With Tyler Zeller out with an injury and C.J. Miles struggling, Daniel Gibson and Samardo Samuels were the only reserves to score in Friday night's loss to Phoenix.

View full sizeMatt York, Associated PressDaniel Gibson came off the bench Friday to score 19 points against Marcin Gortat and the Phoenix Suns.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Throughout training camp, coach Byron Scott talked about how this Cavaliers team had more talent and depth than either of his first two teams in Cleveland.

So what happened to that bench he was so confident in a month ago?

"I don't know," Scott said before practice Saturday. "I'm trying to figure that out, too. I look down there and I'm not feeling that same way I talked about, to tell you the truth. I don't know where it went, but we better find it, that's for sure. Guys are going to get their opportunities, and we just hope they're ready to play."

In the process of blowing a 26-point lead in a 107-105 loss at Phoenix on Friday, the Cavs' reserves were outscored by their Suns counterparts, 47-26. With rookie Tyler Zeller out with a concussion and a fractured left cheek bone, Daniel Gibson has become Scott's only productive reserve. He had 19 points Friday, while Samardo Samuels added the other seven.

Newcomer C.J. Miles continues to struggle. He missed all seven shots he took Friday, including two layups and four 3-pointers, and is now shooting just 23 percent (11-of-47). If things weren't going badly enough for him, he came down with food poisoning Wednesday at Golden State, bringing an abrupt halt to what seemed to be a revival after his 10 points against the Clippers on Monday, when he made 4 of 7 shots, including 2 of 3 3-pointers.

"I get a halfway decent game under my belt, then I'm strapped to the toilet for two days," Miles said Saturday. "I feel like I can't catch a break, but I'm going to be all right. I can guarantee that.

"I don't want to make it sound I'm not worried about it. I'm worried about it, but I'm not going to let it take me out of the game. I just have to find some rhythm, just take some shots that come in rhythm, not try to force things. If you're open, shoot it. Don't try to step outside what you need to do, but put extra work in after practice trying to find a rhythm. Usually when it comes, it comes."

While Scott contemplates additional changes in his second unit -- bringing back Luke Walton, or turning to little-used Omri Casspi, Luke Harangody or Jeremy Pargo in place of Miles -- he thinks the best thing Miles can do is quit thinking about his shot.

"The biggest thing is don't think about the offensive end," Scott said. "When you're struggling, that's the last thing you want to think about. You want to try to think about helping your team in other ways, do a better job defending, rebound the ball, run the floor. Offensively, it's really trying to get to the basket to get yourself going, get fouled and try and get a couple free-throw attempts, or something like that.

"Right now, he's kind of settling for long 3-point shots and things like that instead of really looking to be aggressive and trying to attack. But the biggest thing is it's all in his head right now. You've got to think about the other end. If [your offense] is going to define you, then it's also going to ruin you."

Familiar face: The Suns' Shannon Brown told The Plain Dealer after Friday's game that scoring 22 points against the Cavs had nothing to do with the fact that he was a first-round draft choice in Cleveland in 2006. But after scoring 24 points against Charlotte on Wednesday, another of his former teams, he told the Arizona Republic: "You always want to play good in a place that you were before. They let you go, and you definitely have a chip on our shoulder. It might be a small one, but it's definitely there."

Ohio State coaches are taking advantage of the bye week to get out and recruit and the Buckeyes are getting positive vibes from high school players around the country.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and his assistants are putting together a top recruiting class for next year and getting a head start on 2014. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS -- As Ohio State's practice wound down Wednesday, defensive line coach Mike Vrabel headed toward the locker room before any other player or coach. Actually, he kind of ran. Or at least jogged. He had a plane to catch.

On the Buckeyes' off week, the entire coaching staff hit the road to recruit, with Urban Meyer and all nine of his assistants out visiting schools on Monday. On Thursday, Meyer conducted practice with four assistants while the other five were checking in on future Buckeyes, or trying to sway those who are considering Ohio State.

At 10-0 -- now one of just four unbeaten teams in the nation after losses Saturday by Alabama and Louisville -- with 17 oral commitments and a 2013 class currently ranked No. 6 in the nation by ESPN and No. 7 by Rivals, it's not a bad time to be selling the Buckeyes. Or as Meyer said on his radio show last week, "Ohio State is kind of hot right now."

"It's all positive," Meyer said when asked Wednesday about the vibe the OSU staff has been getting on the recruiting trail. "And they kind of like the style -- these kids nowadays want to see points. And I think they also know there is an opportunity here for them, because there are some holes we need to fill and our numbers are down."

On Twitter, coaches such as offensive coordinator Tom Herman, receivers coach Zach Smith and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs were exalting the recruiting experience all week. Recruiting coordinator Mark Pantoni, one of Meyer's right-hand men who followed him from Florida, wrote on Twitter that the OSU coaches would be hitting 16 different states, then Tweeted a photo of a huge desk with 22 monitors on it and jokingly wrote, "This is what my office looks like when all the coaches are out recruiting."

They made sure to check in close to home as well.

Meyer made a sweep through Northeast Ohio on Monday, talking even before last week's win over Illinois of his plan to check in with Glenville's Ted Ginn Sr. He also made stops at Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights.

Cleveland Heights receiver Shelton Gibson, Glenville linebacker Chris Worley and Shaker Heights lineman Donovan Munger are among the players with current offers who could help fill out the rest of the Buckeyes' class. Meyer said on his radio show that there are a handful of scholarships left for 2013. But the Buckeyes are so far along in the process, they're already working on several 2014 prospects.

Ohio State currently has 76 active scholarship players, with 13 seniors leaving after the season. With an 82-scholarship limit because of NCAA sanctions, that immediately means 19 slots will be open. But with the potential loss of junior Johnathan Hankins to the NFL, and the possibility of a few transfers, having more like 21, 22 or 23 scholarships to give isn't hard to imagine.

And while Ohio State is spreading its message around the country after a year of transition, the Buckeyes are still playing to the interested parties at home as well. Of the 17 oral commitments, seven are from Ohio.

"Just talking to the kids and hearing them talk about what's going on, there's excitement," said Glenville assistant Tony Overton of the perception of the Buckeyes. "Last year, nobody really knew what was going on. People from Ohio were so worried and wondered where it was headed.

"To see the new staff come in and keep coach [Luke] Fickell and bring in coach Meyer, it brings belief to our kids that one of our state programs will continue to go in a great direction."

Glenville was a steady source of OSU players when Jim Tressel was in Columbus, and Overton doesn't see that changing much.

"We love coach Tressel and he's our friend, but Ohio State is Ohio State," Overton said. "Coach Meyer and his staff seem like the same type of staff, that they care about the kids."

At Cleveland Heights, Kyle Dodson swung to the Buckeyes last season, and now Gibson is a strong possibility.

"Whether they were 10-0 or 8-2 and 6-4, it wouldn't matter to me," Cleveland Heights coach Jeff Rotsky said. "Coach Meyer is for real. Once you get past the aura of his name, he's just a great human being. I think the vibe on Ohio State is unbelievable."

So it was a busy week. Other remaining targets include five-star Texas linebacker Mike Mitchell, who recently told Rivals that Ohio State is at the top of his list. He noted that Ohio State had to move fullback Zach Boren to linebacker, so like Meyer said, recruits know there are holes to fill.

Five-star safety Vonn Bell from Georgia has said he has the Buckeyes in his final three, as does Detroit offensive lineman David Dawson. There are a lot of possibilities, and a lot for the OSU coaches to feel good about.

As co-defensive coordinator Everett Withers said before he hit the road last week: "I've never been undefeated [and] on the road recruiting. I'm anxious to see how it is. I imagine it will be easy to go into a high school and talk to that coach knowing you're 10-0."

It's pretty clear that hiring a big-name coach or GM is not the path currently being charted by Joe Banner.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerJoe Banner and Jimmy Haslam aren't likely to bring in a big name if they do make changes in Berea.

Everybody in Berea reports to the new CEO with the possible exception of train conductors .

Media interviews this week made clearer what we already knew. Joe Banner is in charge.

