As enjoyable as this trip down Memory Lane as been for me with this ten-part series, and hopefully for any Ohio State fan who has read the articles, it begs the inevitable question - how much longer will Jim Tressel be the head coach for Ohio State?
In March of 2010, Ohio State extended Coach Tressel's contract by two years, taking him through the 2014 season. Coach Tressel's current team, as well as his incoming class of recruits in 2011 and 2012, will keep Ohio State competitive in both The Big Ten and the national rankings through the remainder of his current contract.
As much as Coach Tressel admires Coach Joe Paterno of Penn State, Tressel has stated that he has no ambition to coach well into his eighties. The current contract would expire when Coach Tressel would be 62 years young, allowing him time to pursue other areas of interest beyond the coaching arena.
Could politics be in his future? Some people, such as former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman, have speculated it could be possible. After all, the man whom many have nicknamed "The Senator" would be tremendously popular and easily electable within the state of Ohio.
Any individual who has read Coach Tressel's fine book The Winners Manual will quickly learn that football is not the end-all, be-all of Coach Tressel's life. Community service is a core aspect of his life, and his players' lives.
While I will not entirely rule out a political future in Coach Tressel's future, I am going to take a less risky route, one that Coach Tressel has taken in his past.
I believe Coach Tressel's second decade at Ohio State, perhaps at the end of his next contract in 2014, or one shortly after that, will conclude with his ascension into the position of athletic director at Ohio State. Before coming to Ohio State in 2001, Coach Tressel was both the athletic director and head football coach at Youngstown State.
At his core, Coach Tressel considers himself a teacher, first and foremost. I believe he cherishes the opportunity to be involved within the campus community at Ohio State, teaching a heavily-demanded football class. And I believe he has fostered a teaching atmosphere within his staff that he hopes to continue upon the conclusion of his coaching days, like Barry Alvarez did at Wisconsin or the late Bo Schembechler did at Michigan.
Ideally, one of Coach Tressel's prize disciples who have moved onto head coaching positions, such as Darrell Hazell of Kent State or Tim Beckman of Toledo, will win enough to move into possible consideration. And if Coach Tressel is the athletic director, he can simply hire that individual, knowing that the foundations of the program he cultivated will remain intact.
Perhaps I am mistaken, and all I have speculated about will be cause for ridicule in the future. Regardless, Coach Tressel has taken a strong program from 2001 and has made it stronger, and I am tremendously appreciative of the past decade, and look forward to the 2011 season and beyond with Coach Tressel at the helm.
I am going to conclude this series with some of Coach Tressel's words, excerpted from the book What It Means To Be A Buckeye...
"It means we are extraordinarily blessed and we have an awesome responsibility to uphold the higher standards that have been set before us. It means we have a tradition that is second to none. It means we love Ohio State."
Part Nine: The Team
Part Eight: Michigan
Part Seven: The Comparisons
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
TTUN
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Team (Ninth In A Series)
Trying to assemble a team of players for Jim Tressel's first decade was not an easy task. Intentionally, I set up some restrictions to make this team as "Tresselized" as possible.
First, I only considered players who began their Ohio State playing careers in 2001. This eliminated many players from the 2002 national championship team that Tressel inherited from previous head coach John Cooper. Players such as QB Craig Krenzel, DE Will Smith, LB Matt Wilhelm, S Michael Doss - all key contributors to the national championship run, were not recruited by Jim Tressel and had not played for only Jim Tressel. So that eliminated several great Buckeyes right there.
Secondly, I tried to restrict my selections to those players who were named All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. You will see how this played out below.
Lastly, and this was just a personal effort, I tried to only include players from 2001-2010. Players with eligibility remaining were considered, but I truly tried to find those players who played during the 2001-2010 seasons. You will see below a selection where I broke my own self-imposed rule.
**
Offense
WR Santonio Holmes ~ First team All-Big Ten in 2005
LT Alex Boone ~ First team All Big Ten in 2008
LG Justin Boren was first team All Big Ten media selection in 2009 and 2010. Rob Sims was also considered, as he was an All Big Ten coaches' selection in 2005.
C Nick Mangold ~ Surprisingly, Nick Mangold was only a second-team All Big Ten selection in 2005. Even with Doug Datish being the first-team All-Big Ten center in 2006, I am going to give the nod to Mangold.
RG T.J. Downing ~ First team All Big Ten in 2006
RT Kirk Barton ~ First team All Big Ten in 2007
TE Jake Ballard ~ This was truly a tough selection, as Ohio State does not throw enough to the TE to garner any serious All-Big Ten consideration. I made my selection based upon Ballard's clutch receptions throughout his career.
QB Troy Smith ~ First team All Big Ten in 2006, and Big Ten 2006 offensive player of the year. 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, and more importantly to Ohio State, 3-0 as the starting quarterback against Michigan (2004-2006).
FB Zach Boren ~ Here is an example of needing to break my own rules. Boren has two years of eligibility remaining for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, but he is arguably the best fullback Jim Tressel has had during his Ohio State tenure.
RB Maurice Clarett ~ First team All Big Ten in 2002. Yes, I know how much of a headache Clarett was, and I know Chris Wells was also All Big Ten in 2007. I give Clarett the nod here simply because Ohio State would not have won the national championship without him in 2002 - click on the link for the highlights from 2002, and you will see for yourself all the big plays Clarett made for the team.
WR Dane Sanzenbacher ~ First team All Big Ten in 2010. I know that either Anthony Gonzalez or Ted Ginn, Jr. could be here as well, but Sanzenbacher was a selection by both the coaches and media. Gonzalez was a coaches' selection in 2006, while Ginn was a media selection in 2006. Sanzenbacher truly was the type of receiver for Ohio State who would make clutch plays when the Buckeyes needed them. Ohio State will truly miss Sanzenbacher in 2011.
Defense
CB Chris Gamble ~ Gamble was recruited as a wide receiver in 2001, but his play at cornerback in 2002 was crucial to the national championship team. Gamble was All Big Ten in 2002 and 2003. Ashton Youboty was also considered for his All Big Ten play in 2005.
DE Mike Kudla ~ First team All Big Ten in 2005
DT Cameron Heyward ~ First team All Big Ten in 2010. Heyward's performance in the 2011 Sugar Bowl should have resulted in the MVP award for that game.
DT Quinn Pitcock ~ First team All Big Ten in 2006
DE Vernon Gholston ~ First team All Big Ten in 2007, and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year in 2007.
LB A.J. Hawk ~ First team All Big Ten in 2003, 2004, 2005, and Hawk was Big Ten defensive player of the year in 2005.
LB James Laurinaitis ~ First team All Big Ten in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Laurinaitis was also the Big Ten defensive player of the year in 2007 and 2008.
LB Brian Rolle ~ First team All Big Ten in 2010. Ross Homan was also considered, but Rolle gets the nod as he was selected by both the coaches and media, while Homan was a media first team selection in 2010.
CB Malcolm Jenkins ~ First team All Big Ten in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
SS Donte Whitner ~ First team All Big Ten in 2005
FS Kurt Coleman ~ First team All Big Ten in 2009
Specialists
KR/PR Ted Ginn, Jr ~ There is not an official kick returner or punt returner position category as awarded by The Big Ten, but who else besides Ted Ginn, Jr. could truly be considered for this job?
PK Mike Nugent ~ "The Nuge" was first team All Big Ten in 2004.
P A. J. Trapasso ~ Another difficult selection. Andy Groom was the punter on the 2002 national championship team, but Groom also played for John Cooper. Same for B.J. Sander in 2003. Trapasso was an honorable mention selection in 2007.
Part Eight: Michigan
Part Seven: The Comparisons
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Saturday, January 29, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: Michigan (Eighth In A Series)
From the day he was hired on January 18, 2001, Coach Jim Tressel has made "THE GAME" a priority, and the results have been impressive. Nine wins in ten years, and seven straight wins in the series. A truly remarkable turnaround from the days when Ohio State fans lamented Coach John Cooper's 2-10-1 record against "That Team Up North".
Below are my rankings, with various links, on Coach Tressel's victories in "THE GAME". As always, I am open to discussion and debate on how I came to the rankings. Enjoy.
**
9. 2010 (Ohio State 37, Michigan 7). I was in attendance for this one (thanks again for the ticket, Sean), and it truly never felt like it was in doubt. Ohio State led 10-7, when Jordan Hall returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and Ohio State never looked back. Coach Rich Rodriguez left the rivalry having never tasted victory, going 0-3 against Ohio State.
8. 2009 (Ohio State 21, Michigan 10). The closest of the games that took place during Rich Rodriguez's tenure as Michigan's head coach, Ohio State was able to capitalize on multiple turnovers by Michigan QB Tate Forcier for this win. Ohio State was able to knock Michigan from bowl eligibility with this win, clinch the outright Big Ten championship, and Ohio State fans were able to openly mock Coach Rodriguez with signs and the O-H-I-O cheer in Michigan Stadium.
You may be wondering why I rated these two games as my lowest of the Michigan wins in Coach Tressel's first ten years - it might have to do with the altered uniforms that were selected in both 2009 and 2010.
**
7. 2008 (Ohio State 42, Michigan 7). Ohio State throttled Michigan in Coach Rodriguez's first trip to Columbus. The game could be encapsulated by this one play. In July of 2008, someone foolishly predicted Michigan would go 4-8 in Coach Rodriguez's first season - actually, Michigan wound up 3-9 in 2008.
