By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Their personal rivalry was supposed to be the one that energized the renewed rivalry between their teams.

But the "Battle of Ohio" subplot pitting Tim Couch against Akili Smith at quarterback never materialized.

Couch, playing only because of injuries to Kelly Holcomb, will make his seventh start against the Bengals today at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Couch will face Jon Kitna, against whom he holds a 2-1 edge in starts.

As for Smith, there are some 96 quarterbacks employed by the 32 NFL teams, and he is not one of them.

After his June 2 release by the Bengals and a failed bid to win the Packers' third-string job, Smith moved back to his hometown of San Diego. Efforts to reach him directly and through his parents and agent last week were not successful.

Couch reflected Wednesday on Smith and their fizzled rivalry.

"You never know in this league how things are going to go from year to year," said Couch, who is 3-3 as a starter against the Bengals and 19-32 overall, including 8-6 in 2002.

"Things have really taken a big turn since back then. But it's not over for either one of us. We're still both very young guys in this league and we've got a long ways to go. There's a chance, down the road, it may still be a great matchup. At this point in time, it's just not the case."

Smith-Couch was supposed to be the third great quarterback rivalry of the series. First there was Ken Anderson against Brian Sipe, then came Boomer Esiason vs. Bernie Kosar.

The expansion Browns made Couch the first overall selection of the 1999 draft. After the Eagles took Donovan McNabb at No. 2, the Bengals went for Smith.

The first of just two times that Smith and Couch faced each other as starters produced fireworks.

After the Bengals started 0-4 in 1999 with Jeff Blake at quarterback, Smith made his first start Oct. 10 at Cleveland against the Browns and Couch. Smith led an 80-yard touchdown drive in the final 2:04 as the Bengals won 18-17. Smith thumped his chest at the crowd and in Couch's direction on the Browns bench.

"That was the highest point of all," Smith told the Enquirer in June.

But Smith, who threw two touchdown passes to Carl Pickens that afternoon, finished with just five in his 22 NFL games.

Bengals backup offensive lineman Scott Rehberg started at right guard that day for the Browns.

"After that game, you would think that was going to be the rivalry for a long time," Rehberg said of the quarterback battle. "It jump-started it right away."

Smith and Couch battled for the final time as starters on Sept. 10, 2000, in the first game at Paul Brown Stadium. The Browns won 24-7. Couch had two touchdown passes. Smith tossed two interceptions.

With Couch out because of a thumb injury, Smith started and won 12-3 at Cleveland on Oct. 29, 2000 - his third and final victory in 17 starts. The week before he was handed his second win in a 31-21 upset of Denver; Smith was knocked out of the game remembered for Corey Dillon's 278 rushing yards.

By Game 11 of the 2000 season, Smith was on the bench. He would make two more starts - one each in 2001 and 2002 - and finish 3-14 as a starter with the Bengals.

Smith's shortcomings, coupled with the organization's failure to develop him, forced the Bengals to draft another quarterback in the first round in 2003. Carson Palmer, unlike Smith, is not being rushed.

"I wish I had been in his situation," Smith lamented before his release. "It was hell."

"Battle of Ohio" breakdown

The expansion Cleveland Browns came into the NFL in 1999 and re-established the "Battle of Ohio" rivalry with the Bengals. A look at how the two franchises have compared since the Browns came back at the start of 1999: Numbers and statistics include the first three games this season.

Category	Bengals	Browns
Regular-season record	16-51	22-45
Playoff record	0-0	0-1
Series record	4-4	4-4
Best season	6-10 ('99)	9-7 ('02)
AFC North record	0-7	3-4
Points for/against	1,013/ 1,654	1,039/ 1,549
Record vs. Steelers	2-7	2-7
Starting QBs	Blake, Smith, Mitchell, Kitna, Frerotte	Detmer, Couch, Pederson, Wynn, Holcomb
Pro Bowlers	RB Dillon, KR Mack, FB Neal	LB Miller
Prime-time TV games	1	4 (including two this year)
Avg. home attendance ('99-'02)	54,745	72,871

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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