If his powerful status with the Browns strikes you as a pretty good reason for a Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden to rule out potential employment here -- and therefore also strikes you as a limiting factor in a coaching search -- you're likely gripping over a moot point.

There are two working models of interest in predicting what might happen here if the new Browns' leadership wants a new front office and/or head coach: Banner in Philly and the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Jimmy Haslam was a minority owner.

Neither offers a tale of the big-name coach handed the keys to the kingdom with everyone else scurrying a safe distance away until the coach signals it's OK to print playoff tickets and buy a confetti franchise.

You know, the Mike Holmgren-in-Cleveland model minus the small detail that the fabled coach might actually elect not to coach.

The same dynamics that makes it difficult to see Pat Shurmur staying on beyond this season -- a hard-driving owner and perhaps a harder-driving CEO looking to stamp the Browns as their own -- also make it hard to imagine turning to even a successful retread.

Banner was part of the search that ended with Philly hiring a relatively obscure assistant coach, Andy Reid, and building a winning organization around him. Reid, hired in 1999 -- a year before Bill Belichick landed in New England -- has the most coaching seniority in the NFL.

That wasn't a Banner hire per se. You can be sure this one will have his fingerprints all over it. And he doesn't come across like someone interested in used merchandise, no matter how excellent the condition.

It's assumed Banner's familiarity with Shurmur and Tom Heckert could work in their favor. I'd bet the opposite. My sense is while Banner wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth he'd still find it lacking because he didn't research its bloodlines.

Banner is looking for fresh, vital, dynamic relationships -- and this is the key word here -- of his creation.

That doesn't mean everything has to be new, just improved.

In Pittsburgh, Haslam watched the departure of Cowher and the arrival of Mike Tomlin, a relatively obscure assistant in Minnesota. Tomlin just turned 40.

The Steelers have had three coaches since 1969. A hungry coach young enough to build up steam and last 10 years is the idea.

Does it require blowing everything up if the Browns decide to replace Shurmur? Maybe not. When Tomlin accepted the Steelers' job, he kept Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator and other key assistants.

Maybe that was done for the benefit of players one year removed from a Super Bowl, but whatever the reason it worked it doesn't get much smarter for an organization than that or helpful for a young head coach.

What Banner made clear in his interviews this week is that he won't rely on a circle of acquaintances if he rebuilds the Browns' management team on and off the field. That's comforting.

Big decisions need to be fully investigated and vetted. That's the way Haslam decided on Banner after all.

They no doubt have a list. That's no disrespect to Shurmur. That's smart business.

And my guess is the brand names aren't on the top.

Spinoffs

Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick says it's time to put the Eagles on his back.

Because, you know, trying to do too little has been the problem for him.

In a related story, Vick told reporters the Eagles "still control our destiny."

Destiny by its nature can't be controlled. And if it could, it would take a better grip than Vick has on a football.

You see Mike Brown get fired in L.A. after five games, and it makes more sense that Terry Francona wanted to come to Cleveland and work with friends than jump into another big-market pressure cooker.

For instance, on a PD Sports Insider this week Francona was asked how he would handle a player saying some of the things Indians' closer Chris Perez said last year.

He told us Perez's comments wouldn't have made it into the Top 20 issues he dealt with in Boston his final season.

Unless -- my words now, not his -- Perez were drinking beer and eating chicken in the bullpen during games, then blasting fans, management and ownership afterwards.

Golfer Charlie Beljan played through shortness of breath and an accelerated heartbeat to shoot 64 and lead at Disney after the second round. Beljan said he felt as if he "was going to die."

After experiencing shortness of breath, chest pains, numbness in his arms and a feeling he was going to faint, Beljan was taken to the hospital by ambulance and spent the night there under observation.

He showed up again Saturday against doctor's orders, presumably after experiencing numbness in his head.

Golf II: True story. I had similar but not as serious symptoms this summer and had to quit on the 16th hole.

My two playing partners sought me out in the clubhouse afterwards to see how I was.

And then collected the money I lost to them during my near-death experience.

Tiger Woods tells CNN that over and over at PGA Tour news conferences during his drought that the media hammered him at every stop about how he was "never going to win again blah blah blah" and it was every tournament I went to . . ."

Woods' definition of getting "hammered" is anyone asking him what's wrong with his game and not spit polishing his shoes while he answsers it.

Giants' receiver Hakeem Nicks says he isn't worried about his lack of 100-yard receiving days. Why?

"Because stats is for girls," he said.

Right up until guys hold out for more money in contract negotiations.

A week earlier, New Orleans Hornets' head coach Monty Williams dismissed the sport's concussion protocol as too cautious, referencing "white gloves and pink drawers."

What did our mothers, wives and daughters do to deserve getting dragged into these sophisticated conversations?

Except give painful birth to the next generation of men who for some reason grow up thinking they're tougher than women.

Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel is now threatening to bench anybody who turns the ball over. Oh boy.

A coach can always start out tough and then ease up.

The ones who lose credibility start out as players' coaches and can never put the genie back in the bottle.

Crennel decided to get tough now, when he's a couple losses from being regarded as a substitute teacher.

Richie Incognito moved up from sixth to second in a player's poll of the dirtiest players in the NFL.

On Twitter, Incognito wrote, "I would like to thank my MOM & DAD for raising an ass kicking machine."

Put him No. 1 on the list of Players Who Don't Quickly Recognize Criticism.

He said it

"I have no problems with Mike Brown at all...I just have to be patient." -- Lakers' CEO Jim Buss.

And give him, you know, five games.

You said it

(The Expanded Post-Election Sunday Edition)

"Hey Bud: Mitt Romney conceded the election before the final votes were counted. He obviously never played for Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano." -- Bob H, Medina

Strategists say the GOP considered launching Joe the Plumber into the Dem victory formation but thought better of it.

"Dear Bud: I see that in a Sporting News poll, the Browns were voted the NFL's worst organization. Good to see one election turn out right this week." -- Vince G, Cincinnati

Because I printed this I feel the need to offer equal space.

"Bud: Maybe Jimmy Haslam should hire Karl Rove to run the Browns' public relations department. They'd never lose a game." -- Edward Aube, Broadview Heights

OK, everybody got it out of their system? Good.

(The Non-Political Sunday Edition)

"Hey, Bud: Is it true all you have to do to get in "You Said It" is make a lame joke about you winning a Pulitzer Prize?" -- Mark Holz

No. Careful readers know we accept lame jokes on just about every subject.

"Bud: Can you explain the lack of "You said it" emails referencing Lance Armstrong?" -- Chas K, Cleveland Heights

It can only be total shock and denial that there's cheating in cycling.

"Bud: Were you hoarse from yelling 'field goal' last Sunday?" -- Ryan M

Cheering is discouraged in press boxes all over the country. Here, laughing is also discouraged.

"Hey Bud: Does Pat Shurmur cover his mouth with his menu when he orders at a restaurant, thus not letting the tables around him know what he's ordering?" -- Josh, South Euclid

I just know that when he orders for Brad Childress, dinner can take forever.

"Bud: American writer and wit Dorothy Parker, after being advised that Calvin Coolidge had died, famously asked 'How can they tell?' How will Jimmy Haslam be able to tell Mike Holmgren is no longer working for the Browns?" -- John McEllen, Bainbridge

First-time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

"Bud: Do Cleveland sports fans turn their clocks back every night?" -- Joe S

Repeat winners win a copy of "Groundhog Day."

"Please, Jimmy, help us. Amen." -- Jack, Lyndhurst

Repeat winners have a prayer, just not at getting a T-shirt.

Injuries and a hot streak by the Steelers have the Ravens teetering atop the AFC North.

After eeking out a win in Cleveland over the Browns, Ray Rice (27) and the Baltimore Ravens will find the competition a little more fordmidable the rest of the season. Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun MCT

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Not long ago, the Baltimore Ravens' road to an AFC North title seemed lined in rose petals, a 17-week coronation as their chief rival was stumbling against opponents like Oakland and Tennessee.

But the Ravens (6-2) began losing key players and the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) started winning big games. Suddenly, it's the Ravens who are in need of a boost one week before traveling to Pittsburgh.

