Things looking up at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With no slight meant toward Governor Bob Taft, the best politician here is not in the state house. The Ohio State beat writers joke that coach Jim Tressel will someday run for office -- at least I think they're joking -- because most of his answers, as eloquent and lengthy as they are, are vegan: There ain't an ounce of meat in them.

Tressel is not rude about it -- far from it. The head of state of Buckeye Nation is remarkably solicitous of his constituents. On Wednesday, Tressel went about his work with eight local eighth-graders following him around as part of a career day (one of them was Myles Schlichter, nephew of Art Schlichter, the man who became better known for his gambling problems than for being an Ohio State All-America quarterback). Tressel kept the boys entertained, up to and including having them grade videotapes of next fall's high school seniors. (At this moment, coaches at 10 other schools are licking their fingers to flip through the NCAA Manual, sure that this is a violation of some sort.)

In Tressel's first season, Ohio State went only 7-5. But the Buckeyes did so by beating Michigan in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1987. In the Outback Bowl, Ohio State spotted South Carolina a 28-0 lead and came back to tie the game before losing 31-28 on a last-second field goal. As he enters his second campaign, Tressel is more comfortable. He revels in the Ohio State tradition. His is not the kind of ego that needs constant stroking. Sitting in his small, book-lined office at the Woody Hayes Center, Tressel was asked when it felt as if it had become Jim Tressel's program. "You know the guys better, both players and coaches," he said. "The neat thing about Ohio State is that it's always Ohio State's program. That's what, in my mind, is real."

This spring Tressel has discovered that he has five good receivers and four good tailbacks; a versatile, experienced defensive line; and the best pair of safeties in the Big Ten. The relative youth and lack of depth on the roster leaves Ohio State without a cushion should it stumble. But the Big Ten will be as mediocre this fall as it was last, when its champion, Illinois, got waxed by LSU in the Sugar Bowl. So why not Ohio State?

There are questions. Quarterback Craig Krenzel played well enough to beat Michigan in November in the first start of his collegiate career. All that makes him so far is a trivia answer. There's a big difference in playing quarterback and leading an offense. Two offensive line starters are hurt this spring. They will be back this fall, but depth will have to come from the freshmen who report in the summer. The same goes for linebacker.

Tressel professes not to get caught up in who's winning what job during the spring. As he points out, the 15 practices this month are only about one-third of the total sessions before the Buckeyes open in the Pigskin Classic against Texas Tech on Aug. 24. But optimism abounds in Columbus. The talent level is moving in the direction of John Cooper's outstanding teams of the mid-1990s. While those Buckeyes annually found a way not to finish No. 1, Tressel's teams at Youngstown State were winning four I-AA national championships. The best talent on the 2002 Buckeyes will be young. Tressel is simplifying schemes on both sides of the ball. "I'm not sure that more is always better," he said. "Doing things well is what's important. Keep it simple enough that you do it well, but not so simple that the opponent knows what's coming. Balance is the key to anything -- life, defense, anything."

The statement is eloquent and lengthy, and the cynic will exhaust himself looking for the meat in it. Doesn't matter. Most Ohio State observers, including those within the program, believe the Buckeyes are a year away. The same thing was said at Oklahoma in the spring of 2000 and at Colorado a year ago. If you're looking for a dark horse to win the Big Ten, keep your eye on the politician in Columbus.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

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