Hafner is taking batting practice, but still has to run the bases before he is activated and rejoins the lineup.

View full sizePD fileTravis Hafner has yet to rejoin the Tribe lineup.

Clubhouse confidential: Travis Hafner ran in the outfield for the third straight day to test the strained right tendon in his right foot.

"The doctor said that if I feel all right when I come back and play, I won't need surgery," Hafner said. "If I don't and it still hurts, I'll need surgery. Right now, I'm optimistic that I won't need it." Hafner is taking batting practice, but still has to run the bases before he is activated and rejoins the lineup.

On-the-job training: Rookie Josh Judy, making just his sixth appearance in the big leagues, had an eventful outing in Thursday's 8-1 loss to Chicago. He relieved Frank Herrmann with one out and two on in the seventh with Chicago leading, 4-1. He hit Brent Lillibridge in the hand to load the bases. Then he gave up a grand slam to Paul Konerko.

"This is my first time around," Judy said. "Lesson learned."

To make matters worse, Lillibridge, the White Sox's utility man, suffered a broken right hand and was lost for the season.

"It's a shame a guy's season has to end on something like that," Judy said.

Stat of the day: Shelley Duncan leads the Indians with nine RBI in September and is tied for sixth in the AL.

-- Paul Hoynes

GM Chris Antonetti has been impressed with manager Manny Acta's work this season and will address his contract situation this winter.

View full sizeNam Y. Huh, Associated PressThis season has been a tough test for manager Manny Acta, but he has earned praised for keeping the Indians in the division race despite a slew of injuries.

Acta will enter the final year of his three-year deal with the Indians in 2012. The Indians hold a club option for 2013.

Asked if he was considering exercising Acta's option year or extending his contract, Antonetti said Friday: "That's a good question for the off-season. Right now, we're trying to win as many games as possible in the last 2 1/2 weeks of the season."

Antonetti left little doubt that he has been pleased with the job Acta and his coaching staff have done.

"I think Manny has done a good job," said Antonetti. "He and his coaching staff set the tone early. We got off to a great start."

The Indians were 30-15 on May 23 and led the American League Central Division by seven games. They have gone 41-56 since and at 71-71 are 10 games behind division-leading Detroit (82-62).

"We've had peaks and valleys," said Antonetti. "A lot of that has to do with the injuries we've had. Manny has done a good job managing through them."

View full sizePD fileIndians GM Chris Antonetti.

Asked just how much the injuries have hurt the Indians, Antonetti said, "We lost our starting outfield, our second baseman, our third baseman, our DH and 40 percent of our starting rotation."

When told Antonetti would address his contract situation, Acta said: "That's nice. But to be honest with you, with the unemployment rate in our country, I'm grateful to have a job for one more year."

Antonetti wasn't the full-time GM when the Indians hired Acta after the 2009 season. Antonetti was in line for the job, though, and then-GM Mark Shapiro had him play a big role in hiring Acta.

"I like it here," said Acta. "I like the players I have. I don't want to be bouncing all over the place."

The Indians' front office has been stable since the mid 1990s with a clear line of succession from GM John Hart to Shapiro to Antonetti. Eric Wedge, the Indians' previous manager, held the job for seven years.

"Stability has been one of the trademarks of this organization and one of the things that attracted me," said Acta. "But I don't make an issue out of that because of what I said before. I think it would be very selfish of me to start talking about a job in 2013 when I do have one in 2012 when you look at the unemployment rate in our country. That's the way I see it."

During the 2009 off-season, the Indians and Houston wanted to hire Acta. He picked the Indians, even though he had deep roots with the Astros.

The Indians went 69-93 under Acta in 2010. This year, they were tied for first July 20 before finally falling out of contention this week in a three-game sweep by the Tigers.

He's back: First baseman Matt LaPorta rejoined the Indians on Friday. He was scheduled to start at DH, but the Indians took him out of the lineup to give him a chance to settle back with the team.

Maybe he needed to catch up on his sleep after his wife, Dara, gave birth to daughter, Sienna, on Sunday. The couple's first child weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and was 201/2 inches long.

The Indians optioned LaPorta to Class AAA Columbus on Aug. 30 to make room for right-hander Jeanmar Gomez. It was a surprising move because LaPorta was one of the few right-handed hitters in the lineup. He could have forced them to send someone else down if he had performed better at the plate, but that was not the case.

He was sent to Columbus hitting .238 (76-for-319) with 11 homers and 44 RBI. LaPorta's on-base percentage was .289. He struck out 79 times and drew only 20 walks.

"I have to get more consistent," said LaPorta.

LaPorta said he spent only two days in Columbus during the option. The rest of the time he was with his wife.

Acta said LaPorta will play some first base and DH in the final 20 games.

"He's struggled with breaking balls," said Acta. "Getting his legs into his hitting has been a little bit of an issue, but he's worked hard at it. He's worked hard on using the whole field, we just need to see some results."

Acta made it clear he wants the Indians to improve offensively at first base and third base for next season. If LaPorta isn't part of that plan, he still has an option for 2012, which could keep him in the minors while the Indians look for a more productive hitter to play first.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Since the school revived football in 2005 as a Division II program, Central State alumni and fans have seen anything but dominating football. The Marauders have lost 43 of their 55 games.

View full sizeRoberto Borea, AP file photoCentral State graduate Erik Williams was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL during the 1990s.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Central State University's football program was so good during much of the 1980s and early 1990s that it lived up to the team's nickname: Marauders. They obliterated the competition.

"We were so good that we gave our student body and alumni something to brag about," said former Central State and Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Erik Williams. "We were well-respected."

Central State was so respected that it became the first Historically Black College and University to play for a national title, losing to North Dakota State in the Palm Bowl Division II championship game in 1983.

The school in Wilberforce was also the first to win consecutive Sheridan Black College Football titles (1986-90). CSU also won three NAIA titles, in 1990, '92 and '95. Future NFL players such as Williams, Vince Buck and 1995 first-round draft pick Hugh Douglas wore the maroon and gold.

Back then, the school was able to recruit NFL-caliber talent for several reasons.

Many players who didn't meet the academic requirements to play Division I college football were able to qualify for Division II and the NAIA, divisions in which CSU has played its football.

"Central State was a last-resort thing because I wasn't heavily recruited due to my low SAT scores," Williams said. "Central State called me, and I'm so grateful I got the opportunity to live out a dream to go to college."

And coach Billy Joe, who orchestrated the dynasty, had other advantages.

"We were the first school back then that recruited players who transferred from major-college programs," Joe said. "I also had an advantage because, unlike most coaches in black college football, I came in with NFL coaching experience as an assistant with Philadelphia. I also had an administration who paid for good assistants."

All those advantages helped the Marauders dominate the early 1990s with pinball-machine football scores. There was the 83-0 blowout of rival Kentucky State in 1992. Three years earlier, Central State scored 101 points in a game -- in three quarters -- against Lane College.

