Like clockwork, the Browns fall behind because of a turnover and never climb out of the hole.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerHouston defensive end J.J. Watt celebrates after recovering Chris Ogbonnaya's fumble on the first offensive play by the Browns Sunday. With minutes, the Browns trailed by 14 and the Texans' rout was on.

HOUSTON -- Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Some claim that is the definition of insanity. In truth, it is the story of the Browns' season. Lose the ball on offense, get trampled on defense, fall behind on the scoreboard.

Turnover, touchdown, ballgame.

A week ago in San Francisco, it took two plays for the Browns to dig their grave. On Sunday in Reliant Stadium, it took one -- a fumble by running back Chris Ogbonnaya, making his first NFL start in his hometown.

The Houston Texans had 14 points before the Browns ran their second offensive play. The rest of the game was typically ugly, painful and insulting to anyone still clinging to the hope that the Browns would turn a corner this season. They are stuck in a revolving door, unable to escape from the throes of ineptitude.

Their 30-12 loss to Houston -- a team missing its best player on offense and best on defense -- dropped the Browns to 3-5. In the process, they rang up more names on their bulging injury list.

"I don't want to say we're at a crossroads, but this is a point where you can go one of two ways -- pack it in and fold or keep trying to get better," said linebacker Scott Fujita. "And defensively we can't afford to take a step back."

For weeks, defense was the Browns' only hope of staying competitive. We saw on Sunday what happens when that unit fails them. Utter hopelessness.

Houston's famed zone-blocking scheme opened the holes and backs Arian Foster (124 yards, one touchdown) and Ben Tate (115 and one) cut back and through and over the Browns' defense like nobody was there. Frequently, there wasn't.

"That zone scheme is tough and they run it to perfection," said tackle Phil Taylor.

"I've had my [butt] kicked before, but that was one of those that will take a few days to get over," Fujita said.

Houston is so strong that it doesn't need Lawrence Vickers lead-blocking like a cement mixer to spring all its runs. But the former Browns fullback had one series in the second quarter that was sheer delight to him. He threw the lead block on Foster's 19-yard touchdown run.

"Regardless of it was Cleveland or not, I still feel the same way because it was a win," Vickers said, pointing to his new team's 6-3 record. "But I do feel a little bit better it was [against] the Browns."

Quarterback Matt Schaub added a two-yard touchdown run and enjoyed the type of game with which Colt McCoy, his beleaguered counterpart, is not familiar. Schaub was hardly touched and hardly needed to exercise his arm. For the record, he was 14-of-23 for 119 yards and was intercepted once for a mundane passer rating of 56.2. Ah, statistics.

McCoy, on the other hand, played the role of pinata in his first NFL game in his home state. Playing from behind from the start resulted in a predictable array of blitzes, pressures, and hits to various body parts. McCoy was sacked four times and unofficially hit on eight other occasions. Two of the sacks were registered by Houston rookie linebacker Brooks Reed, a Clay Matthews III lookalike who played like him on Sunday.

"Today was kind of a weird experience," Reed said. "They were setting me free a lot off the edge and I don't know if it was just [the Browns'] protection scheme or the crowd noise, but that was fun. I did miss a couple of opportunities 'cause I couldn't believe that they weren't blocking me."

Reed's loudest hit came on the Browns' only touchdown drive late in the game. He de-cleated McCoy just as the ball was leaving the QB's hand. McCoy was writhing in pain and didn't see the outcome -- Greg Little outleaping cornerback Kareem Jackson for the ball at the Texans' 5.

"I felt that one pretty good," McCoy said. "I got the breath knocked out of me."

McCoy gingerly got up, caught his breath and completed the drive, throwing two yards to Josh Cribbs in the end zone on a fake-and-roll two plays later. McCoy's pass on the two-point try was intercepted.

"We had the wrong formation on the two-point play," McCoy sighed. "Again, when you work on something all week and you feel comfortable with it and are ready for it and you go into the game working all these situations and then you're down 14 at the beginning of the game, it is hard to get back up."

The rest of the Browns' points came on field goals of 50 and 51 yards by Phil Dawson.

Ogbonnaya was distraught with his turnover that triggered the latest avalanche in another Browns' burial. He's the fourth in line toting the ball for the Browns after injuries to Peyton Hillis, Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson. He rushed 13 times for 28 yards. Thomas Clayton, back No. 5, had five carries for 10 yards.

Ogbonnaya was added 19 days ago. Clayton hopped on this train five days ago.

"When you are one week into things and Chris is two weeks into things, you are seeing a lot of different stuff and they were able to create a lot of pressure up front," McCoy said. "At times it's hard. It's hard to overcome."

As much beating as McCoy would take, he hurled his body to knock safety Quintin Demps out of bounds after an interception, saving a touchdown right before the first half ended. But guard Shawn Lauvao's roughness penalty for apparently head-butting linebacker Brian Cushing advanced the ball another 10 yards, supplying Houston a gimme field goal.

"Guys are disappointed and frustrated," Fujita said. "Sometimes guys made some mistakes because they were frustrated, doing stupid things after the whistle. We've got to be smarter than that."

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Browns fans who suffered the pain of watching this on television deserved better.

View full sizeDave Einsel, Associated PressHouston's Arian Foster needed just 19 carries to gain 124 yards against the Browns' non-existent defense Sunday afternoon. That was the most disheartening aspect of a game in which the Browns never seemed competitive, says Terry Pluto.

HOUSTON -- So what is their excuse?

I'm talking about the Browns' defense. Any fan know the offense can't find the end zone, especially in the first quarter. That's like saying I can't find my hair.

So what else is new, besides the Browns having more injuries while losing a game?

This time, the score was 30-12 in Houston, a verdict that wasn't that close.

So take no offense when saying the Browns have no offense, especially when three running backs are hurt and Chris Ogbonnaya is taking more handoffs from Colt McCoy with Cleveland than he ever did when they were together at Texas.

I'm not kidding.

Ogbonnaya carried the ball 13 times for 28 yards Sunday. He had 37 yards in 11 carries in last week's loss at San Francisco, so that's 24 runs in two games. He only had 73 carries in his senior year at Texas, the most he ever played for the Longhorns.

So I came to this game with almost zero expectations from the offense, and they almost delivered a zero.

But the defense... where was it?

It's the defense that has the two top picks in each of the team's last two drafts. It has experienced leaders in D'Qwell Jackson, Scott Fujita, Ahtyba Rubin and Sheldon Brown. It has been mostly healthy, and played reasonably well for much of the season.

Yes, I know that when an offense is stuck, it eventually wears down a defense. But that happens in the second half, when the defense has been on the field for so long it can be ticketed for loitering.

It's very clear that they have been fooled too much, too early in games. The Texans took the opening kickoff and roared 82 yards in nine plays, Ben Tate romping into the end zone from 27 yards. Naturally, Ogbonnaya fumbled on the Browns' first play from scrimmage, the Texans taking over at the Cleveland 28. Just in case the Browns' forgot, they are allowed to make a stand and force Houston to kick a field goal.

But six plays later, Houston was in the end zone again. In the middle of the first quarter, it was 14-0. The Browns had run one play on offense.

"There was nothing we didn't expect," said Coach Pat Shurmur. "They just took it to us."

Shurmur insisted his team played hard, and Houston does have a powerful running game. But the fact remains that the defense has allowed 58 points in the first quarter this season, third most in the NFL. So while we have verbally spanked the offense for an NFL-low six points in the first quarter, what is wrong with the defense?

Keep in mind that the Texans demolished the Browns without star receiver Andre Johnson, out with a hamstring injury. It was 24-3 at the half, the Browns having no sacks, no quarterback hits -- but allowing 132 yards on the ground for an 8.8 average.

They put no pressure on the quarterback, but were helpless against the run. Nice. The Texans set a franchise record with 261 yards rushing, with Arian Foster and Ben Tate both over 100 yards by the middle of the third quarter.

Just wondering what happened to top pick Phil Taylor, who made an impact early in the season. The defensive tackle has been invisible of late. Certainly, the first-round pick is hardly the only guilty party. Second-rounder Jabaal Sheard also has struggled.

There's no need to go through the lineup; the defense just didn't show up. The Texans were in such control, it had the feel of one of those games during the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State when the Buckeyes faced a Mid-American Conference team and kept the ball on the ground to keep the score down -- the Texans scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions.

It was that bad. Browns fans who suffered the pain of watching this on television deserved better.

Stanford No. 3, followed by Alabama, which drops from No. 2 after Saturday night's 9-6 home loss to LSU. Boise State No. 5; Ohio State remains unranked, just outside of the various top 25s.

Associated PressOklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden (right) passing against Kansas State on Saturday night. Weeden threw for 502 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 52-45 win.

NEW YORK, New York -- LSU put a lock on the top spot, Oklahoma State moved up to No. 2 for the best ranking in school history, and Alabama slipped to No. 4 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll after losing a 1 vs. 2 showdown against the Tigers.

LSU received 59 out of 60 first-place votes Sunday after beating the Crimson Tide 9-6 in overtime in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the night before.

Oklahoma State moved up one spot after a wild 52-45 victory against Kansas State and Stanford also inched up to No. 3.

Alabama slipped two spots. Boise State remained No. 5 with one first-place vote.

In the USA Today Coaches poll, however, Stanford is ranked second and Oklahoma State third, with the rest of the top five matching AP's.

(Click here for the AP, USA Today Coaches and Harris rankings, and for the BCS standings)

Ohio State (6-3), which was in a 20-20 tie with Indiana (1-9) late in the third quarter before posting a 34-20 home win on Saturday, remained on the periphery of the various top 25s, ranking 27th, 28th and 30th, respectively, in the AP, USA Today Coaches and Harris polls.

LSU, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Boise State and No. 11 Houston are the remaining unbeaten teams in major college football. The Cougars (9-0) have their best ranking in the AP poll since 1991.

The rest of the top 10 was No. 6 Oregon, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Clemson and Virginia Tech.

After Houston was Penn State at No. 12, Michigan State, Georgia and South Carolina at No. 15.

No. 16 was Wisconsin, followed by Kansas State, Southern California, Nebraska and Georgia Tech at No. 20.

The final five were Texas, which moved back into the rankings for the second time this season, Michigan, Cincinnati, Auburn and No. 25 Southern Mississippi.

Southern Miss is ranked for the first time since 2004.

Falling out after losses were Arizona State and West Virginia.

Listen as The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona broke down the Browns' loss to the Houston Texans.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) throws a pass as Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) tries to block it in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Listen as The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona broke down the Browns' 30-12 loss to the Houston Texans.

They talked about the continued offensive struggles, Colt McCoy's performance, Pat Shurmur's coaching decisions, the disappointing play of the defense, who's to blame for the current state of the team and prospects for the remainder of the season. They also took your chat room questions and comments.

Click on play to listen or download the MP3 here.

