Fukudome makes difficult plays look routine in the outfield.

View full sizePD fileKosuke Fukudome goes high to make a catch at the wall on Wednesday.

Clubhouse confidential: After a rocky beginning to his American League career, Indians outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has been solid, especially defensively.

Whether in right field (41 starts) or center (11 starts), Fukudome continues to make difficult plays seem routine.

"The defense he has played has been fantastic," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We're impressed by the way he plays the outfield."

Fukudome entered Friday hitting .258 with five homers and 21 RBI in 52 games with the Indians. He hit .273 with three homers and 13 RBI in 87 games with the Cubs before being traded July 27.

No matter what type of game he is having, Fukudome rarely changes his expression, which is as stoic as stoic gets.

"Many have said that I don't have an expression on my face," Fukudome said through a translator. "That's just me wanting to do what I do until the last out. I do enjoy playing baseball."

Smile, please: Indians players, coaches and Acta gathered Friday afternoon beyond the first-base dugout for the second team photo of the season. The first, in connection with a charitable cause, did not include the likes of in-season trade acquisitions Jim Thome, Ubaldo Jimenez and Fukudome.

Jimenez was late. As he jogged to meet his teammates, he was applauded.

Stat of the day: Indians catcher Carlos Santana entered Friday with the third-most homers in the majors by a switch-hitter. His 26 trailed the Yankees' Mark Teixeira (37) and the Cardinals' Lance Berkman (31).

-- Dennis Manoloff

Marecic studied human biology at Stanford, and after his career of blocking for Peyton Hillis ends, he might pursue a medical degree.

View full size

Q: You played both ways at Stanford, as a fullback and a linebacker. Do you think you could ever do that in the NFL?

A: I wouldn't even go there, at this point. I have a long ways to go, in my opinion, as far as learning the offense and executing on the offense. But it's a blast to be out on special teams, too. It's a great way to contribute to the team. In college, that's what I always figured: A ton of guys really go both ways. They're playing defense [and] special teams [or] offense [and] special teams. I just did offense and defense, but no special teams. So it's kind of the same.

Q: You had a reputation in college as being a very physical player. You reportedly cracked helmets regularly. Can you give any other examples of how you might be more physical than other players?

A: I'd never say I'm more tough than anyone else. I think that's just a product of your coaches. I'd say mostly you can call it toughness, but it's more just a willingness to do what the team asks you to do. The great thing at Stanford is I was surrounded by guys whose willingness to do that, themselves, was at an elite level. For me, I never say I'm more tough than anybody.'

Q: What's the best thing you learned from Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh?

A: Never let a day go to rest or go to waste. If you can make every day productive, you're going to be successful. He's probably the best at doing that. He has such a great energy and enthusiasm to him, it really is contagious.

Q: You were a biology major at Stanford. What do you hope to do with that?

A: At Stanford I was a human biology major, and at Stanford a lot of hum-bio majors go to med school. But you have to do all the premed requirements in addition to the hum-bio requirements. So I only did the hum-bio requirements, I never really did the premed classes. That being said, I'd like to try to go to med school, but I'd have to go back and finish the premed stuff, like chem, physics and math. All the fun stuff. As far as what kind of doctor I'd like to be, the last few years, I've been always into the specialties like intensity of ER doc or surgeon or something like that. But even in the last couple months, I think it'd be really cool to do primary care. But I change just about every month.

Q: What's it like to block for Peyton Hillis?

A: It's great. He's such a talented back in so many ways. He's got the speed, he's got the power. He's a great guy, too. He's really helped me not feel overwhelmed with things at this level, especially on the field, in games. I don't feel like I have to do too much. Just try to get a hand on somebody and he's going to do the rest. Not that I'd be satisfied with that, but it takes a lot of pressure off the offense.

-- Jodie Valade

The legendary Indians pitcher gives a couple and their baby a memory to cherish.

View full sizeMark Duncan, AP file photoIndians Hall of Famer Bob Feller in the spring of 2010.

My wife and I have three sons, ages, 10, 8 and 5. Our most unforgettable game was in July of 2000. Our oldest son, Andrew, was about 4 months old and it must have been the hottest day of the year. We had two Indians tickets for an afternoon game, and rather than leave him with grandma and grandpa, we decided to take him.

After we parked in a lot on Carnegie, we made our way to the ballpark. When we turned the corner to enter the gate where Bob Feller's statue is, we happened to notice that Mr. Feller himself was out there getting his picture taken in front of it. I'd never met Bob Feller before but thought what a treat, Andrew's first game and the greatest Indian of all time is there. There was no line, and people were jumping in and getting their photos taken. We were standing off to the side and, without any indication, Bob Feller pointed in our direction and said, "Everyone hold up, I want that little guy next."

As Mr. Feller was holding Andrew, he said something that I still remind our son of today. "When you get bigger, you're going to ask your mom and dad who is that old man holding me?" Then Bob told me to answer this question by saying, "Tell him that's someone that loved baseball and played for the Indians a long time ago."

He didn't say that he wanted himself to be known as a Hall of Famer, or anything special, but simple and humbly as someone who loved the game and played for our home team.

We thanked him for this time, headed into the game and found our seats. I can't tell you who the Tribe was playing that day or if they won or lost. All I can say is our fondest memory happened before the first pitch.

A few weeks after that, I saw that Bob Feller was going to be at the Galleria signing autographs. I brought that picture in to work that day and met him for the second and only other time in my life. He autographed the picture to our son and it still sits in a frame on his dresser as his favorite baby picture.

Breaking down the four components of today's Ohio State football game: physical, emotional, mental and, a part of the game that's too easy to forget these days, the fun.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State Zach Boren says the running game needs to pick up the slack when the passing game struggles.

The Physical

Maybe 300 rushing yards should be the goal for Ohio State. Last week, 174 yards on the ground, including 141 yards on 26 carries (5.4 average) from the running backs, wasn't close to enough in the loss at Miami.

"When our passing game is not on, our running game has to be that much better," Ohio State junior fullback Zach Boren said. "I was telling the running backs, 'Maybe if we would have run for 300 yards, we would have won the game.' "

So the relative success of the run game was "definitely rewarding," Boren said, "but we need to do more with it."

Ohio State center Mike Brewster felt the offensive line played its best game of the season at Miami, and right now, the offensive line is what the OSU offense has to lean on.

