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2008 Football Rumblings

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Dispatch
Ohio state football notebook
Tressel can feel fans' displeasure

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:05 AM
By Tim May


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
0917_osu_usc_tressel_sp_09-17-08_C3_0RBBMMV.jpg
Neal C. Lauron | DISPATCH
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he likes the fact that fans expect the Buckeyes to be the best.




Late Saturday night, after his team's 35-3 loss at No. 1 Southern California, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he wasn't overly worried about what critics of the Big Ten thought about another fall on the big stage by the Buckeyes. He said he was concerned primarily with the feelings of OSU fans. When told yesterday that streams of e-mails from distraught OSU fans to The Dispatch and other media outlets expressed doubt that the Buckeyes and their coaches were up to competing against major national powers, he said, "I get e-mails, too," and that he understood the sentiment.
"I don't think you can refute the fact that in what has been considered big games, two national championship games (losses to Florida and LSU the past two seasons) and a big September game in 2008, we have not been successful," Tressel said. "And I like the fact that they have that measuring stick, that they're not happy unless we're the best. That's the way it should be.
"And I'm sure when we win a big game, all of a sudden we're (going to be) the greatest big-game guys in the world. I remember when we lost a couple night games and all of a sudden we won three night games (last year) and they said, 'You're the greatest night game team.' Or when we beat Miami (for the 2002 national title) or beat Michigan in a big game, they'd say, 'You guys are the best big-game guys in the world.' "
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Dispatch
Michael Arace commentary: Ohio football teams follow leaders, to where?

Thursday, September 18, 2008 3:28 AM
By Michael Arace


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The Buckeyes can't compete against their alleged peers. The Browns and the Bengals have shot out of the gate at a combined 0-4. Oh, hi and goodbye, oh. Jim Tressel, Romeo Crennel and Marvin Lewis are each squirming to one degree or another, and they should be.
The old adage says coaches gets too much credit when a team wins and too much criticism when it loses. Bah. Football coaches hold extraordinary power in their grasp. They choose their assistants, develop strategy, implement tactics and pick the lineup. A team's discipline and its ability to execute are a direct reflection on the coach. A team's propensity to rise to the occasion or wilt is also a direct reflection of the coach. When competition is at its fiercest, teams assume the personality of their coach.
Even Patriots haters would be the first to admit this.
In Cincinnati, there is little in the way of a plan. Not surprisingly, rumors have reverberated for more than a year that Lewis wants out. Think for a moment what effect that must have on the players, who find themselves in a dysfunctional organization with a coach who would rather be somewhere else. Even if this is mere perception, it is damning.
The Bengals are 31st in the league in total offense and 21st in total defense. They have lost to a rookie quarterback on the road and a backup quarterback at home. Good luck against the Giants on Sunday.
In Cleveland, everyone's in agreement that Romeo Crennel is a capable coach and nice guy. But after last weekend, you have to wonder whether he knows when to kick a field goal or go for a touchdown.
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CPD

Ohio State football: Still no Beanie Wells, no starting quarterback

by Doug Lesmerises Thursday September 18, 2008, 1:53 PM



Ohio State still does not have its starting running back or a confirmed starting quarterback.
In one breath today, OSU coach Jim Tressel said that running back Beanie Wells is improving but he is also out for Saturday's game against Troy and there's no guarantee that he'll play against Minnesota the following week.
Wells practiced Wednesday for the second straight day, and Tressel said that practice was much better than a week ago when he tried to go two consecutive days but his injured right foot was too sore.
"I think he's making progress," Tressel said. "I can't promise exactly when he'll be back, but I felt a little bit better after yesterday than I felt at the end of last week."