Talk about the Browns vs. Texans game with other fans in our open Browns Fan Chat room. Just remember to play nice with others and then join us for our Tony Grossi chat Monday at noon.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs runs for the only Browns' touchdown of the game off a pass from Colt McCoy in the fourth quarter Sunday, November 6, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The Texans won the game 30-12. (Joshua Gunter/ The Plain Dealer)

Who's to blame after the Browns fall to the Texans, 30-12, to go 3-5 on the season?

Is Pat Shurmur in over his head? Do you have enough to go on in evaluating Colt McCoy after he made his 16th start of his career? Is this defense just a mirage? Is this season salvageable?

Talk about these topics and whatever you like with other fans in our open Browns Fan Chat room. Just remember to play nice with others.

Then Monday afternoon, listen and fire away with your questions for Tony Grossi as he'll join us for an audio chat at noon.

Note: To turn off audio alerts, click on round button on bottom left of chat room and click on preferences.

Matt Moore's passing leads Miami to 31-3 win, leaving the Indianapolis Colts the lone winless team. They lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 31-7.

Associated PressDolphins quarterback Matt Moore (right) passed for 244 yards and three touchdowns in Miami's first win of the season, a 31-3 rout of the Chiefs in Kansas City.

Roundup of Sunday's early afternoon NFL games

Miami Dolphins 31, Kansas City Chiefs 3

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- The Miami Dolphins sure didn't look like a winless team, and neither did the Kansas City Chiefs didn't look like a team that had won four straight.

Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, Reggie Bush had 92 yards rushing and another score and Miami walloped Kansas City 31-3 for its first win of the season.

Moore, who took over after Chad Henne had season-ending shoulder surgery, became the first Dolphins quarterback since Chad Pennington in 2008 to throw three TD passes. Two of them went to tight end Anthony Fasano and another to Brandon Marshall, who finished with eight catches for 106 yards.

Miami (1-7) and Indianapolis had been the only remaining winless teams in the NFL, but the Dolphins had come close to breaking through the past two weeks. They blew a 15-point lead in an overtime loss to Denver and a seven-point lead last week against the New York Giants.

Kansas City (4-4), meanwhile, was the first team since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 to win four straight after losing its first three. But the Steelers went on to win nine in a row that season -- the Dolphins made sure the Chiefs wouldn't be able to accomplish that.

Matt Cassel was 20 of 39 for 253 yards for Kansas City despite going against a secondary that was missing starting cornerback Vontae Davis and had backup Nolan Carroll leave several times during the game with a hamstring injury.

The Dolphins' relentless front spent most of the afternoon in Cassel's face, sacking him five times and forcing the slow-footed quarterback to scramble nine more times. The Chiefs came into the game having allowed 13 sacks all season, tied for sixth-best in the league.

Things looked promising for Kansas City its opening possession, when it put together a grinding, 14-play, 53-yard drive that Ryan Succop finished off with a 43-yard field goal.

Miami, though, answered with a touchdown later in the first quarter when nobody picked up Fasano off the line of scrimmage. Moore simply tossed a pass to him from 3 yards out for the score, the first of 31 straight points scored by the Dolphins -- more than they'd scored in a game this season.

On the Dolphins' ensuing possession, Moore hit fullback Charles Clay for gains of 21 and 22 yards, and then found Fasano open down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown completion and a 14-3 lead.

Fasano's only other two-TD game came against the Chiefs in 2008.

The Dolphins offense really hit the accelerator in the third quarter, when Moore found Marshall on a 14-yard touchdown and Bush shook loose for a 28-yard scoring run, the former No. 2 overall draft pick's first TD on the ground since Nov. 15, 2009.

Any chance of a comeback by Kansas City ended early in the fourth quarter, when it had second-and-2 at the Dolphins 4. After an incompletion by Cassel and a run by Dexter McCluster that gained about 2 feet, Cassel's fourth-down pass fell incomplete and Miami took over.

The Chiefs also couldn't score on fourth-and-goal at the Dolphins 5 in the closing minutes.

New York Jets 27, Buffalo Bills 11

ORCHARD PARK, New York -- The New York Jets' back-to-basics formula -- smashmouth defense and running the ball -- has them firmly back in the AFC East playoff race at midseason.

The Jets forced three turnovers, including Jim Leonhard's recovery of Fred Jackson's fumble that set up LaDainian Tomlinson's 1-yard plunge early in the second half of a 27-11 win over the Buffalo Bills. Mark Sanchez then put the Jets up 20-3 by hitting Santonio Holmes for an 8-yard touchdown.

Sanchez went 20 of 28 for 230 yards to overcome a pair of first-half turnovers: an interception and fumble. Fullback John Conner also scored on a 1-yard plunge, while Nick Folk hit two of three field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder into the wind.

Led by Shonn Greene's 76 yards, New York gained 126 on the ground, the team's second-best total of the season. Greene did not finish the game after sustaining a head injury in the fourth quarter.

Coming out of their bye week, the Jets (5-3) extended their win streak to three following a three-game skid and moved into a tie with the Bills (5-3). It was also New York's first road win of the season after three straight losses. And it came against an opponent that opened 4-0 at "home," including last week's 23-0 win over Washington at Toronto.

The Jets' defense held firm the entire game, and essentially secured the victory in the first minute of the fourth quarter. With Buffalo down 20-3 and threatening, Bart Scott and Calvin Pace combined to stuff Jackson for no gain on fourth-and-inches at the New York 15 yard line.

The Jets responded with a 14-play, 84-yard drive capped by Conner's TD.

Pace also had an interception, as did David Harris, while Sione Pouha forced Jackson's fumble that set up Tomlinson's score to put the Jets ahead 13-0 in the third quarter.

The Jets contained an offense among the NFL's most prolific so far this season. Buffalo entered the game averaging 30.1 points, and had scored 20 or more points in each game.

Jackson, averaging 153 yards from scrimmage, was limited to 82 yards rushing and 38 receiving. He also fumbled for the first time this season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 15 of 31 for 191 yards and two interceptions. He produced a mean-nothing 7-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson with 3:14 left, and the quarterback then ran the ball in for a 2-point conversion.

Otherwise, the Bills looked like their former popgun selves against what remains a dominant Jets defense. Through their first eight possessions, the Bills had as many turnovers as first downs -- three. The Bills also managed just 73 net yards in the first half.

It was a sloppy, mistake-filled first half in which the Jets blew several opportunities despite holding a large edge in time of possession: 20:47-9:13. Sanchez was picked off by Jairus Byrd at the end of an 87-yard drive.

The only score of the first half came on Nick Folk's 49-yard field goal.

Bills Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson made his first appearance of the season at Orchard Park after he missed his team's first four home games while recovering from a broken hip.

San Francisco 49ers 19, Buffalo Bills 11

LANDOVER, Maryland -- The San Francisco 49ers, running away with the NFC West, extended their winning streak to six games with a 19-11 victory over the offensively inept Washington Redskins.

The 49ers' Frank Gore had 107 yards on 19 carries for his fifth straight 100-yard game and Alex Smith connected with rookie fullback Bruce Miller for the seventh-round draft pick's first career touchdown. David Akers kicked four field goals, and the defense forced three turnovers.

APFrank Gore (21) rushed for 107 yards in the 49ers' 19-11 win over the Redskins.

The Redskins have lost four straight and their only points before the final two minutes came on Graham Gano's franchise-record 59-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

First-year coach Jim Harbaugh's 49ers (7-1) have their longest winning streak since 1997 and are 4-0 on the road for the first time since 1992 -- with all four coming on those 1 p.m. Eastern time zone kickoffs which are supposed to drag down West Coast teams.

The 49ers already had the stingiest scoring defense in the NFL -- a league-low 107 points coming into the game. And it wasn't especially taxing to retain that reputation against the injury-riddled and talent-challenged Redskins (3-5), whose 23-0 embarrassment against Buffalo last week was the first shutout in Mike Shanahan's career as either a head coach or offensive coordinator.

Shanahan tried to shake things up by giving debut starts to three rookies -- running back Roy Helu, receiver Leonard Hankerson and left guard Maurice Hurt -- but the offense continued to explore new depths of futility.

John Beck again had trouble finding open receivers, completing 30 of 47 passes for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception. And the Redskins were on the verge of going eight quarters without scoring a touchdown until Beck found Jabar Gaffney with 1:10 remaining.

San Francisco's defense, tops in the league against the run entering the weekend, gave up just 52 yards on the ground. The 49ers haven't allowed a rushing touchdown this season.

An indication of the Redskins' struggles: Their leading receiver was Helu, who caught a franchise-record 14 passes for 105 yards coming out of the backfield. His longest reception was 17 yards.

By contrast, Smith managed the game efficiently, hitting 17 of 24 passes for 197 yards.

Turnovers led to 10 of the 49ers' points. Dashon Goldson's interception near midfield set up a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter by Akers, who has made all four attempts from 50-plus yards this season.

Then, after another field goal by Akers, Helu caught a pass and was stripped by linebacker Patrick Willis. Donte Whitner recovered, and Smith hit Miller for a 30-yard score on the next play to give the 49ers a 13-0 lead late in the first half.

Willis created another takeaway in the fourth quarter, forcing receiver Terrence Austin to fumble as the Redskins were trying to play catch-up.

The Redskins found all sorts of ways to kill drives, including a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a late hit by left tackle Trent Williams that negated a third-down conversion into 49ers territory in the second quarter.

Dallas Cowboys 23, Seattle Seahawks 13

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Tony Romo shook off a horribly inefficient first half to throw for a pair of touchdowns, leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 23-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Romo had no trouble moving the ball from the start, but the Cowboys (4-4) had to settle for field goals on consecutive drives that stalled at the 2-yard line and inside the 1. On the next series, Dez Bryant was inside the 1 when a hit he never saw coming caused him to fumble the ball away.

Tied at 6 coming out for the second half, Dallas pulled away behind Romo's touchdown passes of 33 yards to Jason Witten and 6 yards to Laurent Robinson.

The Cowboys' defense bounced back from a lousy effort in Philadelphia last Sunday by holding Seattle (2-6) without a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas did so despite missing Sean Lee, its leader in tackles and interceptions, and cornerback Mike Jenkins.

The Seahawks trailed 13-6 and were driving late in the third quarter when Tarvaris Jackson threw interceptions on consecutive passes. The Cowboys turned the first into Robinson's touchdown, then got a field goal off the next turnover to make it 23-6.

Seattle's Marshawn Lynch scored with 6:12 left, but Dallas managed to play it safe and protect the lead the rest of the way.

Seattle lost its third straight and fourth in five games. The Seahawks were hoping to get a boost from having Jackson and Lynch start together for the first time since beating the Giants in New York, but they played down to their ranking as the second-worst offense in the NFL.

Romo was 19 of 31 for 279 yards. He was booed early when he tried running for the end zone, then slid short of the goal line on a third-and-goal from the 5, and again when the Cowboys failed to get a touchdown after having a first-and-goal from the half-yard-line.

Dallas rookie DeMarco Murray continued to shine, turning 22 carries into 139 yards. He also caught four passes for 47 yards.

Bryant had four catches for 76 yards, and Witten caught four for 71. Miles Austin caught two passes for 53 yards, but aggravated a hamstring injury on his second catch and didn't return.

