Tressel and Tradition

Right now there are two different kinds of college football coaches, the first kind, the “innovators.” These are the coaches willing to create, try new things, and embrace innovation. Then the other side, the “traditionalists,” these are the coaches trying to ride out the fad while ignoring critics and fearing change. Guess which side coach Jim Tressel falls on?

By Eric Geier

Since Tressels introduction as Ohio State football coach more than eight years ago, he has stuck with the outline that helped make Big Ten football a powerhouse, a strong run game, big offensive line, and a strong, stealthy defense. However, since his inception, the game has evolved. Gone are the 7-foot, 400 lb. behemoth lineman and the stand-in-the-pocket quarterbacks. Now coaches don’t want a player that can just pass the ball, they want a player that can run, pass, kick, and even make a tackle if need be. Tressel seems to have turned a cold shoulder to the changing landscape of college football. It was only last year when we saw him spread out the offense, albeit ineffectively, which begs the question, can Tressel the traditionalist compete in the ever-changing world of college football?

The tradition that is Ohio State football is taken seriously around Columbus, but Tressel is taking it as a personal mission to keep the tradition of Ohio State football alive. Someone once said, “He who is resistant to change, is destined to perish.” Tressel may not perish at the end of this season, but his lack of innovation will continue to be in the spotlight if he, and the team, continue to lose the big games.

After two National Championship losses and a beating courtesy of California-cool Pete Carroll and USC last season, Tressel’s stone monument in Columbus could crumble if he doesn’t show improvement this season. The USC game has been circled on the calendar since last season and it’s an understatement to say it’s a make or break game for Jim Tressel. A loss in The Shoe to USC should provoke outrage, not just from fans, but from our local media. The “we can get ‘em next time” attitude should disappear, its time for progression, if that means dumping Tressel at the end of the season, than so be it.