Sports from The Plain Dealer

• BROWNS WEEK 11: BY THE NUMBERS
Some numbers that pertain to the Browns' 24-20 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday and to their season through Week 11:

• Cleveland finalist for nationals
Cleveland didn't succeed in conquering the world, so now it's turning to the nation.

• Knight-time stories - faults and false
They say that Bob Knight is an angry man. I say that Bob Knight is an anguished man who, on several hundred occasions, has shown anger. Either way, Knight, 66, is about to surpass Dean Smith's 879 victories to become the winningest college basketball coach in history.

• NBA
%%head%%WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE CAVALIERS%%endhead%%

• No. 4 Buckeyes balanced in bouncing San Francisco
Columbus- Mike Conley Jr. and Jamar Butler combined for 16 assists with just two turnovers, and Daequan Cook added 20 points off the bench to lead No. 4 Ohio State past San Francisco, 82-60, in men's college basketball Monday night.

• No. 8 Crimson Tide turns away Xavier
Mykal Riley had 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to rally No. 8 Alabama past Xavier, 63-56, in the championship game of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Monday night in Charlotte Amalie.

• Owls make rare visit to Kent
Lost in Kent State's sudden football uprising is arguably the biggest non-conference basketball game in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center since Keith Lee and Memphis State played at Kent back in 1984.

• Sikes earns All-American
Wake Forest senior Michelle Sikes completed a remarkable weekend on Monday when she finished 15th overall to earn All-American honors in the NCAA Division I national cross country championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Sikes ran 21:09 on the 6-kilometer course in muddy conditions. The top 25 individuals are recognized as All-Americans.

• Sikes earns All-American and Rhodes Scholar honors
Wake Forest senior Michelle Sikes completed a remarkable weekend on Monday when she finished 15th overall to earn All-American honors in the NCAA Division I national cross country championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Sikes ran 21:09 on the 6-kilometer course in muddy conditions. The top 25 individuals are recognized as All-Americans.

• Smith earns honor for record fifth time
Columbus- No one in the Big Ten has been as good as often as Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith was this season. The Buckeyes senior from Glenville High on Monday was named the conference's offensive player of the week for a record-breaking fifth time.

• Thistledown schedule agreed upon
With horsemen offering grudging approval, Thistledown is preparing to run 136 days next season, its lightest schedule in 40 years. It probably will open in late April and race until mid-November.

• Cleveland Browns face Bears Sunday, a team off to a disappointing start
Chicago Bears fans thought all their team needed was a blue-chip quarterback to return to the Super Bowl this year.

• Cleveland Heights awaits judge's ruling on disputed forfeits
Representatives for Cleveland Heights' football team were in court Tuesday with the Ohio High School Athletic Association seeking an injunction to overturn three forfeits.

• Cleveland Cavaliers, Antonio Daniels may soon come together
Antonio Daniels cleared waivers Tuesday. Whether or not his next stop lands him in a Cavaliers uniform should be known soon.

• Dreams of fans come in size XL
Almost two hours before tipoff, LeBron James left the court at The Q. Perspiration ran in rivulets down his face and glistened on his arms and torso. He had been working on all the things perfectionism drove him to improve - "block" (low post) and "elbow" (free-throw line extended) shots, free throws, and the creation of an attitude appropriate to the XL season at hand.

• hed goes here pleaseToday %%bodybegin%%What: Cavaliers at Raptors. When: 7 p.m. Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto. TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio, WTAM AM/1100.
What: Cavaliers at Raptors.

• Indians stars end up playing in the Series - with other teams
The Cleveland Indians are the real champions we will get to watch in the World Series, but sadly they will not be in their Cleveland Indians uniforms.

• Line getting straightened out
Columbus- Gone, or nearly gone, were the plays that collapsed before they started, the missed assignments that never gave the offense a chance. Ohio State started its fourth different offensive line in eight games against Minnesota on Saturday, and things got better. This looks like the one that will have to hold up against Penn State and Iowa, the teams that along with the Buckeyes feature the three best defenses in the Big Ten.

• LOSS ONLY DELAYS FUN
Repeat after me: It's only one game.

• Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James scores 38 in loss to Boston Celtics
The new-look Cavaliers are still stuck in shrink wrap.

