Losing to a team expected to be their inferior has some already conceding that 2011 will be more of the same for the Browns. Numerous other Browns links.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBengals tight end Jermaine Gresham shakes off Browns' safety T.J. Ward and catches a two-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton in the first quarter of Cincinnati's 27-17 win at Cleveland on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns' season-opening 27-17 loss to a team expected to be their inferior, the Cincinnati Bengals, has pundits jumping off the bandwagon before the the wheels were even on.

James Walker has a vote in the ESPN.com power rankings, which won't be determined until after Monday night's two NFL games.

Walker knows his thinking on the Browns, though, writing about them:

Last week’s vote: No. 29

Projected vote: No. 30-32

Analysis: Are the Browns as bad as they showed in Week 1? Penalties and mental and physical errors killed Cleveland. The Browns were expected to be a better and smarter football team than last season but didn't show it against the Bengals. They have another winnable game next week against the Peyton Manning-less Colts. If Cleveland blows this one, it could be a very long season.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes (with updates throughout Monday and leading up to Sunday's road game against the Indianapolis Colts) Browns beat writer Tony Grossi's Browns podcast; Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot's interview on Starting Blocks TV; Grossi's game story on the Browns' loss to the Bengals; Terry Pluto's post-game thoughts; numerous other post-game stories and reports on the Browns-Bengals game and NFL happenings.

Goal to goal 

A "fan's perspective" on the Browns' loss to the Bengals, by Paul Rados for Yahoo! Sports.

It was a game of mixed results for Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, Fred Greetham writes for FoxSportsOhio.com.

Browns notes by Mike McLain of the Warren Tribune Chronicle, leading off with return man Josh Cribbs' excellent performance.

A dozen things learned from the Browns' season-opener, including deserved kudos for running back Peyton Hillis, who got virtually no blocking in front of him. By Hayden Grove for the Bleacher Report.

The play of linebacker D'Qwell Jackson was one of the Browns' few bright spots, and other observations by Daniel Wolf for the National Football Authority.

The Browns' mistake-riddled performance, by Brian Dulik for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette.

Browns' opening day doldrums, by Don Delco for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report.

The Bengals' formula for success against the Browns. By Geoff Hobson for bengals.com.

The Browns' next opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, will be without star quarterback Peyton Manning, who has had two neck surgeries in the last four months. The Houston Texans routed the Colts, 34-7, in the teams' season-opener. Phil Richards writes for the Indianapolis Star that the Colts are taking the "it's just one game" approach.

From the Indianapolis Star, video on how bad the Colts looked at Houston.

How Week 1 has gone for rookie head coaches -- including the Browns' Pat Shurmur -- by Nate Davis for USAToday.com.

The Bengals had no substitution violation on their 41-yard game-winning TD over the Browns, a source told The Plain Dealer. The Browns had ample time to sub.

Scott Heckel, The Repository, via APThe Bengals' A.J. Green scores on a quick-snap play Sunday during Cincinnati's win over the Browns.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Bengals had no substitution violation on their quicksnap that caught the Browns off guard and resulted in the game-winning 41-yard touchdown, the NFL has determined, a league source told The Plain Dealer today.

Instead, the Browns had ample time to substitute after the Bengals changed personnel and snapped the ball with 14 seconds remaining, the league source said.

The only thing the officials did wrong on the play was not catch the Browns with 12 men on the field, according to the source.

That happened because Browns defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, as the Browns were subbing to their nickel defense, inadvertently sent rookie nickelback Buster Skrine onto the field. Skrine was sent in because nickleback Dimitri Patterson had sat out the previous play with an ankle injury.

Henderson was unaware that Patterson had already gone back out on the field, which gave the Browns 12. When Skrine realized Patterson was there, he ran over to the far side of the field, thinking perhaps the Browns were in dime defense with six backs, but they weren't.

Coach Pat Shurmur acknowledged today that the Browns had no excuses for getting caught off guard. He said they should have called the timeout and should have gotten the play covered.

More details to come, but the Bengals burned the Browns on a legal play.

Case McCoy and David Ash will play against UCLA, with Garrett Gilbert benched. McCoy, a sophomore, directed fourth-quarter TD drive for 17-16 win over BYU.

Associated PressCase McCoy (6), the younger brother of Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, is slated to share QB duties for Texas in its game on Saturday against UCLA.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Garrett Gilbert is out as the starting quarterback at No. 24 Texas. The Longhorns will go with Case McCoy and David Ash at UCLA.

