That led to a short drive, led by backup quarterback Todd Collins, who started the game while the Bears let Jay Cutler rest on the sidelines.

This led to a three-play, 19 yard drive which ended in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Collins to tight end Greg Olsen.

The two teams traded field goals in the second quarter, going into halftime at a 10-10 tie. After two hopeful chances at the beginning of the second half for the Bears, the team only made it into Browns territory twice on offense, getting no closer than the 46-yard line.

They had a total of 59 net yards on their five possessions in the second half.

The Browns special teams blocked a punt with 2:18 left in the game and drove 34 yards to kick a last-second field goal of 37 yards by Phil Dawson to set the Bears at a defeated preseason (0-4).

Young linebacker Kevin Malast, an undrafted player out of Rutgers, put on quite a show for the Bears, picking up 12 tackles (nine solo) and a sack for a loss.

Place kicker Robbie Gould bounced back, by hitting a 46-yard field goal to tie the game in the second quarter. Gould had missed his first two chances last week against the Cardinals, but looked back in shape this week.

Many have been talking about how the Chicago Bears should give up on the season before it starts and some say that the Bears may be worse than the Lions.

The truth of the matter is, the Bears have not been as effective on the defensive side of the ball and the offensive line is old and decrepit.

The defense may have shed a light of hope, but at this point I have not seen what I would like to see on the offensive side of the ball for the Bears. Bring on the Lions.

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And word that the Hawks are shopping Houshmandzadeh most likely means the Seahawks are making progress in talks with Jackson’s agents.

The much less believable option is that the Hawks are comfortable going into the season with injury-prone Deion Branch, comeback-kid Mike Williams, rookie Golden Tate, second-year man Deon Butler, and one other receiver―probably Ben Obomanu or Brandon Jones.

Subtracting Houshmandzadeh without adding Jackson, on the heels of trading cornerback Josh Wilson, would be a major step back for the Seahawks―the equivalent probably of giving up one win this season.

Conventional wisdom says no team will be interested in taking on the 32-year-old veteran’s guaranteed $7 million salary, but there’s nothing saying Housh wouldn’t agree to restructure his contract for the right (i.e., playoff) team.

Minnesota liked him last year and could be interested again in the wake of Sidney Rice’s hip surgery and Percy Harvin’s ongoing migraine issues.

Houshmandzadeh might easily agree to revamp his contract for the Vikings, who might be willing to give up a fourth-round pick for a guy who can still run routes with the best of them and catch the ball well.

It's a given that the Seahawks would ditch Houshmandzadeh and his expensive contract if they were able to acquire Jackson, the holdout receiver of the San Diego Chargers.

The Seahawks reportedly moved on from Jackson last week after word got out that Jackson wanted $10 million per year and $30 million guaranteed.

But Jackson’s agent, Neil Schwartz, disputed those numbers, telling Pro Football Talk last week, “There's no truth to the report that we asked for $50 million over five years and $30 million guaranteed.

"We only talked concepts with the Seahawks, and I specifically mentioned players like Roy Williams, Lee Evans, Roddy White … Brandon Marshall and Larry Fitzgerald. No numbers were mentioned.”

No numbers needed to be mentioned. All of those guys have contracts that average around $9 million per year, so it’s clear what Jackson is looking for.

We’ve previously outlined the overwhelming argument against making this deal, but the Seahawks apparently like Jackson’s age (27), size (6-5, 230) and playmaking ability (17.2-yard average) and it appears they are still intent on possibly acquiring him.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith reportedly wants a second-round pick in 2011 and a third-rounder in 2012, but Seahawks GM John Schneider would need to bargain that down.

Schneider already got burned in the Charlie Whitehurst deal, giving Smith a 2011 third-rounder on top of swapping second-rounders in this year’s draft.

Schneider hopefully learned from that trade and knows he doesn’t need to give up a second and third for a guy who is going to sit out the first three games of this season.

While the Seahawks might still be pursuing Jackson, they reportedly already turned down a chance to get quarterback Matt Leinart, who is on the outs in Arizona.

According to Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network (who tends to be hit and miss on the veracity of his information), the Cardinals tried to trade Leinart to Seattle earlier this offseason when both team were pursuing Whitehurst, and the Seahawks turned Arizona down because they preferred Whitehurst.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t bring in Leinart as their third quarterback...if Carroll thought it would be a good idea.

Whatever happens in the next few days, it’s guaranteed that the Seahawks are not done tinkering with their roster.

