If by chance you have spent the past several months at sea, under a rock, as a member of a megalomaniac led cult or sans cable and internet for any other reason I will share something with you.
Ready?
Jim Tressel is no longer the coach of the OSU football team.
For real.
In fact, his Wikipedia Page has been updated and everything. That’s when you know that stuff got real. If you own stock in a company that produces OSU labeled sweater vests, I am truly sorry. People just don’t want that anymore. We have a new leader.
That leader is Luke Fickell.
Luke Fickell uses the force on a reporter that flat-out ticked him off
After a moment of “what have I done with my life” revolving around the fact that Coach Fickell graduated HS a mere 2 years ahead of me and that I was watching him on the field as a fellow OSU student, I took some time to think about the hire and what it meant for OSU.
I came to the conclusion that I like it. I like it a lot.
I know that a lot of people were hoping for the sexy hire or to steal away a coach from a B1G foe. I could be included in that camp. I wanted a name. I wanted someone that would make the football world quake in their boots. I wanted OSU to flex that Buckeye muscle and take whatever they wanted to. But when you look at it, Fickell was the perfect hire. Just a few reasons:
1. He brought on Mike Vrabel as LB coach
Vrabel and Fickell played together on some outstanding Buckeye football teams. They were teammates, friends, and used to think of the day they would eventually coach together. Vrabel is, well, kind of known with recruits. I mean, he only won 3 Super Bowl Rings with the Pats. No big deal. If Vrabel comes into your home, especially if you are an Ohio kid, and says “play for me” you will say “oh, hell yes.” If you play defense you likely idolized the guy. That’s a nice card to have.
2. Keeping it in the family
Fickell is a Buckeye. While that might not seem to be a huge deal to some people, the majority of my formative years were spent watching John Cooper coached Buckeye teams. Oh, sure, there was success. I realize that I act like a spoiled child by scoffing at multiple 2nd place finishes and yadda, yadda, yadda. I actually might have been ok for that if not for the fact that Cooper openly stated that the annual game against TSUN was just another game.
It’s not.
It’s freaking Michigan.
If you get beaten by TSUN more often than not, and you don’t seem to really care, that will not endear yourself to the OSU faithful. A few of those losses cost OSU a chance at a National Championship. The Bowl record wasn’t much better. 3 and 8. 3 and effing 8. Sure, he coached a Rose Bowl winning team in what produced one of the greatest sports memories of my life but that’s about it. I remember the Michigan losses (his first win was, fortunately for me, my first year at OSU) more than the wins. Only 3 B-10 titles? Not good enough.
There wasn’t that fire there that past OSU coaches had. There wasn’t that sense of pride, that sense of “we are Buckeyes and we must defend the honor and dignity of all things Buckeye.” He did ads for a place that offered hot tub rentals, for God’s sake! (side note: I tried like hell to find a link to these and I could not. I think that’s actually a good thing, but if anyone can find it please, please, PLEASE hit me up so I can add this atrocity to the blog) Did you see Woody doing commercials for some fancy schmancy hot tub party place? No, you did not. That’s how it should be. Fickell is not like that. Fickell is family. Not the kind of family that only shows up when they need something and they eat your food and trash your house, but real family.
3. He has nothing to lose, everything to gain
Let’s be honest, if he doesn’t win he doesn’t keep his job. Some say 9 wins, some say 10, some say a B1G championship. Regardless, a guy that is fighting for his coaching life is likely to want to instill that fire in his players. I think his players want to win for him. Sure, just a hunch, but it’s a strong hunch.
Of course, I hope I am right. I hope Fickell is the savior that us Buckeyes need. I hope I am happy more than sad this football season. Finally, I hope above all that the B1G championship game tickets I have will be used watching my Buckeyes representing the Leaders division. Otherwise, it will be a very hefty cover charge to drink 8 buck beers and give me bragging rights to say “yeah, I was at the first championship game.”
Use the force, Luke. Don’t let the dark side take the championship from its rightful place. Also, I really don’t want to have to root for Urban Meyer…ever…period.
It’s 10:01 PM and Michigan still sucks,
Krista