McCoy and Ash came off the bench last week and rotated snaps in leading Texas to a come-from-behind 17-16 win over BYU. McCoy led the drive for the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. He finished 7 of 8 passing for 57 yards.

McCoy is a sophomore and the younger brother of former Texas quarterback and current Cleveland Browns starter Colt McCoy. Ash is a freshman.

Gilbert, a junior, had won the starting job in camp, but threw two early interceptions against BYU and was booed by the home crowd.

Quarterback isn't the only change for the Longhorns. Freshman Malcolm Brown is listed as the starting tailback after leading Texas in rushing the first two games.

"We had chances after that play to come back. We got nothing done and then quit and let Benson run for the TD. Should have drafted O-line depth in the 4th instead of picking Marecic and a 3rd string TE. Weak O-line and Vickers not there to blow up LBs hurt the running game. Everyone knew RT needed to be a priority. Pashos can't stay on the field." - Scott Player

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerPat Shurmur had a rough first day on the sideline as a head coach.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns had ample time to sub, Bengals' quick snap was legal, league source says, cleveland.com reader Scott Player thinks that play didn't lose the game for the Browns. This reader writes,

"We had chances after that play to come back. We got nothing done and then quit and let Benson run for the TD. Should have drafted O-line depth in the 4th instead of picking Marecic and a 3rd string TE. Weak O-line and Vickers not there to blow up LBs hurt the running game. Everyone knew RT needed to be a priority. Pashos can't stay on the field."

"Just too early to tell how this trade will come out. White has been getting shelled in the National League, even though he is 2-1 for the Rockies. I think it's because he has been out for so long with the injury to the finger - he is practically starting over. Pomerenz was impressive too. I still think Jimenez will be fine once he settles down a bit. He has great stuff." - fliegeroh

View full sizeAP Photo | Jack DempseyDrew Pomeranz made his Rockies debut on Sunday.

In response to the story Drew Pomeranz pitches 5 scoreless, 2-hit innings to win big league debut; Colorado Rockies 4-1 over Cincinnati Reds, cleveland.com reader fliegeroh thinks it's too early to judge the trade for Ubaldo Jimenez. This reader writes,

"Just too early to tell how this trade will come out. White has been getting shelled in the National League, even though he is 2-1 for the Rockies. I think it's because he has been out for so long with the injury to the finger - he is practically starting over. Pomerenz was impressive too. I still think Jimenez will be fine once he settles down a bit. He has great stuff."

Send us your video questions to be a part of our show this week.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerHave a question about the Browns? Send us a video and it could be featured on our weekly Browns show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Voting in this week's You Pick the Game high school football contest is under way. Access the online poll on the right to decide where The Plain Dealer sends one of its reporters Friday night. Voting is open until noon Thursday. The winner will be announced in Friday's Sports section. Which game do you want to...

Benedictine receiver Marshall Howell stretches over the endzone line for a score Friday as Bedford cornerback Tyvis Powell makes the tackle. The game won last week's You Pick the Game contest. Benedictine won, 27-19. - (John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Voting in this week's You Pick the Game high school football contest is under way. Access the online poll on the right to decide where The Plain Dealer sends one of its reporters Friday night. Voting is open until noon Thursday. The winner will be announced in Friday's Sports section.

Buckeyes have won three of the four games they have played against the Buffaloes.

Plain DealerOhio State fans will greet Colorado for the first time in 25 years on Sept. 24.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio State Buckeyes' Sept. 24 game in Columbus against Colorado will kick off at 3:30 p.m., it was announced on Monday.

The game will be televised by ABC. Ohio State is 2-0 going into Saturday night's game at Miami (Fla.), which is 0-1. Colorado, in its first season as a member of the PAC-10 after leaving the Big 12, takes an 0-2 record into its home game on Saturday against Colorado State (2-0).

Ohio State has won three of the four games it has played against Colorado's Buffaloes:

1986: Ohio State 13, Colorado 10, at Ohio State

1985: Ohio State 36, Colorado 13, at Colorado

Jan. 1, 1977 Orange Bowl: Ohio State 27, Colorado 10

1971: Colorado 20, Ohio State 14, at Ohio State

The co-founder of Cornerstone for Hope, a charity for grieving families that put on the benefit, said he wasn't aware of the $200 given to each of three Buckeyes -- Jordan Hall, Travis Howard and Corey Brown -- at the formal dinner and charity auction.

