When you examine the history of Ohio State Football, even when you dwell on the negative you can't help but find something positive. As proof of this, consider the following:
The unfortunate collapse in the Super Dome after a fine start marked Jim Tressel's 16th loss as the Ohio State Head Coach. Six other coaches have been at Ohio State long enough to suffer a 16th loss. They were:
Jack Ryder- Ohio State's 2nd coach
- Year: 1895
- Score: 0-12
- Opponent: Oberlin
- Location: Athletic Park (predecessor to Ohio Field)
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 15-16
- Data is disputed, used Stassen's data (usually best researched thanks in part to BB73)
- The only coach with a losing record as of his 16th loss
Ohio State would have 9 Head Coaches before another lasted long enough to lose 16.
John W. Wilce- Ohio State's 12th coach
- Year: 1922
- Score: 9-12
- Opponent: Iowa
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 52-16-3
- Exactly the same record as a better known OSU coach at the 16th loss
- But JWW did not maintain quite this level of success in his 6 remaining years
Only one of Ohio State's next 6 coaches would stay long enough to get a 16th loss.
Francis A. Schmidt- Ohio State's 14th coach
- Year: 1940
- Score: 0-40
- Opponent: scUM
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 39-16-1
- Schmidt's last game as coach of the Buckeyes
With only 3 of its first 18 coaches staying long enough to collect a 16th loss, Ohio State's reputation as The Graveyard of Coaches was now firmly established. One man was about to change that. The Buckeyes have the best record in the sport since he took the helm; and every coach that came after him was able to stay long enough to make the list.
Wayne Woodrow Hayes- Ohio State's 19th coach
- Year: 1958
- Score: 0-21
- Opponent: Northwestern
- Location: Evanston
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 52-16-3
- Exactly the same record as John Wilce at the time of his 16th loss
- Woody would go on to improve the winning % he had at this point
- Woody already had 2 National Championships at this point
Earle Bruce- Ohio State's 20th coach
- Year: 1984
- Score: 17-20
- Opponent: USC
- Location: Rose Bowl
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 56-16
- Second best record of any coach as of 16th loss
- Only one 16th loss came on a bigger stage
- Didn't maintain this level of success
John Cooper- Ohio State's 21st coach
- Year: 1991
- Score: 9-16
- Opponent: Iowa
- Location: Ohio Stadium
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 25-16-2
- Worst record as of his 16th loss of any 20th century Buckeye Coach
- Improved on this record substantially in his remaining 9 years
This makes 21 coaches that preceded Jim Tressel. Six of them had a 16th loss. None of them had as good a record at the time.
James Patrick Tressel- Ohio State's 22nd coach
- Year: 2008
- Score: erased from memory
- Opponent: erased from memory
- Location: some indoor arena south of the Mason-Dixon
- RECORD as of 16th loss: 73-16
- By far the best record as of the 16th loss
- NO OTHER OSU HEAD MAN COACHED AS MANY GAMES AS JT HAD WINS AS OF THE 16th LOSS.
- Earle Bruce lost his 16th in his 72nd game
- WWH and JWW lost their 16th in their 71st
- JT had 73 WINS as of his 16th loss
Only Woody, with 2 NCs in his pocket, can lay any claim to supremacy at this point in his career at
OSU. And Woody would go on to coach 20 more seasons after his 16th loss and JT has said he doesn't want to coach that long. But don't be surprised if he stays ahead of Woody in the winning % department and passes him in number of NCs.
If you rank coaches by their effect on the program, you could debate from here to eternity which Buckeye coach belongs at #3 (or you could just agree with me that it was Paul Brown). But there can be no debate about the Top 2. Woody and The Vest are in a class by themselves.