But in 1997, Central State was found to have used academically ineligible players in football and baseball. The Ohio General Assembly required the school to drop football for two years if it wanted to continue receiving state funding, and the program was disbanded.

Since the school revived football in 2005 as a Division II program, Central State alumni and fans have seen anything but dominating football. The Marauders have lost 43 of their 55 games.

That happens when you can only afford 13 scholarships, which means Central State will field a team mostly of walk-ons against North Carolina Central at noon today in the Cleveland Classic at Browns Stadium. The Marauders have gone from a team once feared to a team many want on their homecoming schedule.

The suffering won't last, Joe said. He is confident his former school will return to where it once was.

"If you have the scholarships, the players will come," Joe said. "The players are not coming if they have to pay their own way. Until Central State gets more scholarships, it will just continue to be an exercise in futility."

Buck said his alma mater is at least on the right track.

"They've basically started over," said Buck, who spent six years with the New Orleans Saints and is now a business owner in New Orleans. "It seems like they're getting back on track with some quality coaches. It's only a matter of time. The Marauders will be back."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: bwright@plaind.com, 216-999-4671

The Kinston Indians use four pitchers to shut out Myrtle Beach and take a 2-1 lead in their Class A playoff series.

Clippers 5, Bulls 2 Columbus DH Nick Johnson (.556) doubled twice and drove in two runs, RH Joe Martinez (1-0, 2.25) threw eight sharp innings and the Clippers beat visiting Durham (N.C.) to complete a three-game playoff sweep.

Columbus, the defending Class AAA champions, will next play Tuesday in Game 1 of the best-of-five IL finals, against either Lehigh Valley (Pa.) or Pawtucket (R.I.).

Martinez allowed two earned runs on nine hits. He struck out four and walked none. RH Zach Putnam pitched the ninth to earn his second save of the series.

LF Jerad Head (.500) and C Luke Carlin (.375) each had two hits for the Clippers.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 7, Pelicans 0 Four Kinston pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout of visiting Myrtle Beach (S.C.), and the K-Tribe moved ahead in the Carolina League best-of-five first-round series, 2-1. Game 4 is tonight at 6:30 in Kinston, N.C.

RH Michael Goodnight (1-0, 0.00) started for Kinston and threw five innings, allowing four hits. He struck out six and walked two. LH Chris Jones (0.00) relieved and threw two hitless innings before RH Trey Haley (0.00) and RH Preston Guilmet (0.00) each tossed a hitless frame.

3B Adam Abraham (.429) hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and CF Tyler Holt (.538) drove in four runs and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers vs. Slammers, today Game 3 of the first-round Frontier League playoff series between Lake Erie and Joliet (Ill.) is scheduled for tonight at 7:05 in Avon. The Slammers lead the best-of-five series, 2-0.

Late Thursday, Lake Erie outhit Joliet, 7-6, but the Slammers hit two home runs and won, 3-1.

Piniella's tirade over a call has the fans rolling in the aisles.

View full sizeAPFormer manager Lou Piniella was well-known for his on-field tirades.

That father-son bond of baseball started for me when I was just 8 years old in the late 1950s. My dad, a Cleveland policeman, would often work the Indians games to earn extra money. He would frequently take me to the games, putting me in a section near where he was patrolling.

Dad always made a point of stopping down to sit with me for a while if he had a minute. Most of the nearby adults knew who he was and always asked if I needed anything before they left to buy food. Most games, I never even had to dip into my own cache of quarters.

Though always a fan (most of our family gathering pictures show him in an Indians cap), Dad stopped going to games as the fortunes of the Indians inexorably declined.

By 1994, my personal fortune had improved enough that I could join a local four-seat season-ticket consortium. Twenty-four times a year, I made the 120-mile trek from Bowling Green, Ohio, to the brand-spanking new Jacobs Field to attend games in the company of friends, relatives and colleagues from work -- but never with my dad.

It was always too cold, too hot, games ended too late, started too early, parking cost too much. But always I asked -- sometimes reminding him that he was the cause of my passion and therefore he "owed" me a baseball game.

Finally, he relented. He would go with me to a game. The opponent: the Seattle Mariners. The date: Aug. 26, 1998.

Late in the game, Seattle manager Lou Piniella comes out to argue a play at second base. Losing the argument and ejected, Piniella starts to kick his hat around the field -- sometimes connecting and sometimes missing. The entire sold-out stadium is on its feet in a hysterical frenzy and cheering every hit and miss. The Indians are laughing; the Seattle players are nearly rolling on the floor of their dugout.

And my dad? The stoic, serious cop is nearly doubled over with laughter when he isn't throwing his arms in the air mimicking every launch of Piniella's hat. As Piniella disappeared down the dugout steps, my dad turned and said to me, "You know, I would have come more often if you had told me the games were this much fun."

The bond of baseball had come full circle.

Browns quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple thinks Colt McCoy has the ability to be an elite quarterback in the NFL.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerQuarterback Colt McCoy begins his second season with the Browns on Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio — Browns quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple, who has coached Ben Roethslisberger and Donovan McNabb, thinks Colt McCoy has what it takes to be a premier quarterback in the NFL.

"There's no question I think you have to have a God-given ability to be an elite quarterback in this league, and from what I've seen, he has that," Whipple said. "That's not something you can coach."

As for McCoy's arm strength, he said, "He has all the physical ability to be a tremendous success in this league."

Whipple admitted to wondering about McCoy's arm strength after watching some of McCoy's college film, but those concerns have been laid to rest.

"They didn't ask him to make those throws on the outside, and he can make all of those throws," Whipple said. "I think he's done a really good job. I think he's thrown the deep ball really well. It's not so much the strength of the arm, it's the timing and understanding. What he lacks is experience in this offense. Maybe a deep throw, the fourth or fifth rep, now the ball's coming out with the timing and anticipation it needs.

"[But] he can make every throw. There's not one thing in our offense, from [Joe] Montana to Donovan [McNabb] to [Steve] Young or whoever it's been -- that's ever come up in any discussion."

Perhaps even more important than the physical tools, Whipple said, is his field acumen.

"It's vision when the play happens and what do you see [from the defense]," Whipple said. "He can see, and those things come out on the pictures on the field. He has that ability to process whatever it is. It's why we're having fun. It's why the kid will be able to perform."

Pashos doubtful: Right tackle Tony Pashos was limited Friday and is doubtful with a left ankle injury.

If Pashos can't play, he'll be replaced by either Oniel Cousins or Artis Hicks. But Hicks, who was signed Sunday, must also be ready at left guard, where starting rookie Jason Pinkston is suffering from a knee injury. Pinkston was added to the injury report as probable but practiced fully.

Linebacker Chris Gocong (neck) was also limited and is questionable. He'd be replaced by Kaluka Maiava. On the plus side for the Browns, tight end Ben Watson (hip) participated fully for the first time all week.

Pashos, who missed most of last season with a right ankle injury, was vague about his injury.

"It's a soreness, something that's preventing me from doing things at a high level right now," he said.

He said he would've benefited from being able to work with the Browns' trainers during the off-season, but the lockout prevented it.