Jackson was 17 of 30 for 221 yards, with three interceptions. His final pickoff came on Seattle's last snap. Lynch ran for 135 yards on 23 carries.

Dallas rookie Dan Bailey made three field goals, giving him 19 straight, the third-best streak in club history.

Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer shined on special teams, too, hurdling the center to block a field goal while Dallas was up 13-6.

New Orleans Saints 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints gained 195 yards on the ground in a 27-16 victory over the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Brees' scoring passes went for 3 yards to Lance Moore and 21 yards to Darren Sproles. Pierre Thomas added a tackle-breaking, 9-yard score for the Saints (6-3), who watched their running game bounce back after gaining only 56 yards in a loss at St. Louis a week earlier.

Despite losing starting cornerback Tracy Porter to a neck injury early in the game, New Orleans held Tampa Bay (4-4) without a touchdown until Josh Freeman hit Kellen Winslow with 5:33 left.

Freeman had 256 yards passing, but was routinely pressured and plagued by untimely overthrows.

Brees' first scoring strike to Moore in the first quarter gave him TD passes in 36 straight games, tying Brett Favre for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Brees will need to keep that streak going into next season in order to tie Johnny Unitas, who had scoring passes in 47 straight games.

Connecting on 27 of 36 passes, Brees also extended his NFL record of consecutive games with 20-plus completions to 29.

New Orleans led 24-6 after Thomas' touchdown in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay then converted two fourth downs during a 15-play, 73-yard drive that took 7:03 off the clock, but had to settle for Connor Barth's third field goal of the game to make it 24-9 after Freeman threw a pair of incompletions from inside the Saints 10.

Winslow's late 5-yard touchdown catch, set up by cornerback Leigh Torrence's pass interference penalty, pulled the Bucs to 24-16. Brees responded by marching the Saints 63 yards in an 11-play drive that ate 4:16 off the clock. He converted a key third-and-4 play with a 20-yard scramble, setting up John Kasay's 34-yard field goal with 1:17 left.

With the victory, New Orleans remained atop the NFC South, a half-game ahead of Atlanta (5-3). The Saints visit the Falcons next week.

Tampa Bay dropped into third place with its third loss in four games.

The Bucs had hoped to get a boost from the return of leading rusher LeGarrette Blount, who had missed two games with a left knee sprain. He gained 72 yards on 13 carries.

The Saints were coming off their worst performance of the season in a 31-21 loss at previously winless St. Louis and had lost two of their last three, including an earlier meeting with Tampa Bay. Bolstered by the return of starting right tackle Zach Strief, the Saints' offensive line did not allow a sack on Brees, who was hauled down six times the week before.

The Bucs also struggled to contain Sproles, who finished with 57 yards receiving on five catches and 42 yards rushing on only four carries. Chris Ivory added 67 yards rushing and Thomas 66.

Porter hurt his neck on the second play from scrimmage when he broke up a pass with a hard hit on receiver Mike Williams. Porter lay face down for several seconds and was placed on a stretcher by trainers and paramedics, but was able to move his extremities and gave a thumbs up before being taken to a hospital as a precaution.

New Orleans struck first on Moore's leaping catch of Brees' 3-yard fade, capping a drive that featured Sproles' 35-yard run and 15-yard reception.

Sproles added a 21-yard touchdown on a short pass out of the backfield -- his third receiving TD this season -- to give the Saints a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.

Freeman's 46-yard completion to Dezmon Briscoe set up Barth's 40-yard field goal to make it 14-3 with 1:39 to go in the first half. Brees then quickly drove New Orleans 76 yards to the Tampa Bay 4, spiking the ball to stop the clock with a second left to set up Kasay's 21-yard field goal that made it 17-3.

Early in the third quarter, the Bucs had a chance to cut their deficit to one touchdown when Ronde Barber ripped a swing pass from Sproles for an interception at the Saints 33. However, Blount's personal foul for swatting his open hand across defensive end Will Smith's face mask after the whistle forced Tampa Bay to settle for Barth's 48-yard field goal, which made it 17-6.

Atlanta Falcons 31, Indianapolis Colts 7

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Rookie receiver Julio Jones caught touchdown passes of 50 and 80 yards and then set up a late field goal with a 19-yard run, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 31-7 rout of the winless Indianapolis Colts.

After missing two games with a strained left hamstring, Jones finished with three catches for a season-high 131 yards. He added two carries for 33 yards to give Atlanta (5-3) its third straight victory overall and first road win in a series that dates to 1966.

Miami's win at Kansas City left the Colts (0-9) as the only team in the NFL without a victory. They have lost five straight home games for the first time since 2001, and this defeat was every bit as lopsided as the score made it appear.

Minus injured quarterback Peyton Manning all season, Indianapolis is in danger of falling to 0-10 for the first time since 1997, before the Manning era began.

But the Colts have collapsed everywhere, not simply at one position.

They gave up 14 points off two turnovers Sunday, were shut out on offense and went nearly 30 minutes without a first down. Plus, their top two tight ends -- Dallas Clark (lower leg) and Brody Eldridge (hand) -- didn't finish the game.

Indy has been outscored 75-14 in the first half and 120-24 over the past three weeks. The problems started early again Sunday.

Running back Delone Carter fumbled on the game's second play. Five plays after that, Michael Turner plunged in from 1 yard out to make it 7-0.

Two series later, Jones made a remarkable adjustment between three defenders to haul in Matt Ryan's 50-yard lob pass at the goal line. The officials initially ruled it incomplete before Atlanta coach Mike Smith challenged the call and won on replay. That made it 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Jones made it 21-0 when he caught a 10-yard pass and outran the Indy defense for an 80-yard score.

The Colts finally scored when Jerraud Powers made a juggling interception and returned it 6 yards for a TD.

Ryan threw a 1-yard TD pass to Tony Gonzalez late in the third quarter, and Jones' long run set up Matt Bryant for a 20-yard field goal early in the fourth to close out the scoring.

Ryan was 14 of 24 for 275 yards with three scores and one interception. Turner ran 19 times for 71 yards.

Indianapolis quarterback Curtis Painter was 13 of 27 for 98 yards with one interception, and Donald Brown led the Colts with 16 carries for 70 yards.

Houston running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate tag-teamed for 239 rushing yards in bruising the Browns' defense.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerAfter Ben Tate (right) opened the day's scoring with a 27-yard run, Houston tackle Duane Brown congratulated his teammate. Turned out there was plenty of reasons for Houston running backs and linemen to enjoy their afternoon.

HOUSTON -- After watching his Houston Texans destroy the Browns with their running game, after leading the way for two of his teammates to rush for more than 100 yards, fullback Lawrence Vickers had a revelation about his former team.

"I think they miss me a lot," Vickers said. "A whole lot."

Vickers spent the first five seasons of his career in Cleveland, developing a reputation as a punishing, blocking fullback. The Browns did not re-sign him when his contract expired in the off-season, and he headed to Houston.

Sunday, he started for his new team for the first time and helped pave the way for Arian Foster to gain 124 yards on 19 carries and Ben Tate's 115 yards on 12 carries. In all, the Texans out-rushed the Browns 261-44 in their 30-12 stomping at Reliant Stadium.

It was, from Houston's standpoint, like a holiday.

"It was like Christmas for us," Houston left tackle Duane Brown said. "We don't get the touchdowns. We don't get the carries. So just seeing our backs rack up those yards, it means everything to us. I had fun out there today. We had fun out there."

The Browns allowed two 100-yard rushers in a single game for the first time since 1956, when Lenny Moore (120) and Alan Ameche (108) accomplished that for the Baltimore Colts. Foster and Tate developed such a 1-2 punch that when one came in and had a monster gain, the other would be champing at the bit to come back in to show he could do the same or better.

Both had long runs of 27 yards, with Tate's coming on a touchdown blast that put Houston on the scoreboard on the opening drive. Foster's dash came when the Texans had their second-worst starting field position of the game, at their 19, and helped set up a field goal.

So complementary were the pair that on Houston's third scoring drive, Foster and Tate split the team's four carries. Tate gained 24 yards on the opening snap, and Foster bookended with a 19-yard touchdown run.

"It's fun to watch right now," Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. "It's almost like a competition because they just go back and forth. Arian pounds them and Ben comes in, and Ben gives you a lot of speed."

The two often converse on the sideline between plays, sharing what they've seen from the defense. It's a friendly rivalry, as they push each other to perform.

"We're both good runners, we both see holes well," Foster said. "And when our line controls the line of scrimmage like that, it makes it that much easier."

As for Vickers, he didn't get the carries, but he leveled some solid blocks. He gushed that he was "geeked" to play the Browns before the game, and afterward said he "enjoyed it a lot."

He doesn't have much advice for the Browns' shattered running game, either, after seeing it up close for the first time.

"I can't do nothing," Vickers said. "I'm a Houston Texan now."

The current front office can blame many things on the previous regime, but Sunday's game revealed their own miscalculations -- especially on the offensive line and receiving corps.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerThomas Clayton (34) and Chris Ogbonnaya led a Browns' rushing attack that mustered all of 44 yards against Houston on Sunday. With such an inadequate threat in the backfield and no receivers who pose a real threat, the Texans blitzed Colt McCoy all day.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Some postgame scribbles after Houston completes a total ravaging of the Browns:

1. I feel for the fans because this is turning into a miserable season. Fan-favorite Peyton Hillis is hurt, his reputation taking even a bigger beating than Colt McCoy -- and the Browns quarterback is getting pounded. Of course, fans have seen that before; their quarterback a tackling dummy and a star fading fast.

2. The Browns are 3-5 at the midpoint of the season, with the toughest part of the schedule yet to come as five games remain with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati.

3. Outscored 14-3 in the first quarter Sunday, it's now 58-6 in the first 15 minutes of eight games this season. The Browns have the lowest first-quarter point total in the NFL, and have allowed the third-most points. Some of that has to reflect on poor preparation.

4. Then there's the offensive line, where Tony Pashos is hurt -- again. Before he signed with the Browns, Pashos played only five games with the 49ers in 2009 because of a shoulder injury. Last season, it was six games because of an ankle injury. Yet the Browns did not add a viable right tackle. Pashos missed the first three games this season because of an ankle injury, played four games and now has a bad knee.

5. The current front office can blame many things on the previous regime, but they signed Pashos and went into this season knowing that he had missed more games in the last two years than he played. Yes, they drafted Jason Pinkston in the fifth round. But they concede he is a better fit at guard, where he replaced the injured Eric Steinbach (back surgery). That means the Browns must get a right tackle for next year.

6. It also means they will be back to Artis Hicks and Oniel Cousins -- two guys cut by other teams late in training camp -- at right tackle. It means McCoy will take more hits. He was sacked four times, knocked down eight other times. He entered the game sixth in taking hits this season.

7. McCoy said the Browns went into the game hoping to run and do some play-action passing. But they were down, 14-3, in the middle of the first quarter and had to change the approach. But with Chris Ogbonnaya and Thomas Clayton as the backs, why would any defense care if they get the ball? Both have been just practice-squad players. Neither had a 1,000-yard rushing season in college.

