CANTON TWP – City Meyer turned to a standard theme throughout the run in Columbus.
“Meyer is doing an excellent job,” says one fan, “however I had extra enjoyable following the Buckeyes when Jim Tressel was the coach.”
That perspective was widespread, if not common. Judging grew to become certainly one of Ohio’s favourite sports activities.
Tressel gained the 2002 nationwide championship in his sophomore yr. His general file in 10 seasons was 106-22. The unapproachable Meyer gained the nationwide title in 2014 in his third straight yr. His file in seven seasons was 83-9.
what Tressel and Meyer It was by no means apparent to consider one another’s schedule, and it occurred simply Monday when Tressel was talking on the Luncheon Membership Corridor of Fame.
Meyer’s identify was not raised.
These questioning what Tressel thinks of the present Ohio State soccer coach, nonetheless, acquired some readability.
“I am a Ryan Day fan,” Tressel instructed a full home on the twelfth at Tozzi. “I feel there’s one thing about him.”
Day is 45-6 at Ohio State, though in Losses to Michigan in 2021 and 2022 damage his reputation. An opportunity to hitch Tressel and Meyer as nationwide champions ended with a 42-41 loss to Georgia on New Yr’s Eve.
Tressel spoke of Day whereas touting the advantages of a switch portal and name-image impersonation (NIL), neither of which existed when he and Meyer had been Buckeye pilots. Absence of NIL Within the yr It was included in Tressel’s launch in Might 2011. He was concerned within the protection of gamers promoting memorabilia in violation of NCAA guidelines.
In a special world, Day coaches appear outfitted to deal with it, says Tressel.
“Individuals who spend a number of time whining about[Transfer Portal and NIL]aren’t going to make progress,” Tressel mentioned. “Individuals who attempt to determine learn how to do it nicely shall be far forward.
“I feel Ryan Day will go for it. After all, he’ll lose some gamers, and perhaps one or two gamers will come to him.
“He is by no means going to be a man who runs everywhere and has 19 roster modifications. He will recruit nicely and construct inside.”
A switch portal launched in 2021 will permit gamers to switch to a different program with out sitting out a yr.
Tressel mentioned: “I’ve by no means been a believer in eligibility instantly if transferred (transferred). “The argument is sweet, coaches can change, why not gamers? And it is a good argument. However…
“I am unsure what the true value is for preventing in troublesome occasions, however I feel it’s extremely excessive. I am afraid that the portal shouldn’t be binding as it’s important to struggle in troublesome occasions.
Nevertheless it’s the rule of the sport: now we have to reside with it.
One of many greatest transfers of all time occurred on Mayer’s watch. Within the yr In 2017, Joe Burrow was in his third yr at Ohio State, No. 3 on the QB depth chart behind JT Barrett and Dwayne Haskins. He went to LSU in 2018 with an undergraduate diploma at Ohio State and did not have to take a seat out.
“I used to be high-quality with the commencement factor, the place the coed passes and will get a level,” Tressel mentioned. “They did what we requested, which was to get a diploma, and perhaps they weren’t enjoying laborious sufficient.
“It isn’t like one does it after freshman or sophomore yr.”
Burrow gained the 2019 nationwide title in his second yr at LSU. He’s headed to his second straight AFC Championship recreation in opposition to the Bengals.
Within the meantime, Tressel He’s ending a run as president of Youngstown State College that started in 2014. His final official date is Feb. 1.
“It is my forty eighth yr of upper schooling.” “I am hitting the ripe previous age of 70. I’ve labored seven days every week for 48 years. I’ll in the reduction of to 4 or 5 days every week beginning Feb. 1. That’ll most likely return to 6. Or seven. Ellen[his wife]will get me out of the home.”
Tressel mentioned a giant a part of the objective is making ready college students for jobs in know-how and expert labor shortages. The grand plan was to “rebuild and repopulate” Northeast Ohio, he mentioned.
“It is important that we keep aggressive with the place our regional world goes,” he mentioned. “Schooling is essential.”
Soccer could be very well-liked. That is the place Tressel made his identify.
As the pinnacle coach at Youngstown State and Ohio State from 1986-2010, he posted a 229-79-2 file. By way of all-time wins, his 229 ranks forward of Steve Spurrier (228) and never far behind Bo Schembechler (234) and Woody Hayes (238).
“Folks ask, ‘Which is extra enjoyable, being the pinnacle coach or being the president?’ Tressel mentioned. “Really, each had been enjoyable. Each had been very difficult and in some methods, each unimaginable. You may’t win sufficient, and as president, you’ll be able to’t please all people.”
“The unimaginable is enjoyable. It makes you need to fireplace up and attempt to make a distinction. However I will inform you this. I believed we could not get something busier than Ellen and Ellen being the pinnacle coach at Ohio State. However we did. . . .
“If I had been often known as a college president, I might have been excellent to my presidents.”
If the Corridor of Fame Luncheon Membership gave out rewards playing cards, Tressel would have sufficient factors for Cadillac.
When the 34-year-old instructed the membership for the primary time as supervisor of City State, the members requested, “Who is that this boy?” He returned yearly apart from one time when there was a dying within the household.
Now world well-known and 70 years previous, he tells previous jokes in a critical room with individuals his age.
“I am not anxious about telling the identical tales I did final yr,” he mentioned. “You do not keep in mind what I mentioned final yr.”
It was laborious to inform who had the higher time, Tressel or the viewers.
He scoffed on the size of Mike Gallina’s introduction. He fired a humorous line at TJ Downing, certainly one of his former gamers within the crowd.
A member of the gang requested a query.
“Do not hassle him,” shouted one other man. “He is from Michigan.”
Tressel is not from Ohio State, however he nonetheless rocks the Buckeyes. It was 9-1 in opposition to Michigan. That may at all times be value a number of love.
His father was the pinnacle coach at Massillon within the Fifties.
“We lived down the road from Auggie Morningstar,” he mentioned of one other Massillon coach.
Lunch Membership President Jim Starrett, on the major desk from Tressel’s left shoulder, married Morningstar’s daughter.
Throughout a question-and-answer session, somebody stood up and requested, “Although you are driving off into the sundown, will you be again subsequent yr?”
Tressel: “Is that this an invite?”
The home clapped in response.
Contact Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP
