Would Bollman’s Dismissal Really Be the Cure?
Please, Jim…I beg you. Gimme one more chance!With much of the bye week talk focused squarely on an offense ranked 43rd in rushing, 106th in passing, and 95th in total offense, it’s no secret most of the fan base is clamoring on radio, blogs and around the water cooler for Bollman to be sent packing.
Further, much of those same folks are also openly wishing for Tressel to give up play calling duties.
Personally, I’d be thrilled to see both occur but based on Tressel’s comments earlier this year, that ain’t gonna happen:
“I don’t know, maybe my ego wouldn’t let me. I’m not sure I could not help on either side of the ball. What am I going to do, go eat bonbons?”
And when discussing a prior time (2005) when voices were suggesting he give up play calling:
“I’m not sure that would interest me. I like being involved.”
So, while we’re all pining for names like Lane Kiffin to come and rescue the offense, we need to be realistic. What top flight, established Offensive Coordinator is gonna want to come to Ohio State for the job title Offensive Suggester?
Seriously, considering the documented fact that Bollman merely suggests two or three plays then Tressel picks one doesn’t do much for my confidence in finding someone that could help. As a fan base, our only hope is that some older cat who has been there, done that but still has some juice (cue Walt Harris) would be willing to act as a co-offensive coordinator and be okay with not truly having the keys to the offense.
At this point, the bigger concern might be finding an offensive line coach capable of developing players so they actually improve over time versus regress. This season has proven that we can criticize the play calling all day long but if plays don’t have time to develop it doesn’t matter what what play is called.
Oh, and I’m not sure what the formula they use, but Rivals has Bollman as the 20th ranked OC. I guess it’s safe to assume they don’t look at Total Offense.
Before any assumptions are made, I want to be clear that I personally want Jim Tressel to be the head coach for years to come. I just think he needs to make a meaningful change at the end of the season to get some help on the offensive side of the ball. Bollman has not proven worthy of keeping his job so a change is necessary. It’s no different than having a job in the real world. Produce, or at least show improvement. If not, move along.
It may not be the cure but it would definitely be a big step in the right direction. Let’s not forget he’s also the offensive line coach, or at least that’s what his title is. Actually coaching the OL is a different story, and the OL has been regarded by most of Buckeye nation as the main culprit in our struggling offense.
I think you nailed it. Getting a top offensive coordinator is going to be all but impossible as long as Tressel wants to call the plays. But really, I don’t have too much trouble with the playcalling. It hasn’t been great, but if the team executes, there’s enough diversity there for the offense to be productive. But with the offensive line failing to do much of anything with consistency, it’s tough to get anything going. If we could just get a great offensive line coach to replace Bollman and let Tressel keep on calling the plays, I think it would be an improvement. As I’ve said before, I’m not sure what exactly his o-lines are failing to do, but I do know that too often over Tressel years I’ve wondered why the o-line isn’t better.
even if you completely ignore the atrocious play-calling saturday. (hard to do, i was there, and drove down from new york to see that turd.)
based simply on the O-line underperformance over the past 4-5 years, the guy who’s title is O-line coach, needs to be shown the door. I don’t want to see him ruin the Brew crew like he did Barton and Boone.
Who’s the last lineman we’ve had live up to potential? Mangold?
If this were Revolutionary France, Bollman’s head would be in a basket next to a guillotine. This program needs a breath of fresh air and somebody to counteract the senatorial persona and demeanor of Tressel. I want somebody on the staff who breathes fire and isn’t afraid to get after the players when they screw up.
I don’t always LOVE Tresselball, but he plays the percentages and wins over 80%…… not many coaches in the country can boast that one. The O-line is atrocious and even the best QB in the country cannot execute if he does not have time. We gotta get a better O-line and fast…. if Pryor fails to live up to his potential like Troy Smith did against Florida, then it may be a very long time before a top-ranked QB will give Ohio State a serious look. OSU has traditionally never gotten those QB recruits that everyone else gets (Michigan) …….. how many successful OSU QB’s are/were there in the NFL???
