Jeanmar Gomez faces Max Scherzer in Detroit.
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The White Sox haven't called the Indians to ask for permission to talk to first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. about replacilng Ozzie Guillen as manager, but there is speculation he's a candidate.
DETROIT, Mich. -- The White Sox have yet to contact the Indians to ask for permission to speak to first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., about replacing departed manager Ozzie Guillen, but they could once the season ends.
It has been speculated that Alomar is one of the candidates on GM Ken Williams' short list.
Guillen, who led the White Sox to the 2005 World Series, was released from his contract Monday. He is expected to join the Florida Marlins as their new manager.
"I don't want to get into any speculation," said Alomar, 45. "I'm with the Indians. Hopefully, we finish in second place."
Alomar left little doubt that he'd listen if the White Sox call.
"I'm definitely interested if anyone calls," he said. " But I don't want to elaborate on stuff like that, though. That's it. I have nothing else to say."
He jokingly added, "my phone is on and no one has called."
Alomar is finishing his second year as a coach on manager Manny Acta's staff. He's drawn praise for his work with the team's catchers. Last winter he was a finalist to manage the Blue Jays, a job that went to former Indians right-hander John Farrell. The Phillies also tried to hire Alomar as a bench coach.
He has never managed at any level professionally.
In his 20-year career, Alomar played for the Indians from 1990-2000. He played for the White Sox from 2001-04, outside of a brief fling with the Rockies in 2002. He returned to the White Sox in 2006.
Alomar said going through the interview process last winter with the Blue Jays was helpful.
"Tremendously," said Alomar. "What kind of preparation you have and what kind of type of guy you are and how you would treat people and players.
"That's the bottom line. You learn so many things. How much you know the league and who you're going to compete against. And what you would do differently. That's the main thing they asked, but that's about all I'm going to give you."
Alomar lives in Chicago with his wife, Margred, and their children.
Tonight's lineup:
Indians (80-79): RF Kosuke Fukudome (L), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), 1B Carlos Santana (S), DH Jim Thome (L), LF Shelley Duncan (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), SS Jason Donald (R), CF Ezequiel Carrera (L), C Lou Marson (R), RHP Jeanmar Gomez (5-2, 3.52).
Tigers: (9367): CF Austin Jackson (R), 3B Wilson Betemit (S), LF Delmon Young R), 1B Miguel Cabrera (R), DH Victor Martinez (S), C Alex Avila (L), RF Magglio Ordonez (R), SS Jhonny Peralta (R), 2B Ryan Raburn (R), RHP Dan Scherzer (14-9, 4.37).
Umpires: H Tony Randazzo, 1B Dan Bellino, 2B Manny Gonzalez, 3B Brian Gorman.
Him vs. me: Young is 3-for-6 against Gomez. Thome is 5-for-11 with four RBI against Scherzer.
Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .318 (34-for-107) with one homer and righties .264 (29-for-110) with three homers against Gomez. The Tigers have three lefties, including two starters, in the lineup.
Lefties are hitting .282 (113-for-401) with 19 homers and righties are hitting .259 (87-for-336) with 10 homers against Scherzer. The Indians have six lefties, including one switch-hitter, in the lineup.
Next: The Indians end the season Wednesday night as right-hander Zach McAllister (0-1, 5.83) faces Detroit's Rich Porcello (14-9, 4.76) at 7:05 at Comerica Park.
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Javaris Crittenton, former NBA player, is granted a bond.
ATLANTA -- A judge granted bond Tuesday to ex-NBA player Javaris Crittenton, charged with murder in an August drive-by shooting in Atlanta.
Fulton County Magistrate Judge Karen Woodson allowed Crittenton to go free on $230,000 bond after hearing hours of testimony from the player's friends and coaches. She also ordered former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt and others who testified on his behalf to co-sign the bond.
Woodson rejected a motion to dismiss the charges against Crittenton in the shooting of 22-year-old Julian Jones, who was killed as she walked along an Atlanta street. Police have said the shots were aimed at someone walking with Jones.
Defense attorney Brian Steel said his client is not guilty and the charges are based on faulty eyewitness testimony. Crittenton has denied any involvement and his attorney said he will be exonerated.
Hewitt, the men's basketball coach at George Mason University, testified that Crittenton called him hours before the shooting and was "very upbeat." He said he does not believe Crittenton would be involved in any violence.
Atlanta police detective James Thorpe testified during Tuesday's hearing that Crittenton was picked out of a photo lineup by a witness walking with Jones when she was shot. Thorpe said the witness had a "good, clear look" at the gunman.
Thorpe said the witness then picked Crittenton out of a photo lineup and that a neighbor also identified the former Washington Wizards player as the shooter.
Crittenton starred at Georgia Tech and then was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 19th overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He pleaded guilty last year to a gun charge after a locker room altercation with Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas and served a year of unsupervised probation.
"The flag for excessive celebration was ludicrous. These guys aren't robots. Excessive celebrations are one thing, but not even letting them react to a score is another." - cmac181
In response to the story Cleveland Browns: No reason they shouldn't beat Tennessee Titans on Sunday, says Dennis Manoloff (SBTV), cleveland.com reader cmac181 is still upset about the celebration penalty on Sunday. This reader writes,
"The flag for excessive celebration was ludicrous. These guys aren't robots. Excessive celebrations are one thing, but not even letting them react to a score is another."
WESTLAKE, O. - Carroll chooses Quinnipiac: Westlake's 6-0 senior forward Katie Carroll has given the Quinnipiac women's basketball program her oral commitment. "There's a family atmosphere there and a very good biology department,'' said Carroll, who plans on pursuing a future in biological science.
WESTLAKE, O. - Carroll chooses Quinnipiac: Westlake's 6-0 senior forward Katie Carroll has given the Quinnipiac women's basketball program her oral commitment.
"There's a family atmosphere there and a very good biology department,'' said Carroll, who plans on pursuing a future in biological science.
Carroll, who also visited Penn, Brown, Colgate and Lehigh, averaged 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and shot 71 percent from the foul line as a junior.
"I think I can make an immediate impact at Quinnipiac,'' said Carroll, who expects to play either the 3 or 4 at the next level.
Quinnipiac, located in Hamden Ct., went 14-16 overall and 11-7 last season in the Northeast Conference.
THE END
There wasn't much national buzz when the Tennessee Titans replaced long-time coach Jeff Fisher with Mike Munchak, but they are off to a 2-1 start.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the first time in 17 years, the Tennessee Titans are coached by someone other than Jeff Fisher.
Fisher was the longest-tenured NFL coach and had more 8-8 seasons (five) than anyone of his era. But he did take the former Houston Oilers to the Super Bowl after the 1999 season, which earned him exulted status in the coaching ranks. His resignation because of burnout one month after the 2010 season ended was a shocker.
The Titans didn't panic because they had an in-house replacement in Mike Munchak, who played and coached for the franchise the previous 26 years.
