Six Buckeyes Earn League Love, None for Tressel
What does the man have to do?Kurt Coleman and five other Buckeyes were announced first or second team All-Big Ten selections (PDF warning) by the league’s coaches and media Monday night. The senior captain recorded 5 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles and several bone-crushing hits (one of which landed him a one-game suspension, robbing him of a certain additional takeaway or two) on the way to being named to both the coahes and media first teams.
Justin Boren joined him on the media first team, but placed on the coaches’ second team. Also on the coaches’ second team were Brandon Saine, Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward and Ross Homan. Saine and the three defenders also made the media’s second team.
You could make a case for Cam making a first team, but the league’s defensive front is perhaps the strength of the conference. What is worth groaning about, is that Jim Tressel now has six Big Ten championships, but zero Dave McClain Coach of the Year awards. The winner of the award, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz had a fantastic season in his own right — guiding an injured team to a 9-0 start and a top 10 ranking, but his Hawkeyes did place seven players on first teams, which led the conference. Should Tressel not get a little love for winning the league outright with only two first team guys?
It’s worth pointing out that the media chooses this award and maybe this is their way of sending him a message about his playcalling and/or development of Pryor (who only earned an honorable mention nod from the media and nothing from the coaches). Or maybe it’s the (unrealistic and crazy) assumption that he should be winning titles with the talent and full force of the machine behind him. But six titles (three outright) and no hardware is a little tough to stomach.
Bollocks.
Screw Coach of The Year Awards…those go to the teams that usually suck and they didn’t suck as bad as they normally do. We’ll take The Big Ten Championship and hit another BCS game. High Five.
Just had to look it up – Ferentz ALSO won the coach of the year the year we won the national championship, merely a year after going 7-5. Ridiculous.
You are right on the money Deano.
I cant believe that I am happy for all the players but no awards for tressell I believe that he shouldve been coach of the year in the nation with this offense he is still going to the grand daddy of them all Great Job Coach Tressell And go bucks!!!!!
Amen !!! There is a Waterford crystal football sitting the WHAC that has his name on it too !!!
The Odrick pick for defensive player of the year is some bullshit. We completely shut him down. I didn’t understand the hype for that guy at all. I think Brandon Graham should have won that award.
Also ironic that Coleman suspended for the game–and yet still honored as one of the Sportmanship award winners.
that suspension was some pu$$y BS.
What about Clark after he was blanked by the only two good defenses he played?
Jason,
I down in Charlotte and am in a bowling league with Jon Martin. I was mentioning reading this site a lot and he said that his friend from college Jason started 11W. Anyway, Jon told me to say hi for him…
If Darryl Clark is the best QB in the Big Ten it is truly a sad state of affairs. I watched two Penn State games this year (granted they were the two losses to Iowa and OSU – but both were home games) and he looked pretty ineffective to me.
‘02? ‘06? ‘09? Really? The man owns the conference and goes to BCS games every year…I smell jealous rats.
Yet another example of why writers don’t coach.
At least scUM still sucks. Life is good.
Well besides awards and accolades, that fake hand off read option play out of the ace formation Vince Young runs with the Titans really turns me on. I think Pryor should exploit that in the bowl of Roses come January.
I was just thinking the same thing
What about student manager of the week? That play call was genius.
If that play really was a play in the play book but just the wrong play and not made up my Pryor at the last minute then I question why the heck plays like that aren’t called more often?
Indeed, student manager of the week award. Great call.
What a bunch of bull. It look like Iowa, Penn St, or Wisconsin should have been the champs with all that talent to make first team. Oh well, I would rather have a team title than all conference players any day.
Wow! The Buckeyes really got snubbed. I especially don’t know how Heyward was not first team all conference. Also, say what you want about Pryor, but I guarentee coaches feared him more than they feared Kafka and they gave him no love (not even honorable mention). I hope this lights a fire under his ass for next year. Those coaches better watch out in 2010!
We all know that everyone that isn’t a Buckeye fan hates Ohio State. There’s no gray area. Living in Missouri I see people rip the Buckeyes every day, even though they have no real reason to hate Ohio State. No rivalries, no snubs, nothing. People will hate the Buckeyes as long as we’re successful, because we’re consistently good, and send players to the NFL like a sweatshop. One of the best players on my much maligned Rams right now is James Laurinaitis, and it’s taken until just recently for many Rams fans to recognize that Little Animal is a legitimate player… Even then he takes crap because he’s from Ohio State and not USC.
