DIVISION I State final: Saturday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m., at Canton's Fawcett Stadium.

Domenic Abounader, right, leads undefeated and top-seeded St. Edward against Mayfield. - (JOHN KUNTZ THE PLAIN DEALER)

DIVISION I

State final: Saturday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m., at Canton's Fawcett Stadium.

PAIRINGS

REGION 1

8 Mayfield (6-4)

at 1 St. Edward (10-0)

7 Austintown-Fitch (9-1)

at 2 St. Ignatius (9-1)

6 North Royalton (9-1)

at 3 Willoughby South (10-0)

5 Warren G. Harding (9-1)

at 4 Mentor (9-1)

REGION 2

8 Nordonia (7-3)

at 1 Massillon (9-1)

7 Avon Lake (8-2)

at 2 Toledo Whitmer (10-0)

6 Hudson (8-2)

at 3 Canton GlenOak (8-2)

5 Canton McKinley (7-2)

at 4 North Canton Hoover (8-2)

REGION 3

8 Westerville South (8-2)

at 1 Hilliard Darby (10-0)

7 Hilliard Davidson (8-2)

at 2 Dublin Coffman (9-1)

6 Dublin Scioto (8-2)

at 3 Lewis Center Olentangy (9-1)

5 Pickerington Central (7-2)

at 4 Pickerington North (9-1)

REGION 4

8 Cin. St. Xavier (6-4)

at 1 Cin. Colerain (10-0)

7 Lakota East (7-3)

at 2 Springboro (10-0)

6 Huber Heights Wayne (7-3)

at 3 Cin. Moeller (7-3)

5 Cin. Sycamore (9-1)

at 4 Cin. Elder (7-3)

Note: Most games will be played at the higher seed's home field on Saturday at 7 p.m. Official sites and times will be released early this week.

CONTENDERS

Cincinnati Colerain: The Cardinals' 36.6566 computer-points average and their second-level points of 303.5 are the second-highest totals in the state behind St. Edward. They have beaten three playoff teams and have scored 35 points or more seven times.

Cincinnati St. Xavier: Don't let the 6-4 record fool you. Yes, the Bombers barely qualified, but they have beaten two playoffs teams and lost to qualifiers Colerain by three points, St. Edward by 11 and St. Ignatius by 11.'

Dublin Coffman: A source in Columbus believes the Shamrocks are the best team in Central Ohio, with the season-ending loss to Upper Arlington an inexplicable bump. This team is no sham.

Massillon: Is this the year Massillon finally wins a state title on the field? The Tigers are playing with a ton of confidence after wins over rival Canton McKinley, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Austintown Fitch and Steubenville -- all playoff qualifiers.

Mentor: Most high school teams have trouble playing great pass defense, and great pass defense is what you need to beat QB Mitch Trubisky and his group of talented Mentor receivers. The Cardinals are racking up points faster than a pinball machine.

St. Edward: The Eagles' 39.9314 computer average and 333.5 second-level points are the highest totals in the state, and they have beaten five playoff qualifiers. After Youngstown Ursuline, and Cincinnati schools Elder, Moeller and St. Xavier, they topped it off with Saturday's 20-13 win over St. Ignatius.

St. Ignatius: The Wildcats were the best team in the state for nine weeks, so the obvious question becomes: Was Saturday's loss to rival St. Edward an aberration or a portent? Only time will tell.

Toledo Whitmer: Toledo Central Catholic finished second in its Division II region, and Whitmer beat Central Catholic, 42-0, last week.

BEST OPENING-ROUND GAME

8 St. Xavier at 1 Colerain: Colerain beat Xavier, 31-28, in the third game of the season, and while the Cardinals have not regressed, the Bombers have become the team no one wants to play in Region 4.

UPSET SPECIAL

8 Westerville South at 1 Hilliard Darby While it is rare for an eight seed to beat a top seed, it happens. South opened with five straight wins, lost two and closed with three more wins. One of the losses was to Darby, but the 14-point spread was one of Darby's closest games of the season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Domenic Abounader, St. Edward: A two-time state champion wrestler, the senior knows the meaning of "takedown" in the Eagles' secondary.

Kyle Berger, St. Ignatius: The rangy, junior OLB leads team in total tackles, tackles for loss (36) and is second in sacks (8.5).

Ryan Fallon, St. Edward: The senior quarterback has made play after play all season. He is mentally and physically tough.

Ben Gedeon, Hudson: He will play linebacker at Michigan, but he's also a beast of a running back at 6-3, 230 pounds. Has rushed for close to 800 yards.

Jimmy Hessel, Avon Lake: The senior WR/DB has scored 11 touchdowns while amassing 900 receiving yards. He has intercepted nine passes and chalked up 700 yards in kickoff returns.

Kareem Hunt, Willoughby South: The elusive and hard-running senior TB went over the 2,500-yard mark and has scored 42 TDs.

Kevin Kavalec, St. Ignatius: A two-way end headed for Boston College, the 6-3, 240-pound senior leads his team in sacks (nine) and fumble recoveries (four).

Kyle Kempt, Massillon: The 6-5, 200-pound quarterback and Cincinnati recruit has completed 138 of 194 passes for 2,100 yards and 22 TDs.

Tim McVey, St. Ignatius: The 5-9, 185-pound Buffalo recruit defines second effort. Surpassed 1,000 yards rushing, thanks to his ability to break tackles.

Travis Tarnowski, North Royalton: Where would the Bears be without the senior quarterback? He has accounted for more than 2,720 yards and 35 scores.

Mitch Trubisky, Mentor: One of the most prolific quarterbacks in Ohio, the North Carolina recruit has completed 159 of 242 passes for 2,470 yards.

PLAIN DEALER PICKS

Final four: St. Edward, Massillon, Dublin Coffman and Cincinnati Colerain.

State champ: St. Edward. Ryan Fallon completes his Cinderella season by leading St. Edward to its second state championship in the past three years.

Plain Dealer reporters Bob Fortuna, Joe Maxse and Tim Warsinskey contributed to this report.

CB Joe Haden visits the Eldorado barbershop and shares his past as an elite high school quarterback and a two-time state champion in basketball. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Joe Haden's dream of playing in the NFL was not in his present position, as an elite cornerback.

Haden, an elite high school quarterback in his own right, figured since he was the same kind of dual-threat player as his idol, Michael Vick, that his goal was not only attainable, but it was just a matter of time before he would get the chance to display what he built in an outstanding prep career.

But not even setting the Maryland state record in career passing, and tying the state record in career touchdown passes was enough for Haden to get on the field at Florida. So he simply changed positions (from QB to CB), and he became a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 draft.

During the latest "Talking Shop" at the Eldorado Barbershop, Haden talked about his high school career, his sneaker collection and the lessons learned during his four-game suspension by the NFL.

The PredictionMachine.com ran the numbers on the Buckeyes going 12-0, and on them not losing while Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, Kansas State and Louisville all stumble before the bowls.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Receiver Devin Smith said he really started considering the idea of an undefeated season after Ohio State's wins over two ranked teams, Michigan State and Nebraska, to start the Big Ten schedule.

“I started telling myself, 'Man, we really can go 12-0,'” Smith said. “That dream is still alive and everyone on this team believes that.”

What are the chances of the dream becoming reality?

That would be 28.8 percent.

That's the number derived by the PredictionMachine.com, which simulated the remaining games of the six major undefeated teams 50,000 times to come up with that answer.

That made the Buckeyes the third-most likely team to stay perfect before the start of the bowl season, behind Alabama (54.7 percent) and Notre Dame (39.8). That put the Buckeyes ahead of Kansas State (27.7 percent), Oregon (20.2 percent) and Louisville (16.6 percent).

