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

[Gatorubet]

I love JT at the helm of OSU in terms of running the program the right way and the development of the players as young men. Here however, I feel he comes across as a stubborn and arrogant investment advisor who is going to do what he thinks is best with your money based on his investment criteria and could really give a tinkers damn what you think about it.

Yeah, well, he knows you might get a different investment advisor, but you won't be going to another bank.

 

[MUBuck]

1) I don't understand the mentality, whether it be from Tressel or anyone else, of looking down your nose at the people who create the demand for your job. I guess he'd prefer it if everyone just forked over their money to support OSU football and kept their mouth shut so he never had to take any criticism?

Would you rather have a coach who let's the boosters call plays? Maybe it's just me, but I like knowing where JT stands. You call it arrogance and predictability, I call it confidence and consistency.

That said, I'm hoping he allows Pryor to run the offense more like Troy did towards the end of his career.

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfyzOQb-7bk]YouTube - ‪Big Ten Media Day - Jim Tressel Interview‬‎[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewipENmYJyo]YouTube - ‪Change is good for Buckeyes‬‎[/ame]

 

[Steve19]

Tressel's success speaks for itself. Perhaps overly conservative? I don't know. I have wanted him to be less conservative most of the time but I defer to his judgment and the record speaks for itself.

I am very pleased that his actions are unaffected by fan criticism. He has to coach the team in the way that he thinks best and most fans really have no idea what they are talking about. If he opened it up and Ohio State lost due to a turnover, fans would criticize that. On reflection, he's said that he shouldn't have been so conservative on occasion and the reverse.

But, with all due respect, when you have invested so much of your self-image in Ohio State football that you are writing critical letters to arguably one of the most successful coaches in college football, than I think you really need to sit down and do some of your own reflection.

 

[southcampus]

Tressel's success speaks for itself. Perhaps overly conservative? I don't know. I have wanted him to be less conservative most of the time but I defer to his judgment and the record speaks for itself.

I am very pleased that his actions are unaffected by fan criticism. He has to coach the team in the way that he thinks best and most fans really have no idea what they are talking about. If he opened it up and Ohio State lost due to a turnover, fans would criticize that. On reflection, he's said that he shouldn't have been so conservative on occasion and the reverse.

But, with all due respect, when you have invested so much of your self-image in Ohio State football that you are writing critical letters to arguably one of the most successful coaches in college football, than I think you really need to sit down and do some of your own reflection.

Says the guy ready to jump because of JT's handling of Mike Adams.

 

[Steve19]

Says the guy ready to jump because of JT's handling of Mike Adams.

Au contraire, mon frere!

Is this some way to say that Mike Adams still hasn't gotten it?

It is, isn't it? It's code! I can read between the lines....Oh goodness, NO!

Please don't tell me. I'm gonna lose sleep again.

I just don't think I could go on if he didn't. I mean, he owes it to us, the fans!

 

[Jaxbuck]

But, with all due respect, when you have invested so much of your self-image in Ohio State football that you are writing critical letters to arguably one of the most successful coaches in college football, than I think you really need to sit down and do some of your own reflection.

On the other side of that coin you have people who spend inordinate amounts of time at an OSU football board writing the digital version of love letters to the guy. If critics need time for reflection why don't sycophants?

Regardless of a persons feelings toward Tressel I don't think any of we glass house dwelling regulars at this site need to be throwing rocks about investing too much of themselves in OSU football. No one here can honestly say we couldn't use the time we spend at BP more productively doing something worthwhile but we choose to do it anyway.

Nobody quits their job, drops out of school or commits suicide over this stuff. When something goes badly they bitch. If it continues to go badly they bitch a lot. When it goes well they cheer. That's sports and despite some people's attempts to vastly over analyze it when they disagree with other perspective, that's all it is. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

 

[muffler dragon]

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Kiss Monica Lewinsky with that mouth?

 

[ochre]

I'm not sure that:

"In Ohio, football is deeply woven into the culture, and the fabric of what we're all about," Tressel said. "So when I have the opportunity to get around and have a chance to hear folks buzzing about it, it reminds you that football really is a big deal. It's exciting to be here, and to experience their enthusiasm."

and this:

"I also know some people aren?t using the word as a compliment, and they think we're overly conservative," Tressel said. "Most of the people that have that type of comment have no investment in the situation. So whether we're conservative or risky or whatever, it's really not going to affect them the next day, other than how they feel about us."

necessarily sync up.
I'm sure he's probably talking mostly about national pundits with that second quote. Even if that's the case, there are certainly a few people that would fit the first quote that he's unintentionally addressing in the second...

 

[Meyer]

On the Conservative Tressel talk:

Tressel knows how to win games. If that calls for conservative play and letting the defense win the game for you then he will do that. The development of his players dictates his style of play. There are a lot of coaches who would go out and play wild football with Pryor, when he wasn't ready. It would have been more exciting, sure, but you have to wonder what the results would have been in the Win/Loss column. Now that Terrelle is starting to click on all cylinders in his development (I said his biggest improvement would come from the end of the season to the bowl game :)) Tressel will let that dictate his aggressiveness. It's about winning, not looking pretty. Tressel has the right to be annoyed, because he knows what kind of players he has and what they are currently capable of. When Troy was ready, Tressel became aggressive. I'd expect the same for Pryor this year, if he's ready.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

It's JT's neck and job are on the line, so he should be able to run the offense he wants. The success speaks for itself.