Tomczak (maybe), Tupa was a kicker, Schilcter went to jail, Germaine was a bust, Krenzel never cut it, Cornelius Greene never cut it, the Jury is still out on Troy smith—- All I am saying is that it is already tough enough to overcome the bias about OSU not being a good school for a QB to have success in the NFL and then seeing the Top Recruit in the country get his head bashed in for 3-4 years will make it even tougher to get the best QB’s to look at OSU. It took almost 30 years from 1979-2008 to get another #1 QB recruit here and he may be thinking about the what if’s based on his experiences so far.
Bollman leaving MUST happen and Tressel sure as hell needs to look in the mirror and realize he is not at the top of his game right now and he must make whatever changes are necessary to get back on top Next season and beyond. I love Tress and everything he stands for and has brought to the OSU community– Coaching staffs get stale, the same ideas year after year get stale, things must evolve or they die…… this is what happened to Lloyd Carr, Steve Spurrier, Bobby Bowden, Phil Fulmer, Lou Holtz (more than once), Joe Tiller, and Barry Alvarez………… gotta change and keep the newness and fresh ideas coming…………….. If he decides to continue with more of the same, Tress may soon find himself in a similar postion to Lloyd Carr and I would hate to see that.
Maybe Rich Rod will trade two large Gumby’s Pizzas and some Pokey Sticks for Bollman, can’t make his team look any worse!
We need Tress to keep running the show for sure. He is a great coach no matter what the haters say. I’ll take him over ANY coach in the country, NFL included. That being said, co-ordinators and specialtly coaches are on notice in every program, except ours apparently. Im not suggesting a complete overhaul, maybe just Bollman and perhaps a new S&C coach. Keep the lineman in shape, there’s a new idea.
One a side note, great to see that everyone else huffs paints and starts brawls on the weekends too. Being the minority sucks.
Pokey sticks FTW!
As much as I wish it would happen, Bollman won’t get fired. Want to know why? People have short memories and the last two games of the year will be against TTUN, and probably Alabama or UGA in the Cap. One bowl, or USC in the Rose. I have a feeling that the offense might explode against scUM a la 2004, and traditionally, at least before the UF debacle Tressel’s bowl games unleashed the offense…
Good article Chris, it is difficult to imagine a top flight OC coming here to give suggestions, hell you and I can do that from the couch, we just need some XBOX 360 headsets hooked up to JT during the game.
I agree with Kyle, they need someone who will bring some fire to this line. Both Tressel and Bollman seem too mellow.
Is Art Shell still available?
haha, everytime i read that he gets 3 plays suggested from bollman and picks one, i think of madden, and the “ask madden” or “ask coach” option. good stuff
No one had a problem with Tress calling the plays in 05-06 when things were rolling with Troy and last year when Todd was skating through our first 10 cream puffs.
It’s not the playcalling. It’s the OL play. Calls any play you like - with two defenders are in the backfield in under 2 seconds, things are disrupted, and most plays won’t work. It has to be incredibly frustrating for Tress & the skills guys, and it’s to their credit they’re not pointing too many fingers.
Our OL play the last decade has been mediocre at best to alarmingly poor at worst. The need for change there is just glaring, and I hope Tress’s loyalty doesn’t blind him to it.
Other schools in recent years seem to develop better OLs with lower rated recruits - this is tOSU - how in the world are we below average in that regard?
Look at Georgia - comparably-rated OL recruits, and they’ve been absolutely ravaged by OL injuries this year, plus the group is very young. Yet they still hold up very well, and in the SEC to boot.
Insert (randomteam) here, and chances are they’re doing a better job of developing OL than we are, and it’s damn certain that if (randomteam) returns four starters, including three senior starters, they’re a team strength.
At this point, I’d settle for average - just give our skills guys a fighting chance most plays.
Bollman is apparently a very nice guy - I’d probably love to have him as my neighbor or coaching my kid’s soccer team, but enough is absolutely enough.
