Written by Brian McPeek

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What a miserable sports weekend.  The Buckeyes got bushwhacked out in LA by USC.  And the Browns followed that up with an incredibly frustrating 10-6 home loss to the rival Steelers.  Predictably, this Monday's Weekend Wrap doesn't have a rosy disposition to it.  And it includes some serious vitrol towards Todd Boeckman and Romeo Crennel.

Good Times 

That was fun, no?  

If this is what we get from our sports teams on the weekends then I am officially proposing a seven day work week. 

Pathetic. 

Clock Keeps Ticking on Romeo 

For the most part I believe the importance of coaching is overrated. Give me a guy with some leadership skills and some common sense and some solid football players and I'll show you a decent football team. 

Romeo Crennel severely lacks the first two requirements and the jury is still out on the third. 

To sit there and have to watch that exhibition of time management from a 4^th year head coach is simply unacceptable. No fat jokes, no emotional outbursts and no nonsense. It's just inexcusable to continuously bungle the clock management in your 4^th year at the helm. 

The Steelers beat the Browns 10-6 Sunday night in heavy wind and intermittent rain at CBS. The Browns were geeked up, the fans were ready and the club made a far better showing against Pittsburgh than they did a week ago against Dallas. But the fact remains that they are 0-2 and there has got to be some doubt and uncertainty in the locker room as to whether their leader is up for the job of resurrecting their season.  

With the Browns driving late in the first half and the clock inside one minute the Browns were called for a procedure penalty. Crennel was given the option of calling his lone remaining timeout or allowing 10 seconds to run off the play clock. He chose the latter. But the Browns were slow to break their huddle and when the 2^nd down play came up a yard short of a first down Crennel couldn't make a call as to whether to quickly line up in an attempt to get the first down or call a timeout to discuss the situation. Seconds ticked off the clock and Derek Anderson frantically gestured to the sideline to get the decision from Crennel. 20 seconds later Anderson plunged ahead for the first down but was left with just 8 seconds to work with when Romeo finally called the Browns' final timeout. 

With time for one shot at the end zone and a FG attempt left, Anderson was pressured and forced to throw early in Syndric Steptoe's route and Troy Polamalu intercepted the pass and ran out the first half. 

Not only did Crennel cost the team precious time and opportunities to score but he forced his already shaky QB into a bad situation and DA doesn't need additional pressure applied to melt down. 

Crennel admitted the Browns bungled the clock management at the end of the 1^st half and promised they would get better. 

They didn't. Crennel burned his timeouts late in the 2^nd half at curious times and the Browns watched Pittsburgh run out the final 3 ½ minutes to salt away another win over Cleveland, their 354^th in a row I believe. 

Seriously, as a wise man once told me, "This isn't rocket surgery". Managing the clock shouldn't be a concern with a head coach. There are plenty of legitimate concerns with this club. Like finding out who kidnapped Kamerion Wimbley and who replaced Braylon Edwards' hands with shovels. 

Get someone on the sideline with at least a basic clue. 

No Clock Management Issues Here 

Jim Tressel had no issues managing the clock or his timeouts Saturday night against USC. It was just his offense and defense that got away from him. 

USC clubbed the Buckeyes in a much anticipated game Saturday night that was over by halftime. The 35-3 score pretty much sums it up. 

Todd Boeckman may be a great kid who grows up and does wonderful things for humanity. But with each ‘passing' game he shows that greatness will not come in quarterbacking any team in the distant (or not so distant) future. 

Boeckman was ineffective all night against a terrific USC team and his time under center is coming to an end. Terrell Pryor just adds an element that Boeckman can't. And with the lack of talent at the other skill positions it's an element the Buckeyes need. 

Plainly and simply, the Buckeyes are not at the same level as the premier college teams like USC, Florida and LSU. 

That needs to change by upgrading those skill positions and by putting Pryor in the mix right now. 

Kudos 

The weekend wasn't a complete loss. Rich Swerbinsky, TCF and the Lake Erie Browns Backers threw a hell of a party in the muni lot on Sunday. 3 meals and hundreds of people was a bright spot on an otherwise dark sports weekend. 

Well done all.