While some noted NFL head coaches are waiting in line for their call to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Munchak's bust already is on display. The former Oilers offensive guard was inducted in 2001, making him the only current NFL head coach in the Hall of Fame as a player and just the seventh since 1970. Three have taken teams to Super Bowls as coaches -- Raymond Berry, Mike Ditka and Forrest Gregg.
Munchak's playing career and his dues-paying stint as an excellent offensive line coach gave him instant credibility in the Titans' locker room. A no-nonsense player and coach from the old school, Munchak immediately shook things up by banning loud music and video game systems, tightened the dress code on road trips, instituted fines and made practices tougher and faster-paced.
The knock on Fisher at the end was that he became a little lax in these areas, so Munchak was intent on changing the culture.
The early returns are positive. The Titans are 2-1. They are one of five teams with that record among the eight with new coaches, including the Browns.
It's too early to tell whether Munchak is the driving force of the unexpected fast start or whether it is quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The 36-year-old veteran of 10 seasons in Seattle is off to the best start of his 14-year career.
Hasselbeck has thrown for 932 yards in three games and is completing 69.6 percent of his throws -- over 9 percent more than his career average. His signing as a free agent seemed to conflict with the vertical passing approach of new coordinator Chris Palmer, the former Browns head coach, but so far the marriage has been sweet.
Hasselbeck has failed to last because of injuries in each of his last three seasons in Seattle, however. If that happens this year, the Titans will be excited to see their No. 1 pick, strong-armed Jake Locker, take over.
In the meantime, Munchak embarks this week on life after Kenny Britt, the team's only big-play receiver, who was lost for the year with a knee injury.
The first major team injury is a baptism, of sorts, for any NFL head coach. Consider Munchak christened.
On Twitter: @Tony Grossi
Tony Grossi's Scouting Report
Browns vs. Tennessee Titans
Sunday 1 p.m. in Cleveland Browns Stadium
Record: 2-1.
Last game: Beat Denver, 17-14, Sept. 25, in Nashville, Tenn.
Coach: Mike Munchak, 2-1, first year.
Series record: Browns lead, 33-28 (counting postseason).
Last meeting: Titans won, 28-9, Dec. 7, 2008, in Nashville.
League rankings: Offense is 17th overall (32nd rushing, seventh passing), defense is first (eighth rushing, second passing) and turnover differential is plus-2.
Offensive overview: Coordinator Chris Palmer's vertical passing game would seem to disagree with the skill set of West Coast-bred Matt Hasselbeck, but the QB is off to his best start in 13 NFL seasons. Excellent offensive line play has kept Hasselbeck injury-free. He looked beaten up the past three years in Seattle. But with go-to receiver Kenny Britt lost for the year after blowing out a knee, Palmer will have to make a big adjustment. The rest of the receiving corps is unspectacular. Second tight end Jared Cook might be used more. Palmer has been effective with creative play-calls in crucial moments. The mystery in Nashville is when Pro Bowl running back Chris Johnson will come alive. He's averaging 2.1 yards a rush and has nothing longer than nine yards since ending a 35-day holdout.
Defensive overview: Coordinator Jerry Gray's unsung defense is ranked first in the league this week. Defensive line was always the team's hallmark under former D-line coach Jim Washburn (who left for Philadelphia). Gray made his front four bigger, inserting ex-Browns tackle Shaun Smith next to rookie third-round pick Jurrell Casey in the interior. Gray also has his ends lining up closer to the tackles than the Titans previously played. Gray likes to mix up his looks, often using second-round rookie Akeem Ayers in different roles. The secondary is strong at cornerback and at safety. The defense already has six takeaways and is the AFC's best in the red zone, yielding only two touchdowns in their opponents' six visits inside the 20.
Special teams overview: Alan Lowery is in his 11th year as special teams coach. For most of his reign, his units have been upper echelon. Kicker Rob Bironas is as accurate as they come; his 85.1 field-goal percentage is fifth all-time. He only missed two last year but is 5-of-7 this year with a long of 51 yards. He has eight touchbacks on kickoffs in three games. Punter Brett Kern is 24th in gross average (41.9 yards) and 26th in net (34.6). Return specialist Marc Mariani made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. But he's been stymied, returning only one punt and not having a single kickoff return because of touchbacks.
Players to watch:
• Running back Chris Johnson: The league's premier home-run hitter at his position, he has only 98 yards on 46 attempts in three games after a long holdout resulted in a $53.5 million contract extension.
• Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck: Healthy and producing at a career-best pace, the 36-year-old ball distributor has totally silenced any hint of calls for No. 1 pick Jake Locker.
• Cornerback Cortland Finnegan: A one-time Pro Bowler with good ball awareness and a spunky attitude; not afraid to get loud and physical.
Injury report: Wide receiver Kenny Britt (knee) is out. Safety Chris Hope (shoulder) missed the last two games and will practice this week. Linebacker Gerald McRath (knee) will be evaluated during the week.
Small world: Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was Browns head coach in 1999 and 2000. ... Defensive lineman Shaun Smith played for the Browns 2007-08. ... Quality control coach Charles London was assistant manager of Cleveland Browns Stadium 2007-08. ... Receivers coach Dave Ragone is a Cleveland native and played at St. Ignatius High School.
The Monsters set numerous records in the 2010-11 regular season, but experienced a short stay in the playoffs.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For forward Justin Mercier and many of the personnel from the 2010-11 Lake Erie Monsters, the off-season was about restlessness, not relaxation. No sooner had the season ended that they began anticipating the beginning of the next one.
"The summer could not have ended fast enough," Mercier said. "I know everybody likes the nice weather and all that, but there was just that itch, where everybody needed to get back to the rink. We have unfinished business."
The Monsters set numerous records in the regular season en route to the first playoff berth in franchise history. But they let a 3-1 lead over Manitoba slip away in the opening round of the American Hockey League's Calder Cup playoffs. The Moose won Games 6 and 7 in Cleveland.
"Any time you have a 3-1 lead and end up losing, especially the way we did, it leaves a bitter taste," Mercier said. "You want to redeem yourselves, so we're excited to get it going again."
The Monsters open training camp Wednesday with a noon skating session at the team's practice facility, Hoover Arena in Strongsville. They will practice Thursday at 10 a.m. before boarding a bus for preseason games Friday night and Saturday afternoon against the Charlotte Checkers in Indian Trail, N.C.
Camp continues next week with two practices at Hoover and two at The Q. The Monsters begin their fifth season Oct. 7 at The Q against Abbotsford.
David Quinn enters his third season as a pro head coach, all with the Monsters.
"I know that, in talking to guys coming back, losing in the playoffs the way we did made for a difficult summer in a lot of ways," Quinn said. "Hopefully, we learned a valuable lesson about what it takes to close a playoff series. It's going to be fun to get another kick at the can."
