History of Ohio State Buckeyes Football - 2001-2010:The Jim Tressel Era

2001-2010:The Jim Tressel Era

Ohio State quickly sought a replacement for Cooper before the 2001 recruiting season, and after a nationwide search hired Jim Tressel. With a winning tradition at Youngstown State (4 NCAA Division I-AA National Champions from 1986 to 2000) Tressel, formerly an assistant coach at Ohio State for Earle Bruce, was an Ohioan who was considered to be appreciative of the Buckeyes' football tradition. Although there were some doubts whether Tressel could repeat his earlier success at the Division 1A level, most fans and alumni met the coaching change with enthusiasm. The day of his hiring, Jim Tressel, speaking to fans and students at a Buckeye basketball game, made a prophetic implication that he would lead the Buckeyes to beat Michigan in Ann Arbor the following November.

Tressel's first season was difficult as the Buckeyes went 7-5. At a university that was accustomed to experiencing fewer than 2 or 3 losses a season, 2001 was considered a disappointment until Tressel made good on his promise and did what his predecessor could not, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor. Even more impressive was the fact that Tressel gave the quarterback reins to untested sophomore Craig Krenzel after senior starter Steve Bellisari was suspended following a DWI arrest just prior to the Illinois game, a decision applauded as finally drawing the line on a program perceived as "getting out of hand". Despite its average record, Ohio State elected to accept an invitation to the Outback Bowl for a rematch with South Carolina. Although Ohio State lost this game also, it was marked by a strong second half comeback and were a presentiment that 33 years of frustration at not winning a national championship were about to come to an immediate end.

While fans were optimistic about the chance for success of the 2002 team, most observers were surprised by the Ohio State's National Championship. After good offensive performances against Texas Tech and Kent State, and the emergence of freshman Maurice Clarett as a standout running back, Ohio State used strong defense, ball-control play-calling, and field position tactics to win numerous close games, a style of play characterized as "Tresselball", and disparaged by detractors as "the Luckeyes". One of the most notable examples occurred against Purdue on November 9, when quarterback Craig Krenzel threw a 4th down touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins late in the game to win, on a play that has gone down in Buckeye lore as "Holy Buckeye," a phrase coined by ABC Television's Brent Musberger's during his call of the play. (Buckeye Commentary - Holy Buckeye)

A dramatic second-straight victory over Michigan propelled them into the BCS National Championship Game at the Fiesta Bowl, where they beat the Miami Hurricanes in two overtimes in one of the greatest championship games in college football history.

Following their championship season, Tressel and the school administration became entangled in a major controversy over allegations of NCAA violations by tailback Maurice Clarett. Clarett accused Tressel of orchestrating a benefits system, including free cars, cash for no-work jobs, and improper academic assistance. However, the NCAA was unable to verify the claims due to a lack of evidence. Clarett left Ohio State and tried to apply to the NFL draft, but was unsuccessful. In 2004, however, Troy Smith's acceptance of $500 from former OSU booster Robert Q. Baker led to a 2-game suspension from the team, which continued into the 2005 season. The businessman was also sanctioned.

Tressel's success continued with two additional Big Ten championships in 2005 and 2006 (the 2006 title outright) and a record through the 2006 regular season of 62-14. The 2005 team was characterized by slow development of the offense and early losses to Texas and Penn State, followed by an offensive explosion that saw the Buckeyes score 40 or more points in five consecutive games, the first time in the team's history. The Buckeyes again defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor and then Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

However after posting a 12-0 regular season in 2006, and going wire-to-wire during the regular season as the top-ranked team to advance to the BCS National Championship game on January 8, 2007, the Buckeyes endured a shocking defeat to the Florida Gators, 41-14. In the spring of 2007, the NCAA released figures on the football program's Academic Progress Rate (APR) that showed an increase its score from the penalty cut-off point of 925 to 928.

Following the loss to Florida, the team lost senior Troy Smith to the end of his college eligibility and juniors Ted Ginn, Jr., Antonio Pittman, and Anthony Gonzalez to the NFL. Preseason speculation in the sports media anticipated a finish in 2007 of no higher than 3rd in the Big Ten. However, playing what was sometimes criticized as a weak schedule, and behind the statistically best defense among Bowl Series teams, Ohio State finished the season at 11-1, its only defeat in its final home game, against Illinois. Despite this, numerous defeats of top-ranked teams propelled Ohio State back into the top position in the BCS. On January 7, 2008, it lost its second straight BCS National Championship game, this time to the LSU Tigers by a score of 38-24.

The following season would see the arrival of heavily recruited high school quarterback Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State. After a 35-3 loss to the USC Trojans, Pryor would get the starting job at quarterback, replacing senior Todd Boeckman. The next three seasons would see the Buckeyes amass a 31-5 record, win or share three Big Ten championships, and win two BCS bowls. In late 2010, however it was found that five Buckeye players, including Pryor, had improperly sold memorabilia to the owner of a tattoo parlor. The players were to be suspended for the first five games of the 2011-2012 season. There were calls for Tressell to suspend the players for the 2011 Sugar Bowl. Tressel decided against it however, and the Buckeyes went on to claim 31-26 victory over Arkansas and their fifth BCS bowl victory since hiring Tressel. In March 2011, it was discovered that Tressel had prior knowledge of the violations committed by his players, and he was suspended for the first five games of the next season. However, after facing months of intense criticism and damning reports, Tressel resigned as head coach on May 31, 2011. Assistant coach, and former Buckeye player, Luke Fickell was hired as the interim coach for the 2011-2012 season. Tressel left Ohio State as its third-winningest coach and won or shared 7 Big Ten titles( including 2010 title vacated by NCAA).