Tressel-think: nerd-jock football is a winner for the school

Prior to the season, Ohio State opponents were looking at the Buckeyes and preparing to key on Ted Ginn's pass receiving and Troy Smith's scrambling as the best ways to try and stop the Buckeyes.

They might have known about WR Anthony Gonzales (who spends 8 hours a day in a low-oxygen tent for fitness training), but must have had to cross-index Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie. Hartline's the guy who gets the ball when Ginn and Gonzales are covered and Robiskie specializes in tight coverage end-zone receptions.

And they must have positively drooled at the thought that OSU's defense lost 9 starters.
AJ Hawk was FINALLY gone, along with Anthony Schlegel... who knew some guy named James Laurinaitis?!!!

And have you looked at Troy Smith's 2006 scrambling stats? Almost none.. he just this week got a decent run stat with a TD.

It's to the point where ESPN highlights give the Buck's about 15 seconds and go on to more interesting games. Because Smith and co make it look so freakin' easy that back-up Justin Zwick is getting several series a game to stay sharp.

It should be noted that Smith might not be starting if he hadnt seen the light, bought into Jim Tressel's warnings and shut his mouth.. Justin Zwick WAS the guy a couple years ago.
Now each and every player on the team might be Tressel mind-drones and they all quote from HIS press book.
But it's not Tressel that told Smith to leap for joy on the sidelines when Zwick ran for a TD on a QB sneak yesterday.

The Clarett incident along with Smith's loose interpretation of some other rules and minor hijinks of other players last year had us wondering if Tressel could really reign in his players. I think we can put that to rest.

Perhaps Tressel HAS taken advantage of some OSU research into mind-control... but it JUST MIGHT be that the Maurice Clarett saga is being put to good use as a life-lesson.

Whatever the case, the jock hijinks that plagued the team well into Tressel's tenure, and which most feel originated in a 'boys will be boys' attitude which festered under previous coach John Cooper (he actually fit all the stereotypes of the college Head Coach) seem to be gone for good.

Unlike Cooper, Tressel speaks well, without a good ol' boy drawl, and he's totally BORING in interviews... there's something to be said for that isnt there! And he expects his players to act like young men... not spoiled brat jocks. All the better that they are buying into it!

Already two of Tressel's assistant have been recruited to head coaching positions at respectable programs: Mark Snyder to Marshall and Mark Dantonio to Cincinnati. After this year look for more recruiting of his coaches.

The mindset cant hurt OSU recruiting either.. the players might think they wont have much 'college fun' but the parents are gonna love it. The recruiters can not only point to all Tressel's boys in the NFL, they can show that Clarett type stink wont likely happen again.

It may seem this might be isolated to the Buckeyes football team but it isnt. Scandals and lackluster records in the basketball program under Randy Ayers and Jim O'Brien are history, unless Thad Matta has some skeletons we know nothing about. I think a case can be made the OSU looked for the same qualities that Tressel had, when they went out to replace O'Brien.

Matta's short tenure at OSU is already resulting in elevated recruiting profiles and that's working... the new freshmen have helped put the Buckeyes into the pre-season top ten in most analyst's books.

Both head coaches will help keep AD Gene Smiith out of the spotlight and that will help him learn the ropes from those two 'teachers'. This means he can spend his time elevating the caliber of the other sports departments, OSU hockey is already pretty good and the Soccer teams will get at least SOME benefit in recruiting based on the high profile successes of the two income sports.

But it all started with OSU daring to pick its football coach from Youngstown State.. a school that most college fans never heard of and even Ohioans who saw quality in the many MAC teams of the state might have been surprised to know had a good football program.

It's easy NOW, for us to read Jim Tressel's Wiki-Bio but that hadnt been written then. Tressel is finally the candidate to surpass woody Hayes' record as a motivator and teacher but without the ego and bluster of the legendary 'General'.

In fact, Tressel isnt the type you see going to the NFL, and his easily forecast continued success at OSU will mean there's not much higher profile job for him. Unless he's bored with it... and looks for a challenge.

I hope not.

 

RE: Tressel-think: nerd-jock football is a winner for the sc

I hope he dosn't go to the pros unless its the Ceveland Browns, imo Tressel and Carrol are the best coaches in the college game and are better then half of the head coaches in the NFL.