Unlike the previous two camps, when the Monsters had 40-plus players at the outset, the number will be much lower. Quinn said Tuesday he anticipates 23 healthy bodies on the Hoover ice Wednesday morning.
"We felt that, in the last two years, we had so many guys we never went back to," he said. "We wanted a smaller camp to allow us to implement systems quicker. We'll be able to get right at it and keep up the tempo."
Quinn will be adjusting to a new assistant coach. Monsters General Manager David Oliver takes on double duty, replacing Dan Laperriere, who is a pro scout for the parent Colorado Avalanche.
"I can't wait to work with Ollie," Quinn said. "He's always been a guy who's loved to be on the ice from a developmental standpoint, and this gives him a chance to get on the ice and get a taste of coaching. I just hope he lets me do some coaching."
Quinn was laughing when he made the last point. On paper, at least, Quinn and Oliver figure to have a lot of fun at the expense of the opposition. Based on AHL credentials, alone, Monsters returnees are better than those of any of the previous years. At the core are veterans Greg Mauldin, David van der Gulik and David Liffiton.
"Ollie said it's the first time we've kept a veteran, let alone three, from one season to the next," Quinn said. "Having that type of continuity is huge. And we've got a lot of pieces around them."
The Monsters' most important addition figures to be goalie Cedrick Desjardins, a former standout of the Hamilton Bulldogs whom the Avalanche signed as a free agent. Desjardins is not expected to be ready, though, until late October as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
"We've brought in an elite goalie, a guy I think is an NHL goalie," Quinn said.
Neither of Lake Erie's tandem from last season -- Jason Bacashihua and John Grahame -- is back. Trevor Cann likely would start if the season opened now.
Practices at Hoover are open to the public. All 76 regular-season games will be broadcast on the Monsters hockey network, with WKNR AM/850 and WHKW AM/1220 serving as co-flagship stations. Fox Sports Ohio (10 games) and WUAB Ch. 43 (five games) will televise. Doug Plagens begins his first season as play-by-play voice.
Links to Plain Dealer stories on turning-point games for best quarterbacks in Browns' history: Otto Graham, Milt Plum, Frank Ryan, Bill Nelsen, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar. And, videos.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy directed a late touchdown drive last Sunday that gave the Cleveland Browns a 17-16 win over the Miami Dolphins at Browns Stadium.
McCoy had struggled through much of the game. It would be premature to speculate whether his late-game performance, capped by the decisive 14-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, will later be regarded as the moment when he began to mature into an accomplished, even elite, NFL quarterback.
Milestone moments can be pinpointed in every special career, however, and Sunday's game could be one that makes a lasting impact for McCoy.
The Browns have had six quarterbacks make at least 50 starts for them and have a winning record: Otto Graham (1946-55); Milt Plum (1957-61); Frank Ryan (1962-68); Bill Nelsen (1968-72); Brian Sipe (1974-83); Bernie Kosar (1985-93).
They all experienced turning points in their Browns careers. It would be silly to say that one game "did it" for any of them, but here, we look at a key game for each quarterback, thanks to cleveland.com's Browns History Database, which includes The Plain Dealer game stories for every regular season and playoff game in Browns history.
Otto Graham never had to turn a corner in his Browns' career. During his 10 seasons, he led Cleveland to all four All-America Football Conference championships before the league folded after the 1949 season, and then to six straight NFL title games -- including three wins.
Graham and the Browns did need to prove a point, though. They were ridiculed as "chump champs" when they joined the NFL for the 1950 campaign. The NFL's deep thinkers apparently felt the Browns needed to learn their place as newcomers in the established league, scheduling Cleveland to open its season against the two-time defending champion Eagles in Philadelphia.
Alas, the Browns and Graham proved they could play in any league, routing the Eagles, 35-10.
Harold Sauerbrei wrote for The Plain Dealer about the third-quarter drive that gave Graham and the Browns a 20-3 lead over the Eagles:
Graham completed five passes in a row, threw one out of bounds, and then hit Speedie for the Browns' third touchdown. On this play, which started on the 12, Otto pivoted out of the arms of two tacklers and caught Speedie in the open on the 2, from where Mac ran over.
Video: Otto Graham highlights, about eight minutes into an NFL Films feature on the all-time best quarterbacks:
Graham retired after the 1955 season, and the Browns went 5-7 in 1956 -- their only losing campaign until 1974. Then, they picked running back Jim Brown and quarterback Milt Plum in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the 1957 draft.
Milt Plum started three games in 1957, and he subbed in for veteran Tommy O'Connell long after the Browns' embarrassing 59-14 championship game loss to the Detroit Lions had been decided. Plum could not help Cleveland back to a title game in the next four years -- there were no "playoffs" then, just a championship game between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conferences -- but he posted a 33-16-2 record as the starter before the Browns traded him to the Detroit Lions.
The Plain Dealer's Chuck Heaton wrote about how Plum picked apart the vaunted defense of the defending champion New York Giants on Dec. 15, 1957:
Milt Plum dispelled all fears today as the Eastern Division champions rounded out this comeback by defeating the New York Giants, 34-28, before a paid attendance of 54,294 at Yankee Stadium.
The rookie from Penn State went all the way in the passing spot, hitting on 11 of 16 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown.
Milt, given the game ball by his teammates after this ninth victory, also picked up 68 yards running to keep the Giants' defense unsettled. All in all it was a tremendous performance for a first-year man at a key position.
Video: From the Browns' 1961 highlights film, clips from a Cleveland win over Philadelphia and a loss to the Giants, including several passes by Milt Plum, and featuring one of Jim Brown's greatest games ever):
Frank Ryan became the Browns' starting quarterback midway through the 1962 season, replacing the injured Jim Ninowski. Ryan QB'ed the Browns to a 10-4 record the next season, but he didn't secure his position with the club until several clutch performances in 1964 -- including brilliant games against the New York Giants (52-20 Browns win) in the regular season finale to clinch the Eastern Conference championship and then, of course, against the Baltimore Colts (27-0 Browns win) in the NFL championship game.
The Plain Dealer's Chuck Heaton wrote about the Browns' 33-33 tie with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 20, 1964. There was no overtime for regular season games in those days. Ryan's late, on-the-money pass to Gary Collins was the big play that enabled the Browns to leave Cleveland Stadium with a tie. The Browns eventually won the Eastern Conference by one-half game over St. Louis.
Heaton wrote about the Ryan-to-Collins pass:
HIGH MOMENT FOR CLEVELAND rooters on a mild, bright afternoon came with less than a minute and a half remaining. The Browns trailed, 30-26. They were in the impossible situation of fourth down, 19 yards to go on the St. Louis 45-yard line.
Coach Blanton Collier sent Clif McNeil scurrying toward the huddle with a play. The swift rookie pass catcher was waved back by Gary Collins, the flanker he was to replace, and quarterback Frank Ryan.
