I was talking/debating with a friend about the different Tressel era teams and thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss the following criteria. Some of this criteria has probably been discussed before, but it's still interesting!
Most Talented Team - 2005 Team - So many first round draft picks that year and future ones to be (8 if I remember). Once this team got its rhythm they were unstoppable and in my opinion the best team in college football at the end of that season.
Most Overachieving Team - 2007 Team - After pretty much replacing every player on offense this team played came back from the championship loss in 2006 with a purpose and executed well nearly all season. Not nearly as talented as the previous year they nearly matched that pace. I felt this team was Coach Tressel's greatest coaching job.
Most Disappointing Team - 2008 Team - After bringing back pretty much the entire roster from 2007 I thought this team would be way better, but they under performed all season.
Best Turnaround Season - 2009 Season - Came back to finish strong and win the Rose Bowl after early losses to USC and a horrible Purdue team.
Best Bowl Win - 2003 Fiesta Bowl - Favorite win of all time period!
Best Non-Bowl Win - 2006 Michigan Game - Still the greatest feeling I've ever had after a football game.
Worst Bowl Loss - 2007 BCS Championship - A game that I still can't believe we lost. Still hurts to this day.
Worst Non-Bowl Loss - 2003 Michigan - So close to getting a chance to repeat the National Championship. I only wish that we were healthy for that game, because I really think we'd have beated Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and won back to back titles.
Worst non bowl loss for me... Purdue 2009--I was lucky enough to work equipment for OSU during that season but unlucky to have been there for that game...IMO worst stadium in the Big 10, about 1/3 of the stadium was empty, away locker room was smaller than my HS locker room, also the team played like absolute garbage, most notably Terrell...seemed like the guy had no idea how to play football
agree^^^ worst non bowl loss was 2009 Purdue.
worst bowl loss was 2007 vs Florida- failure in preparedness. If that team had been as hungry as the 2002 team in January, OSU wins that game by 2 TD's.
Most disappointing team- none. the 2007 + 2008 teams had a lack of players at WR and QB and DL to be elite
I still wonder what happened during that 2007 Florida game. I've heard a few rumors and such of team strife and fights. I've still never seen a team in a championship game before and since look like they don't want to be there...
^^^ there was something going around about Smith and another players girlfriend and the oline deciding to screw smith over...i doubt that has any truth to it, but there are plenty of rumors about a divide within the team... the OSU team vs Florida was not the OSU team the rest of the season...could just be that Florida was THAT much better but i doubt it
I can't believe 5 OL ..... heck, even 2 or 3, would decide together to sacrifice a team's NC dreams and a place in the istory books in order to get back a Troy Smith. Watching that game, it seemed like the team got hit in the face, when Florida came back to tie the game, and didn't want any more fight. Similar to Rock Balboa's first fight with Clubber Lang in Rocky 3.
After they beat #2 Texas at Texas and then #2 Michigan, I think they believed they just had to show up. They definitely looked and played like a team that thought they were head and shoulders above everyone else. Especially after Ginn returned the TD.
Most disappointing team, definitely the 2006 team. The whole state was in mourning after the loss to Florida. I don't think I smiled for two weeks. If they had just lost it would have been one thing, but they got curb-stomped.
"Paralyze resistance with persistence." -Woody Hayes
I think Teddy G getting hurt 2006 game killed us period ... He was the one person on the field they had no answer for, and the 1 player I think Florida was afraid of ... Once he went out of the game their defense tighten down on the corners because we had no one else that could run past their corners and threaten them deep ...
true^^^. Florida's safety (forget the name) was constantly making plays within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, instead of having to play back, to give support on a possible Ginn break out. OSU playing 2nd and 3rd downs and long for 4 quarters on Offense all night long.
Yeah, we all remember Ginn returning that first kick for a TD. I was excited and basically saying, "Suck it, Florida." Then I got that sinking feeling after seeing he was injured, and that sinking feeling never left... :-(
Looking at the bright side, at least Coach Meyer is our coach now! :-)
I think it was Reggie Nelson. Ginn did make a huge difference and losing him changed the way we attacked in the passing game. They sold out and played almost entirely man coverage on our other receivers.