View full sizeChuck Crow, PD"Cornerstone did not pay any players," co-founder Mark Tripodi said Monday of the charity event last February in which three Ohio State players participated and have since been suspended by the NCAA for receiving improper monies. "If we have 800 people in that room, I don't have control of everything that happened that night."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Feb. 19 charity event in Independence where Ohio State football players received money in violation of NCAA rules was one of the rare charity functions outside the Columbus area that has been approved in past years by the Ohio State compliance department.

The co-founder of Cornerstone for Hope, a charity for grieving families that put on the benefit, said he wasn't aware of the $200 given to each of three Buckeyes -- Jordan Hall, Travis Howard and Corey Brown -- at the formal dinner and charity auction.

"Cornerstone did not pay any players. And we did not approve anybody paying players, or have any knowledge that this could happen at a Cornerstone event," co-founder Mark Tripodi said Monday. "If we have 800 people in that room, I don't have control of everything that happened that night."

According to Ohio State's self-report to the NCAA, two of the suspended players said a former player gave them money at the event. Another said a person that Ohio State classified as a "representative of athletics interests" provided the money. All the names were blacked out in the report released by Ohio State.

Two other players in attendance said they weren't given any money, but they did see someone walking around with several envelopes.

Hall, Howard and Brown were suspended for Ohio State's first two games of the season. The NCAA is continuing to investigate and conduct interviews about the violations, with Ohio State preparing for its third game of the season Saturday at Miami (Fla.). The players must be reinstated by the NCAA in order to play. Tripodi said neither the NCAA nor Ohio State has contacted him or anyone at Cornerstone since the violations were discovered on Aug. 31.

Ohio State receives about 220 requests a year for players and coaches to attend charity events. OSU compliance director Doug Archie said in an interview Monday that his department, after some checking, approves about 90 percent of those requests as being from reputable charities. It's then up to individual sports to determine which events to attend.

While Cornerstone for Hope has received OSU approval for events in recent years, the school's report to the NCAA stated the charity was not cleared for involvement by players in 2011.

Archie, speaking generally about policy and not specifically about these violations, said about one percent of the charity events take place outside of the Columbus area. The Embassy Suites in Independence, site of the Cornerstone event, is 133 miles from Ohio Stadium.

Tripodi said he has worked with Ohio State over the eight years of this dinner, filling out forms and talking with OSU compliance officials. He said he couldn't be certain he dealt with the compliance office every year, but said it was the majority of the time.

Former Buckeyes and Glenville High stars Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. have been involved with the charity for years, and both were in attendance in February.

The OSU players were cited for violations for both accepting the money and not getting prior approval to attend the event. According to NCAA rules, players may be reimbursed for travel expenses, but Archie said Ohio State asks for those expenses to be paid to the school, which then reimburses the players. And he said in the case of local events, Ohio State typically turns down offers to pay for expenses. Clearly, Ohio State wants to avoid players receiving cash at events.

Aside from the three suspended players, former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor attended the event, as well as former linebacker Jonathan Newsome. Both were with the Buckeyes then, but left the program and the school before the start of this season.

Tripodi said the event netted about $300,000 for Cornerstone for Hope, making it the largest fundraiser of the year for the charity which, according to tax records, has an annual budget of about $850,000.

One of the fundraising tools was advertising $5,000 Platinum Premier Tables, which allowed corporate sponsors to donate that money for a table of 10 and ensure that a "celebrity guest" would be at the table. Those guests included the Buckeyes in attendance, as well as professional athletes and Cleveland-area media personalities. Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland has attended the event the last two years, and Sen. Sherrod Brown has attended in the past as well.

Tripodi said he doesn't believe the corporate donors buy the tables primarily to meet the celebs, but instead are more interested in helping the charity -- though he did admit Pryor was popular in February. He's concerned that these NCAA violations could have a negative effect on Cornerstone for Hope.

"It concerns me that people would think this is a shoddy organization or think Cornerstone paid people to come," Tripodi said. "I wouldn't be human if that didn't concern me. We're about serving grieving families, and that's our mission."

Breaking down this week's three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

View full sizeAP fileTexas shortstop Elvis Andrus (right, with teammate Ian Kinsler) has tormented the Indians with a .414 average as the Rangers have won six of the seven games between the teams this season.

Where: Rangers Ballpark at Arlington.