Tressel should not win coach of the year. We’re going to the Rose Bowl in spite of him, not because of him. He doesn’t coach the defense, and the defense pretty much won us the games down the stretch, while the offense ran around like scarred ninnies, partly because the coaches expressed absolutely no confidence in their play-making ability. I’m proud of the team, especially the defense and the o-line, the players, the fans for sticking with it even though a lot of us have concussions from banging our heads into walls all year. But Tressel’s biggest accomplishment this season is, what, NOT losing to Iowa in the final moments? C’mon. The loss to USC, coupled with the offensive meltdowns against Wisconsin and Purdue hurt the conference more than anything else.
8-1 against Michigan, Rose Bowl. Good season. Now, we’ll see if this team figures out how the hell to move a football down the field.
Um, Bucksfan, in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been averaging about 250 on the ground the last few games…Against Michigan we scored a TD on defense early and when we had to we answered their scores AT WILL. Tressel played with them all day. Didn’t need to throw the ball.
Like I said, proud of the O-line for coming around this year. To do that without Beanie is impressive.
The gameplanning in the last several high-profile nonconference games, including the 2nd half against USC and Iowa this year, has been WIDELY PANNED, from 3 year-old Buckeyes all the way up to head sports journalists. So, I have noticed the successes of the running game. What I’ve also recognized is that it’s not the whole story.
“We’re going to the Rose Bowl in spite of him (Tress), not because of him” is probably one of the most ridiculous things commented on here in a while.
+ 1
You certainly entitled to your opinion, but it’s comments like this that have really pissed me off on this site this year. Be careful what you wish for, I’d take Tress as the head coach any day over most coaches. Ask Michigan how their offensive genius is working out.
Cosign
I 2nd the cosignature.
Tressel is an offensive/QB coach. He doesn’t have much to do with the defense from what he says. The defense is usually the best part of our team. What makes him so special? Recruiting? Lately, yes. Offensive performance? Not a chance. QB performance? Excuse me while I go puke my teeth out. The best thing about him is the fact that he really cares about the players. It’s cool not to have a bunch of thugs running around doing whatever the hell they want like when Coop was here. However I’m not sure he deserves an award for winning the title with the amount of talent he has. Not with the Big Ten where it is. I’m not a hater, just being honest.
You may wanna ease up on the crystal meth kid, puking your teeth out isnt cool. Ask Stephanie Tanner
I was always more of a DJ kind of guy myself….
Ha, no meth here. Just really intense puking when I think of our offense. Uncle Jesse’s wife still gives me that good old fashioned feeling…
That was me ^
Then you’re not reading this site enough, because people have been saying that about Tressel all season.
I actually feel your pain.
Banging my head alot watching this offense this year. I wonder what
it would look like to be ultra aggressive on offense, and still rely on
the defense?
You guys got to admit that this offense has been hard to watch.
I have learned to settle for 3 yards, 3 yards, 3 yards, and a punt.
ugh….Tress please hire OC.
I understand that at times it is frustrating. But to say they won inspite of Tressel when for the greater part of 9 years, this has been the offense is just ridiculous. He has won a lot of games and it’s not always pretty. After Purdue when they started to simplify things more, the offense was more efficient and is starting to produce well. This offense had a whole lot of adversity this year. Pryor was still learning to be a QB, and the O-Line was sick and banged up. Plus you had to replace one of college football’s best running backs and 2 starting wie receivers. Of course it was going to be painful to watch this year. Maybe people had too high of expectations coming in. They’ve made a lot of strides this year, and if it took a more conservative game to beat 2 really good teams and Michigan in November to clinch the Big 10, so be it.
I also understand everything you are saying. The offense
went through adveristy this year… WHOSE FAULT IS THAT!
I put a lot of it on the head coach. You prepare all summer and
then change your whole entire offense???
We are a young team, i understand this!
It took a more conservative game to lose 2 national titles,
USC (2), Texas, and how many more are we willing to lose.
We are a young team, o but we are talented!
And when you don’t use this talent in creative, imagintive ways.
Then people get upset, we want an Offensive Cordiantor.
WE NEED ONE!
People haven’t just started complaining about the horrible
offensive stragety, they have been for a long time.
Question: If we have such a great defense, why not open the
playbook a little? Why not get creative? why not hire a consultant
to help with an offenseive imagination?
“You prepare all summer and
then change your whole entire offense???”
