Yesterday’s last-second loss to Michigan State was a kick in the gut to the Buckeyes and their fans.  Undefeated season gone.  National championship hopes likely dashed.  23-game win streak cut off.  Magic of defending their crown evaporated.  The pain is raw and fresh right now, but in context, where does this loss rank with other OSU defeats?

Let’s examine.  We are only going to consider the post-Woody Hayes era, primarily because I was 8 years old watching when Woody decided to punch a Clemson linebacker at the end of the Gator Bowl to end his storied coaching career.

#8–NEW ORLEANS, BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, JANUARY 7, 2008:  #2 LSU 38, #1 OSU 24

Ohio State had a chance to redeem themselves after their blowout loss in the 2007 BCS title game (see below).  They jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but the hometown Tigers rolled from that point.  OSU scored a late TD to make the score look closer than the actual game.

NEEDLE POINTS (extra pain):  a loss in a national championship game; grew the feeling of doubt that OSU could beat elite non-Big 10 teams

TYLENOL POINTS (pain relief):  Blow-out loss to a team with 2 losses.  This over-achieving OSU squad wasn’t as good as its record.  They suffered a late-season loss at home to Illinois, and weren’t expecting a title bid.   Several crazy losses by teams above them on the final weekend got them in the backdoor to the BCS title game.

#7–COLUMBUS, NOVEMBER 21, 2015:  #9 MICHIGAN STATE 17, #3 OSU 14

No need to re-hash this loss too much.  I look like a prophet in this blog I wrote in late September about their offensive woes.  In fact, this paragraph from that blog seems to predict the inevitable:

The solution, according to television game announcers the last two weeks, is to simply hammer superback Ezekiel  Elliott up the middle to pound these lesser teams into submission.  That mentality will get them wins over the Hawaii’s and Northern Illinois’s of the football world.  But when big boys like Michigan State come calling, being a one-trick pony won’t be enough.  It’s also an enormous waste of the wealth of talent the Buckeyes have at QB and just about every other position.

NEEDLE POINTS:  undefeated season, national championship hopes, and long win streak gone; also lost a chance to defend their national championship crown

TYLENOL POINTS:  regular season game;  got thoroughly outplayed;  sore losers in post-game comments;  underachieved offensively all season  *I initially had this game at #4, but moved it down, the more that I thought about it and heard from others.

#6–BIG 10 CHAMIONSHIP GAME, DECEMBER 7, 2013:  #10 MICHIGAN STATE 34, #2 OSU 24

Ohio State was 24-0 since Urban Meyer got hired (they were ineligible to go to a bowl game his first year).  Braxton Miller was the two-time Big 10 offensive MVP, and Carlos Hyde was one of the nation’s premiere running backs.  But the Spartans jumped all over them early, scoring the first 17 points of the game.  The Buckeyes responded with the next 24 points, but MSU took control in the 4th quarter.

NEEDLE POINTS:  lost undefeated season, long win streak, and chance to get to BCS title game

TYLENOL POINTS:  got out-played; the week before, they had to stop a last-second two-point conversion to edge a weak Michigan squad;  Urban Meyer had not faced any tough opponents during his win streak;  lost their Orange Bowl game to Clemson

#5–ANN ARBOR, NOVEMBER 25, 1995:  #18 MICHIGAN 31, #1 OSU 23

This Buckeye team was loaded.  Eddie George was on his way to the Heisman Trophy.  Bobby Hoying was one of the nation’s top QBs, while WR Terry Glenn, OT Orlando Pace, and DE Mike Vrabel were All-Americans.  They earned marquee wins over Notre Dame and at Penn State earlieer that year.

Michigan was down that year, and Cooper had gained his first win over his rival the year before.  I was at this game, along with an unsually large number of fellow Buckeye fans.  But the Wolverines ruled the day, with Tim Biakabutuka gashing the Bucks for 313 rushing yards.

NEEDLE POINTS:   undefeated season gone; loss to a rival; lost a Rose Bowl berth;  loaded team that was rolling.

TYLENOL POINTS:  you don’t deserve to win when you let a guy rush for 313 yards;  team then continued a John Cooper pattern and lost their bowl game (Citrus Bowl)

#4–COLUMBUS, NOVEMBER 23, 1996:  #21 MICHIGAN 13, #2 OSU 9

OSU followed up their disapointing end to their 1995 campaign (see above) by winning their first 10 games this season.  Michigan came in with three losses in their last six games.  Ohio State dominated the first half, but led only 9-0.  Just after halftime, Michigan scored a 69-yard TD on a quick slant pass where All-American Shawn Springs slipped.  The Wolverines seized the momentum and once again trumped coach John Cooper.