The other side of that coin, however, also speaks for itself: that Tresselball can not beat superior talent unless all the breaks in the game fall Ohio State's way. Even when they do, it seems as though the defense is so tired by the end of the game as to almost guarantee a last minute winning drive by the other team. See: Texas 2005, Texas in the Fiesta Bowl and USC 2009.

 

[Gatorubet]

The biggest thing I see as a possible - and I mean possible negative, is the effect on recruiting. Of course, you've recruited well since Tress has been there, so that looks a little suspicious at first blush. I do not follow recruiting as closely as many here do. And it seems like every fan base always moans and groans the stud recruits that got away. Gators do too. But I sometimes see folks bemoaning losing some close battles on skill players, and if this is not just the ordinary fan grumbling at not getting every one, then maybe the difference in losing some of those offensive guys is a perception of a style of play that is less attractive to kids who want to be on ESPN hi-lites every game, and who view their shot at being seen as - um- "electric" superstars would not be served by the Tressel offense.

I do not know this, this is not my assumption, and I have NO facts to back this up. I am merely thinking out loud on this, because honestly, I cannot see that much to complain about. (Jax is right that discussion about the issue is valid, and complacency will get you second place every time) Really, winning a major conference championship year after year after year, etc., etc., should pretty much diminish much of that criticism.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

1) I don't understand the mentality, whether it be from Tressel or anyone else, of looking down your nose at the people who create the demand for your job. I guess he'd prefer it if everyone just forked over their money to support OSU football and kept their mouth shut so he never had to take any criticism?

Constructive criticism is one thing, having the same ignorant drivel asked year after year is another.

2) As far as the conservatism equating to reduced risk that's fine but I wonder if he's even willing to concede the point that people can indeed at some point become too conservative? There is no way to completely eliminate risk. I'm still not convinced he doesn't often cross the line into exposing himself/the team to more risk in the pressure he puts on the defense and special teams in his attempts to reduce risk with the offense.

Obviously your definition of "too conservative" doesn't match his.

I love JT at the helm of OSU in terms of running the program the right way and the development of the players as young men. Here however, I feel he comes across as a stubborn and arrogant investment advisor who is going to do what he thinks is best with your money based on his investment criteria and could really give a tinkers damn what you think about it.

You really equate what he does with his football team the same as what an investor does with your money? Seriously?

 

[Naplesbuckeye]

Two things from this for me;

1) I don't understand the mentality, whether it be from Tressel or anyone else, of looking down your nose at the people who create the demand for your job. I guess he'd prefer it if everyone just forked over their money to support OSU football and kept their mouth shut so he never had to take any criticism?

2) As far as the conservatism equating to reduced risk that's fine but I wonder if he's even willing to concede the point that people can indeed at some point become too conservative? There is no way to completely eliminate risk. I'm still not convinced he doesn't often cross the line into exposing himself/the team to more risk in the pressure he puts on the defense and special teams in his attempts to reduce risk with the offense.

I love JT at the helm of OSU in terms of running the program the right way and the development of the players as young men. Here however, I feel he comes across as a stubborn and arrogant investment advisor who is going to do what he thinks is best with your money based on his investment criteria and could really give a tinkers damn what you think about it.

I think that he has earned this right. You could on the other hand, treat the press much like Meyer does in Gainesville. You wouldn't want to get on Meyer's bad side as a media member.

I agree with what Tressel says about investment in the team and repercussions. This isn't a situation like John Cooper had where assistants were moving in and out of the team and he was forced by the AD and Boosters to dump some coaches. He calls the shots until he proves that he can't win.

 

[Jaxbuck]

The biggest thing I see as a possible - and I mean possible negative, is the effect on recruiting. Of course, you've recruited well since Tress has been there, so that looks a little suspicious at first blush. I do not follow recruiting as closely as many here do. And it seems like every fan base always moans and groans the stud recruits that got away. Gators do too. But I sometimes see folks bemoaning losing some close battles on skill players, and if this is not just the ordinary fan grumbling at not getting every one, then maybe the difference in losing some of those offensive guys is a perception of a style of play that is less attractive to kids who want to be on ESPN hi-lites every game, and who view their shot at being seen as - um- "electric" superstars would not be served by the Tressel offense.

I do not know this, this is not my assumption, and I have NO facts to back this up. I am merely thinking out loud on this, because honestly, I cannot see that much to complain about. (Jax is right that discussion about the issue is valid, and complacency will get you second place every time) Really, winning a major conference championship year after year after year, etc., etc., should pretty much diminish much of that criticism.

Jwins or some of the recruiting gurus could tell you better than I but there was a period between '03 and I think '04 ish where the recruiting wasn't top shelf, especially along both lines of scrimmage. That is what bit us in the ass from 2006-2008 more than anything else imo. I don't think skill position recruiting was a major issue at all.

Tress did replace the recruiting coordinator and you can see a marked uptick in the talent, and more specifically depth of talent, along both lines imo. There has also been a major fix in the off field behavior from the early Tressel classes and that's as important as anything.

My gripe with the offense is pretty much a philosophical thing at this point. I feel you are bringing on more risk than you are eliminating by being too conservative on offense. I see it all across football, it not just Tressel. Its not a matter of picking exciting offense over winning, that's a gross over simplification. Its a matter of questioning if overly conservative offense puts too much pressure on the defense and special teams as I have been doing since the days of Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher.

All three great coaches, all three great win %, all three have had their share of "big game" issues. I think Tress has been the most successful of the bunch and I think he's fixed the real underlying issues of the 06-08 teams but we shall see.