The Browns already had decided their play, and in this new era of Cleveland football democracy, the Browns on the field took charge. Ryan faded to pass. Collins faked to the outside, then headed for the goal posts.
It was a beautiful pass, a tremendous catch. Collins and two St. Louis defenders crashed to the earth at the two-yard line, but Gary had the football.
TWO PLAYS LATER, Jim Brown, whose 79 yards led both teams in rushing, swept his right end for a yard and the touchdown.
Video: The Browns' 1964 highlights film begins with Frank Ryan firing the last of his three touchdown passes to Gary Collins in Cleveland's 27-0 win over the Colts in the NFL championship game. Then, highlights from the first three regular season games, including Ryan's important pass to Collins that helped the Browns tie the Cardinals:
Bill Nelsen took over for Ryan in the fourth game of the 1968 season and led the Browns to the NFC championship game that season and the next.
The Browns were 2-3 when they traveled to Baltimore to play the heavily-favored Colts on Oct. 28, 1968. Cleveland earned a sturnning 30-20 win, the first of eight straight victories during which Nelsen and the offense averaged 36.1 points. It would be the Colts' lone loss of the season -- Baltimore drilled the Browns, 34-0, in the NFL title game -- until their infamous 16-7 loss to Joe Namath and the underdog New York Jets in the Super Bowl.
The PD's Chuck Heaton wrote about Cleveland's upset win:
Then there was Bill Nelsen. The quarterback answered the challenge with 15 completions in 23 tries. He netted just 126 yards but fired three touchdown passes. The Baltimore defense, which had allowed only 58 points in five victories, was kept off balance.
Video: Part I of the Browns' 1968 highlights film includes, about halfway through, big plays in the Browns' 30-20 win over the Colts:
Brian Sipe was a 13th-round draft pick of the Browns in 1972 and spent his first two seasons on the "taxi" or "cab" squad, somewhat the equivalent of today's "practice squad."
Sipe played in 13 games during the Browns' 1974-75 seasons, when they went a combined 7-21. Most regarded him as merely a fill-in when he took over for Mike Phipps during the 1976 season-opener, after Phipps suffered a shoulder injury.
Several weeks later, Sipe led the Browns to a 21-17 win over the San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Stadium. He would always have his critics, but this game at least began to prove that Sipe was a viable NFL starter. He did better than that, of course, going on to win the NFL MVP award in 1980.
The PD's Chuck Heaton wrote about Sipe's superb game against the Chargers, an indication of things to come regarding his penchant for late-game heroics:
Brian Sipe led them to the winning touchdown in the last quarter.
Sipe, who again went all the way in this third straight victory, set two team records. The slim quarterback , who must have taken special delight in beating the club from his hometown on 23 of 28 passed for 246 yards. There were touchdown tosses of three yards to Reggie Rucker and 10 yards to Oscar Roan.
First of those opened the scoring midway through the first quarter. The one to Roan came with only 50 seconds gone in the final period and provided the winning points.
Sipe's 82.1 percentage of passes completed bettered the 78.6 performance by Otto Graham against Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, 1954. Otto's show, however, was in a losing cause.
Sipe's other mark was 12 straight completions in the first half.
Video: Highlights of crunch-time wins for the 1979-80 Browns' "Kardiac Kids," led by Brian Sipe:
Bernie Kosar led Miami (Fla.) to the 1983 national championship and the Browns worked a deal with the Buffalo Bills to acquire him in the 1985 supplemental draft.
Cleveland figured the rookie would learn about playing quarterback in the NFL by serving as veteran Gary Danielson's understudy. Circumstances dictated otherwise, as Kosar made his Browns' debut in Week 5.
The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi wrote about Kosar helping the Browns to a 24-20 win over the New England Patriots on Oct. 6, 1985. Cleveland went on to win the AFC Central despite an 8-8 record, the first of five straight playoff seasons for Kosar and the Browns -- three of them ending with AFC championship game losses to the Denver Broncos.
Grossi wrote:
Kosar, working confidently after relieving Gary Danielson before halftime, seized the moment and improvised the winning touchdown drive.
He hit Brennan for a 33-yard completion and Ozzie Newsome for 10 that took the Browns to the New England 10. From there, Mack bulled in for the touchdown, carrying two Patriots into the end zone with the help of Earnest Byner.
Video: The last four minutes of the fourth quarter of the 1986 Browns-Jets playoff game at Cleveland Stadium. Kosar and the Browns rally from a 20-10 deficit to tie the game and force overtime. Cleveland won, 23-20, in the second OT.
Midfielder looking forward to Wednesday's showdown with Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. in Akron.
AKRON, Ohio -- Scott Caldwell burst on the national collegiate soccer scene last season, scoring the winning goal for the Akron Zips in the national championship victory over Louisville.
This season, the native of Massachusetts has quietly picked up where he left off. The slight, 5-8, 145-pound midfielder for the Zips leads the nation with six assists to go along with four goals. His contributions have helped No. 4 Akron get off to a 5-0-2 start this season.
They will be challenged Wednesday by Ohio State (5-3-1) in a 7:30 p.m. match before an anticipated sellout at Akron's First Energy Stadium.
"Right now, you got to be happy," Caldwell said after Tuesday's practice. "Overall, our team is doing well, but we know, individually and collectively, we're a whole lot better and capable of a lot more. You got to look at we're doing well, record-wise, but we have to continue to improve."
Despite starting most of last season as a sophomore, Caldwell was in the background until the NCAA tournament. He only scored five goals in 2010, but all came during the NCAA run. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the College Cup, soccer's version of basketball's Final Four.
What he has done to date only validates Caldwell's late 2010 performance.
"It does, to a certain degree," he said. "But every day is a new day to show yourself. Every game is an opportunity to prove yourself even more. Every game is a step toward a national championship this year, which is what we are looking for."
One key to that second title will be the ability to score. Caldwell is proving adept not only at putting the ball between the pipes himself, but in setting up his teammates. The latter might appear to be the tougher of the two, but Caldwell said that is not really true.
"The main thing is for whoever you are playing the ball to, to finish the play," Caldwell said. "It's their big play. They're the one finishing it off. Getting the assist is the easy part. It's more they have to finish, which is more difficult."
Whether Caldwell starts the scoring with an assist or scores himself, he will be a key to whatever the Zips are able to accomplish in 2011.
In a season in which self-inflicted wounds are called adversity, Michigan State comes off a year of overcoming difficulties not of its making, seeking to shed its label as underachievers against Ohio State Saturday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State has been calling adversity the suspension of players who sold football heirlooms for cash and tattoos.
Miami has been calling adversity a renegade booster who treated The U's players like the biggest celebrities since the more hedonistic days of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Saturday at the Horseshoe, Michigan State comes calling. The Spartans were 11-1 last season, the tri-champions of the Big Ten along with Wisconsin and Ohio State. No one remembers that about the Spartans. They also overcame the kind of adversity that is not easy to control, the kind that comes from the blind side, the kind that could have ruined their season if the players ever wondered "Why us?"
