Fickell press conference

[danwismar]

No changes to coaching staff yet....and one addition will probably be a defensive coach (to replace Fickell at LB coach presumably)

The decision has been made to go forward with the least possible disruption of the coaching situation and the way the product is put on the field.

Apparently Dick Tressel will stay and Bollman is the unquestioned offensive coordinator. All you can say is, we'll see how that turns out.

I thought Fickell was impressive, even if rehearsed. His presser sounded exactly like the BTN interview they ran in the 30 minutes leading up to the presser....to the word. Still, he says all the right things. If anything, this press conference was better rehearsed than the last disaster.

Fickell is feistier and probably more intense than JT, but let's face it...Tresselism lives on in this guy. He put his own stamp on things today...to his credit...but he didn't say anything that wasn't pretty much from the Tressel handbook.

[danwismar]

For shits and giggles....video of Fickell (39-0)winning state Hvwt. wrestling championship (DII) with a pin in under a minute over his 34-1 opponent...

[furls]

Did you see how they said Fickell was 36-0 as a soph, 33-0 as a junior and 39-0 as a senior? That is Sam Nieder or Palmeresque.

[pup]

Found it interesting he did not talk to Pryor before TP left the program. And has not talked to him since.

Was really hoping that open coaching spot would go to an OC. In Bollman I Worry. Not sure how adding a LB coach is really that important.

Leading the Nation in 3 categories. Toughness, Turnover and Effort. Really needs to work on his closing statement.

His presser means nada. He has 12 football games to stave off his replacement. And wins will be the only measuring stick.

[gotribe31]

For shits and giggles....video of Fickell (39-0)winning state Hvwt. wrestling championship (DII) with a pin in under a minute over his 34-1 opponent...

That mullet is awesome. And I say that without a hint of sarcasm.

Missed the presser last night, but it's being replayed right now on BTN

[furls]

Presser should've been done the day after Tressel was fired, the team had already made the decision to go with Fickell for all of 2011. Get all your news done and then maintain a low profile.

Bollman is the worst coach on OSU's staff. I personally believe that the only reason he has retained his position on this staff is due to JT's blind loyalty. Under Bollman as OSUs OL coach, OSU has only signed 15 OL recruits in the last 6 years and has not had an OL drafted on the first day of the NFL draft since Nick Mangold. I have seen almost no season-to-season improvement out of OL players, when they leave they are pretty much what they came in as, just bigger/stronger versions of themselves four years older.

Somehow Iowa and Wisconsin can take OSU's left overs and consistently develop them and put them into the NFL. If my kid was 16 and had the option of OSU or Wisconsin/Iowa with Bollman coaching at OSU, I would advise them to go to Wisco/Iowa and it is really a no brainer if your goal is to play on Sundays.

[motherscratcher]

Did you see how they said Fickell was 36-0 as a soph, 33-0 as a junior and 39-0 as a senior? That is Sam Nieder or Palmeresque.

Sam Neider was great. I used to wrestle around with him because I hung out at South when they had CYO there on Sundays. I remember him telling me before one of his matches that he was going to set the pin record, then he went out and pinned the guy in about 6 seconds. It was unfair.

Sam was always good, but he went to another stratosphere when he went to Eds.

But, i will say, I've never seen a guy as impressive as Fickell. I think his senior year states where in Dayton. I'd heard of him but not seen him. I remember watching him and wondering how a guy who's 6'5" could wrestle like a 125lber.

OK, back to thread.

[danwismar]

Bollman is the worst coach on OSU's staff. I personally believe that the only reason he has retained his position on this staff is due to JT's blind loyalty. Under Bollman as OSUs OL coach, OSU has only signed 15 OL recruits in the last 6 years and has not had an OL drafted on the first day of the NFL draft since Nick Mangold. I have seen almost no season-to-season improvement out of OL players, when they leave they are pretty much what they came in as, just bigger/stronger versions of themselves four years older.

Sums up the critique of Bollman by just about every serious Buckeye fan I know. It was OK for him to have the title of OC because no one ever took it seriously with JT clearly running the offense (for better or worse).

His O-lines consistently underperformed, and he produced very few NFL linemen (Mangold is the one exception....guys like Clarke and Olivea were marginal NFL players at best)

I understand how Memorial Day was a bit late to contemplate serious changes to the coaching staff...and no quality OC would be wise to make a commitment to come to C-bus with no guarantee beyond a one year gig...but Bollman as OC is just a disappointment.