When: Tuesday through Thursday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio for all three games, ESPN Wednesday; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: Justin Masterson (11-9, 3.01) vs. LHP Matt Harrison (11-9, 3.50) Tuesday at 8:05 p.m.; LHP David Huff (2-4, 3.05) vs. LHP Derek Holland (13-5, 4.12) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Fausto Carmona (6-15, 5.18) vs. RHP Alexi Ogando (12-8, 3.71) Thursday at 8:05 p.m.

Season series: The Indians are 1-6 against Texas. Texas leads, 231-188, overall.

Indians update: Just split a four-game series with Chicago, but have lost seven of their last 11. They're hitting .202 (47-for-233) as a team against the Rangers and have been outscored, 42-23. Frank Herrmann is the only Tribe pitcher to beat the Rangers this year.

Rangers update: They've won six of their last 10, but can't shake the second-place Angels in the AL West. Rangers are hitting .294 (75-for-255) against the Indians and Elvis Andrus at .414 (12-for-29) with nine RBI is one of the reasons. Holland and Ogando are each 1-0 against the Tribe this year.

Injuries: Indians -- RHP Josh Tomlin (right elbow), OF Michael Brantley (right hand), RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) and OF Shin-Soo Choo (left side) are on the disabled list. 3B Jack Hannahan (left calf) is day to day. Rangers: OF Julio Borbon (left ankle), OF Nelson Cruz (left hamstring), RHP Darren O'Day (right shoulder), RHP Mason Tobin (right elbow), RHP Brandon Wells (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Cruz could be activated Tuesday.

Next: Indians start 10-game trip Thursday with four-game series against White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

 STRONGSVILLE, O. - Jeanette Howard, a former standout at Valley Forge and Baldwin-Wallace, has resigned as Strongsville's softball coach after six seasons.    "It was a hard decision because I love coaching,'' said Howard, "but I have so much going on right now I can't make a 100 percent commitment to the program.''

 STRONGSVILLE, O. - Jeanette Howard, a former standout at Valley Forge and Baldwin-Wallace, has resigned as Strongsville's softball coach after six seasons.
 

 "It was a hard decision because I love coaching,'' said Howard, "but I have so much going on right now I can't make a 100 percent commitment to the program.''

  Jeanette and her husband, Adam Howard, have a young son plus her Explosion Fastpitch business has grown by leaps and bounds.

  "I haven't ruled out coaching high school softball in the distant future, I just can't do it right now,'' said Jeanette, a cancer survivor.

  She led the Mustangs to a 15-8 record last spring to raise her career mark to 104-57.

Agent Mark Bartelstein said he's spoken to multiple European teams about the 6-foot-7 Notre Dame product, but there is no deal imminent.

APCavalier forward Luke Harangody is looking into options overseas if the NBA lockout continues.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers forward Luke Harangody is weighing the option of playing overseas if the NBA lockout continues.

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, said he's spoken to multiple European teams about the 6-foot-7 Notre Dame product, but stressed there is no deal imminent.

"If we feel it's the right fit we would have to consider it," Bartelstein said.

Harangody averaged 3.9. points and 2.9 rebounds in 49 games during his rookie season, split between the Cavs and Boston Celtics. He has spent the summer training in the Chicago area and participating in pick-up games with other NBA players.

As for the lockout plans of other Cavs players:

• Guard Baron Davis has enrolled in fall classes at UCLA. He also attended summer classes.

• Guard Kyrie Irving also is back at school. He's taking fall classes at Duke.

• Forward Ryan Hollins is pursuing an internship with Fox Sports in Los Angeles. He wants to get into broadcasting following his basketball career.

- Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot talks with team members after the loss Sunday to the Bengals. Watch video

Sunday's game at Indianapolis will test how quickly the rookie head coach can correct his team's shoddy execution.

View full sizePhil Masturzo, Akron Beacon-JournalPat Shurmur may not be able to do much about the youth of his Browns roster, but he is responsible for players avoiding the mistakes that doomed the Browns on Sunday, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let's hope Pat Shurmur is right when he says some of the biggest improvements during the NFL season are made between the first and second games. And let's hope the Browns head coach and his staff can clean some of the sloppy, empty-headed plays that led to the 27-17 loss to Cincinnati in Sunday's opener.

For the Browns, there are two separate issues. The biggest is talent. The Browns are too young and thin at too many key positions to be a playoff contender in the AFC North.

Right tackle could be a problem all season, as veteran Tony Pashos is still out. The Browns claimed two players off the waiver wire -- Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks. They split the right tackle spot, and neither impressed. Right guard Shawn Lauvao also struggled, and none of the receivers did anything in the first week to make you think that suddenly the questions at that position will suddenly be answered.