Duran, nothing personal, but Pryor has a below-average arm at best. Not saying he can’t reach back and chuck one sixty yards, but standing in the pocket and delivering ala the “pro-style” offense is just not his forte’. I think the coaching staff began using him in a manner consistent with his abilities, that is, rolling out of the pocket. Then for you to criticize changing the entire offense is a contradiction of your point. The “pro-style” offense that Tress spent all off-season instituting actually uses less of Pryor’s athleticism. The zone-read is far more suited for a player of TP’s skill set.
I don’t see how it was the head coach’s fault that Pryor kept throwing the ball to the other team or throwing the ball over receiver’s heads. The offense had to be changed because he just wasn’t making the plays. Now, he seems to be throwing the ball much more accurately aso the offense can be openned up.
I’m not so sure it was conservative play calling that lost to Florida. LSU we had a QB and Line that were terrible and couldn’t handle their pressure. Not to mention miscues on Special teams and Defense that cost that game. The Texas game was lost because of a missed tackle. I don’t see where conservative offense lost those games.
Below average arm!
(I think the whole world knows that)
What is your point?
I saw him throw 3 deep balls for 40
Yards or more they were touchdowns!
What game are you watching!
“but standing in the pocket and delivering
ala the “pro-style”
offense is just not his forte’.
(THEN WHY DO WE SEE IT EVERY WEEK)
THE POINT IS
If you practice all summer long,
When do you notice that he is not excelling,
in your bland offense?
Week 1 when you escape a victory.
Week 2 when you play conservative and lose!
What is funny is you actual admit that tress
Spent a whole entire offseason on an offense
WE DON”T USE!
Bahhh ahaah bahha ahhh!!!!
THAT IS THE POINT DUDE!
The basic synopsis of what I wrote was.
We need to be creative on the offense not
Run the 3 yards, and punt.
Predictability that pisses people.
I’m not saying that they aren’t talented but look at all the miscues from this young talented offense. How many balls did Posey and Carter drop that were on the money. How many guys had the flu or had to have knees scoped or other injuries to over come on the line. Until the line gets solidified, which it did the last few games, and receivers and Pryor show tey can execute, why should they be put in a position to screw up which they did and bad at times tis year. Simplifying everything at the end of the year made it better for Pryor to grow, which if people don’t think he has grown they are crazy. The last 3 games they did show different looks and I expect we’ll see a very strong offense next year and even in Pasadena.
Duran, what are you smoking man?
What is my point? My man, Tressel CAN”T be more aggressive because Pryor lacks the throwing ability to be creative or aggressive!
Have you been in a cave? Tressel changed the offense after the Toledo game from a more Pro-style to a zone read. Im not admitting that, it’s known fact dude!
Were we compaining about creativity when Troy Smith led the offense, NO! That’s because Troy could make the plays.
I didn’t intend to offend you, but typing silly words to imitate laughing does not cover up your obvious ignorance of the situation. Pryor was not ready for half of the playbook.
troy could make the plays….. in the latter part of year 3 and year 4. don’t leave that part out.
Exactly SB, expectations of Pryor were absolutely RIDICULOUS. That being said, when you look at what TP has done judging from more reality -based expectations, the kid is outstanding!
rose bowl and next year my expectations will be much higher though. hopefully the young receivers and TP will get on the same page. We’ve got a lot of talent, but in the grand scheme of things they are all very young.
hey ass…and you are…want to see what a bad coach looks like? Watch the replay of the LSU-Ole Miss game and watch how that turd manages the end of a game Tressel would have won. The mark of a great coach is not just x’s and o’s, but what he does after his very young team suffers a bad loss. Time and time we have seen teams lose their seasons after bad losses. After Purdue, Tress made some changes, did not lose his team, and beat 2 pretty good football teams down the stretch. The same with last year after losing to USC and changing qb’s…the team stayed focused. THAT is great coaching. If you had watched Iowa all year, you’d know they thrive on mistakes and comebacks. Tress took that out of their hands.
Anyone inrested in writing Buckeye Football or Basketball, comment back or email me. Thanks.
Ian,
Have a background in sports writing, would be interested in writing a little bit on the football team. Let me know.
I am not from the Columbus Area though, so if thats a problem I understand.
The area doesnt really matter, just need for you to download msn, and get a gmail account and email me from there at icuevas1011@hotmail.com
Might be interested — how would someone touch base with you, Ian?
hey, depends on what you would be writing.
Will get back to you on your e-mail account tomorrow Ian
ok.
How did the Bucks miss out on the 4 star tackle recruit from Big Walnut?