Continued.....
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BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ Ohio State's coaching staff is being savaged by critics on call-in shows, on blogs and in letters to sports editors. But don't look for any immediate changes.
Many people are piling on head coach Jim Tressel. Even though Jim Bollman has the title of offensive coordinator, it's no secret that Tressel really runs the show - and makes all the play calls - when the Buckeyes have the ball.
Several USC players remarked after Saturday night's humbling 35-3 OSU loss that the Buckeyes' offense was predictable and that they knew what was coming all night.
Tressel shot that down earlier this week, saying that players from winning teams always say that they "knew what was coming."
On Thursday, he said he would never allow someone else on his staff to call the plays.
"I don't know, maybe my ego wouldn't let me," he said.
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CPD

Ohio State football: A deficit in talent or in coaching?

by Doug Lesmerises Thursday September 18, 2008, 3:14 PM


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APJim Tressel
What's more to blame for Ohio State's loss to USC - a talent deficit or the way that talent was deployed?


Not to sound like a coach, but both. Wait, I'm changing that. My eyes glaze over when coaches say "both" or "a little bit of everything." I think you could ask some coaches "What's a bigger threat to the future of humanity - the erosion of morals and values in society, global warming or dragons?" and they'd say "A little bit of everything."
I think USC's players, across the board, were a little better. But not 32 points better. Coaching - in preparing the players for another big game and the playcalling - helped accentuate the disparity.

Jim Tressel made a point Tuesday about opponents knowing what you're doing. He said the Buckeyes ran off tackle 256 times during their national championship season in 2002.
"Now, do you think we were going to run off tackle? We ended up pretty good, but that's when you get good," Tressel said.

Continued......................
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Jim Tressel made a point Tuesday about opponents knowing what you're doing. He said the Buckeyes ran off tackle 256 times during their national championship season in 2002.
"Now, do you think we were going to run off tackle? We ended up pretty good, but that's when you get good," Tressel said.
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You can afford to do that when your defense is so shit-hot that you need only 17-20 points a game to win...
 
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If I remember correctly there were a whole lot of people complaining about that 2002 offense when a certain felon was unavailable for duty.

I agree with Mili. If you have a wrecking crew defense you can play small ball and win. Ohio State does NOT have a wrecking crew defense this year. The D line is mediocre at best and looked piss poor on Saturday night. Gotta score some points this year.
 
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DDN

Tressel's ego would keep him calling plays

By the Associated Press

Thursday, September 18, 2008
BUCKEYES BUZZ
Ohio State's coaching staff is being savaged by critics on call-in shows, on blogs and in letters to sports editors. But don't look for any immediate changes.
Many people are piling on head coach Jim Tressel. Even though Jim Bollman has the title of offensive coordinator, it's no secret that Tressel really runs the show ? and makes all the play calls ? when the Buckeyes have the ball.
Several USC players remarked after Saturday night's humbling 35-3 OSU loss that the Buckeyes' offense was predictable and that they knew what was coming all night.
Tressel shot that down earlier this week, saying that players from winning teams always say that they "knew what was coming."
On Thursday, he said he would never allow someone else on his staff to call the plays.
"I don't know, maybe my ego wouldn't let me," he said.
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CPD

Ohio State football: Hearing from Heacock

by Doug Lesmerises Thursday September 18, 2008, 6:53 AM



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Marvin Fong/ The Plain DealerJim Heacock
From what I've read from fans, defensive coordinator Jim Heacock is one of the main guys fans wanted to hear from this week. There are questions about playcalling on both sides of the ball from Ohio State's loss to USC, and we heard from the offensive playcaller-in-chief, Jim Tressel, on Tuesday. Here's a big chunk of what Heacock had to say Wednesday, excluding the stuff about Troy because, frankly, we can move on to them Saturday - 35-3 still deserves more reflection.
As I wrote in my story for today, I felt he talked more about coaching shortfalls than Jim Tressel did. I was a little shocked Tuesday when I asked Tressel about regrets on any play calls and his biggest one was throwing instead of running on third-and-20 in the second quarter. He wished he had given Ryan Pretorius a closer field goal attempt than the 46-yarder he missed with OSU trailing 14-3. So in the end, the regret was being too aggressive?
Not the way I would have gone with that answer.
Anyone, since there's no transcript available from Ohio State like there is with Tressel, here's the stuff from nearly 30 minutes of Heacock that I thought mattered most, with some paraphrased questions where needed.

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