By: WTVN Sports Department —
With the Buckeyes coming off another lackluster offensive performance in the 13-6 loss to Penn State, and having three games this year without an offensive touchdown, Jim Tressel is taking advantage of the bye week.

Tressel said he has studied the offense extensively, personally examining every Ohio State pass play called this season, hoping to find some answers. The Buckeyes are ranked 94th nationally in total offense, but Tressel said improving those numbers is not what his week long study has been about.

“The only standings I’m worried about are the ones that have the wins and losses and the ones that have the turnover margin, because those are the ones we all had something to do with,” Tressel said. “That’s not to say we don’t need to get better on offense. We need to block people better, we need to make better play selections, we need to throw it better, we need to read the defenses better, we need to run routes better, we need to be better.”

Tressel said it’s more than a one player issue. In particular, the coach said he is pleased with the progress of freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State ranks last in the Big Ten in passing offense, but Tressel is satisfied with the way Pryor is developing as a passer.

“The thing I thought was interesting (in studying Pryor) is that there weren’t many (passes) that weren’t carefully thrown,” Tressel said. “For a guy of that experience level, that’s a little unusual. It reminds me of Troy (Smith) a little.”

The bottom line, said Tressel is there are no easy answers to Ohio State’s offensive struggles.

“Can I put a finger (on it)….no…can I put ten fingers, probably and that’s the beautiful part about football,” Tressel said. “One play if we would have had a little better protection we’d have been alright, another play if the quarterback (had the proper footwork) we’d have been alright, another play the receivers route running could have been more complete. The good news is we’re very capable.”

Coaching & Play Calling to be evaluated later
Tressel also fielded questions about the potential of making changes to his offensive coaching staff, and bringing in a coordinator who would be responsible for play calling. Currently, Tressel calls the plays on gameday and said he will evaluate everything after the season.

“If you’re willing to try to decide which players are in the right position, you certainly better be willing to think about which coaches are in the right position and are you doing the right things?,” Tressel said. “That has to be the beginning of all your thinking. Are you doing the schemes that your players are capable of doing and are you teaching them?”

As far as potentially giving up his play calling duties, Tressel seemed lukewarm about the idea.

“When you’re the head coach you always have an opinion,” Tressel said. “Could you (talking to reporters) ever not be involved in what’s put under your byeline in the paper? Sometimes you do though, sometimes they whack a paragraph I understand that and sometimes you take a suggestion that you wish you didn’t take.”

No related posts.