Probably not how he anticipated going outOuch. This one will take a while to get over, but for the first time in three bowl seasons, we can all be proud at how the Buckeyes played.
You can still be upset with some of the playcalling, missed tackles, and other mistakes made during the game, but the bottom line is that the Buckeyes gave Texas a much bigger scare than many thought they'd get and came within a whisker of knocking off one of the nation's top teams.
Can a loss like this improve the program's reputation? Doubt it. But at least it temporarily halts the slide it had been on for two years.
There are some problems to fix, but the wonderful thing about sports is that there's always a next year. And next year, Pryor learns how to really throw.
Bullets
- You gotta feel for Anderson Russell. That missed tackle will sit with him for a while. Hey, that's football -- sometimes you don't make the play. But, don't forget about his pick at the end of the first half or the fact that he finished 2nd on the team with nine tackles.
- On the winning score, the Buckeyes brought the house and paid for it. With a quarterback like McCoy that's smart enough to make the right read on that, it's risky, but it paid off for the staff against Dorsey oh so many years ago (though it should be pointed out that the goal line cut out half of Miami's playbook), so I don't fault them for dialing that up. They had been getting pressure on him all night.
- Props to the boys for not rolling over when down 17-6 and momentumless heading into the 4th.
- If this was Beanie's last game as a Buckeye, it was a microcosm of his career. I'd still be shocked to see him back next year.
- The Boeckman to Pryor combo makes you wonder why we didn't see something like that on goal lines all year long. Hats off to Todd, he played well tonight.
- Pryor, on the other hand, burned the Horns with his legs, but curiously stepped out of bounds early on a couple of plays. He didn't look comfortable throwing the ball at all, but that will come.
- McCoy was the real deal. I think if you had told me he'd have 400+ two days ago, I'd have assumed a blowout. He could run into Pryor one more time if things line up right.
- The Longhorn hurry-up offense really got to the Buckeyes at times. They had to have known it was coming, but that's tough to simulate in practice. (Well, you can simulate it, but not the personnel running it so well.)
- The officiating was questionable, but each team received its share of calls. That fourth down spot was close, but the right call.
- Robo showed up huge -- his 5 for 116 led all Buckeye receivers and the bomb was a thing of beauty. Hartline, on the other hand, finished with 0 receptions, which surely can't help his draft evaluation.
- Orakpo is a great player and got his plays in, but he didn't take over the game. Credit to the staff for getting a second blocker on him for most of the night.
- Prayers for Shaun Lane and his family. Looks like he'll be okay.
- There are some great game photos at the Statesman.
- My money is still on USC being the best team in the country. And it's not really close.
We'll have more in the coming days.
Comments
One minor disagreement with the coaching decision on the winning play. IMHO, you defend the goal line with 20 seconds left and a 4 point lead. THAT'S when I use the zone, not come with a blitz, especially when they ran that play ALL NIGHT. Crikey.
Probably not the smart move, but some times you have to roll the dice.
Great job defense, I mean it...great job! McCoy had to throw the ball what...58 times to beat you?! 99% of it being underneath stuff with a team that averages 40+ points a game?! Hmmmmm what's that leave? Oh yeah...the offense! Look...I really tried to be optimistic about this situation and about the guy but seriously, Bollman...it's time!!! It's time to go! You recruit slow, out of play, overrated lineman. Your blocking schemes are basically with all due respect, pathetic. And the offensive playbook is just well...ugh (I'm spent). These 24 seniors have played their hearts out and I will NEVER forget all of the high five opportunities they've given me and my buddies. But the fact is the game is passing this program up. Are we getting the recruits? Ehhh, for the most part I think we are getting a few but the game plans aren't exploiting them. The fact is the Big Ten is being left in the dust (including OSU). Go ahead and fight it...you know it's true. USC...well, it's just unfair at this point. Who wouldn't want to play there?! SEC? Well they have enough speed to make Edwards Air Force base jealous. Big Ten? Well, we graduate great, quality human beings. No one can argue that...no one. But the fact is when it comes to football, well, it's just going from ehh, to ouch, to worse. I hope THE OSU, and the Big Ten, can turn this ship around. But I don't see it coming any time soon. Great job seniors! Good luck to you and may you never forget your time as Buckeyes at THE Ohio State University!
P.S. Does anyone else think Jamaal Berry looks like the next Mo Wells? :(
Sigh. Yeah, I know. I'll tell you what, this one hurts more than the last two NC Games combined. Those games were decided early. This one I thought we had in the bag.
It was ripped out of our hands and hope was crushed. This will be a jagged little pill to swallow after the getting blown out 3 of the last 5 big games.
Here's to hoping 2009 can erase everything.
To the fellas out there calling Beanie soft for coming out of this game...mr ed over at the OZone put up a comment on the forum that said he ran into Beanie after the game. Mr. Ed described Beanie as 'incoherent,' and that he thinks the concussion was pretty serious. You don't screw around with a concussion fellas, once the brain has started swelling then minor bumps can exagerate the swelling and make things much more serious than they already are. Besides, without Beanie the boys still managed to drive for 2 4th quarter TDs.
In other news, I had no booze in the house tonight. How I managed to epically screw up that bit of preparation I have no idea, because I really wish I had a bottle of good bourbon to swim in right now.
Fox's coverage was the pits. The announcers stunk and camera work was poor.
The best camera coverage was the blimp picture from outside the dome?
I second that!!
Bollman needs to be canned ASAP. Our vanilla, garbage offense is under utilizing and wasting the talents of our stud athletes. I mean c'mon... a run play on 3rd and 13?! Are you serious?! It's the same bullshit every game. And the O-line... well, you know the rest.
Also, Tress needs to grow a pair. Playing by the vest obviously isn't producing any success of late against top tier teams. You can play like that against a Northwestern, but not against a Texas, USC or LSU.
As great as our D played, Texas moved the ball so effortlessly at times. It was so frustrating to watch because I knew once we got the ball back it would be like pulling teeth for us to even get a single 1st down.
... and of Colt McCoy's sister.
What kills me most about this game is that this was the kind of defensive scheme that could have kept us in the game against Florida and LSU. Last night's game puts to rest any speed myths and instead highlights that with the right defensive scheme and a good offense (which we didn't have last night), the best of the B10 can hang with the best of any conference.
What I wouldn't give to have that missed field goal back and going for 1 instead of 2 on the first touchdown.
Pretty much agree on all points.
I'm not going to call last night a moral victory, but I didn't feel too bad about the outcome. Obviously it sucked that we lost like we did, but seconds away from beating a team that 90% of the nation had in a blowout, we showed up for once, and it was great to see. It showed me that (1) we really aren't that bad, and (2) the B12 really isn't that good. Add on Tech losing to Ole Miss, Okie St to Oregon, and Mizzou almost losing to NU... things aren't looking good for OU.
It also showed me that we could be much better than are. The natural ability of our athletes could only carry us so far even despite the bad playcalling, but can you imagine how dangerous this offense could be with even a semi competent OC?
There are a lot of plays I'd like to have back, but the one that stands out to me is Boom's big TD run leaving a whole 2 minutes for Texas to work with. I was calling for it in the open thread. We were already in comfortable FG position. If there was any time to use Tresselball, that was it. 3 yards and a cloud of dust, use up every second of the playclock on each down, call a TO and kick the winning FG.
much better than we are, too.
You're right, Flip. As soon as Boom scored, I looked over at my buddy and said, "He scored with too much time left." I bet half of Ohio said the exact same thing.
What does everyone think about the way we worked Boeckman into the offense? Admittedly, he made some big plays, especially that bomb to Robiskie, but I can't help but think that the reason Pryor struggled throwing the ball all night was because he couldn't really get into a rhythm with Boeckman taking half the snaps.
Also, part of me is obviously disappointed that we lost, but part of me is almost glad, just because it will (hopefully) force Tressel to re-evaluate his staff. It was a great effort, but that's still a third straight bowl loss. If he doesn't make changes now, I don't know if he ever will.
I feel sorry Russell, he looked like he was going to cut the rcvr off or make the pick and the rcvr made an excellent adjustment and ran his route more shallow than he anticipated. As a result, he was in a poor position to make the play.