6. 2007 (Ohio State 14, Michigan 3). Michigan RB Mike Hart made the statement prior to the 2007 season that he came back for his senior season to win the national championship, and to "beat the Buckeyes" - neither came to pass, and Hart left Michigan winless against Ohio State in his career. Pregame speculation was rampant that this would be Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr's last season, and it turned out to be true, with Carr resigning a few days after this game. Ohio State, behind the running of RB Chris Wells and a dominant defensive effort, won their fourth straight game in the series to clinch The Big Ten and a Rose Bowl berth. Ohio State vaulted to the 2008 BCS Championship Game a few weeks after this game, with Pittsburgh's upset of West Virginia.
5. 2004 (Ohio State 37, Michigan 21). The game that started the current win streak, and my lovely wife and I were in attendance for this one (thanks again for the tickets, John). Ohio State was only 6-4 coming into this game, with Michigan 9-1, and Ohio State dominated the second half. Michigan wound up with a touchdown near the end, but this game was pretty much done for most of the fourth quarter. This game also served as the emphatic announcement of Ohio State QB Troy Smith as a dynamic playmaker for Ohio State, beating Michigan with both his arm and his legs.
4. 2005 (Ohio State 25, Michigan 21). This game in Ann Arbor definitely would have qualified for the nailbiter category, if I had not decided to have excluded it for this part of the series. Michigan led late in the fourth quarter 21-12, before Ohio State was able to mount a furious comeback, led by Troy Smith. Ohio State WR Anthony Gonzalez will forever be remembered for "The Catch" that led to Ohio State's victory that allowed Ohio State to share the conference title with Penn State in 2005.
3. 2001 (Ohio State 26, Michigan 20). Coach Tressel called his shot 310 days earlier, on the day he was hired and introduced. For the first time since 1987, Ohio State went into Ann Arbor, and left with a victory. Michigan native Craig Krenzel made his first career start for Ohio State truly memorable. This game not only knocked Michigan out of The Rose Bowl - it served notice to Michigan that Ohio State would be a force to be reckoned with, and is cherished by Ohio State fans everywhere to this day.
2. 2006 (Ohio State 42, Michigan 39). #1 versus #2, both undefeated, with the winner advancing to The BCS Championship Game. The death of former Michigan head coach (and former Ohio State assistant coach under Coach Woody Hayes) Bo Schembechler the day before "THE GAME". Troy Smith in his last home game in Ohio Stadium, destined to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy. Michigan battled until the final seconds, when Ohio State was able to secure an onside kick attempt and run out the clock with RB Antonio Pittman.
1. 2002 (Ohio State 14, Michigan 9). Even though the 2006 game matched both teams when they were undefeated, this game gets my nod as being the best of the victories as Ohio State won this game to advance to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship against Miami (FL). I was in attendance for this one (thanks again for the tickets, Painter), and I can vividly recall watching Michigan QB John Navarre drop back to pass on the final play of the game that was intercepted at the goal line by Ohio State DB Will Allen.
All in all, a very impressive list. It almost makes me want to say something to the effect of "Hail To The Victors...Champions By The Vest".
Part Seven: The Comparisons
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Below are my rankings, with various links, on Coach Tressel's victories in "THE GAME". As always, I am open to discussion and debate on how I came to the rankings. Enjoy.
**
9. 2010 (Ohio State 37, Michigan 7). I was in attendance for this one (thanks again for the ticket, Sean), and it truly never felt like it was in doubt. Ohio State led 10-7, when Jordan Hall returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and Ohio State never looked back. Coach Rich Rodriguez left the rivalry having never tasted victory, going 0-3 against Ohio State.
8. 2009 (Ohio State 21, Michigan 10). The closest of the games that took place during Rich Rodriguez's tenure as Michigan's head coach, Ohio State was able to capitalize on multiple turnovers by Michigan QB Tate Forcier for this win. Ohio State was able to knock Michigan from bowl eligibility with this win, clinch the outright Big Ten championship, and Ohio State fans were able to openly mock Coach Rodriguez with signs and the O-H-I-O cheer in Michigan Stadium.
You may be wondering why I rated these two games as my lowest of the Michigan wins in Coach Tressel's first ten years - it might have to do with the altered uniforms that were selected in both 2009 and 2010.
**
7. 2008 (Ohio State 42, Michigan 7). Ohio State throttled Michigan in Coach Rodriguez's first trip to Columbus. The game could be encapsulated by this one play. In July of 2008, someone foolishly predicted Michigan would go 4-8 in Coach Rodriguez's first season - actually, Michigan wound up 3-9 in 2008.
6. 2007 (Ohio State 14, Michigan 3). Michigan RB Mike Hart made the statement prior to the 2007 season that he came back for his senior season to win the national championship, and to "beat the Buckeyes" - neither came to pass, and Hart left Michigan winless against Ohio State in his career. Pregame speculation was rampant that this would be Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr's last season, and it turned out to be true, with Carr resigning a few days after this game. Ohio State, behind the running of RB Chris Wells and a dominant defensive effort, won their fourth straight game in the series to clinch The Big Ten and a Rose Bowl berth. Ohio State vaulted to the 2008 BCS Championship Game a few weeks after this game, with Pittsburgh's upset of West Virginia.
5. 2004 (Ohio State 37, Michigan 21). The game that started the current win streak, and my lovely wife and I were in attendance for this one (thanks again for the tickets, John). Ohio State was only 6-4 coming into this game, with Michigan 9-1, and Ohio State dominated the second half. Michigan wound up with a touchdown near the end, but this game was pretty much done for most of the fourth quarter. This game also served as the emphatic announcement of Ohio State QB Troy Smith as a dynamic playmaker for Ohio State, beating Michigan with both his arm and his legs.
4. 2005 (Ohio State 25, Michigan 21). This game in Ann Arbor definitely would have qualified for the nailbiter category, if I had not decided to have excluded it for this part of the series. Michigan led late in the fourth quarter 21-12, before Ohio State was able to mount a furious comeback, led by Troy Smith. Ohio State WR Anthony Gonzalez will forever be remembered for "The Catch" that led to Ohio State's victory that allowed Ohio State to share the conference title with Penn State in 2005.
3. 2001 (Ohio State 26, Michigan 20). Coach Tressel called his shot 310 days earlier, on the day he was hired and introduced. For the first time since 1987, Ohio State went into Ann Arbor, and left with a victory. Michigan native Craig Krenzel made his first career start for Ohio State truly memorable. This game not only knocked Michigan out of The Rose Bowl - it served notice to Michigan that Ohio State would be a force to be reckoned with, and is cherished by Ohio State fans everywhere to this day.
2. 2006 (Ohio State 42, Michigan 39). #1 versus #2, both undefeated, with the winner advancing to The BCS Championship Game. The death of former Michigan head coach (and former Ohio State assistant coach under Coach Woody Hayes) Bo Schembechler the day before "THE GAME". Troy Smith in his last home game in Ohio Stadium, destined to win the 2006 Heisman Trophy. Michigan battled until the final seconds, when Ohio State was able to secure an onside kick attempt and run out the clock with RB Antonio Pittman.
1. 2002 (Ohio State 14, Michigan 9). Even though the 2006 game matched both teams when they were undefeated, this game gets my nod as being the best of the victories as Ohio State won this game to advance to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship against Miami (FL). I was in attendance for this one (thanks again for the tickets, Painter), and I can vividly recall watching Michigan QB John Navarre drop back to pass on the final play of the game that was intercepted at the goal line by Ohio State DB Will Allen.
All in all, a very impressive list. It almost makes me want to say something to the effect of "Hail To The Victors...Champions By The Vest".
Part Seven: The Comparisons
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Thursday, January 27, 2011
[Columbus Dispatch] Blogging the Buckeyes: Stan Drayton named to OSU staff
By TIM MAY
|
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Comparisons (Seventh In A Series)
After ten seasons at Ohio State, Jim Tressel's record stands at 106-22, an impressive accomplishment. I have taken the opportunity in previous posts to discuss Coach Tressel's winning seasons, close wins, and bowl victories.
One interesting aspect I wanted to examine was how Coach Tressel's record after ten years compared to other Ohio State coaches. Including Coach Tressel, there have been 22 men who have coached Ohio State, but only four - John Wilce, Woody Hayes, John Cooper, and Tressel - have lasted at least ten seasons as the head football coach at Ohio State. The derisive nickname "Graveyard Of Coaches" that Ohio State was tagged with many years ago may have been well-deserved.
John Wilce ~ (1913-1928; 16 seasons) Of all the men on this list, Wilce will both suffer by comparison, as well as stand out by comparison. Let me provide the stand out comparison first - Wilce concluded his coaching career at Ohio State to become a physician, as well as teach medicine at Ohio State. There truly are not too many football coaches that you could compare Wilce to in this regard.
The suffering comparison is the fact that Wilce was the coach of an Ohio State team and program that was in its beginning stages, as college football was beginning to become a national phenomenon. When compared to today, there were few bowl games, no national rankings, or postseason awards such as the Heisman Trophy to even compare Wilce to Hayes, Cooper, or Tressel. Some of the notable opponents Ohio State played back in those days were Ohio Wesleyan, Oberlin, Denison, and Case Western Reserve.
Notably, John Wilce was the head coach when Ohio State decided to join the then-named Western Conference, before it was named The Big Ten. Wilce was also the head coach of "Chic" Harley, who was considered Ohio State's greatest player in the early years of the program; Harley's jersey is now retired in Ohio Stadium. Speaking of Ohio Stadium, Wilce was the head coach of the newly-created Ohio Stadium in 1922.
John Wilce's ten year record between 1913-1922 stood at 53-16-3, for a winning percentage of 74%. Wilce's teams were Big Ten champions in 1916-17 and 1920, had three victories over Michigan in 1919-21, and appeared in the Rose Bowl after the 1920 season (28-0 loss to California).
Woody Hayes ~ The coach who defined Ohio State football for over a quarter of a century. Every coach who has followed Hayes is compared to Hayes, fairly or unfairly.
