This weekend has been undoubtedly better than last. Saturday = great. Ohio State certainly took care of business against Michigan, and it felt good to clinch the outright Big Ten title in Ann Arbor. Even if it was a wet, sloppy, low-scoring game, a season still feels like a huge success if The Game can be won. However, I think I feel bad for Lloyd Carr. Don’t assume that I am starting to get soft on Michigan or anything like that. It was just like Ohio State was beating up on a poor old man who simply couldn’t cut it anymore. Imagine getting into a fistfight with your grandfather. You wouldn’t want to do that; you want a fair fight. That’s what I want. The best thing that could happen would be for Carr to step down and let some young, hotshot coach take over. That way, the Wolverines can be arrogant again – and thus more easily hated – and the Buckeyes can continue to dominate them. The wins will be more satisfying, and the losses will be more crushing for them.
Sunday = even better. On the pro end, the Browns have also impressed much like they did against the Steelers, only this time they came out with a win against the heavily despised Baltimore Ravens. Personally, I think every Browns fan should hate the Ravens more than any other team simply for what they represent, but that’s a long, long digression for another day. Oh, and if you weren’t watching the game, you missed what is probably the strangest, most exciting way to continue a game I have ever seen. When it was first determined that Phil Dawson missed the field goal, I simply turned around like I always do after a crushing loss, let out a few expletives and began the sulking process. Then it all turned around and I learned what good luck tasted like. It tastes like heaven.
Before the Browns inexplicably blew their lead, I had something written that criticized the Ravens’ defense. It went something like “…as opposed to the Ravens, who were much more willing to just attempt to scare the Browns by getting in their face and making their usual convulsing, “I just made a huge play and now I’ll act like I’m possessed” moves. That used to work when you were actually a force to be reckoned with (I’m looking at you Ray “How am I not in prison for murder?” Lewis), but not anymore. “ It took OT to win, but the Ravens are humiliated enough and I’ll take the win.
The offense is sputtering in the second half on a regular basis and the defense is giving up too many big plays to guys like Kyle Boller. However, the team fought through poor play and numerous “What the #@!$” moments and won. Now comes the easiest stretch of play in Browns history and, hopefully, a drive to the playoffs. Let’s all take a large, collective breath and get ready for Houston.