Baltimore hosts the Oakland Raiders (3-5) on Sunday and the Ravens must regain their swagger if they hope to fend off the charging Steelers. The Ravens looked anything but convincing a week ago in their 25-15 win over the Browns, a game in which they trailed midway through the fourth quarter.

"We need to be better," coach John Harbaugh told the Baltimore media this week. "We need to be better on third down. We need to run the ball more consistently. We need to protect our quarterback more consistently. We need to throw and catch better. And that's just on the offensive side."

That hardly sounds like the coach of a team with the second-best record in the AFC. But the Ravens don't scare many right now despite riding an NFL-best 14-game winning streak at M&T Bank Stadium. The only thing that saved them from defeat a week ago was a red-zone defense that didn't allow the Browns a touchdown in five trips inside the 20.

Look for the Ravens to feature halfback Ray Rice against the Raiders, who allowed 251 yards rushing to Tampa Bay's Doug Martin a week ago. Not that the Ravens have been stout against the run. Baltimore ranks 26th in defense thanks in part to season-ending injuries to linebacker Ray Lewis (torn triceps) and Lardarius Webb (torn ACL).

The Ravens could catch a break on Sunday as the Raiders are expected to be without running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson.

Steelers surging: The Steelers get the closest thing to a second bye week as they host the reeling Kansas City Chiefs.

Pittsburgh has been a virtual lock at home on Monday nights, winning 14 straight dating to 1992. The Steelers aren't likely to get much resistance from the Chiefs, who have committed an astonishing 29 turnovers – 10 more than any other team -- and have yielded 30 points per game.

The Steelers wouldn't mind adding to the Chiefs' misery for their offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Haley is Kansas City's former head coach who was fired at midseason a year ago despite taking the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010.

The Steelers are averaging 155 yards rushing the past two games.

Bengals bewildered: The Bengals are losing to everyone these days. Even brother combinations are getting into the act.

A week after falling to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, the Bengals get a visit from Eli Manning and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Cincinnati (3-5) has lost four straight and failed to protect a fourth-quarter lead in falling to the Broncos, 31-23.

The Bengals have lost three in a row at home and the fans apparently have seen enough. The Giants game will be blacked out to local viewers.

"Unfortunately, we haven't gotten it done for them (the fans), and that's the disappointing thing," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told the Cincinnati media.

If Jon Gruden decides he wants to coach again, it might be tough for the Cleveland Browns to lure him to Northeast Ohio.

There are rumors Jon Gruden is thinking about getting out of the "Monday Night Football'' booth and back on an NFL sideline. Steve Senne, Associated Press

Super Bowl-winning coach and Sandusky native Jon Gruden is ready to step out of the ESPN "Monday Night Football" booth and back into coaching, according to a report Friday by Howard Eskin of Philadelphia's WIP radio.

Would Gruden take the Cleveland job if Browns owner Jimmy Haslam came calling?

A former graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1986-87, Gruden has ties to Haslam, and some think he'd be high on the owner's short list if he decides to hire a new coach.

"The name you keep hearing [for the Browns] in circles and rumors is Jon Gruden," Pete Prisco said last month on CBSSports.com's Pro Football 360. "Haslam is a Tennessee guy and at one point he was linked to Gruden, trying to get him to come to Tennessee. That's a guy to keep an eye on."

Of course, Gruden would be in high demand if he does decide to coach again, and Eskin reported that he'd be a top choice of Eagles owner Jeff Lurie if he fires Andy Reid. Eskin also noted that Gruden loves Eagles backup rookie quarterback Nick Foles and that a good quarterback would be high on his priority list.

So, would Haslam be able to lure Gruden away from Lurie?

Gruden's Ohio roots run deep, including graduating from Dayton, where he played quarterback. But I'm hearing he's seeking a bigger market, a higher-profile job and maybe even a warmer climate. He'd have to be sold on either Brandon Weeden or the Browns' ability to field a marquee quarterback. He'd have to be willing to butt heads every year with Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco in one of the toughest divisions in football.

With Gruden having his pick of the lot, Cleveland might be a hard sell. But don't bet against Haslam and CEO Joe Banner in their quest to assemble the best staff in the NFL.

The NBA takes its concussion protocol seriously -- just ask New Orleans coach Monty Williams.

View full sizeWilfredo Lee, Associated PressCoach Monty Williams was not happy when star rookie Anthony Davis, left, was forced to miss a game with a concussion. But the NBA was not happy when Williams criticized the league's concussion policy and fined him $25,000.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Daniel Gibson took an elbow to the head during a preseason practice a few weeks ago, he kept right on playing. The Cavaliers' guard admits he felt fuzzy. And he went sprawling to the ground when either Tristan Thompson or Samardo Samuels -- he's not even sure which big man was responsible -- crushed an elbow to his head when they all were going for a rebound.

The next day, Gibson had a headache. He felt a bit groggy.

But he still wanted to play.

Because of the NBA's concussion protocol, however, Gibson sat out the Cavaliers' preseason game against the Indiana Pacers. He rested until he was completely symptom-free.

"Had it been regular season, I would have fought it a lot harder," Gibson said of his efforts to play in the game.

And therein lies the problem for head injuries in sports. "Playing hurt" is viewed as a badge of honor among athletes. Stories of hurt athletes who play despite injury are legendary, all the way from Willis Reed with the New York Knicks to a flu-ridden Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls.

But "playing hurt" with a brain injury?

"You pay the price -- not immediately but 10 years later," said Michael DeGeorgia, a neurologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.

Which is why the NBA cracked down on New Orleans coach Monty Williams with a $25,000 fine when he made uneducated comments about rookie Anthony Davis' concussion. The No. 1 pick sat out the Hornets' game in his hometown of Chicago as he recovered from a concussion -- all while following the league concussion policy -- and Williams was irritated.

"When you're dealing with the brain, I guess what's happening in football has impacted everybody," Williams told reporters. "He got touched up a little bit last night. That happens a lot in basketball. It's just that now they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers, and it's getting old. It's just the way the league is now."

Williams added: "It's a man's game. They're treating these guys like they're 5 years old. He desperately wanted to come [play], but he couldn't make it."

Despite what Williams said, the NBA actually is looking out for players' safety -- not based on a backlash in the NFL, but based on new research that has made doctors who treat the brain better informed. In the past 10 years, more has been learned about the effects of attempting to return to activity too quickly after suffering a brain injury, the lesions that can form and lead to dementia-like symptoms down the road, according to DeGeorgia.

The NBA's concussion policy was implemented before the start of last season. It includes baseline cognitive and physical testing that give a measure of what level players must return to before they can play after a head injury. It is complex and thorough enough that every player must progress through a series of stages that includes first elevating the heart rate on a stationary bike, then adding repetitive head movement through jogging and finally competing in team drills.

Every player's progress is overseen by Jeffrey Kutcher, a neurologist at the University of Michigan and the director of the NBA's concussion program. Despite a player's best efforts to return to play, no one can return too quickly. An injured brain simply takes time to heal.

"I think they are over the top," Gibson said, "but being as though concussions are very serious and I know what it's like to have one, I think it's smart to make sure that a guy is not just saying, 'I want to play.' They're actually taking care of the players and putting their foot down on that issue."

Said DeGeorgia of the desire to return to play: "That's pretty common among athletes -- particularly among professional athletes because this is what they do. For them to not play is just abhorrent to them."

But with the NBA's concussion policy, it's impossible to work around the system -- despite wanting to "play hurt."

"With the concussion thing, anytime you can do anything to try to protect our guys, that's the most important thing," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "Really. If it means guys have to sit out games. Obviously from a coaching standpoint, you want your guys to be healthy and be out there playing because it gives you a better chance to win. But we're dealing with the brain, and that's big time. Whatever they have to do to make sure the guy is safe to return on the court, I'm all for it."

The rookie says he gets a text from his mother before every game.

Rookie linebacker James-Michael Johnson, here talking to special teams coach Chris Tabor in training camp, once dreamed of a career in the NBA. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

Five questions
with . . .

Browns linebacker James-Michael Johnson

Q: Your name is the first name of your maternal grandfather and your father. Did you always like your name?