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More important than the score were the final impressions made, and now the Birds have less than 48 hours to decide on and assemble their 53-man roster.

The NFL’s mandated 53-man deadline is 4 p.m. Saturday, and until then, speculation will run rampant on which bubble players made it and which didn’t.

If I were Andy Reid and/or GM Howie Roseman, this is how that final group would look.

Of course, all positions (and the practice squad) are subject to change depending on who is released by other teams; remember, that’s how the Eagles acquired Tracy White.

Begin Slideshow

Yes, Marshall doesn’t exactly qualify as a quality opponent, so the result on the field has to be looked at with slanted glasses.  Still, you can tell that this is a veteran team, with a lot of weapons, and a lot of speed on both offense and defense.  It will be interesting to see how the Buckeyes match up with Miami next week.

4.  Tressel Will Be Stressing Special Teams:

For all of the good, the one wart in this game was by far the OSU special teams unit.  There was blown coverage on the kick off return, a partially blocked extra point, and another blocked field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown.  For a program that expects to go far, the special teams are going to have to be there to win a few close games.

3.  Terrelle Pryor Looks More Polished:

Again, it may be different against more talented teams, but Pryor appeared to go through his progressions, and only run if things broke down.  This is a clear habitual change from the previous two years when Pryor would pull it down and run if the first option was taken away.  It was also evident that the pre-snap recognition has grown as Pryor made several good adjustments at the line.

2.  Brandon Saine Appears to Be the First Option at Tailback:

Everyone assumed that Brandon Saine was going to start the game, but he was clearly the best tailback on the field.  The coaches still mixed in “Boom” Herron, and sprinkled in a little bit of Jordan Hall and others, but at least in this game, it is evident that the coaches have the most confidence in the former sprint champion to tote the mail.

1.  The Offense is Ready to Open things Up:

Everyone has been waiting to see what kind of offensive game plan that Ohio State would come out with.  Would it be a continuation of the Rose Bowl, or would Tressel Ball rule supreme again.  Ohio State fans have to be excited that the offensive game planning and style had more in common with New Year’s Day than the end of the Big Ten season.  It appears as though Pryor has been given the keys to the offense which should result in an exciting brand of football this year.

This is obviously just the first game of the season, but fans now have their first look at what this year’s team will look like.  There were ultimately some good things and some not so good things, but all in all, the team appears to be talented enough to live up to expectations.  Now off to a battle against Miami for a more accurate litmus test. 

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What, no Xavier Dye?  What about Jamie Harper?  Andre Ellington?

Heck, not even Kyle Parker?

That’s right.  Ladies and gentlemen, meet our offensive line and fullback.

Tackles Chris Hairston and Landon Walker, guards Mason Cloy and Antoine McClain, center Dalton Freeman, and fullback Chad Diehl will determine the success of the Clemson Tigers this season.

Now, sure it helps that Kyle Parker returned for one more season leading the offense into battle.  It helps that Ellington and Harper had a great amount of experience at running back behind C.J. Spiller in the 2009 season.  It helps that Roderick McDowell has worked hard over the summer and, from what the coaches say, will be a competent third back.

But without the offensive line and the fullback known as “The Big Diehl,” Clemson’s offense is going nowhere in the ACC this year.

Clemson’s offense has always been determined by the work of the offensive line.  Take, for example, 2008.  Clemson entered the season ranked ninth in the nation.  The offense returned quarterback Cullen Harper, coming off of a 27-touchdown season (with only six interceptions), 1,000-yard rusher James Davis, 1,000-yard receiver Aaron Kelly, and a supporting cast of C.J. Spiller, Tyler Grisham, and Jacoby Ford.

Clemson started off the season in the Georgia Dome against No. 24 Alabama, a young, inexperienced team, albeit with high expectations. 

Clemson mustered just three offensive points against the Tide.  The only other score for the Tigers was a kickoff return by Spiller to open up the second half.

The game ended in a 34-10 disaster for the Tigers.  But more disappointing, the offense accumulated zero net rushing yards.

You read that right.  Zero.  Throughout the whole game.  With Davis and Spiller (and Harper, who made his collegiate debut) in the backfield.

Davis, Spiller, and Harper are not terrible running backs.  To the contrary, they were and are among the better running backs in college football.  So why were they unable to go anywhere?  A young, inexperienced offensive line.

The Alabama game was played under Tommy Bowden’s offense, which rarely used a fullback, even in two-back formations.  And even with the implementation of Dabo Swinney’s offense halfway through the year, Clemson still only mustered an average of 3.4 yards per carry for the 2008 campaign.