But there's a bigger number, and a bigger percentage, that should interest the Buckeyes and their fans.

Ohio State wants to get to No. 1 in the AP poll, so what are the chances of Ohio State remaining as the only unbeaten team? Paul Bessire, the general manager of PredictionMachine.com, answered that question after a request from The Plain Dealer.

Ohio State going 12-0 and the five other undefeated teams losing at least once before the start of bowl season? That's a 3.8 percent chance, or a 1-in-26 occurrence. Even taking out Louisville, currently ranked behind the Buckeyes, the chances aren't that much better, just 4.5 percent, or 1-in-22.

That's the only path that gets Ohio State to No. 1 in the AP poll.

If Alabama, Oregon, Kansas State or Notre Dame is undefeated at the end of the year, that team will finish ahead of Ohio State. And if one of those teams is undefeated entering the bowls and loses to a one-loss team in the BCS national championship, expect that team to get enough of a bump to finish No. 1, even if Ohio State is the only team left with no losses.

As one of the 60 voters in the AP poll, it's not hard to imagine how voters would react, if, for instance, one-loss Oregon beats undefeated Alabama in the BCS title game. Or one-loss Alabama beats undefeated Kansas State.

The Buckeyes might get a few No. 1 votes in that scenario, but not enough to get to the top spot.

“There's a lot of experts that have a say in it,” OSU left tackle Jack Mewhort said, talking about the Buckeyes' current spot in the AP poll. “There's a lot of different things that go into it. So they say we're sixth, so we're sixth. If we keep winning, I think it'll take care of itself.

To take care of the ultimate goal, the Buckeyes would need a lot of help. Their work consists of three more games.

Answering another request, Bessire provided the PredictionMachine.com percentages on the Buckeyes' winning each of their last three games: Illinois (87.8 percent), at Wisconsin (52.8 percent) and Michigan (52.2 percent).

But don't forget that the Badgers are now deciding on a new starting quarterback with Joel Stave out for the rest of the regular season with a broken collarbone; and Michigan is trying to keep quarterback Denard Robinson's elbow healthy for the rest of the season.

So when it comes to 12-0, the Buckeyes have to like their 28.8 percent chances. When it comes to that AP No. 1, that 1-in-26 shot is a lot more difficult.

Don Steinberg, member of 1942 title team, dies: Former Buckeye Don Steinberg, a member of Ohio State's 1942 national championship team, died Monday at the age of 90.

In 2007, Steinberg told The Plain Dealer that the players had no idea that they might be the best in the country and on their way to winning Ohio State's first national title.

"I never knew where we were," Steinberg said. "Paul Brown never let us know. We found out at the end of the season."

Steinberg in 1992 wrote a book about that 1942 team and the accomplishments of those team members after they left Ohio State, called "Expanding Your Horizons." Jim Tressel had his players read the book before the 2002 season, when Ohio State won another national title 60 years later. Steinberg went on to a career as a doctor in Toledo.

Sabino likely out: Urban Meyer on Tuesday said the return of linebacker Etienne Sabino from a broken leg this weekend is doubtful. He had been a little more hopeful Monday, when he called Sabino questionable.

Join our live in-game chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE) and other fans in the comment section below.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter/The Plain DealerAlonzo Gee and the Cleveland Cavaliers take on Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards in their season opener tonight.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert spoke with the media before the Cavs took on the Washington Wizards in their season opener Tuesday night. Watch video

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert spoke with the media before the Cavs took on the Washington Wizards in their season opener Tuesday night.

Rob Senderoff has been pleased so far with his young team, but is unsure of just what kind of team he could have.

View full sizeAP fileKent State's Randal Holt (3), is expected to be available for the Flashes' season opener on Nov. 9 after having off-season knee surgery.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After losing four starters from last year's 21-12 team, Kent State has a roster of neophytes that for the first time since 1999 isn't considered a threat in the Mid-American Conference men's basketball race.

This is relatively new territory for Kent, going back to the Golden Flashes' formative years of basketball success that began in the late 1990s. Even in years when Kent has had heavy graduation losses after the 2002, 2005 and 2008 seasons, there were still veterans around to transition into another title contender.

There is only one seasoned player on the team, senior starting guard Randal Holt (12.7 ppg) out of Glenville High, and he is recovering from off-season knee surgery. Of the 13 scholarship players, 11 have one year or less in the program.

Coach Rob Senderoff has been pleased so far, but even he is unsure of just what kind of team he could have.

"I go [home] every night and wonder, are we good or are we just good against each other?" Senderoff said.

After Holt, senior small forward Chris Evans (9.5 ppg), a sixth man in 2011-12, returns with the most experience. Evans is now stronger, with added ball-handling skills. But after Evans and Holt, who is anticipated back by the Nov. 9 season opener against Drexel, question marks are everywhere.

Post play looms as a committee effort. Junior Mark Henniger is the most physical and aggressive. Freshman Khaliq Spicer is active and shows glimpses of productivity. Junior college transfer Melvin Tabb, who began his career at Wake Forest, has arrived with ACC-level skills, but currently lags behind the other two.

The point guard position is also unsettled, but in more stable hands. No matter who gets the starting nod between Bryson Pope, a 6-6 transfer from Tulsa, and 6-4 sophomore Kris Brewer, both are versatile enough to play quality minutes on the perimeter. Pope, who started 21 games at Tulsa as a sophomore and averaged 6.7 points and 2.3 assists, is more physical. Brewer, who played sporadically as a freshman, is quicker and averaged 2.4 points a game.

• Kent State 2012-13 schedule

The power forward position is also a two-man battle with 6-8, 215-pound freshman Chris Ortiz, from New York, giving 6-5 junior college transfer Darren Goodson a hard push. The 245-pound Goodson shows signs of being an offensive mismatch, but Ortiz is far and away the better rebounder and defender who, in practice, has shown more offense than anticipated.

"He's probably been our leading or second-leading scorer over the first 10 practices, and he's our leading rebounder," Senderoff said. "He has played very, very well this preseason."

But the second-year coach also noted that it's a ominous sign when the most productive player on the court is a freshman. There's a lot of growing up to do to finish with a 20-win season, something Kent has managed in 13 of the last 14 years.

"That's good that Chris [Ortiz] has led us," he said. "But if I'm going to tell you the last time a freshman was the scoring and rebounding leader in practice, it would probably be never."

The 2012-13 campaign is anticipated to be the best in Akron history.

View full sizePhil Masturzo, Akron Beacon-JournalAkron center Zeke Marshall averaged 10 points, nearly six rebounds and more than two blocks a game in 2011-12 for the Zips.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There is a collective confidence and swagger in and around Akron Zips men's basketball that is hard to deny. The 2012-13 campaign is anticipated to be the best in school history.

Aside from Ohio -- which returns five starters off a team that defeated Akron, 64-63, in the 2012 MAC Tournament -- few teams in the league measure up to the Zips.

That's tough to argue when Akron (22-12, 13-3) is coming off its first regular-season conference title in school history and has advanced to six straight MAC title games, winning in 2009 and 2011 to go to the NCAAs.

The Bobcats are favored to supplant Akron as league kingpins, according to the preseason poll, but the Zips are expected to be heard from.

"We like our team, we do," coach Keith Dambrot said. "We are trying to make pros, and players who graduate from college."

That statement lasers in on 7-0 senior Zeke Marshall (10.4 ppg), the computer science major who is the highest-rated recruit in school and MAC history. He is looking to end his career with a bang, then begin a professional one.

"My goals, in general, are just overall get better shooting and rebounding, make myself an overall better player, get in better position to be ready to go to the next level," Marshall said.

That's also Dambrot's goal. "He's talented enough to play at the next level," Dambrot said, noting Marshall's physical strength that belies his thin stature.

Marshall, the 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year, is known for his interior shot-blocking. He anchors a group of four returning starters and a bench, even without suspended senior swingman Quincy Diggs, that has the size, depth and experience any coach would covet.

None of the other returning starters -- guards Alex Abreu (9.6 ppg) and Brian Walsh (8.3), swingman Chauncey Gilliam (6.5) -- was a prolific scorer. But combined with the likes of veteran forwards Demetrius Treadwell (7.2) and Nick Harney (8.3), the Zips have plenty of firepower.

While Treadwell, a 6-7 product of Euclid, looks to move into the starting lineup, Harney and backup guard Deji Ibitayo plus incoming 6-10 transfer Pat Forsythe and newcomers 6-7 Jake Kretzer and 6-6 Reggie McAdams should keep Akron's bench potent.

That keeps Akron a prime candidate to defend its regular-season title. Short of winning the conference tournament, Dambrot noted Akron's next step is, "We're trying to get into an [NCAA] at-large position," he said.

That points directly to Akron's schedule.

The Zips can prove themselves against a non-conference slate that includes Creighton, Detroit, Princeton, Middle Tennessee State and Cleveland State among quality mid-majors that would get a lot of attention. If Akron steps up in the Puerto Rico Tip-off Tournament against Oklahoma State, with possible games against Tennessee, Massachusetts and/or North Carolina State, that could put the Zips into the at-large discussion.

"What we're trying to do now is figure out how to beat the big boys on a regular basis," Dambrot said. "It's not going to be easy, but we feel like we have a team to play with these people."

With five starters back plus an experienced, albeit new coach in Jim Christian, Ohio is expected to continue its roll this season.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerD.J. Cooper and the rest of the Bobcats look to build on their postseason success from last spring.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The consensus is that Ohio's Bobcats will run the table in the 2012-13 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season. That hasn't been done since Kent State in 2008.

But with five starters back plus an experienced, albeit new coach in Jim Christian, the team that rose from third during the 2012 MAC regular season to win the conference tournament is expected to continue its roll this season.

"This is a very mature group with some high expectations," Christian said.

The only real challenge is expected to come from Akron, the defending regular-season champs and a team the Bobcats narrowly topped in the MAC Tournament, 64-63. OU was awarded 141 points to 122 for the Zips. Kent State was third with 89.

OU's 2012 roll extended to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, landing coach John Groce a new gig at Illinois. Enter Christian, who had a five-year run at Kent State which included a pair of NCAA appearances (2005, 2008) plus the last MAC team (2008) to rank in the AP Top 25 during the regular season.

Several teams, including Western Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Central Michigan, are loaded with inexperience, which is a cause of concern for WMU coach Steve Hawkins.

"I think you might see something you seldom see in this league, which is blowouts," he said. "If [young players] don't get it, they're not going to get beat, they're going to get drilled."

The favorites don't have that concern. The Zips (22-12, 13-3 last season) return four of five starters from a team that split its two games with OU last season before falling in the MAC Tournament.

In the West, Toledo (143 points) is favored over defending division champ Eastern Michigan (118). However, Toledo will not be eligible for the conference tournament or the postseason due to NCAA academic sanctions.

Preseason Poll

MAC East

1. Ohio (141 points): The Bobcats were 29-8, 11-5 in 2011-12 and feature the backcourt trio of senior Walter Offutt (12.4 ppg), junior Nick Kellogg (9.0 ppg) and senior D.J. Cooper (14.7 ppg). With Jim Christian, an experienced MAC coach, replacing John Groce (now at Illinois), look for the Bobcats to be a potential Top 25 team as well as the MAC favorite.

2. Akron (122): Zips were 22-12, 13-3 with no player averaging more than 10.4 points, but eight averaging better than 6.0. Loss of 6-6 senior Quincy Diggs (suspension) hurts, but can be overcome by four returning starters including 7-0 senior Zeke Marshall (10.4 ppg), junior PG Alex Abreu (9.6) plus senior shooter Brian Walsh (8.3).

3. Kent State (89): High expectations even with the loss of four starters off a 21-12, 10-6 team, with the fifth, senior guard Randal Holt (12.7 ppg), sidelined since June due to a knee injury. Holt aside, Kent's roster only has 16 games of starting experience. Junior forward Chris Evans (9.5 ppg) will have to carry a heavy load.

4. Buffalo (68): The Bulls are coming off a 20-11, 12-4 season but must replace Player of the Year Mitchell Watt. Heir apparent is powerful junior Javon McCrea (14.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg). If Buffalo can find some perimeter firepower, Virginia transfer Will Regan (6-8, 240 pounds) should support McCrea well inside.

5. Bowling Green (53): The Falcons were 16-16, 9-7, but may have the league's most underrated player in senior A'uston Calhoun (13.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg). With Kent Roosevelt C Cameron Black (3.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and guard Jordon Crawford (11.3 ppg), BG has a solid starting trio returning along with four returning reserves.

6. Miami (31): All eyes will be on first-year head coach John Cooper, as he takes over for the popular Charlie Coles, who retired after a 9-21, 5-11 season. The RedHawks, with Lutheran East transfer Will Felder (St. Francis), could easily surprise with veterans including Twinsburg's Jon Harris (8.5 ppg) and North Ridgeville's Drew McGhee (5.2 ppg).

MAC West

1. Toledo (143): NCAA academic sanctions spoil the Rockets' postseason chances. UT was 19-17, 7-9 in 2011-12, and should be a darkhorse favorite behind OU and Akron. Toledo can play spoiler during the regular season with five starters back, including forward Rian Pearson (16.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and guard Julius Brown (11.9 ppg).

2. Eastern Michigan (118): Transfers abound for the defending division champs (14-18, 9-7), who saw coach Rob Murphy turn down overtures from the NBA. Senior starter Jamell Harris (6.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) from Euclid will teach the ways of the MAC to teammates who played at Wyoming, Syracuse, Arkansas and Providence.

3. Western Michigan (88): The Broncos have revamped after a disappointing 14-20, 6-10 season that included the transfer loss of St. Edward High product Matt Stainbrook (11.4 ppg) to Xavier. Coach Steve Hawkins now has just one returning starter in 6-7 Nate Hutcheson (9.4 ppg) to nurture a seven-man freshman class.

4. Ball State (74): The Cardinals underachieved last season (15-15, 6-10) which likely put head coach Billy Taylor (69-84) on the hot seat. Only two starters return, including forward Chris Bond (7.1 ppg), but the Cardinals did get a major late-summer pickup in 6-10 junior college post player Majok Majok.

5. Northern Illinois (46): Second-year head coach Mark Montgomery has three starters returning from a 5-26, 3-13 team. A roster of predominantly sophomores and freshmen, expect several players to make a jump in production, including 6-7 Abdel Nader (10.4 ppg, 4.2 ppg).

6. Central Michigan (35): Only one starter, Olivier Mbaigoto (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg) returns for the Chippewas, who ended last season 11-21, 5-11. Coach Ernie Zeigler was fired, then CMU lost its two best players to transfer -- Trey Zeigler (Pitt), Austin McBroom (St. Louis). Incoming coach Keno Davis will unleash a fast-paced offense with unproven talent.

Tournament Winner: Ohio (18), Akron (6)

A cloud of uncertainty hovers, the result of injuries to major contributors on defense and uneven performances by major contributors on offense.