A: "No I didn't. When I was little, I told myself when I turned 18 that I would change my name by taking out the hyphen. I mean, who has two first names? I'd have trouble in school fitting in James-Michael in the box on standardized tests, like the SAT. But I began to like my two first names. It's kind of unique. Plus, people started calling me JMJ. I like that."

Q: You kept a magazine clipping of an expensive home pinned to the mirror in your bathroom in high school and college to serve as motivation. Do you still have the picture, and if not, what do you use for motivation now?

A: "I don't know where that picture is. I lost it when I left college. I used it for motivation because I always wanted to do better. I'm never satisfied. But I don't need a big house now. I'm single without any children. In its place, I have a picture of me and my dad. In the picture, I'm about 4 or 5 years old. He's an inspiration. If it wasn't for my dad, I don't know where I'd be. He taught me not to follow others, respect everyone, and to be my own man. My mom did a good job, but you need a man around."

Q: Your mother sent you a text message before every college game. She still does it while you're in the NFL. What does she say and what's the most profound thing she has sent in a text?

A: "Before my first NFL game, her text said 'I love you'. She reminded me of how hard I worked to get to this level, and how we talked about this day since I was a sophomore in high school. I try to save all of her text messages, especially the one before my first game. I wait for her text before every game."

Q: Your sister, Alisha Johnson, is a graduate of Harvard. What did you learn from her in terms of academics?

A. "She was always serious about her studies and that taught me how to take my academics more seriously. She always loved school and learning, and I wasn't always serious about it. I went through school just doing what I had to do so I could play football. But that changed my junior year at Nevada. I made the honor roll that year. Getting more serious academically helped me with football. My time management was better. The discipline I learned in the classroom helped me on the field."

Q: You grew up dreaming about playing in the NBA. How much do you miss playing competitive basketball?

A: I miss it. That was my sport. I was serious about basketball while growing up. I played flag football and pick-up football in the street. But I was playing AAU basketball and it was a sport where I developed many of my early friendships. But in basketball, I fouled out of every game and many parents complained to my mom because I played too rough. I was playing football on the basketball court. And since I was only six foot tall in high school, I figured there was no room in the NBA for a six-foot power forward."

Here's a look at the top storylines and big matchups from around the nation as we near kickoff on another Sunday of NFL football.

Here's a look at the top storylines and big matchups from around the nation as we near kickoff on another Sunday of NFL football:

The Big Buzz: War in the Windy City

Houston Texans at Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. EST

Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) and the Houston defense have terrorized opposing quarterbacks this season. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The Texans visit Soldier Field on Sunday night for an inter-conference battle that features the two most dynamic defenses in the NFL. With both teams sporting a 7-1 record, some are even calling it a possible Super Bowl preview. At the very least, it's a head-to-head opportunity for these two ferocious defensive units to settle the debate over which is currently the league's best.

SI.com's Peter King writes that no matter the outcome, this game is all but certain to hinge on a big defensive play:

The Texans bat passes down -- 25 of them this season. The Bears force fumbles -- 21 of them this year. You think a defense-fest can't be fun?

And King's SI.com cohort Kerry J. Byrne marvels at the ability of Bears defenders to not only shut down opposing offenses, but to become a scoring threat themselves:

The 2012 Bears are bucking the trend in spectacularly virile fashion, embarrassing quarterbacks in a way that does not seem possible in the modern NFL, while turning its defense into an offensive weapon the likes of which we have not seen in decades.

The game will also feature two of the league's elite runnings backs, Houston's Arian Foster and Chicago's Matt Forte, but Tyler Dunne of USAToday.com writes that the Bears haven't put things together on the offensive side of the ball as well as the Texans:

After years of searching in vain for playmakers on offense, the Bears finally have a full deck. They traded for wide receiver Brandon Marshall. They signed bruising running back Michael Bush. They re-signed versatile Forte. They drafted wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. It has taken a few years, but the Bears made the necessary investments. Now, the challenge is for everyone to fit together and produce. That hasn't been easy.

Greg Bedard of NBCSports.com writes that you can forget about all the defensive hype, insisting that the game will come down to which offense can put it all together:

Each standout defense is going to look to shut down the opponent’s main weapon, which is easy to figure out – Marshall for the Bears and [Andre] Johnson for the Texans.

Whichever team runs the ball better and finds other contributors in the passing game will likely emerge with a victory on Sunday night.

Watch Fox Sports analyst Brian Billick break down the Bears-Texans matchup in the video below:

Headlines

• Titans quarterback Jake Locker will make his first start since suffering a dislocated shoulder in September against the Dolphins on Sunday. (via CBSSports.com)

• New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis returned to the job this week after serving an eight-game suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal. (via NOLA.com)

• The Steelers and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders were fined a combined $50,000 for faking an injury during a game against the Bengals earlier this season. (via ESPN.com)

• The NFL has suspended Patriots running back Brandon Bolden for four games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. (via MassLive.com)

• Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who has said multiple times that he suffered a concussion and nerve damage in Detroit's first meeting with the Vikings in September, reversed field on Friday and denied that he sustained either injury. (via MLive.com)

• The Jacksonville Jaguars, who fell to 1-8 on the season after Thursday's 27-10 loss to the Colts, will stick with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback, according to coach Mike Mularkey. (via NFL.com)

Who they're picking

• The folks over at Yahoo! Sports' Shutdown Corner blog like the Saints to hand the Falcons their first loss of the season, the Cowboys to crush the Eagles, and the Texans to get past the Bears on Sunday night.

• NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison predicts a 27-24 win for the Ravens over the Raiders, a 24-21 victory for the Giants against the Bengals, and a 37-31 Patriots win in their matchup with the Bills.

• SI.com senior writer Peter King foresees victories by the Lions, Saints, 49ers and Cowboys in this weekend's NFC division matchups.

• ESPN.com's experts overwhelmingly choose the Lions to beat the Vikings in Sunday's big NFC North showdown and the Cowboys to top the Eagles in their NFC East battle. The panel of 12 pundits is split right down the middle, however, on the Falcons-Saints tilt.

• USA Today's writers give the Falcons the nod over the Saints by a 4-3 vote. They are in complete agreement that the Seahawks will take care of the Jets and the Steelers will win their Monday Night Football clash with the Chiefs.

What they're saying

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning signals in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

• At the midpoint of the season, Don Banks of SI.com dubs Peyton Manning's comeback the NFL's story of the year so far:

No more calls, we have our answer. No. 18 is back, and I already can't remember what the months and months of intrigue and guesswork were all about. Something about his neck, maybe?

• Ron Chimelis of The Republican writes that Terry Bradshaw's racially insensitive "bucket of chicken" comment about Miami running back Reggie Bush last week should serve as a lesson to all TV broadcasters: (via MassLive.com)

Bradshaw built a career as the Academy Award winner of the clown genre, a Tower of Babble On. I hope this episode makes him internalize three words he has ignored – stop and think.

• Falcons wide receiver Roddy White made his distaste for the Saints very clear heading into Sunday's game in New Orleans: (via AJC.com)

“I don’t like nothing about the Saints,” White said. “The colors. The city. Nothing. But they’ve got some good food, though. Other than the food, nothing.”

• Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson questioned the competitive atmosphere in Dallas during a radio interview this week: (via FoxSportsSouthwest.com)

"Where is the fear in Dallas?" Johnson said. "There's no fear in Dallas. It's a country club where everybody is buddies."

New York Giants free safety Antrel Rolle (26) and outside linebacker Michael Boley (59) against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

• The Giants defense has become the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL - it just can't seem to get any respect. Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green took his place in a long line of opponents who have questioned the defending champs' defensive prowess this season, saying this week that the Giants D has "a lot of holes." New York safety Antrel Rolle seems content to deliver his response in person when the teams meet this weekend: (via NJ.com)

“I’ll talk with my pads come Sunday,” safety Antrel Rolle said. “That’s how I approach the game, that’s how we always approach the game and if you see me, you better duck.”

• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder denies that his recent struggles have anything to do with his much-publicized romance with ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Steele. (via YardBarker.com)

“She has nothing to do with it,” he said when the topic was brought up by KFAN-AM’s Paul Allen during a radio interview. “We’ve been dating since the beginning of the season, so she had also to do with the five wins. So it has really nothing to do with anything on the football field.”

• Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck is drawing raves for his poise and passing, but it was his determined tackle attempt on Jaguars safety Dawan Landry after throwing an interception that had his teammates talking after Thursday's win over Jacksonville: (via Yahoo! Sports)

"Oh, I know exactly what he was thinking after that interception," left tackle Anthony Castonzo said. "He was like, 'That mother effer, I'm going to go get him.'"

Mike Holmgren is interested in coaching the Dallas Cowboys.

Mike Holmgren Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer

Holmgren, who will step down as President of the Browns when the season is over (if not sooner) made it clear during his farewell press conference Oct. 23 that he misses coaching and has one more stint left in him.

LaCanfora reported that Holmgren is interested in the Cowboys' job "given the competitiveness of the roster, the skill players present, and his long relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones."

Michelle Beadle had a 10-win week, but Jamal Anderson and Joey Morona gained a game with 11 wins for Week 9.

Michelle Beadle

Chris Perez

Jamal Anderson

Joey Morona

Glenn Moore

Dennis Manoloff

Chad Zumock

Dan Labbe

Dustin Fox

Adam "The Bull"

Matt Iseman

The Miz

Golden Flashes are 25th, but still have a lot of tough work ahead, says KSU coach Darrell Hazell.

AP fileKSU coach Darrell Hazell

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kent State on Sunday earned a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 football poll for the first time since 1973, earning the 25th spot in this week's poll.

Kent (9-1, 6-0) is the third team from the Mid-American Conference voted into the Top 25 this season. 

But so far that has been more of a curse than a blessing.

"We've been in and out of there pretty quickly,'' Kent State head coach Darrell Hazell on Sunday afternoon when asked about ranked MAC teams.

"Just adds to our challenges, and we have some huge ones in front of us. We're very excited to be in the Top 25, but there are still many more goals to be accomplished.''

KSU is in the midst of a three-game stretch to close out the season that had the first two on the road at Miami and Bowling Green. The last two games of the three (BG and home to Ohio University) are against teams that will have 10 days to prep for the Golden Flashes.

Kent won the first game, 48-32 over Miami. The next two are against the most dominant defense in the MAC (BG) and the defending MAC East champs (OU). 

Ohio University was the first MAC team to make the Top 25 list, and lasted two weeks, including a bye week, before losing to rival Miami and falling out of the elite. The Bobcats have since lost two of three games. 

The next MAC team in the rankings was the Toledo Rockets, who made the cut last week, then promptly lost their next game to Ball State. They are not in the Top 25 this week.

Now both of the MAC's last two one-loss teams in Northern Illinois (9-1, 6-0) which is in first place in the MAC's West Division, and the Golden Flashes, who are first in the MAC East, face daunting tasks.

This week in what is essentially the MAC championship semifinals, NIU hosts Toledo (8-2, 5-1) for first place in the MAC West, and the right to advance to the MAC title game in Detroit, Nov. 30. Kent State travels to Bowling Green (7-3, 5-1) for first place in the MAC East. 

It's winner take all in both games as either NIU/Kent win and go into the final game of the season as champs with two-game leads, or, UT/BG win and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with end-game formalities against MAC dregs Akron (UT) and Buffalo (BG) to seal their fates.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Below is this week’s football playoff schedule, including the neutral sites selected Sunday for the regional finals by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. In addition, the OHSAA has announced how the regional champions will be paired in the state semifinals November 23-24. That information is found in the pairings below.

Fourth-seeded Mentor, led by quarterback Mitch Trubisky, will travel to Parma's Byers Field on Saturday for a Division I regional final against No. 2 St. Ignatius. The Cardinals OK'd being assigned to Byers, which is St. Ignatius' home field. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Below is this week’s football playoff schedule, including the neutral sites selected Sunday for the regional finals by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

In addition, the OHSAA has announced how the regional champions will be paired in the state semifinals November 23-24. That information is found in the pairings below.

OHSAA football regional final pairings:

Division I – Games scheduled for 7 p.m. (unless noted) on Saturday

Home Team Listed First

Region 1

4 Mentor (11-1) vs. 2 St. Ignatius (11-1) at Parma Byers Field. (Mentor gave an OK to being assigned to Byers, which is St. Ignatius' home field).

Region 2

1 Massillon Washington (11-1) vs. 2 Toledo Whitmer (12-0) at Mansfield Arlin Field 

Region 3

4 Pickerington North (11-1) vs. 7 Hilliard Davidson (10-2) at Ohio Wesleyan University Selby Stadium

Region 4

1 Cincinnati Colerain (12-0) vs. 3 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (9-3) at University of Cincinnati Nippert Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Division I State Semifinals, Sat., Nov. 24: Region 1 vs. Region 2 … Region 3 vs. Region 4

Division I State Championship: Saturday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m., Canton Fawcett Stadium

Division II – Games scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday

Home Team Listed First

Region 5

4 Chardon (10-2) vs. 3 Aurora (11-1) at Twinsburg Tiger Stadium

Region 6

4 Avon (11-1) vs. 2 Toledo Central Catholic (11-1) at Clyde Robert Bishop Jr. Stadium

Region 7

4 New Albany (10-2) vs. 3 Columbus Marion-Franklin (11-1) at Gahanna Lincoln Stadium

Region 8

1 Cincinnati Turpin (12-0) vs. 6 Trotwood-Madison (10-2) at Kings Stadium

Division II State Semifinals, Fri., Nov. 23: Region 5 vs. Region 6 … Region 7 vs. Region 8

Division II State Championship: Friday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m., Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Division III – Games scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday

Home Team Listed First

Region 9

1 Chagrin Falls (11-1) vs. 6 St. Vincent-St. Mary (10-2) at Solon Stewart Field 

Region 10

1 Napoleon (11-0-1) vs. 2 Bellevue (11-1) at Findlay Donnell Stadium

Region 11

4 Dover (10-2) vs. 2 Millersburg West Holmes (11-1) at Canton Fawcett Stadium 

Region 12

1 Dayton Thurgood Marshall (11-1) vs. 3 The Plains Athens (11-1) at Reynoldsburg Raider Stadium

Division III State Semifinals, Sat., Nov. 24: Region 9 vs. Region 11 … Region 10 vs. Region 12

Division III State Championship: Saturday, Dec. 1, 11 a.m., Canton Fawcett Stadium

Division IV – Games scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday

Home Team Listed First

Region 13

1 Brookfield (12-0) vs. 2 Creston Norwayne (12-0) at Stow Ron Marhofer Auto Family Field

Region 14

1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (12-0) vs. 2 Ottawa-Glandorf (12-0) at Piqua Alexander Stadium-Purk Field

Region 15

1 St. Clairsville (12-0) vs. 3 Johnstown-Monroe (10-2) at Zanesville Sulsberger Stadium

Region 16

1 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (12-0) vs. 7 West Milton Milton-Union (10-2) at Centerville Stadium

Division IV State Semifinals, Fri., Nov. 23: Region 13 vs. Region 15 … Region 14 vs. Region 16

Division IV State Championship: Friday, Nov. 30, 3 p.m., Canton Fawcett Stadium

Division V - Games scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday

Home Team Listed First

Region 17

1 Kirtland (12-0) vs. 7 Youngstown Ursuline (8-4) at Aurora Veterans Stadium

Region 18

4 Findlay Liberty-Benton (11-1) vs. 7 Hamler Patrick Henry (10-2) at Lima Stadium

Region 19

1 Lucasville Valley (12-0) vs. 6 Baltimore Liberty Union (10-2) at Nelsonville Boston Field 

Region 20

1 Coldwater (12-0) vs. 3 Covington (12-0) at Dayton Welcome Stadium

Division V State Semifinals, Sat., Nov. 24: Region 17 vs. Region 19 … Region 18 vs. Region 20

Division V State Championship: Saturday, Dec. 1, 3 p.m., Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Division VI - Games scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday

Home Team Listed First

Region 21

1 Mogadore (12-0) vs. 6 Youngstown Christian (9-2) at Ravenna Gilcrest Field

Region 22

1 McComb (12-0) vs. 6 Delphos St. John’s (8-4) at Findlay Donnell Stadium

Region 23

1 Danville (11-1) vs. 2 Newark Catholic (10-2) at Westerville Central Warhawk Field

Region 24

4 St. Henry (9-3) vs. 3 Maria Stein Marion Local (10-2) at Wapakoneta Harmon Field

Division VI State Semifinals, Fri., Nov. 23: Region 21 vs. Region 23 … Region 22 vs. Region 24

Division VI State Championship: Friday, Nov. 30, 11 a.m., Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

The rebuilding job done by Oakland General Manager Billy Beane in 2012 could serve as a template for the Indians this off season. Beane acquired a number of prospects who quickly turned into productive players for the A's, who won the AL Western Division.