• New faces, old habits, one loss
The new-look Cavaliers are still stuck in shrink wrap.

• NEWSWATCH%%head%%STABLE
VOICES

• Pioneer owner Powell inducted into Hall
Bill Powell, a man courageous and insightful enough to design, build, own and operate a golf course in the face of racial barriers, was one of three men inducted into the North ern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame on Monday at the organization's annual banquet at Westfield Country Club.

• Ohio State Buckeyes' Terrelle Pryor building teammates' respect through words
Columbus- When Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor told reporters last week he believed he was going to relax more and change how he handled himself, he was only repeating what he'd already said to his teammates in a rare moment during a meeting of the offense.

• Shaq says Cavs will figure it out
It was not exactly the debut Shaquille O'Neal hoped for.

• Sports Briefs
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTHASSOCIATED PRESSSerena Williams returns a shot during her victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar.

• This game will be a pain for Indians fans to watch
They will be watching from Puerto Rico and Cleveland, from Texas to Virginia and a lot of places in between and beyond.

• TONY GROSSI SCOUTS THE BEARS
Under coordinator Dave Toub, a disciple of John Harbaugh when at Philadelphia, the Bears' special teams have consistently ranked in the top 10. The coverage units in particular have taken a hit because of the linebacker injuries. But the return tandem of Devin Hester (12.9 average on punts) and Johnny Knox (29.0 on kickoffs and one TD) are outstanding. Kicker Robbie Gould is 7-for-8 on field goals with a long of 52 and has three touchbacks. Punter Brad Maynard is 24th in gross average (42.3 yards) and 15th in net (38.6).

• Video declares it's Our Time'
Shaquille O'Neal waded into an inflatable kiddie pool and allowed water to be poured over his head to simulate emergence from a lake. Daniel Gibson watched his arms be plastered so dust and debris would fly more distinctly when he smashed them together.

• Acta lands in a great spot for him to look good
%%head%%SCRIBBLES IN MY NOTEBOOK AS THE INDIANS HIRE MANNY ACTA AS MANAGER . . .%%endhead%%

• Almost unseated, now undefeated
Not bad for a guy who almost got canned last winter.

• A-Rod finally is the man in New York, for now
"Pretty incredible," Rodriguez said after the Yankees booked their 40th trip to the World Series and his first with a 5-2 win Sunday night over the Los Angeles Angels, "especially with all the stuff I've been through this year."

• Chiefs runner reportedly uses slur, belittles coach
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson used a gay slur for the second time in as many days Monday, the Kansas City Star reported on its Web site.

• CONTACT US
The Sports Department welcomes news tips, suggestions for articles, expressions of concern, comments and even complaints.

• FOUR THINGS I THINK ABOUT THE INDIANS SIGNING MANNY ACTA
1. Regardless of the won-loss record, Manny Acta's life with GM Mark Shapiro is going to be a lot more pleasant, and hopefully more productive, than it was under former Na tionals GM Jim Bowden.

• GRIDIRON HERO WEEK 8
Who is Northeast Ohio's best high school football player? You make the call every week in The Plain Dealer's season-long contest at cleveland.com/hssports. Vote until 5 p.m. Thursday. Each week, the player with the fewest votes is eliminated from the contest. We'll announce the results in Friday's Locker Room.

• HEY, DOUG! Your Ohio State questions answered
Got an Ohio State question? Send it in. Submit your question to cleveland. com/heydoug, and Plain Dealer Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises will choose at least one to answer each Tuesday here in the Sports section. All of Doug's answers are archived online.

• Indians under Acta remain a long shot
Manny Acta, the Indians' new manager, says he knows he is not a big shot. He also politely wondered what caliber of reputation Joe Torre had when he began managing three decades ago with the New York Mets.

• Jackson, Eagles roll past Redskins
Landover, Md.- Washington Redskins offensive consultant Sherm Lewis, recently lured out of retirement, might want to go back to bingo. Or, better yet, he might want to ap ply for a job as the Philadelphia Eagles' play-caller - it's a much easier job with someone such as DeSean Jackson on your side.

• Mangini sticking with Anderson
Despite Derek Anderson's abysmal numbers that would get most quarterbacks benched, Browns coach Eric Mangini is sticking with him over Brady Quinn.

• Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini says they could have used wildcat formation more vs. Packers
Coach Eric Mangini said he would have liked to have seen more of the wildcat against the Green Bay Packers during Sunday's 31-3 home loss.

• McGwire back in baseball as Cards hitting coach
St. Louis- Mark McGwire is back in baseball, reunited with Tony La Russa as the St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach.

• New manager Acta all the way in' for Indians' rebuilding challenge
The Indians took their first serious step toward Opening Day 2010 by introducing new manager Manny Acta to Cleveland on Monday afternoon at Progressive Field. They came to terms late Saturday night.

• NEWSWATCH%%head%%STABLE
VOICES

• NHL REPORT
Gaborik scores 2

• Opening night's here, and Cavs could use more rehearsal time
Opening day in the NBA has arrived, the start of the most hyped season in Cavaliers history against one of their biggest rivals on national television in the kickoff game of the entire league.

• PD TOP 25 FOOTBALL POLL
Records through Sunday.

• Cavaliers give embattled Cleveland fans something to cheer about, says Terry Pluto
Bring on the Cavaliers.

• Cavaliers give embattled Cleveland fans something to cheer about, says Terry Pluto
B

• St. Ignatius 5th in nation
Defending Division I state champion St. Ignatius remained fifth in the National Top 25 Prep Poll after Saturday's 30-21 victory over visiting Cincinnati St. Xavier, but Cincinnati Moeller moved up from 25th to 15th after its 40-10 win over St. Edward.

• West's availability for tonight's game remains in limbo
Since the first day of training camp, the Cavaliers have been living in a gray area with the status of Delonte West, their valuable but troubled guard.

• W. Mich. brings elite QB to Kent State on Saturday
Will Western Michigan senior quarterback Tim Hiller throw all over Kent State's defense this Saturday?

• Yankees cash in yet again with World Series return
New York -- Alex Rodriguez was in the middle of every playoff rally for the New York Yankees. And once his first trip to the World Series was secured, he was at the center of the celebration, too.

• YOUR SPACE Snapshot of the week
LINDSAY FRUMKERSPECIAL TO THE PLAIN DEALERMayfield High School girls soccer players line up before their sectional tournament match against Brush last week. Mayfield won, 1-0.

• Browns take their medicine
Side effects of the flu medicine taken by the Browns during the week may include abdominal pain, asthma, bronchitis, cough, diarrhea, ear infection, fatigue, headache, insomnia, nausea, nosebleed, vertigo and vomiting. Very similar to the side effects of watching the Browns lose to the Green Bay Packers, 31-3, with the exception of the insomnia.

• Acta's choice: The Indians
Manny Acta was asked the question last week in Cleveland at the end of a seven-hour in terview with GM Mark Sha piro and the rest of the Indi ans front office. What would he do if the Indians and Astros offered him a chance to be their manager at the same time?

• Big-money Yanks advance to Series
New York - Alex Rodriguez, welcome to the World Series. The New York Yankees are back in baseball's big event.

• Cincinnati clobbers Chicago
Bengals 45, Bears 10

• Dennis Manoloff breaks down the key moments
FIRST QUARTER

• For Wright, it was a blessing for him just being able to play
No one would've blamed Eric Wright if he had to sit this one out.

• Hamlin holds off Johnson in race, but not in Chase
Martinsville, Va. -- Just think, if Denny Hamlin was as prophetic about who would win the Chase for the Sprint Cup as he has been about his race wins, NASCAR could call an early end to the season.

• Idea that Browns could improve against run was rush to judgment
1. One area where I thought the Browns would improve would be against the run. I thought wrong. Oh, did I ever think wrong. Green Bay rushed for 202 yards against the Browns, with Ryan Grant (148 yards) having his first 100-yard game. He did it with the Packers having two starting offensive linemen hurt. He did it despite the fact it seemed the Browns didn't blitz that much. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers came into the game being sacked a league-high 25 times, but he wasn't sacked by the Browns.

• It's tough to evaluate Acta's time with Nats
Here's what I think of the Indians hiring Manny Acta -- I just don't know.

• Magnificat, Walsh win coaches' titles
Magnificat and Walsh Jesuit won state titles Sunday in the coaches' state tennis tournament in Columbus.