Here is my thing about the blitz call on our last defensive play and it is same thing I have been bitching about for some time. You have disguise that all out blitz. We may have gotten away with that against Colt a few years ago, but this is not his first rodeo. One other thing, if we are going all out, why weren't all the DB's on the line. If I remember correctly the slot rcvr coverage was loose, of course I had a few beers by then, it looked like the DB could have tightened it up a bit.
Jason -
Two nicknames/photoshopped photos I'd like to see:
1) Beanie Baby. Use a sheep or something. He's ALWAYS hurt. Tell me I'm wrong.
2) 2006 Anderson Russell. This kid hasn't been the same since his freshman year (pre-injury). Step slow. Poor tackler in space. Taylor Mays doesn't miss those.
Couple questions and observations:
1) Who the f*ck was calling the plays in the 3rd quarter? There was an obvious difference between quarters 1,2, 4 and quarter #3.
2) I am glad it took Jim Heacock 3 years to finally learn how and when to call zone defenses (too much is a bad thing vs. a good, accurate QB). Now he needs to be fired.
3) Jim Bollman needs to go ASAP.
4) Jim Tressel is still one of the best coaches in all of college football. He has taken us to BCS bowls how many times? We have had how many winning seasons? How many times have we beat Michigan in a row? We filled our recruits for 2009 how early? I am glad that we have a steady and classy coach like JT. Our expectations as fans are WAAAAAAAAAY out of whack. Think about the type of seasons we have had over the last 5 years. I think there would be 115 other college team fans that would kill to have it as half as good as we do. Thanks JT.
5) Could Mack Brown look anymore like a crybaby spoiled brat than he does. Every f*cking penalty against Texas he was out on the field stomping his feet and screaming and yelling and swinging his headset. I am glad that his players were alot more classy than he was.
OSU had nothing to lose and should have played like it. Yet, Texas runs for a first down out of a punt formation: we run on third and 12 and seem satisfied with field goals. Seeing Todd on the field surprized no one as it was widely reported by the Dispatch and ESPN! ( How does that happen?) Lastly, how do we not defend the goal line at the end of the game?
This game pissed me off! We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. No wonder we get little or no respect!
I still can't believe that last defensive call. With less than 30 seconds and only 1 timeout, you have to keep the play in front of you on defense. Not to say I wouldn't have sent somebody, but for sure not everybody crashing into the line. Coordinators have to change.
I hope Beanie goes. The guy is good when he plays, but I'm tired of seeing him make one play then take the next 3 off. Which is then followed by a punt because he wasn't there to help us. That said, with him on the bench in the 2nd half, Tress was forced to open it up a bit and it worked. Of course, that was after Texas scored 2 TD's and we then respond with a couple of 3 and outs.
I think JT gets too much credit for "getting us to BCS bowls and winning records." For crying out loud, he's coaching in the Big Ten...a chimp could coach us to 10 wins in this sorry a$$ league. When did just getting to a big bowl game become acceptable at OSU?
Yeah. Also, you could not miss their DC going f**king ballistic in the 1 st over a supposed holding no call! What a jackass. He was screaming in the face of the umpire like a madman yet no penalty.
I can't remember; during the Texas-Missouri game, did the cameras cut away to cover any of the game or was it all McCoy-Daniel families coverage?
One thing about the O-line, other than a few mistakes. (Browning's penalty, couple of sacks, Boone holding like SOB) They played good enough to win the game. Play calling can help make a good line look bad or bad line look good in some cases. If the offense is too predictable, it can be stopped no matter how good you think the o-line is.
Fellas, my points from the game:
1.) Be proud of our boys. I am never one for moral victories, but they got punched in there mouth and finally punched back. Amen. Other than the last few plays, it was great.
2.) Say what you want, but Tressel really proved how great of a coach he is, pulling out all the stops, mixing shit up left and right, and we where in it until the end.
3.) We better f'ing hope that LiC DOES NOT turn into the next Reggie Ball. Freshman phenom who next developed.
4.) Oklahoma is going to get clown stomped. You heard it here. If Texas struggled mightily with us, you get the picture. Hiw good is USC? They would blow out Texas.
5.) Anyone else catch Stuart Scott and Scott Van Pelt arguing on air? Van Pelt jumped all over him for being condesending for no reason towards the Big 10. Van Pelt was PISSED at Stuart Scott.
What is going to hurt for a long long time is that this will forever be a game of many MANY missed opportunities.
The entire first half for example. To come away with only six points after DOMINATING is just so MADDENING. The last series, you get first and five and not one throw downfield. I have never been so dissapointed in the offensive play calling under Tressel's regimethan I was in this game. The first two series in the second half was appalling. I do not even want to think about anymore.
My hats off to the defense! INCREDIBLE! The defensive line showed up! Good job boys.
We dominated two quarters and 13 minutes of this game and came away with nothing. So depressing. But not really surprising our inability to score when in scoring territory has been the problem from the first game.
Congratulations Texas. I can say that you are the one non-conference team that can beat us that I still respect afterwards. Great team. Incredible class. Good job.
So what do you want? We won't go undefeated every year. We won't win the National Championship or even go every year. We could end up having a few seasons like Michigan, worst losing season ever, NO BOWL, and recruits decommitting by the truck load. Is that really what you want for the buckeyes? Is it so far removed from Coach Cooper that we forgot what its like to have a coach like that?
Seriously, If JT gets too much credit for taking us to BCS Bowls and having good winning seasons, what the f*ck else do you want?
What else is there other than a big bowl? We will not be #1 playing for the NC every year.
Scott is ESPN's crossed-eye clown. The cameraman never knows if he is looking at him or not.
Understood. But we dont seem to use our talent to the best effect. Again, we had nothing to lose but play tight. The play calling showed little or no imagination. We have the talent and should blown their doors off but played it way too conservative.
ok, my observations and remember that I have been the eternal optomist on this blog every chance that I got:
1. WTF did Tressel do with Pryor during bowl prep???? His passing was atrocious..... not just bad, beyond bad. He had a wide open Back in open field twice and missed badly when moving to his right. He underthrew several receivers and held onto the ball way too long.... If Boeckman is the QB who the coaches trust to throw the long ball in critical situations, then why was Pryor the starting QB all season???????
2. Bollman and Tressel have weapons that sat on the bench all game long. Quick throws to the sidelines, reverse, pitches to someone other that Beanie.... Flash, Boom, Saine, etc..... the 3rd quarter was a complete waste and devoid of any kind of imagination.
3. Why do they keep running Maurice wells up the middle?? He sucks!!!! He needs space to run ---- you cannot run Maurice Wells in the same plays that Beanie runs!!!!!!
4. 51 yard field goal to start the game--nice. Bad snap and hold on the next 51 yard field goal, not so nice. Penalties that keep drives alive, missed field goals, etc..... why has the stuff not been fixed... this is 4 big games where we screw ourselves with stupidity. Allowing a fake punt to make the first down and then on the very next set of downs they convert another 4th down?? Arrrgggh!!!!!!!!
5. 2 dropped interceptions... one that wins the game at the end!!!!!!!! Nice one in the end zone to end the half though!
6. Beanie-- I love Beanie and he is a stud! Time to go, bye bye. This dude cannot stay healthy and he cannot play 5 plays in a row without going to the sideline......... so much of the game plan centers around him and then he goes out injured in some way game after game. Is he made out of paper mache????? JavonRinger gets like 100 carries a game and keeps on going! I don't want to hear it anymore about his injuries. Too bad, play thru them or get the hell out! If I were an NFL owner I would stay away from him big time. He will spend more time on IR then on the field.
7. The starting QB job should be open next year. Pryor and Bauserman should have an equal and fair shot at the job. In my book, Pryor has not earned it yet and he needs to be pushed. If I were Tajh Boyd, I would not want to sit behind Terrelle Pryor. He could start at a couple of other Div-1 programs right away and have an offense to run.
8. Bollman must go-- he should resign or be fired Monday. I will give him the rest of the week to clean up, prepare his resignation letter, and eat any food he has left in his office. Good bye and good riddance... the line didnt stink it up, but it didnt play well enough for you to stay. You are a dinosaur with no imagination and the team needs new blood.
