Buckeyes Need to Start Playing Like They're Number One
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by user Ross K.
An Ohio State Buckeyes fan certainly can’t complain about the work Jim Tressel has done in his five seasons and four games as head coach. However there is one thing that Tressel’s teams have consistently done over the years that should be addressed, because it could (and has) come back to bite the Buckeyes.
No matter how good they are, the Buckeyes too often play down to the level of their opponents.
Granted, they almost always come out on top, but Jim Tressel needs to figure out how to get this team to play like the number one team no matter who their opponent, not just get them hyped enough to win with last minute heroics or one big quarter (usually in the second half).
After Saturday’s game against Penn State, ABC commentators were jumping all over Ohio State, pointing out that the game was closer than the final score and questioning if the Buckeyes are for real. This lack of respect most likely isn’t only in the mind of the media, but also in upcoming opponents on the Buckeye’s schedule.
Ohio State fans have endured a lot of stress through Tressel’s tenure this far that could have been avoided if the team played to their full ability every week and not just settle for being good enough for that particular game. There have been many games – opponents like Cincinnati and Bowling Green come to mind – that ended up being a lot closer than they should have been.
To date, most fans haven’t complained about the close games all that much – they can be much more fun to watch after all – but if the Buckeyes start losing a few more of them each season, the same thing that has turned Tressel into a hero might put him on the job market.
It’s not that they should be blowing out every team every week and making a big deal about it. They just need to remove the possibility that they might not come back or might not hold on to a slim lead.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the number one team in the nation, but that ranking is only a number. In order to get through other Big Ten opponents such as Iowa next week and Michigan in November, they need to play like the best team in the country and prove they deserve to carry that number every week, no matter who is on the other side of the field.
Date
Sat 09/23/06, 4:02 pm EST