• NHL report
Malhotra scores twice for Sharks

• Packers' Rodgers passes past Browns, doesn't look past them
If the Browns thought they might catch Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers peeking ahead, they were mistaken.

• Paul Hoynes' quick thoughts on new Indians manager
Thoughts on the hiring of Manny Acta as the Indians' 40th manager.

• Ratings are rank that put TCU, Boise over UC, Iowa
Iowa and Cincinnati are trapped right now between the luster and the busters, between the star power of Florida, Alabama and Texas at the top of the college football world and the underdog stories of TCU and Boise State, the two remaining undefeated teams labeled as BCS busters.

• Receivers don't exactly fill up the stat pack
Browns receiver Mohamed Massa quoi, who inherited the role of No. 1 re ceiver after Braylon Edwards was traded, knows he has to play more like an experienced pro and less like a rookie.

• Saints fall behind for first time this season, rally from 21 down
Saints 46, Dolphins 34

• Sermonizing Slouch supposes silence suits most TV talkers
Every Sun day, I sit in a bar, look up at multiple TV screens and wonder, "What am I doing with myself?"

• Stars have aligned before for NBA championship
It was almost 40 years ago when the aging superstar was traded to an up-and-coming team featuring a once-in-a-lifetime youngster. It proved to be exactly the right move at exactly the right time, and by the end of the season, both of them were celebrating an NBA championship.

• Steelers' defense the perfect antidote
Steelers 27, Vikings 17

• Two-minute drill: Around Week 7 of the NFL
Russell replaced by Gradkowski:

• Vote for Game Balls online
Vote for last week's top performer at cleveland.com/hssports until noon Thursday. The winner receives a Game Balls T-shirt. See who won Friday in The Locker Room.

• Who? Temple Owls emerging as league power
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• Why can't Quinn play? Because neither can D.A.
Eric Mangini's reconstruc tion project has produced an expansion team.

• Browns will try to shake off the flu-crashing, losing blues
The Browns endured the kind of week that's the stuff of a Kenny Chesney or Garth Brooks hit.

• 3 candidates discuss how they'd fix the bullpen mess
Last week, Manny Acta, Bobby Valentine and Torey Lovullo told the Indians how they'd construct, handle and fix the Indians bullpen if they were named manager.

• 73.5
Peyton Manning is completing 73.5 percent of his passes. The NFL record for a season is 70.55 percent by Ken Anderson of the Cincinnati Bengals.

• ABOUT THE CAVS . . .
Maybe the Cavs will start fast. Maybe they will win 66 games again. Maybe they will even begin with a 1-2 record as they did a year ago, and then win 19-of-20 to bolt to a 20-3 start. But it's hard to imagine that happening because of changes in the lineup and a tougher schedule.

• ABOUT THE INDIANS . . .
One reason for the success of the Minnesota Twins is Rod Gardenhire in the dugout. As a manager, he finds a way to keep his team contending in the Central Division when stars are traded or leave via free agency. He and his coaching staff put the finishing touches on prospects coming from the minors. If possible, the Indians must hire an impact manager. Of the four being interviewed - Manny Acta, Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo and Don Mattingly - Valentine seems the best bet to be that guy for the Indians.

• BIG TEN RESET Find complete articles on these games at cleveland.com/ncaafootball
Overall Conf. Team

• Browns need help to turn the corner
%%head%%ABOUT THE BROWNS . . .%%endhead%%

• Buchtel powers its way past Firestone
Ricky Powers will be the first one to tell you that his Buchtel football program has a long way to go.

• Cavaliers making NBA power' play putting Shaq on floor with LeBron
%%head%%It might not be pretty, but addition of O'Neal gives Cavs the low-post presence they've been seeking for many years

• Cavaliers making NBA power' play putting Shaq on floor with LeBron
The television camera loves acrobatics as much in basketball as it does in gymnastics. Consider Michael Jordan's shell game with the ball as he drove in the The Finals. And Dr. J giving gravity the brush-off behind the backboard. And Dwyane Wade's nightly dice-o-matic moves against interior defenses.

• Copley grad has career day
Syracuse, N.Y. - Delone Carter gained a career-high 170 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns, Greg Paulus hit Marcus Sales for an 11-yard score and Syracuse beat Akron, 28-14, on Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak.