The Browns started eight players in their first or second seasons, and played a dozen for a significant number of snaps. That much youth is not a recipe for a fast start to a season. The team is still learning the West Coast offense and the 4-3 defense, both major changes from how they played a year ago. It's ridiculous to expect these alterations to progress smoothly.

So lack of talent, young players and a new coaching staff with new philosophies on offense and defense can lead to some very ragged play.

But it should not produce four false start penalties. Any pro team should be able to line up properly and know the snap count -- especially at home, where crowd noise is not a major factor.

As Shurmur said, three were "committed by guys who were here last season." He meant Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas, and Lauvao (who played three games last season). The fourth was charged to rookie defensive end Jabaal Sheard.

Seattle tied the Browns for the most penalties on the opening weekend -- 11. Carolina was next with 10. No surprise that all three teams also lost.

The Browns drew five flags in their first eight offensive plays -- three offsides along with Shurmur himself for bumping into an official. Fullback Owen Marecic also was penalized for offensive pass interference -- it was declined.

There is no need to deal with every penalty, other than to say that seven had to do with jumping too soon on snap counts and other mental missteps.

Another breakdown was the Bengals' quick snap that led to a 41-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green with 4:31 left. That put the Bengals in front to stay at 20-17. Shurmur has wisely backed off his claim that the Bengals substituted, so the Browns should have been given more time to substitute. That's because the "quick snap" really wasn't all that quick -- there were 14 seconds left on the 40-second clock. The Browns had 12 men on the field because they were disorganized, and should have been penalized but were not.

As Shurmur said at his Monday press conference, all the Browns had to do was call a timeout.

Shurmur said anyone could have done that: The head coach, the two defensive assistant coaches on the field or leaders of the defense such as D'Qwell Jackson. None did.

Instead, Shurmur talked about guys standing "in the middle of the field, holding hands."

The rookie head coach is vowing that things will be different this week. He will put even more emphasis on attention to detail and avoiding mental errors. We'll find out Sunday in Indianapolis if his team can actually practice and play what has been preached to them.

OSU held on against Rockets while Miami was off last weekend. Buckeyes and Hurricanes rosters remain impacted by NCAA investigations. More Ohio State links.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State's Jake Stoneburner (11) celebrates with teammates after catching a touchdown pass from Joe Bauserman during OSU's 27-22 win over Toledo last Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State's Buckeyes, the nation's 17th-ranked team, play at unranked Miami (Fla.) on Saturday night in a matchup of big-time football programs shadowed by controversy.

A strong case can be made that OSU was outplayed by Toledo in the Buckeyes' 27-22 win over the Rockets in Columbus on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Miami's Hurricanes (0-1) had the week off. Circumstances leave observers wondering what to make of the Ohio State-Miami matchup, as both teams search for an identity in the midst of NCAA investigations.

Jorge Milian writes for the Palm Beach Post that Miami coach Al Golden thinks Toledo did the Hurricanes no favors, saying about the Buckeyes:

"The cage is rattled now," Golden said Monday. "If they were caught off guard in that game, they won't be this game."

Both UM and Ohio State are caught up in NCAA investigations that have depleted their ranks. UM will be without defensive end Olivier Vernon and safety Ray-Ray Armstrong, both serving NCAA-imposed suspensions. The Buckeyes could be without seven players, including several starters, as part of a scandal that resulted in the departure of long-time coach Jim Tressel.

"They are encountering some of the same issues that we have - some of their best players were out for the [Toledo] game," Golden said. "I don't know who they're going to have. I finally know who we're going to have and we'll move forward."

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' report that a charity co-founder has no knowledge of payments being made to three Ohio State players; Lesmerises' Buckeye Leaves; his Weekly Wolverine Watch, tracking the Ohio State rival Michigan Wolverines; his National College Football Insider; his This Week in CFB; news that Ohio State's Sept. 24 home game against Colorado will kick off at 3:30 p.m.; much more.

Through the uprights

Back-and-forth discussion of Ohio State football from Tim May and Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.    

Defensive lineman John Simon came through for the Buckeyes, Brandon Castel writes for the-Ozone.net.

OSU Insider by Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

A Buckeyes depth chart update for the Miami game, by Brandon Castel of the-Ozone.net.

ESPN.com power rankings after college football's first two weeks.

The FoxSports.com Top 25.

Miami looks to come back from its season-opening 32-24 loss at Maryland on Sept. 5, writes Manny Navarro for the Miami Herald.