One thing to point out as it relates to Coach Hayes is that Hayes was not the first choice of the Ohio State selection committee back in 1951 - Missouri's Don Faurot was tabbed for the job, but backed out at the last moment. Hayes was then hired from Miami University, and held the job for the next 28 seasons.
Coach Hayes' first ten seasons from 1951-1960 resulted in a record of 64-23-5, for a winning percentage of 70%. Coach Hayes' teams defeated Michigan six times, won three Big Ten titles (1954-55, 1957), appeared in the Rose Bowl twice, and were national champions in 1954. Ohio State was voted national champions by UPI in 1957, finishing second to Auburn in the AP poll.
John Cooper ~ The coach who was never truly embraced by the Ohio State faithful. Hired from Arizona State, Coach Cooper led Ohio State from 1988 through the 2000 season.
As I wrote up above, Coach Cooper suffered for two sins in the eyes of Ohio State fans - an inability to defeat Michigan, and losing bowl games. In Coach Cooper's first ten years from 1988-1997, Coach Cooper had a record of 86-32-4, for a winning percentage of 70%. Coach Cooper's teams tied Michigan in 1992, defeated them in 1994, were victorious in the 1993 Holiday Bowl over BYU, and were Big Ten co-champions in 1993 and 1996. The most notable victory took place in the 1997 Rose Bowl, with a dramatic victory over Arizona State.
Summary ~
By comparison, Coach Tressel has a superior winning percentage (83%), more victories over Michigan (9), more bowl victories (6), and more Big Ten championships (7). The only area where his predecessor Coach Hayes has the upper hand is in national championships, and Coach Tressel's teams have played for it three times in his first ten seasons, winning it in 2002.
Ohio State fans may truly be experiencing the golden age of Ohio State football with Coach Tressel.
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
One interesting aspect I wanted to examine was how Coach Tressel's record after ten years compared to other Ohio State coaches. Including Coach Tressel, there have been 22 men who have coached Ohio State, but only four - John Wilce, Woody Hayes, John Cooper, and Tressel - have lasted at least ten seasons as the head football coach at Ohio State. The derisive nickname "Graveyard Of Coaches" that Ohio State was tagged with many years ago may have been well-deserved.
John Wilce ~ (1913-1928; 16 seasons) Of all the men on this list, Wilce will both suffer by comparison, as well as stand out by comparison. Let me provide the stand out comparison first - Wilce concluded his coaching career at Ohio State to become a physician, as well as teach medicine at Ohio State. There truly are not too many football coaches that you could compare Wilce to in this regard.
The suffering comparison is the fact that Wilce was the coach of an Ohio State team and program that was in its beginning stages, as college football was beginning to become a national phenomenon. When compared to today, there were few bowl games, no national rankings, or postseason awards such as the Heisman Trophy to even compare Wilce to Hayes, Cooper, or Tressel. Some of the notable opponents Ohio State played back in those days were Ohio Wesleyan, Oberlin, Denison, and Case Western Reserve.
Notably, John Wilce was the head coach when Ohio State decided to join the then-named Western Conference, before it was named The Big Ten. Wilce was also the head coach of "Chic" Harley, who was considered Ohio State's greatest player in the early years of the program; Harley's jersey is now retired in Ohio Stadium. Speaking of Ohio Stadium, Wilce was the head coach of the newly-created Ohio Stadium in 1922.
John Wilce's ten year record between 1913-1922 stood at 53-16-3, for a winning percentage of 74%. Wilce's teams were Big Ten champions in 1916-17 and 1920, had three victories over Michigan in 1919-21, and appeared in the Rose Bowl after the 1920 season (28-0 loss to California).
Woody Hayes ~ The coach who defined Ohio State football for over a quarter of a century. Every coach who has followed Hayes is compared to Hayes, fairly or unfairly.
One thing to point out as it relates to Coach Hayes is that Hayes was not the first choice of the Ohio State selection committee back in 1951 - Missouri's Don Faurot was tabbed for the job, but backed out at the last moment. Hayes was then hired from Miami University, and held the job for the next 28 seasons.
Coach Hayes' first ten seasons from 1951-1960 resulted in a record of 64-23-5, for a winning percentage of 70%. Coach Hayes' teams defeated Michigan six times, won three Big Ten titles (1954-55, 1957), appeared in the Rose Bowl twice, and were national champions in 1954. Ohio State was voted national champions by UPI in 1957, finishing second to Auburn in the AP poll.
John Cooper ~ The coach who was never truly embraced by the Ohio State faithful. Hired from Arizona State, Coach Cooper led Ohio State from 1988 through the 2000 season.
As I wrote up above, Coach Cooper suffered for two sins in the eyes of Ohio State fans - an inability to defeat Michigan, and losing bowl games. In Coach Cooper's first ten years from 1988-1997, Coach Cooper had a record of 86-32-4, for a winning percentage of 70%. Coach Cooper's teams tied Michigan in 1992, defeated them in 1994, were victorious in the 1993 Holiday Bowl over BYU, and were Big Ten co-champions in 1993 and 1996. The most notable victory took place in the 1997 Rose Bowl, with a dramatic victory over Arizona State.
Summary ~
By comparison, Coach Tressel has a superior winning percentage (83%), more victories over Michigan (9), more bowl victories (6), and more Big Ten championships (7). The only area where his predecessor Coach Hayes has the upper hand is in national championships, and Coach Tressel's teams have played for it three times in his first ten seasons, winning it in 2002.
Ohio State fans may truly be experiencing the golden age of Ohio State football with Coach Tressel.
Part Six: The Bowl Wins
Part Five: The Nailbiters
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Monday, January 24, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Bowl Wins (Sixth In A Series)
In the third part of the series, I wrote about Coach Tressel's ten seasons as head football coach at Ohio State. Over the span of his first ten years at Ohio State, Coach Tressel has compiled a winning bowl record at Ohio State (6-4), and I wanted to take a moment to rank the bowl game victories as I see them.
**
6. Oklahoma State, 2004 Alamo Bowl ~ Ohio State won this game easily, 33-7. Justin Zwick earned the start for the suspended Troy Smith, and even Ted Ginn, Jr. got into the act at quarterback. This game definitely qualified as a consolation game for Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to close out with an 8-4 record. Ohio State finished the year ranked 19th in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, 20th in the AP poll.
5. Kansas State, 2004 Fiesta Bowl ~ Another thoroughly dominant performance by Ohio State, despite what the final score showed (35-28). Ohio State led this game 35-14 before taking their foot off the gas, allowing Kansas State to get back into it. Ohio State finished 11-2, ranked 4th in both polls.
4. Notre Dame, 2006 Fiesta Bowl ~ This was the bowl game performance that led college football fans to rank Ohio State the preseason favorite for 2006. Ohio State rolled up 617 yards of total offense on Notre Dame. Considering this was also a battle between future brothers-in law (A.J. Hawk of Ohio State, Brady Quinn of Notre Dame), this also brought out some interesting signs from the Ohio State fans in attendance. Ohio State finished 10-2, ranked 4th in both polls.
3. Oregon, 2010 Rose Bowl ~ Ohio State had lost three straight bowl games, and was considered to be too slow to stop Oregon's high-scoring, fast-paced offense. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, with a partially torn PCL, kept Oregon off balance with effective passing and timely running. Surprisingly, someone actually predicted "Tressel Ball" to be the solid strategy and difference in this game that halted Ohio State's streak of bowl losses. Ohio State finished the season ranked 5th in both polls.
2. Arkansas, 2011 Sugar Bowl ~ All Ohio State fans, players, and coaches kept hearing and reading about was how Ohio State was 0-9 against the SEC in bowl games. The "Tattoo 5" controversy overshadowed the talk of the streak in the days leading up to the game. Surprisingly, someone again actually predicted an Ohio State victory against a supposedly faster opponent. Despite a rather conservative game plan in the second half (Terrelle Pryor threw the ball only six times in the second half), as well as an injury-depleted secondary, Ohio State held on for a nailbiter to edge Arkansas, 31-26. Ohio State finished the season ranked 5th in both polls at season's end.
1. Miami (FL), 2003 Fiesta Bowl ~ Ranked as one of the greatest games in football history, the Ohio State victory over Miami for its first national championship since 1968 was the first national championship game to go into overtime. For a team that lived on the edge all season, going into double overtime, and winning the game on a 4th down, goal line stand seemed a fitting way to win.
The talent level alone was extraordinary - of the 43 starters, 37 players went on to play in the NFL (86%).
One thing to consider - what did Clinton Portis do after he could not throw his celebration party for the Hurricanes?
**
6. Oklahoma State, 2004 Alamo Bowl ~ Ohio State won this game easily, 33-7. Justin Zwick earned the start for the suspended Troy Smith, and even Ted Ginn, Jr. got into the act at quarterback. This game definitely qualified as a consolation game for Ohio State, helping the Buckeyes to close out with an 8-4 record. Ohio State finished the year ranked 19th in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, 20th in the AP poll.
5. Kansas State, 2004 Fiesta Bowl ~ Another thoroughly dominant performance by Ohio State, despite what the final score showed (35-28). Ohio State led this game 35-14 before taking their foot off the gas, allowing Kansas State to get back into it. Ohio State finished 11-2, ranked 4th in both polls.
4. Notre Dame, 2006 Fiesta Bowl ~ This was the bowl game performance that led college football fans to rank Ohio State the preseason favorite for 2006. Ohio State rolled up 617 yards of total offense on Notre Dame. Considering this was also a battle between future brothers-in law (A.J. Hawk of Ohio State, Brady Quinn of Notre Dame), this also brought out some interesting signs from the Ohio State fans in attendance. Ohio State finished 10-2, ranked 4th in both polls.