Joe Flacco and the Ravens have had the bye week to contemplate their thorough domination by the Houston Texans on Oct. 21. Will they make the Browns pay on Sunday? AP file

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The previous time the Browns saw them, Sept. 27 in Baltimore, the Ravens were a first-place team. They defeated the Browns, 23-16, to move to 3-1.

The Ravens have won two of three since to remain atop the AFC North. But don't be fooled: The Ravens in Cleveland on Sunday are not the same. A cloud of uncertainty hovers, the result of injuries to major contributors on defense and uneven performances by major contributors on offense.

In the victory over the Browns, quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 356 yards, but running back Ray Rice had just 49 yards on 19 carries and the defense gave up 357 yards.

The Ravens traveled to Kansas City for what should have been a routine victory. Instead, they squeaked past the Chiefs, 9-6. The defense dominated and Rice rushed for 102 yards, but Flacco was 13-of-27 for 187 yards and one interception and was sacked four times.

A Week 6 home victory over Dallas, 31-29, featured solid work by Flacco and Rice. The postgame locker room was subdued, though, given what happened to the defense. Four players -- linebacker Ray Lewis, nose tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb suffered injuries that the Cowboys exploited in amassing 481 yards.

Baltimore feared the worst about Lewis and Webb, and those fears were realized shortly thereafter with news that Lewis tore his right triceps and Webb his left knee. Both are done for the season. So a defense that already had begun to show wear lost the face of the franchise and a quality cover man.

A physically and psychologically damaged outfit went to Houston to play the Texans -- not exactly the ideal way to commence the healing process. The Texans, still smarting from a playoff defeat at Baltimore last season, administered a 43-13 beatdown. Not even the return of linebacker Terrell Suggs could prevent the Ravens from allowing 420 yards, 27 first downs and the most points in coach John Harbaugh's five seasons.

The defense faltering, while problematic, at least was understandable. Flacco under-performing as he did was alarming. Flacco went 21-of-43 for 147 yards, one touchdown and two picks. Houston sacked him four times. Yes, Flacco faced a tough defense on the road, but a quarterback who wants to be mentioned with the elite at his position needs to rise above those challenges.

Meanwhile, Rice supporters wonder why he isn't getting the ball more. Against Houston, he had nine carries for 42 yards and five catches for 12 yards.

The Ravens had a bye week to stew over the Houston debacle.

"It's not the end of the world," Suggs said told reporters after the game, "but it's not something we're going to take lightly, either."

Harbaugh, ignoring his team's first-place status, told reporters this week that he considers the game against the Browns a "must-win." The Ravens own a nine-game winning streak against the Browns.

Offensive overview

Finding the ideal balance of pass and run has not been easy for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Through three games, everything looked good: Flacco completed 71-of-110 for 913 yards and six touchdowns and Rice rushed for 268 yards and three touchdowns on 46 carries. The next four games included inconsistent outputs from both players: Flacco's passing yardages were 356-187-234-147 and Rice's rushing yardages were 49-102-63-42.

Against the Browns, Flacco went 28-of-46, threw for one touchdown and ran for another. He was sacked four times. Flacco benefited from facing a secondary sans Joe Haden (league suspension).

Defenses used to dare Flacco to beat them over the top. It is much more risky now because Flacco has gotten better at stretching the field with receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Boldin leads the Ravens with 31 catches for 453 yards. The speedy Smith ranks second with 435 receiving yards and first with four touchdowns. The two have combined for 16 catches of 20-plus yards.

Boldin and Smith took turns getting open against the Browns. Boldin caught nine passes for 131 yards; Smith, six for 97.

Defensive overview

The return of premier pass rusher Terrell Suggs (55, against Houston's Derek Newton) helps, but the Ravens' defense is still dealing with the absence of Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb. Patric Schneider, Associated Press

Last season, the Ravens were third in total defense (288.9 yards) and third in points allowed (16.6). Through seven games this year, the respective rankings are 28th (400.0 ypg) and 17th (23.0).

The return of linebacker Terrell Suggs, alone, will not compensate for the injury losses of linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb. But having Suggs back certainly helps. He notched a sack against Houston in his first game since tearing his Achilles' in the off-season.

Against the Browns, Baltimore allowed 320 passing yards to Brandon Weeden but held him below 50 percent in completions (25-of-52) and made one gigantic interception. In the final minute of the third quarter, cornerback Cary Williams broke on an out route, intercepted and raced 63 yards for a 23-10 lead.

The Browns' 357 total yards came after going just 3-of-15 on third downs. They had opportunities to tie with throws into the end zone in the final seconds.

The Ravens have been vulnerable against the run lately, so the Browns almost certainly will seek to dial down from 52 pass attempts. Running back Trent Richardson, who carried the Browns to a 7-6 victory over San Diego last week, figures to get more than the 18 touches of the first meeting (14 carries for 47 yards, four receptions for 57 yards).

Even though Baltimore's defense no longer is vaunted, it remains physical and knows how to force turnovers. It has seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Baltimore's base scheme is a 3-4, but it rarely seems so at the snap because at least one of the linebackers is preparing to rush. The first look often is a 5-2, with a lot of movement thereafter.

Veteran safety Ed Reed, a ball hawk who has antagonized more than a few Browns quarterbacks, is playing despite an injured shoulder.

Special teams overview

Justin Tucker, a rookie from Texas, is 14 of 15 in field goals and perfect on 18 extra points. He has made all four of his attempts from 50-plus yards, with a long of 56. Sam Koch is averaging 47.2 yards gross and 39.7 net on 30 punts.

Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff 108 yards against Dallas, part of a season's average of 39.4 yards on nine returns. (Deonte Thompson has 15 returns for a 25.9 average.) Jones has eight of the 10 punt returns (9.0 average).

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Dan Gilbert regrets writing a letter guaranteeing the Cavaliers would win an NBA championship before LeBron James -- and also putting the franchise in a position where James could walk away.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressDan Gilbert is past his LeBron frustrations of 2010, he said on Tuesday, and is focused on building a title contender once again with the Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In hindsight, Dan Gilbert admits, it was a bit hasty. A bit emotional. And he regrets it.

Yep, regret.

"Looking back now, that probably was not the most brilliant thing I've ever done in my life," Gilbert said before the Cavaliers kicked off the 2012-13 season Tuesday against Washington.

That infamous letter the Cavaliers owner wrote to fans after LeBron James left for Miami in 2010, the one in which Gilbert declared in Comic Sans that the Cavaliers would win an NBA title before "the self-titled former 'king' wins one" wasn't his finest moment. Particularly now that James is collecting his first ring for winning the NBA championship in June.

"If you're going to predict something that doesn't happen and you're going to do it publicly, you'd for sure take it back," Gilbert said. "When that happened, when they won, it was the end of the end of the end of that whole thing. Now there's nothing more to talk about.

"In a way, it was like a little bit of a relief. If they didn't win it, it would've been still another thing of who's going to win it [first]?"

In the minutes after James declared in his nationally televised "Decision" that he was "taking my talents to South Beach," Gilbert released the letter in which he declared in all-caps, all Comic Sans, all-bold, "I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'king' wins one. You can take it to the bank."

The entire experience, in fact, taught Gilbert a valuable -- and pricey -- lesson about how to handle high-profile free agents in the future. NBA teams no longer can wait for another decision from free agents.

"The big lesson was if a player is not willing to extend, no matter who they are, no matter where they are playing, no matter what kind of season you had, you can not risk going into a summer and having them leave in unrestricted free agency and get nothing back for it," Gilbert said. "It's not the player's fault. That's on ownership."

Of course, Gilbert also theorizes that acting first, trading a franchise player such as James -- as Orlando did with Dwight Howard recently -- instead of waiting for a free-agency decision might have backfired, as well.

