09-22-2005, 08:55 AM
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Capo Regime
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 40,873
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Total Points: 17,680,789.10
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CFN on Tressel
CFN
<!--body text --> <table id="table1" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td> Perspective Piece
Iowa vs. Ohio State, Sept. 23
ByMatthew Zemek
In one of the more momentous episodes of The West Wing, the top advisors to the fictional president of the United States resolve to “Let Bartlett Be Bartlett.” The strategy is an attempt to allow the president’s best natural characteristics to shine through, instead of manipulating the president’s image by making him into a man he isn’t.
Entering this Saturday’s gigantic Big Ten showdown between the Eyes of Hawk and Buck, Ohio State fans find themselves between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, they know where their bread is buttered—a head-slamming corps of linebackers leading a stout defense, complemented by a strong kicking game. Yet, they so desperately want the Buckeyes to be something they aren’t: a high-tech, no-holds-barred version of the Fun ‘n’ Gun or other prodigiously potent passing attacks from years gone by. Both approaches hold a lot of appeal, but the buzz in Columbus—ever since the Texas game—has been colored by frustration over head coach Jim Tressel’s refusal to give Ted Ginn as many touches as possible, and from the throwing arm of Troy Smith.
The argument is that the Buckeyes have such speedy talent on the edges that it’s criminal not to use it. And as far as that goes, it’s true. Having potential energy not become kinetic energy because of the buttoned-down play-calling of Jim Tressel, an old-school coach if there ever was one, has to be irritating for fans who can put two and two together and know that with a brilliant offensive mind, the Buckeyes could have an offense on the order of the 1996 steamroller that took home the Rose Bowl and a top 5 national ranking.
But there’s just one problem: Ohio State won a national title and two Fiesta Bowls under Tressel precisely when Bucks fans “Let Tressel Be Tressel,” glorying in an ugly, not-so-aesthetically-pleasing, but supremely effective and time-tested manner of winning games. Back in 2002, ugly, defense-first Big Ten football didn’t seem to be violating anyone’s sense of quality or wisdom. It was the best way for Ohio State to win football games, and it worked 14 out of 14 times. Three years ago, the suggestion that the Oklahomas, USCs and Georgias of the college football world played a better and more attractive brand of ball were met with appropriate and justifiable scorn from Ohio State fans: the results proved their point.
Now, though, a three-point loss—caused by player mistakes in a tight game against Texas—has totally upset the apple cart in Columbus. There’s a pervasive sense in and around the Buckeye football family that Tressel—by merely being who he normally is as a coach, gameday tactician, and play caller—enabled Texas to stay close and ultimately win that monster intersectional showdown. The natives are restless and displeased, merely because a good game plan wasn’t accompanied by the result everyone in Scarlet and Gray wanted.
Against Iowa, then, Buckeye fans will be clamoring for Ginn to get a ton of touches (never mind the fact that Santonio Holmes was, along with A.J. Hawk, the best player on the whole field against Texas) and for Tressel to open up the playbook. They don’t want “Tressel To Be Tressel.”
There’s just one problem in all this, however: if Ohio State wants to win this enormously important and high-profile conference opener (what a way to break into the Big Ten season for these teams), the surest way for the Bucks to do the deed is to excel on defense and smother Drew Tate.
Hawkeye fans are awaiting this game with nervous yet hopeful anticipation because they know Tate is indeed a much better quarterback than the one who surprisingly struggled out of the gate at Iowa State a few weeks ago. They’re aware that Tate showed a lot of poise in a sensational first season, poise that was conspicuously absent from the 23-3 loss to the Cyclones. The hope in the Iowa camp is that Tate will get back on the beam in this game, because the Hawks must have Tate at his very best to even have a chance of competing in the Horseshoe. Iowa’s offense needs to quiet the crowd and establish the kind of tempo that will put Ohio State on its heels, thereby making Troy Smith and Justin Zwick sweat and forcing these two quarterbacks to perform under pressure. Knowing the importance of a healthy and effective Tate is precisely why Hawks fans are both upbeat yet scared about what could unfold on Saturday: there not sure which Drew Tate they’re going to get.
But what this means from the Ohio State side of things is that the classic formulas of winning Jim Tressel football are very much in play for this game. Placing their confidence in fellas named Hawk, Schlegel and Carpenter, along with eight other stellar defenders and the right feet of A.J. Trapasso and Josh Huston, represents the Buckeyes’ surest path to victory. Given the quality of Iowa’s defense, a wide-open offensive approach risks the kinds of plays—namely, pick-sixes—that could give the Hawkeyes the shot in the arm they need. Truth be told, Ohio State’s best bet in this ballgame is for “Tressel To Be Tressel.” But will the pressure of the past two post-Texas weeks (with the momentary distraction of a scrimmage against San Diego State thrown in) make the Buckeye coach leave his comfort zone, perhaps with negative results?
The Buckeyes showed how great a defense they have against Texas, and it’s the strength of that defense that gives the home team a notable advantage in this contest. But if Ohio State decides to start leaning on its offense and assume an identity it doesn’t yet possess, things could get tense... and Iowa will walk away with a huge victory.
Will Jim Tressel stay the course and be his normal self? The answer to that question, more than any other, will have a lot to do with the way this Big Ten brouhaha shakes down.</td></tr></tbody> </table>
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