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Jim Tressel (National Champion, ex-President, Youngstown State University, CFB HOF)

LightningRod;1166814; said:
Compare what Tressel has done for his alma mater to what RR is doing to his Alma mater.

Bingo.

One cried for new facilities, then bolted and refused to payback the money he owed.

The other donated millions of dollars for new facilities for his much smaller alma mater even though he's moved on to the pinnacle of college football.

We enjoyed watching Tressel dominate Carr for 7 years for sure, but I think i'll enjoy watching Tress dominate RR on/off the field even more because of his character.
 
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Steve19;1166428; said:
Given his awareness of traditions and symbols (i.e., Woody), I would be willing to bet that he would retire short of Woody's mark in order to protect Woody's image rather than to enhance his own. I just think he is that kind of guy.

of course he is that kind of guy. but i don't think he is interested in the record one way or another. i doubt its something he is gunning for, nor is it someting he is particularly concerned with breaking. first off, its atleast 11 years out. second, surpasing woody in the eyes of the old guard is all but impossible. for the younger generations its probably already happened. besides, if there were anyone woody wouldn't mind having beside him in the history of tOSU in my mind it would have to be jt.
 
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OSU Coaching History

When you examine the history of Ohio State Football, even when you dwell on the negative you can't help but find something positive. As proof of this, consider the following:

The unfortunate collapse in the Super Dome after a fine start marked Jim Tressel's 16th loss as the Ohio State Head Coach. Six other coaches have been at Ohio State long enough to suffer a 16th loss. They were:

Jack Ryder
  • Ohio State's 2nd coach
  • Year: 1895
  • Score: 0-12
  • Opponent: Oberlin
  • Location: Athletic Park (predecessor to Ohio Field)
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 15-16
    • Data is disputed, used Stassen's data (usually best researched thanks in part to BB73)
  • The only coach with a losing record as of his 16th loss
Ohio State would have 9 Head Coaches before another lasted long enough to lose 16.
John W. Wilce
  • Ohio State's 12th coach
  • Year: 1922
  • Score: 9-12
  • Opponent: Iowa
  • Location: Ohio Stadium
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 52-16-3
  • Exactly the same record as a better known OSU coach at the 16th loss
  • But JWW did not maintain quite this level of success in his 6 remaining years
Only one of Ohio State's next 6 coaches would stay long enough to get a 16th loss.
Francis A. Schmidt
  • Ohio State's 14th coach
  • Year: 1940
  • Score: 0-40
  • Opponent: scUM
  • Location: Ohio Stadium
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 39-16-1
  • Schmidt's last game as coach of the Buckeyes
With only 3 of its first 18 coaches staying long enough to collect a 16th loss, Ohio State's reputation as The Graveyard of Coaches was now firmly established. One man was about to change that. The Buckeyes have the best record in the sport since he took the helm; and every coach that came after him was able to stay long enough to make the list.

Wayne Woodrow Hayes
  • Ohio State's 19th coach
  • Year: 1958
  • Score: 0-21
  • Opponent: Northwestern
  • Location: Evanston
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 52-16-3
  • Exactly the same record as John Wilce at the time of his 16th loss
  • Woody would go on to improve the winning % he had at this point
  • Woody already had 2 National Championships at this point
Earle Bruce
  • Ohio State's 20th coach
  • Year: 1984
  • Score: 17-20
  • Opponent: USC
  • Location: Rose Bowl
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 56-16
  • Second best record of any coach as of 16th loss
  • Only one 16th loss came on a bigger stage
  • Didn't maintain this level of success
John Cooper
  • Ohio State's 21st coach
  • Year: 1991
  • Score: 9-16
  • Opponent: Iowa
  • Location: Ohio Stadium
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 25-16-2
  • Worst record as of his 16th loss of any 20th century Buckeye Coach
  • Improved on this record substantially in his remaining 9 years
This makes 21 coaches that preceded Jim Tressel. Six of them had a 16th loss. None of them had as good a record at the time.
James Patrick Tressel
  • Ohio State's 22nd coach
  • Year: 2008
  • Score: erased from memory
  • Opponent: erased from memory
  • Location: some indoor arena south of the Mason-Dixon
  • RECORD as of 16th loss: 73-16
  • By far the best record as of the 16th loss
  • NO OTHER OSU HEAD MAN COACHED AS MANY GAMES AS JT HAD WINS AS OF THE 16th LOSS.
    • Earle Bruce lost his 16th in his 72nd game
    • WWH and JWW lost their 16th in their 71st
    • JT had 73 WINS as of his 16th loss
Only Woody, with 2 NCs in his pocket, can lay any claim to supremacy at this point in his career at OSU. And Woody would go on to coach 20 more seasons after his 16th loss and JT has said he doesn't want to coach that long. But don't be surprised if he stays ahead of Woody in the winning % department and passes him in number of NCs.

If you rank coaches by their effect on the program, you could debate from here to eternity which Buckeye coach belongs at #3 (or you could just agree with me that it was Paul Brown). But there can be no debate about the Top 2. Woody and The Vest are in a class by themselves.
 
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Steve19;1166428; said:
Given his awareness of traditions and symbols (i.e., Woody), I would be willing to bet that he would retire short of Woody's mark in order to protect Woody's image rather than to enhance his own. I just think he is that kind of guy.