"Had we done that, the whole thing would have been crafted as, I'm sure the player or whoever would have said, 'Of course I would have stayed. You guys screwed up and ruined the whole franchise,'" Gilbert said. "You're in a no-win situation with that."

Gilbert emphasized that his current focus is on guaranteeing this current group of Cavaliers grows and succeeds.

"We want to win as much as the fans do," Gilbert said. "No matter how long it takes, and no matter what it takes, we're just going to keep going until we get there."

Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson took in his first Cleveland Cavaliers game Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena. Watch video

Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson took in his first Cleveland Cavaliers game Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Bourne, one of 11 Master teaching pros in the Northern Ohio PGA, will be toasted, roasted and asked to spin stories Thursday at StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is being billed as "An Evening With Bob Bourne" but one evening seems almost inadequate for a guy who has spent a lifetime in golf.

Bourne, listed by the PGA of America as one of 114 Master teaching professionals in the country and one of 11 in the Northern Ohio PGA, will be toasted, roasted and asked to spin stories from more than 50 years in the game on Thursday at StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights starting at 6 p.m.

View full sizeDavid I. Andersen, PD Northern Ohio PGA Master teaching pro Bob Bourne will be masterly roasted on Thursday.

The tribute is the idea of Jimmy Hanlin, head professional and part owner of StoneWater, where Bourne has been anchored since 1997 as the director of instruction.

"Bob is one of the most respected men in our profession," said Hanlin, who went to Bourne for lessons in 2000 when he began resurrecting his swing following a serious elbow injury. "I just felt this was an opportunity for us to recognize what Bob has done for so many players and for what he has done for golf in general in this area."

Bourne's list of credentials is longer than the longest par-5.

"Let's face it, my life's been a fairy tale," said Bourne, one of the game's great story-tellers, as well as being recognized as one of its top teachers. "To spend my life in the game of golf has been a blessing. I've been very fortunate to have accomplished what I have, and I have had a lot of help."

Bourne, 68, was a two-time district champion and finished second in the 1961 state tournament while playing at Oberlin High. He won the Ohio Amateur in 1963 at Elyria Country Club and walked on at the University of Houston before earning a scholarship. He returned to Northeast Ohio after graduating and taught high school physical education for almost three years before his career took a major turn.

"I got to know a man named Ivan Roberts, who owned the Aqua Marine Resort in Avon Lake," Bourne said. "I guess he liked my game because he gave me two credit cards and said, 'Go play golf for a living.'"

Bourne finished second at the 1970 PGA Tour Qualifying school and spent three years on the PGA Tour.

"I learned just how tough it is to play the game on that level," he said.

Bourne, a member of the Northern Ohio Golf Association Hall of Fame, was an assistant at Canterbury Golf Club and eventually became head pro at Beechmont, where he spent 15 years. He left to accept an opportunity to work with Jack Nicklaus and the late Bart Wolstein in the building and development of Barrington Golf Club in Aurora and Glenmoor Country Club in Canton.

Tickets for the event, which includes dinner, can be purchased by calling 440-461-4896 or online at stonewater.eventbrite.com.

Kristosik, Spitale inducted: The Northern Ohio PGA inducted Joe Kristosik and Jay Spitale into its hall of fame during ceremonies on Monday at Westfield Country Club.

Kristosik, a native of Elyria, has spent more than 60 years in the game, working as a professional at Sunset Country Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., Congress Lake in Hartville, Elyria, Oberlin and the Aqua Marine Resort. He currently is a teaching pro at Bob-O-Link in Avon.

Spitale, currently a teaching pro at Congress Lake, was the head pro at Edgewood Golf Club, Skyland Pines and the owner of the Jay Spitale Golf Center in Stark County. He is a member of the Edinboro University and the Stark County halls of fame.

Winners all: Dennis Miller, Mitch Camp and Mark Evans were the winners in the 2012 Denny Shute Match Play Championship conducted by the Northern Ohio PGA.

Miller, head pro at Mill Creek Park in Canfield, capped a terrific season in which he qualified for the U.S. Open, defeated Sand Ridge pro Matt Creech, 4-and-3, in the finals of the member division. Camp, head pro at Walden, defeated Lakewood's Tom Waitrovich, 4-and-2, in the senior division and Evans (Beechmont) defeated Randy Dietz (Windmill Golf Center) in the apprentice division.

Adding duties: Westfield Country Club pro Chad Seymour has been elected as the area representative to the PGA Board of Directors and will represent District 5, which encompasses the PGA sections in Ohio and Michigan, for the next three years.

On Twitter: @TimRogersPD

The Cavs are flying way under the radar -- which is just fine with them.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressCavaliers coach Byron Scott (with guard Donald Sloan during Tuesday's opening vs. Washington) is paying little attention to preseason predictions about his team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NBA commissioner David Stern held his annual pre-season conference call with reporters last week, and there wasn't one question about the Cavaliers. Same thing for the TNT pre-season conference call, and the NBA TV conference call.

Granted, the participants can take only so many questions from reporters in any given amount of time, but the fact of the matter is, with all the talk about the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the new Brooklyn Nets, the Cavs are flying way under the radar -- which is just fine with them.

"I don't [care]," coach Byron Scott said. "I could care less, either way. It doesn't really matter. As long as we understand it and realize we're heading in the right direction and our guys are getting better, that's all that matters. All that other stuff will come in due time."

National reporters love Kyrie Irving; Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com picked him as the MVP. But they don't think much of the Cavs' chances this season.

ESPN The Magazine picks the Cavs to finish 11th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, fourth in the five-team Central Division, just ahead of the Detroit Pistons. Former Plain Dealer reporter Brian Windhorst says the conventional wisdom is that the Cavs are just too young. In fact, their average age is 24.9 years, and the average age of their starters is 23.7.

But, Windhorst says, "These guys are growing up fast. He might be just 20, but last season's top rookie, Irving, played like he's been doing it for years. In crunch time, Irving shot 54 percent from the field, 67 percent from three and 89 percent from the line. Add budding star Tristan Thompson and dynamic first-year man Dion Waiters and the Cavs are much closer than you think."

While Gery Woelfel gives the Cavs a B+ for their draft, Lindy's Sports Pro Basketball picks them fifth in the Central. Writes Mike McGraw, "The Cavs are very happy to have a new star in Kyrie Irving, but coach Byron Scott fully admitted this season is more about internal growth than chasing a playoff spot."

The 2012-13 Pro Basketball Preview and Fantasy Guide predicts the Cavaliers will finish 31-51, fourth in the Central, ahead of 25-57 Detroit.

Weather woes: The Cavs did not escape the storm unscathed.

"It was crazy trying to get out of my suburb [Westlake]," Daniel Gibson said. "I almost didn't make it. I normally come toward the 480 [but] there was a big tree down in the middle of the street, and I turned around to go the other way and the police had that road blocked off, so I ended up having to go down a couple streets to get back to I-90.

"At first I didn't think I was going to make it out of the block. All the lights and street lights were off. We have a generator, so it bounced back at first, but then like 3 or 4 o'clock at night, the whole thing shut down."

Said Alonzo Gee, who lives in Rocky River, "My power has been out since 9 o'clock at night. I have no power right now. I had my laptop. That was my only light. I didn't have any candles. But it eventually died, though, so I was in the dark."

Scott said the team's focus at Tuesday's shootaround was fine despite the weather.

"We had a couple of guys had trees down in their neighborhoods and had to take alternate routes to get here. But everybody made it safely, that's the most important thing," he said.

The weather forced owner Dan Gilbert to drive to the game from Detroit instead of fly. Wizards beat reporter Michael Lee of the Washington Post also drove to the game.