9. Heacock actually called a pretty good game and he should stay if he wants to. You cant fault him for trying to bring McCoy down at the end. Missed tackle cost that TD... not the defensive scheme. Glad to see some fire and pressure from the D.
10. Tressel-- Is it me or did he have a deer in the healights look at times during the game?? He clearly is a step behind in play calling these days and needs to turn the duties over to an innovative Offensive coordinator. If he cannot or will not, he should step down. I do not say that lightly and I love the man, respect him, and thank him for everything that he has brought to the program. But, college football has evolved very quickly in the 8 + years he has been in columbus and JT is always playing catch-up... he is not on the cutting edge and is not showing signs of make the wholesale changes to become elite again... we were there from 2002-2006........ now we are second tier. I am afraid we stay second Tier unless BIG changes are made. Please Mr. Smith, sit down with coach Tressel and help him to see the light on this.
11. 2 - 51 yd field goals dont cut it to open a big game.... gotta see that and gotta do something about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[...] “You can still be upset with some of the playcalling, missed tackles, and other mistakes made during the game, but the bottom line is that the Buckeyes gave Texas a much bigger scare than many thought they’d get and came within a whisker of knocking off one of the nation’s top teams. Can a loss like this improve the program’s reputation? Doubt it. But at least it temporarily halts the slide it had been on for two years.” [Eleven Warriors] [...]
I want OSU to win the Big Bowl. Getting there is not enough for a school like OSU. Do you think USC is happy with 'getting' to the Rose Bowl? NO. How many more opportunities does JT get before he gets canned? How many times could you f*ck up at your job and not get fired? I'll bet not as many as JT has in the last 3 years.
good post, but you forgot one thing: The two point conversion made absolutely no sense.
Up 21-17, there is no reason to go for two. You're up 4, why is being up 6 better than being up 5? Plus, if UT scores a TD, why is being down 24-23 better than being down 24-22? As it was, you were down 24-21 with no chance to win on a FG. That decision was one of many decisions that made zero sense...
Think of it like this.... if you are up by 6, it forces a good extra point after TD... you might as well go for 2.....
The real killer was not making that field goal... that would have put us up by 7.
Jeezus, is it me or is everyone in here starting to sound/whine like disgruntled Browns fans (I'm sure many of you are, as am I.)
Realistic expectations fellas. Yes this will hurt, just like ANY loss. We still finished 10-3. We will not, repeat, WILL NOT win or contend for a NC every year. We've been spoiled over the last 5-6 years, and need to stop worrying about what Mark May and other haters and ridiculous talking heads have to say about us. Remember name calling back in grammar school....just ignore them. Besides, most that are doing the name calling, if not all, are fans of inferior teams. That's how it works.
There is a LOT to look forward to next season, especially as TP works on his mechanics ALOT over the summer. He will get better. It's tough living in the "what have you done for me lately" sports, but come on. The kid gets better every game. There is a reason he was the #1 recruit in the country, and anyone who bad mouths him (ie: Michigan and Penn St fans) is just sore their team didn't land him. I have a name for you: Tajh Boyd. If this kid signs up for the Bucks, watch out. He's more of a pure passer than TP, and looks like the 2nd coming of Troy Smith. Did anyone see him play in the Army all star game. This kid is going to be good, real good.
Anyone who calls Beanie weak or soft is just plain ignorant. Period. The man is a warrior, and has played hurt his entire career. He obviously had a concussion last night, which is too bad and I hope he's ok. I could tell when they did that close up of him on the bench with the coach talking to him. He looked dazed and incoherent. I've had a few in my time, and let me tell you they're no fun my friend, ESPECIALLY if you're a RB who can be subjected to hits on every play. No way he can go back in the game. It's a brain injury. He could permanently injure himself, and no way any team, pro or college, is going to let ANY player back in the game with a head injury like that.
Thanks for the memories Beanie, good luck in the pros. You were one of the best backs ever for the Buckeyes.
Tressel is a good coach and one of the best recruiters (despite national perception of the program, he is still bringing in top recruits even from southern states), but he's a terrible playcaller. In a perfect world Tressel would give up the playcalling but that's not likely. The next best thing would be to fire the guy feeding him the plays, Bollman.
Right now, firing Tressel would be stupid. He is great for the school and the program. There would be major fallout with the players and incoming recruits. Pryor, for instance, LOVES the Vest. He gets googly eyed just talking about him. This isn't the SEC. Is anyone else even available that is capable and within the realm of reason?
So what do you expect OSU to do year in and year out? And, honestly, it all depends on your definition of f*cking up. JT has not f*cked up. We need to understand as a fan base that most of the teams we play in bowls are usually ranked higher than us because we travel better as a school and usually make it a good game.
Well said, Scott. There's no reason for the players or the fans to hang our heads today, that was a phenomenal game that took an iffy spot and a last minute TD pass for Texas (a 10-point favorite, mind you) to pull off.
I think this is a good jump-off point for 2009, and I don't see TP letting us drop games like this in the next couple years! Go Bucks!
Also, everyone who's calling for coordinators to get fired obviously doesn't follow OSU football very much. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. I know it's frustrating, but there won't be any changes to the coordinators unless someone moves to a higher up position with another school/program. Tressel is loyal to his staff, to a fault maybe, and obviously is slow to change himself.
Here's to wishing/hoping he gets a little less predictable, and more creative with the offense in 2009.
I'll back the coaching call. They brought the pressure the whole drive and the players had trouble executing. The players just didn't execute. That pressure forced McCoy to throw not one but two balls on that drive that should've been picked off. We catch either of those, or Russell makes that tackle (which he does so soundly 95% of the time you can rightly expect him to) and we're praising the playcalling for forcing McCoy to throw before he's ready... I love 'em, but our boys just didn't quite execute.
As i watched another horrible offensive coached game, i wonder why fans are not more speaking the truth about Tressel. First off we have fans that are happy it was close even though we lost, seriously the state of our program is not good, yes we get great recruits but why do we look anything but great against good teams. What SEC, B12 or Pac 10 coach when they get to ball at midfield run a draw on 3rd and 12 when the game hangs in the balance. College football is not about field postion against elite teams. I am fucking tired of punts and field goals and that is Tressel MOS. It will catch up to us mark my words. I truly feel that we have the least amount of respect around country since i have been a fan. Tress is classy and boring, a bad combo when it comes to college football today. Its 2008 and not 1980 and till coach realizes that, we will do well in the B10 which means nothing and get beat by any good team from a true BCS conference. Sorry as a true fan, the B10 is horrible and has made Tress's tenure a little better then it really is. There was a reason he was at a D1AA till his late 50's. GO BUCKS
When did just getting to a big bowl game become acceptable?? Sometime after Cooper left... Before that, of course, we'd have been thrilled to do it.
It became the norm once Coach Tressel arrived. Are you too young to remember the Cooper/Bruce days. Even at the end of Woody's career the Buckeyes has slipped.
I swear some people forget how horrible the program was before Coach Tressel arrived. Do you even remember 2000. The Buckeyes did not even make a bowl game.
Arguements about OSU before Tressel got here are not even valid the B10 was twice the conference it is now
Because if they score a touchdown, you can still block the extra point attempt.
Michigan won the 2000 Orange Bowl the same way, they blocked Alabama's extra point at the end of the game to win. In my opinion it was a good call, it did not affect the outcome.
Buckeyes - Not sure what to say. I thought you had it. Well-played regardless. I loved the way Boeckman stood in there, and your team dug in during the fourth quarter, when it would have been far easier to roll over.
Fight On!
The Big ten sucked in the 90s. That was before Ferentz arrived, Joe Tiller had not arrived, Penn State was not in the Big 10 until 1992. Michigan State couldn't keep a coach. Northwestern had one good year, but for the most part sucked.
What power houses are you talking about????
I'm happy the bucks didn't get worked like in other games, but disappointed b/c they could have easily won this game.
1. Russell needs to make the tackle and not go for the pick during an all out blitz, stop them at the 20 don't miss and send him into the end zone.