They beat Notre Dame in overtime on "Little Giants," which was a football movie that Spartans coach Mark Dantonio transformed into the boldest call of the season. The Spartans faked a tying field goal that would have been at the edge of his kicker's range on fourth down and instead completed a touchdown pass.
After the game, Dantonio, an assistant on Jim Tressel's staff from 2001-03, checked himself into a hospital with chest pains. The heart attack he suffered sidelined him for two games, the first of which, a victory over Wisconsin, he watched from his hospital bed.
You might recall Wisconsin was the only unhappy result of the 2010 Buckeye season, until the details came out of what the scamps had been up to at the tat parlor. This led, like a trail of bread crumbs in a fairy tale, to Tressel's eventual forced resignation and the invocation of adversity as this season's unifying factor.
Michigan State should be an uplifting story, a triumph over the kind of adversity that is in everyone's neighborhood. It was not the hard consequences of entitlement perks.
Luke Fickell, the coach chosen to steer Ohio State's depleted team through the schedule, said the Spartans aren't a specific motivating tool to his team now, although they were earlier.
"We talked about what teams had done in pre-season," said Fickell, "whether it was Michigan State, whether it was an NFL team, the Green Bay Packers, how many people they had down on different things. We brought those things up when we had time to."
There was a lot of talk about the Spartans. When Dantonio returned to the sideline last season, he also called "Mousetrap," a fake punt, which helped overcome a 17-point deficit against Northwestern. But the Spartans' reward for the surprising season was to be excluded by the BCS bowls and to have many people remember them at their worst, not their best.
"When I look at Michigan State, I think of the Alabama game [the Citrus Bowl]. Alabama was ahead, 45-0," said former Ohio State coach John Cooper. Actually, Alabama led, 49-0, and won, 49-7.
In some ways, this is the same old complaint about Michigan State. It is the other Michigan school, the one without the striped and winged helmets or the great fight song. The Spartans historically are the Big Ten's fraud team, never as good as the sum of their parts. Excellent potential, poor fulfillment.
When John L. Smith, Dantonio's predecessor, was the coach, the Spartans' sideline sometimes looked like the site of drunken pie fight. Remember the field goal, tried against the first-half clock and the Buckeyes, with [oops] only 10 men on the field? It was blocked and returned for the touchdown that sparked an OSU victory.
The Michigan State interview podium, with Smith's face-slapping of himself in 2006, looked like a Three Stooges episode, only minus two.
Dantonio has stopped the laughter. But he is 0-4 as a head coach against Ohio State at Cincinnati and Michigan State with a 96-30 point differential. Maybe that is why he is locking down the players this week and banning interviews.
Michigan State, of course, hardly looks like a fake power now. Not compared to the Buckeyes of 2010, whose entire season was invalidated, based as it was on eligibility fraud.
At least there was no negative talk after the meeting. Commissioner David Stern hints that more insight into the direction of the league's labor situation could come Wednesday.
NEW YORK, New York -- Smiling widely but even resorting to a memorable NBA cliche to avoid specifics, David Stern provided little insight into the direction of the league's labor situation.
That, he hinted, could come Wednesday.
Negotiators for the NBA and its players met for only about two hours Tuesday and plan to resume the talks early Wednesday. Stern said that meeting will determine how soon it's worth sitting down again.
And if it's not later this week, more cancellations are likely next week.
It's been expected there would be no talks Thursday because members of both bargaining teams will be observing the Jewish holiday, but they could resume before the weekend if progress is being made.
"They and we have both agreed that so long as there is reason to keep discussing, we will keep discussing, undeterred by the calendar or weekends or things like that," Stern said. "We will know more after tomorrow's session."
Both sides said neither concern nor optimism should be read into the brevity of the meeting. They simply needed time to think about what had been discussed.
"We've talked extensively in ideas and concepts, these are things that if we can get into the range of, get into the zone of, then maybe we can put a deal together," players' association president Derek Fisher of the Lakers said.
Unlike last week, Stern grinned often while speaking to reporters, but he said that was "only because when I didn't smile the last time I was described as something between dour and surly, so this is my smiling face. And we're looking forward to reconvening tomorrow."
He repeatedly said the sides discussed "concepts," but wouldn't get into any of them. And when asked if more exhibition games would be scrapped without a breakthrough this week, he borrowed a line from Rasheed Wallace in answering.
"Both teams played hard," he said. "And the calendar is not our friend."
Training camps were postponed and all 43 preseason games scheduled for Oct. 9-15 were canceled Friday. With the lockout nearly three months complete, players and owners are trying to agree on a labor deal in time to avoid any further damage to the NBA calendar. The regular season begins Nov. 1.
The format was again with small groups, and that will remain the case Wednesday. However, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said the owners' labor relations committee would be prepared to return to the table this week if necessary.
"They stand ready to come to New York, or wherever else, if there's a reason to continue on Friday," he said. "So the groups may expand."
Stern and Silver were joined by Spurs owner Peter Holt, who leads the labor relations committee, and NBA senior vice president and deputy general counsel Dan Rube.
Fisher and union executive director Billy Hunter had attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Ron Klempner with them, and economist Kevin Murphy will return Wednesday.
Neither side would say if there were any new proposals, with Fisher also using the word concepts.
"We're not holding anybody accountable to ideas being thrown out in the room," he said. "It's really just a process that we're trying to go through to see if we can get a deal done."
Stern and Fisher said there was discussion of both major obstacles to a deal, the salary cap system and the split of revenues. Players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous collective bargaining agreement, but have said the owners' proposals would have them in the 40s.
Stern was asked if the sides would continue to meet often if this wasn't headed somewhere. Though he assumed they would, a clearer idea could emerge Wednesday.
"We won't really be able to answer that question fully until after tomorrow's session," he said.
The Tigers, looking for their ninth straight victory over the Tribe, jumped quickly on Indians starter Jeanmar Gomez.
DETROIT, Mich. -- Different day, same story when it comes to the Indians and Tigers.
Detroit, in the second to last game of the regular season for both teams, led the Indians, 4-0, Tuesday night at Comerica Park after three innings. The AL Central champs came into the game with eight straight wins over the Indians.
Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, facing Detroit for the second time this season, gave up three runs in the first.
After Delmon Young's RBI single made it 1-0, Magglio Ordonez added a bases-loaded, two-run single past a diving Jason Donald at short with two out.
A 420-foot homer by Wilson Betemit made it 4-0 with two out in the second. Betemit hit a 3-1 pitch by Gomez halfway up the bleachers in right field.
Max Scherzer allowed one hit through three innings. Jason Kipnis singled with one out in the first.