Ohio State looks like a three-loss team with some weaknesses, Fred Stratmann writes for the Bleacher Report.

Toledo wide receiver Eric Page is the Mid-American Conference West Division's offensive player of the week for his great game against Ohio State, reports the Toledo Blade.

Ohio State is moving ahead after its close call against Toledo. An Associated Press story on the Warren Tribune Chronicle.

A Bleacher Report slideshow on Miami's Hurricanes as they head into the Ohio State game, with comments by David Mayer.

A Bleacher Report slideshow previewing the Ohio State-Miami game, with comments by Martha Copp.

Wide receiver Duron Carter, the ex-Buckeye who is the son of former Ohio State and NFL great Cris Carter, still has not been cleared to play for Alabama. By Jerry Hinnen for CBSSports.com.

Toledo's Rockets have another chance at a big-time surprise when they host Boise State on Saturday.

View full sizeAP photoCan Toledo and Tim Beckman shake off the disappointment of their narrow loss in Columbus in time for Saturday's game against Boise State?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Generally speaking, football coaches believe the third week of the season is prime for good teams pulling upsets. If true, then look for the Mid-American Conference to make a mark this week. On Friday at 8 p.m., Toledo (1-1) hosts No. 4 Boise State (2-0).

In 2003, the third weekend of the season resulted in what was nationally called "The MAC Attack." That weekend, Marshall stopped No. 6 Kansas State; Toledo toppled No. 9 Pitt; and Northern Illinois held off No. 21 Alabama. Marshall's win represented the highest-ranked team ever to fall to a MAC school.

The Rockets were close to an upset of No. 15 Ohio State (2-0) on Saturday, but 14 penalties for 102 yards helped spoil that opportunity in a 27-22 loss.

"We definitely made too many mistakes, which wound up costing us the football game," UT coach Tim Beckman said.

Having a chance at a top-10 upset in The Glass Bowl is an opportunity UT covets.

"To bring a Boise into the Glass Bowl is a vision this program has and this athletic department has, and this university has to try to make it the best for our student-athletes and the community," Beckman said.

Upset potential II: Northern Illinois (1-1), which came within nine seconds of upsetting Kansas last week, gets another opportunity against No. 7 Wisconsin (2-0) in a game that will be played at Chicago's Soldier Field.

"Any time you get to play a team that's ranked seventh in the nation, that's an unbelievable opportunity for our players," NIU coach Dave Doreen said. "To be on the field with a team that's so well coached, has so many good players, our guys are excited about the opportunity and the challenge Wisconsin presents. It's a program that stands for excellence, that does thing the right way."

The key for the Huskies, like Toledo, will be putting what should have been an upset win last week in the rear-view mirror.

"Those kind of games hurt," Doreen said of the 45-42 setback at Kansas. "Our kids put in a lot of time, and invested a lot of passion, so those games hurt. It was a game we expected to win. KU made one more play than we did is basically what it came down to."

Upset potential III: Temple (2-0) gets an opportunity at home against Penn State (1-1), which is coming off an emotional buildup that led to Saturday's loss to No. 3 Alabama.

"I've watched them on defense, and I think they are a phenomenal defensive team," Temple coach Steve Addazio said. "They are very, very impressive. To me, they're like an SEC defense."

Avoid the oops: Miami (1-0) looks to avoid a loss to Minnesota (0-2). The hapless Gophers gave up 421 yards of offense in defeat to a New Mexico State team that has not had a winning season since 2002 and has not defeated a major-conference team since 1999.

Century mark: Ohio coach Frank Solich won the 100th game of his career with Saturday's win over Gardner-Webb.

"I feel good about being able to reach that mark (100-55)," Solich said. "Obviously, to do that you have to be a head coach for a number of years. It was satisfying to me. I feel very good about being in a profession long enough (13 years) to get that accomplished."

  NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- Jim Hoover has resigned as North Royalton's softball coach after eight seasons.   "I have some family obligations that need my attention,'' said Hoover. "My two younger children are getting older and they need me to be there for them.   "They need me to be their father.''   Hoover's Bears compiled a 15-13 record...

  NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- Jim Hoover has resigned as North Royalton's softball coach after eight seasons.
  "I have some family obligations that need my attention,'' said Hoover. "My two younger children are getting older and they need me to be there for them.
  "They need me to be their father.''
  Hoover's Bears compiled a 15-13 record in 2010 and he steps down with a 103-70 career record.