New and improved: In addition to their new court, new gold uniforms, new phone app and new fire-themed video opening, the Cavs are in the process of upgrading their WiFi and are using a temporary cell tower to boost the signal until the upgrade is completed. Gilbert is also promising a new scoreboard for next season after attending a recent Michigan State football game.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Concerns over possible improper aid to student athletes prompts school's decision.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Having learned that some athletes may have received improper financial aid, Baldwin Wallace announced Tuesday that it will hold its sports teams out of 2012-13 postseason Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA events.

BW will be working with the NCAA to investigate.

"Recently mistakes in the application of NCAA regulations to the awarding of financial aid to a small percentage of our student-athletes have come to light," University president Robert C. Helmer said in a statement. "Baldwin Wallace University has always stood for the highest standards of integrity. For that reason, we have notified the NCAA that we are withdrawing from any consideration of postseason play for our athletic teams during the 2012-13 academic year."

The Yellow Jackets football team, 7-1 and ranked 15th in this week's Division III national poll, will host No. 1-ranked Mount Union on Saturday at 1:30 at Finnie Stadium in Berea.

BW's women's soccer team was the second seed in the upcoming OAC tournament. The men's soccer team was entering next week's OAC tournament as the sixth seed.

Any victory by this young team is worth a smile. But it's how they won this game, and why it gives fans reasons to pay attention this season.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerCavaliers guard Dion Waiters steals the ball from Washington's Bradley Beal and heads off for a fast-break layup in the third quarter of Tuesday's opening night victory at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're a Cavaliers fan, you have to feel better about your favorite team right now.

Not because they have suddenly transformed into a playoff contender. Or because they beat Washington, 94-84, in Tuesday's opener at Quicken Loans Arena.

Check that. Any victory by this young team is worth a smile. But it's how they won this game, and why it gives fans reasons to pay attention this season.

Begin with the new guy, Dion Waiters. I've been nervous about the Syracuse guard ever since the Cavs made him the fourth pick in the draft. Watching three preseason games did little to calm the anxiety, as he looked rather timid and confused as he figured out how to play shooting guard.

Then he stepped on the court, matched up with Bradley Beal -- a pure shooting guard and the third pick last June. One guard had 17 points, the other scored eight on a dismal 2-of-8 from the field. Guess who did what?

Take a bow, Mr. Waiters. The same for Chris Grant, as it was the Cavs general manager who made the gusty decision to draft Waiters at such a lofty spot.

The disclaimer is that one game hardly makes a career, or even a good first month. Washington had its two best players injured -- John Wall and Nene. But Waiters showed more in his 28 minutes than most expected. He shot 6-of-14, everything from a pair of 3-pointers to a steal and a dunk. He seemed to have a good idea about court spacing, allowing future All-Star Kyrie Irving plenty of room to roam.

Yes, Irving delivered an eye-popping 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting. He had six rebounds. He scored twice on post-ups near the rim, and he was 3-of-6 on 3-pointers. When their second-year point guard was on the court, the Cavs outscored Washington by 23 points.

He's that good. Good enough so that Byron Scott is allowing Irving to call about 75 percent of the plays. Good enough to that he could tell Scott, "Don't worry" with the Cavs losing, 76-74, with 7:52 left as he returned to the game. From that point, the Cavs outscored Washington, 20-8.

The two 20-year-old guards produced 46 points, eight rebounds and three steals. The one strange number was only three assists. But Scott's offense now has Andy Varejao at the foul line ("The Hub" as the coach calls it) with players cutting to the basket.

Now consider these numbers -- 23-9-9. Varejao threw out his elbows and hauled in a career-high 23 rebounds. He passed off for a career-high nine assists. And he had nine points. He out rebounded the entire Washington starting lineup, 23-16!

Then there was Tristan Thompson, who has been challenged by Scott to produce 10 rebounds. He did just that, also scoring 12 points with five assists. It took 21 games to pass off for five assists in his rookie season.

Rookie center Tyler Zeller had five points and two rebounds in 15 solid minutes.

Before the game, Scott admitted that he was "anxious to see how it works" in starting a lineup with an average age under 24. Then consider this was Scott's 30th NBA opening day as a player and coach. When it was over, he immediately praised the rebounding (54-39 advantage) and how they held Washington to 36 percent shooting. Defense and boards has been the motto of his training camp.

Then he added, "It was good to see the young guys play as well as they did."

Fans will be quick to agree with that.

Varejao grabs a career-high 23 rebounds and dishes a career-high nine assists in his first regular-season game for the Cavaliers in nearly nine months.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerAnderson Varejao clogs up a passing lane to help slow the Washington offense during the second quarter of Tuesday's season opener at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- His Cavaliers teammates call Anderson Varejao a horse.

As in workhorse. As in the kind of player who never stops trying, never gives up, always is full of energy and always scratches and claws for the ball every time he's on the court.

As in the kind of center who grabs a career-high 23 rebounds -- 12 offensive -- dishes a career-high nine assists and adds nine points in Cleveland's season-opening 94-84 victory over Washington.

"You can put him in the Kentucky Derby and ride him and you might win some money," forward Tristan Thompson joked. It was the kind of performance the Cavaliers have missed for nearly nine months -- Varejao broke his wrist in February and hadn't appeared in a regular-season game since.

Before the game, coach Byron Scott challenged his young team to play hard, to play with energy. Which, of course, is like telling Varejao to simply play the way he always does.

"So I just tried to do my job," he said. "Be active. And it was one of those nights when you get one, two, three, and [rebounds] keep coming. It was fun."

Varejao had 12 rebounds in the third quarter and surpassed his previous career-high of 20 when he nabbed the final carom off the rim as the quarter buzzer sounded. Two of his career-high assists came in the final two minutes, when Varejao fed Thompson from the high post and Thompson slammed down dunks that were vital to the Cavaliers securing the victory.

"I feel like every time I passed the ball, they made shots," Varejao said. "That's why I got nine assists."

Scott mused afterward that he asked the referees if the game could be five minutes longer -- just so Varejao could sink one more point and dish one more for a triple double. He labeled the combination of Varejao's production and Kyrie Irving's 29 points "two All-Star performances."

"He's so valuable to us because of all the things he does on both ends of the floor," Scott said. "Offensively he's our hub, he's a great passer at that center position. And every time a shot goes up you've got to worry about him. He's a guy you have a gameplan for. ... He must be a nightmare to defend and try to block out."

His teammates say he inspires them.

"He's unbelievable. He's a workhorse, man," guard Dion Waiters said. "He leaves it all on the floor for us. It's great. He's a great teammate, great basketball player, his work ethic is crazy, unbelievable. That's the type of stuff we feed off of. That makes me want to go out there and get 23 rebounds. It was an unbelievable effort on his part."

Added Thompson: "He's definitely leading the league in rebounding right now."

Kyrie Irving had 29 points and six rebounds, rookie Dion Waiters added 17 points and Anderson Varejao contributed career highs in rebounds (23) and assists (9).

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerTristan Thompson drives home a couple of first-quarter points in Tuesday's opening-night victory over Washington. Thompson had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the sort of performance Cavaliers fans have come to expect from Kyrie Irving, the kind of outing his coach has come to count on, the type of showing his teammates have come to rely upon.

The Cavs were in the process of wrecking their opening night party when Irving turned to Byron Scott midway during the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's game against the visiting Washington Wizards and said, "Don't worry about it coach. I got it."

Eight minutes later, the Cavs were celebrating a 94-84 victory, a record-breaking performance by Anderson Varejao and a successful debut by rookie Dion Waiters.

"For a home opener first game, I thought our guys played pretty well," Scott said.

