By Ryan Altizer -- The only thing more difficult than getting ready for a really big game is moving on and getting ready to play again after a really big game.

Both the Philadelphia Soul, who looked ready to accept the Jim Foster Trophy after Monday’s big win, and the Dallas Desperados, who disappointingly looked like they didn’t belong on the same field with the Soul, face that test this week.

For the Soul, they will have to overcome the dreaded OC. I don’t mean “offensive coordinator” and I don’t even mean the departed TV series about Orange County, though many people did dread that. What I’m talking about is overconfidence. This week has been a great big love-fest for the Soul, who made a clear claim to the label of being the league’s best team. However, they will be tested in Cleveland this week, and Friday’s game may be the biggest indicator of how good this team really is. If they come out, win easy and look good doing it, everyone else should run and hide. If they struggle, it will be apparent that they have some flaws the very tough National Conference might be able to exploit come playoff time.

As for the Desperados, the team who came out on the losing end of Monday’s “Game of the Year, Part 1” will be trying to forgget the unforgettable. Being so grossly outplayed in such a hyped game will undoubtedly leave a bitter taste in their mouths.

That sting they are now feeling can ultimately be a good thing or a bad thing. If it lingers too long, it can drag this very talented team down into a rut they may never recover from. On the other hand, if they can use it as incentive – as a lasting reminder of an embarrassing moment from this long marathon of a season – then it may be just the thing that puts them over the top.

You see, Dallas never suffered an indignity like the one they faced on Monday night in either of the previous two regular seasons. The Desperados ran roughshod over the league each of the past two years, only to get into the playoffs and lay a big fat egg. It almost seemed like the pressure of being the favorite was too much for them to bear.

Being free of that burden may be just what the doctor ordered for this squad.

This year will be different. Now they can be the hunter, instead of the hunted. The great big target that’s been on their backs for the last few years is now pinned tightly to the backside of their biggest rival.

If their miserable showing in a 57-28 rout lit any kind of fire in Dallas, the way Soul DB Eddie Moten rubbed the win in the face of Desperados QB Clint Dolezel is sure to throw gasoline on it. I am not ashamed to say that I am really looking forward to the rematch between these teams on June 7, when they play in Dallas.

Now Philadelphia, a team that is not exactly known for having a history of clutch playoff wins, has the big reputation to live up to. Will they suffer the same fate that has plagued Dallas the last couple of seasons? Or will they be able to take their new status as the baddest dude on the block and run with it.

Either way, one thing the AFL has proven the last few years is that it does not crown champions in the Spring. No matter how dominant you are in April, you still need to prove it come July.

Just ask Dallas.