Dave Thurman (9:46 am)
I was walking through Dulles Airport in DC a couple of weeks ago and saw a vendor hawking items featuring the face of George W. Bush with the slogan, “Miss me yet?” You’ve seen it on t-shirts, bumper stickers and buttons. Of course it didn’t originate with Bush. You can find similar items for sale online displaying the face of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and even Jimmy Carter.
Well, I am about ready to start producing some Jim Tressel clothing with that popular slogan. Of course the answer is, “Yes, I do miss you a lot coach, even more than I anticipated.” And I imagine most of Buckeye Nation feels the same way.
I guess the realization of just how much I miss JT came during the final 20 minutes of the Nebraska game. I have often ridiculed Tresselball, and even written articles on the subject. But it worked most of the time. Few coaches have ever been better at playing with a lead, shortening the game, and managing the clock. There is no way that Tress would have blown a 27-6 second half lead. Simply wouldn’t happen. Ever! Even with an injured quarterback, playing on the road in a hostile environment.
Some may ask what Luke Fickell was supposed to do considering the tough situation, as the Cornhuskers seized momentum, and the wheels started to fall off. All kinds of excuses can be offered. Braxton was out with a bum ankle. Nebraska’s offense made adjustments which exposed a weak, poor tackling defense. The crowd got stirred up. The referees started pulling flags whenever the Buckeye D made a good play. The list could go on. Well I despise excuses, and can think of a whole lot of things that Luke could have done, starting with inserting Kenny Guiton into the game. But at the end of the day, I think there are three things that a Jim Tressel coached team would have done which would have made a huge difference:
1) Played with more confidence and poise – That all starts with the head coach. I just don’t see the defense falling apart to such a dramatic degree with JT on the sideline. He inspired confidence and his player’s believed in his game plan.
I was walking through Dulles Airport in DC a couple of weeks ago and saw a vendor hawking items featuring the face of George W. Bush with the slogan, “Miss me yet?” You’ve seen it on t-shirts, bumper stickers and buttons. Of course it didn’t originate with Bush. You can find similar items for sale online displaying the face of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and even Jimmy Carter.
Well, I am about ready to start producing some Jim Tressel clothing with that popular slogan. Of course the answer is, “Yes, I do miss you a lot coach, even more than I anticipated.” And I imagine most of Buckeye Nation feels the same way.
I guess the realization of just how much I miss JT came during the final 20 minutes of the Nebraska game. I have often ridiculed Tresselball, and even written articles on the subject. But it worked most of the time. Few coaches have ever been better at playing with a lead, shortening the game, and managing the clock. There is no way that Tress would have blown a 27-6 second half lead. Simply wouldn’t happen. Ever! Even with an injured quarterback, playing on the road in a hostile environment.
Some may ask what Luke Fickell was supposed to do considering the tough situation, as the Cornhuskers seized momentum, and the wheels started to fall off. All kinds of excuses can be offered. Braxton was out with a bum ankle. Nebraska’s offense made adjustments which exposed a weak, poor tackling defense. The crowd got stirred up. The referees started pulling flags whenever the Buckeye D made a good play. The list could go on. Well I despise excuses, and can think of a whole lot of things that Luke could have done, starting with inserting Kenny Guiton into the game. But at the end of the day, I think there are three things that a Jim Tressel coached team would have done which would have made a huge difference:
1) Played with more confidence and poise – That all starts with the head coach. I just don’t see the defense falling apart to such a dramatic degree with JT on the sideline. He inspired confidence and his player’s believed in his game plan.
.2) Featured better play calling – As boring as it could be to watch, Tressel knew the type of offense that provided a team with a lead the best chance to win. No way he would have had Joe Bauserman throwing bombs and deep outs that are difficult to complete. There would have been more screens and short passes, and even more quarterback draws (which again is why I would have favored Guiton). Still, even a guy like Krenzel had great success with draws, so there is no reason Joe couldn't have gained a few tough yards in that fashion.
3) Kicked a Field Goal – I screamed out loud at the television early in the 4th quarter, then removed my shirt, whacking it against the couch when Fickell scorned a great opportunity for three points. My face turned red and I felt my chest tighten. Not a smart move for a guy who turned 50 this year. Still his call on third down and 13 from the Nebraska 32 was abysmal. Tressel would have run a draw, gained at least a couple of yards and trotted Basil out. The Buckeyes had actually reached the 29 yard line before three straight poorly called plays killed the drive. Three points right there would have stemmed the tide a little bit and made the score 30-20. At that point Martinez would have been more likely to make a mistake, which would have allowed the Bucks to put the hammer down. But even without a Nebraska turnover my bet is that JT would have won that game. .
So don’t ask me if I miss Coach Tressel yet. The answer is as obvious as the nose on my face, and if you have seen me you know that it's extremely prominent (slightly less than Karl Malden, but equal to Jimmy Valvano).
The question remains, where do we go from here? Is this year a lost cause altogether? The first half of the Nebraska contest showed that this team is still capable of playing some good, inspired football, so maybe we shouldn’t give away the farm just yet. But I think the Buckeyes are close to reaching a point where 2011 is nothing more than experience building for the future, providing an opportunity to play the young guys and point to 2012 and beyond. If the next two games wind up as losses, which is highly possible, if not probable, then it may well be time to make that decision, as morale will be at an unprecedented low, and confidence will have taken the last train out of town. Then it will be survival of the fittest, as underclassmen play for a spot on the 2012 two deep, and administrators start trying hard to lure the next coach. I hope it doesn't get that bad, but man, I sure do miss the Sweater Vest!
3) Kicked a Field Goal – I screamed out loud at the television early in the 4th quarter, then removed my shirt, whacking it against the couch when Fickell scorned a great opportunity for three points. My face turned red and I felt my chest tighten. Not a smart move for a guy who turned 50 this year. Still his call on third down and 13 from the Nebraska 32 was abysmal. Tressel would have run a draw, gained at least a couple of yards and trotted Basil out. The Buckeyes had actually reached the 29 yard line before three straight poorly called plays killed the drive. Three points right there would have stemmed the tide a little bit and made the score 30-20. At that point Martinez would have been more likely to make a mistake, which would have allowed the Bucks to put the hammer down. But even without a Nebraska turnover my bet is that JT would have won that game. .
So don’t ask me if I miss Coach Tressel yet. The answer is as obvious as the nose on my face, and if you have seen me you know that it's extremely prominent (slightly less than Karl Malden, but equal to Jimmy Valvano).
The question remains, where do we go from here? Is this year a lost cause altogether? The first half of the Nebraska contest showed that this team is still capable of playing some good, inspired football, so maybe we shouldn’t give away the farm just yet. But I think the Buckeyes are close to reaching a point where 2011 is nothing more than experience building for the future, providing an opportunity to play the young guys and point to 2012 and beyond. If the next two games wind up as losses, which is highly possible, if not probable, then it may well be time to make that decision, as morale will be at an unprecedented low, and confidence will have taken the last train out of town. Then it will be survival of the fittest, as underclassmen play for a spot on the 2012 two deep, and administrators start trying hard to lure the next coach. I hope it doesn't get that bad, but man, I sure do miss the Sweater Vest!
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