NEEDLE POINTS (extra pain):  undefeated season gone; another loss to a rival; this loss made it seem like Cooper could never beat ‘the school up North’;  later won the Rose Bowl to finish #2 behind a 1-loss Florida team

TYLENOL POINTS (pain relief):  they got outplayed by a lesser team at home (*I initially had this at #7)

#3–COLUMBUS, NOVEMBER 7, 1998:  MICHIGAN STATE 28, OSU 24

This was the best team of the John Cooper era.  Senior QB Joe Germaine was the Big 10 MVP.  Their march to a national championship seemed inevitable until Nick Saban’s scrappy Spartan team came to town.  Ohio State went up 17-3, but MSU raced back for the victory.  This dominant Buckeye squad won every other game that year by double digits.

NEEDLE POINTS:  undefeated season, Rose Bowl, and national championship gone; this team dominated their opponents all season

TYLENOL POINTS:  a regular season loss to a 6-6 team

#2–THE BCS CHAMPIONSHIP, TEMPE ARIZONA, JANUARY 8, 2007:  #2 FLORIDA 41, #1 OSU 14

Jim Tressel’s top-ranked team entered the game with a 19-game win streak.  Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy a few weeks earlier.  They earned their championship spot with a thrilling 42-39 win over #2 Michigan.  Many thought that the Wolverines would get a re-match in this championship game, but 11-1 Florida just barely edged them out in the final poll.

All-American Ted Ginn returned the opening kick-off for a touchdown, but had his ankle severely sprained when the team celebrated with him.  Florida dominated the rest of the game.

NEEDLE POINTS:  championship game, undefeated season, and win-streak on the line;  Most fans expected an easy victory that would clinch a second national championship in five years; this loss started the period of doubt that OSU could beat elite teams.

TYLENOL POINTS:  this blow out showed OSU didn’t deserve it

#1: THE ROSE BOWL, JANUARY 1, 1980:  #3 USC 17, #1 OSU 16

Earl Bruce led his team to an undefeated season in his first year after taking over for Woody, ending a 3-year losing streak to Michigan by winning  18-15 in Ann Arbor.  The 11-0 Buckeyes earned a right face the 10-0-1 (there were ties back then) hometown Trojans.  OSU came back from a 10-0 deficit to take a 16-10 lead into the 4th quarter, but USC drove 83 yards on their final drive, with Heisman Trophy winner Charles White scoring the game-winning TD.

NEEDLE POINTS:  stop that last drive and you have an undefeated national championship season

TYLENOL POINTS:  you may have shared the crown with 12-0 Alabama

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Now that the Browns in the midst of their bye week, it’s time to reflect on the work of art that is the 2015 season.  I am going to forgo the use of sabermetrics, traditional statistics, the citing of NFL experts, or even the win/loss total.

Instead, I am going implement a tried and true analytical device that has been around since Caveman Carl picked up a rock and threw a back-shoulder fade to Neanderthal Ned.

The eye test.

And in this case, a little bit of the smell test.

THE BROWNS STINK.

Nothing earth-shattering there. Unfortunately for Browns’ fans, it’s nothing new. We’ve ‘been there, done that’ just about every year since the franchise made their ‘Prodigal Son’ return back in 1999.

What makes this season tougher than most is their long-term weather forecast:

Mostly Stinky with an 80% chance of STINK.

I could further examine the hopelessness of the Konstipation Kids (like my twist on the Kardiac Kids nickname?), but I have 6 more games to write about that angle.

So since Thanksgiving is less than a week away, let’s look for some of the roses that have bloomed within this thorn bush of a season.

GARY BARNIDGE IS A BALLER

With the loss of Jordan Cameron to free agency in the off-season, tight end looked to be a glaring weak spot.   Instead, Barnidge has put in one of the best tight end seasons in Browns’ history.   In the ranking of NFL tight ends, he is fourth receptions (48), third in touchdowns (7), and second in yards (667).  But the biggest jewel in his crown is that he is a Cleveland Brown that is actually a hot commodity in the world of Fantasy Football!

And don’t forget the ‘Butt Catch’…

THE EXISTENCE OF THE DVR

A month ago–October 21, 2015–the world celebrated  Back to the Future Day.   That great 1980s movie imagined a 2015 with hover boards and self-lacing shoes.  Those dreamed-up inventions pale in comparison to the great and powerful DVR.

Imagine what life would be like watching these Browns without that remote control at your fingertips.

No more enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon outside, then watching the game a little later.

No more skipping commercials.

No more fast-forwarding through the in-house chuckle-fest that is the CBS halftime show.

Much more trying to program your VCR for the right recording time.

No more re-watching in slow motion the quirky plays like the Butt Catch.

No more re-watching in slow motion to see which offensive lineman missed his block.

Much more missing part of the game to watch your kids’ piano recital.

No more skipping between defensive plays when the games get bad.

No more skipping between offensive plays when the games get really bad.

JOSH McCOWN CAN SLING THE BALL

Few Cleveland fans were jumping for joy when the Browns decided to give their QB keys to this grizzled 13-year veteran.  I even wrote a blog  about my displeasure.   But this 36-year old has played brilliantly for the most part.   He ranks 10th in the NFL in yards per game (271) and 13th in QB Rating (95.2).  That’s in spite having a running game that is ranked 31st in yards per game (75.6).  And he’s stood tough in the face of a brutal pass rush that has forced him to miss most or all of four entire games.   You will find no ‘thank you’ shout outs to our O-line in this article!