8. No one is sure when Montario Hardesty (torn calf muscle) or Hillis (hamstring) will play again. Mohamed Massaquoi left with something lingering from his concussion. The Browns said it was not the result of a hit, but who knows when he'll play?

9. McCoy said from the first snap, Houston played man-to-man coverage and blitzed. Why not? The Browns don't have explosive receivers who can quickly get open. They don't have running backs who demand respect. They don't block well enough to keep the heat off the quarterback. This will be the game plan against them for the rest of the year.

10. Somehow, the Browns must find another running back. The trading deadline is past, so that's out. But Clayton and Ogbonnaya simply look slow. In this game, the Browns ran the ball 21 times for 44 yards. Three yards and even a hint of dust would feel like cause for a standing ovation.

11. Something positive: Joshua Cribbs. He made a great tackle on the opening kickoff. He also had a tackle on a punt. He had kickoff returns of 63 and 31 yards. He was also called for a facemask penalty -- but so what, he was fighting off a potential tackler. Cribbs caught all five passes thrown to him for 50 yards, including a 2-yarder for a touchdown. I'll say it again, how about some Cribbs in the backfield? He is better than the guys they have now.

12. The running game is pathetic. It's an NFL-low 3.1 yards per carry. The last rushing touchdown was in Game 2 at Indianapolis. They have two rushing scores this season. That's why I have been lobbying for Cribbs in some type of backfield role.

13. Something else positive: Phil Dawson is the MVP of the first half with 12-of-12 on field goals not blocked. He is a career best 6-of-6 from at least 50 yards.

14. McCoy has been forcing the ball to Greg Little the last two games -- only six of 19 passes in his direction were caught. There have not been many drops. The trouble is Little has not been very open, and McCoy has not had much time to throw. Defenses are paying extra attention to Little because no other receiver has emerged. Little did make an outstanding catch for 24 yards in the fourth quarter.

15. After catching five passes in San Francisco last week, Jordan Norwood was not on the field much, with one reception for six yards. The Browns used to have tight ends as part of the offense, but Ben Watson and Evan Moore (really a slot receiver) have been targeted only nine games in the last two games. They caught all nine. Maybe they need to see the ball more.

Second-year quarterback has started 16 NFL games, the equivalent of one full season, with the Browns going 5-11 in them. Is it more his fault, or that of an offense lacking in talent around him?

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns quarterback Colt McCoy (12) tries to elude Texans defensive end J.J. Watt during Cleveland's 30-12 loss at Houston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns looked like a bad NFL team during their 30-12 loss to the Texans in Houston on Sunday.

The defense, though not stellar, has been acceptable more often than not during the first half of the season, which ends with the Browns holding a 3-5 record -- their wins coming over teams that have a combined three wins on the season.

The special teams have been so-so, overall, besides, on the one hand, some memorable gaffes and, on the other hand (or foot), the excellence of place-kicker Phil Dawson.

The offense? Well, almost always, it's been unacceptable.

The quarterback, as the cliche goes, often gets more credit than he deserves for team success and more blame than he deserves for team failings.

The Browns' quarterback is Colt McCoy. He's in his second NFL season, playing in eight games last season for the Browns and eight this year. He has started all of his 16 games, with the Browns going 5-11 (about the right record within the context of recent Browns history).

Some McCoy critics might slough off circumstances as excuses, but among the virtually inarguable facts are:

McCoy and the offense are trying to adjust to a new offense, the West Coast. Trying to do so with a new head coach, coordinator, position coaches and shortened offseason preparation due to the lockout.

The Browns don't have any accomplished wide receivers at the NFL level. None.

The Browns' three best playmakers on offense are running back Peyton Hillis, tight end Benjamin Watson and receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs.

Hillis has played sparingly because of injury and illness. Regardless of what's made of any other issues, he has proven himself to be a dynamic player during the two extended opportunities he's had during his NFL career: during the several games he was Denver's featured back as a rookie in 2008, and through almost all of last season with the Browns, though surrounded by an otherwise subpar offense.

Watson, after some solid seasons with the powerful New England Patriots, was the Browns' leading receiver last season, making some of the team's biggest plays. He, too, though, is hampered by the lack of playmakers around him. And, speaking of tight ends, a player who has shown glimpses of playmaking ability, Evan Moore, doesn't play all that much, for whatever reason.

And, Cribbs. What a brilliant player he has been for the Browns. But just as the coaching staffs prior to Pat Shurmur's, the deep thinkers can't settle on how to let Cribbs most impact a game.

And, an issue McCoy has to deal with weekly: the offensive line. The season-ending injury to left guard Eric Steinbach reduced the Browns to having two effective, reliable linemen: left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack. And, their play can't help but be hampered by the chaos that is the Browns offense.

Add the departure of fullback Lawrence Vickers. Plus, Hillis' absence denies McCoy having his best backfield blocker and best safety-valve receiver.

Are those factors right-on? Or are they just matters that a good quarterback would overcome better than McCoy has?

"Joe Paterno was a witness who cooperated and testified before the grand jury," said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office. "He's not a suspect."

View full sizeAP fileIn this Aug. 6, 1999 file photo, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno, right, poses with his defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. Pennsylvania state prosecutors said Sandusky, 67, was arrested Saturday on charges that he sexually abused eight young men. Paterno is not implicated in the allegations, but did speak with investigators.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno said he was shocked, saddened and as surprised as everyone else to learn longtime assistant Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexually abusing young boys over a 15-year period, including four years when Sandusky still was a member of the Nittany Lions staff.

"If this is true we were all fooled, along with scores of professionals trained in such things, and we grieve for the victims and their families. They are in our prayers," Paterno in a statement issued Sunday evening by his son, Scott.

Paterno, a Hall of Famer and the winningest coach in Division I history, is not implicated in the case.

"Joe Paterno was a witness who cooperated and testified before the grand jury," said Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office. "He's not a suspect."

Paterno referred to his grand jury testimony in which he testified that he was informed by an assistant coach in 2002 that he had witnessed an incident in the shower of the team locker room. Prosecutors have said Paterno had passed on the information to athletic director Tim Curley.

But Paterno said specific actions alleged to have occurred in the grand jury report were not relayed to him.

"It was obvious that the witness was distraught over what he saw, but he at no time related to me the very specific actions contained in the grand jury report," Paterno said in the statement. "Regardless, it was clear that the witness saw something inappropriate involving Mr. Sandusky. As coach Sandusky was retired from our coaching staff at that time, I referred the matter to university administrators."

In a phone interview, Scott Paterno, serving as his father's spokesman, said the first and only incident reported about Sandusky to Paterno was in 2002. Scott Paterno, a former lawyer, is a Harrisburg-based political operative.

Sandusky retired from his assistant's job in 1999. He is charged with sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years. Overseeing the linebackers, Sandusky coached such prominent players including Jack Ham, Shane Conlan and Matt Millen.

Sandusky coached the defense in Penn State's 1982 and 1986 national title season, and was at one point considered a likely successor to Paterno. The grand jury report released Saturday said one victim, identified as "Victim 4," recalled a meeting with an emotional Sandusky after Paterno had told Sandusky about May 1999 that his assistant would not be the next coach at Penn State.

According to Scott Paterno, his father made the decision because he felt Sandusky was spending too much time at The Second Mile, a foundation Sandusky established to help at-risk kids, where authorities say he encountered the boys. Sandusky then made the decision to take early retirement, Scott Paterno said.

Scott Paterno said his father told Sandusky he had to dedicate himself to either the foundation or coaching. "Joe had said 'You can't do both, you can't have two masters,'" Scott Paterno recalled.

Curley and Gary Schultz, the university's senior vice president for finance and business, were charged Saturday with failing to report to state and county officials that a witness told them he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a naked boy in the locker room showers in 2002.

Schultz and Curley were both also charged with perjury. Lawyers for all three men have said they are innocent.

"I understand that people are upset and angry, but let's be fair and let the legal process unfold," Paterno said in the statement. "In the meantime I would ask all Penn Staters to continue to trust in what that name represents, continue to pursue their lives every day with high ideals and not let these events shake their beliefs nor who they are."

A Hall of Famer, Paterno on Oct. 29 won his 409th victory, most among Division I coaches. Penn State was off this weekend and next plays Nebraska on Saturday in the home finale.

"If true, the nature and amount of charges made are very shocking to me and all Penn Staters," he said. "While I did what I was supposed to with the one charge brought to my attention, like anyone else involved I can't help but be deeply saddened these matters are alleged to have occurred."

Instead of excited chatter about a potential Big Ten title after a surprising 8-1 start, the focus is squarely on the disturbing abuse charges.

An athletic department spokesman said Paterno would not be available to talk to reporters until his regularly-scheduled Tuesday media availabilities, and referred all comment to the university's media relations department. There were busy signals Sunday to several calls to Paterno's home.

In his record 46 years on the job, he's never faced a crisis quite like the one now hovering over Happy Valley like a dark cloud. While other programs were plagued by controversy after controversy -- Ohio State and Miami this year, for instance -- Penn State, one of the storied programs in the college football history, seemingly just rolled right along with about as much buzz as their plain blue-and-white uniforms, holding true to their slogan "Success with Honor."

Miami coach Al Golden, a former Penn State tight end, returned to his alma mater in 2000 as a linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator. Golden was hired to fill the vacancy created when Sandusky retired in 1999.

"Shocked and disheartened," Golden said. "But other than that, I really don't know much about it or what's going on. But the news that I did learn, I was shocked and disheartened, like so many others, I'm sure."

Golden has remained close with several people at the school and still speaks with the highest regard for Joe Paterno.

Colt McCoy was sacked four times and hit eight more by the attack-minded Texans, who smelled blood in the water.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns QB Colt McCoy was under duress throughout Sunday's game, frequently from rookie Texans linebacker Brooks Reed. "I don't know if it was just their protection scheme or the crowd noise but that was fun," Reed said of chasing, and frequently hitting, McCoy. "I did miss a couple of opportunities because I couldn't believe they weren't blocking me."

HOUSTON -- After one of the dozen times Colt McCoy was drilled during Sunday's 30-12 loss to the Texans, CBS cameras captured his parents in the stands, looking as if they feared for their little boy's life.

They had every reason to be afraid.

McCoy was blitzed early and often and slammed to the ground 12 times -- on four sacks and eight hits after the throw -- and got up slowly a couple of times. It always seemed like the next hit might be his last play of the game.

But somehow, he kept popping up and getting right back after it.

"He's a super-tough kid," said left tackle Joe Thomas. "Not many guys in the league would be able to take a hit like he did on that long pass [a fourth-quarter sideline throw to Greg Little] and be able to come back, but he's a guy that wants to be out there competing. He plays big and that's all you can ask for."

McCoy's 24-yard pass to Little came as relentless rookie linebacker Brooks Reeds planted him. McCoy got up -- albeit limping a little -- and continued on. The Browns were finally in the red zone and he wasn't about to stop now.

