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Post-Tressel Buckeyes

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Becool12's picture
September 7, 2014 at 11:14am
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After watching several seasons of Ohio State without Jim Tressel, I have decided to write a post on the difference between what we have seen in coaching, play on the field, and recruiting. Also, this is not an overreaction to last night's game, this is an analysis of the past several seasons plus this season. 

I would first like to start off by comparing the recruiting. Under Meyer, we have signed several very high profile recruits, primarily on defense and at the skill positions. His first class, he was able to net two 5-star defensive ends and a 5-star defensive tackle. Meyer is a recruiting all-star and has a nationwide approach to recruiting. Tressel was more a stay in state guy. If you were a 4-star from Ohio, odds are you had an offer. But, overall what you see a difference in is not the number of high profile recruits but the consistency and balance amongst players. Since Tressel was fired, there have been major gaps in recruiting certain positions. Offensive line has been a consistent struggle for Meyer and the Buckeyes. We have wiffed on more targets than we have landed and Meyer's nationwide approach has hurt us with many good instate talents. There have also been several wiffs at Tight End and a few at quarterback and so on. But, skills position recruiting has been at an all time high, outside of missing out on Robert Foster and Derek Kief, OSU has landed many of its top targets at the skill positions. Tressel's classes were never really top 5 classes but they provided balance. Tressel wiffed on many top instate recruits but there was a consistency in talent amongst every position group (beside that crappy year where we had Underwood, Carter, Brown, and Bobek). I would also like to add that both coaches were amazing at finding diamonds in the rough. Some of my favorite players from the Tressel era were highly under-recruited 3-star players who were well coached and had great instinct. 

 

That leads me to my second subject of analysis, coaching. OSU has one of the biggest coaching budget in all of college football. The staff is comprised of several coaches who could find their way to a head coaching job soon. Many of Tressel's coaches were almost complacent. There were no high profile coaches, just ones who did their jobs and earned a paycheck. My idea is that these blue collard workers under Tressel didn't have an ego, they were coaches who came and worked collectively with each other to get the job done. With this staff, there is some sorta communication disconnect. There is no cohesion and it seems like  battle of egos and opposite philosophies that don't really mesh well and it shows on the field. I will note that there are also a few developmental issues in the post-Tressel Buckeyes. I would say the only group that is really developing is the running back group. The most under developed group is actually the wide receivers. Both the offensive line and linebackers have youth and experience problems but the talent is there. I would have to wait another year or so before they get a bulk of the blame. 

 

Finally, there is clearly a difference in on field performance, which is a result of the recruiting and coaching. Tressel and his laid-back, conservative approach annoyed many fans. Tressel was the type who would punt the ball on 4th and inches with the other team in prevent defense. But, you knew what to expect. The pro-style offense was best suited for the players we recruited, from the receivers to the offensive line. The play provided consistent results, we expects several runs up the middle for 3-4 yards and a couple of deep passes to the stud wide receivers thrown in there. There is no pro-style offense, no stud wide receivers, no consistency. There are more and more young guys playing, which it shows on the field. Miscues, lack of communication, and poor execution is a result of playing many young players. Every offense under Tressel was reliant on a stud wide receiver to ease the pressure on the qb and running back. I can try to name a few: Michael Jenkins, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Brian Hartline, Robiski, Sanzenbacher, and Posey. All of these guys were deep threats and all besides Ginn were great route runners. Those types of guys put pressure on corners, safeties, and linebackers. So far, under Meyer, we haven't had a stud wide receiver who can beat you deep and run great underneath routes to get a few more YAC. Last time there was a stud in the Post-Tressel era w as when Posey came back after his suspension in 2011 and it definitely made a difference, despite the fact that our line was young and inexperienced. I think the defense is really too much inexperience in key groups to get into. 

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