"Sometimes, that's all we can control, and we just want to make sure we're doing the best we can," Brewster said.

Colorado allowed 165 yards on the ground in a season-opening loss to Hawaii, but during the past two weeks, a 36-33 loss to Cal and 28-14 win over Colorado State, the Buffaloes have given up a total of 167 yards on 56 carries, a 2.99-yard average. But Colorado hasn't dealt with Ohio State's size.

"They are a physical lineup, run-it-down-your-throat team, which is something that we are aspiring to be," Colorado first-year coach Jon Embree said.

Averaging 170 yards per game, the Buckeyes rank eighth in the Big Ten and 53rd in the nation on the ground. With freshman quarterback Braxton Miller making his first start, this is a time for the run game to be at its best, assuming running back Jordan Hall can play his first full game of the season and avoid the leg cramps that knocked him out last week.

The Emotional

There were scattered boos in Ohio Stadium during the tight win over Toledo, and that was before the performance in Miami. When the Buckeyes were blown out at USC in 2008, the crowd for the home game against Troy the next week was smaller, relatively speaking for Ohio Stadium, and on edge. Quarterback Todd Boeckman was booed hard after an incompletion in a brief appearance. Then the fans saw Terrelle Pryor's career begin to take off with four touchdown passes in a win, and some spirits were lifted.

Today may be similar. The chance to see Miller start should raise the enthusiasm level. But if the Buckeyes start slowly, the mood could turn.

"It's never a good time in Columbus when you lose," Brewster said this week. "Our fans are used to winning, and so are we. We don't take losses very well, either."

"They're passionate about what they do," OSU coach Luke Fickell said, making clear he's not focused on fan reaction. "They pay their money to get in. They love Ohio State football. If they don't like something, they let you know."

The players know the bar is set high at Ohio State. The Buckeyes had won 20 of their past 21 games before the Miami loss. Fans expect victory.

"We like it, just because it puts in perspective how important each week is," Boren said. "But it's hard to see, when something does go wrong, how quickly they can turn on you."

"Some fans are bandwagon fans, some fans aren't," senior right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "But Buckeye Nation is loyal, for the most part, and I think we have some of the best fans in the country. So I'd just tell them to have faith. We're Ohio State."

The Mental

This is about what's in the heads of the OSU coaches. They talk often about getting the best 11 players on the field, on both sides of the ball, and they said it even more often this week. Are they really doing that? Could there be changes to the starting lineup beyond Miller replacing Joe Bauserman at quarterback?

The No. 1 position to watch is safety, where you could read between the lines a bit with Fickell and get the idea that sophomore Christian Bryant could start ahead of junior Orhian Johnson. Also, check the right guard on offense, where Corey Linsley could slide ahead of Marcus Hall. Beyond that, see if true freshmen Ryan Shazier (linebacker) and Michael Bennett (defensive line) find their way onto the field more, and keep an eye on the receiver rotation as well, where Verlon Reed and Chris Fields started last week.

The Fun

It's hard to find guys who enjoyed a 24-6 loss. But punters often do their best work in tough times -- win 50-0 and a punter may not even see the field.

So, yeah, Ohio State junior punter Ben Buchanan had some fun last week. And now he's starting to play kick-and- catch with his teammates, so that could be even more amusing.

Buchanan has pinned eight of his 16 punts this season inside the 20-yard line, but little could be better than having a 52-yard punt to the 7-yard line called back by a penalty, then booming a 60-yarder down to the 4. Buchanan caught that one flush last Saturday.

'I was obviously a little frustrated when we had to go back, but for us to knock that inside the 5 was huge for us," Buchanan said. "I laid into it, I had a nice consistent drop and it came off my foot real nice, and it was a lot of fun."

See? Fun.

Buchanan said his hang time had improved to the point where Ohio State is now telling the first Buckeyes down the field, such as safety C.J. Barnett, to just catch punts inside the 10 rather than let them land and roll and risk going into the end zone. That's new this week, with Buchanan saying his hang time is up to 4.5 or 4.6 seconds. Throw in about two seconds for the snap and another second for Buchanan to catch it and boot it, and that's plenty of time for a guy who runs a 4.5 40 to get down in position.

And Ohio State needs it.

"It's all about field position, especially with the young offense we have right now," Buchanan said. "Our defense always makes plays, but if we can get a short field for the offense, that's where the punt team can help."

-- Doug Lesmerises

No. 2 LSU travels to No. 16 West Virginia, No. 3 Alabama hosts No. 14 Arkansas, and No. 7 Oklahoma State plays at No. 8 Texas A&M.

View full sizeDavid J. Phillip, Associated PressQuarterback Ryan Tannehill and Texas A&M face their toughest test of the season today when they play No. 7 Oklahoma State.

No. 2 LSU at No. 16 West Virginia

Kickoff: 8 p.m. on WEWS Channel 5.

Early line: LSU by 5 1/2.

Notable: Both teams are 3-0. West Virginia plays its first top-five opponent at home in two years, and a win would push the Mountaineers closer to their first top-10 appearance since 2008. That would be a pleasant surprise under first-year coach Dana Holgorsen, whose fast-paced spread offense was expected to have a learning curve. West Virginia QB Geno Smith is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and has two straight career-high games for passing yards, but he is going against a defense allowing just 160 passing yards per game -- 19th in the nation.

No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 14 Arkansas

Early line: Alabama by 11 1/2.

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. on WOIO Channel 19.

Notable: Both teams are 3-0. The mad scramble that is the SEC West leaves little margin for error, creating high stakes in the league opener for both expected contenders. Arkansas might have the best group of wide receivers in the SEC, led by Joe Adams and Cobi Hamilton. Alabama's secondary could be tops in the league as well, with All-America safety Mark Barron and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson proved he can handle hostile SEC environments with a 332-yard, four-touchdown effort at Auburn last season in relief of an injured Ryan Mallett. He'll have to be on target against a tough secondary in front of 100,000-plus fans and help create room for Ronnie Wingo Jr. to run.

No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 8 Texas A&M

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Early line: Texas A&M by 4.

