Brett Ludwiczak
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You’re Nuts: Who is your biggest Ohio State hero in The Game?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
So what’s everybody doing at noon on Saturday? Just kidding, we know that all eyes will be on Ann Arbor this Saturday when Ohio State and Michigan square off with not only a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game on the line, but the winner will also be heading to the College Football Playoff. This year’s contest between the hated rivals will be even more combustible after the suspension of Jim Harbaugh because of the cheating scandal that became public last month.
While we know that Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and the rest of the players in maize and blue are villains, today we are going to keep things positive and focus on the heroes we have seen in scarlet and gray that have stepped up big over the years in The Game. There have been plenty of Ohio State players and coaches that have left a huge mark in the rivalry, especially over the last 20 years since the Buckeyes have won the majority of the meetings with Michigan.
There are plenty of ways you can go with your answer to today’s question. Your biggest hero could be a player or coach. Your choice could be because of one single moment in The Game, or it could be because of what they did over their career against Michigan. No matter who you end up rolling with, the one thing we can all agree on is BEAT MICHIGAN!
Even if John Cooper had gone .500 against Michigan during his time in Columbus, he would have been a legend. Instead, Cooper was 2-10-1 against the Wolverines, with his record against That Team Up North being a major reason why he was fired following the 2000 season. There were questions about how seriously Cooper took the rivalry, which is something that can’t be said about the man who replaced him.
Enter Jim Tressel, who was hired from Youngstown State following the 2000 season. It didn’t take Tressel long to show Buckeye fans just how serious he was about beating Michigan, as during halftime of an Ohio State-Michigan basketball game, Tressel promised fans would be proud of Ohio State on the football field in 310 days when the Buckeyes took on the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Ohio State would go on to beat Michigan 26-20 in the 2001 season, marking the first time in 14 years the Buckeyes had won at Michigan Stadium.
During his time as Ohio State head coach, Tressel would only suffer one setback against Michigan, which came in 2003 when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 35-21 in Ann Arbor in 2003. Tressel would finish his Ohio State coaching career with a 9-1 record (yes, we are including the vacated win in 2010) before he resigned in May 2011 because of the Tatgate scandal.
I wasn’t around while Woody Hayes was head coach, but it was well-known just how much Hayes hated the whole state of Michigan. Hayes was a lot more vocal about his disdain for Michigan than Tressel was. What makes me love Jim Tressel so much is just how calculating he was with how he motivated his team and fans heading into The Game. Tressel wasn’t as vocal, he just let the work his team put into preparing for The Game speak for itself.
Essentially what Jim Tressel was able to do against Michigan laid the groundwork for Urban Meyer to be so successful against the Wolverines. Meyer took some of the best from Hayes and Tressel and put his own spin on it to finish his Ohio State coaching career with an undefeated record against Michigan. Had Tressel done what he did against Michigan, who knows if the Buckeyes have nearly as much success as they have had against the Wolverines over the last 20 years?
As Brett alluded to, Jim Tressel was already well underway to dominating this rivalry when Troy Smith showed up as the starting quarterback in 2004. But the eventual 2006 Heisman Trophy winner changed the game for Ohio State, not only in this rivalry but in terms of what a Buckeye quarterback could be in the 21st Century.
Smith had an NFL-caliber arm but was also athletic enough to change the game with his legs. He was the type of QB that OSU had never seen before, and after winning the 2002 national title with the brainy and gutsy — but less than athletically gifted — Craig Krenzel, Smith was a breath of fresh air.
I think that it is a legitimate question to ask whether Terrell Pryor, Braxton Miller, Justin Fields, or C.J. Stroud — all guys with elite athleticism — would have come to Columbus, had Troy Smith not paved the way.
But, to bring it back to the rivalry, Smith was 3-0 as the starter against That Team Up North, going a very nice 69-for-101 for 857 yards, 7 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. But that’s not all, on the ground, No. 10 rushed for 194 yards, including 145 in 2004. He added two more TDs on the ground as well.
I have gone on record as saying that J.T. Barrett is the greatest quarterback in Ohio State history (a distinction that I believe takes into account more than just his on-field accomplishments) and that Fields is the best QB the program has ever seen. But, I believe that there is a legitimate argument that Troy Smith is the most important signal-caller ever to wear the scarlet and gray, and his performances against That Team Up North play more than a small part in that distinction.
