Whenever an NFL team looks like it could be headed for a historically bad season, attention-seeking pundits will float the idea that there are college teams that could defeat them. So it is no surprise that Stephen A. Smith is saying that out loud this week.
Coming off an embarrassing 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener, the Browns are now headed toward a daunting vengeance game against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. With another lopsided defeat possible, Cleveland could be two steps toward a winless campaign.
With that in mind, Smith is suggesting that two college teams could beat the Browns, conveniently naming LSU and Ole Miss, who are playing each other on Saturday in ESPN’s featured prime-time game.
“What an atrocious situation in Cleveland. Are we sure that LSU and Ole Miss can’t beat the Browns?” Smith said.
"Are we sure that LSU and Ole Miss can't beat the Browns?"
The Browns caught a stray from @stephenasmith 😅 pic.twitter.com/VimKb0RipF
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 18, 2026
No matter how atrocious the situation may be for the Browns, which is no doubt the case, it is ridiculous to think that an NFL team could lose to a college squad, no matter how good it might be. Smith just happened to mention the seventh-ranked and eighth-ranked teams in the country, not even invoking top-ranked Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Indiana, No. 5 Miami, or No. 6 Ohio State.
A collection of all the best players from those eight rosters may be able to give an NFL team a competitive game, but to actually defeat one is a huge stretch. It may be a closer game now that college players are being paid, sometimes more than their pro counterparts, and are staying in school longer to reap those financial rewards.
This hot take is more indicative of how the Browns continue to be perceived as a franchise. Head coach Todd Monken took over vowing to change that narrative, but thanks to his choice of Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback and his awful performance in Week 1, that perception has quickly turned even worse.
The only way to fix it is with a victory, but it may be very difficult for it to come against a talented NFL team on Sunday.
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