O-H-I-O

Grand ironies are the spice of life...

Entering the 2008 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns had the momentum. The team was coming off a 10-6 season and barely missed the playoffs. There was talent all over the offensive side of the ball and the Browns managed to snag massive DT Sean Rogers away from the Detroit Lions while the Cincinnati Bengals were attempting to do the same.

All this resulted in the Browns being slated for more prime time appearances then any other NFL team. It also resulted in great expectations amongst the infinitely gullible Cleveland Browns fans.

The Bengals on the other hand, are a disgrace. One winning season in the last 18 years. Wow, that is pathetic.

However, following today's 14-0 Bengals victory in Cleveland Browns Stadium, you have to wonder if the momentum hasn't jumped from northern Ohio to southern Ohio. And trust me, the game was not as close as the score indicates. It was however as pathetic as the score indicates.

The Bengals now have three wins on the season. The Browns have...four. There is a very strong possibility that both Ohio NFL teams could end up with the same record.

I guess all that Cleveland Browns optimism was a bit premature wasn't it?

The Browns will start next season with a new head coach more then likely. Perhaps a new GM as well. The QB situation is still messy up there with both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn injured. The third-stringer, Ken Dorsey is dismal. He was benched today for former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Bruce Gradkowski, who promptely tossed up the fourth Cleveland INT of the day.

The Bengals on the other hand will get Carson Palmer back, will have a young established running back (Cedric Benson) and might even jetison mediocre malcontent Chad Johnson. When the Bengals have the stars aligned like this lookout. I am predicting eight wins for 2009.

R&L Carrier New Orleans Bowl, feel it!!

Awesome start for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles! Brett Favre's alma mater is putting on quite a display of ineptitude.

They pulled a "USC" and decided to wear their home uniforms instead of "the whites". Consequently Southern Miss was docked a timeout after the first play of the game. The Eagles followed that up with a false start.

On play number three, the USM QB had his option pitched batted down by a Troy defender who then took the bounce to the house. Perfect!

On the ensuing kickoff an impressive return to midfield was negated by yet another penalty against Southern Miss.

Elapsed time, one minute.

So if you're scoring at home, that's three penalties and a fumble returned for a score in the first minute for the Eagles.

Well done.

Stop blaming the BCS

"Check out this sweet brown paper bag!"

"I'd also like to announce that I don't understand the nuances of the BCS."

Thanks Troy. 'Preciate it.

I'm watching the Cowboys-Steelers game. A real barn-burner. I know the weather sucks but 3-3 at halftime? Sweet.

To advertise the BCS Bowl game announcements later tonight, they have Joe Buck read a quick promo. After praising Florida, Alabama and Oklahoma, Troy then states, "I'm not sure about this BCS stuff. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it should be decided on the field." He then states that Texas is getting screwed in so many words.

First off, it should be pointed out that Troy Aikman almost certainly spends much of his time in Dallas if he doesn't live there full-time. That means he is likely hearing from the very pro-Longhorns fans much of the time. That's just a sidenote that speaks to potential bias, not that we aren't all biased in some way or another.

More importantly here, STOP blaming the BCS for the Big XII South debacle. The blame for that situation falls at the feet of the Big XII, not the BCS.

The BCS was not created to determine divisional tie-breakers. It was created to try and put the #1 and #2 teams in a title game at the end of the season. Well, that and make a whole bunch of money for the affiliated bowl games.

I still think there are a whole lot more sports fans out there that understand what the BCS is and that a playoff is a virtual impossibility. It is amazing to me how many people spend so much time pining for a playoff every year. What has all that bitching gotten them? Absolutely nothing. They might as well complain about the color of the sky.