Notable: The Cowboys are 3-0, the Aggies 2-0. Texas A&M's seniors are motivated to get their first win against the Cowboys, who have won three in a row in the series. Texas A&M RBs Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael have combined for 349 yards rushing in Texas A&M's first two games. The Cowboys allowed 365 yards rushing in a 59-33 win against Tulsa last week. Gray has scored four touchdowns and has run for at least 100 yards in each of his past nine games, dating back to last year.

-- From wire reports

OTHER NOTABLE GAMES

Top 25

No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Missouri, 8, FX

No. 10 Oregon at Arizona, 10:15, ESPN2

No. 11 Florida State at No. 21 Clemson, 3:30, ESPN

No. 12 South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt, 7, ESPN2

No. 23 Southern Cal at Arizona State, 10:15, ESPN

No. 25 Georgia Tech vs. N. Carolina, noon, ESPN

Big Ten

No. 6 Wisconsin vs. S. Dakota, 3:30, Big Ten Network

No. 9 Nebraska at Wyoming, 7:30, Versus

No. 22 Michigan vs. San Diego St., noon, BTN

No. 24 Illinois vs. W. Michigan, 3:30, BTN

Mid-American Conference

S. Alabama at Kent St., 3:30

VMI at Akron, 2

Toledo at Syracuse, noon

Temple at Maryland, 12:30

Bowling Green at Miami, 1

Ohio at Rutgers, 2

Division II

Lake Erie vs. Hillsdale, 1

Siena Heights vs. Notre Dame College at Brush High School, 7.

Division III

Capital at Baldwin-Wallace, 1:30

Wilmington at Mount Union, 7

John Carroll at Marietta, 6

Hiram at Oberlin, 1

Case Western Reserve at Denison, 1.

The UFC returns to the city where it got its start, Denver, for its latest event. Of course, things have a changed a bit since UFC 1 in 1993.

View full sizeJack Dempsey, Associated PressUFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones, left, stares down contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson following their weigh-in Friday in Denver. The two will fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship tonight.

Ah, Denver. Birthplace of it all. UFC 1: The Beginning was in Denver, on Nov. 12, 1993. The sport then was a far cry from what it has become. Back then, as Dana White said in an interview in his Las Vegas office earlier this year, it was a case of "eight men enter the cage and only one emerges!"

Pure hype. Pure barbarism. The only rules then: no biting and no eye-gouging. Shoot, the fighters didn't even wear gloves. Royce Gracie won the tournament and $50,000 in a format in which there was only one round, and it didn't end until one of the combatants was knocked out, submitted or quit.

Under today's rules, every man would've been disqualified seconds into his fight.

But that's history. Under White -- who purchased UFC with the Fertitta brothers, Frank III and Lorenzo in 2001 and formed Zuffa, LLC -- UFC has evolved into a multimillion-dollar operation in which many of the top-tier fighters are making seven-figure salaries during the course of their contracts (usually six fights or two years).

White, who began his career as a boxing promoter, instituted strict rules governing what blows are and are not legal. In the process -- and contrary to what many may believe -- the sport itself has evolved into a brutal but elegant ballet of strength, finesse and athleticism.

Jones is a shining example of that evolution. Tall and lanky, at 6-4 and 205 pounds, he has the longest reach of any fighter in UFC: 84.5 inches. He's also got elbows that are lethal weapons. Eight of his 14 wins have come via knockout, usually from spinning elbows. His one loss was a disqualification for what mixed martial arts call 12-6 elbows: vertical blows using the elbows. Elbows are allowed, but have to strike at an angle.

Jackson, who won the belt with a win over MMA legend Chuck Liddell in 2007, has proven a hard man to knock out. In a 40-fight career that began in 1999, when Jones was only 12 years old, he's been knocked out only three times. He's been decisioned three times, submitted once and disqualified once.

He's just about as hard to handle in a news conference as B.A., the character originated by Mr. T in the television show "The A-Team" and resurrected by Jackson in a critically panned movie.

Asked if he has any concerns about Jones' history of knocking out opponents, Jackson retorted, "I'm not even going to answer your question, homey."

Jones, too, was reluctant to put all his hopes in a knockout, even though that reach of his exceeds Jackson's by more than 11 inches -- a monstrous advantage by any measure.

"I'm just going to fight my fight, and I'm not one to swing for the fences, really," he said. "I'm happy with my style."

And fortunately for him in today's MMA world, it's a style that doesn't require biting and eye-gouging.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: cyarborough@plaind.com, 216-999-4534

Josh Cribbs is on the injury report, listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a groin injury.

Darron Cummings, Associated PressJosh Cribbs, here breaking away from Indianapolis tacklers in a win over the Colts, is listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a groin injury. He has sparked the offense with big returns in both of the Browns' games.

BEREA, Ohio — Josh Cribbs, the reigning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week, was a surprise scratch from practice Friday with a groin injury and is questionable for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

He's one of four Browns with a 50 percent chance of playing. The others are running back Peyton Hillis (illness), right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle), and receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (ankle).

In each of the first two weeks, Cribbs has ignited the offense with big returns to set up touchdowns. The first was a 51-yard kickoff return against the Bengals. Last week in Indianapolis, his 52-yard kickoff return and 43-yard punt return both led to TDs.

"I want that responsibility," said Cribbs. "I want to be the spark for this team."

If Cribbs can't play, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano will have a lot less to worry about. When asked about Cribbs starting at re ceiver, Sparano said, "Using Cribbs more, that's scary."

As for the return game, Sparano said: "You've got to kick it out of the stadium for me to breath easy when it's Cribbs back there. Unless we kick it into the Dawg Pound out there, I'm going to be nervous."

If Cribbs is limited, Jordan Norwood will return punts and Buster Skrine kickoffs.

Pashos a long shot: Pashos worked with the second-team offense in practice and made no promises he'll be ready Sunday.

"There's no answer right now," he said. "It's day to day. The guys that are in there now [Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks] are playing real well."

Pashos said of coming back soon that he's "optimistic. I'm going forward toward playing, and each and every day, that's my hope."

Mo Mass says no prob: Last week, it was a hamstring. This week, it's an ankle. Such is life for receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who missed all training camp with a bone chip in his foot and is on the fast track back to game speed.

"I'm feeling pretty good," he said. "It's not going to be an issue. We'll be out there rolling on Sunday.