He eventually found Josh Cribbs for a two-yard TD pass.

"I felt that one pretty good," said McCoy of the Reed hit. "He got me. I got the breath knocked out of me."

Did he see Little make a leaping catch? "No, I didn't," he said.

In the second quarter, McCoy was sacked by linebacker Brian Cushing for a five-yard loss and then crushed by blitzing safety Quintin Demps on the next play, an incomplete deep ball to Little.

"I don't think we did very good overall protecting the quarterback," said Thomas. "We've got to play better if we want to win in the future. It wasn't anything we didn't expect. They open the playbook up when you're down, 14-0, right away. There's nothing that they can't do. You can't spot them 14. That's just the bottom line."

The Browns -- who lost right tackle Tony Pashos to a knee injury in the second quarter -- were no match on this day for Reed, who was replacing injured Pro Bowler Mario Williams. Reed stormed in off the edge all game, sacking McCoy twice and pounding him three other times.

"Today was kind of a weird experience," said Reed. "They were setting me free a lot off the edge and I don't know if it was just their protection scheme or the crowd noise but that was fun. I did miss a couple of opportunities because I couldn't believe they weren't blocking me."

Said Texans nose tackle Shaun Cody: "You've got to smell blood in the water with an offense that's struggling a little bit. They had some guys banged up so we had to take advantage of that and get our offense on the field."

Added linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who caused Chris Ogbonnaya's fumble on the Browns' first play: "Whenever you have a young quarterback, you want to cause confusion, send pressure at him, and force quick decisions."

Receiver Josh Cribbs didn't try to sugarcoat it. "They beat us up," he said. "They beat us up front, all across the board. Give them credit, they were whooping us up front. They whipped us all over."

McCoy acknowledged the Texans' pressure from "the first snap to the last. It's frustrating but I have to keep hanging in there and keep fighting and we will overcome it.

"They were playing man-to-man and blitzing," he said. "That's the stuff we should be able to take care of."

McCoy said he has no choice but to persevere after the hits.

"Other guys are on the field, too," he said. "I know they're playing hard and I don't ever question anybody not giving it all they have. I want to be out on the field as much as I can to help our team. I feel like when I'm out there, I help our team be a better team.

"I just have to keep getting up and keep playing and know that something is going to happen. Our defense is going to create a turnover or we're going to get something going but today it never happened."

He attributed the protection issues to a combination of factors, including the man-to-man coverage and the fact that the Browns have had Ogbonnaya for less than three weeks and fellow back Thomas Clayton for a few days.

"We had to play Thomas Clayton a lot," he said. "I think he did a nice job of running the ball. But when you're one week into things and Chris is two weeks into things, you're seeing a lot of different stuff. At times it's hard to overcome."

Fortunately for McCoy -- and his parents -- he walked out of Reliant Stadium in one piece.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Saturday's final road game at Illinois is the type of game a team has to win if it's anything better than OK.

View full sizeCharlie Neibergall, Associated PressMichigan's Junior Hemingway nearly pulled in this last-second pass that could have helped Michigan force overtime Saturday against Iowa. But the play was ruled incomplete and the Wolverines absorbed their second road loss of the season. Next up is Illinois Saturday in Champaign, Ill.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Michigan's weekend was a lot like Ohio State's, except the Wolverines were on the road instead of at home and facing a little higher level of competition. So while the Buckeyes escaped with an ugly win over Indiana, Michigan came home from Iowa with an uglier loss.

The Wolverines still have a shot at the Legends Division title if they win out against Illinois, Nebraska and Ohio State, and Michigan State loses to Iowa or Northwestern. But Michigan has to do more on the road. The Wolverines didn't leave Michigan Stadium during a 4-0 nonconference schedule, and are 1-2 on the road in Big Ten play, with a win over Northwestern and losses at Michigan State and Iowa.

Saturday's final road game at Illinois is the type of game a team has to win if it's anything better than OK.

"Coach always tells us, 'Don't let one game beat us twice,'" Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson told reporters after Saturday's 24-16 loss at Iowa City. "We just need to get back on the road and beat Illinois."

The Illini are coming off a bye, but they're still on a three-game losing streak, outscored in their last three games against Ohio State, Purdue and Penn State by a combined 48-28. The Illinois defense has played well, but the offense has done little. That's a recipe that Michigan -- either through Robinson leading an offensive explosion, or the defense tightening up in November -- has to turn into victory.

Otherwise, the idea of a four-game losing streak and 1-5 overall mark to end the season will become very possible. So it's just one game. But it could change a lot for Michigan.

Green Bay defeats San Diego Chargers, 45-38. New York Giants edge Patriots, 24-20. Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow lead Denver Broncos over Oakland Raiders.

Associated PressCincinnati wide receiver Andre Caldwell (87) catches a five-yard touchdown pass -- from Andy Dalton -- in front of Tennessee cornerback Alterraun Verner (20) during the Bengals' 24-17 win over the Titans.

Roundup of Sunday's late afternoon NFL games 

Cincinnati Bengals 24, Tennessee Titans 17

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Cincinnati Bengals keep rolling, and Andy Dalton's confidence seems to be growing with each win.

Dalton threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and the Cincinnati Bengals rallied from a 10-point deficit and beat the Tennessee Titans 24-17 for their fifth straight victory.

The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988 when they took the AFC championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on the road with the rookie quarterback leading the Bengals to 17 unanswered points as he tossed TD passes to three different receivers.

Tennessee (4-4) has lost two of three to wrap up a three-game homestand. Chris Johnson had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans blew a 17-7 halftime lead when the offense shut down in the second half. Tennessee managed just 95 yards in the final 30 minutes with 30 on the final play that came up well short of the end zone.

Cincinnati came in with the fourth-stingiest defense in the NFL, and the Bengals helped shut down the Titans in the second half. Carlos Dunlap had two sacks, and Nate Clements stripped the ball for the lone turnover.

Clements forced Titans tight end Jared Cook to fumble at the end of an 8-yard gain to give Cincinnati the ball at the Tennessee 20 with 3:49 left. Mike Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal for the final margin.

Tennessee got the ball back with one last shot, but struggled with two 10-second runoffs and no timeouts. Lavelle Hawkins was tackled after a 30-yard gain to the Cincinnati 32 after time expired.

Now the Bengals head into the toughest part of their schedule two wins ahead of their total of last season. Cincinnati faces the Steelers twice and the Ravens once in its next four games.

They took over after halftime, outgaining Tennessee 97-8 in total offense in the third quarter. Dalton took advantage of a defensive pass interference play to set up his second TD pass, a 15-yarder to Jerome Simpson. The rookie QB from Texas Christian then drove the Bengals 75 yards using up 6 minutes, 55 seconds before finding Andre Caldwell for a 5-yard TD with 10:52 left and a 21-17 lead that Cincinnati never lost.

Johnson ran pretty well at times and finished with 64 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving. But the Titans wasted their best field position at the Cincinnati 49 on the opening possession of the third quarter. In a sign of how much they would struggle, they wound up going backward with a penalty and went three-and-out.

The Titans had all the momentum at halftime after scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter. Matt Hasselbeck was 10 of 13 for 117 yards with a 143.3 passer rating in the quarter, tossing an 8-yard TD pass to Damian Williams where the second-year receiver tapped his toes in at the back of the end zone before falling out. Hasselbeck then found Hawkins in the back right corner for a 16-yard TD pass 8 seconds before the half for a 17-7 lead.

Green Bay Packers 45, San Diego Chargers 38

SAN DIEGO, California -- Aaron Rodgers threw touchdown passes to four receivers, Green Bay returned two Philip Rivers interceptions for scores and the Packers withstood a wild finish to hold off the San Diego Chargers 45-38 and remain the NFL's only undefeated team.

The Packers improved to 8-0 behind Rodgers, who completed 21 of 26 passes for 247 yards. He has an NFL-high 24 TD passes.

It wasn't easy, though. The Packers led by 21 points early in the fourth before Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Vincent Jackson in the span of 1:07 midway through the quarter.

San Diego had a final chance to tie it, but Charlie Peprah intercepted Rivers in the closing seconds and returned it 76 yards to seal the victory.

Rivers tied his career high with four touchdown passes but was picked off three times as the Chargers (4-4) lost their third straight.

Denver Broncos 38, Oakland Raiders 24

OAKLAND, California -- Eddie Royal returned a punt 85 yards for the tiebreaking score, Willis McGahee ran for 163 yards and Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes to lead the Denver Broncos to a 38-24 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

McGahee had a 60-yard touchdown run that tied the game on the first play after Carson Palmer threw his second of three interceptions for the Raiders (4-4). McGahee then added a 24-yarder to ice it.

The Broncos (3-5) didn't allow the Raiders' offense to generate anything in the fourth quarter and won for the second time in three games with Tebow as the starter.

Tebow did much of his damage with his legs, rushing for a career-high 117 yards on 12 carries. He did enough damage with his arm to keep the Raiders honest, throwing touchdowns to Eric Decker and Royal.

New York Giants 24, New England Patriots 20

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts -- Super Bowl or midseason game, Eli Manning is the master of last-minute comebacks against the New England Patriots.

Leading the New York Giants 80 yards in just over a minute, Manning hit Jake Ballard for a 1-yard touchdown with 15 seconds left for a 24-20 win, repeating a come-from-behind victory similar to the 2008 title game between the teams.

The Giants won that one, 17-14, on Manning's 13-yard scoring pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining. But on Sunday, it looked like the Patriots would win with a comeback of their own when Tom Brady threw a 14-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, making it 20-17 with 1:36 to go.

But the Giants (6-2) had enough time. And they had Manning.

They were helped by a 20-yard pass interference penalty against safety Sergio Brown of the Patriots (5-3) that put the ball at the 1 with 30 seconds left. Three plays later, Manning found Ballard in the back left corner of the end zone.

The loss put New England into a three-way tie for the AFC East lead with the Bills and Jets, who they visit next Sunday night.

After a scoreless first half, the Patriots took their first lead, 13-10, on Stephen Gostkowski's 45-yard field goal with 7:08 to go. Manning then led the Giants on an 85-yard march to a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham with 3:03 remaining, putting the Giants on top 17-13.

The Giants won for the sixth time in seven games despite injuries that kept their top rusher, Ahmad Bradshaw, and leading receiver, Hakeem Nicks, from making the trip. But New York's defense pressured Brady much of the game, coming up with two sacks and two interceptions. New England also lost two fumbles.

Manning completed 20 of 39 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Brady was 28 for 49 for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Both quarterbacks struggled throughout the first half.

The offense was so bad that fans booed when Brady threw an incompletion toward Danny Woodhead with 8:30 left in the third quarter. They cheered on the very next play when Aaron Ross fumbled Zoltan Mesko's punt and Rob Ninkovich recovered at the New York 33.

But the Patriots managed just a 32-yard field goal by Gostkowski that cut the lead to 10-3.

The Giants punted on the next series and got the ball back when Spencer Paysinger recovered Julian Edelman's fumble.