Tribe outfielder has had pain in his right knee since coming off the disabled list Sept. 5 for the third time this year.
DETROIT, Mich. -- Grady Sizemore will have his right knee examined Monday by Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo. Steadman performed microfracture surgery on Sizemore's left knee last year, limiting him to 33 games.
Sizemore played his last game this season Thursday. He's had pain in his right knee since coming off the disabled list Sept. 5 for the third time this year.
"We want to see further guidance from Dr. Steadman for the best course of action for Grady moving into the off-season," said Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff. When asked if Sizemore was facing microfracture surgery on his right knee, Soloff said he was hopeful that wasn't the case.
"We're going out there to get another opinion on his knee," said Soloff. "What course of action puts Grady in the best possible position to play and perform next year?"
Sizemore opened the season on the disabled list while recovering from the left knee procedure. On May 10 against Tampa Bay, he bruised his right knee sliding into second. On July 17, he re-injured the knee rounding first and was placed on the disabled list. While on the DL, he had surgery for a hernia brought on by the May 10 slide.
The Indians hold a $9 million club option on Sizemore for 2012. He has undergone four surgeries in the last three years (elbow, knee and two groin operations). He ended this season hitting .224 (60-for-268) with 34 runs, 21 doubles, 10 homers and 32 RBI in 71 games.
Payoff for Tribe: If the Indians finish in second place in the AL Central, it would be a lucrative accomplishment for a team with one of the smallest payrolls in the baseball.
Lucrative as in cold, hard cash. Last year, a full second-place share from the postseason players pool ranged from an estimated $9,700 to $10,000. While that is walking around money to Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter, it would come in handy for the Indians' players, coaches and staff.
An Indians win or White Sox loss in the final two nights would close out Chicago. If the Indians and Chicago finish tied for second, they would split the playoff share.
Last year, each second-place team received $549,021.64 from the postseason players pool to split among players, coaches and staff. Here's how some teams divided the cash:
White Sox, AL Central: They awarded 43 full shares of $10,885.57, 6.33 partial shares and nine cash awards.
A's, AL West: They awarded 43 full shares worth $9,832.05, 12.5 partial shares and three cash awards.
Padres, NL West: They awarded 47 full shares worth $10,188.84, 6.76 partial shares and one cash award.
Cardinals, NL Central: They awarded 44 full shares worth $9,679.42 each, 12.05 partial shares and four cash awards.
A full share for the World Series champion Giants was $317,631.29.
Finally: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was not expected to play in the final two games. Jason Donald started at short on Saturday. ... Asked if Matt LaPorta was still the first baseman of the future, Acta said, "He has to come into spring training and earn the right to be the guy."
On Twitter: @hoynsie
In two games, junior running back Jordan Hall went from suspension to one of the Buckeyes' game captains for Saturday against Michigan State.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For two games, Jordan Hall watched. For two games, he played. For game five, he's a captain.
The Ohio State junior running back will serve as one of three game captains for Saturday's start to the Big Ten season against Michigan State. That comes after he sat out the first two games of the year as one of three Buckeyes suspended for violating NCAA rules by taking $200 at a February charity event outside Cleveland.
His status for such an important game gives some indication about how coach Luke Fickell may handle the eventual return of his four players -- Dan Herron, Mike Adams, DeVier Posey and Solomon Thomas -- who will Saturday serve the last of their five-game suspensions for more serious NCAA violations. Also serving as captains Saturday will be special teams regulars Nate Oliver, a fifth-year senior from St. Ed, and junior Nate Ebner, who has been a captain before.
"We understand we learn from our mistakes, but we're not going to throw guys away," Fickell said, speaking specifically of Hall's captaincy, though he could have been speaking generally about the last nine months at Ohio State. "That's kind of the reason we wanted to have the game captains the whole season, so we could make sure we could bring everybody to be part of this team no matter what their situation. They learn from it, grow from it, have the right attitude, they continue to get better.
"This team loves them. They'll always be able to be in a position they can get better. In some situations like this, hey, we're excited to have him. The past is the past and we learned from it."
For the Buckeyes' wins over Akron and Toledo, Hall was a fan on the couch, watching from his apartment with his roommate, safety Corey Brown, who was also suspended.
"You actually don't know what it's like until you actually do it," Hall said of watching his teammates play without him. "So that's why I [said] I don't ever want to miss a game again."
In the loss to Miami and win over Colorado, Hall combined for 171 rushing yards on 32 carries while also returning a kickoff 90 yards against the Buffaloes.
"Jordan is a dynamic player," Oliver said. "I'm glad he's on my team."
Typically, there's a little more to serving as a captain than just making plays. Fickell must feel Hall has shown that.
"He's a big leader in the locker room. He does a great job. He does everything we've asked him to handle with class and dignity. He has not batted an eye at it with all the situations," Fickell said.
"It's definitely an honor," added Hall. "It will be one of my greatest memories at Ohio State, definitely."
For Herron, Adams and Posey, it bodes well for what they may be asked to do later in the season.
Injury update: Answering his regular injury questions about starting receiver Corey "Philly" Brown and starting defensive end Nathan Williams, Fickell didn't have much to offer Tuesday.
"Don't know and don't know," Fickell said, guessing that he'd know more by Wednesday after seeing a few practices.
Williams believes he won't be ready this week, however, and is hoping he's recovered enough from his arthroscopic knee after week two to play Oct. 8 at Nebraska. Brown sprained his ankle in each of the first two games and has missed the last two. He was limping on the sidelines Saturday during the Colorado win, but was moving around much better than he was the week before.
The flag thrown in the aftermath of Mohamed Massaquoi's late touchdown against Miami continues to spark discussion.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Count former vice president of NFL officiating Mike Pereira among those who thought the "excessive celebration" penalty called against the Browns on Sunday was, well, excessive.
"It strikes me as technically being a foul but also one you could have gone without making, frankly," said Pereira, the longtime NFL official who is now the NFL on Fox rules analyst.
The penalty happened after quarterback Colt McCoy threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 43 seconds left in the Browns' 17-16 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium. After catching the ball, Massaquoi looks as if he loses his balance and falls down, then tight end Ben Watson jumps on top of him in the end zone, both of which violate the league's rule on excessive celebration.
It's actually the second violation for the excitable Watson, who may want to look before he leaps again. Last season, Watson received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for following tight end Evan Moore into the end zone stands after Moore's first touchdown catch in a 23-20 victory over visiting Cincinnati in the fourth game.
Neither player was available to the media on Monday, and both said on Sunday they weren't sure what they'd done that merited a penalty. But Browns coach Pat Shurmur and linebacker Chris Gocong said the players are aware of the rules.
"We've reviewed it," Shurmur said. "The league has videos on it. We're aware of the rules and we've got to play by the rules."
Gocong said players know the rules -- especially the ones that could result in fines. Then Gocong joked he and fellow linebacker Scott Fujita already had made a pact.