2. I wouldn't draft Beannie in the top ten the guy is always hurt and out when you need him the most, maybe late first.
3. I always came from the school of thought that you don't go for 2 until it is the last option. If we kick 2 extra points then it's a one point game or you kick the first one and go for 2 on the second to make it 7, don't go when it's a 2 point lead and 7 minutes left if you don't get it you chase points the rest of the game.
4. Why didn't we see todd and terrell the whole year?
5. I said two things in the fourth quarter, that this game reminded me of the 98 rose bowl and the team with the ball last would win the game, and we needed to run more time off the clock before boom scored that td.
Anyway you go this was a good but not great game for the bucks, USC comes in next year and that will be the season maker or breaker. It will be fun to see how they do on the road and not in southern california. I think they should play that game at noon, so USC has to wake up at 5 am their time to get ready to play that game.
I'm sick of Beanie going off the field after a couple of good runs with little injuries. Concussion in the second half???? Come on. I think his agent sent him a text after he got his 100 yards. He checked out.
I agree JBev. Tressel ball will not work in big boy football games. It might get a win against Northwestern or Purdue but not against high caliber teams like Texas. I think a lot of fans give too much credit for JT's 10 win seasons and Big Ten Championships. Both of those are nice but with the state of this conference they don't mean a whole lot. Matt Millen could coach this team to 10 wins with our schedule.
Maybe it is because the courtroom is my office, but I like to look at both sides. Here are a few of my takes.
1. After watching Pryor throw the ball these last two games I NOW understand the play calling. Pryor at this point in his career is not a passer. I haven't seen as many bounce passes since Steve Bellesari was throwing to Ken Yon-Rambo. You can not center your offense around a guy who is only going to complete 5-10 passes a game.
2. I had no problem with the play calling. Many people keep pointing to the 3rd and 12 draw play. The QB could not complete a pass and the receivers could not hold onto the ball. Robiski had a good 2nd half but his 1st half was horrible. Don't even get me started on Brian Dropline. Also, what is the deal with tight-ends dropping the ball in the endzone against Texas(Two-Point Conversion and hamby a few years ago) The draw was called a couple of times this year on 3rd and long and it worked. The defense is thinking pass and the offense runs the ball. When it works you are a genius.
3. I think the Buckeyes lost last night for two reasons. The first was Terrelle Pryor. The guy is a freshman, he is going to make mistakes. At this stage in his career he is not a threat to go down the field. He can be great, but he has to be a DUAL-threat. Last night he was a single threat QB.
4. The second problem was tackling. I loved the aggresive defensive game plan. It amazes me how many people on here wanted them to play prevent. Those are the same tpeople that scream the loudest when the Bucks play soft zone.
5. The Bucks were a a couple of plays from pulling the biggest upset of the bowl season. They are not going to win every game. As long as they play their best, do not give up (see 2006 and 2007) they have a chance to beat anybody. There are 115 teams that would love to trade places with the Buckeyes.
I don't argue with the agressive defense.... wins more times than not. Heacock did a good job mixing up the defense last nite..... I question why Tress did not run more time off the clock at end, but it is easy to second guess. Boom saw the opening and took it--can't fault him for that.
Beanie is a pussy! and I dont say it lightly. The guy checked out and has no guts. Tressel called it last year after the youngstown state game and Beanie has been in a gut-check ever since. Not mentally tough--too bad, he could have been great. I would rather have a guy like Boom who gives me 150% and plays with bumps and bruises than a guy like Beanie who gets 5 20 yard plays and sits down because he is hurting. Too Bad, get in there help the team. Concussion my ass!!!!! That was a mental breakdown if I ever saw it. He just dropped to a second rounder.
Keep in mind, it was a 15-yard TD run by Herron...and he broke a couple tackles. If he didn't do that, it would have run more time off. Not his fault at all.
Also, all this Beanie trashing? Really? Apparently no one here has had a concussion.
I'll back the call as well. Look at when we sat back in zone coverage in the third quarter, Colt was tearing us apart. Pressure was a good way to go, it had already caused one turnover right before the half.
Coming from a Longhorn fan...
This kid Pryor is scary good. I don't understand why Tressel kept going back to Boeckman? Give Pryor a shot to make the plays! Sure, maybe he's not as good of a passer, but he's a true threat on his feet and had the Horns scrambling all night. I know others have probably commented on this before, but when I see Pryor play, I'm reminded of Vince Young-type player--but maybe even better. Since he's a true freshman, he'll improve over the next couple of seasons and will be a great nucleus for THE Ohio State to build around.
"Beanie" Wells killed us all 1st half. It was a shame he wouldn't end up playing much (if any?) of the 2nd half because the guy is an incredible ground threat. (Greatest back in the nation maybe?) If he comes back next season, watch out!
Who's that South African kicker? Good god, that guy was awesome! Other than that one shanked field goal (caused by a botched snap), I thought his foot might end up the difference maker in this game.
I was somewhat surprised that Laurinaitis (sic) wasn't a factor as much as I thought he would. I guess the same could be said for Orakpo.
Despite the result, this was a hard fought game on both ends and, with 30 seconds left and a 4 point lead, it could've easily swung either way. I know a lot of you guys are upset about losing another Fiesta Bowl, but let me say this, you guys are going to be a POWERHOUSE with Pryor as your quarterback. If Wells comes back next year, I could easily see you guys competing for a Nat'l Championship instead of just a BCS bowl.
C'MON.... the concussion aside... he would run, run, run... and then be out for 2 series... it happened all season long.
It's pretty amazing to me that we played as well as we did and people are still piling on:
1. Texas played a pretty near-perfect game to beat us.
2. We played a true freshman quarterback.
3. Our execution, while not perfect, was better than it was during most of the season.
4. We played the second half without the best running back in college ball.
5. We limited one of the more potent college offenses to about half of its usual output, with a solid but not spectacular D-Line and one legitimate shutdown corner.
6. We didn't cave at 17-6. This is the kind of game we won in 2002 and the sort of game we've lost since then. It had shadows of Michigan 2005, and you have to think if Pryor were more mature, we could have won.
Is it disappointing to win? Sure. Is it better than sucking major donkey balls? You betcha.
Tressel's philosophy has always been to play percentages. That's how we won in 2002 (that and not a little help from God, it seems), and it's how we've always won. While he tries to accommodate his personnel, he can only work with what he has. Trick plays are not a part of his offense. (For us, I suppose passing to the tight end or running a bubble screen are trick plays. But still, he has never really evinced a tendency to unbutton the playbook.)
I was disappointed that Hartline basically vanished. The Ghost had more of a presence in the game than he did. I thought we should've taken more advantage of Pryor as a receiver or a back; when he came in, we lost a guy except for two plays. (Granted, the touchdown catch was awesome.) And I was disappointed with our coaching in the 3d quarter. How we failed to call a time-out to slow the hurry-up (Gibson was running through the neutral zone!!!) is beyond me.
And honestly, that's about it. I, for one, expected to lose, and just wanted to be competitive. We were more than competitive, and we had the game won. It was a game of inches, quite literally, and I'm not ashamed to be a Buckeye this year.
And for those clamoring for the coaches' heads, I suppose you're allowed to have an opinion, and I even understand your frustration. But whether you like it or not, winning is not everything to the coaches, even if it is to the fans and the media. Losing is what makes sports (and a host of other things in life) worth it. For the first time in three bowls, we have a team that refused to wilt and that played and lost like men. And that is worthy of celebration.
Thanks for being a gracious winner... Texas fans seem to be a classy bunch. Nice to mix it up with a class act university.
The south African kicker is Pretorius..... the long Kicker is Aaron pettry... Pettry kicked those long field goals... Pretorius had the kickoffs.
Yea, Pryor is a freshman and he has a lot to learn. Tressel kept going back to Boeckman to make long passes that Pryor was not comfortable making. I dont think we quite know how to use him yet.... coulda shoulda won the game, but Texas earned and deserved it. Gutsy second half and 4th quarter by McCoy.
Obviously I meant, "Is it disappointing to lose." Suddenly all my righteous indignation at dumb fans vanishes. I feel like Michael Bolton in Office Space; I always forget some minor detail.