3. Oregon, 2010 Rose Bowl ~ Ohio State had lost three straight bowl games, and was considered to be too slow to stop Oregon's high-scoring, fast-paced offense. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, with a partially torn PCL, kept Oregon off balance with effective passing and timely running. Surprisingly, someone actually predicted "Tressel Ball" to be the solid strategy and difference in this game that halted Ohio State's streak of bowl losses. Ohio State finished the season ranked 5th in both polls.
2. Arkansas, 2011 Sugar Bowl ~ All Ohio State fans, players, and coaches kept hearing and reading about was how Ohio State was 0-9 against the SEC in bowl games. The "Tattoo 5" controversy overshadowed the talk of the streak in the days leading up to the game. Surprisingly, someone again actually predicted an Ohio State victory against a supposedly faster opponent. Despite a rather conservative game plan in the second half (Terrelle Pryor threw the ball only six times in the second half), as well as an injury-depleted secondary, Ohio State held on for a nailbiter to edge Arkansas, 31-26. Ohio State finished the season ranked 5th in both polls at season's end.
1. Miami (FL), 2003 Fiesta Bowl ~ Ranked as one of the greatest games in football history, the Ohio State victory over Miami for its first national championship since 1968 was the first national championship game to go into overtime. For a team that lived on the edge all season, going into double overtime, and winning the game on a 4th down, goal line stand seemed a fitting way to win.
The talent level alone was extraordinary - of the 43 starters, 37 players went on to play in the NFL (86%).
One thing to consider - what did Clinton Portis do after he could not throw his celebration party for the Hurricanes?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Nailbiters (Fifth In A Series)
Tressel Ball. It is a phrase that Ohio State fans have come to like, love, or loathe during Coach Jim Tressel's first decade at Ohio State.
There is an old cliche about a team taking on the attitude of its coach. Like, love, or loathe Tressel Ball, but Coach Jim Tressel is unflappable and stoic on the sidelines, never showing any signs of distress or concern, and that calm approach has been a mainstay of Ohio State football since 2001.
A few years ago, I met two former Youngstown State players, and we began to talk about a typical game at Youngstown State when Coach Tressel was there. Both men said Youngstown State were usually in close games, decided on superior special teams play, solid defense, and a dependable ground game. Neither man was surprised that Coach Tressel used the same formula at Ohio State, as it was tremendously effective for him at Youngstown State.
I believe Rusty Miller of the Associated Press may have articulated Coach Tressel's nature best - "Pouring a bucket of ice water on this guy brings his temperature up."
This article is going to focus on ten close games that took place between 2001-2010. Just to put a little more pressure on myself, I purposely did not include any games from the 2002 national championship season, as almost any Ohio State fan will recall that just about every game that season seemed to come down to the wire (@ Cincinnati, @ Wisconsin, Penn State, @ Purdue, @ Illinois).
Just to make it even more challenging, I deliberately omitted any of the games between Ohio State and Michigan that were close calls. Not to worry - a future article in this series will discuss Coach Tressel's success against That Team Up North.
My criteria? Margin of victory, time remaining, and if the game was down to the last play or overtime. Enjoy.
**
Honorable Mention: @ Michigan State, 2004 ~ This one wound up 32-19 for the Buckeyes, but victory appeared from far certain. Ohio State trailed 19-17, until Troy Smith hooked up with Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 58 yard touchdown with only 1:37 left in the game. I will never forget Ginn's acceleration after the catch in this game.
10. Bowling Green, 2003 ~ Ohio State seemed to have this one well in hand, until Bowling Green clawed their way back into it late in the fourth quarter. Will Allen's late interception of Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris helped Ohio State avoid the upset.
9. San Diego State, 2003 ~ Ohio State was favored by 32 points, yet barely survived the Aztecs, winning 16-13. Will Allen had a 100 yard interception return that gave Ohio State the lead late in the first half. San Diego State were driving late in the game, yet failed to convert on downs, and Ohio State ran out the clock.
8. Navy, 2009 ~ The 2009 season opener came down to the wire. All summer long, I told friends that Navy's option attack would not be easy to stop, and it came down to a Brian Rolle interception off a two point conversion attempt with only a little over two minutes remaining that prevented the game from possibly going into overtime.
7. @ Iowa, 2010 ~ 4th and 10 to go, 4 minutes left, Ohio State trailing 17-13. Ohio State loses, and their chances at a sixth share of the Big Ten and a BCS bowl game are done. Terrelle Pryor scrambles for 14 yards, hits Dane Sanzenbacher for a clutch reception, and "Boom" Herron scores the winning touchdown with only 1:47 left. Iowa's Ricky Stanzi's 4th down pass to WR Marvin McNutt wound up two yards shy of the first down marker, and Ohio State ran out the clock.
6. @ Wisconsin, 2008 ~ Ohio State trailed Wisconsin 17-13. Behind true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State drove down the field into scoring position. Pryor ran the option, Wisconsin committed to playing Chris Wells off the pitch, and Pryor sprinted into the end zone with only about a minute remaining. Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins intercepted on Wisconsin's next possession to seal the victory.
5. @ Penn State, 2003 ~ Playing for the injured Craig Krenzel, backup quarterback Scott McMullen found Michael Jenkins in the end zone with only 1:35 on the clock. Penn State attempted a 60 yard field goal that did not make it, and Ohio State escaped with a 21-20 victory.
4. Marshall, 2004 ~ "The Nuge" nailed a 55 yard field goal on the last play of the game for Ohio State to defeat Marshall 24-21.
3. Purdue, 2003 (OT) ~ I was in attendance for this game. Ohio State held on against Purdue 16-13 in its last home game of the season, despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. Mike Nugent kicked a field goal in overtime to give Ohio State the win, and Purdue's Ben Jones missed a field goal that would have sent the game into a second overtime period.
2. Iowa, 2009 (OT) ~ Ohio State held a 24-10 lead over Iowa as the 4th quarter began, but the Hawkeyes battled back to tie it and force overtime. Ohio State's defense forced Iowa to turn the ball over on downs in the overtime period, and PK Devin Barclay kicked a 39 yard field goal to clinch a fifth straight Big Ten championship and send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl.
1. North Carolina State, 2003 (3OT) ~ I was in attendance for this one, with several members of my family, including my lovely wife. At one point, it looked like Ohio State had this one in the bag, when Philip Rivers rallied North Carolina State to send this game into overtime.
Both teams scored in their opening possessions, forcing a third overtime period. Craig Krenzel hit Michael Jenkins to make it 44-38, in favor of Ohio State. Philip Rivers had North Carolina State near the goal line, ready to tie or win, when T.A. McLendon was stopped short of the goal line by a foot by Will Allen and A.J. Hawk. What a tremendous game to witness in person.
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
There is an old cliche about a team taking on the attitude of its coach. Like, love, or loathe Tressel Ball, but Coach Jim Tressel is unflappable and stoic on the sidelines, never showing any signs of distress or concern, and that calm approach has been a mainstay of Ohio State football since 2001.
A few years ago, I met two former Youngstown State players, and we began to talk about a typical game at Youngstown State when Coach Tressel was there. Both men said Youngstown State were usually in close games, decided on superior special teams play, solid defense, and a dependable ground game. Neither man was surprised that Coach Tressel used the same formula at Ohio State, as it was tremendously effective for him at Youngstown State.
I believe Rusty Miller of the Associated Press may have articulated Coach Tressel's nature best - "Pouring a bucket of ice water on this guy brings his temperature up."
This article is going to focus on ten close games that took place between 2001-2010. Just to put a little more pressure on myself, I purposely did not include any games from the 2002 national championship season, as almost any Ohio State fan will recall that just about every game that season seemed to come down to the wire (@ Cincinnati, @ Wisconsin, Penn State, @ Purdue, @ Illinois).
Just to make it even more challenging, I deliberately omitted any of the games between Ohio State and Michigan that were close calls. Not to worry - a future article in this series will discuss Coach Tressel's success against That Team Up North.
My criteria? Margin of victory, time remaining, and if the game was down to the last play or overtime. Enjoy.
**
Honorable Mention: @ Michigan State, 2004 ~ This one wound up 32-19 for the Buckeyes, but victory appeared from far certain. Ohio State trailed 19-17, until Troy Smith hooked up with Ted Ginn, Jr. for a 58 yard touchdown with only 1:37 left in the game. I will never forget Ginn's acceleration after the catch in this game.
10. Bowling Green, 2003 ~ Ohio State seemed to have this one well in hand, until Bowling Green clawed their way back into it late in the fourth quarter. Will Allen's late interception of Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris helped Ohio State avoid the upset.
9. San Diego State, 2003 ~ Ohio State was favored by 32 points, yet barely survived the Aztecs, winning 16-13. Will Allen had a 100 yard interception return that gave Ohio State the lead late in the first half. San Diego State were driving late in the game, yet failed to convert on downs, and Ohio State ran out the clock.
8. Navy, 2009 ~ The 2009 season opener came down to the wire. All summer long, I told friends that Navy's option attack would not be easy to stop, and it came down to a Brian Rolle interception off a two point conversion attempt with only a little over two minutes remaining that prevented the game from possibly going into overtime.
7. @ Iowa, 2010 ~ 4th and 10 to go, 4 minutes left, Ohio State trailing 17-13. Ohio State loses, and their chances at a sixth share of the Big Ten and a BCS bowl game are done. Terrelle Pryor scrambles for 14 yards, hits Dane Sanzenbacher for a clutch reception, and "Boom" Herron scores the winning touchdown with only 1:47 left. Iowa's Ricky Stanzi's 4th down pass to WR Marvin McNutt wound up two yards shy of the first down marker, and Ohio State ran out the clock.