In 2009, Swinney was able to fully employ his offense, and gave Chad Diehl a bigger role to play.  Diehl, combined with a more experienced offensive line, led Clemson to 4.8 yards per carry.  Clemson’s top three running backs all averaged more than five yards per carry.

The offensive line also helped Kyle Parker throw for 2,526 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first season directing the offense.

We can measure the offensive line by how many sacks they’ve given up.  In 2008, the offensive line allowed 20 sacks in 13 games, on 557 offensive plays.  Last year, the offensive line allowed 19 sacks in 14 games, but on 886 offensive plays.

We can even turn the tables to demonstrate how the opponent’s offensive line affects our offense.  In 2008, Clemson’s defense recorded just nine sacks over the course of the season.  Last season, the Tigers dominated on the defensive line, recording 36 sacks against their opponents, and in turn helping their own offense get more opportunities to score.

The importance of the offensive line is often ignored since there are no yards to be gained, touchdowns to be scored, or interceptions to be grabbed.  But they are probably the most important players on the field, giving the quarterback time to throw and creating lanes for the running backs.

They are not the names that everyone recognizes from the Clemson offense, but they are the group of players that Clemson will depend most on this season.  More than anyone else, the Tigers’ success in 2010 is in their hands.

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Since then, the third-round draft pick from Texas has done nothing but impress. Thursday night was no different.

McCoy finally got to start a preseason game, an accomplishment in itself even though the Browns' first- and second-string quarterbacks received the luxury of taking a game off. The game did not start off well for him though.

On his first snap from his own 20-yard line, McCoy fumbled the ball and it was snatched up by Chicago Bears linebacker Kevin Maiast. The Bears would go on to score the opening touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive. 

From there, McCoy decided to play good football. 

The quarterback completed all 13 of his pass attempts in the game, and not a single throw of his hit the ground. Eight different receivers managed to catch passes from him as he combined with fellow rookie Montario Hardesty to lead the Browns on two scoring drives.

One of those drives ended with a one-yard run by Hardesty, the other in a 24-yard field goal by kicker Phil Dawson. The latter drive spanned 11 plays and saw McCoy lead the Browns 69 yards down the field. 

McCoy also helped put his team in scoring position one more time, but Dawson failed to connect on his field goal attempt. 

This game, which saw McCoy put up great numbers but fail to score as many touchdowns as the team would have liked, should ensure that he has a spot on the team. All thoughts of him being cut should be forced aside. 

While McCoy is clearly not ready to be the starter yet, this game should help convince Browns fans that he may still have the potential to be their franchise quarterback of the future. 

The former Longhorn must have enjoyed himself during this last preseason game, but now it's time for him to get to work and learn as much as he can from fellow quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.

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Anyone familiar with Brett Favre's career knows that he has been able to turn water into wine with average WR. A perfect example is Javon Walker. Walker is the WR the Vikings have signed hoping to replace some of what will be missing with Sidney Rice out for at least six games after hip surgery.

The Vikings also traded for Greg Camarillo from the Miami Dolphins.  I think its safe to say that neither of these guys are bringing the kind of talent and play making ability to the offense that Rice was.

The second year standout Percy Harvin is still battling migraine headaches and for all anyone knows is on a week-to-week basis.

The one healthy WR Bernard Berrian, has never even had a 1,000 yard receiving season.  That is not No. 1 guy quality.

Which leads me to wonder, who is going to be the guy?

The San Diego Chargers are having contract issues with their best WR Vincent Jackson.  Chargers GM AJ Smith is most likely not going to give Jackson the money he wants and Jackson has already said he is prepared to sit out the entire 2010 NFL season.

Jackson is asking for a four year, 40 million dollar deal, which to me and you is huge money, but not to an NFL franchise.

Creating Depth

Jackson will serve a three game suspension for driving under the influence for the second time.  So, he might not be the smartest guy, but I'm not asking him to drive a Minneapolis school bus.

Jackson would miss the Saints, Dolphins, and Lions games - second two are at home.  Then the Vikings have the bye week, followed by the brutal four game stretch of @ Jets, Dallas, @ Green Bay, and @ New England.

Those are four games in which they are going to need to score a lot of points to be in the game. They would enter that gauntlet with a fresh 6'5, 230 pound Jackson leading the receiving core.

The major reason they need to add depth is because no one knows how Rice will respond from hip surgery - its not like he got a haircut.