Pryor was an honorable mention by the media only?
Granted he hasn’t thrown the ball great at times, but when has he had the chance to throw the ball 30 or more times? (NEVER)
The kid is a sophomore who leads tOSU on Passing and Rushing Yards.
Passing TD’s, and I think he beat Boom out with Rushing TD’s. (7)
So, I guess what do you have to do to get respect from coaches?
Look at all the first downs Pryor got that stretched the game out against these coaches, or all the film, and preparation they have to study because of his legs!
Just very surprised they didn’t vote him at least an honorable mention.
PASSING ATT COMP YDS TD INT
T. Pryor 258 144 1828 16 10
RUSHING CAR YDS TD
T. Pryor 142 707 7
TP Total 2,535 yds 23 td 10 int
CLARK Total 2,978 yds 30 td 10 int
PASSING ATT COMP YDS TD INT
D. Clark 346 214 2787 23 10 7 rushing TD’s 191 rushing yds
1: Weak Schedule
2: Senior
3: Big Games, doesn’t show up.
4. 7th Round Draft Pick that gets cut by August 15th
He’s gonna be converted to a RB like Michael Robinson and see key garbage time minutes.
The Bucks were robbed! I would take our starting D line over those that were selected 1st team. This is like the consolation prize for the rest of the Big 10 due to OSU’s consistent dominance of it’s conference.
F’em…A good motivator for the Rose Bowl to show the Big Ten who they really are.
Kirk Ferentz…The most overrated coach in history.
But, but, they have a pink visitors locker room and 2 star recruits!!!!!!
Grrr. This “in spite ofTressel” crap really is off base. He opened up the throwing game for Pryor at the beginning of the year and we almost choked on Navy and suffered Purdue Harbor (love that BTW) when TP had a core meltdown. Tressel thought, “Hmmm, he’s not as ready as I thought and nothing gets my goat more than turnovers and losing”. So he buttoned up the play book a bit, let TP be a game manager, gain maturity and confidence, and in the meantime we exploded on the ground via boom/zoom.
I don’t understand these people who think they know the team’s personnel better than Tress. Boggles my mind. Are there some ugly wins?–Yes. But they are wins and this team is what this team is. Enjoy it while it lasts! TP will only get better. Tress has found a way to win DESPITE his young offense and budding play-caller. We made it to the Rose Bowl for chrissakes, I thought we were kaput after Purdue!
P.S.Tress knows who the best coach in the conference is and so do I.
The one way I look at how the play calling and offensive schemes might be different next year is, we have had a year where the coaches can go, “okay, this works but that doesn’t.” So next year I would expect to see a better performing offense mainly due to the fact that the coaches know for sure what to work on in the off season. This past season we came up with ways to get Pryor’s legs involved in the game and keep the chains moving (as well as better decision making). In the off season and next year, Pryor can work more on his passing and plus he’ll have Sanzy, Posey, and Carter as targets. That trio reminds me of Ginn, Holms, and Gonzalez. It’s gonna be a better year offensively for us, I can smell it.
seconded
I had a feeling offensively the team would take a step back even from last year because of the losses we had. If you throw in the injuries on the line, I think it’s pretty amazing the team made it through the season with 2 losses. People can say well the D saved them and whatever, but the fact of the matter is to have an extremely young team that lost 3 big parts on D to the NFL and both starting WR, and the best RB in America, well those are huge holes to fill and a lot of experience lost.
Next year this offense will most definitely be better. If they can keep Heyward and Gibson, they may just win it all next year.
pretty amazing they only made it through 2 losses.
Hey, they handed those losses over if you ask me.
USC game was won.
Purdue i don’t want to talk about it. Noon game, lackluster performance
by both sides of the ball.
This was, and is a good football team.
They gave away one game. Purdue 5 turnovers you just won’t win. To me, with all of the lost experience, whether there was a lot of talent or not, 2 losses ain’t bad. Maybe I just had the bar set lower than most, but I didn’t see any way this team was going to be in the Championship game coming into this season. We’d all like undefeated years every year, but it just doesn’t happen. Even when this team was good in the past, before Tressel, they would lose the occasional game here and there. Usually to Michigan, but I think everyone who rips Tressel has to give the man credit for how his teams have preformed during his tenure. In my life time, I’ve not seen a 9 year stretch this good. Anyone on here can say, well the defense is why, or the schedule is weak, or whatever else they want. The simple answer is Tressel is one hell of a coach.