Ben Margot/Associated PressOakland’s Yoenis Cespedes celebrates with Josh Reddick after Cespedes hit a two-run home run off the Indians' Corey Kluber Saturday, Aug. 18, in Oakland.

General Manager Chris Antonetti really hasn't tipped his hand yet. Will it be rebuild or regroup for the Indians this winter?

In the same situation, there would be no hesitation on Billy Beane's part. The Oakland general manager always rebuilds. Last winter, he not only rebuilt, but also added on to an Oakland team that went from 88 losses in 2011 to 94 victories and an American League West division title in 2012.

Until the A's beat Texas on the final day of the regular season to win the division, no one really believed the team with the second smallest payroll ($55,372,500) in the big leagues could do it.

"We just kept getting better and better," said Beane last week at the general managers meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. "We were under the radar. No one really noticed us until the last week of the season. It was like, 'They're playing for the division?' "

Beane transformed the A's in his usual manner, by trading his best players for a ton of prospects. After the 2011 season, he traded All-Stars Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey for 10 players. Many of them helped the A's reach the postseason in 2012.

•Gonzalez was traded to Washington for A.J. Cole, Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone and Derek Norris. Milone went 13-10 with a 3.74 ERA and Norris, a catcher, hit .201 with seven homers and 31 RBI for the A's.

•Cahill was traded to Arizona for Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill. Parker went 13-8 with a 3.47 ERA for the A's.

•Bailey was dealt to Boston for Josh Reddick, Raul Alcantara and Miles Head. Reddick hit .242 with 32 homers and 85 RBI for the A's.

What made Gonzalez, Cahill and Bailey so attractive was not only their talent, but also their lack of big-league service time. Cahill and Bailey had three years in the big leagues, Gonzalez had two years and 162 days. Bailey and Gonzalez were eligible for arbitration for the first time when they were traded. The A's had already signed Cahill to a five-year deal through 2015 before the deal.

It meant the Nationals, Diamondbacks and Red Sox were getting players they could control, or who were already under control, for three or more years. Right after the Nationals traded for Gonzalez, they signed him to a five-year, $42 million contract.

"We were a third-place team to begin with after the 2011 season, so we weren't holding onto anything special," said Beane. "I've always felt that in our market, you either have a playoff team or you're building one. This in-between stage is really a no-man's land in our marketplace."

Will Antonetti take the same approach this winter?

He has two two-time All-Stars in shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and closer Chris Perez. Cabrera signed a two-year extension last season that runs through 2014 for $16.5 million. Perez is arbitration eligible for the third time, but still has two years left before he can file for free agency after the 2014 season.

St. Louis, because of Rafael Furcal's physical problems, is among the teams that have expressed an interest in Cabrera. Perez has been an effective closer the past two years and contenders such as the Tigers, Angels and Yankees have a need at that position.

Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo and right-hander Justin Masterson have also drawn plenty of interest. Choo is on a shorter leash than Cabrera, Perez or Masterson. He can be a free agent after the 2013 season. Masterson, erratic as a full-time starter the past two years, has two years left before free agency. He also has a track record as a playoff-proven reliever.

Antonetti has been listening to offers on all four players since the Indians collapsed in the second half last season to finish in fourth place in the AL Central with 94 losses.

"It's important to understand how other teams value your players and explore different fits," said Antonetti.

But what goes into taking the plunge?

"There's definitely risk to it," said Antonetti. "You have to weigh what the alternatives are. Billy and Dave [Forst, A's assistant general manager] did an exceptional job of identifying how their players were valued in the market and made some shrewd trades.

"Then they signed some free agents to complement that group and added that to the nucleus of players they already had."

Beane drew the usual criticism following the trades of Bailey, Cahill and Gonzalez. "You can get stupid awfully fast when you rebuild the team every two years," said Beane.

After the three trades, Beane told his worried PR staff, " 'In another month we're going to have a story to tell.' No one really cared to hear the story then."

After the three trades lowered the payroll, Bean traded for Colorado outfielder Seth Smith, signed Bartolo Colon, re-signed Coco Crisp and shocked baseball by signing Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million deal. Smith hit .240 with 14 homers and 52 RBI. Crisp hit .259 with 11 homers, 46 RBI and 39 steals. Colon went 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA before being suspended for 50 games for a positive PED test, which did not stop Beane from re-signing Colon for the 2013 season.

Cespedes, playing in the big leagues for the first time, hit .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBI.

"We wanted to see where we ended up after trading the three players," said Beane. "Everyone sort of shut us off after that, which was fine, but our off-season didn't end in December. The perfect marketing tool for a general manager is to underpromise and overdeliver. The other way isn't a good way. I learned that a long time ago."

Can Antonetti underpromise and overdeliver in 2013? Can he help the big-league club and strengthen the upper levels of the farm system by trading his best talent? Will ownership then give him the ability to conduct a second front in the off-season to acquire talent?

He must also deal with the nagging fact that the Indians have spent more time in first place in the AL Central over the past two years than any team in the division. So how much help is really needed?

"That didn't happen by accident," said Antonetti. "You have to have good players to go out and win that many games. We haven't been able to finish it off."

Antonetti, at the same time, knows change is coming.

"Our focus is to always upgrade the talent," he said. "No one has a perfect team. You look at every opportunity in the off-season to improve your team."

It is hard to finish a season undefeated. It's hard to go 10-0, but that is the record of the Ohio State Buckeyes. How did they do it?

QB Braxton Miller, shown here running against Illinois, has the ability to make plays and has been instrumental in the Buckeyes' 10-0 record. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What has to go right? Basically, everything.

Any doubts about the difficulty of an undefeated season -- and it has only happened five times in 122 Ohio State seasons (1916, 1944, 1954, 1968 and 2002) -- were reaffirmed with losses by both Alabama and Louisville on Saturday.

But don't stop with the Crimson Tide and Cardinals. Ask any of the one-loss teams how this happened.

Florida State lost to 6-4 North Carolina State.

Florida beat LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina, but couldn't hold on to the ball in a 17-9 loss to Georgia.

The Bulldogs managed that win, but were obliterated by South Carolina.

Even Kent State could be staring down an undefeated shot if not for a loss that served as Kentucky's only win.

It's hard. So how did Ohio State get here? With Wisconsin and Michigan remaining, and a tie for first in the Leaders Division already assured, here are 10 reasons the Buckeyes remain undefeated, one for each win.

1. The conference: Like it or not, admit that the No. 1 thing on the Buckeyes' side is their conference. Their shallow, questionable, mockable conference. It's not just what you are, but where you play.

The Big Ten is part of the reason the Buckeyes are 10-0 and almost entirely the reason that perfect mark has them at only No. 6 in the Associated Press poll, behind two one-loss teams in Alabama and Georgia.

The Buckeyes played games that were there for the taking -- including losing the turnover battle by three to both Michigan State and Purdue -- but their Big Ten foes haven't been able to take them. After Alabama's loss to Texas A&M on Saturday, coach Nick Saban said he thought his Crimson Tide were a little out of gas after the previous week's comeback road win at LSU.

There's nothing in the Big Ten that could compare to a back-to-back like that: at LSU against that defense, then coming home to face Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel.