Usama Young, who practiced fully the past two days, said he feels good after missing the whole preseason with a pulled hamstring and is ready to do whatever's needed.

More Mo: Coach Pat Shurmur has been impressed with receiver Mohamed Massaquoi -- who missed all preseason with a foot injury -- while installing the game plan this week. "He's looked really good, and I have enjoyed this week because we're getting to work with him in his role as a receiver," said Shurmur. "I like Mo. I think he's got some stuff there, and I'm looking forward to seeing him do his thing."

Sheard happy: Rookie right end Jabaal Sheard was thrilled to hear that defensive coordinator Dick Jauron will let him make some mistakes. "That's great," he said. "It's cool to have a coach who will let you play and not pull you out. As a rookie, it's good to know that you can go out there and be aggressive. I'm a little nervous, but excited to prove to my team I can play with them. I showed them a little bit, but now it really counts."

Sheard isn't taking Andy Dalton's rookie status for granted. "He's a fast quarterback," said Sheard. "He's pretty quick and he can throw it. It'll be fun to get after him. We've got to get to him to help out our DBs."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Breaking down the four components of today's Ohio State football game: mental, physical, emotional and, a part of the game that's too easy to forget these days -- the fun.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller.

The mental

Four quarterbacks must keep their heads in the game today, as both Ohio State and Toledo will continue their two-quarterback rotations. With Toledo's pairing of junior Austin Dantin and sophomore Terrance Owens and the Buckeyes' duo of fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller, it's a credit to both schools that, through one week at least, all four quarterbacks seem happy.

Miller didn't mind watching Bauserman do well last week.

"Nah, that's cool," Miller said. "For the team, that's what we've got to do to win."

The Rockets' QBs were 25-of-34 for 283 yards and five touchdowns and no turnovers. Bauserman and Miller were 20-of-28 for 293 yards, five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and no turnovers. Overall, Bauserman played 47 snaps and Miller played 29.

OSU coach Luke Fickell thought having QB coach Nick Siciliano up in the coaches' box, with receivers coach Stan Drayton dealing with the quarterbacks on the sidelines, worked fine. Headsets help, though they aren't always wanted, Fickell said.

"Communication is a huge part of everything you do," Fickell said, "to be able to get on the headphones and do things like that, as long as you're willing to do that. . . . Quarterbacks are unique. A lot of times, they have headsets, and sometimes, you don't want them having headsets because you don't want them hearing what's being said during a game."

The physical

View full sizeThe BladeUniversity of Toledo wide receiver Eric Page.

Toledo's quick-hit passing attack maximizes his skills, but there's a physical component to Rockets All-American Eric Page as well. The Buckeyes have to stay with him -- in coverage defensively and on kick returns.

"He's got a real feel for space," said OSU assistant Dick Tressel, who oversees the Buckeyes' special teams. "He really sets up blocks well. He understands that you lean a little bit this way and that guy leans this way, and he gets blocked. Beyond that, he's tough. He breaks tackles."

Page had 1,105 receiving yards last season, 170 more than anyone else on the Buckeyes' schedule this season (Michigan's Roy Roundtree is next).

OSU cornerback Travis Howard returns to the team after his suspension last week, but Dominic Clarke played well while starting in Howard's place against Akron. And Bradley Roby beat out Clarke in camp and won't lose his spot. So it sounds as if all three cornerbacks should get a fair amount of playing time today. And Page is their first order of business.

The emotional

It's the Giant Killers vs. the Silver Bullets. Fickell's challenge is to get his players on edge about Toledo beating Michigan three years ago, while making them throw out any sense of accomplishment about their shutout of Akron last week.

Starting in 2006, the Rockets have beaten a BCS conference school in five straight seasons -- Kansas State, Iowa State, Michigan, Colorado and Purdue. But Toledo has also never scored a point against Ohio State, losing 49-0 in 1998 and 38-0 in Browns Stadium in 2009. That win two years ago was one of Ohio State's seven shutouts in Jim Tressel's 10 seasons. Fickell's shutout percentage is 100 percent.

"That's something maybe us, as coaches, feel good about, but we don't try to focus on the stats," Fickell said. "We aren't going to overlook it. But I don't think we're going to say that's going to give us a big rolling lift, because we're not looking for the stats. We're looking for the things that don't come up in the stat sheet."

By the way, if Toledo doesn't beat the Buckeyes, the Rockets still have another BCS school on the schedule, with a visit to Syracuse two weeks away. And beating No. 4 Boise State at home Friday night would be just a bit of an upset, too.

The fun

Nate Ebner possesses a joie de vivre, according to Ohio State assistant Dick Tressel, and Ebner expresses that joy for living by wearing a giant neck roll as part of his uniform and hurtling down the field on kickoff coverage.

"I feel it looks somewhat awesome, but it's to protect my neck a little bit," said the former walk-on and redshirt junior who earned a scholarship for this season based on his special- teams play.

Ebner was a rugby player first and still loves that game. But he buys Fickell's assertion that football is the greatest team game in the world. And he loves to hit.

"The best thing I like about football is the speed of the game. The kickoff, the speed of that, there's nothing like that in any other sport," Ebner said. "The speed and the collisions are unmatched."

Ebner looks for that same feeling in rugby, or while skiing or on a Jet Ski, realizing he may need that type of rush. But nothing is more fun than waiting to cover that kickoff.

"The 'Buckeye Bounce' we do before the kickoff is probably the sweetest thing I've ever been a part of," Ebner sad. "To be out there while 100,000 people are jumping around is pretty exciting. And you look across and see the guy trying to block you and get in your head, 'I can't be blocked.' And then make it happen."

-- Doug Lesmerises

Ohio State hosts Toledo this week. Get live updates from the press box.

View full sizeMarvin Fong | The Plain DealerLuke Fickell leads Ohio State against Toledo this weekend.

How will it all play out as the Buckeyes look to move to 2-0? Get updates on Twitter from Doug Lesmerises @PDBuckeyes and Bill Livinigston @LivyPD in the box below. Kickoff is at noon.

• College football scoreboard

Buckeyes escape with victory; have issues to address heading into Miami (Fla.) next week.

APOhio State's Chris Fields, a Painesville Harvey High School graduate, runs back a punt 69 yards for a touchdown late in the first half of the Buckeyes' win over Toledo today.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State avoided its first loss to an in-state school since 1921, using big special teams plays to hold off Toledo, 27-22, on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

The Buckeyes trailed, 15-14, before Chris Fields' 69-yard punt return for a score put Ohio State ahead 21-15 with less than a minute left in the first half.

Toledo answered with a touchdown on its first drive of the third quarter, running back Adonis Thomas scoring from four yards out on a direct snap on fourth-and-1.

The Rockets bobbled the snap on a 51-yard field goal try on their next possession, and after the stop the Buckeyes went 55 yards in seven plays to take the lead. Carlos Hyde ran it in from three yards out to give Ohio State the lead.