"Honestly, this week is training camp. I'm still getting used to everything. But my body feels great. I prepared well up to this point just to make sure it wouldn't be anything major. So it's just kind of nicks here and there, but everything is still intact, feeling good."

Massaquoi isn't taking any comfort that the Dolphins' pass defense is struggling. They've surrendered six TD passes, and starting cornerback Vontae Davis will sit out Sunday with a pulled hamstring.

"Well, they're a hungry team," Massaquoi said. "I'm pretty sure they're going in there and making the corrections they need to make. But at the end of the day, we're going to try to stick to our game plan and go out there and produce points so we don't put our defense in a bind.

"It's still early in the season, so I'm pretty sure they're still finding themselves and making the corrections they need to make. But they've faced two elite quarterbacks, and I don't think anybody can argue with that. So it's kinda been a mixture of both."

Smith eager: Tight end Alex Smith is grateful for the opportunity to contribute this year after riding the bench under coach Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll, now Dolphins offensive coordinator.

"I can't sit up here and lie to you and say it was easy," said Smith, who was inactive 11 times last year. "It was definitely a trying time. I've gone from starting four or five years of my career [with Tampa Bay] to not even being active. So it was definitely a trying time. I just prayed on it, and God taught me through it, and now I'm here today.

"Me moping and sulking wasn't going to get me anywhere."

Rubin's numbers: Ahtyba Rubin's new contract numbers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter: three-year extension, $27 million, with $18 million guaranteed.

Little did Dimitrios and George Makridis know how far a quirky, highly specialized skill would take them from their backyard in Warren.

View full sizeMike Munden, Special to PDBrothers Dimitrios, left, and George Makridis at Ohio State's practice facility this week. George is the team's current long snapper. Dimitrios handled the same duties there before him.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dimitrios and George Makridis settled their squabble in the backyard, a place where football-playing siblings have competed since kids began choosing up sides and stiff-arming each other amid the autumn leaves.

It was fall 2001, and Dimitrios, then a junior in high school, had heard enough snarky remarks from his younger brother about long snapping. Dimitrios saw it as an important, albeit arcane, duty. George thought the motion looked silly.

What's with the head between the knees and the arms extended through the legs? Was he heaving a football or hurling his lunch?

Dimitrios put 15 yards of space between them, bent over the ball and launched it toward his 11-year-old brother.

"You know how it is when you are a kid," George said. "The ball looked like it was coming 100 miles per hour at me."

Little could they have known at that moment how far a quirky, highly specialized skill would take them from their backyard in Warren.

Dimitrios Makridis walked on at Ohio State and long snapped during the 2007 season, which ended with a loss to LSU in the BSC title game. Once skeptical of the craft, George Makridis has followed the same path to Columbus, where the redshirt sophomore snaps balls on two Buckeyes special-teams units.

George Makridis, 20, hopes to be snapping for more extra points than punts today as the Buckeyes look to rebound against Colorado at Ohio Stadium.

"I am so proud of those boys," said their father, Nick. "I came from Greece, I couldn't speak English and learned to play the game by watching the snap of the ball. . . . I taught my boys to respect the game, play by the rules and finish what you start. To see them both play for Ohio State has been something."

The Makridises aren't as well known as the Mannings, Barbers, Golics or Browners -- and they prefer to keep it that way. The paradox of the position is that the more success a long snapper enjoys, the more anonymous he becomes.

All it takes is one split second of imperfection, however, to go from obscurity to a 24-hour cycle of replays on every ESPN platform.

"I've told people the last thing you want to become as a long snapper is famous," George Makridis said.

His older brother was a starting linebacker for Warren G. Harding High School and agreed to long snap for the benefit of the team.

Dimitrios helped the Raiders reach the Division I state title game in 2002, attracting interest from Big Ten and Ivy League schools and scholarship offers from Mid-American Conference teams. He never took a visit anywhere except to OSU, where his Harding teammate, Maurice Clarett, had won an NCAA title.

"It's like he had 32 girlfriends and he wanted to be with the one who didn't have as much interest in him," his father said, laughing.

Dimitrios played some scout-team linebacker for the Buckeyes until, one day, former coach Jim Tressel pulled him aside.

"Coach told me, 'I appreciate your heart, but you're a long snapper,' " Dimitrios said.

Few coaches value the importance of the punt more than Tressel. Dimitrios never had a miscue in a regular-season game, but he believes a poor showing in the 2005 Ohio State spring game cost him playing time until his senior season.

While the position lacks glamour it affords athletes who might not be the biggest or fastest to play major college football and beyond. Jake McQuaide, the Buckeyes' long snapper from last season, is playing for the St. Louis Rams at 6-2, 219 pounds.

George Makridis (6-2, 230) wouldn't have gotten a look from OSU as an offensive lineman. Like his brother, he arrived at OSU as a walk-on, wears No. 56 and has worked his way into the lineup.

He shed 25 pounds in the off-season and beat out freshman Bryce Haynes, one of the nation's top long-snapping recruits. He said the presence of Haynes, a scholarship athlete, has forced him to elevate his play.

"[The Makridis brothers] both worked hard at it," said Buckeyes running backs coach Dick Tressel, who also assists with the special teams. "That was the key. For George, it was a rocky road, but he kept making up more ground."

OSU punter Ben Buchanan and kicker Drew Basil appreciate their long snapper's perspective and humor. Their roles are technical and stressful, and he tries to lighten the mood whenever possible.

George sometimes cracks jokes in Greek as he and Buchanan, who is half Greek, trot onto the field.

"I couldn't repeat them -- my father would kill me," George said.

The brothers see each other often, as Dimitrios attends law school at Capital University in Columbus and works in the City Prosecutor's Office. He still trains with former OSU punter A.J. Trapasso and said he might make a run at an NFL tryout after finishing his studies next year.

For now, Dimitrios enjoys slipping into his scarlet No. 56 jersey on fall Saturdays and joining his parents at the Horseshoe. Together, they watch a long-snapping family tradition born in a backyard a decade ago.

Plain Dealer reporter Doug Lesmerises contributed to this story.

Garters on the gridiron, better known as the Lingerie Football League, brings its seductive blitz to The Q on Friday night. But in typical Cleveland fashion, the home team blows a 13-point lead and loses, 20-19.

Garters on the gridiron, better known as the Lingerie Football League, brought its seductive blitz to The Q on Friday night.