I know the offensive turmoil falls on Bollman…but it was only 2 years ago when OSU was averaging 36 points a game under his and Tressel’s command. I personally think that this team just isn’t that great. Maybe this is a team that just got hot last year and is only now showing its true colors. Yeah there is definite NFL talent at some positions (Wells, Jenkins, Laurinitis, Freeman), but overall it is just a mediocre team. There is absolutely no playmaking receiver. I doubt anyone outside Buckeye Country could name a starting receiver for OSU. Same goes with a lot of other key positions.
I agree that the playcalling is not the real problem. The play of the line up front is the problem. They’re just underperforming.
I will say that OSU tries to do a dizzying variety of things on offense. They can do a lot, but none of it particularly well. On third-and-two, with the game on the line, you should have a bread-and-butter play. With Earle and Coop, it was a simple Power-O. What would you say this team’s bread-and-butter play is? Truth be told, I couldn’t really name one. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know that Tressel or anyone else knows, either.
In a dream, I’d let Tressel call the plays if he wants, but go and get Glen Mason to be my associate head coach/offensive line coach. The associate title gives Mason some hope for another job down the line (a job I think he deserves), and the man can flat-out coach offensive line play. He knows what he’s doing.
Jim Lachey doesn’t look too shabby, either. Just get someone with ties to the program and a desire to see that things get done up front.
I’ll agree I’m not fond of the play-calling done by Bollman and Tressel. But when it comes down to it, isn’t it the players executing the plays that are called that really matters. A recent buckeyecommentary.com article touched on it, the dynamic offenses of Miami in 2001-2002 and USC from 2003-2005 had very predictable play-calling, but their athletes executed and you couldn’t stop it.
If you were to tell me that beanie wells, running behind a line returning 4 of its 5 starters (ok its obviously been banged up a bit, and there have been some changes) would only be able to manage 2.4 yards a carry, and finish a game with only 55 yards rushing, I would have laughed in your face, I don’t care whose defense it is. The guy should be good for 3+ yards every time he touches the ball and close to a 100 yards a game. But lately that hasn’t been the case, and why is that?
I think its safe to assume that when you have a QB that has only thrown for over 150+ yards once in his career and 3 times been held to less than 100, that there is no need to be concerned about the pass. When Pryor is in the game there are 8 or 9 guys in the box every play, and why wouldn’t there be. As unreal Beanie is, he’s not going to be able to produce as well with Pryor at QB the whole game, than he would with Boeckman. Don’t get me wrong, I think Pryor is an incredible athlete, and one day will be a great QB. But at this present time, Boeckman is a better QB, not athlete, QB. I’m not calling for Boeckman to start, but is it really too much to ask to have him come in and play a series or two each half, loosen up the defense, make the threat of the pass relevant again, give beanie a little room so that he doesn’t have a couple of safeties breathing down his neck. As long as Boeckman is on the sidelines, teams are going to put 8 and 9 guys in the box every play and you’re going to continue to see our offense go touchdown-less. So is it really our poor play calling, or is it the personnel executing the plays, and the defenses game planning around them that has our offense on the ropes.
The big questions are, do we improve next year, and does Beanie come back?
I respectfully disagree that playcalling is not the problem, not to ignore the issues at OL. I think it adds on to the OL woes. If they realize that the OL consistently crumbles under pressure, they need to adjust the playcalling. You can only bank on ‘execution’ for so long until you realize that they just can’t get it done. At least not in the shape they’re in.
Let’s see screen passes, short dump passes, short cross routes. Make pass plays quick catch-and-runs. No long, drawn-out downfield plays. Roll the pocket out, make defenders question the pass or run rather than waiting for the penetration then scrambling frantically. I know that Pryor came here to develop some pro style skills but until he can work on his delivery we need to utilize him to the best of his current abilities. I see teams running the spread much more effectively with much less talent and IMO that falls on coaching and playcalling rather than execution.
The line has been the weakest link in the last five losses dating back to UF in the Fiesta Bowl/BCS game.
The new author at Buckeye Commentary, who has a limited grasp on football concepts at best is only partially correct. The line has played terrible, but the playcalling hasn’t helped much.
Either way, it comes back to Bollman.