The Buckeyes had taken their first lead when tight end Jake Stoneburner got behind the Toledo linebackers and made a one-handed catch in the middle of the field for a 26-yard touchdown, his fourth of the season, less than five minutes into the game.

But Toledo answered with two scores, with All-American Eric Page scoring on a six-yard reception and 66-yard reception on a screen pass that he broke down the sideline. The first touchdown was followed by a Page two-point conversion pass, so when the Buckeyes scored for a second time on a Hyde 36-yard run, they still trailed 15-14 after kicking the extra point.
 
The first Page touchdown was set up by a blocked punt by the Rockets. But punter Ben Buchanan played a big role later in the game, pinning Toledo inside its 10 twice late in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State travels to Miami next Saturday, while Toledo will host No. 4 Boise State. 

Fausto Carmona looks to bounce back this afternoon against the White Sox.

View full sizePlain Dealer file photoFausto Carmona has had an up-and-down year for the Indians.

Fausto Carmona, coming off one of his worst starts of the season against Detroit, starts for the Indians, while Philip Humber goes for the White Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m.

Get updates on Twitter from @hoynsie and @dmansworldpd in the box below.

• MLB scoreboard

The Marauders (0-2) of Wilberforce, Ohio were held to 208 total yards of offense, 89 in the first half.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerCentral State quarterback Michael Wilson is overwhelmed on this sack by North Carolina Central's Charles Goodwin (top) and Xavier Proctor during Saturday's Cleveland Classic at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Central State can't afford many things while it tries to rebuild a once dominant football program. The school in Wilberforce, Ohio is besieged by financial woes, with only 13 scholarships for its 70-man squad.

The absence of one of those players on Saturday created a void the Marauders were never able to fill. Without injured starting quarterback Jeffrey Brooks, Central State could not get on track, or into the end zone, as it fell, 42-3, to North Carolina Central at the Cleveland Classic at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Marauders (0-2) were held to 208 total yards of offense, 89 in the first half.

"It always hurts when your three-year starter is out," said Central State coach E.J. Junior about Brooks. "Jeff brings leadership. He knows the offense. He's a competitor. He would've done better, but he would've been under the same fire from North Carolina Central's defensive line."

Last week, Brooks passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Kentucky State. Brooks' two backups, Mark Horne and Michael Wilson combined for 100 yards.

"Mark is very green," Junior said. "We ran into this last year when he played. He's like a deer in head lights. He did what he thought he could do."

The Eagles couldn't catch the ball early on, wasting several drives with dropped passes. The game was competitive in the first 10 minutes, but that ended as the Eagles scored 35 unanswered first-half points. The Eagles tied a school record with 28 points in the second quarter (Howard, 1971).

A zany Central State (0-2) blunder sparked the Eagles. On fourth-and-11 at the 28, the snap sailed over punter Gracewell Mahbena's head and into the end zone. After a mad scramble, Mahbena flipped the ball out for an incomplete pass. The Eagles (1-1) took over and completed the drive on Michael Johnson's 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demario Lackey, a Solon native, for a 7-0 lead.

The Marauders were limited to running the ball. After a brief Central State series, the Eagles took over at the 50 and scored on three plays for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Following that score, Horne gave the ball back on an interception. The Eagles started at the 30 and took only four plays, all runs, for the score and a 21-0 lead. Junior replaced Horne with Wilson.

Trailing, 35-0, with 2:25 left in the half, Wilson began Central State's drive at its own 34. Wilson ran and passed his way to the Eagles' 8 with 14 seconds left. Mahbena's 25-yard field goal got the Marauders on the scoreboard.

Central State has lost 44 of its last 56 games.

The radio voice of the Browns is sky high about returning to the booth after treatment for leukemia.

View full sizeWKYC photo"I was incredibly touched by it," Jim Donovan says of the public support he received since his bone marrow transplant. "It was just amazing, something I never expected."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Donovan has been practicing his calls.

The radio "Voice of the Browns" -- known for his high-watt energy and enthusiasm while describing the losing fortunes of the team -- has been gearing up for his return to the booth since undergoing a bone marrow transplant on June 14.

"I hope we have a rain delay, so he can get it out of his system," quipped analyst Doug Dieken.

In 12 years as Browns radio play-by-play announcer, Donovan always was sky-high for game days. Sunday, his head may be above the clouds.

Doctors told him they'd have a good gauge on whether he's totally beaten chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at the 100-day anniversary of the procedure. Sunday is Day 89 and all markers have been positive.

It has not been an easy road. Intense chemotherapy and the procedure itself knocked him down, but not out. The ensuing complications were another story, however.

"Everybody gets complications," Donovan said. "They tell you to expect something. Mine were really high fevers, like 104, 105 degrees, for about four days. It wasn't because of the transplant. They deduced it was a reaction to one of the antibiotics. That was the worst."

Then a blood clot developed in his neck. He's still taking blood-thinning injections to gradually dissolve it.

One thing that helped Donovan through the ordeal were "thousands" of letters, cards and emails sent by well-wishers, the vast majority of whom were total strangers.

"I was incredibly touched by it," he said. "It was just amazing, something I never expected.

"The stories people would tell about their own experiences [with the disease and procedure] ... there were things I learned that helped me prepare. It's been just unbelievable."

Donovan said he tried to answer as many as he could. After the complications subsided and his recovery stabilized, he sat down and wrote a letter to the donor of the bone marrow that eventually nourished his immune system with healthy white blood cells. The marrow donation program has strict privacy guidelines for both donors and recipients.

Donovan only knows his donor was a 33-year-old male from the United States. His letter can only speak in generalities -- how he's feeling, the region where he lives, etc.

"There's a point at the one-year anniversary that if both parties agree to meet, that could happen," Donovan said. "Absolutely I want to do that. It's so unbelievable that someone somewhere in the world can be a DNA match to you. And second of all, that he would give me this incredible chance to fight this disease."

And give him the chance to do again what he loves -- calling Browns games on the radio. Yes, you can say that it's a big day for Jim Donovan.

Donovan also hopes to resume his full-time job as WKYC Channel 3 sports anchor Monday night, beginning with the 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows. He hopes to ease into the 11 p.m. show over time.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Luke Fickell sticks with turnover-averse Joe Bauserman in a close victory over Toledo. But will that suffice when Ohio State invades Miami next Saturday?

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerJoe Bauserman didn't always have it his way on Saturday, as this narrow escape from Toledo's Malcolm Riley demonstrated in the first half at Ohio Stadium, but the senior QB was apparently the one signal-caller who head coach Luke Fickell was willing to trust, says Bill Livingston.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On a sun-scorched afternoon in August, new Ohio State coach Luke Fickell stood in the Horseshoe, talking about the pressure of playing before "the 106,000," as he kept saying.

Only one crowd (for the USC night game in 2009) has ever reached "the 106,000," but that is Ohio State football. Everything about it is inflated.