I agree that he won't come back for 'One More Year' just to beat Woody's record, but I don't see him stepping down early in order not to break it. If he is going strong and still having success / enjoying it then he should coach for as long as he wants. That's the way Woody would have wanted it.
 
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NCAA: Tressel talk football, academics

Tressel talks football, academics

May 23, 2008

Few coaches have a wardrobe as recognizable as Jim Tressel. In a recent interview on the Double-A Zone's Campus Connection, Tressel shares his thoughts about academics and athletics and gives a reason for his infamous vests. The interview followed a benefit dinner for the Wilson Football Museum in Ada, Ohio - the hometown of Tressel's parents.

Click here to listen to the interview.

An excerpt follows:

Q.We're here tonight to celebrate Wilson football and to talk about the Wilson Football Museum. Why is the history of football important to you?

A. It's such a part of our culture here - those of us that grew up in Ohio - and of course really in the entire country. Football is that one sport that's American. It's not played anywhere else very well?every leather football that's made in this country is made right here in Ohio, right here in my mom and dad's hometown.

Q.In your speech you emphasized academics and how your student-athletes are giving back. Can you tell me how you emphasize that with your team and why that's important to you?

A. One of the first things we do in recruiting is make sure they understand that if they come to Ohio State, it's going to be more than just about football. Really football is the given. That's their favorite subject. That's their passion, but we make sure they know before they come that we're going to be involved in a lot more than just that. With our love of football, we can make a difference in other areas and we can also be the best student we're capable of being.
 
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Back in Post 1177, I showed how the two coaches with the best records as of their 16th loss (and not named James Patrick Tressel) were Woody Hayes and John W. Wilce. Interestingly, the two had EXACTLY the same record as of their 16th loss.

Digging a little deeper, I discovered that WWH and JWW had something else in common. As you may suspect, it remains something that JPT may well improve upon.

Scanning OSU's history for seasons with more than 2 losses, I discovered that there were only two times in OSU history when the team went 5 straight seasons of fewer than 3 losses each. Both of these streaks were part of 9 year periods where OSU had fewer than 3 losses in 8 of 9 seasons. These are the only such spans in OSU history.
  • JWW presided over the first span
    • 5 season streak: 1913-1917
    • 8 of 9 seasons: 1913-1921
    • Record during those 9 seasons: 50-12-3 (Ranked 11th in winning % over that span)
  • WWH presided over the only other such span
    • 5 season streak: 1972-1976
    • 8 of 9 seasons: 1968-1976
    • Record during those 9 seasons: 82-13-2 (Ranked 1st in winning % over that span)
With a 3 year running streak of fewer than 3 losses, and 5 of the last 6 seasons; JPT has a chance to join this elite fraternity and maybe even surpass it.

IMHO, the only obstacle to this will be 2009. Heavy attrition combined with an improving league will make it a tough putt; but in Tressel I trust. After that, the recruiting machine he has running will keep things running for at least another couple of years; and that's all it would take.


EDIT:

In case you were wondering: Yes, the horrific 13 season span from 1980-1992 is the only span of that length in OSU history when the team lost at least 3 games for that many years in a row.

"Horrific" may sound like a strong term for a span that contains only 1 losing season. But this is The Ohio State University. What others call mediocre, we call the darkest period in our history.


EDIT II:

The Bruce-Cooper streak is in first place by a large margin. The second longest streak of seasons with at least 3 losses was only 7 seasons, from 1892 to 1898 (The Buckeyes first played in 1890).

There is a tie for third place: One four-season streak from 1922-1925 and another of the same length from 1950-1953. John W. Wilce presided over the first of these streaks, Wayne Woodrow Hayes presided over the other.


The main conclusion that I draw from this is that, historically speaking, most of today's fans have a distorted view of Ohio State. I wonder how many of them realize that the Ohio State they got to know through the 80s and 1/2 of the 90s was the worst stretch of 13 seasons in the team's history. James Patrick Tressel hasn't just returned the Buckeyes to national prominence. It can be stated objectively that he has them back where they belong.
 
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Coach Tressel To Appear at Borders in Westlake

Coach Tressel will be signing his book, "The Winner?s Manual: For the Game of Life" at Borders in Westlake, Oh (Promenade at Crocker Park, 30121 Detroit Road.) on Thursday, July 17, 2008 from 7 PM to 9 PM. Line tickets for the signing will be distributed beginning at 9 AM on the morning of the event.

"The Winner's Manual: For the Game of Life" shares Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel's "Big Ten" fundamentals for success: Attitude, Discipline, Faith, Handling Adversity & Success, Excellence, Love, Toughness, Responsibility, Team, and Hope. Peppered with personal stories from Tressel's storied coaching career, the book shares the fundamental lessons that he has been imparting to his players for the past 20 years. A perfect blend of football stories, spiritual insights, motivational reading, and practical application, The Winner's Manual provides an inside look at the core philosophy that has served as the foundation for one of the most successful college football programs of all time. Includes 8 pages of color photos and a foreword from NYT best-selling author John Maxwell.

For more information, contact:
Richard Wilson
Borders
Marketing Director - Northeast :oh::io:
[email protected]
 
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slive_mug_2007_164x225.jpg


"A must read" - Mike Slive.




 
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