Sad to say, I don’t think Tressel is going to let Bollman go. If he did, that would be admitting he made a mistake and for some reason he can’t do that. There is a certain amount of hubris at play here and it makes me sick to my stomach. When you are the Head Coach, you lead. You make difficult decisions and are not always the nice guy. Until Tressel realizes that it is up to him to lead the team and set the tone, and fire anyone that is not doing their job, then the Buckeyes will be exactly as they are today. And that makes me sad.
What’s really alarming is that unless Bollman is cut loose, TP should cover up any bad playcalling or line play the next two years and then when he leaves we’ll be right back to where we are right now.
Just a few quick observations from across your eastern border. First, this is what Buckeye fans collectively signed up for when they screamed for Terrelle Pryor. Great athlete, can’t throw yet. That is what limits your playcalling. If you run up against a good defense with that problem, there’s a good chance you won’t score many points. Still, why no option? Why no QB draws? If you’re going to put the kid in the game, why not use his best asset?
In all honesty, I think Penn State fans were petrified that Boeckmann might get in the game. He carved us apart last year…but he had a much better offensive line. We didn’t lay a glove on him all night.
Second, you lost to two very good teams. Disappointing, yeah, but there’s no crime in that. You don’t fire people during a 10-2 season, as frustrated as you may be.
Anyway, thanks for being nice to our fans. They’ve all come back with very good reports about the pre-game festivities.
RUTS — Agree OSU lost to two very good teams however the offense has looked just as stagnant in the wins. The call to rid the program of Bollman is not about wins/losses - it’s about evolution of an offense and more importantly, improvement of an offensive line that has been one of the weakest links on the team for years. Seriously, look at the lack of development. OSU puts a high volume of players in the NFL every year yet the offensive line has, I think, one current starter in the league and very OL contributors. You can’t say that about the other positions, except QB. Bollman doesn’t develop players - they typically regress.
You guys are a bunch of friggen drama queens. Hell, one bad year (2L) and you’re freaking out…get a grip…everything will be just fine with T.P.
P.S.- We’re going to be a machine in 2010 [GO BLUE]
I shouldn’t have said that offensive line play was the problem. I should have said that it was a major problem.
I agree that some quick-hitting plays might help, but defenders are getting penetration so quickly, and our wideouts have done such a poor job of getting separation, that I don’t know of any playcalling adjustments they could make at this point that might help. The only thing I think might make things easier - and this is from a philosophical perspective - is to “dumb down” the offense to the three or four things Pryor seems to do well: the pistol and the shotgun with four or five wide. That’s all I can think to do, heading into the final three games.
At this point, you hang your hat on your defense and kicking game, and hope you can score one or two touchdowns, and eek out some 14-10, 17-15 or 16-13 wins. That’s all they have right now, and all this team can do.
Gawd help me, I agree with a p*nn st*t* fan. Tressel owed Boeckman an apology on Sunday morning. He should have seen the field halfway through the third quarter. Ridiculous.
R.R.
Thanks for the asute analysis. By the way, I think another recruit just decommitted as I was typing.
“So, while we’re all pining for names like Lane Kiffin to come and rescue the offense, we need to be realistic. What top flight, established Offensive Coordinator is gonna want to come to Ohio State for the job title Offensive Suggester?”
Good point, and duly noted. I’m not sure Lane Kiffin would be interested in anything other than a Head Coaching position in the college ranks, anyway. He definitely has an argument that he wasn’t really given a fair crack at the job, and let’s face it. That was a losing situation for him, anyway.
We can also forget about current Offensive Coordinators and Offensive Line coaches coming to Ohio State. Who wants a lateral move? What good would that do? I wrote the following over at Buckeye Commentary earlier, so I’m going to run this up the flagpole here and see who salutes…
Let’s just get down to brass tacks. When Rory Nicol, the starting TE, says, “You look like a bunch of girls out there. That’s the truth.” to his own teammates on the O-line, you know exactly where the problem lies. (Thanks Alex Boone. That’s one time opening your big mouth to the press was helpful.)
If your O-line cannot execute consistently, or at all, a coaching staff will try to simplify their strategy and play calling.
