This is the Buckeye State, and also the Buckeyes state.
Ohio State football has, of course, been extraordinarily huge since forever, and the players, wherever they go in the pros, are still Buckeyes. As such, then, fans of the Browns, most of whom are also fans of the Buckeyes, are caught between a rock and a hard place when the local pro team squares off against other clubs with former Buckeyes on the roster.
I can remember having a real hard time rooting against running Archie Griffin and fullback Pete Johnson when they were with the Cincinnati Bengals a — gulp! — half-century ago. I wanted the Browns to win, but I also wanted those two guys to play well. Talk about crossed wires!
Such will be the case again on Sunday when the Houston Texans visit Huntington Bank Field to play the Browns. Two of the best — and most popular — Buckeyes ever, quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr., play for the Texans. Harrison is not expected to suit up on Sunday because of injuries, but Stroud sure will be out there. He is having a tremendous season and just might be the second-best quarterback the Browns will face this year. Yes, he can throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, but I just want the Browns to win. He tore them up the last time the teams met, in the wildcard round of the 2023 AFC playoffs, in which Houston rolled to a 45–14 win.
Steve King