Wilf Needs to go all In

Ziggy Wilf wanted Favre to return so badly that he is offering him a potential extra 7 million dollars for this season. Favre could earn a total of 20 million for this season.

Wilf didn't bring back a grandfather to have fun or even just a good season, he wants to hoist the Lombardi trophy.  He got close enough to taste it last year and thinks Favre is the QB who can lead them to the title.

This wouldn't even be a thought for Wilf had this unfortunate injury not happened to Rice, but the reality is that the offense will struggle if your counting on Camarillo and Walker to equate to what Rice did last season.

The Future

If you get Jackson before the season starts, lets set up the worse case scenario.  Rice doesn't heal all season and can't come back till next year, at least now you have one go-to guy.

Next year the Vikings likely won't have Favre and will need as many offensive play-makers for Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as possible.

If Rice does come back this season you would have 6'4(Rice) on one side and 6'5(Jackson) on the other, with Harvin free to wonder the middle.

The Vikings could lock up a 24 year old Rice and 27 year old Jackson for the next four years and have the best one-two punch in all of football at the WR position.

Final Thoughts

I believe the Vikings will still make the playoffs without pursing Jackson, but this season isn't about just making the playoffs for anyone involved with the Vikings organization from ownership to the fans.

If the Chargers played in a tougher division I believe they would have already signed Jackson and given him the 10 million a season he is asking for.  The Chargers aren't in the business of competing for a championship they are in this to field a competitive product and make money.

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And just like that, this game was basically over.

As the Buckeyes began their national title pursuit by disposing of the Herd 45-7, here are five things we learned about Jim Tressel's 2010 ballclub.

1. Terrelle Pryor Has Made Progress, but He's Not a Finished Product

Pryor put up big numbers, especially in the first half, and finished 17-of-25 for 247 yards and three scores. However, he missed at least one wide-open touchdown (an overthrown pump-and-go to DeVier Posey where the defender did everything but spin around and fall down). Deciding when to tuck and run instead of standing in the pocket and letting receivers break open is also an area where Pryor could grow even further.

Ohio State's star junior has plenty of natural ability (which we knew) and a nice complement of weapons to throw to (look for tight end Jake Stoneburner to become one of Pryor's go-to guys as the season progresses), but let's not give him the Heisman just yet.

2. Ohio State Defense Is As Stingy As Ever

Big hits. Swarming to the ball. Well-timed breaks. Constant pressure.

Ho-hum: Just another year of Buckeye defensive dominance.

Led by veteran stars like Brian Rolle (who took an interception back to the house), Cameron Heyward, and Chimdi Chekwa, this unit will give opposing offenses fits all year long. In the debut, they held the Herd under 200 yards of total offense.

3. Brandon Saine Could Step Out of Boom Herron's Shadow To Have a Big Year

Saine topped the 100-yard mark before the halftime whistle sounded, and the senior speedster seems to have a better understanding than ever how and where to attack opposing defenses. Herron came on nicely after the break, as Jim Tressel seemed intent on getting "Boom" involved after a surprisingly low 10-yard first-half output (feeding him five carries on the opening drive of the third quarter alone).

4. This May Not Be a Typical Jim Tressel Team

Special teams were a sore point against the Herd (one extra point was tipped and a long field goal run back for a touchdown), while the offense looks primed to put up points in bunches with Pryor and company making big play after big play. Not the typical recipe for the Sweater Vest's ballclubs, but tough to argue with the result. Although...

5. We'll Learn A Lot More in Nine Days

When Jacory Harris and the Miami Hurricanes invade the 'Shoe on September 11th, the nation will finally get to see what this 2010 Buckeye team is really made of. Marshall provided surprisingly little competition in the opener (I think I've seen better defensive backfields covering high school games on Friday nights), and the showdown with Miami should give a more accurate reading on how much Pryor's matured, how dominant the Buckeyes' D will or won't be, and what Ohio State receivers will do when they're actually being covered.

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For some fans and coaches, this is a relief considering the punishment that was given to wide receiver Dez Bryant after agent trouble.

Even though Dareus is suspended for just two games, how will this affect the Crimson Tide?

Dareus exploded last season and was one of the best players in the country during Alabama's run to the title. His accomplishments included Defensive MVP of the National Championship, preseason All-American, and preseason All-SEC.

Dareus was put under NCAA investigation after reports showed he attended a party in Miami with agents. Along with the suspension, he will have to pay back $1800.

If Alabama is smart, they will not appeal this decision.