It’s a vicious cycle, with a specific pattern developing. Bollman, O-line, lack of execution. Bollman, O-line, lack of execution. Bollman, O-line, lack of execution.
You simply cannot do anything without a solid O-line. You can’t get a solid O-line without a solid O-line Coach. The problems start with what players are being coached. The O-line needs to be lean and mean. They need to be making pancakes. Instead, they’re overweight and indifferent, and they’re playing patty cake. This problem has been lingering since the good ole Lydell Ross days.
The football program needs a dedicated Offensive Line coach and a dedicated Offensive Coordinator. The combined services experiment is a failure. And, IMHO, I’d put Strength and Conditioning Director Eric Lichter on watch starting now. His new top priority in the off-season would be putting all the O-line guys into a new strength and conditioning program. Stat.
Here’s my Christmas wish. Coach Bollman. Thank you for your service to The Ohio State University fooball program. Please clean out your office. Good luck to you, sir.
The new question becomes, who replaces him at both positions? This may sound like blasphemy to everyone else here, but I’d be looking for an O-line coach from the SEC, and an OC from the Big 12, if it were up to me. Obviously, these aren’t going to be guys already in those two positions, (unless it’s a lesser school) or there would be no incentive for them to come to Ohio State.
“Thanks for the asute analysis. By the way, I think another recruit just decommitted as I was typing.”
Ha!
“Tressel owed Boeckman an apology on Sunday morning. He should have seen the field halfway through the third quarter. Ridiculous.”
Sorry Joe, but I have to respectfully disagree with that assessment. Pryor was 16/25 for 226 yards. 65% completion rate. He was again able to make up for blocking mistakes by the O-line, in mainly obvious passing situations. The real problem was Penn State completely shutting down OSU’s rushing offense. Beanie got 55 yards on 22 attempts, a 2.5 per carry average. Pryor tacked on a whopping 6 yards to a total of 61 yards rushing for the entire game.
As much as I like Boeckman, he’s not playing anymore mainly because of his lack of mobility, and has proven over and over again that he panics when not given enough time. These problems are magnified with a poorly executing O-line.
Yeah, Chris. LOL at the “decommitted” line!
Boeckman probably would have had the hot air knocked out of him after the first snap. He regressed more than anyone the pastyear. I’ve always been pretty hard on Boeckman even dating back to all of last year, but looking back at some 07 highlights, dude could actually play. He moved, made decisions, and threw with purpose and determination at times. That guy has been MIA since the PSU 07 game.
No, Todd should have gotten into the game for atleast a series. He is a senior and it was homecoming. Tress will get him into the TSUN game for sure or else everything I know and believe about Jim Tressel will go out the window.
I understand that Pyror didn’t do anything wrong, but he wasn’t doing much right, granted it was a close game, a highly important game, and putting Todd in might have jeopardized the win, and that’s the Head Coach’s call, so I’m in no position to question it. I just kind of expected it, and I think Penn State, whether they were expecting it or not, was afraid of it. Might (and that’s a loose might) have helped spark the O a tad.
I’m wondering if Antonio Henton would’ve been given a crack at playing. Probably not, but it’s an interesting thought.
My problem with Bollman isn’t really his duties as offensive coordinator but offensive line coach. The offensive linemen are fat, slow, and not really good at anything, not even run-blocking. It’s pathetic.
Thanks Tressel you take all the pressure away from me. Keep it up 1-4 after bye weeks great stat. Also another great stat, 3 games no TD’s and everybody blames Bollman, classic blindness to your HC. I think its the same O-line as you had last year but you are worse. Buckeye fans, you think its Bollman fault but you call running plays constantly last week with Penn State had not 8 but 10 in the box. I guess you did manage your two field goals. Keep up your support for Tressel i love the blindness over one great season he had, you still think he is great. I guess that is my career also but i get respect and put a top ten offense on the field. Final thought execution is a problem but no team in the country can execute when they are predictable and hand cuffed.
Does this guy really have nothing better to do than his daily trolling of his anti-Tressel campaign?
