Demise of Tresselball

Submitted by West Texas Blue on

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Deconstruct…

Fantastic article by Chris Brown, author of smartfootball.com
He breaks down the poor offensive gameplan that Tressel put together; he then explains how Rich Rod made adjustments to counter the "scrape", in which we witnessed in Tate's beautiful 4th quarter run for a TD. Brown is absolutely correct that you must build your offense around your QB's talents; making Pryor a pro-style QB when he's clearly a spread QB is asking for trouble.

Wolverine In Exile

September 14th, 2009 at 1:42 PM ^

Hence I agree with the article wholeheartedly.

Well not really, but I think the parallels between Tressel today and Carr circa 2004/5/6 may be becoming more prevalent each passing day. Brian's analyzed it in the past and I agree 100% in that (paraphrase) "the days of beating your opponenet simply by out-executing them and relying on superior talent are over"

Now if Tressel goes out and hires Guz Malzhan for next year, I'll poop my pants. But thankfully he won't, hence I won't need new pants.

Brodie

September 14th, 2009 at 7:16 PM ^

Tressel, like many Roman emperors, probably wants to establish a dynasty. He's in his late 50's, he's implied he's only staying for ~5 more years. He doesn't have much of a coaching tree, and there's nothing on his staff that screams "head coach material".

Add to that the utter lack of solid candidates who have any ties to Ohio (a requirement in the post Cooper world), and I could foresee a day where Tressel DOES go out and hire some up and coming offensive genius as coach in waiting.

Clarence Beeks

September 14th, 2009 at 1:56 PM ^

My guess is that RR has shown to be quite an adaptive coach over his career, but that he was dead set on forcing the spread option last year because it would be beneficial for the rest of the team to play it (i.e. learning what to do in game situations) even though the quarterbacks weren't right for it. I hope that makes sense.

Erik_in_Dayton

September 14th, 2009 at 1:56 PM ^

Obviously the best use of Pyror right now would be something like the way Pat White was used at WVU. That said, he committed to OSU with the promise that he wouldn't be used that way and that he'd play in a more-or-less pro system...Pryor is certainly playing to his weaknesses right now but he wants to become a pro QB. I don't think you can blame him for that or Tressel for not breaking his promise to Pryor.

Bleedin9Blue

September 14th, 2009 at 2:00 PM ^

I was just coming over here to break this news only to find that it was already broken. Oh well.

I read everything that Chris writes. Very rarely does he get this emotional about what he writes. That could be because he's normally talking about schemes and ideas rather than specific teams, but even so, it's amazing how worked up he seemed to be (especially considering that he said that he doesn't really follow either team).

Of course, I particularly enjoyed the less-than-subtle knife in the heart by Chris by using RichRod's wins to show Tressel's ineptitude.

Wolverine In Exile

September 14th, 2009 at 2:08 PM ^

I think Chris hit a little hard b/c at heart, he likes to see football well planned.. let the players make the plays or not make the plays, but at least put the players in position to succeed. I think that's why he likes Mike Leach, Urban Meyer and Rich Rod so much, b/c they put their players in positions to succeed and you then allow the players to acutally determine the outcome of the game. Tressel is approaching the hill (but not crested yet) of overestimating his talent level vs. other teams talent level and sub-par scheming is cheating his otherwise talented players. I think that to Chris is the epitomy of a wasted football game.

nmwolverine

September 14th, 2009 at 2:03 PM ^

I suppose Tressel could stick to the pro set but be a little imaginative. This criticism is not saying only a spread would work for Pryor. Although I agree that Tressel may be living in a past where he could whip Lloyd and eke out a bowl victory, I wonder if the problem is Pryor. He is only a sophomore, and he still plays like a freshman. Perhaps he is not showing the gumption to do reads and allow for some creativity. Having said that, I am sure he would have prospered with RR.

Nothsa

September 14th, 2009 at 2:13 PM ^

I can't believe that Tressel is an idiotic play caller. I think of his first year or two at OSU in particular when he didn't have the best talent in the conference, and he schemed very well. And the offensive playcalling in the 2006 M-OSU clash was outstanding. Troy Smith didn't kill us year after year because Tressel was 'a dinosaur', as the column puts it.

