The Cleveland Browns used passing, running and defense to rally past the Oakland Raiders and earn their first victory. The Browns started slow and had some questionable play calling in the first half. This resulted in an early 21-3 deficit.

At the end of the second quarter, the offense started to click and the defense began to stop the run. Charlie Frye, although still making some questionable decisions, lead this team to their first victory. In the fourth quarter, after a terrible spot by the referee, the Raiders went for it on fourth and one and Orpheus Roye and the rest of the Browns defense came up with a big stop.

This win, although very satisfying, makes Carthon’s miscues against Baltimore even more aggravating.

The Browns really needed this one. It wasn’t pretty at times, especially when they were down 21-3, but they rallied to snatch a 24-21 victory on the road.

Charlie Frye made some great plays, and he also missed some open receivers. He also made a stupid throw late in the 4th quarter near the end zone that almost cost the Browns the game.

“I thought it was a bonehead play by me,” Frye said. “I forced it. That was a no-no that late in the game.”

The defense gave up some big plays, but the special team units responded with huge returns by Josh Cribbs and Dennis Northcutt to get the Browns back in the game.

The Ohio State Buckeyes played on primetime last night and showed everyone in the country that they’re the best team in the land. The convincing and surprisingly easy victory in Iowa has left many people shaking their heads. Troy Smith and company displayed numerous weapons and ways to score.

The defense, not dominant, was good enough to shut down Drew Tate and the wide open Hawkeye offense. In the first half, Iowa was running the ball on the Buckeyes, but the second half proved to be a different story. The defense made critical stops and turnovers to preserve the victory.

The Ohio State Buckeyes continue to put distance between them and the rest of the teams in the college polls. I’m still amazed how some voters can put in “homer” ballots for West Virginia.

Is there anyone left who doubts that the Buckeyes are the #1 team in the country? Idiots like Mark May and Lee Corso on ESPN picked the Hawkeyes to pull the upset, but Ohio State took care of business with a convincing 38-17 victory on the road.

This should not have been a surprise. Troy Smith and the Buckeyes have proven time and again that they cannot be intimidated by hostile crowds. They thumped Texas in Austin and last year they pulled out a win at Michigan. On the other hand, Drew Tate was horrible, and the rowdy crowd in Iowa went home disappointed.

This was not a surprise. The Buckeyes now just need to take care of business the rest of the way until they face a very strong Michigan team in Ohio Stadium. Enjoy the ride!

The Indians got three solo home runs, two by Casey Blake, as they wiped away the Devil Rays for the third straight night. The teams had to endure another rain delay but it didn’t seem to matter as the Tribe eased to a 6-1 win. Ryan Garko, Victor Martinez, and Blake all had two hits apiece and Shin-Soo Choo homered for the first time since his grand slam in Boston. Jake Westbrook was solid once again. He allowed the lone run through seven innings as he earned his 15th win of the season. Westbrook, who finished the 2006 campaign with a 4.17 ERA, has a $6.1 million option for next season and after performances like this, it would be in the Indians’ best interest to pick it up.

“I expect [Westbrook] to be back,” Wedge said before Saturday’s game.