The State of Ohio State Football for 2009 and Beyond

[TheIronColonel]

I do think it's a combination of both the youth and the lack of a kill drive. Youth certainly hurts, especially against a tough-to-defend offense like the flexbone. However, it's also a little silly to assume that the game is over in the second quarter with a 13 point lead and put your backups in. You might even call it a little insulting to Navy to pull a stunt like that.

I'm not against playing backups; the fact that Tressel plays backups a lot helps to develop young players. However, can we please put our boot on someone's neck and firmly put the game in the bag before we get backups in? This isn't about running up the score - you just can't tell me that a 13 point lead is insurmountable in the middle of the second quarter. If we've got this youth in the starting lineup, why aren't we getting them all the reps we possibly can?

I'm not going to question this staff. They know what they're doing. I like these guys and want them to stay here for a long time. I just don't understand the logic. Can someone explain it to me?

 

[Best Buckeye]

I just can't figure out the love for Ferentz in Iowa.

That love it kinda like your love slave hyena has for you Steve.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Just a few updates here....

In the eight years of the Tressel regime, Ohio State has posted a record of 83-19-0, for a winning percentage of .814, with five Big Ten championships (two outright) and one national championship (1-2 in title games), a 7-1 record against Michigan, and a 4-4 record in bowl games (3-3 in BCS bowls).

After nine years, Tressel is now 94-21 (.817), with six Big Ten championships (three outright), an 8-1 record against Michigan, and a 5-4 record in bowl games (4-3 in BCS bowls).

So, Tressel is doing very well ... or is he? Detractors will point out the fact that Woody (and Earle for that matter) never played a school from the MAC, much less Division 1-AA.... On the other hand, JT's record has been fattened with several patsies....

Tressel had three more patsies in 2009 (Navy, Toledo, and New Mexico State), which makes twenty in just nine years. Tressel's record against FBS competition is 74-21 (.779).

The other knock on Tressel is that he can't win the big game ... or even a moderately large game....

Since the start of the 2005 season, the Buckeyes have not lost to an unranked team - that's four years and counting....

So, the Buckeyes' record against ranked teams since 2005 is a rather mediocre 7-8, and just 2-7 versus top-10 teams....

The Buckeyes reversed the trend in 2009, dropping a game to an unranked team (Purdue) for the first time in five years, while going 4-1 versus ranked competition (a loss to #22 USC, and wins over #7 Iowa, #9 Penn State, #11 Oregon, and #16 Wisconsin).

Since 2005, Tressel's record against ranked teams is now 11-9, and his record against top-ten competition improved to 4-7.

Overall, Tressel is 8-9 versus top-ten teams, 13-5 versus other ranked teams, and 73-7 versus unranked teams.

2. The Lingering Effects of the 2006 Title Game

So we now have four examples of a powerhouse program losing a national championship game - Ohio State in 1979, Florida State in 2000, Nebraska in 2001, and Miami in 2002 - and then falling off of the college football map for the next several seasons. Other similar examples probably exist. The question remains - did the same thing happen to Ohio State after the 2006 BCS title game?

Since the 2006 national title game loss, Ohio State has now posted three straight ten-win seasons, three straight Big Ten titles (two outright), and posted a 1-2 record in bowl games (all BCS). Even though Ohio State has had some big-game losses during the last three seasons, clearly the current Buckeyes have not experienced the same kind of regression as aforementioned teams.

D. Predictions
2009: 10-3, with some growing pains
2010: National championship behind Terrelle Pryor and a top-flight defense
2011: Still going strong with blue chip talent in the pipeline

The Buckeyes actually finished 11-2 in 2009, and are generally considered to be a top-five team heading into 2010.

 

[BlufftonBuckeye]

Good stuff.