Football
Forget the Image, Tressel Knows Michigan is The Game
By John Porentas

As long as this is the year of hair in Buckeye football, lets talk about hair.

Senior center and fashion trend setter, Nick Mangold
Photo by Jim Davidson

Nick Mangold revealed this week that not only did he start the long-hair trend on the OSU football team, he has also led the charge for long-hair hygiene. Mangold has shared his formula of Pantene products combined with an occasional dose of Head and Shoulders with fellow long-hairs A. J. Hawk, Anthony Schlegel, and Bobby Carpenter. The result has been a Buckeye football team that is fully bodied, properly moisturized, and without a flake of embarrassing dandruff.

The long-hair thing is probably not a trend. It's more likely just a fad, but there is one hair item that will likely be around the Buckeye football program for a while. We're talking about Jim Tressel's hair.

Tressel's hair is immaculately coiffed, though of late traces of well-earned gray are showing up. We're assuming the scarlet will show up later.

Tressel's hair is interesting, not because it is long like that of some his current players, nor because it is rigidly in place or beginning to acquire that "distinguished" look. It's interesting because for at least one week of the season, for this one game alone, he lets it down a little. What is more interesting is that he doesn't want just any old body to really know it.

Jim Tressel, complete with perfectly placed hair.
Photo by Jim Davidson

Unlike former OSU Head Coach Earle Bruce, who claims he thought about the Michigan game 365 days a year, Tressel claims that it really doesn't become his focus until the week of the game. The closest he comes to making an admission that the Michigan game is a special year-long focus is when he says he always strives for his team to play the best in their last game, and oh, by the way, that's always the Michigan game. Tressel's hair-up persona is that of an even-keeled, never-too-excited, never-too -disappointed head coach that, above all takes every game (forgive me) "one at a time". The Michigan game, Tressel's hair-up persona would have us believe, becomes important as a game Michigan week, and not before.

Sorry coach, we're calling you out. You do not take them one at a time when it comes to Michigan, and though you are subtle, you spend the entire year letting your team know that this game is the one that counts. You don't like to do it in public, but you do it.

OSU football players spend more days in the OSU weight room than they do any other physical location. It's also kind of a sanctuary, a place that the great unwashed masses rarely see. It's also one of the places where Tressel sends his "Michigan is Big" message.

This clock in the OSU weight room counts down to the Michigan kickoff 365 days a year.
Photo Illustration by John Porentas and Jim Davidson

There are always two clocks on the wall counting down backward in the OSU weight room. There is one counting down to the kickoff time of the next game. There is another that, at all times, every week of the year, counts down to the Michigan game.

"We get a daily reminder of what's the most important game, and that's the Michigan game," said OSU senior linebacker Anthony Schlegel of the significance of the clock on the wall counting down to the Michigan game.

"That's the one clock that continually goes," said senior defensive end Mike Kudla.

"Each week will have it's own individual clock, but that one is right next to it. As you're going through there and working out it's a reminder that that's your goal, your pinnacle, that that's where you've got to peak, your best performance has got to be against Michigan. It's in your mind. You look at that and there's no way you can miss it," Kudla said.

Mister one-game-at-a-time reminds his players all year long that this is the game, this is the week. He also has let his down a little with his senior class this year, sending a private but not-so-subtle message that it would be a good thing for them to end their careers at 3-1 against Michigan instead do 2-2. Not only is he doing it, but he started doing before the season even began. According to senior safety and co-captain Nate Salley, Tressel first started mentioning the charm of being 3-1 to the seniors last summer.

"Ohio State vs. Michigan talk goes on all the time. That popped up at one point. That's definitely a legacy we want to leave, being 3-1 against Michigan.That would be huge for us. He's always planting those seeds.That was one of them," said Salley.

Salley said that Tressel has continued to plant that seed with his seniors.

"We talked about that yesterday," Salley said.

"I was on the way to the team meeting room and we were walking side-by-side and he said 'Remember what I told you. There's a big difference between being 2-2 and being 3-1,' and I believe that would be a great accomplishment to be 3-1 against Michigan, have three pairs of gold pants, have one win up there in the Big House and two here in the 'Shoe. I believe it would be a great accomplishment. We talked about that before the season even started," Salley reiterated.

"I think he said something yesterday to the extent that if you go three of four against Michigan, that's really awesome," added senior offensive lineman Rob Sims. "I know for this senior class we're really excited about having that opportunity. We just want to go out there and get it.

Tressel has done a good job of hiding his fervor for The Game since he's taken the job at Ohio State, but when he was hired in 2001, he let that well-quaffed hairdo down very openly with regard to the Michigan game. He addressed the crowd at an OSU basketball game, and promised them faithfully that when their team when to Ann Arbor the next fall, they would be proud of that team. The crowd went bonkers, and try as he now might to hide it, the message he sent on that day is one that resonates over his tenure as OSU's head football coach, that the Michigan game is the most important on the schedule.

"You can tell how much he cares about this game," said senior linebacker A. J. Hawk.

"Everyone has heard about when he took the job here and he talked about how many days there until we played Michigan," Hawk said.

And now there's that clock on the wall in the weight room, always counting down, and always to the same game.

One at time coach, right?

Right.

The fans aren't buying it, and they love you for it.

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