That ranges from Fickell's view of the gate (105,016 Saturday), to the fans' unrealistic expectations (every opponent's head on a platter), to the burden on the players who fail to meet such expectations (crushing), to the fan discontent with them (boo, boo, 105,000 times boo), to Fickell's insistence that he has two quarterbacks (poppycock, and by his own choice).

In Ohio State's frantic 27-22 victory over Toledo, the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference championship, Fickell stuck with fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman, who completed barely 50 percent of his passes (16 for 30, for an ordinary 189 yards and one touchdown). Braxton Miller, the heralded freshman, who played well in relief against MAC doormat Akron last week, never left the sideline.

That would be understandable if Fickell had unleashed scarlet fury with his running game, but Carlos Hyde does not make many tacklers miss, and Rod Smith is a fumbler. The two combined for 100 yards on 27 carries (3.7-yard average). Smith's fumble at the Toledo 28 with just over three minutes to play almost cost the game. He lost the ball at the lip of the Akron goal last week, too.

The running backs are but bit players in the Saga of the Suspension Season, though. Ohio State has had more guys suspended than men on the flying trapeze, but after the exile of the biggest name among them, Terrelle Pryor the tattoo maven and one-man memorabilia merchandizing mart, it is the quarterback position to which most eyes turn.

Bauserman missed his target short Saturday, and he missed long. An old Pittsburgh Pirates minor-league pitcher, he was a bit outside over the middle and way high going deep.

Bauserman's touchdown pass came when tight end Jake Stoneburner, probably the team's best offensive player, made a spectacular one-handed, left-handed catch in the first quarter. (To be fair, Stoneburner also dropped a ball right to him on fourth-and-1 from the Rockets' 33 that could have been a touchdown in the second quarter.)

"He didn't have a turnover," said Fickell of Bauserman. "So there are times when it's not real pleasing to the fans when they throw it six rows deep, but sometimes that the best thing, and ... we're making good decisions to continue to play that next down."

"I'm going to throw the ball away, and if that's what they want to do, that's up to them," said Bauserman.

It might have been better to say he didn't hear the booing, although no one would have believed him.

"It's a long, tiring game. Honestly, I thought Braxton was going to get some playing time," said Bauserman.

The point is that Ohio State quarterbacks are not supposed to mess things up. Avoiding turnovers is the biggest criterion. Was under Jim Tressel, is under Fickell. Clearly, despite Fickell's comments about the "flow" of the game, he stuck with Bauserman because he was less likely to throw the killer pick than the callow Miller.

But Fickell got into a game Saturday against a team with better skill position players because of the suspensions. Without a running game that is up to snuff, the coach needed someone to make a play, possibly with his feet. That is Miller's stock in trade, as it was with Pryor before him.

In 2008, with Ohio State clinging to a 19-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter against a heavy MAC underdog, Ohio University, in Pryor's second game, Tressel was ready to send him in despite an outcry by his assistant coaches. Ray Small's touchdown punt return made the issue moot.

Tressel, perhaps knowing that not playing would have provoked an unhappy reaction from Pryor, said to his aides, "When do you think Terrelle should play?"

The answer was the next week, on the coast, against an illustrious opponent, as a big loss to Southern Cal began to sweep senior quarterback Todd Boeckman's season away.

Different coach this season, different coast coming up Saturday, but somebody is going to have to make a play to beat the Hurricanes. Rounding up the usual suspects may not cut it.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

The Indians played with fire all afternoon by presenting the White Sox with one bases-loaded opportunity after another. In the 10th inning, they were burned.

View full sizeCharles Rex Arbogast, Associated PressAlex Rios (right) gets the hero's welcome at home plate Saturday after his grand slam in the 10th inning put away the Indians, 7-3.

CHICAGO -- Across from the visitor's locker room at U.S. Cellular Field is a room where White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen meets reporters after games. When the Indians are in town, Tribe manager Manny Acta conducts his postgame interviews outside the locker room so their paths always cross.

Guillen usually shouts a greeting in Spanish to Acta and Acta answers back. After Saturday's game, Guillen shouted to Acta in English:

"Was this the worst game you've ever seen?"

The thing is Guillen's White Sox won, beating the Indians, 7-3, on Alex Rios' walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning against Chris Perez.

Indians pitchers walked 11 batters (two intentionally) and loaded the bases seven times, but Chicago didn't take full advantage until the 10th. Chicago stranded 15 runners, while Indians hitters struck out 15 times. After Shelley Duncan hit a game-tying homer in the seventh inning, eight of the last 13 Indians to bat struck out.

Tribe hitters entered the game leading the AL in strikeouts. They left with that honor firmly in their grasp. They've struck out 1,133 times, an average of eight per game.

Acta called for Perez, his closer, to start the 10th with the score tied and the middle of Chicago's lineup due to hit.

"It's called run prevention," said Acta. "If I'm going to get that game to the next inning, I've got to use my best arm."

Juan Pierre led off with a double to right center. Alexei Ramirez tried to bunt him to third, but popped out to catcher Lou Marson. Paul Konerko was intentionally walked to set up the double play, but Perez walked Tyler Flowers to load the bases. Perez (3-7) seemed to have Flowers struck out on a 2-2 pitch that was right down the middle, but plate umpire Ed Hickox may have been caught off guard when Perez channeled Louie Tiant and gave Pierre a double take at second before throwing the pitch.

"It was a strike," said Perez of the 2-2 pitch. "I'm surprised he didn't crush that pitch. It wasn't high, it wasn't low. It wasn't inside, it wasn't outside. But that's not why we lost the game."

Rios, who has been booed this season along with Adam Dunn in Chicago, drove Perez's first pitch over the fence in left to end it. It's the third slam Indians pitchers have allowed in the last four games.

"It wasn't even a strike," said Perez. "He just dropped the head of the bat on it and it was out of here. I was trying to jam him and get a double play."

The 11 walks were a season high for the Indians.

"I think it had something to do with the umpiring," said Perez. "Sometimes you'll see one reliever struggle, but not all five."

Perez asked who the plate umpire was. When told it was Hickox, he said, "Maybe it was his first TV game."

The game was televised by Fox, which changed it from a night game to a 4:11 p.m. start.Duncan, who has five homers in his last seven games, said it was hard to see most of the game because of the shadows.

"I got lucky when I hit the home run because it was cloudy that inning," said Duncan.

Tony Sipp forced extra innings when he pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam of his own creation in the ninth. Chicago loaded the bases in the first, three times in the sixth and once in the eighth, ninth and 10th.

"We played with fire long enough," said Acta. "What has been our strength all season [the bullpen] pretty much killed us today. You can't expect to walk nine guys, without the two intentional walks, and win a ballgame."

Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second against Fausto Carmona on doubles by Alejandro De Aza and Gordon Beckham. The Indians reclaimed the lead, 2-1, on a two-run double by Matt LaPorta off Phil Humber in the fifth. It was LaPorta's first start since being recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Friday.

Carmona left in the sixth with one out and two on. Chad Durbin relieved and that's when the Tribe's relievers started walking people. Durbin forced home a run with consecutive walks to Morel and Beckham. Pierre singled for a 3-2 lead before Durbin ended the inning.

