This and that on a Wednesday:
—Tennessee just picked up a couple more stud defensive line commitments. Whoever replaces Lane Kiffin in two or three years is going to have some good talent to work with.
—Is Jim Tressel turning into Lloyd Carr? Both coaches won national titles early in their tenure and then seemed to get set in their ways, resulting in a lot of wins due to superior talent, but also some head-scratching losses. Tressel is superior to Carr–after all, he’s just a couple years removed from back-to-back BCS title game appearances–but discontent is mounting among the Buckeye faithful. With the apparent resurgence of Michigan under Rich Rodriguez, it ain’t going to get any easier.
—Am I the only one who thought Stanford got jobbed by the refs in its loss to Wake Forest? First, there was the clipping call that negated a 40-yard run by Toby Gerhart (which might have sealed the game for Stanford). Replays showed the call to be bunk. Then, there was the quarerback sneak by Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner for the winning score. It looked to me like he was stopped cold short of the goal line but managed to sneak the ball over after the fact, while the pile was still settling. Sucks for Stanford, who I still think is going to be the surprise team in the Pac-10.
—Looks like Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter is out this week with a sprained ankle. Honestly, he might be the third best back on his team right now after Keith Toston and Beau Johnson. I wonder if he’ll ever get his job back this season.
—The latest ESPN Heisman Watch closely mirrors the latest HP Heisman Poll.
—When will UCLA catch a break? The Bruins have lost a quarterback to injury in each of the last four seasons. That position is beginning to resemble that of the drummer from Spinal Tap.
—Ivan Maisel writes on coaches and how they fit into certain programs here. I was just thinking about this very subject recently. I think it’s less about substance in a football sense and more about a coach’s style and his understanding of a program’s potential. Oklahoma and USC were set in their ways, dinosaur programs with fan bases that didn’t understand why the old running mentality didn’t work anymore. Each found new success with the kind of offenses that would’ve made John McKay and Barry Switzer cringe. But Bob Stoops and Pete Carroll found ways to change the mentality of their programs while still maintaining their traditions. But it takes a strong personality and a coherent philosophy to get it done. Shrinking violets need not apply.
That said, I think Paul Johnson needs to get his butt over to Nebraska and get that thing rolling again.
—Conference Call: The Best After Two Weeks
1. SEC, Pac-10
2. Everyone Else
Love your Paul Johnson to Nebraska call-out HP!
Couldn’t agree more HP. Tressel is so conservative in his playcalling to his own detriment. Why isn’t OSU running the spread especially with a corp like Ray Small, Devier Posey, Duron Carter, Dane Sanzenbacher and Terrelle Pryor. Or why not some form of the Wildcat? Time to wake up Tressel and start taking some chances. Hire someone like Norm Chow.
Tressel’s faith in his defense late in games dictates his offensive playcalling and is it’s starting to annoy me. When is he going to realize he can’t count on his defense to get the big stop in the 4th quarter anymore? USC–late drive to win the game. UT (bowl game)–late drive to win the game, UT (at the Shoe)–late drive to win the ball game, LSU and FL–no defensive stops at all. Yet he believes time and time again that playing for field position in the fourth quarter is his best option. But the good teams bear down and take greater chances in the 4th; it is 4 down territory so they take extra plays they don’t try earlier in the game. Tressel needs to stop relying so much on his defense. Recent history has shown they are not up to the challenge.
And that’s what I don’t understand. Tressel himself was a quarterback in college. So you would think he would come up with some more creative plays. I just wish he would change his style. If this pattern continues Tressel will eventually be out of a job. There’s only so much the Program can take.
Tressel isn’t going anywhere regardless of his style of play—unless he starts losing to Michigan on a regular basis.
Tressel has brought a new “golden age” to Columbus and I’d be pissed if he was run out of town. I lived through “old 8-3″ Earle and “can’t win the big one, can’t beat Michigan” Cooper. Tressel’s minor faults in play calling and style won’t make me forget that.
“…won national titles early in their tenure …resulting in a lot of wins due to superior talent, but also some head-scratching losses. … years removed from back-to-back BCS title game appearances”
Some might think you are describing Pete Carroll here.
I’m not calling for Tressel’s head. I remember Cooper’s 2-10-1 record vs. Michigan. His bowl record wasn’t much better. Bruce also had a pretty good record against Michigan even beating them on his way out. That being said, the game has changed or evolved, we are seing more of the dual threat qbs now, the spread has become like wildfire in college football. I just wish Tressel would use the talent he has in front of him.
Me too. I wonder though if Pryor is ready. Troy Smith’s offense was sort of a “spread-lite” so I don’t think Tressel is really opposed to going in that direction. I’m guessing he just doesn’t trust Pryor yet. I sure don’t trust his arm after the throws we’ve been seeing from him, but I sure would like to see him on more designed runs.
Tressel is leaving at the end of this season. Or Pryor is. Both scenarios involve Urban Meyer.
CtGP….so Pryor is transferring to Notre Dame to join that weennee Oscar Myer? UB will leave UF as soon as Cheeseburger Charlie’s ego self consumes him at the golden dome.