6. @ Wisconsin, 2008 ~ Ohio State trailed Wisconsin 17-13. Behind true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State drove down the field into scoring position. Pryor ran the option, Wisconsin committed to playing Chris Wells off the pitch, and Pryor sprinted into the end zone with only about a minute remaining. Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins intercepted on Wisconsin's next possession to seal the victory.
5. @ Penn State, 2003 ~ Playing for the injured Craig Krenzel, backup quarterback Scott McMullen found Michael Jenkins in the end zone with only 1:35 on the clock. Penn State attempted a 60 yard field goal that did not make it, and Ohio State escaped with a 21-20 victory.
4. Marshall, 2004 ~ "The Nuge" nailed a 55 yard field goal on the last play of the game for Ohio State to defeat Marshall 24-21.
3. Purdue, 2003 (OT) ~ I was in attendance for this game. Ohio State held on against Purdue 16-13 in its last home game of the season, despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. Mike Nugent kicked a field goal in overtime to give Ohio State the win, and Purdue's Ben Jones missed a field goal that would have sent the game into a second overtime period.
2. Iowa, 2009 (OT) ~ Ohio State held a 24-10 lead over Iowa as the 4th quarter began, but the Hawkeyes battled back to tie it and force overtime. Ohio State's defense forced Iowa to turn the ball over on downs in the overtime period, and PK Devin Barclay kicked a 39 yard field goal to clinch a fifth straight Big Ten championship and send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl.
1. North Carolina State, 2003 (3OT) ~ I was in attendance for this one, with several members of my family, including my lovely wife. At one point, it looked like Ohio State had this one in the bag, when Philip Rivers rallied North Carolina State to send this game into overtime.
Both teams scored in their opening possessions, forcing a third overtime period. Craig Krenzel hit Michael Jenkins to make it 44-38, in favor of Ohio State. Philip Rivers had North Carolina State near the goal line, ready to tie or win, when T.A. McLendon was stopped short of the goal line by a foot by Will Allen and A.J. Hawk. What a tremendous game to witness in person.
Part Four: The Defeats
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Defeats (Fourth In A Series)
President John F. Kennedy once stated that "Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.". Fortunately for Ohio State fans during the Jim Tressel era, Ohio State fans have only felt orphaned 22 times over a ten year span.
Any defeat, to a true sports fan, can be heart-wrenching. Remembering, and reliving the painful memories of defeats, is something most sports fans do not readily want to do - I am certainly no exception.
Below are my rankings for the worst defeats during the span of 2001-2010. I have a special section discussing the bowl losses that Ohio State suffered during this time period.
**
10. @ Purdue, 2009 ~ Coming off of an impressive, yet perplexing win over Wisconsin, Ohio State went into West Lafayette ranked 7th in the country, thinking they would get another win over the unranked Boilermakers. Wrong - Purdue outplayed Ohio State all game long, and Ohio State was left to battle the remainder of the season to win the conference championship (which they did weeks later).
9. @ Penn State, 2005 ~ Ohio State came into State College for a night game, off a bye week, hoping to stay in the national championship race. Ohio State was trying to get into scoring position, when Troy Smith was sacked by Penn State DE Tamba Hali. Smith fumbled, Penn State recovered, and ran out the clock to preserve the win. This game hurt, especially in the aftermath of the loss a few weeks earlier to...
8. Texas, 2005 ~ This was a heavily hyped battle between two highly ranked teams, and it did not disappoint. Ohio State fell behind early 10-0, then Troy Smith was inserted into the lineup to rally the Buckeyes to tie it up at 10-10. The story of this game was Ohio State having to continually settle for field goals, versus touchdowns. I still see Justin Zwick's touchdown pass to Ryan Hamby falling incomplete. Texas QB Vince Young later stated that winning in Ohio Stadium helped to give Texas the confidence to win the 2005 national championship.
7. Penn State, 2008 ~ Ohio State and Penn State were in an epic defensive battle, but Ohio State was beginning to move the ball late in the fourth quarter on the Nittany Lions. RB Chris Wells was starting to wear down the Penn State defense, when Ohio State was faced with a short yardage play that would allow Ohio State to retain possession. QB Terrelle Pryor fumbled the ball on the quarterback sneak, Penn State recovered, and Ohio State lost at home 13-6 to Penn State for the first time since Penn State joined The Big Ten.
6. USC, 2009 ~ Playing at home, under the lights, against a true freshman quarterback, Ohio State outplayed USC for most of this game. Ohio State led USC 15-10, when Matt Barkley led USC on a drive to take the lead at 18-15 with only a minute remaining.
5. Illinois, 2007 ~ It was not the fact that Ohio State was ranked number one, and they lost to an unranked Illinois team. It was not the fact that Ohio State lost at home in their last home game of the 2007 season. It was the fact that Illinois was able to essentially run the ball for the last eight minutes of the game, and Ohio State could not stop them or get the ball back.
4. @ Michigan, 2003 ~ Ohio State had suffered a painful loss earlier in the season at Wisconsin, but were still in the national championship race. If Ohio State won this game, they would have played in the 2004 Sugar Bowl for the national championship. Unfortunately, Chris Perry and Braylon Edwards were able to rally Michigan for a 35-21 win over Ohio State.
3. @ Wisconsin, 2010 ~ Relatively fresh in most Ohio State fans' minds, Wisconsin handed Ohio State its only loss of the 2010 season. Ohio State was down 21-3 to Wisconsin, rallying to get close to Wisconsin at 21-18, before Wisconsin effectively ended the game with a late touchdown and field goal to end it at 31-18.
2. @ Iowa, 2004 ~ As you have read through this list, most of these losses have been close games. This one, and the next on the list, were not. Ohio State was coming off two straight losses (at Northwestern, at home to Wisconsin) when they were completely dominated at Iowa. The only bright spot from this loss was the emergence of QB Troy Smith, who came into the game late due to an injury sustained by QB Justin Zwick.
1. @ USC, 2008 ~ In my estimation, this may be the worst regular season loss in Coach Tressel's first ten seasons at Ohio State. Billed as a game between two national championship contenders, USC destroyed Ohio State 35-3. After this game, Ohio State benched starting QB Todd Boeckman and promoted true freshman QB Terrelle Pryor to the starting lineup, essentially getting a jumpstart on the 2009 season and beyond with Pryor at the helm.
(Dishonorable Mention) @ Wisconsin 2003, @ Penn State 2001, @ Northwestern 2004
Bowl Game Defeats: Ohio State suffered two close losses in bowl games, and were crushed in two others.
4. South Carolina, 2002 Outback Bowl ~ South Carolina led Ohio State 28-0, when Ohio State rallied a furious comeback to tie the game. South Carolina intercepted QB Steve Bellisari late, positioning themselves to kick the winning field goal as time expired.
3. Texas, 2009 Fiesta Bowl ~ Ohio State battled Texas to the bitter end in this one, as Texas QB Colt McCoy threw the winning touchdown with only sixteen seconds to defeat Ohio State 24-21.
I have said it before, and I will say it again - I would rather have a chance at playing for the national championship and losing it, then not having it at all.
2. LSU, 2008 BCS Championship Game ~ Ohio State fans had a glimmer of hope as Ohio State took the early lead on LSU, before losing in the Louisiana Superdome 38-24. Chris Wells was punishing LSU defenders, when Ohio State turned away from using their running game. Ohio State fans know that it was only because West Virginia and Missouri lost their games that Ohio State was even in the title game. It hurt losing the national championship game, but not nearly as bad as losing...
1. Florida, 2007 BCS Championship Game ~ Ohio State actually led this game 7-0. Ohio State actually rallied to come close to Florida to make it 21-14, behind the running of RB Antonio Pittman, and then Ohio State inexplicably abandoned their running game. No matter - Ohio State's offense was held to only 82 yards, Florida clearly outplayed Ohio State on both sides of the ball, and Florida shellacked Ohio State to win the national championship.
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Any defeat, to a true sports fan, can be heart-wrenching. Remembering, and reliving the painful memories of defeats, is something most sports fans do not readily want to do - I am certainly no exception.
Below are my rankings for the worst defeats during the span of 2001-2010. I have a special section discussing the bowl losses that Ohio State suffered during this time period.
**
10. @ Purdue, 2009 ~ Coming off of an impressive, yet perplexing win over Wisconsin, Ohio State went into West Lafayette ranked 7th in the country, thinking they would get another win over the unranked Boilermakers. Wrong - Purdue outplayed Ohio State all game long, and Ohio State was left to battle the remainder of the season to win the conference championship (which they did weeks later).
9. @ Penn State, 2005 ~ Ohio State came into State College for a night game, off a bye week, hoping to stay in the national championship race. Ohio State was trying to get into scoring position, when Troy Smith was sacked by Penn State DE Tamba Hali. Smith fumbled, Penn State recovered, and ran out the clock to preserve the win. This game hurt, especially in the aftermath of the loss a few weeks earlier to...
8. Texas, 2005 ~ This was a heavily hyped battle between two highly ranked teams, and it did not disappoint. Ohio State fell behind early 10-0, then Troy Smith was inserted into the lineup to rally the Buckeyes to tie it up at 10-10. The story of this game was Ohio State having to continually settle for field goals, versus touchdowns. I still see Justin Zwick's touchdown pass to Ryan Hamby falling incomplete. Texas QB Vince Young later stated that winning in Ohio Stadium helped to give Texas the confidence to win the 2005 national championship.
7. Penn State, 2008 ~ Ohio State and Penn State were in an epic defensive battle, but Ohio State was beginning to move the ball late in the fourth quarter on the Nittany Lions. RB Chris Wells was starting to wear down the Penn State defense, when Ohio State was faced with a short yardage play that would allow Ohio State to retain possession. QB Terrelle Pryor fumbled the ball on the quarterback sneak, Penn State recovered, and Ohio State lost at home 13-6 to Penn State for the first time since Penn State joined The Big Ten.