Rafael Perez (one walk), Vinnie Pestano (two walks), Sipp (two walks) and Perez (two walks) followed.

The White Sox are 9-4 against the Indians this year.

"The only thing we did right in this game was win," said Guillen.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

STEVE SISNEY/THE OKLAHOMANMourners in Oklahoma City wait to enter the auditorium Saturday, where funeral services were held for former NFL great Lee Roy Selmon. OKLAHOMA CITY  -- The First Southern Baptist Church was packed with people from all walks of life Saturday. They all loved and respected Lee Roy Selmon. More than 700 mourners paid final respects to the...

STEVE SISNEY/THE OKLAHOMANMourners in Oklahoma City wait to enter the auditorium Saturday, where funeral services were held for former NFL great Lee Roy Selmon.

OKLAHOMA CITY  -- The First Southern Baptist Church was packed with people from all walks of life Saturday. They all loved and respected Lee Roy Selmon.

More than 700 mourners paid final respects to the Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the best players in Oklahoma football history. Much like the funeral service Friday in Lutz, Fla., the service in Selmon's home state focused on a life that went much deeper than what he did on the football field.

"The love between Lee Roy and the state of Oklahoma cannot be measured," brother Dewey said.

Dewey was one of seven speakers to eulogize his younger brother, who died last Sunday, two days after suffering a stroke at his Florida home. He was 56.

They all told stories during the three-hour service of a man, who despite an incredible list of athletic successes, refused to see himself as a superstar. They told stories of a shy teenager who was the youngest of 10 children in Eufaula, Okla., and how he became the standard for dignity and humility in two states.

Dewey, who teamed with his younger brother for four years at Oklahoma and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-81, told several stories. The most poignant came from their second season with Buccaneers in 1977. Dewey said he woke up to the sound of tears one night during the middle of preseason training camp. He saw his brother with tears coming down his face.

"I asked him why he was crying," Dewey said. "He said, 'People are suffering in this world. People out there are hurting.' That upset him at 2 o'clock in the morning.

"Lee Roy's whole idea about life. If you heard his story how it really should be told, his direction, his compassion, his motivation was to make it better -- not his life, but yours. That's Lee Roy Selmon."

Selmon spent the final 30 years of his life in Tampa. During that time he ingrained himself as one of the pillars of the community. After his Hall of Fame career ended in 1984, Selmon was active in the business and philanthropic community in the area. He also worked in the University of South Florida's athletic department from 1993 until his death, serving as the schools athletic director from 2001-04.

Tampa Bay owner Bryan Glazer likened Lee Roy to the Jimmy Stewart character in "It's a Wonderful Life." He talked about how he was the face of the franchise and never said no when asked to make an appearance on behalf of the Buccaneers and always relished the opportunity to have a positive impact in someone's life.

"People like that don't really exist do they? Humble and that touch and bless so many lives without asking anything in return," Glazer said. "Every community needs a George Bailey. Tampa was blessed to have one and his name was Lee Roy Selmon."

In Oklahoma, however, Selmon is remembered for being one-third of the college football's greatest sibling trio.

He, Dewey and older brother Lucious played together on the Sooners' defensive line in 1973. The Sooners went 10-0-1 that season. Lee Roy and Dewey played two more years at Oklahoma and helped claim national championships in 1974 and 75. All three were consensus All-Americans.

"It's difficult for me to talk about one without thinking of the others," former Sooners coach Barry Switzer said. "I'm sure it's like that with you. When I think of the uniqueness of it, it is staggering. It'd never happened before in college football. It's unique because three brothers started at the same time side by side for the first time in college football history. It had never happened before and it hasn't happened since."

But while choking back tears Switzer admitted there was a reason why he has also said Lee Roy was best player he ever coached. He was the Lombardi and Outland Award winner in 1975. He was the first former OU and Buccaneers player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was voted the best defensive player in the history of the Big Eight Conference.

"When I think about all the awards he won he achieved everything of greatness that could be done at every level he played," Switzer said. "He was truly one of the great players that ever played in a football game. Lee Roy was the best."

Luke Fickell believes he still has a quarterback rotation. Senior All-American center Michael Brewster and anybody who watched Saturday's game sees a starter and a backup.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain Dealer"Sometimes your plan adjusts and changes on the run, and that's what happened today," OSU head coach Luke Fickell said of the Buckeyes sticking with Joe Bauserman at quarterback against Toledo instead of using freshman Braxton Miller. "We were going to use him ... but it just didn't work out the way we had probably planned in our head."

Adam Jardy

Special to The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Luke Fickell believes he still has a quarterback rotation. Senior All-American center Michael Brewster and anybody who watched Saturday's game sees a starter and a backup.

"I think that's what it looks like," Brewster said.

With the Buckeyes embroiled in a tighter-than-expected affair against Toledo, freshman fan favorite Braxton Miller was relegated to the sidelines. Fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman took every snap en route to a 27-22 victory against the Rockets.

Fickell said the plan this week was to find time for Miller in the same vein as the win against the Zips. Things went awry when the Rockets took the lead midway through the first quarter and held it until the final minute of the second.

"They understood the situation," Fickell said of his quarterbacks. "Sometimes your plan adjusts and changes on the run, and that's what happened today. We were going to use him ... but it just didn't work out the way we had probably planned in our head."

The depth chart did not change from the one posted before the first game. That listed Bauserman or Miller as the starter, and players said the two each saw reps with the first-team offense during practice leading up to the game.

"It was Joe for the most part [with the ones], but Braxton was in there [this week] and they always do some type of rotation -- even with Joe taking some reps with the twos," said senior right tackle J.B. Shugarts.

It did not go over well with the OSU faithful. Although the Buckeyes won and Bauserman went his second game without a turnover, the 105,000-plus in Ohio Stadium and thousands more watching at home were waiting for Miller to break the game wide open. Instead, they saw as many snaps as the freshman himself. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Chris Fields said Miller remains a work in progress.

"Braxton, he's got to learn some more," Fields said. "He's a good player athletically. I think it's just mental. His reads and stuff have to be efficient. You've got to be consistent, but he's a good player and he's going to be a really good player in the future."

The freshman was not made available for interviews. Bauserman admitted to being tired from going the distance and said he prepared for Miller to have seen playing time.

"I expect to be in until they tell me not to be in," Bauserman said. "You've got to be ready."

Miller spent the game standing on the sideline, helmet in hand. The team's other three quarterbacks donned headphones, sending signals to Bauserman and the offense.

"We get over there with the quarterbacks and he was giving his input," Bauserman said. "You're obviously going to get frustrated if you're not playing. You come here to play and I've been there. It's frustrating, but at the same time he was learning and he needs to be ready for anything."

After the game, quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano looked ashen as he trudged up the ramp to the team's locker room. Offering support along the way was wide receivers coach Stan Drayton, who works with the quarterbacks on the sidelines while Siciliano looks on from the press box.