Both teams looked to address weaknesses, but the Tigers may have found the best value in a former Mariner.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressDoug Fister spent half of the 2011 season suffering under the weight of Seattle's inept offense. Bolstered by the Tigers' bats, he has been exactly the innings-eater that Detroit coveted behind Justin Verlander.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The trades, with one exception, that have all but decided how the AL Central division was won this season were completed before the Indians arrived in Detroit for a three-game series at Comerica Park on Aug. 19.

The Indians, beset by injuries, managed to win nine of their previous 15 games, to pull within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Tigers. The Tigers, feeling confident, didn't even have their Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander scheduled to start in the series. Detroit's confidence was justified as it swept the Indians, dealing them a blow that has wobbled them to this day.

Following a 4-1 victory in the first game of the series, the Tigers started Doug Fister in Game 2. They acquired the 6-8 Fister from Seattle on July 30. Fister was 3-12 at the time of the trade, but he proceeded to hold the Indians to one run on six hits in a seven innings in a 10-1 victory.

The Indians started Ubaldo Jimenez, their counter to Fister, in Game 3 to prevent a sweep. Jimenez, who drew interest from the Tigers before the Indians acquired him from Colorado on July 31st, was gone after eight runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Outfielder Delmon Young, who started the rout of Jimenez with a three-run homer in the third, was acquired by the Tigers from the Twins in a waiver on Aug. 15. The Indians, with a worst record than the Tigers and a need of a right-handed hitting outfielder, had a chance to claim Young, but didn't.

Young added an RBI single in the fourth and finished the 8-7 victory with four RBI.

Before Young batted in the third, Wilson Betemit doubled for the first hit in the seven-run inning. He scored and later added a single and stolen base to his stat line that day. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski acquired Betemit, a switch-hitting third baseman, in a deal with Kansas City on July 20.

After the Tigers acquired Betemit, the Indians worked a deal with the Cubs for outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. He went 2-for-12 in the three-game sweep by the Tigers.

Two days after the sweep in Detroit, the Indians obtained Jim Thome in a waiver deal with the Twins. The deal was made out of need because Travis Hafner, their veteran DH, strained a tendon in his right foot rounding first base in the final game of the Detroit series. Hafner returned to the lineup Sunday in Chicago, but at the time of injury he was facing the possibility of season-ending surgery.

The fact that Thome, 41, is the Indians all-time home run leader and would sell a few more tickets didn't hurt. It would also give Thome a chance to walk into the sunset with his 600-plus homers in an Indians uniform.

The Indians enter Tuesday night's game against Texas with a 10-11 record since Detroit completed its three-game sweep on Aug. 21. Those 21 games include another three-game sweep by the Tigers at Progressive Field. They've dropped from 1 1/2 games out of first place to 11. The Tigers have gone 15-4 over that same period and went into Monday night's game against second-place Chicago with a 101/2-game lead.

Here's a closer look at the Tigers' and Indians' deals.

Tigers

• Fister: Dombrowski acquired him because their rotation was shaky behind Verlander. He was 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA for Seattle with the lowest run support of any AL starting pitcher.

Fister is 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA in eight starts since the deal. Detroit's dangerous offense has nearly doubled his run support. The Mariners averaged 2.24 runs per game in his 21 starts. In eight starts with Detroit, the Tigers are averaging four runs per game.

This is only Fister's second full season in the big leagues, which means the Tigers can control him for four more years.

• Betemit: The Tigers needed a third baseman because of Brandon Inge wasn't hitting. Betemit has hit .294 (30-for-102) with six doubles, four homers and 17 RBI in 34 games since the trade. He was available because he'd lost his starting job to rookie Mike Moustakas in Kansas City.

• Young: Detroit was looking for offense because of Magglio Ordonez's struggles. Young is hitting .305 (32-for-105) with three doubles, four homers and 19 RBI in 25 games since the deal. He was hitting .266 (81-for-304) with four homers and 32 RBI for the Twins.

Indians

• Jimenez: GM Chris Antonetti sent his top two pitching prospects in Alex White and Drew Pomeranz to the Rockies for Jimenez. He said he could not pass up the opportunity to acquire a front-of-the-rotation starter who is under control through 2013. Last year, Jimenez won 19 games and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

Jimenez is 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA in eight starts since the deal. He's struck out 48, walked 19 and allowed 48 hits in 47 innings.