"Girls and football -- could you ask for more?" wondered Jeff Dotson of Chardon, who arrived early with three Lincoln Electric coworkers.

The Cleveland Crush blew a 13-0 halftime lead, dropping its first game of its inaugural season, 20-19, to the Baltimore Charm (1-1).

Quarterback/defensive back Abbie Sullivan accounted for all three Crush touchdowns, throwing for two and returning an interception from her own end zone for another.

"It was a nice game," said Harry Chappelle of East Cleveland. "I'm kind of upset the way it ended. Almost like a typical Cleveland team."

The game was broadcast live on MTV2, which dictated a 10 p.m. start.

Former Browns Bob Golic and Hanford Dixon have lent their names and football credibility to the local venture but are neither investors nor coaches.

"The lingerie gets people in the door," Golic said.

Once inside, he promised at media day earlier this week, fans would see hard-hitting, seven-on-seven football.

View full sizePDBaltimore receiver Kyle Dehaven splits Crush defenders Tamara Fennell, left, and Abbie Sullivan for a touchdown reception.

Fans chanted "De-fense, de-fense" and oohed and ahhed when the Crush did some crushing early. Cleveland took a 13-0 lead on Sullivan's 10-yard touchdown pass and interception return just before halftime.

"I like it," said Winston Walker of Cleveland Heights. "I'm impressed how hard they're hittin'."

Mike Kent of Euclid said, "They're hitting harder than I thought."

The lingerie game -- big shocker -- is a highly choreographed production. Not the outcome, like pro wrestling, but the staging, special effects, the noise -- like pretty much every other pro sporting event these days.

Producers even set up a "Crush Pound," an area behind an end zone with a full bar, tables and chairs.

The teams are owned by the league, which rents The Q and venues in the other cities for games.

The league has Cleveland's Marija Condric, nicknamed "Enforcer," wearing No. 40, like Browns bulldozer Hillis. She ripped through holes like him, too.

The league also inspects the players pregame to make sure tattoos are covered and they're otherwise primetime presentable before they can take the field.

Promoters were hoping for 3,000 to 5,000 fans. They got about 2,000, according to security. Probably 80 percent -- big shocker -- were men.

The Crush roster consists of 20 players, 14 of whom "dress" for games.

Dress, as in orange and brown bras, panties and garters, with white hockey helmets with clear plastic facemasks. The Charm wore Baltimore Ravens black and purple.

The players don't get paid, although they might get something from ticket and merchandise sales. "If we do, it would be a surprise," said Crush quarterback Sullivan, a Canton restaurant server.

And, like a traveling MTV rock show, merchandise was displayed in a temporary team concourse shop -- $45 hoodies and $20 T-shirts and tank tops with such catchy phrases as "LFL True Fantasy Football," and "Finally, A Tight End I Can Get Behind."

The Crush next play at home Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. against the Philadelphia Passion.

The Indians celebrated Jim Thome's membership in the 600-homer club with a pregame ceremony Friday. Story includes video of Jim Thome's interview before the ceremony. Watch video

The Indians celebrated Jim Thome's membership in the 600-homer club with a pregame ceremony Friday.

In addition to Thome's family and friends, others in attendance included former Indians manager Mike Hargrove and former teammates Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Paul Sorrento and Chad Ogea.

Radio play-by-play voice Tom Hamilton, the master of ceremonies, told the crowd that a statue of Thome will be built and placed near the spot where his 511-foot homer landed July 3, 1999. The homer, off Kansas City's Don Wengert, bounced out of the ballpark and onto Eagle Avenue. The statue will be of Thome in familiar pose before the pitcher begins his delivery, the bat pointing toward the mound.

Thome, along with most in the building, was stunned. "I mean, that's surreal," he said in the postgame clubhouse. "A statue -- that's as good as it gets. I'm speechless."

In a meeting with reporters before the festivities, Thome, 41, maintained he has not made a decision on whether this season, his 21st, will be his last.

The capacity crowd at Progressive Field cheers as Cleveland Indians' Jim Thome hits his 604th career home run Friday against the Twins. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer)

"I'm not leaning one way or another," he said. "I try not to get ahead of myself. You don't want to just throw the "r" word out there."

Thome still loves the game, but it has become increasingly difficult for him physically to prepare to play, especially with his back troubles.

If Thome could give one piece of advice to hitters who want so badly to go deep, it would be something simple that his mentor, Charlie Manuel, told him long ago:

"If you try to hit homers, they don't happen," he said.

Listen live tonight as the Lake Catholic Cougars take on the Walsh Jesuit Warriors from Jerome T. Osborne Stadium in Mentor.

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerWalsh takes on Lake Catholic in this week's cleveland.com High School Football Game of the Week.

Listen live tonight as the Lake Catholic Cougars take on the Walsh Jesuit Warriors from Jerome T. Osborne Stadium in Mentor.

Get updates from Progressive Field today as the Indians play two against Minnesota.

View full sizeAP Photo | Nam Y. HuhDavid Huff.

David Huff faces Scott Diamond in Game 1. Mitch Talbot returns to face Francisco Liriano in Game 2. Game 1 starts at 1:05 p.m. and Game 2's first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Get updates on Twitter from @hoynsie and @dmansworldpd in the box below.

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NBA's top pick is working out with no restrictions, eager to see the lockout resolved

Kyrie Irving, the NBA's top draft pick, says he feels "150 percent" even as doctors tell him his right foot won't totally heal for three more months.

Lefty David Huff starts the first game of today's day-night doubleheader against the Twins.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians and Twins play a day-night doubleheader today at Progressive Field. Here are the lineups for the first game.

Twins (60-96): CF Denard Span (L), LF Ben Revere (L), DH Michael Cuddyer (R), 1B Chris Parmelee (L), 3B Danny Valencia (R), SS Trevor Plouffe (R), 3B Luke Hughes (R), RF Joe Benson (R), C Rene Rivera (R) and LHP Brian Duensing (9-14, 5.29).

Indians (78-78): SS Jason Donald (R), 2B Jason Kipnis (L),C Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), LF Shelley Duncan (R), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 3B Jack Hannahan (R), CF Trevor Crowe (S), RF Ezequiel Carrera (L), LHP David Huff (2-6, 4.20).