This was a rebuilding year. I actually gained alot of respect for the coaches after Purdue. The next two seasons will be critical for Tress and the boys. And you are right, Tressel has taken this program to heights unseen since Woody or possibly ever. Six striaght vs. scUM and five straight B10 titles.
YSU has fired their head coach. He was the direct successor to Tressel there and struggled to win games. 2 things we should take note of..
1. Tressel knows his stuff, when you leave a program and it crumbles like YSU’s has then the head coach must have been doing something right..
2. I am from Y-town and rumor mill is going, heard one of the names for the job may possibly be our beloved Darrell Hazell…any thoughts on this one?
Sounds like he needs to be promoted to OC and given a raise to keep him. Just one man’s opinion.
Every year for a few years now I have always kept my eye in the headlines to see if a huge coaching move has been made. Such as Bollman retires or Heacock retires or whatever. Darrel Hazzell and Luke Fickel are studs right now who I think should be promoted OC and DC.
I agree. We were lucky to keep Fickel after the last time he was offered the D Coordinator spot at MSU(i think that was the job anyway)
Here is the problem I see though. Tressel may tell Hazell to take this job if he can have it because Tress is still a big part of YSU and the football team. We all know Bollman isn’t going anywhere right now and Tressel won’t get into a bidding war with YSU to keep Hazell.
you’re right, it would talk an act of God/Satan to get Bollman out of Columbus. I think Fickel may have been promised he would be D-Coord or better in 5 or so years and that is why he ultimately chose to stay.
Do you think it would take a bidding war to keep Hazzell.?
“The Penguins went 60-44 and won two conference titles under Heacock, twice selected the conference coach of the year. He served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State before taking over as head coach in 2001.”
Hmm, conference coach of the year, twice.
Jon Heacock is younger brother of Jim Heacock, another Muskingum College graduate. Hazell is another Fightin’ Muskie, so there may be connection there. DH (IMO) is just coming into his own, so this may be a timely opportunity for him. You know that JT will give him a helluva reference to keep DH “in the family”.
maybe they can take JIM Heacock and leave us with the talent we have….
You know, SBB, a package deal may not be out of the question..
I don’t think a bidding war will will ever happen, but I do think Tressel sees what success YSU can have when the right coach is there, and YSU is looking for a D1 assistant, and I have heard a Tressel guy is just what they want. D.H. could use this as a stepping stone to a good D1 job, and YSU and Hazell would win, and this would also keep Tressel’s interest with YSU.
What really disapointed me this year was the non-emergence of Jake Stoneburner. This kid is 6′5 and was touted as fast with sure hands. Tress turned him into a back-up blocking tight end. Oh well, just keep on winning baby.
didn’t he get injured in the beginning of the season?? If memory serves, which it often does not, isn’t Ballard gone after this season? Stoneburner will get his chance.
Your memory fails because you need to lay off the Cali Kush bud SBB
i’m not a smoker, i’m a drinker. common knowledge. haha.
and i am right, ballard is a sr.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87746&SPID=10408&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1059468&Q_SEASON=2009
Ballard’s gone but my question is if they start taking advantage of this kid’s talent. I think he was hurt last year and that is why he redshirted.. I’m probably wrong ’cause I’m old and a little drunk right now.
Good point, the TE position has been under utilized for the past bazillion years. I think with a true receiving TE we’ll be more apt to pass to him. Jut my opinion though, I could be very wrong.
Guys, Ryan Hamby essentially GUARANTEED that the TE will be an extra blocker for life under Jimmy T
You don’t have to tell me. I was sitting in section 9AA for that game. I felt like i was right next to him when he dropped that TD.
Actually no. I was standing.
Please don’t ever mention that name again.
JT is obviously one of the top coaches in the nation. I don’t think you $$uckeyes should look as his non-selection as a slight. Rather, look at the context in which the award is given. It’s not, per se, about the behind the scenes things that comprise building a dominant program, rather about it’s about (a) making gut-check type in-game decision that have somewhere close to a 50/50 chance of panning out and (b) taking a team thought to be mediocre and making them the upper class of the Big 10’s mediocrity. JT”s entire coaching philosophy is focused on not putting his team in a situation where he has to make Les Miles-esque decisions and OSU’s ability to recruit and run a stable program makes them always and forever the most reasonable pre-season champion pick (in the B11).
i have a quick question. How are the league offensive and defensive players of the year chosen? Is there a list of candidates to choose from? I really didnt agree with the defensive players of the year. Neither impressed me at all.