• Fukudome: The Indians needed a veteran outfielder with Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore injured. Fukudome has been Antonetti's most productive acquisition. He's hitting .269 (46-for-171) with 11 doubles, three homers and 17 RBI in 42 games.

Fukudome, who has played fine defense in right and center field, is a free agent after the year.

• Thome: If nothing else, the trade gives Thome and Indians fans a chance to reach out to each other and heal the hard feelings that were created when Thome left through free agency at the end of the 2002 season. He's hitting .239 (11-for-46) with two doubles, one homer and three RBI since the deal. He was hitting .243 (50-for-206) with 12 doubles, 12 homers and 40 RBI in 71 games with the Twins.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Djokovic improves to 64-2 with 10 tournament titles -- including three Grand Slam wins. It's one of the greatest seasons in the history of men's tennis -- or any sport.

Associated PressNovak Djokovic after defeating Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, to win the U.S. Open men's singles championship.

NEW YORK, New York -- Novak Djokovic held on to beat defending champion Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1, Monday night in a final filled with lengthy, mesmerizing points to win his first U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam trophy of the year.

The top-ranked Djokovic improved to 64-2 with 10 tournament titles, one of the greatest seasons in the history of men's tennis — or any sport.

And he's perfect against Nadal in 2011 — 6-0, all in finals, including at Wimbledon in July. Djokovic also won the Australian Open in January, and is the sixth man in the Open era to collect three major titles in one year.

In the third set, Djokovic served for the match at 6-5 before Nadal broke, and after the tiebreaker, Djokovic was treated for an aching back. But Djokovic ruled the fourth set.

TimsTakePD gonna write this column in Tweets. 140 character limit. #HarderThanItLooks. LOL

View full sizeAP fileCan @TimsTakePD top @LadyGaga in followz? Fat chance.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- TimsTakePD gonna write this column in Tweets. 140 character limit. #HarderThanItLooks. LOL

Editors say must Tweet more. Wave of the future. Papers have a future?

U should follo me @TimsTakePD. I will follo U. My Tweets full of insite, humR.

JK. No insite on Twitter. How could they B? Also no spell check.

I king of in-game Tweets. Wanna no score? Follo @TimsTakePD. Join da party bra.

@MaryKayCabot queen of PD sports tweeters. 18,000 followz. #Browns fans all atwitter over penalties, bad coaching.

I have 224 followz. Just started. @TonyGrossi follows me. He follo U? I must B big time.

Know who's big time? @LadyGaga 13 million followz. @JustinBieber 12 million.

They ahead of @BarakObama 10 million followz. #OnlyInAmerica.

I get paid 2 Tweet. Went 2 college, now this. They teach Tweets at OU today? #Tuition4Tweets

U think this bad? Feel bad 4 my editor @cleveHSsports. Not 2 much. Shes getting paid 2.

MayB kids will read me now. I'm all over Twitter. I cool. hahahahaha.

Kids don't read newspapers. So we Tweet them. SMH.

SMH short 4 "Shaking My Head." Kid told me. #NotInAPstylebook.

Short attn spans must be heck 4 teachers, coaches. How U explain calculus or MenR offense in 140 characters?

Wonder, does MenR QB Mitch Trubisky (@Mtrubisky10) Tweet his receivers during games? They always connectin.

'Ville's V'Angelo Bentley motivates w/Tweets: RT @VBentley _2 "God has blessed you w/another day to get up & grind! Take advantage of it!"

Maple Hts FB playa Jeremy Graves @JGraves94 has 12,960 Tweets. Does he Tweet in sleep, class?

Some kids Tweet 2 tell us they R bored hungry tired. #LikeWeCare.

Kids figuring out Tweets R public. Can you say uh-oh? I say oh no.

PD publishes best HS sports Tweets on Fri. We have 2 read teenage girls Tweets. Way 2 creepy 4 me.

Talkin 2 U adults now. Kids stopped readin 10 grafs ago. #EasilyDistracted.

What would Mike Royko, Walt Whitman say about Twitter? #RollinOverInGraves.

Kurt Vonnegut probably B on Twitter. Luved short grafs. Hi ho. #AheadOfHisTime.

Think we should take kids smartphones. Buy them typewriters, stamps. Watch them look 4 USB port. LMBO

LMBO short 4 Laughin My Butt Off. No bad words in paper. Lotsa bad words on Twitter. #Shocking.

Son says adults ruined Facebook. He blockd me on Twitter. We gonna ruin that 2. #WeSoNotCool.

SMH.

On Twitter: TimsTakePD