buckeyes are able to recruit every position on a national scale and might like a quarterback from Texas just a little more than the kid from Ohio. That's the thing about recruiting quarterbacks, usually you're just taking one per class.

So Trubisky ended up at North Carolina.

"I'm sure people were scratching their heads," Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said. "Ohio State had just taken J.T. Barrett. I think Michigan State had just taken a kid out of Erie, Pa. Things filled up and this came about."

Things worked out well for Trubisky, too.

QB Quest: cleveland.com's look at QB recruiting

It might surprise you to learn that there aren't a ton of Ohio-bred starting quarterbacks across the college football landscape. There are a ton of backups, guys who one day could be starters at FBS programs all over the country.

Right now, though, it's Trubisky and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer, from Toledo, who are Ohio State-caliber quarterbacks from Ohio starting at other major programs. Kizer ended up at Notre Dame due in part to Ohio State's all-in chase of Deshaun Watson, a Georgian who ended up at Clemson.

Michigan State starter Tyler O'Connor is from Lima, but was never a Buckeyes target. That's about it when it comes to Ohioans starting at quarterback at Power 5 programs.

Vanderbilt's Kyle Shurmur spent some time at St. Edward while his dad coached the Browns, but we won't count him. Florida's Austin Appleby (North Canton) started the last two weeks, but injured starter Luke Del Rio should be back this week, so we won't count Appleby either.

"I think Ohio breeds a lot of good football. I like to follow those guys, see how they're doing," Trubisky said. "We're all from Ohio and it's all about representing where you're from."

Where you're playing doesn't really matter.

Trubisky and Kizer are leading the crop right now. That's two guys who could end up highly coveted in this year's NFL Draft. They're from Ohio, and they're not playing for Ohio State.

I talked about Trubisky (and several other prospects) in this week's #NFL Draft Stock Report: https://t.co/3r3Bm6Jlqu https://t.co/v6jsc9aqw1

-- Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 3, 2016

Again, Ohio State is not suffering because of this. The Buckeyes have identified their guys for the future, players like Dwayne Haskins (Maryland), Tate Martell (California by way of Nevada) and Emory Jones (Georgia).

Ohio State's No. 2 quarterback right now is Joe Burrow, from The Plains. It's important to note that there's not a complete Ohio hole in the Buckeyes quarterback room. But it's also possible that Burrow doesn't end up a starting quarterback at Ohio State.

Barrett could leave after this season, and that would put Burrow in a good spot as the No. 2 guy now to start next year. If Barrett stays, Burrow is at best in a battle with Haskins to be the starter in 2018, and then all bets are off.

Then you ask the question: When is the next time Ohio State will be quarterbacked by an Ohioan?

That's not something necessary for Ohio State's success. Plenty of non-Ohioans have done well playing quarterback for the Buckeyes. But it's an interesting question to ponder, and one you can expand out to plenty of other positions as Urban Meyer's recruiting approach becomes more and more national.

But let's stick with quarterback for now. That's the glamour position.

And envision a college football world with a couple more guys like Trubisky.

Malik Zaire, another Dayton kid, is Kizer's backup at Notre Dame, but could start at plenty of major programs. Dayton's Messiah deWeaver could be the next Ohioan to star for Michigan State. Sean Clifford is a dual-threat 2017 quarterback from Cincinnati who could help Penn State really turn things around and help James Franklin keep his job.

Ohio State won't lose sleep over any of that, because Meyer is diligent in his quarterback recruiting.

But if you're someone who likes seeing Ohio kids do well, especially quarterbacks like Trubisky, you may have to divert some of your attention elsewhere for the foreseeable future.

"I hate that I had to leave Ohio, my home, and my family," Trubisky said, "but I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Here's how our mock committee sees the College Football Playoff field after five weeks of games.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the world of the College Football Playoff, it's much less about where you're ranked, as long as you're in. But everyone likes to be No. 1.

So where are the Ohio State Buckeyes in that conversation?

Our College Football Playoff mock committee met again this week, and faced the difficult task of sorting out a top four, plus two teams on the fringe, from a small group of teams that have set themselves apart from the rest of college football right now.

Those teams are Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Washington, Texas A&M, Louisville, Houston, Tennessee and Wisconsin. We discussed and ranked those teams in some form or fashion to come away with six. It wasn't easy.

Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama specifically made things difficult. It's certain that those three are in the playoff right now. Figuring out the order was hard.

You can see our full rankings below, and listen to the audio players embedded for our discussions of why we have these teams where they are.

Here's a reminder of how the committee actually votes on teams. We'll try to follow this as closely as we can, though keep in mind we have three people and the committee has 12. Some things don't directly translate.

This is where we are after Week 5:

No. 1: Alabama (5-0)

No. 2: Clemson (5-0)

No. 3: Ohio State (4-0)

We could not have been more split on this. Each of us had a different team ranked No. 1. Listen to the audio player below for our reasoning on how we ended up with this top three.

Here's the last team in:

No. 4: Washington (5-0)

So that makes our playoff matchups:

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Washington

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Clemson vs. No. 3 Ohio State

And before the final discussion, here's who ended up in the final two spots in our rankings this week:

No. 5: Michigan (5-0)

No. 6: Texas A&M (5-0)

We centered our final discussion on the idea of the Big Ten possibly getting two teams into the playoff field. Obviously it would have to be Ohio State and Michigan, and whichever one of those teams ended up as a one-loss non-division champ would still need a lot of help.

If Washington continues to win this impressively and wins the Pac-12, that idea of two Big Ten teams in the playoff is dead. Listen to the audio player below for our discussion about the handful of teams -- including Houston -- vying for that final spot in the playoff right now.

Previous playoff matchups from our committee

Sept. 6: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Wisconsin; No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Florida State

Sept. 13: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Wisconsin; No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 2 Houston

Sept. 20: No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 4 Houston; No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State

Sept. 27: No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 4 Wisconsin; No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Ohio State

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