• COVERAGE, C4-C7
#2 Florida 29 Mississippi State 19 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

• Defense comes up big in CWRU rout
Case Western Reserve senior defensive back Bradley Paramore fig ured he would give the offense a break during the first quarter of Saturday afternoon's 63-14 win over the Hiram Terriers at Case Field.

• Despite new course, CVCA stays strong
Both the girls and boys cross country teams from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy dominated their respective races Saturday at the district meet at Lakeland Community College, as 20 teams and 80 individuals earned spots in next week's regional meet at Boardman High School.

• Elite NBA teams not always filled with first-round talent
When the Cavaliers made their roster cuts to get down to 15 players, fan Brent Gummow sent an e-mail remarking the team has nine players who were second-round picks or not drafted at all.

• ELSEWHERE TODAY
%%head%%Get ready

• Game 6 set for tonight after rainout
New York - An hour after Game 6 of the AL Championship Series was postponed, there was Andy Pettitte in a nearly empty Yankee Stadium, drenched in the pouring rain.

• Griese apologizes twice for remark
ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese apologized twice Saturday for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya while announcing the Minnesota-Ohio State football game.

• HEY, BRIAN! Your Cavaliers questions answered
Got a Cavaliers question? Send it in. Submit your question to cleveland.com/heybrian, and Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst will choose at least one to answer each Sunday here in the sports section. All of Brian's answers are archived online.

• Hey, Hoynsie! Cleveland Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes answers your Cleveland Indians questions
Your Indians questions answered

• Hey, Tony! Cleveland Plain Dealer beat writer Tony Grossi answers your Cleveland Browns questions
Got a Browns question? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heytony, and Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi will choose at least one to answer each Sunday here in the sports section. All of Tony's answers are archived online.

• If Cavs can survive brutal start there's a payoff for playoff run
October/November: From a volume standpoint, the Cavs have a brutal start to the season. They begin with four games in five days, the toughest stretch any team goes through during the season. In the first five weeks alone the Cavs have seven back-to-back sets. Their first five road trips are all multiple-game trips. For a team that is going to need time to mesh and is recovering from nagging injuries and sickness in the preseason, it is not a perfect situation. However, four of the first six games are against teams that missed the playoffs last season.

• If Cavs can survive brutal start there's a payoff for playoff run
First week a test

• Kent State defense sacks Bobcats' passing threat
Athens, Ohio -- Kent State made a defen sive statement against Ohio University on Saturday to overshadow some bumbling first-half offense for a 20-11 victory in Ohio's Peden Stadium.

• Magnificat dominates, Wadsworth girls 2nd
When she first found out her team was moved to the Lorain Division I District, Wadsworth girls cross country coach Jen Echols wasn't overwhelmed by the prospect. Immediately after watching her team run the race Saturday, Echols still wasn't exactly jumping for joy.

• Magnificat senior Hollis finishes in third
Magnificat senior Stephanie Hollis was the lone medal winner of the 27 area players who advanced to the state tennis tournament.

• Mount Union keeps rolling
Senior quarterback Kurt Rocco tossed a career-high five touchdown passes as the top-ranked Purple Raiders (7-0, 6-0 Ohio Athletic Conference) blanked Wilmington, 56-0, Saturday afternoon in Alliance.

• No. 18 OHIO STATE 38, MINNESOTA 7
Columbus -- Ohio State's defensive backfield expected a full-on test.

• No. 18 OHIO STATE 38, MINNESOTA 7 MARVIN FONGTHE PLAIN DEALEROhio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor appears to collect his thoughts before kickoff.
Columbus

• NORTH NUGGETS
Ravens running back Ray Rice leads the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 766. He leads the Ravens in rushes and yards (441), is first with 33 catches and is second with 325 receiving yards. . . . Long bye week for Ravens kicker Steve Hauschka, who's got to live with that 44-yard miss on the final play of a 33-31 loss to Minnesota last week. . . . Bengals running back Cedric Benson, third in the league with 531 rushing yards, is looking forward to his first game against Chicago - the team that discarded him after making him a first-round pick in 2005. "I know he's had this date circled for a long time," Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said. . . . Hines Ward's audacious game against the Browns (eight catches for 159 yards) moved him into a tie with the Giants' Steve Smith for the league lead with 41 receptions and alone with a league-high 599 yards. Ward is 33. "Not bad for a guy without speed, right?" Ward said.

• Not a total disappointment, but St. Ignatius takes third
Columbus -- A 315 team total in high school golf will easily win most tournaments.

• Now, Cleveland's nickname is . . . don't help me . . . Indians, right?
N ot that Bobby Valentine missed a lot while manag ing overseas but, if hired, he's looking forward to helping Jody Gerut and Alex Escobar become everyday outfielders.

• Ohio State 38 Minnesota 7
Columbus -- Terrelle Pryor's problems were nothing that a good friend, some blown coverages and a couple of long touchdowns couldn't solve.

• ON THE AIR
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• Pettrey's short kickoff goes a long way for Buckeyes
Columbus-

• REPORT CARD
A: Ohio State DE Thaddeus Gibson

• SATURDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Best almost catch

• St. Ignatius tweaks its strategy to secure victory over St. Xavier
Two words describe St. Ignatius' 23rd straight victory Saturday afternoon: turnovers, adjustments.

• Sunday digest
cleveland.com/olympics: Chad Hedrick defeats Shani Davis at U.S. speedskating trials.

• THE DEPTH CHART
We've discovered one quarterback record that Brett Favre doesn't yet own -- most consecutive wins to start a season in a QB's first year with a team. He can match it by winning his seventh straight today in Pittsburgh.

• THE KICKOFF
Randy Lerner's addition of Bernie Kosar as a team consultant had to throw Eric Mangini and George Kokinis for a loop.

• The line: Packers by 8 ½
Mary Kay Cabot

• Threat of TV blackout sheds light on Browns
Four of the last five Browns home games are not sold out, including a Monday night affair against the rival Baltimore Ravens.

• UC off to best start since 1954
Cincinnati -- Standing on the sideline in a sweatsuit and baseball cap, in jured quarterback Tony Pike watched his backup do a nearly perfect job.

• WHO'S HOT
1. Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop: The last player taken in the 2009 draft - Mr. Irrelevant - made all four of his field goals, including two from 46 yards, in Kansas City's 14-6 win at Washington. He is 9-for-10, his only miss being blocked.

• WHO'S NOT
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bad enough that the 0-6 team has to travel all the way to London to get beat by New England. When they return, they will wear their Popsicle orange throwback uniforms to commemorate their record 24-game losing streak in 1976-77.

• Young Medina Highland 8th; All-Ohio for Kenston's Henry
Columbus- Amid the golden yellow, amber red and burnt orange leaves which graced the Ohio State University Gray Course, one thing was obvious while perusing team and individual results at the Division I girls state golf championships.

• Wright is lucky to be alive' following rollover accident
Browns cornerback Eric Wright agrees with the assessment of Cleveland Police spokesman Thomas Stacho that he's "very lucky to be alive" after rolling over his Mercedes several times early Friday morning after attending the Jay-Z concert downtown.

• Buckeyes are in a hurry to revive stalled offense
Columbus -- Ohio State's offensive players want to feel like they're on the attack. When they get in their hurry-up offense, they feel that way. In the last two games against Wisconsin and Purdue, while the offense stagnated at other times, it clicked when the clock or the score forced the Buckeyes to huddle less and push it more.

• Akron men's soccer team stays unbeaten in Buffalo
Teal Bunbury netted his second game-winner in four contests to lead the Akron men's soccer team, ranked first in the country, to a 1-0 victory at Buffalo.

• An allergic reaction nearly did in Pavlik
New York- An allergic reaction to medication caused middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik's temperature to soar past 104 degrees, and his heart rate to 150 beats per minute.

• Angels alive in New York, look to leave Yanks all wet
Anaheim, Calif. -- Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet.

• Angels alive in New York, look to leave Yanks all wet
Anaheim, Calif.- Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet.

• Angels alive in New York, look to leave Yanks all wet
Anaheim, Calif. -- Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet.

• Angels alive in New York, look to leave Yanks all wet
Anaheim, Calif.- Chone Figgins and the Los Angeles Angels know they're heading straight into more than one kind of storm, and they can't wait to get wet.

• Browns are exonerated in Davis injury probe
The Browns were cleared Friday evening of any wrongdoing regarding the season-ending shoulder injury to rookie running back James Davis.

• Brown still revising roster rotation
Three days before the Cavaliers play their first game of the regular season, Mike Brown is still thinking, still tinkering, still making lists.

• Brunswick QB Smatana ruled ineligible by school
Brunswick senior quarterback Jess Smatana was ruled ineligible indefinitely by the school, administrators announced just before Friday's game at Mayfield.

• COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME WATCH Top 25
No. 1 Alabama (7-0) vs. Tennessee (3-3), 3:30, WOIO Ch. 19: The Vols' strength has been running the ball, but 'Bama is giving up only 63 yards a game on the ground.

• Consecutive losses rare under Tressel
Columbus - In nine seasons, Jim Tressel has lost 17 regular-season games at Ohio State, and only once has he lost two in a row. And that turned into three in a row during the 2004 season.

• Fired up for fall bass fishing
Icouldn't wait to make a few casts, if only to warm my fin gers on a very chilly morning.

• Highland jumps on Copley early
Highland scored the first 20 points and hung on to outlast Copley, 39-21, in a crucial Suburban League football contest Friday on InfoCision Field in Copley Stadium.

• Hoban's big-play defense keeps playoff hopes alive
With under one minute remain ing, its 10-point lead cut to four, and Padua lining up for a critical fourth-and-short in Knights' territory, Archbishop Hoban's defense did what it had done all game long -- came up with another big defensive play.

• Lovullo's familiarity might hurt
Torey Lovullo has a lot of qualities that would make him a good choice to be the Indians' next manager. Unfortunately, he has a big one working against him -- he's one of their own.

• Magnificat senior enjoys success, friendly rivalry
Plain City, Ohio -- The bond among the players at the state high school tennis tournament was evident Friday.

• Mayfield catches breaks, reels in win
When you have a stifling de fense, it doesn't take many breaks to turn a game.

• Monsters' rally not enough
A third-period three-goal rally by the Lake Erie Monsters fell short as the Texas Stars held on, added an empty net goal, and won, 5-3, Friday in Cedar Park, Texas.

• Newman takes pole, Johnson not worried
Jimmie Johnson finally wasn't flawless at Martinsville, Va.

• NEWSWATCH%%head%%STABLE
VOICES

• NHL REPORT
Penguins rally,

• No offense, but OSU has another option
Minnesota visits the Horseshoe today. The Golden Gophers are the team against whom Terrelle Pryor made a sensational Big Ten debut, running for almost 100 yards and a touchdown and completing over 60 percent of his passes for another touchdown. It was just a year ago, although it seems a distant memory.

• Parma hands Bears 1st defeat
Parma pulled the biggest win in head coach Rob Cyr's two-year career Friday night.

• Rain washes out first day of DI play
Columbus- Winning a Division I state golf championship has boiled down to a one-day, 18-hole shootout on the Ohio State University Scarlet and Gray Golf Courses.

• Rhodes names Moore boys basketball coach
Former Collinwood assistant Louie Moore has been named boys basketball coach at Rhodes, where upset players have threatened to boycott if fired coach Jonathan Harris was not reinstated.

• Ronyak leads Lake Catholic to 8-1 with three TD throws, one TD run
Last year, the learning curve was steep for Lake Catholic quarter back Jerrod Ronyak, and the Cougars missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. This year, Ronyak has the Cougars on a straight line to the postseason.

• West Geauga is positioned perfectly after foe's miscues
Field position. West Geauga will take it all the time.

• Will the powers of Shaq and LeBron overcome the forces of darkness?
As children growing up 12 years and a thousand miles apart, Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James loved to mimic their favorite comic book superheroes.

• Will the powers of Shaq and LeBron overcome the forces of darkness?
Superheroes say their goal is to end Cleveland's sports heartache by bringing home a title

• WORLD SERIES: DETROIT VS. ST. LOUIS Series tied, 1-1öAll games on WJW Ch. 8
GAME 1 Oct. 21 St. Louis 7, Detroit 2

CLEVELAND SPORTSNews, Scores, Teams, Stories & More on Northeast OH Sports

CLEVELAND SPORTS
News, Scores, Teams, Stories & More on Northeast OH Sports