Of course a few bounces go UT's way and Tressel ball "doesn't work". Listen, the ball is spotted an inch back, Tressel has redeemed himself! They, specifically the defense, played a great game. Bollman must go but I am excited about 2009 and the LiC development. Also, read through the open thread from last night...wow, hilarious UM trolls speaking the wisdom of dickrod. Outstanding, we suck but UM is on the right track...just pure gold. "What does 42-7 get you..." the right to laugh at your disgrace of a program, Jack. Good luck "rebuilding".
Fair enough, Bill and BuckeyeJOE. We'll have to agree to disagree, because Russell was out of position and we know what happened after that.
It's the day after and I don't care anymore. When does Spring Practice start? (Hopefully, minus Jim Bollman, but that's another story.)
If winning isn't everything then why do we pay HC's millions of dollars? If winning isn't everything then why don't we have rules like in little league where every player on the team gets to play an even amount of time? That way no one gets their feelings hurt. The phrase winning isn't everything is only uttered by those that don't win.
Yes indeed, thanks for the kind words. Mack Brown and his guys are class acts all the way. I can see perhaps a rematch in next year's BCS title game, especially if McCoy returns.
Also, way to spell Laurinaitis correctly! Most Buckeye fans can't even do that, haha!
all good points, but what is the sense of putting a team of Highly rated recruts on the filed and not wanting to win it all?? Bollman is outdated and he needs to go.... there is no reason that our O-line should be manhandled-- by Ohio University?? The offense could use a makeover--creativity people-- better yesterday but did not utilize the talent on the bench.
I for one do not celebrate losing. Nice to see a comepetive game, but losers celebrate losing. Winners get pissed off, make changes and then win. sorry, but I cannot celebrate not wilting... we should never wilt.
sad to see Little animal gone ..... he is a best. I'll bet McCoy remembers him for a long, long time.
"I loved the aggresive defensive game plan. It amazes me how many people on here wanted them to play prevent. Those are the same tpeople that scream the loudest when the Bucks play soft zone."
I don't know if you're directing this at my comment or not, but I'll address it anyway. For the record, I loved the aggressive defensive play calling as well. And for the record, I've never espoused the prevent. That's a much different defense than an aggressive zone defense which allows the goal line to shrink the field on the offense.
Further, I think in the situation at the end of the game when there's 25 seconds on the clock, a 1st and 10 on the 20, and a 4 point lead I'd rather protect the middle of the field with more than one guy, gang tackle the ball carrier, be VERY slow to let him up, and force them to beat me with the clock on my side. They HAD to get to the end zone, and weren't consistently successful throwing for more than 10 yards in the air. (Not including YAC).
There's a time and place for everything. A HARD, aggressive zone fits in situations like that, and certainly not for the entire last 2 minutes.
When does Spring practice start?
No kidding. He and Jenkins are going to leave very big holes to fill.
really? first one in three years...
I agree. I don't like losing either. It's not "piling on", it's evaluating weaknesses and trying to improve those weaknesses. Much like trying to employ security of any kind, the job is never over.
Coaches go through this process over and over, 24x7, but they do it in the privacy of their offices. I guess some people will never understand the coaching process, nor will they understand the process of venting frustration. (Another thing coaches get to do in private amongst themselves.)
I disagree....
1. Texas did NOT play near perfect... McCoy, despite the numbers, made some terrible throws - a sure TD at the end of the half severly underthrown and picked; also a deep route that the CB was beat on that he threw way outside and despite an almost amazing catch at the 2 was still otu of bounds... This game should've been a blow out: either A. OSU's offensive play calling was better and you trounce UT for playing like they did, or B. Texas, if they played "near perfect" would've trounced OSU
2. You should have played him less. He was ideal for running when Beanie went out, but the way Beanie was tearing it up the 1st half, you needed true passing to complement it - basic premise of football, run opens up pass and vice versa
3. Will give you this.
4. True, but good luck getting sympathy there, don't remember much coming our way when both Henne and Hart were hurt last year
5. Defense played lights out - no doubt
6. You didn't cave, you fight all the way back, only to go Jello-soft on O in the 4th quarter, why? The D was gassed, they needed the O to win it
You Pryor haters need to step back and look at what this kid really did for us. A true freshman to come in and pull the team back from the depths of mediocraty, is truly remarkable.
How soon you all forget when Boeckman is in, all opposing D's do is line up and rush him to death!! He even showed signs of crumbling under pressure last night!
Hats off to Tress!! Perfect game plan in my book. He useed Boeck and TP perfectly. Laurinaitis was awesome on the pass rush!!
We have alot to loo forward to as Buckeye fans and should be proud of our boys for playing their BEST GAME ALL YEAR!!! I think Bollman and Tress are wise enough to bring some fresh ideas to the offense and talent gain will fix the O-Line by itself.
Pryor's arm is just as goood as Boeck's, its all a matter of learning HOW to be a passer, footwork and timing.
Also, I usually hate the teams that beat us for a while, but I have gained an admiration for Mack Brown Colt McCoy, and the Texas fans and program.
I will root for Mack to win the Big 12 every year and root for Colt the rest of his career.
Its MUCH easier to swallow losing to a class act like Texas than a slimebag like Les Miles or Urban Cryer!
Mack Brown SHOULD vote his boys No.1, thats what good coaches do, and it shows his RESPECT for our team. Go Horns, and GO BUCKS!
...and begin rant
the most frustrating thing is the game was great, but doesn't stand alone. there is no talk of how great a game it was. just about the implications for the BCS beauty contest.we get about two sentences about the sublime job mccoy did on the last drive and then drivel about how the big ten sucks, how ohio state sucks, and how this wasn't pretty enough for Texas to get an AP split. that kind of bullshit is why i started reading this blog to begin with. got tired of the non-sense i'd have to read at espn or sports illustrated to get anything about the buckeyes. who the fuck cares how the AP votes, the only reason that is a concern is bc it sells the hacks' product.
i can't wait for the hard times to hit espn et al and put these bloviating idiots out of a job. i read this blog and Burnt Orange Nation in the lead up to the fiesta bowl. Both honestly have better content than espn/SI/CBS and more honest analysis (how much analysis of 18 year olds running into each is worth, is debatable - but i digress). if the ny times can fall apart, espin can too. look forward to the day.
...end rant...begin breathing exercises.
i agree with this sentiment. the texas boys seemed to be decent human beings...unlike the illiterate boastful trash that characterized the SEC players and fans.
Iball-
Good post I agree 100% with everything. This team was not as good as we all thought they were, it happens. The future is bright!!!
I understand the frustration of the fans. If you want to see something funny, lurk over on the OU boards. The natives are growing restless with Chokelahoma. Some of their fans are saying the exact same thing about their team. Once they get killed by UF, I hope ESPN jumps on the choke wagon.
I don't know what the deal with Beanie is. He either has terrible injury luck or he's soft, like some of you are saying. For the defenders or the accusers, it's doubtful any of us know the real story.
And I also want 2006 Anderson Russell back.
Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.
- Vince Lombardi
That Vince, what a pussy.
There seems to be two consensus here among fans...
1) We finally showed up in a big game and almost won. Let's be proud of that.
2) Just showing up is not enough, we need to WIN these big games.
I'm in the latter. To be great you have to strive for the best, perfection, etc. To be considered a traditional powerhouse college football program, which we are, you have to strive for the highest. If you look at all the other top tier teams in CF now or any great athlete for that matter, do you think a mentality of "just showing up but almost winning" made them great? Of course not. And stop bringing up the pre-Tressel and Cooper days. That was the PAST. We are obviously winning a lot more now under JT and considered a credible football team (at times), so let's focus on only that and how to get better.
That said, all the complaints, bitching and "whining" are legit. THE Ohio State University should be much better than this.
Equating the idea that winning isn't everything to the idea that we should mollycoddle some nancyboy or sissylala in football is a leap of logic I wasn't making, and you shouldn't either.