Manning moved the Giants from the Patriots 40 to a third-and-goal at the 5, then threw an interception to Kyle Arrington in the end zone. Seven plays later, Brady hit Aaron Hernandez for a 5-yard touchdown, tying the game at 10 just 32 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Giants had much better field position in the first half, starting at their 23, 22, 36, 28, 25 and 49. But all those series ended with punts.

The Patriots began at their 5, 6, 17, 20, 11 and 9. They punted four times and lost one interception before wasting their best scoring opportunity when Gostkowski pulled his 27-yard field goal attempt to the left with 3 seconds remaining. On that drive, the Patriots had five first downs, matching their total to that point.

Their next-best series of the half began at their 17 and ended on the first play of the second quarter. With the ball at the New York 29, Brady's pass was tipped by Michael Boley and intercepted by Mathias Kiwanuka, who returned it to the Giants 28.

Arizona Cardinals 19, St. Louis Rams 13 (Overtime)

GLENDALE, Arizona -- Patrick Peterson sure delivered a dramatic end to his team's six-game losing streak.

The rookie cornerback returned a punt 99 yards for a touchdown in overtime to give the Arizona Cardinals a stunning 19-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Peterson, whose pass interference penalty moments earlier seemed to set up the Rams (1-7) for a game-winning field goal, fielded the ball at the 1. He evaded and bounced off tacklers over the next 30 yards or so, then outran everyone, striding the last few yards in celebration of his third punt return TD of the season as Arizona (2-6) won for the first time since the opening week of the season.

Arizona's Calais Campbell blocked Josh Brown's 42-yard field goal attempt as regulation ended to force the overtime.

John Skelton, starting in place of Arizona's Kevin Kolb, gave up safeties on consecutive plays in the third quarter, then threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald with 4:51 to tie the game at 13-13.

Brown had field goals of 48, 37 and 41 yards.

Steven Jackson rushed for 130 yards in 29 carries and Sam Bradford, back after missing two games with a high ankle sprain, completed 23 of 36 for 255 yards. Skelton was 20 of 35 for 222 yards for the Rams.

Donnie Jones twice pinned the Cardinals inside their 10-yard line in the third quarter to set up the safeties. The first punt was downed at the 2. Arizona moved it to the 5, then James Hall burst through for a sack for a safety that boosted St. Louis' lead to 11-6. Arizona got the ball at its 9 the next time, and Skelton was called for intentional grounding on a rollout pass, giving the Rams a 13-6 lead.

It was the first time a player yielded two safeties in a quarter since Aaron Rodgers did it against Minnesota on Nov. 9, 2008. The last player to have safeties on consecutive plays was Kordell Stewart of Pittsburgh against Jacksonville on Oct. 3, 1999.

The safeties marked the first time in NFL history that a team had scored a total of four points in a quarter.

Skelton, a 2010 fifth-round draft pick out of Fordham, brought the Cardinals back. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 47 yards and scrambled twice for 28 on a nine-play, 84-yard drive for the game's only touchdown on a leaping grab by Fitzgerald in the back of the end zone.

The Rams took the subsequent kickoff and drove to the Arizona 32, where they had third-and-1, but twice Jackson was stopped for no gain, the first time by O'Brien Schofield, the second by Darnell Dockett.

The Cardinals couldn't take advantage, though, because Skelton fumbled but recovered for a 15-yard loss and Arizona had to punt with a minute to play in regulation.

Bradford's 23-yard pass to Austin Pettis moved the ball to the 42, then a 5-yarder to Pettis moved it to the 37. Cornerback Michael Adams was injured on the play and had to be carted off. St. Louis tight end Lance Kendricks and wide receiver Greg Salas had been taken off on carts earlier.

The pass interference penalty on Peterson -- against Brandon Lloyd, who caught five for 80 yards -- moved the ball well within Brown's range. But the 6-foot-8 Campbell knocked it away.

Peterson's game-winning play came a day after his college team, No. 1 LSU, defeated then No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime.

The Rams dominated the first half statistically but led only 9-3.

Bradford was sacked three times in the first half, two of them to stall drives and force St. Louis to settle for field goals. Adrian Wilson stopped Steven Jackson four a four-yard loss to at the 19 to stall the other Rams drive.

St. Louis outgained Arizona 189-58 in the first half and had a 13-4 advantage in first downs. That all turned around in the second half.

Buckeyes have thrown just nine passes per game during their three-game winning streak.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State's Dan Herron (1), here running with the football during the Buckeyes' 34-20 win over Indiana, has played in three games -- all OSU wins -- since returning from a suspension. He is averaging 5.9 yards on 70 carries, with two touchdowns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, a true freshman, is acknowledged to have some passing abilities.

For the Buckeyes, though, 2011 has been so unusual -- what with the memorabailia for tattoos/cash scandal that led to the forced resignation of coach Jim Tressel, QB Terrelle Pryor's premature departure and several player suspensions -- that anything offering some comfort level is welcome.

Thus, the decision -- in the tradition of legendary coach Woody Hayes' 1950s-1970s Buckeyes -- to run, run and run the football.

The simple strategy was again apparent during Ohio State's 34-20 win over Indiana in Columbus on Saturday, when running backs Dan Herron (141 yards) and Carlos Hyde (105) combined with Miller (105) for 351 rushing yards in just 43 carries. That's 8.2 yards per try for the trio, despite the average taking a hit because the sacks of Miller count as rushing attempts and as negative rushing yardage (unlike in the NFL, where sacks and yardage are included in a separate category).

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes about the Buckeyes' run-run-run tactics:

The Buckeyes schemed all week to muscle and thump their way through the overmatched Hoosiers, just as they’ll approach the rest of November. With all due respect to last week’s half-court shot at the buzzer, this is a team that treats the forward pass like Woody treated yard markers.

The Buckeyes made it clear with their 34-20 victory over Indiana that they have no interest in throwing the ball again until the spring game.

Why bother? When they put Braxton Miller in the shotgun near the goal line Saturday with five receivers spread sideline to sideline, the Hoosiers simply blitzed six and easily got the sack. Either Miller failed to identify the blitz and find his hot receiver or the hot receiver went cold. Either way, offensive coordinator Jim Bollman made it clear it should’ve been an easy read for somebody.

Bollman learned from that mistake, and on the next play went back to the old reliable quarterback draw. Miller scored the touchdown — on third-and-goal from the 20.

Ohio State, 6-3, 3-2 in the Big Ten Leaders Division, visit Purdue (4-5, 2-3) next Saturday. The win over Indiana (1-9, 0-6) extends the Buckeyes' winning streak to three games, during which Ohio State has averaged nine passing attempts a game. 

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' game story on Ohio State's 34-20 win over Indiana; his Buckeye Leaves; his National College Football Insider; his Weekly Wolverine Watch; his Ohio State report card; his report on Buckeyes coach Luke Fickell; his story on the Buckeyes' running strategy; Tom Reed's story on what Indiana's Hoosiers had to say about the game; Bill Livingston's column on the Ohio State-Indiana game; and, much more. 

About the Buckeyes

Optimism about the Buckeyes wanes somewhat after the struggle against Indiana. By Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio State notebook, by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Ten things learned from the Indiana game, by Brandon Castel for the-Ozone.net.

A Bleacher Report slideshow on five things learned from the Buckeyes' game against Indiana.

Grading the Buckeyes game, by Ray Stein of the Columbus Dispatch.

Braxton Miller's smart play keeps the Buckeyes out of trouble, by Brandon Castel for the-Ozone.net.

Ohio State 34, Indiana 20, by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

Projecting the bowl games for Ohio State and the other Big Ten teams. By Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett of ESPN.com.

Ohio State woke up just in time. By Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.

Putting the watch on the Ohio State-Indiana game. By Tony Gerdeman for the-Ozone.net.

Compliments for Ohio State's offensive backfield, on ESPN.com.

Ohio State remains in the running for the Big Ten championship game. An Associated Press story carried by the Dayton Daily News.

The Buckeyes hold off Indiana's upset bid, by Bob Evans for the National Football Authority.

The Browns lost three key starters Sunday, T.J. Ward, Mohamed Massaquoi and Tony Pashos. Ward will undergo an MRI on Monday.

HOUSTON -- The Browns watched three more starters go down Sunday, safety T.J. Ward, receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and right tackle Tony Pashos. Things won't get any easier for this beleaguered team if they miss much time.

All three will undergo further exams on Monday, including an MRI for Ward. Here's the rundown:

• Ward left after the second play with a dislocated finger, but returned at the end of the half and started the third quarter. But he suffered a right foot injury and left the stadium in a walking boot. He also had a splint on the finger.

"Second play, I dislocated my finger," said Ward. "I got up on it, looked at my hand and it was pointing in two directions. Then later I came back, got some X-rays, everything cleared out and wanted to play.

"[Then] I just felt my foot pop around my arch. So I went and got some X-rays. Nothing's broken, but we'll see if there's anything else wrong with it when we get back."

Ward was largely unable to help a defense that surrendered 124 yards rushing to Arian Foster and 115 to Ben Tate.

"That's what hurt the most -- seeing my team struggle like that and you can't really do nothing about it," he said. "Was killing me. It was just a long day. Rough day. Rough, rough day."

• Massaquoi was returning from a concussion that kept him out of last week's game, but felt woozy and left the game by the end of the third quarter.

• Pashos, who's been battling through a left ankle injury, hurt a knee sometime in the first half and was replaced by Artis Hicks.

Pashos' absence contributed to the Texans' pressure on Colt McCoy.

"It's always tough when you lose someone, but we have to be able to overcome it," said left tackle Joe Thomas.

Waiting for you know who: The Browns are hopeful that running back Peyton Hillis can return soon from his pulled hamstring and won't have to go on injured reserve. He's expected to miss at least a couple of games after re-injuring it on Friday.

"At this point, what we're trying to do is get him healthy so he can play," said head coach Pat Shurmur.

Not the best start: Running back Chris Ogbonnaya wanted to come back to his hometown and his former team and prove that he can play. Instead, he fumbled the ball away on the Browns' first snap, and the Texans soon converted it into seven points.

"I just got it popped out," he said. "Pure and simple. I've gotta take care of the ball. I can't put our team in that kind of hole. I have to be better. Good teams capitalize on those kinds of things."

With the Browns down, 14-0, in the first quarter, the running game went south and Ogbonnay totaled 28 yards on 13 carries. Newly-signed Thomas Clayton ran five times for 10 yards.

No joshing, he's angry: Josh Cribbs is still frustrated he can't do more to the help the team. He caught a two-yard TD pass, his second in as many weeks -- and caught all five balls thrown his way for 50 yards. He also had a 63-yard kickoff return but was flagged for a facemask after a stiff-arm. The play led to a Phil Dawson 50-yard field goal.

He also helped the Browns get into field-goal range on Dawson's 51-yarder with a 15-yard catch over the middle. So if not for Cribbs, they may not have scored at all.

"I only can control what I can control," he said. "When my number's called, I just try to come to life and do what I can do from my perspective, special teams and whenever I'm on the offense. I don't know the answers."