Yes, the second game is against Penn State. But Alabama will be able to win these two games without Dareus because Nick Saban will have a winning game plan.

Despite how hard it is for me to say this, Dareus deserved the punishment he got. Saban made a great point when he said it was wrong for agents to trick players to go to parties and so forth, and Dareus should've listened.

Agents are a problem in college football and have always been. One of the top stories last year was the Dez Bryant drama, and this year, defensive players such as Dareus and Marvin Austin of North Carolina are caught up. Despite the growing problem of agents or "pimps," players should be smart enough to know they are doing wrong. As agents get worse and worse, players who are not smart enough to stay away will keep getting punished.

Hopefully, in the future, the NCAA and NFL can crack down on the problem with agents.

So the question now is, how is Alabama going to replace Dareus for these two games? Alabama still has players such as Josh Chapman who have playing experience on the defensive line. With all due respect, Dareus missing the first game against San Jose State is nothing that anybody should worry about. But Alabama still has to remember they are the defending national champions, and have the biggest target on their back.

Penn State wants Alabama. This is going to be a big game. Joe Paterno coached against Bear Bryant, so there is going to be a lot of passion put into this game, especially if Paterno decides to hang it up after this season. Saban will have to come up with more defensive schemes and stay a little bit longer in the film room to be able to figure out how to fill in Dareus's hole.

Even though Ingram is injured and Dareus is suspended, Alabama is going to manage. Saban knows that fans expect for him to win, and he is arguably the best coach in the country to take care of those expectations. Every team has its problems, but there is always someone on that sideline who wants a piece of the action. Trent Richardson will replace Ingram and Saban will probably rotate players for Dareus.

Saban and the Alabama coaching staff are going to find a way to win these games.

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While there were plenty of Illinois fans calling for Ron Zook's head following last season, the school decided to give him a chance to turn things around. Zook is hopeful that new coordinators Paul Petrino and Vic Koenning will help him do just that.

No one expects Illinois to contend for a Big 10 title in 2010, but the program does expect Zook to put a better product on the field this year. But even if he does, it may not show up in the win column, as Illinois must play eight schools that earned bowl bids last season.

Offense

While Juice Williams didn't have the senior season most expected, he is still going to be missed as Illinois breaks in redshirt freshman Nathan Scheelhaase this year. Williams finished second in school history with 56 career touchdown strikes and provided the kind of leadership that only an experienced signal-caller can.

I expect plenty of ups and downs from Scheelhaase this year, but the 2008 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year has a chance to be better than Williams.

The Illini finished No. 2 in the Big 10 in rushing offense last season, racking up 200.4 yards per game on the ground. With three of the offensive lineman back, and running back Mikel LeShoure, the Illini should be able to move the ball on the ground again this season.

LeShoure appears poised for a monster season after rushing for 734 yards and five touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry last year.

When Illinois looks to the air, it will be calling the number of Jarred Fayson. The Florida transfer only hauled in 16 passes in his first season in Champagne, but the coaching staff believes this is a guy capable of 50-plus catches in 2010.

Defense

The Illinois defense was the worst in the Big 10 in 2009, allowing 30.2 points and 403.3 yards per game. It was especially poor in pass defense, finishing No. 10 in the conference in that category.

The good news is there's reason to believe the Illini can do a better job against the pass in 2010.

Cornerbacks Terry Hawthorne and Tavon Wilson both made youthful mistakes last season. They got an education in 2009, and I expect both players to be much better in coverage this year. I really like what Hawthorne brings to the table.

Illinois needs a better pass rush, and that means that Clay Nurse needs to better than the 5.5 sacks he recorded last season. Considering four of those sacks came against Minnesota, he didn't bring nearly enough heat a year ago.

Joining Nurse up front is tackle Corey Liuget, who is an All-Big Ten-caliber talent in my mind.

The linebacker unit struggled in 2009 after losing middle linebacker Martez Wilson to injury. He'll be back in 2010, allowing Ian Thomas to move over to his outside post where he will be even more effective.

Prediction: Ninth in the Big 10

Illinois has some work to do, considering seven of last season's nine losses came by double-digits. With that said, I do expect Illinois to put a better team on the field this season. Because of a challenging schedule, making a bowl game might be a stretch, but a 5-7 campaign seems very doable. 

College football odds makers have listed Illinois at +2000 to win the Big 10 Conference. Be sure to check out my 2010 Big 10 football predictions to see how I have the rest of the league shaping up.

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