Tressel should screw the SEC by Voting Texas 1 and USC 2
wow.... Nice commentary. That would be great to see Mark May, et all off my damn TV. It was kinda nice to watch a BCS game and not hear all the side banter and commentary about who is the best team, best conference, Tressel and OSU suck, etc.... Fox commentators did a nice job of just calling the game and then shutting up. Too Bad ESecPN gets the BCS games soon..... more crap to deal with.....
i agree re fox...though their pre-game fluff non-sense could use better production values. that 2 minute long:
RESPECT *FLASH BUCKEYE PHOTO*
RESPECT *FLASH LONGHORN PHOTO*
DRIVE *FLASH BUCKEYE PHOTO*
DRIVE *FLASH LONGHORN PHOTO*
made me glad i don't suffer from epilepsy and had a remote control with an up channel and mute button.
Quite honestly, if you take away more negatives from this game than positives, you're never going to be happy again as a Buckeye fan.
Also, there is nothing more annoying than this "THE Ohio State University" shit. Stop that, for fuck's sake.
Of course showing up is not going to be enough, and winning is a must. No one's saying this close loss is as good as a win. Trust me, we all wanted the Bucks to win. But just be glad that we didn't get torched like we were expected to.
Like the saying goes. It's better to have led the game in the final seconds and lost than never to have led the game in the final seconds at all.
There was nothing enjoyable about Fox's broadcast. It was just terrible all around. I thought we had it bad with ESPN but they're really the lesser of the evils.
McCoy had some bad passes, that's true. Of course, he also completed nearly 70% of them (Pryor, by contrast, completed about 35% of his passes). I guess that's awful when you usually complete 77% of your passes, but generally I think that's considered a pretty good game. Especially since Cosby was good for a first down basically every time he caught the ball (12.2 yards per catch on average).
Their defense was about as expected, though I was surprised at how well Boone and the rest of our o-line played, especially since we didn't have much in the way of a passing/receiving threat. The TX secondary is young, and once Beanie got into the second level they had a hard time stopping him; but the longest run from scrimmage we got was 26 yards. That's not quite the same as his 60+ yard runs against LSU or scUM.
Their special teams were also as expected: pretty solid, though we did a good job of limiting Shipley's returns.
They weren't perfect, but they played a good game. They didn't blow coverage, they were in the backfield more than I liked, and they scored more points than we did.
I'm impressed with the optimism from my fellow Buckeye fans. Considering the offense played almost exactly like they were expected to, with Pryor showing what he might be able to do one day, but ultimately stalling, I guess it's amazing we even contended. I wish we had finished it on top, it's such a tough pill to swallow when Beanie gets hurt again, the defense gives up a final 2 minute drive for a TD, when all they need to do was stop them once, and there was a 3rd quarter dud in play calling.
Amazing that we've not lost to Michigan since I was a junior at Ohio State, but remarkable that we've had 5 straight games of losing to top-10 competition. When is that going to end?
Sigh. Losing without grace begets more losing, and it turns a good game into a bad one.
I wanted to win, and I think we should have. But I'm proud of how they played. It was clean and hard fought, and certainly a step in the right direction. Those of you expecting an Express Train to Awesomeville should be disappointed. It's progress, and there's plenty to look forward to.
Mike Freeman over at Sportsline, quite possibly the dumbest man to have walked the earth, called us "tortoise-slow". He did not watch the game.
It ends when the offensive braintrust looks at the rest of the Universe and makes changes... I am not one to say burn it down and start over... but you can't win the same way anymore.... I'll say it again--creativity. They have trouble stopping it if they don't know its coming!
You are an idiot if you are putting this loss on pryor. He made more plays than anyone in the game. He was the starting qb that put us in a position to win. The missed tackles and bad hold on the fg cost us a chance to win.
1 thing I wish they would have done was to put both Pryor and Boeckman in the backfield, lined up side by side. Direct snap to either QB and have the other one get open. I think that would have been a wrinkle that Texas wouldn't have considered.
The Texas players and fans are classy and I give them much respect. On the field Mack Brown acts like a spoiled little brat and made me shake my head.
The game was great. Am I happy with a loss. Not really. BUT, we were down, fought back and had the lead. The team looked like they were coming together and we could have won it, except for a "possible" bad spot and a jail break blitz at the end. Meh, I feel like we play that game 10 times and we split with Texas.
Bollman needs to go, sorry but the offense needs to be revamped. I really feel like someone completely different called the 3rd quarter.
Am I upset? Yes. Am I disappointed? NO. Those kids played passionate football all game long, they were flying around on defense and Pryor's creativity is going to win Ohio State a lot of games over the next 2 years. All you can ask of your team when you are fan is for them to play their hearts out. They did that last night.
If I had one grievance it would have been for Tressel to use a "basketball" time out when UT was going no huddle and on that final drive so the defense could set up and make a play....
you would have preferred Herbie and Musberger?
yes indeed..... clean up the white castle bags and the case of Jolt cola.... bye bye Bollman
gotta stop reading that non-sense. they write stories like that bc it gets page hits. freeman is just exploiting the crack that is the bane of our society: confirmation bias.
Last I checked, "The" does indeed come before Ohio State in the university's name. Plus, I used "THE" more to emphasize "Ohio State" and how they should be better than they are now, and less to annoy people like you. So chill... we're all on the same team here anyways.
I love using "THE" Ohio State University. It really annoys my co-workers.
Let's end the controversial ball spot talk here. Whether or not the original ball spot was kept, an official review would have put the ball right on the line anyway. And Mack Brown would've challenged.
I agree 100% on the time out call. Why not? Get your d set, and give them a breather. Talk to them. They're just kids. Tell them not to go for the ball, but just make sure you keep them in front of you....
Nothing to hang their heads about. Tough, tough loss for sure. But the future's bright. Check out the whining and complaining on the PD's site. Pathetic.
is tressel starting to look alot like cooper these days? Three big losses this year, two huge losses the past two years. The only team tressel can beat is michigan. That shouldnt be enough anymore.
Did anyone catch the Atlanta playoff player intro where Jenkins teammate took the piss out of him and introduced himself as from "The Wake Forest". Jenkins of course used the "THE"
Classic.
Later, Gonzo didn't in his introduction...
No he is not looking like Coop.... Tress has won the games he was supposed to and some he was not supposed to (Miami, Texas 2006, Michigan every year, ranked Penn State team, 5 bowl games)........
step off the ledge.
Not trying to anti-spin it, but we've lost 5 straight to top 3 competition, and we've been the dog in 3 of the 5 games.
+1 to you for using mollycoddle, nancyboy and sissylala in one sentence.
Ignorant....
I actually believe the Todd started the game at QB. Nonetheless, TP was so-so. Great running the ball, horrible throwing.
We moved the ball just fine in the 4th when Beanie was out. We didn't rely on him so much, finally ran some option and roll outs which had been missing for nearly the entire game. I hope that is a more of what we'll see next year.
Just would have preferred to actually see all the plays of the game. Not missing 5 or so completely.
Also, did anyone else have a strange urge to drink Gatorade all night? Talk about brainwashing, I think the damn Gatorade coolers got more air time than McCoy's family (althought I would definitely do the mother/daughter combo there)
After giving it more thought, I take back all my fire JT comments. He shouldn't be fired, but he should definitely give up the play calling. He does have value as a HC. He should play a role similar to JoePa...a figure head that doesn't really make many game decisions. He can recruit and speak his senator speak at press conferences but that should be all he does. Heacock, imo, deserves to be back next year, but I agree with most on here that Bollman needs to go.
don't forget the wins over Youngstown state and Cincy
One of the polls this website recently published, asked if the Big Ten has a football problem. We know it does. Its 1 and 6 record this bowl season and six consecutive BCS bowl losing streak, prove it.
So, what's Ohio State's football problem? Is its football problem a head coaching problem? Perhaps, our web master could publish a poll begging the question.
Here's my vote: we have a head coaching problem...and very obviously, Jim Tressel, has been shell-shocked since January 8, 2007.
Who's supposed to solve Ohio State's football problems? Tressel. What's he been doing to solve them? No such solutions were to be found in the Superdome, last year. Nor in the Coliseum in September. Nor last night against Texas.
What's he been doing besides losing big, non-conference and bowl games? Boring us with obvious commentary intended NOT to confront, at press conferences.