In a 42-0 whitewashing of visiting Akron in week one, Bauserman earned the start but Miller saw his first action as the second quarter began. The senior directed the offense for 47 of 79 offensive plays, leaving 29 for Miller and three for redshirt freshman Taylor Graham. Bauserman threw for 163 yards and ran for 32 more while Miller went for 130 and 30, respectively.

Against Toledo, Bauserman heard booing from the crowd for the first time. He finished 16 of 30 for 189 yards and a touchdown but threw several balls away rather than try to force a completion.

On this day, junior offensive lineman Jack Mewhort said he felt the ends justified the means.

"Braxton is a great player," he said. "He'll get his time. As long as we're winning games I'm sure he's happy and we're all happy."

Had the Buckeyes suffered a historic upset at the hands of the Rockets, however, it would be hard not to wonder what sort of impact the freshman might have had. As it stands, it remains surprising at best that a player being counted on for big things this season saw no action in the second game of the season.

With a primetime contest against Miami looming, Fickell said he will prepare to use Bauserman and Miller.

"They know we need them both, and it's our job to make sure we can handle it the right way," Fickell said. "I feel we have two quarterbacks. I've got confidence in both of them. One just hasn't has as many opportunities yet."

Adam Jardy is a freelance writer based in Columbus.

Breaking down some of the key grades from Saturday's win.

View full sizeChris Russell, Columbus DispatchThe continuing struggles of the OSU special teams were reflected in Kishon Wilcher's block of Ben Buchanan's punt during the first half of Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium. "We just can't have it," said head coach Luke Fickell. "We've got to do a better job fundamentally."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Breaking down some of the key grades from Saturday's win.

A -- Ohio State receiver Chris Fields

After scoring the first touchdown of his career, the red-shirt sophomore from Painesville Harvey came to the sidelines with his head down as teammate after teammate slapped him on the head, shoulder and back. Why?

"Actually, I was in tears," Fields said. "I was living a dream, man. It's finally great to see myself in the end zone."

Once compared to former OSU star Santonio Holmes by receivers coach Darrell Hazell, Fields finds himself third on the depth chart for the moment, with DeVier Posey suspended, behind sophomore Corey Brown and red-shirt freshman Verlon Reed. He's also the No. 3 punt returner behind the suspended Jordan Hall and Brown, who left with an ankle injury on Saturday.

But he was the right man at the right time when he caught a line drive 45-yard punt at the 31.

"I saw clear lanes," Fields said. "All I saw was the punter and I can't be tackled by the punter, that's what the coaches say, and it ended up being successful."

Fields said the Buckeyes were surprised that Toledo used a rugby punt so often, with punter Vince Penza taking several steps to the side and punting on the move. Fields didn't get many other opportunities, as four of the punts were unreturnable and his other two returns went for a total of eight yards. But he found his opening.

"I'm so excited about what Chris Fields did, not just because he took it back," coach Luke Fickell said, "but how much he maybe improved from last week to this week in his punt returns."

C -- Ohio State's punt unit

It cost the Buckeyes, then helped save the Buckeyes.

For the second time in three games, dating back to last season's Sugar Bowl, Ohio State allowed a huge blocked punt. Last time it nearly fueled an Arkansas late-game comeback. This time it set up Toledo's first score, as Kishon Wilcher blocked the punt at the Buckeyes' 23 and Morgan Williams recovered it at the 1. After a penalty, Eric Page gave the Rockets the lead with a 6-yard touchdown catch and a 2-point pass on the conversion.

Punter Ben Buchanan looked to be a little slow getting off the kick, but Toledo also blew up the OSU blocking scheme.

"We cannot have the special teams lapses," Fickell said. "We just can't have it. ... We've got to do a better job fundamentally."

When he got his punts off, Buchanan did well, sticking Toledo inside the 20 three times. In the fourth quarter when Toledo trailed by just five points, Buchanan pinned the Rockets at the 3 and 8 to start consecutive drives.

F -- Toledo's penalties

Blame the Rockets or the refs or some combination of both, but the reality is that if the penalty totals were close, Toledo probably would have won. The Rockets had 14 for 102 yards while the Buckeyes had two for 13 yards.

The biggest problems for Toledo were three illegal formation penalties on their punt units, when apparently someone on the offensive line continued to line up incorrectly. One penalty made an 18-yard difference in field position when the Rockets were forced to punt again in the second quarter. The Buckeyes wound up taking over at Toledo's 42 and took only three plays for their touchdown drive.

The next penalty was even worse. One Vince Penza punt went for 55 yards and was downed at the Ohio State 17. The Buckeyes probably would have taken a knee there to end the half.

But a penalty forced Toledo to punt again, and Chris Fields returned that punt 69 yards for a touchdown. That swung the halftime momentum as well as the score and helped change the game.

North Miami Beach, Fla. -- Udonis Haslem hopes to be healthy enough to play soon. And he's hopeful the NBA will be back in business before too long as well. CRAIG RUTTLE/APThe Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem is optimistic the NBA will solve it's labor issues. The Miami Heat forward said Saturday that he believes the NBA's players and owners...

North Miami Beach, Fla. -- Udonis Haslem hopes to be healthy enough to play soon.

And he's hopeful the NBA will be back in business before too long as well.

CRAIG RUTTLE/APThe Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem is optimistic the NBA will solve it's labor issues.

The Miami Heat forward said Saturday that he believes the NBA's players and owners will come to terms on a new labor deal in time to save the season. The lockout is now in its third month, although there's hope that rounds of talks in recent days -- along with more scheduled for Tuesday -- means that some progress is being made.

"Both sides want to get a deal done. So that's a good thing," Haslem said. "At least both sides want to get a deal done. And I feel comfortable, confident that we will."

League and union officials met twice this past week, and will resume talks on Tuesday. The union plans to brief players more fully in Las Vegas on Thursday, the same day owners are scheduled to meet in Dallas.

Given that, it's possible the next few days will provide key clues to where things really stand.

"It could be a big week," Haslem said. "Compared to how much progress we've made in the past to now, this is great progress. We haven't really been able to have a conversation. There's been a lot of yelling, stuff going on. The fact that we've made some progress right now is a positive."

Haslem was speaking Saturday at a gathering to benefit the children's foundation bearing his name, one of several fundraising events he prefers doing without much publicity each year. He slipped into a pair of sandals as he emerged from the swimming pool, giving kids and guests at the event a good look at the scars that remain on his surgically repaired left foot.

He ruptured a ligament in the foot last November and missed the final 69 games of the regular season. Haslem returned midway through the playoffs and helped the Heat reach the NBA finals -- but those efforts came with a price, that being a setback in his recovery schedule. Miami wound up losing the finals to Dallas in six games.

"That's the price you pay," Haslem said. "I don't regret it at all. If I had another chance to do it, I'd do it again. I understood it was going to set me back. That was understood. That was strictly my choice."

Haslem is still in the recovery phase, and does not plan on returning to on-court play until he is pain-free. Still, he hasn't ruled out being ready if the Heat start training camp on time in early October.