That makes me think that the problem may be the QB. Brown's column suggests alternatives that involve post-snap options. It could be that Pryor is struggling to recognize make extremely quick reads. His 'everyone murders' comment may be biasing me here, of course, but the kid may simply not have what it takes mentally to do most of what Brown talks about.

foreverbluemaize

September 14th, 2009 at 2:29 PM ^

In the 06 win over us he showed some good play calling against a dinosaur. I remember being at the App. State game that next year. I was watching an interview with Carr and Jim Brandstatter asked if we could expect to see anthing new from the Wolverines this year. His response (paraphrased as closely as I can remember) "We will run when we can, throw when we have to and hope to score as much as possible". I love Carr for how classy he was and for the numerous things that he brought to the University but he still played old school football and it showed against teams that had stepped into the new school mentality.

Engin77

September 14th, 2009 at 2:56 PM ^

Pryor's Interception toss, early in the game, which was returned by a LB inside the five to set up SC,s first TD; was that a bubble screen / quick pass of the sort that Brown says they didn't throw? Or was the receiver cutting across instead up straight up. I don't have video access at the office (thankfully, I'd never get any work done. )

That interception may be the reason they didn't throw any quick passes for the rest of the night. Even so, a strategic mistake to remove weapons / options from the offense.

jmblue

September 14th, 2009 at 4:34 PM ^

I can't believe that Tressel is an idiotic play caller. I think of his first year or two at OSU in particular when he didn't have the best talent in the conference, and he schemed very well.

At no point did Tressel not have good talent. John Cooper was a fantastic recruiter. Nearly all of OSU's key players in 2002 were Cooper recruits.

Tressel might have called a good game in 2006, but you're talking about a game in which he had a fifth-year senior, Heisman Trophy-winning QB. It's hard not to call a good game when you have a veteran QB who can make every throw and improvise when necessary. Troy Smith was their Forcier.

On the whole, Tressel isn't a good playcaller. The facts are there: OSU consistently ranks in the bottom half of the country in scoring and total offense, and often ranks in the bottom quarter in passing offense. They have way too much talent for that to happen.

Tater

September 14th, 2009 at 5:48 PM ^

Nothsa wrote:
"Troy Smith didn't kill us year after year because Tressel was 'a dinosaur', as the column puts it."

No, Smith killed UM because Carr and Gittelson were bigger dinosaurs than Tressel. I do agree that Tressel's playcalling in 06 was brilliant; ironically enough, he turned his pro set into a spread for most of the game, and UM never really had an answer for it.

Next year, Tressel will face the same dilemma most dinosaurs unsuccessfully faced: evolve or die. I'm guessing his coaching career dies; I just hope he stays at least long enough for RR to even UM's record against him.

colin

September 14th, 2009 at 2:42 PM ^

anything like that ever. Brian's obviously authoritative, but Chris knows schemes like basically no one else I'm aware of that writes about football. That was an evisceration. And it's telling that Tressel's last good performance was the '06 All The Marbles Deathmatch.

Engin77

September 14th, 2009 at 2:48 PM ^

... seeing the talent gone to waste through the insipience of their superiors will always be too much to bear.

What an indictment. And to use RR / Forcier in counterpoint. Ouch!

grsbmd

September 14th, 2009 at 2:50 PM ^

Rumors of OSU's demise are greatly exaggerated.

Yeah, they probably should have won that game, and have been embarrassed in bowl games, but they still have to be the odds-on favorite to win the Big 10 this year.

JLo

September 14th, 2009 at 3:07 PM ^

Chris wasn't saying that OSU is dying, but that the offensive style of football they use is a waste of talent, and it's being left by the wayside. Sure they're probably at least 50-50 to win the Big 10 again, but it's largely because they recruit like nobody's business.

MYRNIST

September 14th, 2009 at 3:24 PM ^

Someone missed the point being made. In the article, Chris acknowledges that OSU can dominate against less talented teams (i.e. virtually everyone else in the Big Ten besides arguably PSU and usually UM), but that they get beaten by anyone with equal talent because of their regressive offensive. The question is not whether OSU, squatting over an extremely talent rich state, will continue to be a top program and consistently contend for the B10 title. It's whether they can beat any team that can match them for talent (Florida, Texas, USC, et al.)