Jim Tressel may be writing a downer chapter in his "Memoirs of A Buckeye Football Coach." But, the prose better get rosier and very quickly. The evidence supports calling for the ouster of Bollman and Heacock. Tressel needs to dump the doofy sweater vest and strap on a pair and edit these two out of the script. Something must be done to undo this relentless momentum toward being just a "Top Twenty-Fiver." If status quo becomes defeat at the hand of the Trojans, this September...well, that will be intolerable.
And if December 29, 1978 was the date of Woody's meltdown was the 2007 BCS National Championship Game the spark that instigated Jim Tressel's?
.......hmmmmmmmmmm coaching not to lose has been the problem. Playing with a 3 point lead against Penn State and Texas and conservatively calling plays to eat clock is not going to cut it as a regular staple. Gotta keep playing like you are down by 10 (always)........ when you play not to lose--mistakes make everything worse-- look at the third quarter yesterday and the fumble by Pryor vs Penn State. Look at the blocked field goal vs LSU with a lead last year and the Playcalling when OSU was up by 7 on Florida early in the game...... gotta grow up and call the game as if you are losing-- cant protect a lead until late in the 4th quarter.... gotta change the mentality-- If Tress cant or wont then it is time to say goodbye... and I LOVE the man and respect him greatly. It may time to go out gracefully if he cannot get over the hump.....
2005:1 for 3 (Texas, PSU, scUM)
2006:2 for 3 (Texas, scUM, Florida)
2007:1 for 3 (scUM, Illinois, LSU)
2008:0 for 3 (USC, PSU, Texas)
There have been maybe 12 or so games when Tressel has faced similarly talented opponents and he has lost 8 of them. Things started out so nice for Tressel with a virtual roster of NFL talent left over from Cooper but by 2003 he gave us a glimpse of things to come with a #90 national offense ranking. By 2004 his four loss team was a disaster lucky for him it ended with a scUM win and favorable bowl draw. Since then Tressel has proved over and over he is just not ready to call plays in big time college football. Tressel must go!!!!
can't argue with the truth.
I don't think Tressel needs to go, but perhaps turn the play calling over to someone who is less predictable.
If you are talking about the blonde, then that was his girlfriend who runs track at Baylor
Alrighty, fuckmooks, if you want Tressel gone, name your replacement.
Urban Meyer? In paradise right now. He is a God, and paid as such.
Bob Stoops? Please.
Nick Saban? He's Tressel's evil twin.
Pete Carroll? Not even going to comment.
Simply put, you're fucking stupid if you think there is someone better out there right now for Ohio State.
Fuckers like you are why we're the most hated fanbase in college football, if not all of sports.
Yeah 20/20 hindsight is nice, my buddy made the same comment after Boom ran it in. But realistically scoring a touchdown in that situation was the right thing to do. It forced them to have to score a touchdown instead of being able to kick a field goal for the win. If the opposite had happened and Boom took a knee, we kicked a field goal, and Texas ended up beating us by kicking a field goal, we'd all be criticizing Boom for taking a knee.
take it easy dickweed..... and watch the use of Fuckers.......
I do not want Tressel gone, but the man makes a point about being 4 of 12 against the best competetion we have played over the last 4 seasons. You cannot argue with the results, they are fact. Tressel must turn over the playcalling and evolve or he will eventually be forced to go. Take your namecalling and go the Michigan blogs.... we are all in the same boat here --don't be a self-hating Buckeye fan. Be proud, but want your plight to improve. Name calling and bitching accomplish nothing.
I don't hate myself, or Ohio State. Patience is wearing thin on the plebes in the fanbase. I can't stand jackalopes who don't even begin to ponder the concept of the idea of logical thought when it comes to their football team. Firing Jim Tressel would be the single biggest mistake in the entire history of this program. It'd be ten times worse than Tuberville, regardless of whatever schlub they bring in.
It would be very foolish to have an open QB competition next year. Pryor is the real deal and a hell of an athlete. It's called he's a freshman who hasnt even played in his first Spring Game yet. He will develop and get better. It doesnt help that he was facing on the nation's best defensive lines. I was impressed by his running ability. And hats off to Todd Boeckman--he was clutch and the def. of an Ohio State senior. Unbelievable throw to Robo.
Lets say that we all get our wish and Bollman is shown the door....who replaces him?
..on mute of course.
I agree... just go easy on the profanity please.
Walt Harris is available and he is creative and has Buckeye ties.
Scott, if you did the mother-duaghter thing, you might need a good bit of Gatorade to reconstitute your bodily fluids.
Shouldn't be enough anymore? Do you remember why Cooper is no longer the coach at OSU?
I'm partial to whoever coordinates the offenses at:
Okie State
Houston
Rice
Utah
maybe even Boise State or Ball State
Don't give a damn about "gimmicky" offenses or 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Want yards. Points.
Nevada runs an awesome offense and alot of Freshman starters next year... perfect time to implement. Nevada likes to run the Pony we have been hearing so much about, but never fully implemented.
I absolutely expected a win last night, I thought we matched up pretty well against Texas. My takeaway was; we were one or two plays from rightfully winning this game, and this is a nice springboard for 2009. I was pleased with defense effort and results (mostly), and the offense came to life in 4th qtr.
But seriously, going into this game with and underperforming offensive line, an injury-prone tailback, underperforming WR (I'm looking at you Hartline) and a talented but green QB, what the hell did you expect on "O"? They did a lot better than I expected.
Nat Titles recognized by the NCAA - 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002
Woulda, coulda, shoulda won titles - 1969, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998
Right now it doesn't matter who replaces Bollman. JT has to give up his play calling. I don't mean that in any disrespect towards JT as a headcoach, but we won't land a top OC prospect unless he gives him full control over the play calling.
Tress is a great coach and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to take a step back and think about who they would want in replace of him... I could think of ONE guy that I would even think about and he is coaching in the Championship game and his name isn't Bob Stoops.
JT does nothing but bring in top tier talent, if Tress is willing to give up the play calling, he should be able to pick ANYONE in the country to run the offense that he wants to.
Nice touch with Tyson Gentry being a Captain last night.
Very true J.B.
Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.
You think we have the reputation of choke artists now? Look at all those close calls. The knock was the Bucks couldn't win when it mattered.
By the looks of that list three in a row is nothing compared with a whole decade of choking.
"The buck stops here." And Tressel has stopped the Bucks' success at the conference/Michigan level, for the past two years.
It's like he's been rendered catatonic. He's undoing his success. If he doesn't get a grip, he'll start losing the ground he's gained against Michigan.
That's a great idea.
He seems to be crumbling.
How did they win the national title in 1970, they lost the Rose Bowl?????
TP looked good split out last night. He has the Randy Moss build for WR. Next year it could become a more common formation for us. Boyd (or Bauserman) throwing TD's to TP.
Jenkins will be missed more than JL. Simply because we are loaded at line backer. Chekwa got picked on all day. I think Corey Brown could come in and start right away but you hate to have a freshman at the corner.
Once Pryor gets his footwork down its going to be very hard to stop us. Loved how we used Boeckman in spots with Pryor on the field. Pryor could be a top five pick at wideout. There isn't a corner in the country that can stop that fade route.
Pryor as a wideout is ridiculous.... if we need to do that, then why recruit top WR's .. Carter, Posey, Sansenbacher, et all???? Pryor was recruited to play QB... that means handle the ball on (nearly) every down, call plays, run or throw. That's it. I still say that Bauserman should be given a fair shake to earn the starting job next year. Pryor needs to be pushed to improve. He had 6 freakin weeks to get better and he appears to have regressed. He was recruited as a QB--can he make throws?? Was Tressel sold a Lemon here like Henton?? Did he fall in love with a flawed QB?? time will tell here. If Pryor does not progress, the program is screwed. I seriously doubt Boyd will come here after last nite, He can start for nearly every program recruiting him from Day 1 and most of those programs have an offensive co-ordiantor who will utilize his talent.
Are you guys seriously riding the play calling? That was the most brilliant mix of stuff I've seen in years. I loved the blitzes. But for a slippery armed Anderson Russell on that last missed tackle, we would be talking victory right now. I fault the coaches for waiting until the last game, but they showed they have the wherewithal to call a great selection of plays.