For now, like just about every other NBA player, he's awaiting good news.

"If you hear that one side doesn't want it and the other side is kind of iffy, I'd be like, 'Oh, what's going on?'" Haslem said. "But the fact that both sides want to get a deal done, the way the season ended last year with the ratings being so high in the playoffs and the way our story ended, the story line is already written for next season if we have one. It'd be a shame if we didn't."

Manny Acta, despite injuries and the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, still feels confident in the Indians' starting pitching talent and depth.

CHICAGO -- When the season began, the Indians felt good about their starting pitching in the big leagues and the minors. Now the season is almost over and the arms have been thinned out.

Carlos Carrasco will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday. Josh Tomlin is nursing a sore right elbow and Drew Pomeranz and Alex White were traded to Colorado for Ubaldo Jimenez.

In September the starting five looks like this: Justin Masterson, Jimenez, Fausto Carmona, David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez. Huff and Gomez are filling the vacancies created by Carrasco and Tomlin.

"The Carrasco injury has put a little dent in our depth," said manager Manny Acta. "But Gomez and Huff have given us some hope by the way both of them have thrown."

Gomez, who beat the White Sox on Friday night, is 3-2 overall, but all three of his wins have come since he replaced Tomlin in late August. Huff is 2-4 with a 3.05 ERA in eight games, including seven starts.

They both started the year at Class AAA Columbus. Right-hander Zach McAllister is still there after making two spot start for the Tribe. Another starter, left-hander Scott Barnes, was injured before the Indians could call him up.

"I know that McAllister has struggled here in two starts, but he's pitched so well in Triple-A that he's an option," said Acta. "It's too bad that Barnes went down with a knee injury. He's a guy we're very high on and we feel he can contribute next year."

McAllister went 12-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 25 starts at Columbus. Barnes was 7-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 16 appearances, including 15 starts, at Columbus.

While Carrasco will miss next year, the Indians feel Tomlin should be able to pitch again before the end of the season.

"If we were concerned about Josh, we would just shut him down for the year," said Acta. "He tested well with the doctors and trainers the other day.

"You never have enough pitching, but we feel with the experience Huff and Gomez have gotten the last two years, we're OK. Adding Ubaldo to the mix has really helped."

Before you ask, the Indians have no intention of moving reliever Nick Hagadone back to the rotation.

Welcome to Coors: White was the winning pitcher for Colorado on Saturday despite giving up five homers at Coors Field in a 12-7 win over the Reds. White (2-1) has allowed 12 homers in 32 innings since the Indians sent him to the Rockies.

Running man: Travis Hafner (strained right foot) ran the bases Saturday before the Indians lost to the White Sox, 7-3, in 10 innings.

If he comes through that OK, it would not be surprising to see him activated to play against the Rangers or Twins on this road trip.

Comfort zone: Shelley Duncan is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with give homers and 10 RBI in his last seven games. It started with a two-homer game against the Royals on Sept. 4. He hit two more homers against the Tigers on Wednesday and homered again Saturday to give him five in the last seven games.

"I'm just feeling comfortable at the plate and in the outfield," said Duncan.

Finally: Carmona, who started Saturday, is 0-2 with a 9.24 ERA in his last three starts. ... The Indians walked 11 Saturday, the most in a game since walking 12 against the Yankees on July 29, 2010. ... Asdrubal Cabrera continues his September slide. He's hitting .152 (5-for-33) with one homer and four RBI this month. ... The Indians, following Saturday's walk-off loss, are 22-17 in games decided in the last at-bat.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Ohio State offense isn't scaring defenses right now. And the offensive line is noticing it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State offense isn't scaring defenses right now. And the offensive line is noticing it.

The Buckeyes struggled to run the ball in Saturday's 27-22 win over Toledo, partly because Ohio State is still working in three young linemen in left tackle Andrew Norwell and guards Jack Mewhort and Marcus Hall and partly because the Toledo defense didn't fear the pass and could stack the line against the run.

"We knew they were going to bring the safeties down," right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "It was like running into a nine-man box at times, but we've got to adjust to that and open up holes and give our backs a chance no matter what happens."

The Buckeyes did that on one crucial play, which popped running back Carlos Hyde through a hole on the left side for a 36-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Take that play away, and running backs Hyde and Rod Smith averaged 2.6 yards on the rest of their 26 runs, gaining just 68 yards.

"It was hard, they were moving a lot," center Mike Brewster said of the Toledo defense. "We didn't get to run hardly any of our base plays we like to run. We ran outside a lot because it was such a mess inside."

Those outside run plays aren't the strength of Hyde and Smith, but smaller, quicker backs Jordan Hall (suspended) and Jaamal Berry (not in game shape after coming back from a hamstring injury) weren't used.

Taking away those options, along with suspended receiver DeVier Posey and injured receiver Corey "Philly" Brown, who reinjured his ankle in the second quarter, and there aren't many big-play threats left on the field. Freshman receiver Devin Smith caught a critical 36-yard crossing route on the go-ahead touchdown drive and a 31-yarder later in the game, but the rest of the receivers had just four grabs.

So the Rockets crept toward the line of scrimmage. The Buckeyes couldn't make them pay often enough, on the ground or in the air.

"A lot of times it was one extra guy down there," quarterback Joe Bauserman said, "and we couldn't get to him."

Stoneburner's day: On some important third downs Saturday, tight end Jake Stoneburner came out of the game. In preseason practice, the Buckeyes had often lined up Stoneburner as a slot receiver, but so far this season, he has been mostly a tight end. As probably the best pass catcher on the team, it seems counterproductive to send him to the sidelines when the Buckeyes need yards the most.

"It really doesn't matter to me as long as we're making plays," Stoneburner said. "There are times when I'd like to be out there making plays, but I feel like my time will come."

That time came on the first drive, when Stoneburner and Bauserman both saw the safeties step toward the line in the middle of the field and the corners drop back on the edges, freeing them to connect over the middle for a 26-yard touchdown. It was Stoneburner's fourth touchdown catch of the season.

"That's why we ran it," Stoneburner said. "It was wide open and Joe read it and I read it and it worked out. I saw open grass and Joe was on the same page."

But Stoneburner will most remember a wide open drop on fourth-and-3 in the second quarter.

"I think I got excited and short-armed it," Stoneburner said. "I was so mad. ... It felt like any time we started rolling something would happen."

Fundamentals and fumbling: The Buckeyes were shaky at some of the basics Saturday. OSU coach Luke Fickell was most upset about missed tackles. But a fumble for the second straight week by freshman running back Rod Smith is what gave Toledo a chance to make its final drive.

The guess is that this fumble will send Smith to sidelines next week, just for a short break, if either Hall or Berry are ready to go as other tailback options.

Eddie George's fumbling issues early in his career makes for a great story to tell young backs, but it won't necessarily make them hold on to the ball.

"I'm not down on Rod," Fickell said. "I'm not sure that really helped define Eddie when he was here, but I made sure [Smith] understands that situation, that that's happened to some of the great ones."