Irving finished with 29 points, Waiters added 17 and Varejao recorded career highs in rebounds (23), offensive rebounds (12) and assists (nine) along with nine points as the team rallied to send the rowdy sell-out crowd of 20,562 home happy. The 12 offensive rebounds tied the franchise record held by Michael Cage and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Despite those performances, things were looking as dark as the skies over Cleveland midway through the fourth quarter, when the Wizards completed a 16-0 run for a 76-74 lead with 7:52 left. But Scott reinserted Irving, Waiters and Tristan Thompson and the Cavs closed out the game on a 20-8 run. The Wizards wound up shooting 31 percent in the fourth quarter, 35.6 percent for the game.

"It showed a lot of heart, showed a lot of guts," Scott said. It also showed that his second unit still needs some refining. But there was no complaining about the first unit.

According to Scott, Irving ran the offense on his own about 75 percent of the time, and he and Waiters combined to show glimpses of what the franchise hoped for when they drafted Waiters with the fourth pick in the draft, just after Washington drafted Bradley Beal at No. 3.

Waiters clearly came out on top Tuesday. Beal had just eight points for the short-handed Wizards, who also were without starters Nene (sore left foot) and John Wall (sore left knee).

But Waiters insisted going against the guy picked ahead of him never crossed his mind.

"I don't look at stuff like that," he said. "He's a young guy, I'm a young guy. All I'm trying to do is lead my team to a victory. That's the biggest thing. I don't think about matchups, me and him, or anything like that. I just go out there and play basketball."

Irving loved playing with him.

"I felt like we were playing off each other," Irving said of Waiters. "Our defense definitely turned into offense, which worked well for us. We kept playing off of each other, making plays and setting up our teammates."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

The Browns are preparing to play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Browns Stadium.

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur feels his team's confidence has grown with a couple wins. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

On if they are going to fill Stephens’ spot on the active roster with Phil Taylor: “That’s pretty much what will happen.”

On if he is doing a lot of guessing as to who will be available on Baltimore’s defense with them having several players injured: “We watched how they played in the last game. (Terrell) Suggs being back, I think he had an impact on the game already. I didn’t see much difference in last year’s version and this year’s version. Of course they had the injury to Ed Reed and Ladarius Webb and they’ve filled those positions. I think at this time of year everybody is a little bit nicked in certain spots and guys play through things. You get to see role players and backup players in there maybe a little bit more than they normally would early in the year, but we’re not guessing. We’ve got a pretty good feel for who will be in there.”

On going into a game against this year’s Ravens defense compared to years past: “I think they’re an outstanding football team. They’ve played against some pretty good offenses and I think they’re going to be a challenge just based on who they have out there. I think they’re an extremely good defense. I think it’s dangerous when you start looking at numbers, I really do. You want to add up wins. The numbers can sometimes be deceiving.”

On the impact that Terrell Suggs had during his return: “I just thought he played a good all-around game. I saw him being pretty active. He was chasing, batting down passes, making tackles, putting pressure on the quarterback, all of the things that he does well.”

On the difference having Joe Haden back will make against Baltimore: “Having Joe back will help us. If things go well this week we might have Phil (Taylor) back so we’ve got a couple new pieces. I think the styles of play will be similar. You kind of establish that. Both teams are a little bit different personnel wise and I think that will probably be more of the difference than anything.”

On what Taylor has to do to play Sunday: “He’s got to have a good week of practice. We’ve got to see him be able to function.”

On what Brandon Weeden can learn from playing the Baltimore defense previously especially from the interception he threw: “Yeah, throw the ball accurately and on time. That was a good play by them. Specifically that play, you need to be aware there are certain corners in the league that tend to jump routes and if you’re throwing a controlled route, kind of a timing route toward the boundary, you’ve got to be aware of that. I’m assuming he learned from that.”

On if there is anything about the Ravens defense specifically the way they pressure the quarterback that Weeden could be better at the second time around: “They don’t have any problem bringing pressure. They’ll pressure with their linebackers, they will pressure with the safeties, they will bring five, six or all of them. I think that’s something that he’s got to feel for because he’s got a game of tape against it and then understand the leverage that the corners play with, I think is important.”

On if it has been difficult for Trent Richardson to stay true to the play and hit the spot as opposed to freelancing a bit in college: “Well zone plays, it’s important that you stay disciplined. If you watch our run game, we run a lot of one-back draws which is a different running style. He scored on a lead draw. We also have tossed the ball and man-schemed the perimeter so I feel like there’s a lot of different schemes, really nothing that we didn’t see him do at Alabama. I think Alabama has a pro style running attack as well and that’s why it was easy to evaluate Trent.”

On if Richardson is getting more comfortable with the offensive line and creating chemistry with them: “I think so. I think the runner gets more and more comfortable with the blockers just like the quarterback with the receivers. I think that’s fair. Then him going through all his footwork and the fundamentals that he has to execute on each one. Last week, as you know, he had a chance to practice more and I think when guys, especially running backs, have a chance to practice throughout the week it helps them time up their game better.”

On if they will get to see what they drafted in Richardson now that he is healthy: “I hope so. I think he’s one game beyond it. He showed up well and let’s hope we get a good little trend here.”

On what he thinks the main problem is with Richardson only converting 2 of 7 third and one situations: “We did a study on it and we’ll keep our results to ourselves. On third and one you need to be able to execute at a very high percentage for one yard. We’ve had a combination of things that have happened to us and it’s not always on the runner, but we need to enforce our will and get a yard. I’m aware of those numbers and we’re working on it to get it better.”

On why the defense was successful last time containing Ray Rice: “We did a decent job on him, but we didn’t do a decent job with the other back. We know that he’s going to touch the football so it’s important that we minimize the damage that the run game can do. I think when you talk about defending the run it comes down to team defense, everybody being in the right gap. They run quite a bit of zone-type actions where the back side of the play can become the front side right away so you’ve got to make sure everybody stays in their gaps and then we’ve got to try to penetrate. We’ve got to try to disrupt the run so that you get him going sideways.”

On how much better his team is now than the first time they faced the Ravens: “We’re two wins better. I think I see us improving. I don’t know it’s hard to quantify how much better we are. I think each game is different. You can look at every game and say it’s a must win or, ‘That was a winnable game.’ These games are all individual little battles each week and the circumstances change, but we all know this, each one, the one you play this Sunday is the most important one. I’m looking forward to playing this game and I think we have made some improvements and I would like to see us go out and show it.”

On if it looks like inside is the ideal spot for Buster Skrine: “I think he can play outside, but I think he does a pretty good job inside. Ideally, you like to draft and bring guys to your team that are corners that can all play outside and then decide who plays inside. At this point that’s the roll that he’s playing and he just needs to keep battling and improving.”

On where the offensive line has improved since playing Baltimore last: “I think they are playing pretty well together. I think we’re trying to settle on things that we can execute. I think there has to always be an urgency to run the football better. I think we’ve got a long way to go, really in all areas in my opinion. I see them playing well together. I thought John Greco has gone in with (Jason) Pinkston being out, and I don’t see much of a difference there in the unit because of that. I do think that we can still improve though.”

On the team being upbeat and confident despite their record and where that comes from: “I think you build confidence when you win football games. The last few weeks we won a couple. When you’re trying to build something, you can look at the season in quarters and halves and we’ve got a half a season left to play. We’ve got some division games in there to play. We need to go out and just fight to win each game each Sunday, and really again, add them up at the end. I think that’s the way these guys are. I don’t think they look far down the road, they really don’t. These are football players, playing football’s what they do. Preparing to play a game on Sunday is what they do all week. That’s where we’re at. I just try to keep them in the moment, and just keep their focus, so that they can keep going through the process. Make the process better, and if you play well, then the results should work out.”