He said he ran with anger on the kickoff return.

"Yeah, because you know I want to do everything," he said. "But when it all comes down to it, I'm one guy. I only can do what's in my control, what's in my ability.

"Guys are frustrated all around. You hear [tight end] Alex Smith screaming out and voicing his opinion because we're only individuals when it comes down to it. We only can do what we can do."

He now has 31 career kickoff returns of 40 yards or more, which leads all active NFL players.

Hard times for rookie: Greg Little caught two of the eight passes thrown his way and dropped one or two. He also forgot to stop on a pass at the end of the second half that was picked off. Over the past two weeks, he's caught six of the 19 passes thrown his way.

The Browns have tried to make the first-year receiver their big playmaker, but it's just not there yet.

Drawing blood: Guard Shawn Lauvao was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness at the end of the first half after he may have head-butted Brian Cushing. Cushing had blood pouring down his face during the game, but it's uncertain if it occurred during the confrontation.

"We talked after the game and couldn't agree who did it first," said Cushing. "We were playing ball and it just went a little far."

As for the headbutt, Lauvao said, "don't believe everything you hear."

Going deep: Dawson now has six field goals of 50 yards or more this season, tied for third all-time in a single season. He's made five field goals of 50 or more yards in the last three games.

Sunday was Dawson's third consecutive game with at least one field goal of 50 yards or longer, which ties career-best stretch set in 2008.

Maybe Dawson was showing off for former President George H.W. Bush, who was an honorary captain met with Dawson before the game.

Imposing the Texans' will: Tight end Owen Daniels said the Texans wore the Browns down:

"I think it started from that first drive. I think we definitely wore them down," he said. "That is what happens when you run the ball like we did today and get the kind of push we were getting. The running backs were three, four, five yards up the field before anyone touched them. It was a great job up by everyone up front."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

News, notes and leftover tidbits about the Buckeyes and fellow Big Ten teams.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain Dealer"It's pretty exciting when Braxton takes off," OSU running back Carlos Hyde says admiringly. "He makes people miss, and it's just exciting to see that."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- News, notes and leftover tidbits about the Buckeyes:

Which OSU player has the best moves, the most worthy wiggles? Running back Carlos Hyde said it's a three-way tie between running backs Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry and quarterback Braxton Miller. "It's pretty embarrassing how they make [defenders] miss," Hyde said.

Considering neither of those running backs were out there Saturday against Indiana, Miller's exploits came in particularly handy in the 34-20 win. "It's pretty exciting when Braxton takes off. He makes people miss, and it's just exciting to see that," Hyde said.

Miller is a contrast to former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who would run away from defenders or repel them with a stiff-arm, but almost never threw out a juke or a spin. Miller doesn't have Pryor's straight-line speed or size, but can do more to shake a tackler, and the Buckeyes are clearly intent on using that to their advantage.

Head coach Luke Fickell was quick to point out the blocking on Miller's 81-yard touchdown run was impressive as well, that the freshman didn't do it by himself. But getting Miller into the open field is a goal of the offense, and look for the Buckeyes to continue to rely on that, with quarterback draws and the pass calls that they know will turn into scrambles. His 81-yarder was the 13th-longest run in major college football this season and the second-longest in the Big Ten, behind only an 82-yarder by Nebraska's Kenny Bell.

Miller is also 14th in the Big Ten in rushing at 56 yards per game, one spot behind Hyde. Dan Herron hasn't played in enough games to qualify for the rankings. ... The Buckeyes remain near the bottom of the FBS in total offense, at No. 106, and No. 11 in the Big Ten, at 320 yards per game. ... Ohio State is plus-four on the season in turnovers after losing the turnover battle to Indiana. That has Ohio State in a three-way tie for fourth in the conference. ... John Simon is second in the Big Ten with six sacks, which ties him for 28th in the nation. With three tackles for loss on Saturday, he's now sixth in the category in the Big Ten.

Big Ten Bits

At the start of the season, my predictions had every Big Ten team losing at least two conference games. That might be wrong. Maybe every team will lose at least three.

That's an exaggeration, but the conference continues to crumble in on itself. Losses by Nebraska and Michigan on Saturday, and close games by Michigan State and Ohio State against the team's two worst teams in Minnesota and Indiana, showed how desperate the league is for some team to seize control. Penn State is 5-0 in league play, Michigan State is 4-1 and five teams are now 3-2.

With the advent of the title games in the Big Ten and Pac-12 this season, there's one new, unintended consequence on the table. The Rose Bowl could be awful. Like ACC and Big East champs playing each other in the Orange Bowl-kind of awful.

If every Big Ten team does finish with two conference losses, that means title game contenders Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State will have three overall losses. How high will any Big Ten teams be ranked by the end of the year? In the 20s? Wisconsin easily could be the highest-ranked Big Ten team and not make the title game.

The Nittany Lions are the top-ranked conference team in the latest BCS standings, at No. 12, and could be staring at a three-game losing streak. At this point, the Nittany Lions finding their offense and running the table, with only one nonconference loss to Alabama, is the best hope for the Big Ten. That's on the field. All this is happening as Penn State faces very serious questions about its administrators in the football program, athletic department and university as a whole.

Meanwhile, the Pac-12, with USC banned from the title game, will send either UCLA or Arizona State to its conference championship. If either of those currently-unranked teams upsets either Stanford or Oregon for the title ... wow. What if the Rose Bowl is four-loss UCLA against, say, three-loss Michigan? That's progress.

The best national title game wouldn't be an SEC rematch, but an elite quarterback taking his best shot against the LSU defense.

View full sizeDon Ryan, Associated PressAfter Louisiana State and Alabama decimated each other's offenses, the most-appealing BCS title game matchup figures to include a star quarterback --- such as Stanford's Andrew Luck.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The players from Saturday's LSU-Alabama showdown still may be recovering in 57 days when the BCS National Championship is played. The Crimson Tide and Tigers fly around and lower shoulders and deliver hits and generally exact pain on the opposing offense on a regular basis.

But wouldn't it be nice to see what they'd do against a precise, talented veteran quarterback? Any talk of a potential rematch between those teams should have quieted, with the offenses on each side clearly unable to deal with those defenses in the touchdown-free LSU 9-6 win on Saturday night.

Whenever Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech were rolling through the Big 12 three years ago, all averaging more than 475 yards and 42 points per game, all in the national title picture, there were legitimate questions about whether anyone in the Big 12 played any defense. Isn't reasonable to ask the same about offense in the SEC, at least when it comes to throwing the ball?

Just four SEC teams are ranked among the nation's top 80 offenses in yards. The Pac-12 and ACC each have 10 teams in the top 80, the Big 12 has eight and the Big Ten has six. Is that all because of great SEC defense?

As for individual quarterbacks, the SEC's highest-ranked QB in passing efficiency is Georgia's Aaron Murray at No. 21. Neither LSU nor Alabama face the Bulldogs in the regular season, though Georgia is the favorite to represent the SEC East against LSU in the conference title game.

This isn't to say that a great quarterback would slice up LSU's defense in a national title showdown.

• Like Stanford's Andrew Luck (269 yds/game, 26 TDs vs. 5 INTs, 71 percent completions).

• Or Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden (357 yds/game, 26 TDs vs. 9 INTs, 72 percent completions).

• Or Boise State's Kellen Moore (278 yds/game, 29 TDs vs. 5 INTs, 74 percent completions).

But they'd probably put up more than six points. LSU, in turn, would certainly score more than nine against a defense other than Alabama's. Check out LSU's 40-27 win over Oregon to start the season.

But after weeks of well-earned buildup, it turned out that LSU and Alabama weren't a cut above the rest of the country. They were great, but not whole, not without flaws. Some team from among the Cardinal, Cowboys or even the Broncos should do enough to wind up facing the Tigers in New Orleans on Jan. 9, even if Alabama still hung on to the No. 3 rating in Sunday's BCS standings.

• Stanford, No. 4 BCS: Luck and his crew are the choice here to face the Tigers, partly because Oklahoma State is going to have a difficult time against Oklahoma in the final game of the regular season.

The Cardinal host Oregon on Saturday and could be out of this race in less than a week, but Stanford has already been scared straight in a triple overtime win over USC two weeks ago. Stanford hasn't been held under 34 points in regulation, and should be capable of keeping up with the Ducks in a potential shootout. Though behind Alabama right now, the Cardinal will jump ahead in the BCS with the Oregon win. Chances at title game: 35 percent.

• Oklahoma State, No. 2 BCS: The Cowboys held off Kansas State on Saturday by seven and have Texas Tech and Iowa State before finishing with the Sooners. The disappearance of the Big 12 title game will help, eliminating a potential speed bump.

There's a lot to like about the Cowboys, a whole lot, but the Sooners have won eight straight in the rivalry. Since an upset loss to Texas Tech, Oklahoma beat Kansas State and Texas A&M by a combined score of 99-42. But the loss of star receiver Ryan Broyles, and his 83 catches, for the season to a torn ACL hurts a lot. Chances at the title game: 35 percent.

• Boise State, No. 5 BCS: The Broncos need the Cardinal and Cowboys to lose, and then they need voters to reconsider. Right now they are fifth in both polls in the BCS and fourth in the computers. Alabama is fourth in both polls and third in the computers. A win over TCU on Saturday will give Boise some bump, but Alabama also has a game left with Auburn.

I'm convinced Moore would more than hold his own against an SEC defense. But keeping the Broncos on the sidelines in favor of a rematch isn't an unfortunate possibility. Chances at title game: 10 percent.

• One of the one-loss teams: Here's where Oklahoma, Alabama or Oregon will fight it out if both Oklahoma State and Stanford lose. The Sooners, with a win over Oklahoma State, would actually make a compelling case. Yes, their loss to Texas Tech would be much worse than Alabama's loss to LSU. But a win over Oklahoma State would also trump Alabama's best win, over Arkansas. Chances at title game: 20 percent.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

This week's best national games

1. No. 6 Oregon (8-1) at No. 3 Stanford (9-0), Saturday, 8, WEWS Ch. 5: Stanford handled Washington and USC; now the Ducks are the toughest test of the season. Wonder if Oregon will be able to handle the Cardinal running game, much less Andrew Luck. This one might top the 15 total points from the LSU-Alabama game, last week's best matchup, in the first seven minutes.

2. TCU (7-2) at No. 5 Boise State (8-0), Saturday, 3:30, Versus: The conference game everyone was waiting for when Boise State joined the Mountain West. It isn't as big as it would have been in past years, thanks to TCU losses to Baylor and SMU, but it's still the biggest game left for the Broncos.

3. No. 2 Oklahoma State (9-0) at Texas Tech (5-4), Saturday, Noon, WEWS Ch. 5: Texas Tech already upset one highly-ranked Oklahoma team, taking down the Sooners on Oct. 22. That's the only game the Red Raiders have won in their last five. Still, the Cowboys can't relax on the road after a tight win over Kansas State.

