The Browns won't have to wait long to get hyped this season. The NFL announced the exact dates of the regular season games today, and Week 1 has the Pittsburgh Steelers coming into Cleveland Browns Stadium for a showdown that we can only hope will have a different result than past meetings. After all, with Bill Cowher gone from Pittsburgh now, wouldn't it be nice to make a statement right from the get go? Romeo Crennel also has a chance to improve his divisional record early in the season, because the Browns face three AFC North teams within the first four weeks of the season, with all three of them being at home. If Crennel cannot put together at least a 2-1 record in those games, I'm pretty sure we'll officially be searching for a new head coach.

Here is the full regular season schedule:

• Week 1: Sun. Sept. 9, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 2: Sun. Sept. 16, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 3: Sun. Sept. 23, Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders (4:05 p.m.)
• Week 4: Sun. Sept. 30, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 5: Sun. Oct. 7, Cleveland Browns vs. New England Patriots (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 6: Sun. Oct. 14, Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 7: Sun. Oct. 21, BYE WEEK
• Week 8: Sun. Oct. 28, Cleveland Browns vs. St. Louis Rams (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 9: Sun. Nov. 4, Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns (4:05 p.m.)
• Week 10: Sun. Nov. 11, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 11: Sun. Nov. 18, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 12: Sun. Nov. 25, Houston Texans vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 13: Sun. Dec. 2, Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m.)
• Week 14: Sun. Dec. 9, Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets (4:15 p.m.)
• Week 15: Sun. Dec. 16, Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 16: Sun. Dec. 23, Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 p.m.)
• Week 17: Sun. Dec. 30, San Francisco 49ers vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m.)

Overall, this is, in my opinion, the year in which we're facing the lease competitive divisions. We all know how mediocre the NFC West was last year, and the AFC East is typically full of two or three 7-9 or 8-8 teams. Plus, adding in the fact that we also face the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders due to our fourth place finish, there will be no excuses in terms of scheduling for Crennel. Unfortunately, it seems like we're having to say this every year as Browns fans.