Hello, All:
I am waiting out an East Texas rainstorm to head to the gym, so I am writing something I have been thinking about during the bye week. Seeing all the turmoil amongst traditional power schools such as USC, Notre Dame, Penn St., LSU, etc..has caused me to reflect and give thanks for OSU's commitment to hiring great coaches over its history.
Since 1936, OSU has had SIX losing seasons. Six. Think about the long droughts many of the major powers have gone through over the last 25 - 30 years or so: USC and Texas of the 1990's, Alabama of the early 2000's, Penn St pretty much since they joined the B1G, and Notre Dame just before and after they hired Lou Holtz.
Earle Bruce got fired for going 9-3 every season. John Cooper finished #2 multiple times, but didn't win enough against scUM or in bowl games. Jim Tressel, although highly successful and NC winning coach, was criticized for being conservative and not keeping pace with the changing game. Even Urban Meyer faced some criticism when he went 1-3 between the 2013 B1G CG, Orange Bowl, and the loss to Virginia Tech. Those are four Hall of Fame coaches.
Let's compare that to other blue-blood programs during less than stellar eras:
Oklahoma: Gary Gibbs and John Blake
Notre Dame: Gerry Faust, Bob Davie, Ty Willingham, Charlie Weis
Texas: David McWilliams, John Mackovic, Mack Brown (END), and Charlie Strong
Alabama: Mike Dubose, Dennis Franchione, and Mike Shula
USC: Ted Tollner, Paul Hackett, bad multiple bad seasons with Larry Smith and John Robinson, and now with Shelton
We have been blessed with OSU's refusal to be mediocre. Fickell went 6-7 and wasn't even considered to be the HC at OSU after that season. They got Meyer. Now we are on a historical run and stockpiling talent at a ridiculous level. I do not take any season as a Buckeye fan for granted. If too many 9-3 seasons is considered bad enough to fire your coach, you and I are a greatly blessed as fans.
GO BUCKS!!!
I am waiting out an East Texas rainstorm to head to the gym, so I am writing something I have been thinking about during the bye week. Seeing all the turmoil amongst traditional power schools such as USC, Notre Dame, Penn St., LSU, etc..has caused me to reflect and give thanks for OSU's commitment to hiring great coaches over its history.
Since 1936, OSU has had SIX losing seasons. Six. Think about the long droughts many of the major powers have gone through over the last 25 - 30 years or so: USC and Texas of the 1990's, Alabama of the early 2000's, Penn St pretty much since they joined the B1G, and Notre Dame just before and after they hired Lou Holtz.
Earle Bruce got fired for going 9-3 every season. John Cooper finished #2 multiple times, but didn't win enough against scUM or in bowl games. Jim Tressel, although highly successful and NC winning coach, was criticized for being conservative and not keeping pace with the changing game. Even Urban Meyer faced some criticism when he went 1-3 between the 2013 B1G CG, Orange Bowl, and the loss to Virginia Tech. Those are four Hall of Fame coaches.
Let's compare that to other blue-blood programs during less than stellar eras:
Oklahoma: Gary Gibbs and John Blake
Notre Dame: Gerry Faust, Bob Davie, Ty Willingham, Charlie Weis
Texas: David McWilliams, John Mackovic, Mack Brown (END), and Charlie Strong
Alabama: Mike Dubose, Dennis Franchione, and Mike Shula
USC: Ted Tollner, Paul Hackett, bad multiple bad seasons with Larry Smith and John Robinson, and now with Shelton
We have been blessed with OSU's refusal to be mediocre. Fickell went 6-7 and wasn't even considered to be the HC at OSU after that season. They got Meyer. Now we are on a historical run and stockpiling talent at a ridiculous level. I do not take any season as a Buckeye fan for granted. If too many 9-3 seasons is considered bad enough to fire your coach, you and I are a greatly blessed as fans.
GO BUCKS!!!