I felt the running game was the only thing that worked, but we didn't really use it. Oh well...
What about 2002 lol NATIONAL TITLE???????????
- Respect the Rivalry -
How is the most overachieving team not the 2002 championship team?
The defense was sick, but there really wasn't much on offense. We won a championship with basically half a team. And it was in Tressel's second year. In a game against one of the best team in college football history. With Craig Krenzel at QB. And as the leading rusher.
Agree with you on 2005 team- that was the best OSU team I've ever seen by the end of the year. The Texas loss was just Vince Young magic at the end, and the Penn State loss I don't think would have happened if Troy Smith had been the starter from the start of the year.
I think the most surprising team was 2002, but not the most overachieving...having watched them, that defense was awesome and the offense was as productive as it needed to be...i think the 2007 team was very overachieving considering u lose Ginn, Gonzo, Smith, Pittman on offense
The only reason I didn't put 2002 as over achieving was because of the talent that was on both sides of the ball. The defense performed like champs almost every game, but in my opinion the offense just didn't execute to their talent level very often. Krenzel was way more talented that Boeckman, Jenkins was world's better than any 07' receiver and really the only player that 07' had that was better than 02' was Beanie.
Texas game in 2005 as worst non-bowl game loss. Hamby :(
I can't remember what staffer posted it, but someone on this site interviewed a freshman member of that stellar '06 team. He said that that team had absolutely zero focus in Arizona, and that the team was expecting a win. The guy wanted to say something, but seeing that he was a freshman he kept his mouth shut.
Conversely, Florida entered that game with a chip on their shoulders at America at large believing they didn't deserve to be in that game. It's really no surprise we lost, especially after losing Ginn after that opening kickoff return. We're actually lucky, Meyer let off the gas in the second half. Probably could've put up 60 if he wanted to...
Still think that a focused Buckeye squad could and sould've won that game...if we went in with the '02 mentality, we don't lose that game.
^^ also about the game against Florida...imagine if OSU had that 'its already ours' metality going up against the intensity we have already seen with Meyer here at OSU...no wonder we got waxed.
I'm convinced it's that same hubris that killed Miami in '02. We may have had more heart, but that was arguably the greatest college football team ever assembled.
More on the '06 game, per Alex (finally found it):
Wonder what he told Alex about the 2nd one
Don't know about that '05 team...they squandered chances aganist Texas (5 of 6 FGs??) and then had nothing at Penn State. Recall that USC and Texas were both undefeated playing for the title that year, so I think to say we were playing the best at the end of the season is inaccurate. We beat Michigan by 4 on a crazy comeback.
The end of the '06 season (Michigan and Florida) really exposed Heacock (and I guess to an extent, Fickell). How many times had we given up 35+ points before that? Then USC and LSU started piling up numbers as well.
How do you not have the 2006 team as the most disappointing?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
With respect to the '05 team, I think Troy Smith's suspension cost as a NC. If he is the opening game starter. we beat Texas and PSU (with the missing game time, he didnt find his rhythm until mid-season). I dont think you can look at the close game in Ann Arbor as a negative. It was a rivalry game on the road. (And one of my all-time favorite Michigan wins!) The team had more firepower then '06 with Santonio Holmes in the mix. And the Defense was much stronger. I'd probably still go with the '06 as a bigger dissapointment because it was in a NC game that it was supposed to win big and instead, got blown out in the worst way imaginable. The expectations for '05 werent as high, but we wont know what could have been if that team had Troy as its starter from day 1.
@RKYLET83- I agree with you about that '05 team. Had Tressel not started Zwick against Texas i strongly believe we'd have another NC in the books.
I would put Wisconsin 2010 for worst non Bowl loss.
Hate to do a what could have been, but "IF" Tat Gate never broke, The 11' team would have been in the title game last year! Consider the fact that the only game we lost last year by more than 7 was @Miami & that game was in reach, as horrible as we were passing the ball, until the end.... O well... Coulda, shoulda, woulda! ...I like many others grew spoiled to the fact that we expected to realistically be in Title contention just about every year under JT!