Umpires: H Andy Fletcher, 1B Mark Lollo, 2B Jim Reynolds, 3B Al Porter.  

Him vs. me: Span is 6-for-15 against Huff. Crowe is 3-for-3 against Duensing.   

Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .277 (13-for-47) with one homer and righties .269 (34-for-135) with five homers against Huff.

Lefties are hitting .218 (36-for-165) with one homer and righties .333 (154-for-462) with 20 homers off Duensing.

Next: The Indians play their final home game of the season on Sunday Fausto Carmona facing Twins right-hander Liam Hendriks at 1:05 p.m. Carmona opened the season on April 1 at Progressive Field. Hopefully, he doesn't end it the same way.

On April 1, Carmona allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in three innings against the White Sox. Chicago went on to a 15-10 victory.

The Indians have won six of their last eight games to post a winning record (79-78) for first time since Sept. 6.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians scored six runs in the sixth inning Saturday to beat the Twins, 8-2, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Progressive Field. The victory made the Indians 79-78, the first time they've had a winning record since Sept. 6.

Rookie reliever Zach Putnam (1-1) worked 1 1/3 innings for his first big-league victory. Veteran Nelson Liriano (9-10) took the loss.

The Indians have won three straight and seven of their last nine. The Twins have lost 15 of their last 17 games. Shelley Duncan led the offense with a two-run double and a sacrifice fly.

Liriano started the sixth and allowed five runs on two hits while recording one out. He walked the first two batters he faced and hit Travis Hafner to load the bases. Duncan's sacrifice fly gave the Indians the lead and ignited the inning.

A double by Matt LaPorta and a bloop single by Jack Hannahan made it 5-2. Jim Hoey relieved, but the inning kept rolling. Kosuke Fukudome singled home a run before Ezequiel Carrera struck out for the second out.

Jason Donald singled to reload the bases and Jason Kipnis singled to center to score Hannahan and Fukudome for a 8-2 lead.

The Twins, trailing 2-0, worked their way back into the game to tie the score, 2-2, in the top of the sixth. Trevor Plouffe doubled home Danny Valencia off David Huff to tie the score.

Minnesota's first run came in the fourth when Valencia scored on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Huff, struck out a career-high seven batters, didn't make it out of the sixth. After Plouffe's double, he retired Luke Hughes on a fly ball to left and was replaced by  Zach Putnam. The rookie right-hander struck out Joe Benson to end the inning.

Huff allowed two runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He threw 101 pitches and struck out a career-high seven.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first against lefty Brian Duensing.

Kipnis started the rally with a one-out single. Carlos Santana lined out to right field, but Hafner kept the inning going with a sharp single to center as Kipnis went from first to third just ahead of center fielder Denard Span's throw.

Duncan followed with a double to left center field. Duncan has 17 RBI in September.

Huff kept the Twins under control for the most part through three innings. Revere doubled with one out in the first as Trevor Crowe came up empty on a diving attempt. Huff retired the next two batters to get out of the inning, but Crowe left the game after the first with a strained left shoulder.

Fukudome came off the bench to play right field. Carrera moved from right to center to replace Crowe. The switch-hitting Crowe missed most of this season following surgery on his right shoulder.

Indians pitchers struck out 13 batters.

Get updates from the 'Shoe as the Buckeyes take on the Buffaloes today at 3:30 p.m.

View full sizeMarvin Fong | The Plain DealerBraxton Miller gets the call at quarterback this week for the Buckeyes.

Can Ohio State bounce back with Braxton Miller at quarterback? Get updates on Twitter from Doug Lesmerises @PDBuckeyes and Bill Livinigston @LivyPD in the box below. Kickoff is at noon.

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Acta announced late Friday night that Masterson's spot in the rotation for the season finale Wednesday in Detroit will be filled by Zach McAllister.

View full sizeAssociated PressCleveland Indians' Justin Masterson pitches against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game on Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in Cleveland.

Justin Masterson took care of his manager, Manny Acta, for six months.

So Acta took care of Masterson in the season's final days.

Acta announced late Friday night that Masterson's spot in the rotation for the season finale Wednesday in Detroit will be filled by Zach McAllister.

"Bat" Masterson can feel free to relax and enjoy time with teammates, card games qualifying as the most pressure-filled moments.

Masterson's second full season as a starter wrapped at 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 appearances (33 starts) covering 216 innings. His final start came Friday, when he struggled through 4 innings of a no-decision in the Tribe's 6-5 victory over Minnesota at Progressive Field.

The only time Masterson will have missed a turn is Wednesday -- and that one does not really count. If the Indians had needed Masterson for the start in Detroit, Acta would have gone with him. They don't, so Acta won't.

If anyone earned a head start on the off-season, Masterson is he. An award is not given to the starter who works the most high-leverage innings, but if it were, Masterson would be a leading candidate.

Masterson's victory total is relatively low, especially for someone who tied for a club lead (with Josh Tomlin), in large part because run support was lacking. The Indians scored two runs or fewer in 11 of his starts, one run or fewer in seven, and averaged 4.1 runs for the 33.

In only 19 of the 216 innings did Masterson pitch with a lead of three-plus runs. He went 5-0 in the games in which it happened.    

Masterson had a no-decision or loss in 12 starts in which he pitched at least six innings and gave up two or fewer earned runs. During one three-start stretch in July, he went 0-1 despite having allowed three earned in 22 innings.

"He's had to battle so hard because he's pitched in a lot of close games," Acta said. "He's been tremendous for us. Usually in a 162-game season, you can pinpoint stretches where a pitcher struggles. Not with Justin. He never hit a rough spot of more than one start."

Masterson pitched into the sixth inning in 28 starts. He logged seven-plus innings 15 times.

"It's been a fun year, team-wise and individually," Masterson said. "We wanted to win the division, no doubt, but we fought hard and never gave in. We took it into September, so it gives us a good taste heading into next season. My goals were to take the ball every five days and consistently give the team a chance to win, and I was able to do that."

Masterson will lead the Tribe in innings by plenty; second-place Fausto Carmona has 1821/3 heading into his final start Sunday.

By season's end, Masterson will rank in the top 20 in the American League in ERA, innings, average by right-handed hitters and ground ball/fly ball ratio.

The Thomenator: The Indians' clubhouse Saturday morning remained abuzz over Jim Thome's performance Friday. On Jim Thome Night at Progressive Field, the man himself went 3-for-4 with an infield single, double and 425-foot homer.

"Straight out of 'The Natural,' " Masterson said. "Ol' Roy Hobbs."

Infielder Jason Donald, watching from the bench, did not want it to end.

"Chills," he said. "You can't script it much better than that. To tell the truth, though, it shouldn't surprise anybody."

Thome's homer, a two-run shot off Carl Pavano in the third inning, sailed high over the wall in center field. It followed a similar flight path as his 511-foot homer off Kansas City's Don Wengert on July 3, 1999. In the pregame ceremony Friday, the Indians announced plans to erect a Thome statue near the spot where the 511-footer landed.

The blast off Wengert is the longest measured homer by an Indian in Cleveland. The ball bounced onto Eagle Avenue.

"You hear people talk about the 511-foot homer and where it ended up," Donald said. "Then you see Jim Thome, on his night, hit one in the same area. You're like, 'Did this just happen?' It was awesome."

Thome, 41, entered Saturday in eighth place on the all-time homers list with 604, five behind seventh-place Sammy Sosa. His three RBI on Friday gave him 1,673, three back of No. 25 Gary Sheffield.

"Jim hasn't lost too much from his younger days," Donald said. "He's an animal."

Pronk files: Travis Hafner went 1-for-3 with two runs in the first game of the doubleheader Saturday, giving him 1,001 career hits.

Hafner made his big-league debut with the Rangers on Aug. 6, 2002, and struck out. The next day, he hit an RBI triple off lefty Mark Redman. Hafner downplayed his wheels at that moment.

"It hit off the wall in left-center and kicked away from the center fielder," he said.

Hafner's first homer was Aug. 11, 2002, in Cleveland. It came off Jason Phillips as part of a 4-for-5 performance that included two doubles. The homer remains Hafner's only one as a Ranger; the Indians acquired him in December 2002.

Because of injuries, Hafner has needed 10 years to get his 1KH. When he talks about his career, he never mentions the words "what might have been" or "regret."

"I think regret only applies in situations where you say, 'If only I had worked harder,' " he said. "I can honestly stand here and say that I've worked as hard as I possibly can. I have put myself in the best possible position to succeed."

'We know the power's there for Carlos,' Indians manager Manny Acta said. 'His power doesn't surprise me. He projects to be a 25-30 homer guy on a yearly basis.'

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerCleveland Indians Carlos Santana connects on a first pitch walk-off home run in the 9th inning to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 on Sept. 23, 2011 at Progressive Field.

Indians catcher Carlos Santana, about to finish his first full season in the majors, entered Saturday with 27 homers. He was tied with much more celebrated American League sluggers Miguel Cabrera (Detroit), Adrian Gonzalez (Boston) and Robinson Cano (Yankees).

Cano beat Gonzalez in the final of the 2011 Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.

"We know the power's there for Carlos," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "His power doesn't surprise me. He projects to be a 25-30 homer guy on a yearly basis."

Only two switch-hitters had more homers than Santana: Mark Teixeira of the Yankees (37) and Lance Berkman of the Cardinals (31).

Santana made sure the Tribe could fully enjoy Jim Thome Night on Friday. He led off the ninth inning by parking a first-pitch fastball from Twins reliever Matt Capps over the wall in right-center for a 6-5 victory. It was Santana's second walk-off homer and the seventh by the Tribe this season --tied with Tampa Bay for most in majors.

Santana pinch hit for Lou Marson. The Indians had not delivered a pinch-hit walk-off homer since Kelly Shoppach against the Athletics on June 26, 2007.

Acta said Thome called Santana's shot while standing next to him in the dugout.

When Thome was informed Saturday morning of the seven Tribe walk-offs, he immediately wanted to know how many the 1995 team hit. The answer is nine: Albert Belle (three), Manny Ramirez (two), Eddie Murray, Paul Sorrento, Sandy Alomar Jr. and Thome.

Stat of the day: Indians rookie Vinnie Pestano entered Saturday ranked fifth among American League relievers with 80 strikeouts (in 60 innings).

Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed tackles questions from readers in regard to the Cavs and the NBA.

View full sizeWilfredo Lee, Associated PressShaquille O'Neal, left, was nearly impossible to stop if he decided to back a defender like Zydrunas Ilgauskas toward the hoop. One reader has a rather radical idea to slow this down.

Q: Hey, Tom: Derek Fisher is trying to sell the players on the notion that the owners group is badly divided, and if the players just hold on, the big-market owners will drive the NBA to make a deal to the players' liking. David Stern is saying that the owners are firmly behind a hard cap and the difference lies in minor wrinkles of the application. Where do you see the truth in this actually being? I've read that even [Lakers owner Jerry] Buss is backing a hard cap. -- J Smith, Rocky River

A: Hey, J: Any time you have a group of 30 owners representing such disparate markets, you are going to have some differences. There's no way ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks look at the situation exactly the same. I think the owners are generally united, but that could change once regular-season games are missed.

Q: Hey, Tom: With the holdout being the only thing going on in the NBA right now, I thought I'd try to offer a refreshing change of subject.

Basketball is a beautiful sport because it possesses several very difficult athletic skills -- dribbling, shooting, passing, jumping, running, diving, defending, rebounding. Unfortunately, there's also one important asset that I see as boring, and not much of a skill at all. I would like to offer a simple rule change that would eliminate having to watch a guy slowly back his way toward the hoop.

My idea is simply to make it a traveling violation to progress backward toward the hoop if you are being checked. Basically, you would no longer be allowed to "plow" a defender toward the hoop. Let's force teams that want to get the ball closer to the hoop to do so with skillful passing and dribbling. Not by just dumping the ball into the guy who is bigger than his defender. There's so much pushing and shoving going on in a sport that was initially designed to be a no-contact sport, I think it would be OK to take away a little of it. Let's force the big fella to do something that requires some real coordination (like going around the defender, shooting over him, or performing a little give-and-go). I ask you: Which is more exciting to watch? If you say, "plowing" I think you're just being resistant to change.

I've done a lot of officiating. As things are, it's so difficult for the ref. He can't call charging, because the guy is going so slow. But he almost has to call a foul, because there's so much contact going on. It was painful watching poor Andy Varejao try to stop [Dwight] Howard in the post a few years ago. If Andy pushed hard enough to stop him, a foul was called. If he didn't, Howard just kept backing in until he could jump up and slam it. That's not the way the game was designed to be played. -- Dave Slavick, Eastlake

A: Hey, Dave: One of the interesting facets of the 2004-05 NHL lockout is the game emerged not only with a new financial structure, but stricter rules interpretations curbing restraining fouls. There is always going to be contact in basketball. The traveling violation idea seems a tad radical, but perhaps referees could call more offensive fouls on guys backing in on defenders.

Q: Hey, Tom: If there is no NBA season this year, will the Cavs get the first and sixth picks in the 2012 draft? -- Michael Barnauskas, Columbus

A: Hey, Michael: Ah, the million-dollar question. The NBA hasn't made a decision. The NHL established a lottery for the Sidney Crosby sweepstakes in 2005. Teams were assigned one to three pingpong balls based on their playoff appearances and first overall draft picks from the previous three years. Perhaps, NBA Commissioner David Stern will borrow from his old pal and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Q: Hey, Tom: Do you think there is a chance the Cavs could trade Antawn Jamison and his massive expiring contract before the season begins? It seems like the Cavs could get a decent return if they are once again willing to absorb a big contract. -- Brian Falb, Dublin, Ohio.

A: Hey, Brian: One idea reportedly gaining traction in the labor talks is an "amnesty" clause allowing teams to release a player by paying him, but not having the total count against the salary cap. If the Cavs theoretically went this route, Antawn Jamison or Baron Davis could be candidates.

Q: Hey, Tom: The Cavs roster is overstocked with players. Who will most likely need to go? Who will make up the top 10? -- Rick Shoemaker, New Carlisle, Ohio

A: Hey, Rick: It's my first week, and I'm already ducking a question. It's so hard to predict what will happen once the game returns and free agency commences. Assuming everyone is still on the roster and healthy, here is a projected top 10 in no order: Baron Davis, Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thomson, Omri Casspi, Daniel Gibson, Christian Eyenga, Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins. Don't forget Anthony Parker is a free agent, but the feeling is the Cavs would like to re-sign him.

Q: Hey, Tom: How well do you think Kyrie Irving will do if there is a season, and will he go above expectations? -- Dave Martin, Tampa, Fla.

A: Hey, Dave: I think Irving will have a solid season. He's healthy, and he has a proven guard in Baron Davis, who should help him, and a coach in Byron Scott who has a track record of developing guards.

Q: Hey, Tom: Wouldn't it be best for the Cavs if we just skip the whole season so we will be in line to get high draft choices one more time next year? I don't really like the NBA outside of the Cavs, and I have no interest at all in the good of the league . . . rather, I just care about the Cavs and their fan base. -- Mark Rhodes, Chapel Hill, N.C.

A: Hey, Mark: Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I think it's important that Kyrie Irving (19) and Tristan Thompson (20) play basketball this season. Remember, Irving played just 11 games last season. Plus, we're not sure what the draft format is if the season is canceled.

Q: Hey, Tom: Has any progress been made on getting a name for the Cavs' D-league team? Inquiring minds would like to know! -- Chuck Slone, Louisville, Ky.

A: Hey, Chuck: Not that I'm aware. They are close to naming a coach, however.

Q: Hey, Tom: If the season is interrupted, what happens with the usual midseason trade deadline? Will it be abolished for this season? -- Victor Hill, Indianapolis

A: Hey, Victor: Hard to tell. It would depend on how many games were lost to the lockout.

Q: Hey, Tom: What is the health status of Antawn Jamison, Semih Erden and Anderson Varejao? -- Patrick Greenlee, Fairfax, Va.

A: Hey, Patrick: Agents for Erden and Varejao say their clients will be ready for the season. Have not heard any updates on Jamison.

Q: Hey, Tom: If this season is ever played, how do you see the Cavs creating roster space for their two new rookies? -- J Smith, Rocky River

A: Hey, J: When a franchise has the first- and fourth-overall picks, they will make room. It will be interesting to see how Byron Scott uses Baron Davis and Kyrie Irving.

Q: Hey, Tom: It seems that not many people really notice or care that the NBA is locked out. It definitely does not get the coverage the NFL lockout did. Is the sentiment the same in Cleveland because the Browns are 1-1 and the Indians, although out of contention, are still playing? -- Dave Zsembik, Orlando, Fla.

A: Hey, Dave: I don't think the apathy is confined to Cleveland. Part of it is the predictability factor. The public was told the season wouldn't start on time, and it's looking like that will be the case. Part of it is football remains America's game. No league is even a close second (sorry, baseball lovers). And part of it is there's a strong belief the league requires fundamental change. The NBA is rivaling the English Premier League in predictability. There are only four or five teams with a legitimate shot at winning before the season even starts. Since 1980, there have been nine NBA champions compared with 18 in Major League Baseball.

-- Tom

Miller hit fellow freshman Devin Smith for two touchdowns.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller looks to stiff arm Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Ray Polk in the second quarter of the Sept. 24, 2011 game.

COLUMBUS - Ohio State won Braxton Miller's debut as a starting quarterback, handling an overmatched Colorado team 37-17 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.

The Buckeyes leaned on Miller's legs early, as he carried 14 times for 83 yards in the first half while completing 2 of 6 passes. But that was enough to give Ohio State (3-1) a 20-7 halftime lead, and the Buckeyes added to the lead while limiting Miller's carries in the second half.

It was obvious that Ohio State was trying out some things offensively after a quarrterback switch followed last week's 24-6 loss at Miami. The Buckeyes shuffled personnel and offensive formations, including using all of their healthy receivers throughout the win.

Ohio State also won the special teams battle, with a 90-yard Jordan Hall kickoff return setting up a third-quarter touchdown, and a fumbled punt by Colorado (1-3) leading to a field goal at the end of the first half.

The Buckeyes will open Big Ten play against Michigan State next week, and their offense must continue to evolve. A gameplan with so many runs by the quarterback, and so few completions, won't hold up during conference play.

 But for this day, in Miller's first start, it was an effective way to ease in the freshman and use his skills. Miller showed his shiftiness as a runner and also made two very nice touchdown throws to fellow true freshman Devin Smith.