I just don't think we had the right personnel. But we will next year, and in the coming years. We are breaking in true athletes, Sabinos and Bells and Berrys and all the rest. We will be much faster, much more dynamic.
Loved these seniors for their commitment to the program. Very little bad press, little presence on the police blotter. But Tressel can have a sound program character-wise, and also have great athletes.
I'm down, but we are far from out. Not the turning point I wanted, but I'll take it. Onward and upward into 2009.
AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MAY WE NEVER AGAIN PLAY BRYANT 'THE MATADOR' BROWNING AT RIGHT TACKLE AGAIN.
I agree and I think last night may have helped us land Boyd for the simple fact that there might be a package available for him early in his career, but I would hate to see us use it too much though. Pryor is our QB and that is why we brought him to OSU and he played out of his mind as a true Freshman under center - He'll get more polished as the years go on.
That being said, if we land Brown in this class, could you imagine being a DB on the other side of the ball and seeing TWO 6'6 that have the athletic ability of Brown and Pryor lined up wide? There would be NO reason no to walk out of the red zone with anything less than 6.
We did take the fight to them on d. The Texas hurry up offense and lack of offensive drives in the 3rd quarter wore us down on defense and i'm happy the way they fought till the end.
Look at what we have coming back next year on the d-line and the way they got better as the year went on. That could be the silver lining to come out of this season. Thad Gibson, Rose, Nate Williams will all be beast. Not to mention Keith Wells who should be a freak with his build.
The Southern Comfort I drank was no comfort whatsoever.
Palm Beach-
You have to admit...he's got the arm of a WR. ;-)
JT, is a great program manager, appears to be a decent recruiter, and i think is good for scheming before the game...the in-game shit is what kills me. he just appears to brain fart sometimes. the 3rd quarter was just absolutely baffling. i know texas made adjustments at halftime and came out hungry, but damn. the defense looked tired and confused...and i truly believe the 2nd of the 3rd quarter TDs was almost entirely the result of the defense being tired bc it couldn't get off the field thanks to the Shotgun-Draw-MoWells offensive playcalling. OH, and...um, why not burn a timeout when your boys are tired and can't seem to get it through their heads to run back to the line after the whistle when the offense is running a hurry-up. i know they were probably trying to substitute, but um, here is the thing, you can't do that if the offense won't let you.
that said, the last touchdown was meh. texas is good offensively. they finally put a drive together against a tired ass defense. can't complain too much. getting colt moving around is what kept him from successfully completing drives and in the end what killed us. live by it, die by it. but you can damn well mark down that if we sat in a soft zone, colt would have marched down the field just the same.
PS - nathan williams should NOT have been in that fucking game. i don't care if we was taking the heat for jesus, mary, and joseph. and wasn't worthington in trouble too. this is how programs spiral out of control. (see for example: Cooper, John)
Agree, Pryor was surprisingly bad at passing.
Yeah, the DBs really needed to press and chuck the receivers and get them out of their routes, since they chose to blitz on that play.
The only way that game is at noon is if woody was around. ABC will never let that happen. Could be a high scoring game for us next year as the USC d loses 9 starters.
re missing plays. my favorite was the Todd sneak on 4th and 1....with the camera locked on Pryor's face til the whistle.
i just can't stand the editorializing of Herbie and his buddies anymore. drives me nuts.
Mike "I'm a man, I'm 40!" Gundy splits the HC and OC duties at Okie State, somewhat like Tressel does. When his D is on the field he goes to the bench and lays out the plays he wants to run for his offense's next series. I don't think he'd enjoy a demotion too much, especially when Tressel would take his play calling duties away as well.
Don't know very much about the rest on your list, but I suspect it's going to be very difficult to go get a hot OC, given that they're going to want a HC position, and the fact that Tressel dials up his own plays. So, that would take Utah and probably Boise State off your list also.
The other schools may be small enough where the OCs would be getting a "promotion". I'd hope they'd get a bump in pay, too.
hey goof, good thing we never fired Earle or Cooper right! when the games passed you by it's time to leave, who you kidding? Ohio schools have long been known as the proving ground for young coaches. Plenty of them to take their rightful turn, JT's times up.
Definitely.
I think a few product placement ads (DirectTV Wundekam, etc) caused us to miss some of the actual game Pretty sure the guys in the production truck were on dope. Too bad really, b/c I thought the other game(s?) they did were well produced.
[...] the Dispatch. You can find similar sentiments today at Eleven Warriors ("… at least it temporarily halts the slide [the program] had been on for two years."), Around the Oval’s short open thread [...]
Actually, I just took Okie State because I knew their offense was already somewhat similar to what we've been trying to run with Teeps, but with more passing.
I most went for coordinators of offenses at crappy programs who aren't considered big head coaching candidates. Yet.
Another good post on this is here http://sportsidol.com/ohio-sta...
[...] Eleven Warriors bulletpoints the basics of the Fiesta Bowl. Kudos to Eleven Warriors for complimenting Colt McCoy; humility is an attractive trait. [...]
Too bad...I was jumping on your Matt Millen bandwagon...
For those of you concerned with national image, I have a small report. I live here in Kansas City and this is the center of Big 12 country. The sports radio shows have been gving nothing but love to the Buckeyes. They were very impressed with the performance on Monday night. Although TP has played on national television before, this was there first real look at him against a national power and they came away impressed. They even commented on that "Buckeye Speed". The one guy even said that kind of speed doesn't exist in the Big 12 defensively.
The some radio commentators are even back tracking on their Choklahoma picks. They think UF is going to run all over the OU defense. Bob Stoopes will be on the hot seat if they lose. Stoops and Tressel have the same on field rep out here (can't win the big one), but Stoopes is kind of viewed as a shady character. Some have even called Jim Tressel better because he at least beats his rival and never loses games they should win.
I attended a Fiesta Bowl party the other night. Of the dozen or so partiers, I was the only Buckeye fan in the house. Every person in that room would love to be in Ohio State's shoes. How do I know, they told me.
I have never really cared what other people thought of my team. I could care less. I hate the Yankees with a passion. I understand that hatred is mostly fueled by jealousy. I am jealous of the Yankees, sure I make excuses about why I hate them, but it is mostly jealousy. Do you think Yankee fan cares about how others view Yankees? Well neither show we.
Most Buckeye hate is fueled by jealousy. It is so much fun to hate the team at the top.
Am I disapointed by the loss, sure. But I am able to take away more positives from the game than negatives. The offense was creative and the defense was aggressive. We play a top team and lost in the final seconds. I am already pumped for next season, bring on USC.
I'm reading a lot of "hating" here. C'mon people. was it really that bad? that was one of our better coached/schemed/played games in a long time. However, of all the complaining I'm seeing NOBODY is saying anything about Robo dropping that perfect bomb that TB threw him in the 1st half !! He had 5 yds separation and the ball hit him perfectly in stride over the right shoulder. It was a textbook pass and a ball WRs dream about. That was 7pts right there. He made lots of plays in the 2nd half, but if you're considered a "sure handed WR" you catch those. the O and D coaching can't be questioned. We dialed it up on both ends. Tressel took risks on O. They paid off. The D was aggressive. They gave up yds sure, but held a very good O to half its average!!
It comes down to execution more than coaching. For every "questionable" play call or D alignment, i can point out a play where a player jacked something up. Robo's drop wasn't it. Russell missed a tackle, botched hold on FG try, TP running out of bounds early, TP bad throws, TP taking sacks after holding the ball WAY too long, Becks trying the bomb to Hartline into double coverage (although that was back of end zone where there was little chance at a pick).
Let's back off our boys/coaches a bit. they dialed everything up a notch and finished a missed tackle away from a win vs a very very good team.
I here moral victory,proud of them and that makes me sick.
A real fan would never be happy over a lost like that.
The problem with them is they never change anything on the D or O
Coach needs to make some changes so everyone does not know what we are doing all the time.Get the ball to you sprrd guys,throw some screen passes.
I cannot wait till next year
GO BUCKEYES