NO SOLOMON WILCOTS ANNOUNCING ANY GAMES

With the Browns being cellar-dwellers every year, we seem to get stuck with the same announcers for alot of games: Ian Eagle, Steve Beuelein, Rich Gannon, Steve Tasker…

But the king of the re-runs always seemed to be Mr. Wilcots, who announcing style I find very unpleasant to my ears.  From listening to Cleveland sports radio, I am figuring there are plenty of other Browns’ fan that agree with me.

Of course, the Browns, being the inept franchise that they are, not only decided last year to fire their most beloved player of the last 50 years, Bernie Kosar, as their pre-season announcer.   They replaced him with Wilcots,  a former BENGAL and STEELER.   I guess no Ravens’ alumni alumni answered their phones quick enough.

But this year, their have been no Solomon sightings so far.   Knock on wood.

THE SMURFS HAVE BEEN SMURF-ILICIOUS

Travis Benjamin (5’10”, 175 lbs.), Taylor Gabriel (5’8″, 167 lbs.), and Andrew Hawkins (5’7″, 180 lbs.) have pretty much held their own in the land of NFL giants.  Among AFC receivers, Benjamin is 12th in receptions, 11th in touchdowns, and 7th in yards.  Not exactly Megatron stats,  but come on–what were you expecting from Travis Benjamin this season?   And he has also returned to form as a top punt returner this year.

But watching the Steelers’ Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant carve up the Browns’ secondary magnified the gap between our Mighty Mites and elite NFL wide receiver play.

DAN FOUTS HAS ANNOUNCED TWO OF OUR GAMES!

I enjoy hearing the insight of this Hall of Fame QB.  He also earns style points in my book for:

A.   Teaming up with Keith Jackson to announce Ohio State’s 2002 Fiesta Bowl overtime win over Miami to earn the BCS National Championship

B.   Teaming up with Brent Musberger to announce South Central Louisiana State’s Bourbon Bowl win in a legendary coaching match-up between The Fonz and the guy from Smokey and the Bandit. (if you are too young to know what I am talking about, google it).

As Dan famously said in this classic sports movie, The Waterboy…

“Last game of the year now, Brent, can’t hold anything back!”

JOHNNY FOOTBALL HAS SHOWN A GLIMMER OF HOPE

I had pretty much written off Johnny Manziel as the future franchise quarterback of the Browns.  Little of that belief has anything to do with his off-the-field escapades.  Most of it has to do with his on-the-field skill set.  His lack of size is strike one.  His instinctual tendency to abandon the passing pocket and scramble around backyard-football style is strike two.

But against the Steelers, with a full week of preparation, he was able to balance his improv scrambling style with the need to make plays in the pocket.   He completed 33 of 45 passes for 372 yards with only one interception.  And he was also the leading  rusher with 17 yards.   The rest of the team ran for a total of -2 yards.  Not exactly the way to support a young QB against the vaunted Pittsburgh defense.

Johnny’s performance gives Browns’ fans a good reason to watch these last six games.  Hopefully he can enlarge that ray of hope that he is truly ‘the chosen one’–that elusive franchise QB that has been absent from the Browns roster for over two decades.

Those last few paragraphs sounded pretty good a day ago.  Then…

Johnny Football strikes again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Party in the U.S.A.!!!!!!!!!!!

TICKETS ARE CHEAP!

On a sunny, 63 degree day, I paid $15 a pop to take my wife and boys to watch the Browns flop in the 2nd half against the Cardinals.   Right now, tickets for their Monday night game against the Ravens are going for as low as $18 on Stub Hub.  The cheap seats for the next two home games for the Steelers?  $70 and $95.

Take that, Steelers fan!

WE HAVEN’T MISSED A FIELD GOAL

Rookie Kicker Travis Coons is a perfect 16 for 16 in field goals!

We will look past the fact that he has missed two extra points in the last three games.

We will see how his perfection holds up as he faces more pressure kicks, and more weather like this…

NO NEED TO UPGRADE MY FAMILY’S JERSEY COLLECTION

The Browns debuted their new uniforms this year…

I will generously give them a fashion grade of a C.

Side request to the Browns’ brass–can we see less of the brown pants and more of the orange pants?

Normally, a change in uniforms pushes fans to make purchases to keep in step with their team. But with their current roster, there is no player that my sons (or I) want a jersey of.  Heck, I still have two mint-condition Trent Richardson jerseys collecting dust in my sons’ closets.

So when you are sitting around the dinner table Thursday gobbling up the turkey and mashed potatoes, remember that, even as a Browns’ fan, you still have things to be thankful for.

As long as the DVR works.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Follow the author on Twitter:   @macaljancic

E-mail the author:   macaljancic@yahoo.com