And check out Oregon's three-game, season-ending stretch of Stanford, Oregon State and the Pac-12 title game. Nothing like that in the Big Ten, either.

Besides not having another great team after Ohio State, the Big Ten also isn't competent enough week in and week out to make a good team pay for a down week. If the Buckeyes had played games like they did in consecutive weeks against Indiana and Purdue in the Southeastern Conference, Pac-12 or Big 12, they would have been less likely to hold on for a three-point win and then escape with an overtime victory. Somebody would have taken a game from them. But not in the Big Ten.

2. The coach: Urban Meyer improved Bowling Green by six wins in his first season there, Utah by five, and Florida by two. The Buckeyes won six games last season, but beyond their quarterback issues, had talent more like an eight- or nine-win team. Attitude, inspiration, offensive ingenuity -- Meyer won't establish his program until he has the time for his recruiting to really shape the roster. But the coach has proven to be worth a couple of extra wins right off the bat. He's not for everyone. But he snaps guys to attention, so his turnarounds don't take long.

3. The quarterback: Put it this way: If Braxton Miller had played against Ohio State this season, he probably would have beaten the Buckeyes. He has the most 10-yard, 20-yard, 30-yard, 50-yard and 60-yard runs in the conference. (He's third in 40-yarders). Game in doubt? Always take the team with a player whose mere presence on the field is a play call. And a good one. Go Braxton. Do your thing.

4. The nonconference schedule: In the previous 10 years, Ohio State's nonconference schedule included No. 10 Washington State, No. 17 Washington, No. 24 North Carolina State, No. 2 Texas (twice), No. 1 Southern Cal, No. 3 Southern Cal and No. 12 Miami. In the next 10 years, it will include, among others, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Oklahoma, North Carolina, TCU, Oregon, Boston College and Texas.

California, now 3-8, as the featured nonconference opponent? For this season, the Buckeyes will take that tense, seven-point home win over the Golden Bears as a gift from the schedule gods.

5. The Big Hank: The Buckeyes have the 16th-best run defense in the country. The best two overall defenses that Ohio State faced were Michigan State and Penn State. But both of those teams featured offenses that insisted on trying to run on the Buckeyes. It wasn't a winning combination.

That doesn't work against Ohio State, especially not up the middle. The Spartans and Nittany Lions combined for 66 rush yards while averaging 0.8 yards per carry. Consider this a reminder of the existence of future top-10 NFL Draft pick Johnathan Hankins on a defensive line dedicated to them.

6. The cornerbacks: Bradley Roby leads the nation in pass breakups and Meyer praised Travis Howard last week for having a "fantastic" year. After early struggles with finding the right defensive plan of attack, Meyer and defensive coordinator Luke Fickell seemed to have settled on more man-to-man coverage and frequent blitzes. You can't do that unless you trust your cornerbacks.

7. The offensive coordinator: Ohio State is getting outscored, 62-58, in the first quarter. But how often have you said, "Why is Ohio State STILL doing this ineffective offensive thing?" Not often. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman and Meyer find the problems and fix them. Adjustments work. The slow starts aren't ideal, but the Buckeyes are winning the second quarter, 132-37.

8. The running back: Cal decided to try to stop the run in the third game of the season. It worked. Miller was limited to 75 yards on 12 carries, most of that on one big play, while Carlos Hyde was out with a sprained knee ligament. Guess what? Selling out to stop Miller on the ground doesn't work anymore. Hyde has 579 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in his last five games.

9. The opposing kickers: Cal went 0-3 on makeable tries in the 40-yard range in a seven-point loss, Michigan State was 3-of-4 on field goals but did miss a 42-yarder in a one-point loss, and Purdue had a 34-yarder blocked by Hankins and missed a 52-yarder in a game that went to overtime. The Penn State kicking situation has been so desperate all year, it completely changes the Nittany Lions' thinking on even trying field goals. Bottom line, face a decent kicker at the wrong time and a loss could have happened easily.

10. The thing that you can't put your finger on: Some might put this first. To me, that discredits the clear difference that the coaches and the players have made. It's not just want-to. It's turning practice into play, it's both implementing and accepting a new plan, it's a lot of tangible football skill and strategy.

And then there was the Kenny Guiton comeback against Purdue. In those games, there's a little pixie dust mixed with the sweat.

"I see some of the intangible locker room conversations and I see a special team," Meyer said recently. "They're fighting for each other. It's a refuse-to-lose type atmosphere. Some of us have seen teams that play really well, and they're blowing teams out all the time.

"We're not that type of team [and] I can give you 150 reasons why. However, we're a bunch of guys that work really hard, blue-collar approach, that show up every Tuesday [for practice] and want to get better. You don't want anything else as a coach."

Zanesville native Kevin Martin has made a smooth transition from Houston to Oklahoma City.

View full sizeCharles Rex Arbogast, APZanesville native Kevin Martin, left, who Oklahoma City acquired in a trade with Houston last month, scored 16 points in the Thunder's win over the Cavs on Sunday.

He says he feels as comfortable as he looks after the stunning Oct. 28 trade that brought him from the Houston Rockets to the Thunder as part of the trade for James Harden.

"It's getting more comfortable by the day," said Martin, a native of Zanesville who spent the past three seasons in Houston after six in Sacramento. "They made my transition very smooth. Playing with a great team like this I'm just trying to fit in and just be a positive guy. That Saturday night after the trade, the [players] were getting a hold of me. I talked to the GM [Sam Presti], coach [Scott] Brooks, got the hard part out of the way. From there it's just been easy."

Brooks, a former Cavalier, said Martin has done his part to fit in.

"He's been around the league for a while and he knows how to play," Brooks said. "He plays without the ball, and he's not demanding the ball. He doesn't have that type of personality, so he fit in pretty quickly. We have a good group of guys who open things up. It's not a "we're-not-going-to- let-you-in" type of club. Our leaders understand that it's a business and accepted him quickly.

"But he's done a good job of fitting in and playing well on top of that . . . If your heart's in the right place and you play for the right reasons, you can make the adjustment pretty quickly. Kevin isn't a ball hog. He's not a selfish guy. He's a guy who's going to help us win games."

Cavs coach Byron Scott noted that Martin and Harden are two different players.

"Martin is more of a scorer than James," Scott said. "James to me is just a heck of an all-around basketball player. He can score if he needs to score, but he also can run a team. He can drop dimes to guys, give them all the assists, he knows how to do those things. I think that's where they're different. Kevin is just a dynamic scorer, and James gives you a little bit of everything. He can run pick-and-roll and all that stuff, so you can almost have James as a scoring guard, but you can also play him at the point guard because he knows how to get guys involved."

On guard: Brooks is a big fan of the Cavs' backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.

"Their point guard -- I wouldn't even consider him up and coming, I think he has arrived," Brooks said. "He's one of the elite point guards in the league. And their rookie, Waiters, is shooting the ball as well as anyone in the league from 3-point."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responds to a report on CBSSports.com that Mike Holmgren has serious interest in coaching the Cowboys.

Mike Holmgren is interested in coaching the Cowboys if the job becomes available, a report says Joshua Gunter | The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responded to a report Sunday that Browns President Mike Holmgren wants to coach the Cowboys if Jason Garrett is fired.

It should make for some interesting buzz, what with the Browns headed to Dallas next Sunday to face the Cowboys.
 
The report, by CBSSports.com's Jason LaCanfora "The NFL Today,'' said Holmgren has "serious interest'' in coaching the Cowboys if Jones makes a move.

In response, Jones told the Cowboys' flagship radio station, 105.3 The Fan that Garrett is his man, according to Jon Machota, special contributor to dallasnews.com.

“Of course, Mike Holmgren is a heck of a coach,” Jones said before the Cowboys' 38-23 victory over the Eagles. "But the facts are that Jason Garrett gives us an outstanding chance to be what we want to be. So, there you have it. I wouldn’t comment one way or the other there with Mike.”

 Jones added that he spoke earlier in the day to Cowboys radio voice Brad Sham about the Holmgren news, Machota reported.