On if Ahtyba Rubin will practice today: “We’ll see, maybe.”

On if Dimitri Patterson will practice today: “We’ll see.”

On practicing inside today: “Those fields have taken a lot of water here in the last couple of days. Even if it was warmer, I might consider going in just because of the sloppiness.”

On how much emphasis he puts on winning divisional games: “They’ve been made well aware of it. It’s really important because the way to guarantee a spot in the postseason is to win the division. You can’t do that unless you win your share of the division games. They are aware of that.”

On if he takes injuries into account when deciding if they practice inside or outside: “Yeah, I think I take everything to account where we practice. Just being cold, that’s not the answer. I mentioned the field. You want consistent footing. You don’t want guys slopping around. I think the new artificial surfaces are a little easier on the legs so you can practice on them when you have a choice to practice outside in past years. It’s good to have one. I consider all that when we practice. I think my philosophy in terms of practice is there’s a lot of new stuff being installed, and what you want to try to do is create an environment where they can focus and concentrate and execute the new stuff. Sometimes that involves battling the elements, other times it doesn’t.”

On how long it will take for the team to be where he wants to be: “If you could tell me we’re going to win every game, then I would say we’re where we need to be. I know right now we’ve got a long way to go in terms of our individual players improving, how we function as coaches with the players. That’s always a work in progress. That’s why you practice. This is a sport you have to practice. Each opportunity on the field for these young guys, they are learning something new. I don’t know, I’ve got a feeling you’ll tell me, but as coaches we just keep working to get better.”

On if it is just the young players that need to improve more not players like Joe Thomas and D’Qwell Jackson: “I think young players as they practice make bigger jumps. Joe’s (Thomas) got plenty of things he can work on. D’Qwell’s (Jackson) got plenty of things he can work on. If you ask them they’ll tell you. It’s very rare, unless somebody knows of one, it’s very rare that anybody plays a perfect game. For whoever has played a perfect game, then that works if you have a one-game season. Then you want to do what? Be consistent and play two perfect games. That’s where the work comes in. That’s what we talk about, getting better all the time. Whether you’ve been in the league a long time or you just got here, there’s improvement to be made.”

On if the Chargers game will be their best game of the season: “I think we’ve got a lot of good football down the road here.”

Hey, Tim: Why don't high schools make more of a conscious effort to align teams in conferences that will create competitive games on a consistent basis? Most of the good teams in the area play only two or three tough conference games and four or five blowout games. Can't they group the consistently good teams together and the teams...

The Northeast Ohio Conference shuffles its divisions to try to enhance competitive balance but one downside is travel. League games can involve considerable road trips for the visitors, such as this Oct. 19 football game when Elyria went to Hudson for a NOC River Division game. - (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)

Hey, Tim: Why don't high schools make more of a conscious effort to align teams in conferences that will create competitive games on a consistent basis? Most of the good teams in the area play only two or three tough conference games and four or five blowout games. Can't they group the consistently good teams together and the teams that constantly struggle together? I believe this would benefit everyone. Nobody enjoys non-competitive high school football. There is no perfect solution but there are way too many blowouts in conference play that could be avoided with a little common sense. - Jake McVay, Aurora

Hey, Jake: A few conferences across the state take the approach of moving teams up or down their divisions depending on success while factoring in returning talent. The Northeast Ohio Conference tries to do this, and has discovered it creates widespread geographic alignments that can cause travel headaches and fan disinterest.

I like the idea of a super-conference that takes a more regional approach. It seems like a big idea, but really could lead to more close-knit conferences that make better sense geographically. In a region experiencing tremendous population shifts in the past two decades, old alignments make less sense. More flexibility is needed.

Go to cleveland.com/heytim to send questions to PD reporter Tim Warsinskey. You can follow Tim on Twitter and send questions to @TimsTakePD.

The Breeders' Cup racing has the country's top thoroughbreds chasing $15.5 million in purses on Friday and Saturday at California's Santa Anita Park.

View full sizeJae C. Hong, Associated PressExercise riders and their horses leave after a Wednesday morning workout for this weekend's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The rich Breeders' Cup racing grabs horse racing's center stage on Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park in Acacia, Calif., with 15 races offering $25.5 million in purses in North America's richest two days of racing,

Thistledown will simulcast both days of the Breeders' Cup races and has live thoroughbred racing both days. Northfield Park will simulcast the Breeders' Cup racing on Saturday, canceling its live Saturday night racing in order to handle the early Santa Anita wagering. All of the Breeders' Cup races are simulcast to the Cedar Downs off-track wagering facility in Sandusky.

Santa Anita begins live streaming its races at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The $5 million Classic goes to post at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, and can be seen on NBC. The NBC Sports network airs Breeders' Cup racing from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, and 3:30-8 p.m. on Saturday.

End is near at Thistledown: The racing season is winding down at Thistledown, which is holding a Fan Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Ohio Lottery, on Saturday. Admission and parking are free.

The first 3,000 fans get a $2 Ohio Lottery ticket. There will be giveaways throughout the day. Next week, the thoroughbreds will be racing Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, and return for Friday-Saturday cards on Nov. 16-17 before switching to an all-simulcast format for the rest of 2012.

Northfield giveaways: Harness racing fans will receive a $3 Ohio Lottery ticket on Saturday between noon and 4 p.m., with special food and drink prices throughout the day. Admission and parking are free.

Horses to watch: The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Animal Kingdom, owned in part by Bruce Zoldan of Youngstown, is making his first start since sidelined by a February leg injury. Animal Kingdom will tackle Wise Dan, the early 9-5 favorite in Saturday's $2 million Mile, which also includes Ireland's Excelebration.

Politicallycorrect, a second-place finisher to Prospective in this year's four-horse Ohio Derby, will race in Saturday's $100,000 Damascus Stakes for three-year-olds on the Breeders' Cup undercard.

Buy a share of Captaintreacherous: The 2-year-old pacer Captaintreacherous has taken his owners on quite a ride this season, winning 8 of 10 races and $917,141 to earn the No. 3 spot on the U.S. Trotting Association's Harness Racing Top 10 Poll.

The 1-5 favorite, Captaintreacherous faltered in the $591,240 Breeders' Crown for his age, sex and gait at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on Oct. 27. Rockin Amadeus, a 17-1 longshot, scored a huge upset as 1-5 favorite Captaintreacherous faded to third deep in the stretch in his final start of the season.

This week, owners Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Marvin Katz, Michael Parisi and Myron Bell announced they will be selling shares of the heralded son of Somebeachsomewhere, whose season-best mile was a 1:49.2 effort. The owners plan on campaigning Captaintreacherous for two more seasons.

Sbrocco still had a very good weekend. His 2-year-old trotter, Ma Chere Hall, won the $202,500 finals of the 2012 Kindergarten Classic Series at Vernon Downs in Vernon, N.Y. on Oct. 26. The exceptional 1:54.3 mile boosted her season earnings to $145,101.

Black Gold Room opens: Thistledown on Friday will open the new Black Gold Room next to its Silks clubhouse. It will be a wagering area that will have carrel seating for $8, a view of the race track and phone-in food orders. The Silks restaurant is reserved for dining only. Open seating for race fans is available on the fourth floor. The hammers and saws are in action at Thistledown as the track bids to open a new racino next spring, which will offer slots wagering.

Bettors needed: Thistledown has rescheduled its DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Championship qualifier until Nov. 17. There were not enough entrants to hold the handicapping contest here on Tuesday. The event will be scrapped if a minimum of 75 handicappers have not entered by Nov. 13. The entry fee is $325. Call 216-662-8600 for information.