6. USC, 2009 ~ Playing at home, under the lights, against a true freshman quarterback, Ohio State outplayed USC for most of this game. Ohio State led USC 15-10, when Matt Barkley led USC on a drive to take the lead at 18-15 with only a minute remaining.
5. Illinois, 2007 ~ It was not the fact that Ohio State was ranked number one, and they lost to an unranked Illinois team. It was not the fact that Ohio State lost at home in their last home game of the 2007 season. It was the fact that Illinois was able to essentially run the ball for the last eight minutes of the game, and Ohio State could not stop them or get the ball back.
4. @ Michigan, 2003 ~ Ohio State had suffered a painful loss earlier in the season at Wisconsin, but were still in the national championship race. If Ohio State won this game, they would have played in the 2004 Sugar Bowl for the national championship. Unfortunately, Chris Perry and Braylon Edwards were able to rally Michigan for a 35-21 win over Ohio State.
3. @ Wisconsin, 2010 ~ Relatively fresh in most Ohio State fans' minds, Wisconsin handed Ohio State its only loss of the 2010 season. Ohio State was down 21-3 to Wisconsin, rallying to get close to Wisconsin at 21-18, before Wisconsin effectively ended the game with a late touchdown and field goal to end it at 31-18.
2. @ Iowa, 2004 ~ As you have read through this list, most of these losses have been close games. This one, and the next on the list, were not. Ohio State was coming off two straight losses (at Northwestern, at home to Wisconsin) when they were completely dominated at Iowa. The only bright spot from this loss was the emergence of QB Troy Smith, who came into the game late due to an injury sustained by QB Justin Zwick.
1. @ USC, 2008 ~ In my estimation, this may be the worst regular season loss in Coach Tressel's first ten seasons at Ohio State. Billed as a game between two national championship contenders, USC destroyed Ohio State 35-3. After this game, Ohio State benched starting QB Todd Boeckman and promoted true freshman QB Terrelle Pryor to the starting lineup, essentially getting a jumpstart on the 2009 season and beyond with Pryor at the helm.
(Dishonorable Mention) @ Wisconsin 2003, @ Penn State 2001, @ Northwestern 2004
Bowl Game Defeats: Ohio State suffered two close losses in bowl games, and were crushed in two others.
4. South Carolina, 2002 Outback Bowl ~ South Carolina led Ohio State 28-0, when Ohio State rallied a furious comeback to tie the game. South Carolina intercepted QB Steve Bellisari late, positioning themselves to kick the winning field goal as time expired.
3. Texas, 2009 Fiesta Bowl ~ Ohio State battled Texas to the bitter end in this one, as Texas QB Colt McCoy threw the winning touchdown with only sixteen seconds to defeat Ohio State 24-21.
I have said it before, and I will say it again - I would rather have a chance at playing for the national championship and losing it, then not having it at all.
2. LSU, 2008 BCS Championship Game ~ Ohio State fans had a glimmer of hope as Ohio State took the early lead on LSU, before losing in the Louisiana Superdome 38-24. Chris Wells was punishing LSU defenders, when Ohio State turned away from using their running game. Ohio State fans know that it was only because West Virginia and Missouri lost their games that Ohio State was even in the title game. It hurt losing the national championship game, but not nearly as bad as losing...
1. Florida, 2007 BCS Championship Game ~ Ohio State actually led this game 7-0. Ohio State actually rallied to come close to Florida to make it 21-14, behind the running of RB Antonio Pittman, and then Ohio State inexplicably abandoned their running game. No matter - Ohio State's offense was held to only 82 yards, Florida clearly outplayed Ohio State on both sides of the ball, and Florida shellacked Ohio State to win the national championship.
Part Three: The Seasons
Part Two: The Recruits
Part One: The Speech
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com: Buckeyes' return a testament to Tressel
Thought this would be enjoyed by readers of the blog. I highlighted and italicized certain areas I deemed relevant…
"Our kids want to finish their degree and their commitment at Ohio State," Tressel told The Dispatch. "That is very important to each and every one of them, and to our staff and entire athletics family."
Four of the five players receiving the stiffest penalties -- Pryor, Herron, Posey and Adams -- are candidates to go pro after the bowl game. I had heard Herron was the likeliest to do so, but he'll probably have some company. I just can't see all of these players coming back to miss what likely will be at least one third of their senior seasons.
As for the players, I don't buy the statement that all will be back in 2011. Things change after bowl games and after NFL draft evaluations come in. While I see where Tressel is going with his decision, I don't think you can base it on what the players are saying now.
|
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Seasons (Third In A Series)
Trying to rank Coach Jim Tressel's seasons at Ohio State is a challenging task. How can one possibly complain about no losing seasons over a ten year span? How to rank one Big Ten championship team over another, when Tressel's teams have won or shared six straight? How to rank one Ohio State team over another by virtue of beating Michigan, when Ohio State has won the last seven times the rivals have played? Three national championship appearances, winning one?
After ten seasons, Coach Tressel's Ohio State record stands at 106-22, meaning Coach Tressel's teams average ten wins a season. If anything, I am writing this article to show Ohio State fans who may read it how fortunate they are to have Coach Tressel at the helm, and how accustomed and spoiled Ohio State fans have become to victory.
Below are my rankings of the various seasons Ohio State fans have experienced during the first ten years under Coach Tressel. As always, please feel free to offer commentary.
10. The 2001 season: Coach Tressel's first season in Columbus, and I am proud to say my lovely wife and I were in attendance for Coach Tressel's season opener and first game as Ohio State's head coach against Akron. Tressel's team gave up leads and lost at home to Wisconsin, and on the road at Penn State. Steve Bellisari was suspended in his last home game due to a DUI suspension, and Ohio State lost at home to Illinois. The saving grace of this squad was the first Ohio State victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor since 1987.
Record: 7-5, lost to South Carolina in the 2002 Outback Bowl
9. The 2004 season: Disappointing season, as Ohio State was coming off two very strong seasons in 2002 and 2003. Ohio State started out 3-0, with a stirring victory over Marshall and were ranked #7, before losing at Northwestern, to Wisconsin at home, and at Iowa. The season was salvaged by the emergence of Troy Smith at quarterback, true freshman Ted Ginn, Jr. as a punt and kickoff returner, and blowout victories at home over Michigan and against Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.
Record: 8-4, defeated Oklahoma State in the 2004 Alamo Bowl
8. The 2008 season: I am rating this season here because of the expectations of this team by fans and the media going into the 2008 season. In 2008, Ohio State had a veteran team, coming off two BCS Championship Game appearances. By most accounts, Ohio State was expected to be a national championship contender, but the season was arguably lost by the end of September - RB Chris Wells was injured against Youngstown State in the opener, Ohio State barely survived against Ohio University, and then Ohio State was blown out at USC on national television. At that point, Tressel turned the team over to true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State lost again in a close one to Penn State, but were able to tie Penn State for a share of its fourth straight conference title, win its fifth straight game against Michigan, and lost a close game to Texas in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
Record: 10-3, lost to Texas in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl
7. The 2003 season: Ohio State was preseason #2 coming into the 2003 season, and strongly considered to be a national title contender with most of its team returning from its 2002 national championship team. Just before the season, Maurice Clarett was suspended and never played for Ohio State again. Ohio State were able to win games, without the presence of a dependable running game and a strong defense. Despite the loss of Clarett, Ohio State was able to survive against Philip Rivers and North Carolina State in one of the best games I have ever witnessed in Ohio Stadium, as well as Purdue in the final home game of the season. Ohio State's hopes of repeating as national champion were dashed when defeated at Wisconsin and at Michigan. The 2003 team was the last team to suffer a defeat to Michigan.
Record: 11-2, defeated Kansas State in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl
6. The 2009 season: Ohio State opened up against a competitive Navy team, then lost at home to USC in the last moments. Ohio State won four straight, including a puzzling 31-13 win over Wisconsin, despite being outgained in every offensive category. Ohio State then went to Purdue, and were upset by the unranked Boilermakers. Ohio State was able to win the Big Ten championship with an impressive win over Iowa, won their sixth straight over Michigan, and were able to snap their bowl game losing streak at three with an impressive win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Record: 11-2, defeated Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl
5. The 2005 season: Coming off an impressive ending to the 2004 season, Ohio State was considered a national championship contender. Ohio State opened up with a quarterback controversy between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith. After a close loss to Texas in the second game, Ohio State went with Smith as the starter for the remainder of the 2005 season, and for the remainder of both quarterbacks' careers. Ohio State was defeated at Penn State in the fifth game, making them 3-2 and eliminated from national championship consideration. Ohio State rallied to win the remainder of its games, including a thriller at Michigan, and concluded the season with a strong performance against Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
Record: 10-2, defeated Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
4. The 2010 season: Similar to the 2008 season, 2010 was somewhat disappointing as Ohio State was ranked in the preseason as the #2 team in the country. Ohio State suffered its only loss at Wisconsin, but were able to secure a three-way tie with Wisconsin and Michigan State to earn a share of its sixth straight conference championship. Ohio State won its seventh straight over Michigan, and were able to defeat SEC opponent Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl to secure its first win over an SEC opponent in ten attempts.
Record: 12-1, defeated Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl
Despite being soundly beaten in both BCS Championship Games, I cannot rank the 2007 or 2006 teams low. One team has to win, another has to lose. Do you think Oklahoma fans are unhappy with playing for the title, despite losing to LSU in 2003 or USC in 2004?