"I was interested in why he said he would like to be the coach,” Jones said. “And that was good. We are good friends, have a lot of respect for each other, served on the competition committee together for eight years. He’s very familiar with how we operate the Cowboys, and does have a high appreciation for our talent that we have on the team right now. All of that is a compliment. Thank you, Mike.”

Holmgren, who will step down as President of the Browns when the season is over (if not sooner) made it clear during his farewell press conference Oct. 23 that he misses coaching and has one more stint left in him.

LaCanfora reported that Holmgren is interested in the Cowboys' job "given the competitiveness of the roster, the skill players present, and his long relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones."

With Browns new CEO Joe Banner already on the job, it remains to be seen if Holmgren will stay through the season.

Countdown to Ohio State-Michigan: 12 days Michigan got one miracle to beat Northwestern. The Wolverines need a few more to get into the Big Ten title game. Nebraska and Michigan are both 5-1 in the Legends Division, but the Cornhuskers beat the Wolverines and therefore hold the tiebreaker. So Michigan needs to beat Iowa and Ohio State and hope...

Countdown to Ohio State-Michigan: 12 days

Michigan got one miracle to beat Northwestern. The Wolverines need a few more to get into the Big Ten title game. Nebraska and Michigan are both 5-1 in the Legends Division, but the Cornhuskers beat the Wolverines and therefore hold the tiebreaker. So Michigan needs to beat Iowa and Ohio State and hope that Nebraska loses to either Minnesota or Iowa.

The other side of the Big Ten title game is already set, with Wisconsin wrapping up that berth at 4-2 in Big Ten play. Ohio State (6-0) and Penn State (4-2) are banned from the postseason and ineligible to play in Indianapolis.

Michigan and Wisconsin haven't played this season, so that would make for an interesting game. But first the Wolverines have to get past the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes and root hard for a Minnesota upset on Saturday.

Despite the loss by No. 1, Alabama, Ohio State actually drops in the AP poll, falling from a tie for fifth to sixth.

Dave Martin, Associated PressTexas A&M QB Johnny Manziel, alias Johnny Football, celebrates a touchdown during the Aggies upset of Alabama Saturday.

1. Kansas State; 2 Oregon; 3. Notre Dame; 4. Georgia; 5. Ohio State; 6. Florida; 7. Alabama; 8. LSU; 9. Texas A&M; 10. Stanford; 11. Florida State; 12. South Carolina; 13. Oklahoma; 14. Oregon State; 15. Clemson; 16. UCLA; 17. Nebraska; 18. Louisiana Tech; 19. Texas; 20. Louisville; 21. Southern Cal; 22. Kent State; 23. Texas Tech; 24. Rutgers; 25. Washington.

Despite the loss by No. 1 Alabama, Ohio State actually dropped in the AP poll, falling from a tie for fifth with Georgia into sixth, 11 points behind the Bulldogs. And I get it. The Southeastern Conference is really making it difficult on voters.

Alabama fell to No. 7 on my ballot, with Georgia at 4, Ohio State at 5 and Florida at 6. That was a tough foursome to figure. My priorities within the group were voting Georgia ahead of Florida based on the Bulldogs' head-to-head win; voting Florida ahead of Alabama based on the Gators beating much tougher opponents including LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M, the school that just beat Alabama; and not penalizing the Buckeyes by dropping them behind all three SEC teams just because those schools were hard to process. At face value, I also thought it made sense to vote Alabama ahead of Georgia. But that contradicted other priorities I valued more. So the question was where to slot the undefeated Buckeyes among those SEC schools -- who played, to varying degrees, tougher schedules, but who all have one loss. I wavered between putting the Buckeyes at No. 5 ahead of Florida or at 6, just behind Florida. In the end, Florida's last-second escape against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday gave the edge to the Buckeyes. But for this week at least, Ohio State ahead of Alabama felt OK.

Kent State moved to No. 22 on my ballot, up one spot, and moved into the overall AP rankings at No. 25, the first AP rankings for the Golden Flashes since 1973.

Kansas State is my new No. 1, staying ahead of Oregon based on a better overall strength of schedule. But that wasn't the consensus. Kansas State is also No. 1 in the BCS standings. But among the three polls, Oregon earned 179 first-place votes, Kansas State 51, Notre Dame three and one Harris Poll voter kept Alabama at No. 1. But the computer ratings part of the BCS has Notre Dame No. 1, Kansas State No. 2, Florida No. 3 and Oregon No. 4. And that's why the Wildcats hold the top spot in the BCS.

Russell Westbrook's 27 points led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-91 victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday evening in Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison, right, knocks the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson (13) in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012. Thunder guard Eric Maynor watches at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Byron Scott is hanging a "Help Wanted" sign after the Cavaliers' 106-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday evening at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The beleaguered coach is one step short of running an ad in the classifieds or holding open tryouts to find somebody, anybody, to join Daniel Gibson on the team's unproductive second unit.

With rookie backup center Tyler Zeller still out with a concussion and fractured left cheekbone, Gibson shouldered the load again Sunday. Ironically, thanks to Gibson's 16 points, the Cavs' second unit outscored the Thunder's, 29-22. Of course, that didn't matter after Russell Westbrook's 27 points and 10 assists and Kevin Durant's 26 points and eight rebounds helped Oklahoma City improve to 5-2.

"The biggest thing is, I'm just looking for somebody besides Boobie Gibson to step up off the bench," Scott said after the Cavs dropped their third straight to fall to 2-5 overall, 1-4 on this six-game trip that ends Tuesday at Brooklyn. "Boobie has been great. I know we're missing Tyler, but we need somebody else to just step up."

On the roulette wheel that is the Cavs' bench, Sunday's winners were Omri Casspi in place of C.J. Miles and Jon Leuer in place of Samardo Samuels. Casspi went 1-for-7 from the field, with four free throws, seven points, four rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes. Leuer went 2-for-8, with four points, two rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes after Scott was displeased with Samuels' defense.

That's not exactly what Scott was looking for.

Asked about Casspi, the coach said: "1-for-7. That's almost the same as what C.J. was doing, basically. But it's the first game he's played so you've got to give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a chance and that's what I'm going to do."

Of Leuer's defense, he said: "He was OK. I didn't think he did terrible."

For now, that passes as an endorsement.

Thanks to three free throws by Gibson, the Cavs were within 76-73 late in the third quarter before Westbrook heaved a 31-foot shot that dropped through at the third-quarter buzzer to push OKC's lead to 79-76. It was bad enough that the Cavs had a foul to give and ignored Scott's orders to do so before Westbrook shot. But with four reserves and Anderson Varejao on the court to open the fourth quarter, Westbrook drained two more 3-pointers to open the fourth, and the Cavs pulled the plug.

"It hurt," Gibson said of Westbrook's buzzer beater. "What hurt more was that when we came out of the timeout [at the end of the quarter] we didn't bounce back and we allowed him to make a couple more shots and then that really let them get a lead. When you've got a closer like Kevin, it's tough to come back from that."

Gibson was playing so well on both ends of the court that Scott elected to use him over rookie Dion Waiters for the better part of the second half and all of the fourth quarter. He has tried, in vain, to rally the second-unit troops.

"I just always tell them, 'We've got to hold the fort,' " Gibson said. "The first group has been phenomenal. They come out and they're prepared to play. We have to make sure we sustain that . . . whatever's necessary. If that's playing off our defense, whatever we have to do, we just have to improve. That's the ownership we have to take.

"I just think when the second group is out there on the floor, we just have to guard more than anything. The other team has to really feel us. Teams have been able to score and go on runs when we're out there on the floor, and that just can't happen."

But it did. Again.

"I like both rotations and this team is really fun to watch. I think turnovers are a big deal right now. Gibson and Miles both need to find a way to increase assists coming off the bench... its not just about how much they score, its about how well they distribute..." - bobby_fishtrunks

View full sizeAP Photo/Jeff ChiuThe Cavs bench, including Daniel Gibson and C.J. Miles, needs to distribute the ball more, says one cleveland.com reader.

"I like both rotations and this team is really fun to watch. I think turnovers are a big deal right now. Gibson and Miles both need to find a way to increase assists coming off the bench... its not just about how much they score, its about how well they distribute..."