For each of the past two years, the Ohio State Buckeyes have made it to the BCS Championship Game, only to come up short; against Florida in 2007, and against Louisiana State in 2008.
Despite those loses, the Buckeyes are ranked yet again at or near the top of the pre-season polls and, this year, Jim Tressel and the boys are hoping things turn out differently:
Jim Tressel has solidified Ohio State as a perennial contender.
e’s a details-matter coach who expects players to keep their lockers clean and who takes time to remember the names of each player’s girlfriend. He’s so narrowly focused, he once changed door codes at the team’s football complex to 4-1-1-4 after a 41-14 loss to Florida in the January 2007 BCS championship game. But Tressel also holds “quiet time” before meetings, giving players a chance to reflect on broader concepts such as attitude, persistence and adversity.
“It is a mind-set; it is a thought process.” Athletic Director Gene Smith said. “That’s what he is able to do. He’s able to get people to behave properly so that when they get on the field, it’s second nature, relative to executing a play.”
Tressel can micromanage or view from a macro perspective, and that style is clearly working. With this year’s Buckeyes loaded with talent and experience, Tressel again has Ohio State among the top teams in college football.
“I think he’s a real intelligent guy and does a great job setting goals for himself and the program,” said Dick Tressel, his older brother and Ohio State’s running backs coach. “That’s the macro. He’s really good at it, having a vision out in the future. There’s a reflection down the micro level because I think he’s truly an educator. He believes the experience is right now and in this moment and critical to us right now.”
Tressel has won 82 percent of his games in seven seasons at Ohio State, having led the Buckeyes to five BCS appearances, four Big Ten titles and one national championship. Though he has been nagged by questions after NCAA rules violations at Ohio State and previously Youngstown State — some sports blogs refer to him as CheatyPants SweaterVest — Tressel has experienced undeniable competitive success with the Buckeyes.
And he again has a team poised to make an impact, with expectations running high in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes start the season with two in-state opponents — Youngstown State tomorrow and Ohio University the following Saturday — before what is arguably the biggest non-conference game of the season against USC in Los Angeles. If the Buckeyes can win that game, it just might be sign that we’ll be seeing them again in January.