3. The 2007 season: Ohio State entered 2007 on the heels of an embarrassing loss to Florida in the 2007 BCS Championship Game. Ohio State was ranked preseason # 10, and slowly rose through the rankings until becoming ranked # 1 in late October. Ohio State held onto its ranking until a tough home loss to Illinois. Ohio State rallied to defeat Michigan in Ann Arbor for its fourth straight victory in the series, then were able to secure a BCS Championship Game berth when all of the other teams ranked ahead of them lost in the last games of the season. Ohio State suffered through another tough loss in the 2008 BCS Championship Game to LSU.
Record: 11-2, lost to LSU in the 2008 BCS Championship Game
2. The 2006 season: The team that virtually every Ohio State fan believed was going to win it all from the onset of the season. Ranked # 1 at the beginning of the season, winning every game, surviving an epic battle against # 2 Michigan in Ohio Stadium...and then were blown out by Florida in the BCS Championship Game. QB Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy, and became the first quarterback since Tippy Dye to defeat Michigan three straight times.
Record: 12-1, lost to Florida in the 2007 BCS Championship Game
1. The 2002 season: Could there be any doubt as to which team would rank at the top of this list? Ohio State started off the season ranked # 13, and slowly rose through the ranks by winning games in close, dramatic fashion. Led by the seemingly unflappable Craig Krenzel and true freshman Maurice Clarett, Ohio State survived close calls at Purdue, at Illinois, and against Michigan to secure a title shot against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State won against # 1 Miami (FL) in double overtime to win its first national championship since 1968.
Record: 14-0, defeated Miami (FL) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
Part 2: The Recruits
Part 1: The Speech
After ten seasons, Coach Tressel's Ohio State record stands at 106-22, meaning Coach Tressel's teams average ten wins a season. If anything, I am writing this article to show Ohio State fans who may read it how fortunate they are to have Coach Tressel at the helm, and how accustomed and spoiled Ohio State fans have become to victory.
Below are my rankings of the various seasons Ohio State fans have experienced during the first ten years under Coach Tressel. As always, please feel free to offer commentary.
10. The 2001 season: Coach Tressel's first season in Columbus, and I am proud to say my lovely wife and I were in attendance for Coach Tressel's season opener and first game as Ohio State's head coach against Akron. Tressel's team gave up leads and lost at home to Wisconsin, and on the road at Penn State. Steve Bellisari was suspended in his last home game due to a DUI suspension, and Ohio State lost at home to Illinois. The saving grace of this squad was the first Ohio State victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor since 1987.
Record: 7-5, lost to South Carolina in the 2002 Outback Bowl
9. The 2004 season: Disappointing season, as Ohio State was coming off two very strong seasons in 2002 and 2003. Ohio State started out 3-0, with a stirring victory over Marshall and were ranked #7, before losing at Northwestern, to Wisconsin at home, and at Iowa. The season was salvaged by the emergence of Troy Smith at quarterback, true freshman Ted Ginn, Jr. as a punt and kickoff returner, and blowout victories at home over Michigan and against Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl.
Record: 8-4, defeated Oklahoma State in the 2004 Alamo Bowl
8. The 2008 season: I am rating this season here because of the expectations of this team by fans and the media going into the 2008 season. In 2008, Ohio State had a veteran team, coming off two BCS Championship Game appearances. By most accounts, Ohio State was expected to be a national championship contender, but the season was arguably lost by the end of September - RB Chris Wells was injured against Youngstown State in the opener, Ohio State barely survived against Ohio University, and then Ohio State was blown out at USC on national television. At that point, Tressel turned the team over to true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State lost again in a close one to Penn State, but were able to tie Penn State for a share of its fourth straight conference title, win its fifth straight game against Michigan, and lost a close game to Texas in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
Record: 10-3, lost to Texas in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl
7. The 2003 season: Ohio State was preseason #2 coming into the 2003 season, and strongly considered to be a national title contender with most of its team returning from its 2002 national championship team. Just before the season, Maurice Clarett was suspended and never played for Ohio State again. Ohio State were able to win games, without the presence of a dependable running game and a strong defense. Despite the loss of Clarett, Ohio State was able to survive against Philip Rivers and North Carolina State in one of the best games I have ever witnessed in Ohio Stadium, as well as Purdue in the final home game of the season. Ohio State's hopes of repeating as national champion were dashed when defeated at Wisconsin and at Michigan. The 2003 team was the last team to suffer a defeat to Michigan.
Record: 11-2, defeated Kansas State in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl
6. The 2009 season: Ohio State opened up against a competitive Navy team, then lost at home to USC in the last moments. Ohio State won four straight, including a puzzling 31-13 win over Wisconsin, despite being outgained in every offensive category. Ohio State then went to Purdue, and were upset by the unranked Boilermakers. Ohio State was able to win the Big Ten championship with an impressive win over Iowa, won their sixth straight over Michigan, and were able to snap their bowl game losing streak at three with an impressive win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
Record: 11-2, defeated Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl
5. The 2005 season: Coming off an impressive ending to the 2004 season, Ohio State was considered a national championship contender. Ohio State opened up with a quarterback controversy between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith. After a close loss to Texas in the second game, Ohio State went with Smith as the starter for the remainder of the 2005 season, and for the remainder of both quarterbacks' careers. Ohio State was defeated at Penn State in the fifth game, making them 3-2 and eliminated from national championship consideration. Ohio State rallied to win the remainder of its games, including a thriller at Michigan, and concluded the season with a strong performance against Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl.
Record: 10-2, defeated Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
4. The 2010 season: Similar to the 2008 season, 2010 was somewhat disappointing as Ohio State was ranked in the preseason as the #2 team in the country. Ohio State suffered its only loss at Wisconsin, but were able to secure a three-way tie with Wisconsin and Michigan State to earn a share of its sixth straight conference championship. Ohio State won its seventh straight over Michigan, and were able to defeat SEC opponent Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl to secure its first win over an SEC opponent in ten attempts.
Record: 12-1, defeated Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl
Despite being soundly beaten in both BCS Championship Games, I cannot rank the 2007 or 2006 teams low. One team has to win, another has to lose. Do you think Oklahoma fans are unhappy with playing for the title, despite losing to LSU in 2003 or USC in 2004?
3. The 2007 season: Ohio State entered 2007 on the heels of an embarrassing loss to Florida in the 2007 BCS Championship Game. Ohio State was ranked preseason # 10, and slowly rose through the rankings until becoming ranked # 1 in late October. Ohio State held onto its ranking until a tough home loss to Illinois. Ohio State rallied to defeat Michigan in Ann Arbor for its fourth straight victory in the series, then were able to secure a BCS Championship Game berth when all of the other teams ranked ahead of them lost in the last games of the season. Ohio State suffered through another tough loss in the 2008 BCS Championship Game to LSU.
Record: 11-2, lost to LSU in the 2008 BCS Championship Game
2. The 2006 season: The team that virtually every Ohio State fan believed was going to win it all from the onset of the season. Ranked # 1 at the beginning of the season, winning every game, surviving an epic battle against # 2 Michigan in Ohio Stadium...and then were blown out by Florida in the BCS Championship Game. QB Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy, and became the first quarterback since Tippy Dye to defeat Michigan three straight times.
Record: 12-1, lost to Florida in the 2007 BCS Championship Game
1. The 2002 season: Could there be any doubt as to which team would rank at the top of this list? Ohio State started off the season ranked # 13, and slowly rose through the ranks by winning games in close, dramatic fashion. Led by the seemingly unflappable Craig Krenzel and true freshman Maurice Clarett, Ohio State survived close calls at Purdue, at Illinois, and against Michigan to secure a title shot against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State won against # 1 Miami (FL) in double overtime to win its first national championship since 1968.
Record: 14-0, defeated Miami (FL) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
Part 2: The Recruits
Part 1: The Speech
Monday, January 17, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Recruits (Second In A Series)
One of the biggest concerns about hiring Jim Tressel from Youngstown State back in 2001 was the concern that Tressel would not be able to effectively recruit the upper echelon talent necessary to compete with other college football powers.
Not only has Jim Tressel shown that he can recruit top talent to Ohio State, but I would argue that Tressel and his staff have shown a tremendous ability to scout and develop players who may not have been highly ranked by recruiting analysts into NFL-caliber talent.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I have not, nor will I ever, put too much stock into the beliefs of recruiting analysts. My reasoning is quite simple - the recruiting analysts do not have to win or lose with the talent that is recruited, while the coaching staff does. If the coaching staff loses enough, they will soon be out of a job, so it is absolutely imperative that the coaching staff does their homework on the players they recruit.
Below you will see how I would rank the various recruiting classes Jim Tressel and his staff have brought to Ohio State over the past decade. I am sure there will be disagreement on how I ranked these recruiting classes, but I am open for any and all discussion.
**
TBD: The recruiting classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010 are still playing. To be fair to these players, I will rank them as still to be determined. It is entirely possible that these classes could rank as Tressel's best when Jim Tressel's career at Ohio State has concluded.
7. The 2003 class: Small in the number of players, and surprisingly bad for a recruiting class, considering Ohio State had just won the national championship. This class had a number of academic casualties, injuries, and off the field issues (remember Louis Irizarry and Ira Guilford?).
Highly touted player from the class: TE Louis Irizarry
Players who emerged from this class: WR Anthony Gonzalez, OT Kirk Barton, DB Donte Whitner, DB Ashton Youboty, DL David Patterson
6. The 2004 class: A large class, but when you read through the list of names, many of the players did not wind up contributing as much as some of the other recruiting classes Jim Tressel landed in his first decade. Several of the players transferred (Chad Hoobler, SirJo Welch, Erik Haw, Brandon Underwood), while others battled injuries (OT Jon Skinner, OT Kyle Mitchum).
