JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Jim Tressel's resignation from Ohio State on Monday was not a jaw dropping development into the ongoing state of affairs surrounding the Buckeye football program.
However, even though it wasn't a big surprise, it's still stunning.
The Buckeyes have been on a tear, winning the last six Big Ten football championships. Doing that in an era of scholarship limits is impressive, considering it hadn't been done in the previous era where scholarship limits did not apply.
The last time Ohio State wasn't in a BCS bowl game was following the 2004 season, the year the Hawks beat the Buckeyes in Kinnick, the year that ended with Tate to Holloway.
Now, 'The Vest' resigns amidst a great deal of controversy. He may have lied to the NCAA, he may have lied to the administration at Ohio State. The administration at Ohio State had better hope he lied to them, because the NCAA is going to be renting out some office space in Columbus as they dig deeper and deeper into allegations and/or appearances of significant improprieties related to several members of the football program.
Given Tressel's resignation and the consistent drum beat of more bad news on the near horizon (read this Sports Illustrated piece just released on Monday) in addition to the NCAA's recent penalties dished out to USC which were upheld this week, The Ohio State Buckeyes may be on the verge of a 'dark era' for their football program.
That could mean bowl bans, scholarship reductions or more. Sports Talk Provacatuer Skip Bayless suggests this could wind up being the biggest athletic program scandal since Southern Methodist University received the 'death penalty' in the 1980's.
I doubt we'll ever see another program get hit with that; SMU's football seasons were cancelled for the 1987 and 1988 seasons and they are still recovering from the fallout. Ohio State is also situated to rebound fairly quickly once NCAA penalties are meted out and completed, due to the amazing recruiting base they have in the state of Ohio.
Still, a few years of 7 to 8 wins will not sit well with the Buckeye faithful; since 1991, Ohio State has won at least eight games every year save two. Since 1967, they have won at least 66% of their games in all but seven seasons.
While we are still at the point where we are speculating on what sort of NCAA punishment will be coming down the pike, we know it's coming; one of the most successful coaches in Big Ten history (.827 winning percentage) does not just resign while in the midst of a six year title run. We could be looking at one of the stiffest penalties a Big Ten football program has received in my lifetime.
So if the Buckeyes are on the verge of heading south, for a least a while, who is going to benefit?
First, you have to look at the teams in their division. Penn State could benefit, but they have the Joe Paterno problem; as long as Paterno remains their coach, they have some recruiting hurdles to overcome and they just aren't consistent. They have the historical advantages, but at some point having a living legend as your head coach is also an obstacle.
Purdue is still a ways off...Indiana is starting over...Illinois is led by The Zooker.
That leaves Wisconsin. They have averaged nearly 10 wins per year over the past seven years. They don't have the recruiting advantages of an Ohio State or a Penn State, but they have been answering the bell more often than not and as much as it pains me to say this, they have lived up to expectations more than they have not in the past six or seven years.
If they can keep recruiting at a Top 25 level and keep implementing their power style effectively on offense, this is a program that could really benefit from Ohio State's impending dip.
In the Legends Division, Michigan is the team that I believe will benefit most from Ohio State's impending dip...first in head to head games, as The Vest owned the Wolverines with nine wins. But Michigan has always placed an emphasis in recruiting Ohio, and this could give them a boost in that regard. Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is from Ohio and you know he is going to spend more time in his home state recruiting for the Huskers. Iowa has picked off a few Buckeye State gems over the years and may be able to do the same, but the water is going to be full of sharks.
The old saying goes something like 'nature abhors a vacuum'; nature does not like unfilled spaces and typically finds a way to fill them.
That will be the case in Big Ten football over the next five or so years; the Buckeyes are going to take a dip and some program is going to step in and fill that vacuum...the question worth watching is who will it be?
However, even though it wasn't a big surprise, it's still stunning.
The Buckeyes have been on a tear, winning the last six Big Ten football championships. Doing that in an era of scholarship limits is impressive, considering it hadn't been done in the previous era where scholarship limits did not apply.
The last time Ohio State wasn't in a BCS bowl game was following the 2004 season, the year the Hawks beat the Buckeyes in Kinnick, the year that ended with Tate to Holloway.
Now, 'The Vest' resigns amidst a great deal of controversy. He may have lied to the NCAA, he may have lied to the administration at Ohio State. The administration at Ohio State had better hope he lied to them, because the NCAA is going to be renting out some office space in Columbus as they dig deeper and deeper into allegations and/or appearances of significant improprieties related to several members of the football program.
Given Tressel's resignation and the consistent drum beat of more bad news on the near horizon (read this Sports Illustrated piece just released on Monday) in addition to the NCAA's recent penalties dished out to USC which were upheld this week, The Ohio State Buckeyes may be on the verge of a 'dark era' for their football program.
That could mean bowl bans, scholarship reductions or more. Sports Talk Provacatuer Skip Bayless suggests this could wind up being the biggest athletic program scandal since Southern Methodist University received the 'death penalty' in the 1980's.
I doubt we'll ever see another program get hit with that; SMU's football seasons were cancelled for the 1987 and 1988 seasons and they are still recovering from the fallout. Ohio State is also situated to rebound fairly quickly once NCAA penalties are meted out and completed, due to the amazing recruiting base they have in the state of Ohio.
Still, a few years of 7 to 8 wins will not sit well with the Buckeye faithful; since 1991, Ohio State has won at least eight games every year save two. Since 1967, they have won at least 66% of their games in all but seven seasons.
While we are still at the point where we are speculating on what sort of NCAA punishment will be coming down the pike, we know it's coming; one of the most successful coaches in Big Ten history (.827 winning percentage) does not just resign while in the midst of a six year title run. We could be looking at one of the stiffest penalties a Big Ten football program has received in my lifetime.
So if the Buckeyes are on the verge of heading south, for a least a while, who is going to benefit?
First, you have to look at the teams in their division. Penn State could benefit, but they have the Joe Paterno problem; as long as Paterno remains their coach, they have some recruiting hurdles to overcome and they just aren't consistent. They have the historical advantages, but at some point having a living legend as your head coach is also an obstacle.
Purdue is still a ways off...Indiana is starting over...Illinois is led by The Zooker.
That leaves Wisconsin. They have averaged nearly 10 wins per year over the past seven years. They don't have the recruiting advantages of an Ohio State or a Penn State, but they have been answering the bell more often than not and as much as it pains me to say this, they have lived up to expectations more than they have not in the past six or seven years.
If they can keep recruiting at a Top 25 level and keep implementing their power style effectively on offense, this is a program that could really benefit from Ohio State's impending dip.
In the Legends Division, Michigan is the team that I believe will benefit most from Ohio State's impending dip...first in head to head games, as The Vest owned the Wolverines with nine wins. But Michigan has always placed an emphasis in recruiting Ohio, and this could give them a boost in that regard. Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is from Ohio and you know he is going to spend more time in his home state recruiting for the Huskers. Iowa has picked off a few Buckeye State gems over the years and may be able to do the same, but the water is going to be full of sharks.
The old saying goes something like 'nature abhors a vacuum'; nature does not like unfilled spaces and typically finds a way to fill them.
That will be the case in Big Ten football over the next five or so years; the Buckeyes are going to take a dip and some program is going to step in and fill that vacuum...the question worth watching is who will it be?