"Scott and I decided we're just going to shake hands if anybody makes a big play out there," he said.
According to Pereira, some forms of celebration still are allowed. "When the committee tried to clean up this stuff, there were certain things that they grandfathered in," he explained. "That was clearly going to be the Lambeau leap, and it was going to be the Tony Gonzalez dunk. Those were the things they were going to continue to allow. They said on the Lambeau leap it was OK for one guy to jump, but a second guy couldn't jump also. They put some restrictions on it.
"I personally like the rule about not going to the ground to demonstrate because you were having guys lay down on the ground and act like they were putting a pillow under their heads and all that kind of stuff. Clearly, you really had over-the-top things that happened. The problem is that when you do something like that, then you get into this area where, geez, all of a sudden you get into where you take it literally and it becomes a little picky."
Like Sunday's call?
"You read the rule and it's defensible that it's a foul," Pereira said. "Rules are rules, but you try to factor in a bit of common sense and say, 'How egregious is it?'"
All but lost in the commotion was the fact that, according to police, a fan -- 22-year-old Clinton Berry of New London -- jumped onto the field at the same time. Berry, who has pleaded not guilty, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass on place of public amusement. He posted $1,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court at 9 a.m. Oct. 13.
On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider
Cleveland Browns tailback's rushing average in his two games is nothing out of the ordinary. Checking other rushing averages around the NFL, and for Browns' rushing leaders in previous seasons.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis has averaged a mediocre 3.4 yards per carry in two games this season, having missed the Browns' 17-16 win over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday with an illness.
The 3.4 YPC has been referred to regularly since the Browns' 27-19 win over the Colts in Indianapolis on Sept. 18, a win which Hillis helped lock up when he bounced away from a pile of Browns and Colts to ramble for a 24-yard touchdown.
Even that superb TD dash has been diminished, with some pundits citing Hillis' yards-per-carry without the run. Well, then subtract this 5-yard loss, that zero-yard dive before a 1-yard touchdown plunge, and the yards-per-carry...You get the idea.
With the Browns still trying to establish continuity and efficiency on the right side of the offensive line, with the absence of injured left guard Eric Steinbach, and with fullback Lawrence Vickers pushed aside by the team after last season, no Browns' back is going to be the beneficiary of classic run blocking.
Factor in that Hillis is likely the focal point for opposing defenses' game-planning.
Regardless, the 3.4 yards per carry is being cited as an indictment of Hillis' talents.
Well, check the early-season numbers for some other NFL running backs (minimum, 25 carries):
2.1 yards per carry:
Chris Johnson, Titans, 46 carries for 98 yards
Deji Karim, Jaguars, 25-52
2.3 yards per carry:
DeAngelo Williams, Panthers, 27-61
2.5 yards per carry:
Frank Gore, 49ers, 59-148
2.6 yards per carry:
Thomas Jones, Chiefs, 28-74
Reggie Bush, Dolphins, 27-69
Mike Tolbert, Chargers, 25-64
2.9 yards per carry:
Willis McGahee, Broncos, 54-156
Jahvid Best, Lions 49-143
3.0 yards per carry:
Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers, 49-148
3.1 yards per carry:
Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks, 38-117
3.3 yards per carry:
Shonn Greene, Jets, 41-134
3.4 yards per carry:
Matt Forte, Bears, 35-119
3.5 yards per carry:
Tim Hightower, Redskins, 59-209
3.6 yards per carry:
Mark Ingram, Saints, 36-129
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots, 34-122
Now, players who led the Browns in rushing yardage for a season, but with less than four yards per carry:
Leroy Kelly, 1970, 206 carries, 656 yards, 3.2 yards per carry.
Leroy Kelly, 1971, 234-865, 3.7.
Leroy Kelly, 1972, 224-811, 3.6.
Ken Brown, 1973, 161-537, 3.3.
Mike Pruitt, 1982, 143-516, 3.6.
Boyce Green, 1984, 202-673, 3.3.
Kevin Mack, 1986, 174-665, 3.8.
Kevin Mack, 1987, 201-735, 3.7.
Earnest Byner, 1988, 157-576, 3.7.
Eric Metcalf, 1989, 187-633, 3.4.
Kevin Mack, 1991, 197-726, 3.7.
Kevin Mack, 1992, 169-543, 3.2.
Tommy Vardell, 1993, 171-644, 3.8.
Terry Kirby, 1999, 130-452, 3.5.
Travis Prentice, 2000, 173-512, 3.0.
James Jackson, 2001, 195-554, 2.8.
William Green, 2002, 243-887, 3.7.
William Green, 2003, 142-559, 3.9.
Lee Suggs, 2004, 199-744, 3.7.
Reuben Droughns, 2006, 220-758, 3.4.
Jamal Lewis, 2008, 279-1,002, 3.6.
With a difficult month ahead, both the Buckeyes and Spartans are in need of a big win Saturday to start Big Ten play.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michigan State's defense throttled Florida Atlantic. Akron couldn't cover Ohio State tight end Jake Stoneburner.
Through a month of the college football season, that basically constitutes what is known about the Spartans and Buckeyes, who open Big Ten play against each other Saturday.
A year ago, when both went 7-1 in the conference while sharing a three-way split of the Big Ten title with Wisconsin, this game would have been rife with implications. But due to the conference's schedule rotation, they didn't face each other in either 2009 or 2010. Currently they're battling for attention near the bottom of the top 25 rankings, with only the Spartans hanging on with a No. 25 ranking in the coaches poll.
Both teams lost convincingly on the road to their toughest opponents this season -- Michigan State (31-13) to Notre Dame and Ohio State (24-6) to Miami -- and beat three teams they should have beaten, though not always impressively.
Asked what he's learned about his team, Spartans' coach Mark Dantonio talked about all the young players who earned time in the early going. Ohio State coach Luke Fickell has played a bunch of kids, too.
The next month is for the grownups.
In their next three games, both teams face opponents who are currently undefeated -- the two best teams in the Big Ten and an undefeated team in their division. For the Spartans, after a bye week, that means Michigan (4-0), Wisconsin (4-0) and at Nebraska (4-0). For Ohio State, it's at Nebraska (4-0), at Illinois (4-0), and after a bye week, Wisconsin (4-0).
The result of Saturday's game will send one team skipping and one team sliding into an unforgiving October. Get off to a bad start, and the month could unfold like the play against Colorado when Ohio State freshman quarterback Braxton Miller was flipped by a Buffaloes' tackler.
"It was like a car wreck in slow motion," OSU sophomore guard Jack Mewhort said Tuesday. "I saw it out of the corner of my eye and was like, 'Wow, he shouldn't be doing that.'"
