Earlier today, Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel voiced his support for Terrelle Pryor and declared that TP would not be benched, keeping the sophomore at starting QB. Apparently the coach was forced into this declaration because of a harsh tone from a group of Buckeye fans.
This isn’t going to gain me much in the way of readership, but I didn’t start a blog to be popular, so I have to say it….
Sometimes the hardest part about being an Ohio State fan is that it lumps me into a category with a front-running pack of idiots.
The masses who are screaming for Terrelle Pryor to be benched do not seem to have a clue as to why that would be a horrible and destructive move. These are the same people who clamor for Jim Tressel to be fired every time Ohio State loses a game, and unfortunately their moans are heard the loudest and further amplified by mainstream media.
If you’re one of those people demanding Pryor to be benched and Tressel to be fired, you’re not going to get along with me very well, especially for the rest of this article. Because in my opinion, if you want to dump Pryor and Tressel, you’re not very bright.
Let’s start with Pryor.
Was I angry with TP on Saturday? Yes, I was. Did I want to see Joe Bauserman take snaps when things were at their ugliest? Yes, I did. Did I want Pryor to lose his position? Of course not. Give him a series off to get his head back and then return him….but don’t strip away his job and exile him over a loss to Purdue.
When your #1 pitcher has lost it on the mound and can’t get any outs, you bring in a reliever…but you don’t give that reliever the start the next time #1 comes up in rotation.
One of the arguments that I’ve been hearing is that Todd Boeckman was having similar difficulties early last season, and the coach made a switch then….so why not do it now? Well, let’s start with the obvious…you’re comparing apples to oranges.
When Terrelle Pryor was brought to Columbus, he was (and still is) the quarterback to lead the team. Boeckman’s job in his senior season was simple…teach Pryor the ropes. When Boeckman struggled in his first three games (including the horrific game at USC), the gameplan changed for Pryor. Tressel decided that with a National Championship out of reach, it was time to give Pryor valuable game experience that would help him in the future.
Benching Boeckman was a move for the future of the team, and everybody on the team understood that (even Boeckman).
Benching Pryor would have no value for this team whatsoever. It would only act as punishment, because nobody truly believes that Joe Bauserman is the future of this squad. Right now, Pryor needs support, and if his coach dumped him to the bench it would be devastating for the present and the future.
With Beanie Wells gone and Pryor entering his first full season as a starter, 2009 was always viewed as a rebuilding year. There is only one senior starting on offense this season, and only four on the defense. That means that we will return 17 starters for 2010. This was ALWAYS the case, and we are gearing for a title run next season.
Aside from general anger about Pryor’s recent play, his detractors have no real reason to bench him. They are simply not playing the scenario out and seeing where it will truly lead us.
The same goes for the “fire Tressel” crowd.
When I was a freshman at The Ohio State University, Earle Bruce was our coach. The guy went 9-3 like it was his religion. In 1987, Ohio State hit some troubles and ended the season at 6-4-1. The first time his team went UNDER .750, and the university fired him.
The end result was 13 years of John Cooper.
Coach Tressel’s era has an 81 percent winning record. He’s got a National Championship, he’s 7-1 against Michigan, and he has 10 and 11 win seasons with regularity. Oh, and did I mention that he’s 7-1 against Michigan?
If you’re among the crowd clamoring for Jim Tressel to be fired, then you clearly don’t remember what it was like to trade in a good coach just for the sake making a move. If you get what you want, the days of being at the top of the Big Ten will be once-in-a-while thing instead of the annual occurence it is now.
And if you’re among the crowd that wants both Tressel and Pryor gone, then you’re not a fan of the same team that I am.
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