If you don’t remember how electric Troy Smith was, take a look at these highlights put together by our old friend Colton Denning:
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
So what’s everybody doing at noon on Saturday? Just kidding, we know that all eyes will be on Ann Arbor this Saturday when Ohio State and Michigan square off with not only a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game on the line, but the winner will also be heading to the College Football Playoff. This year’s contest between the hated rivals will be even more combustible after the suspension of Jim Harbaugh because of the cheating scandal that became public last month.
While we know that Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, and the rest of the players in maize and blue are villains, today we are going to keep things positive and focus on the heroes we have seen in scarlet and gray that have stepped up big over the years in The Game. There have been plenty of Ohio State players and coaches that have left a huge mark in the rivalry, especially over the last 20 years since the Buckeyes have won the majority of the meetings with Michigan.
There are plenty of ways you can go with your answer to today’s question. Your biggest hero could be a player or coach. Your choice could be because of one single moment in The Game, or it could be because of what they did over their career against Michigan. No matter who you end up rolling with, the one thing we can all agree on is BEAT MICHIGAN!
Today’s question: Who is your biggest Ohio State hero in The Game?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Jim Tressel
Even if John Cooper had gone .500 against Michigan during his time in Columbus, he would have been a legend. Instead, Cooper was 2-10-1 against the Wolverines, with his record against That Team Up North being a major reason why he was fired following the 2000 season. There were questions about how seriously Cooper took the rivalry, which is something that can’t be said about the man who replaced him.
Enter Jim Tressel, who was hired from Youngstown State following the 2000 season. It didn’t take Tressel long to show Buckeye fans just how serious he was about beating Michigan, as during halftime of an Ohio State-Michigan basketball game, Tressel promised fans would be proud of Ohio State on the football field in 310 days when the Buckeyes took on the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Ohio State would go on to beat Michigan 26-20 in the 2001 season, marking the first time in 14 years the Buckeyes had won at Michigan Stadium.
During his time as Ohio State head coach, Tressel would only suffer one setback against Michigan, which came in 2003 when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 35-21 in Ann Arbor in 2003. Tressel would finish his Ohio State coaching career with a 9-1 record (yes, we are including the vacated win in 2010) before he resigned in May 2011 because of the Tatgate scandal.
I wasn’t around while Woody Hayes was head coach, but it was well-known just how much Hayes hated the whole state of Michigan. Hayes was a lot more vocal about his disdain for Michigan than Tressel was. What makes me love Jim Tressel so much is just how calculating he was with how he motivated his team and fans heading into The Game. Tressel wasn’t as vocal, he just let the work his team put into preparing for The Game speak for itself.
Essentially what Jim Tressel was able to do against Michigan laid the groundwork for Urban Meyer to be so successful against the Wolverines. Meyer took some of the best from Hayes and Tressel and put his own spin on it to finish his Ohio State coaching career with an undefeated record against Michigan. Had Tressel done what he did against Michigan, who knows if the Buckeyes have nearly as much success as they have had against the Wolverines over the last 20 years?
Matt’s answer: Troy Smith
As Brett alluded to, Jim Tressel was already well underway to dominating this rivalry when Troy Smith showed up as the starting quarterback in 2004. But the eventual 2006 Heisman Trophy winner changed the game for Ohio State, not only in this rivalry but in terms of what a Buckeye quarterback could be in the 21st Century.
Smith had an NFL-caliber arm but was also athletic enough to change the game with his legs. He was the type of QB that OSU had never seen before, and after winning the 2002 national title with the brainy and gutsy — but less than athletically gifted — Craig Krenzel, Smith was a breath of fresh air.
I think that it is a legitimate question to ask whether Terrell Pryor, Braxton Miller, Justin Fields, or C.J. Stroud — all guys with elite athleticism — would have come to Columbus, had Troy Smith not paved the way.
But, to bring it back to the rivalry, Smith was 3-0 as the starter against That Team Up North, going a very nice 69-for-101 for 857 yards, 7 touchdowns, and just 1 interception. But that’s not all, on the ground, No. 10 rushed for 194 yards, including 145 in 2004. He added two more TDs on the ground as well.
I have gone on record as saying that J.T. Barrett is the greatest quarterback in Ohio State history (a distinction that I believe takes into account more than just his on-field accomplishments) and that Fields is the best QB the program has ever seen. But, I believe that there is a legitimate argument that Troy Smith is the most important signal-caller ever to wear the scarlet and gray, and his performances against That Team Up North play more than a small part in that distinction.
If you don’t remember how electric Troy Smith was, take a look at these highlights put together by our old friend Colton Denning:
Continue reading...