Football
Thursday Tressel Talk: 300 Games for The Vest
By Brandon CastelJim Tressel is notorious for his focus on the here and now.
In fact, Ohio State’s ninth-year head coach has been so immersed in his team’s preparation for their week-four matchup with Big Ten-rival Illinois that he nearly missed his own coaching milestone.
With a career record of 220-77-2, Saturday’s Big Ten-opener against the Fighting Illini will mark the 300th game in his head coaching career, a fact that had escaped even Tressel before it was brought up in his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon.
“This is? Is that right,” Tressel asked with a look of surprise on his face. “I didn’t know that, that’s a lot of games. Maybe that’s why I’m so gray.”
After serving as an assistant coach at Ohio State under Earle Bruce for three seasons, Tressel began his head coaching career in 1986 at Youngstown State, where he would remain for 15 seasons before taking the head coaching job in Columbus.
The now 56-year-old coach won four Division I-AA Coach of the Year awards at YSU and four national championships (1991, 93, 94, 97) while compiling a record of 135–57–2. With his team’s 2-1 record this season, Tressel is 85-20 (.809) at OSU with a home record of 51-7 and a Big Ten record of 52-12 (.812).
For the man nicknamed “The Senator,” however, the biggest game is always the next one on the schedule.
“(This is) the biggest one of the 300, no doubt about it,” Tressel said with a smile.
Giving Up the Reigns?
On the eve’s eve of his 300th football game as a head coach, it was Tressel’s role as the Buckeyes’ play-caller that came into question Thursday.
Just one week after the play selection was called into question in an 18-15 loss to USC, the Buckeyes seemed to move the ball at will against an, albeit less-talented, Toledo team. This caused some to speculate that wide receivers coach and Assistant Head Coach Darrell Hazell might have had a larger hand in the offense this week.
“Darrell’s been with us for quite some time with the guys out wide and with Terrelle (Pryor) and he sees every day what they do best with him,” Tressel said.
Although he admitted that Hazell did specifically hand-pick some of the plays that were called against Toledo, he also reiterated that it has been, and will continue to be, a group effort from the offensive staff. And that includes the man in charge.
“I’ve always said that it’s a committee decision and I’m part of the committee,” Tressel said.
“The ones that work, I’ve always said that those are my ideas, and the ones that didn’t…but that’s not true. Our offensive staff is very, very involved and Darrell is very involved.”
As for who called the ones that worked against Toledo and who called the ones that didn’t against USC, only the coaching staff truly knows.
“When things work well, we’re all part of the wonderment. And when things don’t, we’re probably all part of the disappointment,” Tressel said.
Preparing the Troops
Regardless of who is behind the play-calls Saturday, the Buckeyes look to be quite healthy as they prepare to enter Big Ten play against Illinois.
“I think we’re fairly healthy. Jimmy Cordle had a little scope (on his foot) and probably came out better than we thought. So our expectations are to have him back in a few weeks,” Tressel said.
“Zach Domicone and Jaamal Berry are probably a week away, but really progressing well. Aaron Gant is a guy we haven’t had all year and probably won’t have for a while.”
The original prognosis for Cordle was 3-4 weeks, and Thursday Tressel made it sound like the Buckeyes are still planning to have him back for the big game against Wisconsin in Columbus on Oct. 10 th.
“I would say at least two more games and that’s with no medical basis whatsoever. That’s just what I’m hearing,” he said.
With Cordle out of the lineup, sophomore J.B. Shugarts made his first start at right tackle a week ago. The Buckeyes also shuffled bodies on the offensive line last week against Toledo, with as many as eight guys seeing action, something Tressel plans to continue in conference play.
“It’s nice if you can get seven or eight guys playing. I’m sure this week that we’ll have at least three guys playing at tackle with J.B. (Shugarts) and Andrew (Miller) and Mike (Adams),” Tressel said.
“(You) could even have a fourth guy (play tackle) in Bryant Browning. Guard-wise, you’ll probably have at least three with Justin (Boren) and BB and Andrew (Moses).”
After missing the first two games due to suspension, Adams split time with Miller at left tackle last week. The two were listed as co-starters on the latest depth chart, but Tressel said a change to the starting lineup was unlikely for this week’s game.
“I’d like to see both of them keep trying to work to get better. If the game were right his moment, my guess would be that it would be Andrew but both would play. That’s the way it was discussed this morning,” Tressel said.
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