Dave Thurman (5:12 pm)
I confess that I am not a natural optimist. I have a good friend (who was a very successful basketball coach) and his motto has always been, "There's no such thing as a disappointed pessimist." I tend to live by that philosophy myself, a fact I'm not proud of.
However, I am trying to be optimistic about the 2009 edition of the Buckeye football team. There is a lot of fresh talent and it's always fun to watch young guys develop. If a few defensive players rise to the challenge, it could be an excellent season, with the chance to be a truly special team in 2010. If Pryor continues to move forward the sky is the limit for him and his teammates.
But there is one thing that keeps me from being completely positive and confident about the future. More precisely it is one person...and his name is Jim Bollman.
Now, I'm sure he is a really nice guy and it seems the players like him, but the truth is, our line has been "offensive" in recent years, and I'm being kind. We know that Bollman isn't a great motivational guy, as evidenced last season by Tressel having to spend time with the o-line trying to light a fire under their tails. I would also suggest that Bollman isn't a great teacher or tactician, based simply on results. So count me as one who isn't impressed.
And, now, we get reports that he is tinkering with the line, having guys play multiple positions this spring. That might sound like a good thing, realizing that injuries are a reality. However, my take is that when guys aren't playing one position well, you shouldn't move them around like a yo-yo and try to teach them 3 positions. Until they can get an "A" at one spot, why confuse them with more information?
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of moving Cordle to tackle and Browning to guard. Anyone with an elementary knowledge of football could see that Browning was out of position last year. I'm not opposed to some changing of positions, but I'm not a fan of moving guys around all spring in hopes that they can master every spot on the line. Hearing that Brewster is repping some at guard, for instance, bothers me. Center is a bear of a position and he has the potential to be a great one, but not if he's spending time moving all around playing guard and tackle, too.
One of the interesting quotes from JT's pre-spring press conference was, "If it ain't broke, break it," based off of a book by Robert Kreigal. I love that premise. Don't wait until something isn't working to make a change. Be ahead of the curve, and make a change before it's needed. I like that kind of visionary thinking. My problem with the statement is that the past couple of years the o-line has been broken, and it still hasn't been fixed, in my opinion. Until it is, Tressel can talk all day about throwing to the tight-end or using the pistol formation, but it won't matter. What is damaged must be repaired, and when it is, then the coaches can be imaginative and innovative.
As for me, I would have kindly sent Bollman packing last year, which I think was overdue. However, Tressel is nothing if not loyal and maybe his patience will be rewarded. Maybe Bollman will surprise us all this year and have a strong o-line, but I'm not holding my breathe. Either way, I can't lose, because there's no such thing as a disappointed pessimist!
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