Though the Buckeyes have won seven straight against Michigan State and are three-point favorites, it's the Spartans who bring obvious advantages to Columbus with a veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins, a big-play receiver in B.J. Cunningham and the No. 1-ranked defense in the nation in yards allowed. Michigan State is trying to be something it hasn't traditionally been in recent years -- a big-game team -- while the Buckeyes, who won six straight conference titles before vacating last year's share, are trying to hang on as the program they have been.
"We still feel like we have a great shot," senior linebacker Andrew Sweat said. "Obviously, that's outside people's opinions if we're the big bad dog in town, but we can only control what we can control."
What they'll have to control is the Michigan State defensive line, led by All-Big Ten candidate Jerel Worthy. It should be looking to wreck Miller, aided by a typical package of Dantonio blitzes.
"They're still going to be who they are. They are a very aggressive team anyway. If [facing a freshman quarterback] factors into it, they'll be even more aggressive," Fickell said. "A lot of what you watch, I don't know how you can get a whole lot more aggressive.
"They're going to bring four, five, six [pass rushers] most of the time, sometimes more if they can. Will they be more aggressive? It's a good chance. I think knowing the situation, what their mentality is, I wouldn't expect anything else."
Ohio State will have to throw more than it did against Colorado, when Miller completed five of 13 passes for 83 yards, but the Buckeyes will probably lean on the run. Except Michigan State can stop that, too.
"We've been able to stop the run and when they've thrown it, we've been very good on third down," Dantonio said.
He's been most pleased with the way his defense has made offenses "one-dimensional" by forcing them to throw. Dantonio said he knows Ohio State will try to run the ball, so he wants to take that away, or at least limit the Buckeyes enough to force Miller into a lot of third-and-long situations. To prepare, Ohio State has been using its first-team offense against its first-team defense more often in practice this week, Mewhort said.
This isn't quite No. 7 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Nebraska, the Saturday night Big Ten showcase of which Fickell said he wasn't even aware. For these two teams with questions to answer, it should be more than enough.
If there is a bright spot for the 1-3 Zips, it could well be the play of their redshirt freshman tailback.
AKRON, Ohio -- If there is a bright spot emerging so far this season for the 1-3 Akron Zips football team, it might be the play of redshirt freshman tailback Jawon Chisholm.
He arrived at Akron last season just before the start of coach Rob Ianello's first training camp. Before the season began, he was redshirted. Coming out of high school, Chisholm initially believed he would have to go to prep school to shore up his academics. But that soon changed.
"I was in the process of going to prep school, but Akron told me they would stick with me through summer school, and see where we were at," said the product of Harrisburg, Pa. "Everything they said was true, didn't hold nothing back, so I felt like this was the school for me to come to. I'm glad I'm here now."
Heading into Saturday's game at Eastern Michigan, Chisholm has rushed for 410 yards on 77 carries, a 5.3-yard average. He began with a modest 26 yards on 13 carries in the opening loss to Ohio State. But on Sept. 17 in a loss to Cincinnati, he had 25 carries for 133 yards; and Saturday in a win over VMI, he ran 27 times for 188 yards, and his first touchdown.
"He's been making a much better effort at reading the line of scrimmage, reading his blocks, understanding the schemes we're dealing with, keeping the ball front side as opposed to cutting back before he has to," Ianello said.
Chisholm says he can be a big-carry back for the Zips.
"To be honest, I will carry the ball as many times as the coach says I need it," he said. "I know I'll carry my team till I can't carry them anymore. How many that is, if it's a trillion, I'll carry them."
At 6-1, 193 pounds, Chisholm is a combination of power and speed. Learning when to rely on one or the other is part of his learning curve.
"The biggest transition for me has been the speed of the game, keeping the ball between the tackles and knowing this is not high school anymore," Chisholm said. "I can't outrun everybody. Just try to get every yard I can get."
The next hurdle for Chisholm is the passing game, both catching the ball and blocking. But Ianello said he is progressing.
"He's growing up," Ianello said.
Saturday's game begins a tough October for Ohio State.
Now that the powder puff part of the season is over (not including Miami), the Ohio State Buckeyes begin the real season on Saturday against Michigan State.
That means the Big Ten season is upon us.
Columbus Dispatch reporter Bill Rabinowitz writes that Ohio State hasn’t had a four-game regular-season stretch like it will face in October in more than 50 years.
The Buckeyes’ opponent Saturday is Michigan State, which is unranked in the Associated Press poll but No.?25 in the USA Today coaches poll. The Spartans will be followed by a trip to Nebraska (No.?8 in the AP poll), a game at No.?24 Illinois and, after an off week, at home against No.?7 Wisconsin.
Ohio State has not played four consecutive regular-season games against ranked teams since 1959. Only twice in the past decade have the Buckeyes faced three straight ranked teams in the regular season.
In other words, writes Rabinowitz, the Buckeyes have plenty of talent and just as much inexperience, but it’s likely that October will make or break the season.
“Our guys understand that,” coach Luke Fickell said. “They’re not blind. They can walk in every day and see the schedule on the board.
“I think you knew that when this thing started off. No matter what the situation was, it was going to be a grind. This is going to be a grind. That’s how you get better.”
Around the Horse Shoe
Jordan Hall is named captain for the Michigan State game, writes Columbus Dispatch reporter Tim May.
Saturday starts the key part of the season for OSU.
Toledo Blade reporter Matt Markey writes about the upcoming OSU schedule.
It's early in the season, but Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises writes about the importance of Saturday's game.
Satuday's game is special for many Michigan State players from Ohio.
MSU coach Mark Dantonio says Luke Fickell is exactly what Ohio State needs.
Sandy Alomar Jr. will listen if the White Sox call about that opening for a manager.
Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Paul Hoynes writes how Sandy Alomar Jr. will listen if the Chicago White Sox call about the manager opening.
Hoynes writes how it has been speculated that Alomar is one of the candidates on GM Ken Williams' short list.
MLB.com reporter Jordan Bastian writes how Alomar resides in Chicago and spent parts of five seasons with the White Sox from 2001-06. The former All-Star catcher has never managed at any level, but he is widely respected around baseball for his baseball knowledge and personality.
Last winter, Alomar was on a short list for the managerial opening in Toronto, and Cleveland gave him permission to go through the interview process. After interviewing Alomar multiple times, the Blue Jays eventually hired John Farrell as their new manager.
Alomar said the situation with Toronto helped him a lot.
"Tremendously," he said. "[I learned] how interviews go about, the process of what they do. [They asked about] what kind of preparation you have and what kind of type of guy you are and how you would treat people and players. That's the bottom line. You learn so many things.
"How much you know the league and who you're going to compete against, and what you would do differently, that's the main thing they asked, but that's about all I'm going to give you."
Alomar's name has now come up for more than one manager's position in the past two seasons.
Around the horn
Grady Sizemore will have his right knee examined next week.
Opposing runners did not attempt to steal on Josh Tomlin all season.
The Detroit Tigers are playing for home field.