This week's best Big Ten games

1. No. 19 Nebraska (7-2, 3-2 Big Ten) at No. 12 Penn State (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten), Saturday, Noon, ESPN: The Nittany Lions control their fate in the Leaders Division and the Cornhuskers are far from out of it in the Legends despite Saturday's loss to Northwestern. The teams split a home-and-home series in 2002 and 2003.

2. No. 12 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) at Iowa (6-3, 3-2 Big Ten), Saturday, Noon, ESPN2: This may be the trickiest game left for the Spartans, who have a one-game lead in the Legends Division but were scared by Minnesota on Saturday. Iowa, coming off a win over Michigan, isn't great. But I think Michigan State will lose.

3. Ohio State (6-4, 3-2 Big Ten) at Purdue (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten), Saturday, Noon, Big Ten Network: The last time the Buckeyes went to West Lafayette, in 2009, they were shocked by Ryan Kerrigan and the Purdue defense as Terrelle Pryor committed four turnovers. The Boilermakers will need to force that many mistakes from Braxton Miller as well.

William Buford scored 17 points and Jared Sullinger added 15 to lead No. 3 Ohio State to a 95-49 win over Walsh of the NAIA 95-49 in an exhibition on Sunday.

Ohio State's William Buford (44) shoots over Walsh's Ron Kinney during the first half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — William Buford scored 17 points and Jared Sullinger added 15 to lead No. 3 Ohio State to a 95-49 win over Walsh of the NAIA 95-49 in an exhibition on Sunday.

Reserve Jordan Sibert added 15 points and freshman Sam Thompson debuted with four points for the Buckeyes, who open regular season play Friday night at home against Wright State.

Despite losing seniors Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale and David Lighty from the Big Ten championship team that went 34-3 last season, the Buckeyes still have Buford, the lone senior, and sophomore Sullinger, a unanimous pick as an Associated Press preseason All-American.

Brad DuPont and Ryan Burrell had 13 points apiece for Walsh.

The county library system got a five-star rating for the third straight year. And the Cleveland Public Library also got five stars. Only three other libraries of their size got the highest honor.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, Plain Dealer fileThe Library Journal points out what Clevelanders already knew: The Cuyahoga County Public Library system is awesome. This was the Strongsville branch this summer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For those tired of polls listing the Cleveland area at the top, there's Deliverance.

It's a good list. No Catch-22.

The Cuyahoga County Public Library leads the nation in per capita circulation, visits, program attendance and computer use in the big library category for the second consecutive year.

Library Journal's 2011 Index of Public Library Service has an ongoing Love Story with libraries here. The Cuyahoga County Public Library system got a five-star rating for the third straight year. And the Cleveland Public Library also got five stars. Only three other libraries of their size got the highest honor.

Other five-star winners in our region in smaller library categories were: Stark County District Library in Canton, Shaker Heights Public Library, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library and Lakewood Public Library.

It's enough to make librarians so proud they'll want to Go Tell it on the Mountain.

And looking ahead to next year's rankings, there's a good chance the libraries will do well again. Cuyahoga County Public Library expects its string will be Unbroken: Business is up 5 percent from last year.

Plain Dealer fileDan Coughlin in 2002.

Crazy and Nuts: Dan Coughlin is ready to hit the bar circuit again to peddle a new book of stories about the people and places he encountered as a sportswriter in Cleveland.

His first book, "Crazy with the Papers to Prove It," came out last year.

Now comes "Pass the Nuts."

"I thought a year was long enough to save up another 15 bucks," he explained. (The book retails for $14.95.)

Coughlin had a midnight signing for his first book at Herb's Tavern in Rocky River.

"Since I introduced literature to Herb's Tavern a year ago, the regular customers can now read the menu and are graduating to the wine list. Let's toast them with a nice Muscatel," Coughlin said.

This time, he'll make the rounds buying rounds, selling the book in various watering holes in Northeast Ohio, starting, of course, at Herbs. This time at dinner hour Wednesday. Go to coughlinforever.com to find out where he'll be.

Coughlin has stories about former Browns greats Gene Hickerson (a friend of Elvis Presley) and Dick Shafrath "possibly the craziest guy who ever played for the Browns"; John Lowenstein of the Indians (who had a part-time job shoveling manure at the zoo); and former Cleveland State University basketball coach Kevin Mackey (he never caught on to Mackey's drinking problem.)

And fitting in with his bar-hopping book tour, he writes about his favorite bars back in the day. Predictably, the Theatrical and the Blue Fox make the list.

Job cut: After Cuyahoga County worked out a deal to provide public funding for a medical mart and convention center, the county's administrator at the time, Dennis Madden, ditched his government job to become executive director for the medical mart developer, MMPI.

MMPI this summer moved him off salary and into a consultant's role.

"This change in duties was anticipated and is reflective of the project's shift from initial development to the operational phase," said MMPI spokesman Dave Johnson.

Sound of Ideas: Last week on "The Sound of Ideas," just in time for Halloween, we got some terrific advice about dealing with fear: Write about it.

Anthony Jack, assistant professor of cognitive science, philosophy and psychology at Case Western Reserve University said writing really works. Even for kids who are afraid of taking tests, Jack advised that 10 minutes of writing about the fear instead of cramming that last bit of algebra might actually do more good.

You can listen back by accessing archives at wcpn.org/soi.

We also examined the costs and benefits of Pre-K programs as Cuyahoga County seeks to implement universal Pre-K while the Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced the elimination of Pre-K programming due to budget cuts.

Marcia Egbert, senior program officer for human services at the George Gund Foundation said efforts are under way to restore the preschool funding in Cleveland, which would run out next year due to the budget cuts.

"That story is far from over. Whether that actually happens really hinges on the outcome of negotiations between the school district and the Cleveland Teachers Union," she said. "We feel that there's an opportunity to reverse that decision and that it would absolutely make the best sense in the world for the district and the union to come together, work together and reach a different conclusion."

This morning, an update on Asian Carp threats in the Great Lakes and Tuesday, all about the integration of traditional and alternative medicines in treating cancer. The Sound of Ideas, hosted by Tipoff's Mike McIntyre, airs 9 a.m. weekdays on WCPN/FM 90.3.

The University of Texas, in conjunction with the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — sometimes known as ESPN, sometimes known as “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” sometimes known as “Is Chris Berman really showing video highlights of previous Chris Berman ESPN broadcasts?” — earlier this autumn launched the nation’s first cable channel devoted to a single school’s athletics, the Longhorn Network.

AP PhotoNo doubt, Mack Brown’s head set is tuned in to the ESPN’s new Longhorn Network, which would explain the Texas head coach’s applause. It is the first cable channel to focus on a single school’s athletics program, promising Brown plenty of tube time.

The University of Texas, in conjunction with the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — sometimes known as ESPN, sometimes known as “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” sometimes known as “Is Chris Berman really showing video highlights of previous Chris Berman ESPN broadcasts?” — earlier this autumn launched the nation’s first cable channel devoted to a single school’s athletics, the Longhorn Network.

Alas, the number of people at the moment tuning in to the Longhorn Network at any given time is roughly equivalent to the number of people purchasing Jay Mariotti’s Kindle ebook, “The System,” at any given time.

So, in an effort to shake the fledgling channel out of its ratings doldrums, Longhorn Network top brass — 16 senior vice presidents in charge of programming — recently announced its new fall lineup of shows:

Parks and Recreation: Behind-the-scenes drama about the most popular class for UT athletes.

Law and Order: Special NCAA Unit: Compliance officer keeps UT athletes eligible for bowl games.

Hook ’em Around the Horn: Lively sports debate between two well-known Texas sportswriters and two Texas head of cattle.

Leave it to Bevo: The Longhorn mascot tries to trick an A&M Aggie into doing his school book report.

41 vs. 43: George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush pick a slate of NFL and NCAA games against each other in a somewhat fun-filled, somewhat presidential “Family Feud” co-hosted by Jeb Bush and former First Dog Barney.

Dancing With the Rules: UT compliance officers pair up with NCAA investigators to see who can cha-cha their way out of probation.

So You Think You Can Dance Around NCAA Regs: “Dancing With the Rules” spinoff features UT compliance officers showing NCAA investigators a good time at local strip clubs.

Twenty-Two and a Half Men: Profiles of UT football’s offensive and defensive starters, plus kicker Justin Tucker.

Creationism: A Theory: Texas Gov. Rick Perry rides roughshod over evolution with a weekly lecture — on horseback — on how we came to be, in front of a live studio audience.

Car 54, You’re in My Spot: See what happens when a campus security cruiser parks in a space reserved for the UT starting tailback.

A.M. Texas With Mack Brown: Sidekick: Ross Perot.

P.M. Texas With Mack Brown: Sidekick: Willie Nelson.

Late Night Texas With Mack Brown: Sidekick: Gary Busey.

Real Housewives of Austin: UT football coaches get upset when their wives “lose contain” with their credit cards at the jewelry store.

2005: A BCS Odyssey: Acclaimed documentary on UT’s most recent national championship.

Just Say ‘Nay’ to Nebraska: Why the nation’s 37th state is utterly uninhabitable.

Oklahoma? Hell, No! Why the nation’s 46th state is utterly uninhabitable.

The Other Locker Room: Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley Jr. discuss the justice system based on their brushes with the law.

Meet the Zone Press: How the UT men’s basketball team will handle opposing full-court defenses.

Bevo and Butthead: In this hilarious animated series, the Longhorn mascot and the Texas A&M Aggie join forces to make prank phone calls, try to con their way into Hooters and wind up in a ZZ Top music video. And that’s just their first day together!

Paris, Texas (Ooh La La): Seventeen reasons why the Lamar County seat is a better place to live than its famous French namesake.

Hillbilly Handfishin’ (originally aired Aug. 28, 2011, on Animal Planet): The smash hit makes its Longhorn Network debut.

The Biggest Loser: The history of Texas A&M football.

Friday Nights Lights: Frat Party!: From the creators of “Friday Night Lights” and “Saved by the Bell: The College Years:” Coach Taylor brings Tim Riggins, Smash Williams and “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!” to the promised land of higher education.

World Series of Poker: Featuring — what else? —Texas hold ’em!!!

Ask The Slouch!

Q:I was watching the “World Series of Poker Main Event” the other night and noticed that you were not wearing a wedding ring. Did you lose your ring in a card game, or did you lose your wife because of the card game? — Kevin Ayers; League City, Texas.

A:If I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all — both happened on the same night.

Q:Announcers are always telling us that “these teams just don’t like each other.” How would a football game differ if they did like each other? — Curtis Bare, Charlottesville, Va.

A:It would be much more like a Tupperware party.

Q:By cutting all ties with Kris Humphries prior to an agreement on a new NBA labor contract, does Kim Kardashian lose all rights to any future compensation should she sign another NBA player? — Mark Demos, Cudahy, Wis.

A:Pay the man, Shirley.

Q:If Mark Cuban is so intent on owning another professional franchise, why doesn’t he just buy an SEC football team? — Tim Sweeney, Mount Horeb, Wis.

A:Pay this fella, too.

You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just email asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!

Norman Chad is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.