Ok, so I finally have seen enough articles and heard enough crap from fans, so I feel like someone needs to defend Tressel's decision to play Beanie in the series where he was injured. In ESPN's Forde column he compares keeping Beanie in the game to USC keeping Sanchez in the game in the fourth and Texas keeping McCoy in the fourth. That is a horrible comparison for a variety of reasons. first of all Beanie was not playing in the fourth, and I think it is fair to assume he would not have been playing in the fourth, if Forde really knew Tressel. Why would Tressel want to keep his starters in against his old school? Forde, did you notice Pryor was playing very early? Beanie's injury happened in the the third, and if you look at the numbers, he just eclipsed 100 yards during that drive, which is a typical goal for a running back, especially a star player looking for post season awards. Yes, he eclipsed 100 yards before the injury, but it is typically only fair to let a running back have a shot at the endzone after he gave you some good carries during a drive. Sanchez had 338 yards and three touchdowns and McCoy had passed for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns before being pulled. Yeah that is a fair comparison!
It is unfair to criticize Tressel and ridiculous to compare him to Carroll at USC or Brown at Texas. USC was up 44-7 when they pulled Sanchez and Texas was up 45-10. Tressel does not run up the score, in fact it was only 26-0 at the time Beanie was hurt. Carroll always runs up the score, leaving starters in late, and Brown has been known to do it often. Tressel is smart enough to know that leaving players in late is risking injury and it just is not the right thing to do. I have always respected Tressel for not keeping the starters in late during a blow-out. In summary please think before you criticize Tressel's decisions or compare him to classless coaches like Carroll.
I agree. The fact that score is somehow factored into BCS rankings is ridiculous as it encourages these coaches to run the score up and keep their starters in while not allowing back-up players to play in games. There are coaches in the SEC who also run up the score. Fulmer has never been one and I, although I'm not always in the majority, like that about him. I've never seen Tressel do it and do not believe having Beanie in on that drive exhibited any intention by Tressel to run up the score.
ReplyDelete- Kati
I read the Forde column. It wasn't anti-Tressel. In fact in was pretty dead-on. It wasn't Tressel bashing and the author basically is saying that coaches take gambles keeping players in when the games are essentially over. It was bad luck that something like this happened, but someone needs to be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteREW
I consider it Tressel bashing to compare his decision to Carrol and Brown, which kept their players in way beyond necessary. I don't consider 26-0 to be a blow out yet, and I think it was fair to leave a guy in that just got 100 yards for the day during that drive, and he deserves a shot at the endzone at the end of that drive. Yes the game was essentially over, but the kid just got 100 yards, which is his goal for any game.
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