Highly touted player from the class: WR Ted Ginn, Jr.
Players who emerged from this class: Ginn, RB Antonio Pittman, LB Marcus Freeman, QB Todd Boeckman, DE Vernon Gholston
5. The 2001 class: Jim Tressel was hired on January 18, 2001, so he only had a few weeks to try and keep this class together after John Cooper was fired. Another class that was not relatively large, but several of these players were key contributors to the 2002 national championship team. Probably the two best players were players not highly rated ~ PK Mike Nugent and WR Chris Gamble.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Maurice Hall
Players who emerged from this class: Hall, DE Simon Fraser, DB Dustin Fox, PK Mike Nugent, WR/DB Chris Gamble
4. The 2007 class: Small in number, with a few players (RB Daniel "Boom" Herron, DB Nate Oliver, DL Evan Blankenship) still maintaining eligibility for the 2011 season. This class suffered attrition early, with the departures of DB Eugene Clifford and DB James Scott. An excellent example of Jim Tressel's talent development from this class was WR Dane Sanzenbacher, who had scholarship offers from Iowa and schools in the MAC.
Highly touted player from the class: DB Eugene Clifford
Players who emerged from this class: Sanzenbacher, DL Cameron Heyward, RB Brandon Saine, DB Jermale Hines, LB Brian Rolle
3. The 2006 class: I will rank this class highly, as this class had several players who were not highly touted yet developed to become key members of the team throughout the 2006-2010 seasons. Players such as LB Mark Johnson, DE Walter Dublin, and QB Antonio Henton left Ohio State.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Chris Wells
Players who emerged from this class: Wells, DB Kurt Coleman, TE Jake Ballard, CB Chimdi Chekwa, DE Thaddeus Gibson, LB Ross Homan, DT Dexter Larimore, OL Bryant Browning
2. The 2005 class: I have written about this excellent class before, in terms of its overall productivity. Quite possibly, this class represents what I wrote up above about player development. The highly ranked players (OT Alex Boone, DB Jamario O'Neal) were contributors, but this class is remembered for the less-heralded players (LB James Laurinaitis, DB Malcolm Jenkins, WR Brian Robiskie) who turned into standouts.
Highly touted player from the class: OT Alex Boone
Players who emerged from this class: Boone, Laurinaitis, Jenkins, Robiskie, DB Anderson Russell, DT Doug Worthington, WR Brian Hartline, LB Austin Spitler
1. The 2002 class: Jim Tressel's first complete recruiting class, and this class provided the backbone for the successful seasons of 2002-2006. Highly rated by recruiting analysts, while also providing numerous contributors. In another example of player development, two of the players (QB Troy Smith, LB A.J. Hawk) were not highly touted but were essential to Jim Tressel's program developing into a championship contender.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Maurice Clarett
Players who emerged from this class: Clarett, Smith, Hawk, LB Bobby Carpenter, OL Doug Datish, OL T.J. Downing, DB Nate Salley, DL Mike Kudla, DE Jay Richardson, DL Quinn Pitcock, OL Rob Sims, C Nick Mangold, WR Santonio Holmes
Part 1: The Speech
Not only has Jim Tressel shown that he can recruit top talent to Ohio State, but I would argue that Tressel and his staff have shown a tremendous ability to scout and develop players who may not have been highly ranked by recruiting analysts into NFL-caliber talent.
As anyone who has read my blog knows, I have not, nor will I ever, put too much stock into the beliefs of recruiting analysts. My reasoning is quite simple - the recruiting analysts do not have to win or lose with the talent that is recruited, while the coaching staff does. If the coaching staff loses enough, they will soon be out of a job, so it is absolutely imperative that the coaching staff does their homework on the players they recruit.
Below you will see how I would rank the various recruiting classes Jim Tressel and his staff have brought to Ohio State over the past decade. I am sure there will be disagreement on how I ranked these recruiting classes, but I am open for any and all discussion.
**
TBD: The recruiting classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010 are still playing. To be fair to these players, I will rank them as still to be determined. It is entirely possible that these classes could rank as Tressel's best when Jim Tressel's career at Ohio State has concluded.
7. The 2003 class: Small in the number of players, and surprisingly bad for a recruiting class, considering Ohio State had just won the national championship. This class had a number of academic casualties, injuries, and off the field issues (remember Louis Irizarry and Ira Guilford?).
Highly touted player from the class: TE Louis Irizarry
Players who emerged from this class: WR Anthony Gonzalez, OT Kirk Barton, DB Donte Whitner, DB Ashton Youboty, DL David Patterson
6. The 2004 class: A large class, but when you read through the list of names, many of the players did not wind up contributing as much as some of the other recruiting classes Jim Tressel landed in his first decade. Several of the players transferred (Chad Hoobler, SirJo Welch, Erik Haw, Brandon Underwood), while others battled injuries (OT Jon Skinner, OT Kyle Mitchum).
Highly touted player from the class: WR Ted Ginn, Jr.
Players who emerged from this class: Ginn, RB Antonio Pittman, LB Marcus Freeman, QB Todd Boeckman, DE Vernon Gholston
5. The 2001 class: Jim Tressel was hired on January 18, 2001, so he only had a few weeks to try and keep this class together after John Cooper was fired. Another class that was not relatively large, but several of these players were key contributors to the 2002 national championship team. Probably the two best players were players not highly rated ~ PK Mike Nugent and WR Chris Gamble.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Maurice Hall
Players who emerged from this class: Hall, DE Simon Fraser, DB Dustin Fox, PK Mike Nugent, WR/DB Chris Gamble
4. The 2007 class: Small in number, with a few players (RB Daniel "Boom" Herron, DB Nate Oliver, DL Evan Blankenship) still maintaining eligibility for the 2011 season. This class suffered attrition early, with the departures of DB Eugene Clifford and DB James Scott. An excellent example of Jim Tressel's talent development from this class was WR Dane Sanzenbacher, who had scholarship offers from Iowa and schools in the MAC.
Highly touted player from the class: DB Eugene Clifford
Players who emerged from this class: Sanzenbacher, DL Cameron Heyward, RB Brandon Saine, DB Jermale Hines, LB Brian Rolle
3. The 2006 class: I will rank this class highly, as this class had several players who were not highly touted yet developed to become key members of the team throughout the 2006-2010 seasons. Players such as LB Mark Johnson, DE Walter Dublin, and QB Antonio Henton left Ohio State.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Chris Wells
Players who emerged from this class: Wells, DB Kurt Coleman, TE Jake Ballard, CB Chimdi Chekwa, DE Thaddeus Gibson, LB Ross Homan, DT Dexter Larimore, OL Bryant Browning
2. The 2005 class: I have written about this excellent class before, in terms of its overall productivity. Quite possibly, this class represents what I wrote up above about player development. The highly ranked players (OT Alex Boone, DB Jamario O'Neal) were contributors, but this class is remembered for the less-heralded players (LB James Laurinaitis, DB Malcolm Jenkins, WR Brian Robiskie) who turned into standouts.
Highly touted player from the class: OT Alex Boone
Players who emerged from this class: Boone, Laurinaitis, Jenkins, Robiskie, DB Anderson Russell, DT Doug Worthington, WR Brian Hartline, LB Austin Spitler
1. The 2002 class: Jim Tressel's first complete recruiting class, and this class provided the backbone for the successful seasons of 2002-2006. Highly rated by recruiting analysts, while also providing numerous contributors. In another example of player development, two of the players (QB Troy Smith, LB A.J. Hawk) were not highly touted but were essential to Jim Tressel's program developing into a championship contender.
Highly touted player from the class: RB Maurice Clarett
Players who emerged from this class: Clarett, Smith, Hawk, LB Bobby Carpenter, OL Doug Datish, OL T.J. Downing, DB Nate Salley, DL Mike Kudla, DE Jay Richardson, DL Quinn Pitcock, OL Rob Sims, C Nick Mangold, WR Santonio Holmes
Part 1: The Speech
Friday, January 14, 2011
A "Vest"rospective Look Back At Jim Tressel's First OSU Decade: The Speech (First In A Series)
To celebrate the first decade of Jim Tressel's tenure as head coach at Ohio State, I am going to write a series of articles that look back on some of the notable moments that occurred from 2001 through 2010. And as always, I am anxious for reviews, opinions, and perspectives on what I have come up with for these articles. I hope you enjoy them.
**
**
On January 18th, 2001, a confident yet humble Jim Tressel addressed the assembled media to accept his new position as head football coach at Ohio State University. Speaking without any notes, Tressel charmed and impressed the media with his style and presentation.
While Jim Tressel had been a popular name during the coaching search to replace the fired John Cooper, Tressel was not considered the favorite to win the position - that honor would go to Minnesota's head coach, and Ohio State alumnus, Glen Mason.
Among the various candidates, besides Tressel and Mason, who were interviewed for the job were Ohio State defensive coordinator Fred Pagac (like Mason, a former Ohio State player and alumnus), former Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman, and Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti. Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden never formally interviewed for the position, but Ohio State president Bret Kirwan did state that informal discussions did take place regarding the job.
When contacted by Ohio State on January 17th, 2001, to be offered the position, Tressel reportedly told Kirwan and Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger that "this is a dream job". And while Jim Tressel has had his share of ups and downs during his first decade at Ohio State, most Ohio State fans would agree that he truly demonstrated a passion and understanding of the importance of Ohio State football when he made a public appearance at the Ohio State/Michigan basketball game the evening of January 18th, 2001…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us, and for the third year in a row, the Cleveland Browns will not be selecting in the first round, as the Desha...
-
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” ~ George Orwell, 1984 Before ...
-
Game Three: USC Trojans Location: Los Angeles Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA) Head Coach: Pete Carroll USC Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio Sta...