“…i love the blindness over one great season he had…”
To quote Sheriff Bart from Blazing Saddles, “Excuse me while I whip this out.”
The Ohio State University is a member of the 800 win club, with only 4 other programs in that exclusive club.
- Jim Tressel is currently 80-18 at Ohio State, and has reached 80 wins faster than any other coach in Ohio State history.
- Tressel is 2nd in Ohio State history in winning percentage at 81.6%. The coach ahead of him is 16-2 (88.9%) and coached only 2 seasons, compared to Tressel’s 7 seasons.
- Tressel’s BCS bowl game record is 3-2, including the 2002/2003 National Championship game.
- Tressel has lead OSU to a bowl game each year as coach at OSU. His overall Bowl game record is 4-3.
- Tressel is 6-1 against archrival Michigan.
- Tressel has lead OSU to 4 Big Ten Conference titles, 2 of them outright.
- Tressel has a winning record against every Big Ten Conference opponent, with the exception of Wisconsin. He’s 3-3 against them.
- Tressel is the only coach in the history of college football to win National Titles at 2 different schools.
- Tressel is the only coach in the history of college football to win National Titles at two different divisional levels of NCAA football.
Go ahead and keep pointing to the few negatives, and I’ll keep pointing to the numerous positives. If anyone thinks Tressel sucks as a Head Coach, they’re either blind and deaf, drunk, high, or living in a fantasy world. Or all the above.
Two more things:
- Tressel has led Ohio State to 3 National Title Games.
- Tressel has won a total of 5 National Championships in his entire career.
That’s a damn good resume’.
Um, doesn’t Stoops suck in bowl games? I’m pretty sure he does.
@Tomblogical:
I didn’t say that Pryor played poorly - for a freshman, I think he’s done remarkably well. I do think that he’s extremely limited as a passer, and if p*nn st*t*’s going to take away the best attributes of Pryor’s game (as they are now - i.e., his feet), then Boeckman should have been given a series or two, just to stir things up. We’d only scored six points, so it couldn’t possibly get any worse.
The flip side, of course, is the argument that doing so would have endangered Pryor’s confidence, or fed the rumblings of a team split over Todd’s benching. I can see the downsides, for sure.
I hate questioning Tress, but I don’t understand why he’s not open to allowing others to call the plays. It doesn’t make him any less of a head coach and it’s not like we have an “identity” or run a “system” (i.e. Read Option) that he would be forfitting.
I agree that if Tress doesn’t lose the mentality that we can kiss any oppurtunity of landing an elite OC good bye! -and why would we want some second tier, carbon copy Bollman? To better our O-Line? Execution? Can’t better play calling improve our O-Line play much the same as the reason why Pryor is starting: He makes our O-Line less embarrassing because of his feet.
I am really excited about the young talent we have and the talent that is coming in, but if Tress doesn’t give up some of his duties I can’t see us getting back to that elite level.
Disclaimer: I love Tress as a head coach and am not in any way saying he shouldn’t be our head coach.
I see what you are saying Joe, do you think TB playing would have hurt him more then him feeling like he lost game. I know everybody was worried about how dejected he was. I was just pondering reasons why this season was not what i expected
Joe:
“I didn’t say that Pryor played poorly - for a freshman, I think he’s done remarkably well.”
Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you the impression I thought you were saying the opposite, but that his performance was the reason I’m glad they left him in.
“The flip side, of course, is the argument that doing so would have endangered Pryor’s confidence, or fed the rumblings of a team split over Todd’s benching. I can see the downsides, for sure.”
Those are some other reasons why I’m glad they left him in.
Side note: man the B10 is getting no respect from any sports broadcasters right now. I heard a debate today if a one loss SEC or B!2 team should play for the title before a undefeated Penn State does (that is BS) to even discuss that.
JBeveridge:
Obviously, someone needs to send all the sports broadcasters a copy of the latest Sagarin conference ratings. Not that it would change their minds, of course.
Tom, while you probably know this, you got me thinking of Antonio. His team is 4-4 and it looks like he has been starting:
107-199 for 1379 yards passing 10 TD and 10 INT; 120 att. for 516 rushing, with 8 TD.