I don't think anyone, including Chris, is trying to say OSU is going to turn into Indiana.

markusr2007

September 14th, 2009 at 3:15 PM ^

Tressel is the winningest coach in the Big Ten right now (.812 between 2001-2008). By a light year or two.

Also, did somebody forget that OSU just the landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country last year?

The facts suggest that Tressel, Heacock and Bollman are all very good football coaches. This aggravates people, but it doesn't make it any less true.

And sure, since 2001 OSU is 0-3 vs. SEC (losses to USC, Florida, LSU) but they're 3-3 vs. PAC-10, 4-2 vs. Big 12 (both losses to Texas) and freaking perfect against everybody else.
I haven't researched this more, but are their other teams that have this kind of a success record? Because I seriously doubt it.

If Ohio State fans in Columbus really are trashing Tressel and the team right now - while it wouldn't surprise me - then that would be a pretty damning indictment as to the intelligence of Ohio State fans. They have nothing to complain about (yet).

That said, I cannot wait to see the Buckeyes defense try to stop the No. 3 QB in the country right now in Brad Opelt (Toledo) at a not so neutral site next Saturday.

The Other Brian

September 14th, 2009 at 3:19 PM ^

"The facts suggest that Tressel, Heacock and Bollman are all very good football coaches. This aggravates people, but it doesn't make it any less true."

What facts suggest Jim Bollman is a good coach? Chris Wells breaking tackles for two and a half years to make their running game look good?

markusr2007

September 14th, 2009 at 5:15 PM ^

I think Bollman is a good OC. Not great. But good.

The "facts" I would refer to are OSU's rushing and scoring offense since 2003, which show considerable improvement following the 2002 national championship squad. This reflects Bollman's work with mainly Tressel recruits, not Cooper leftovers.

The steady improvement is compelling in that we know OSU (and PSU and Michigan and others) always faced a lot of "reloading" due to attrition to the NFL.

Big Ten Rushing Offense: OSU
2003: 8th
2004: 7th
2005: 5th
2006: 3rd
2007: 3rd
2008: 3rd

Big Ten Scoring Offense: OSU
2003: 7th
2004: 8th
2005: 5th
2006: 1st
2007: 3rd
2008: 5th

jmblue

September 14th, 2009 at 8:58 PM ^

Look at the national numbers. The Big Ten has been crap for most of this decade, falling behind the other power conferences. OSU improving relative to teams like Minnesota doesn't mean much. Look at them compared to other elite programs.

EDIT: Here, I'll provide the numbers myself (pasted from an OSU forum):

per NCAA rankings:

Total offense / Pass offense (119 teams)

2008 76th / 105th

2007 62nd / 86th

2006 26th / 45th w/Heisman QB and Gonzo & Ginn

2005 32nd / 52nd w/Smith, Holmes, Gonzo & Ginn

2004 98th / 97th

2003 93rd / 71st

2002 70th/ 92nd

Avg 78th / 70th

jmblue

September 14th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

Also, did somebody forget that OSU just the landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country last year?

What does that have to do with anything? The article is focused on how Tressel doesn't get enough out of his talent, not that he doesn't have any.

Engin77

September 14th, 2009 at 3:41 PM ^

in a rut. Yeah, OSU rules the Big Ten, but the Big Ten's reputation is sinking, and OSU's failure to win big games, even at HOME, means if there's movement, its more likely to be down than up. The "if you're standing still, you're falling behind" argument is driving them crazy. Pundits who see parallels between Tressel now and Lloyd Carr circa 2003 only add fuel to the fire.

This is gonna be fun to watch (from a distance).

chitownblue2

September 14th, 2009 at 3:57 PM ^

I'd be willing to bet that Jim Tressel is a better football coach than Chris Brown. Witness: Chris Brown not coaching.

wile_e8

September 14th, 2009 at 4:43 PM ^

It's a good thing we never listen to any criticism or comment on football strategy made by people who do not coach. I *definitely* wouldn't want to get caught posting on the message board of a site started by someone who frequently questions coaching decisions despite not coaching.