Robby Shorthop is doing worse at Delaware (3-5):
104-189 1163 yards passing 6 TD and 12 INT; 51 att. for 94 yards rushing with 0 TD.
I’d hate to say this but if (or since?) Tressell calls the plays (and from his quotes above it doesn’t seem like this will end soon) what would getting a new OC change? Nothing.
Tressell will still call his own plays. Why are we calling for Bollmans head when he isn’t even calling the plays? Obviously I don’t want JT fired (firetressell.com is ludicrous) but HE needs to make changes.
With JT’s stubborness (or power hunger) nothing will change if we get a new O.C., that’s why we probably won’t…
Oh and these conference comparisons are getting old. It will never end, they’re all just opinions of idiotic sportscasters with nothing better to talk about looking to stir up controversy and discussion.
Corey:
Yeah, those numbers are brutal, and they’re at Div. II level (or whatever they’re calling that level now).
“Robby Shorthop”…LOL!
Tress will never fire someone. If the offense isn’t working, it will be viewed as his own fault, something he needs to do to change. He’s too diplomatic to fire someone. I just hope external pressure from the fans (hey! that’s us!) and maybe some pressure from the AD will force Bollman out.
Just watched Jim Rome Rip Tressel for using Pryor like Craig Krenzel. The truth hurts. OUCH
bg buckeye — I think that the reason people are still calling for Bollman’s head is because he is the o-line coach. That is the unit most responsible for the program’s last five defeats (the entire defense was culpable against Juice and the Illini, but…)
Also, if he’s suggesting plays and JT picks one to run with then maybe a new outlook or philosophy would help. Perhaps JT would get three awesome plays to pick from each time.
Why couldn’t Maurie go with old shorthop, it would have been a great tandem at Delware. Its great that Buckeye football fans know so much about there team, no other fan of any team(no matter the sport) can compare to our knowledge. Saying all of this, no other team in the country has the fan support we do and no F@$king SEC or B12 fan knows what we know about our team, so that explains our legacy, most programs have horrible down years but at OSU we are usually solid to great and during my lifetime we have never had a horrible decade, so to all you haters, we are always going to be a good team and that will never change. Talk all your shit, my favorite thing about Tressel is we are looked at every year now as title contenders and that says it all!!!
Jason: Agreed.
Although I’m just baffled that Tress is still calling plays. I don’t know why that bothers my so much.
Hey clones: Jim Rome sure is a credible source…rack’em…I’m out from cbus…Romey is a joke.
Tom B-great rundown on JT’s accomplisments. He needs to improve, but don’t we all.
Jim:
No problem. More food for thought. Under Jim Tressel’s watch, OSU has been to the National Championship game 42.8% of the time. That’s pretty amazing.
After this year, that’ll change to 37.5%…
I don’t like Rome either but he tells the truth. Tressel Sucks calling plays bottom line. He sucked when we won the title game and he will continue to suck at play calling. Its time we wake up and quit letting him live off the one title game win or we could end up like tennessee. Remember your only two bad recruiting classes from looking like Michigan. I’m might be the biggest homer you ever met but im telling you Ohio State will never win a championship without some better play calling. The truth hurts.
I think the line is awful and needs improvement. The playcalling could be more exciting. But this loss did not bother me one bit. Even with a freshman QB and a lousy line it was a very close, exciting game. It was a tight, old-fashioned Big Ten slugfest. I loved it. Our D was fierce, their D was fierce. Our O-line got beat but otherwise offensive execution was pretty good in the face of that Penn State D. I could enjoy more games like this. If we win them, of course.
Besides, the best thing for the Big Ten’s rep would be have Penn State winning the National Title. It will elevate the conference’s rep instantly. And I think they can do it.
if Tressel is calling all of the plays, what good would it do to get rid of Bollman? Bringing someone new into the program won’t necessarily improve the quality of O play is Tressel won’t give up control of the final call. The suggestion of bringing in the Tulsa coach/OC sounds pretty good to me. Have you seen his team play? They really get it going. Just sayin’.