Jim Tressel against moving Michigan-Ohio State after Thanksgiving
With the Big Ten going to a permanent bye week, next year’s Michigan-Ohio State game will be played the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Count Ohio State coach Jim Tressel among those opposed to the move.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel exhales as he walks the field during warm-ups before a game against Penn State in State College, Pa. Ohio State won 24-7.
AP photo
“I’m kind of an old-timer, you have to preface it with that,” Tressel said Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. “I’ve always thought that the Big Ten had a great advantage in the fact that their kids could go home for an extended Thanksgiving weekend.
“Kids work out all year round, they train and so forth and play tough schedules. To have a chance to be with your families over Thanksgiving I’ve always felt was a real positive thing for our kids.”
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said he doesn’t necessarily favor playing after Thanksgiving, but does like having a bye.
“The biggest benefit of moving the schedule back another week is that now we have an opportunity to have an open date somewhere during the season,” Rodriguez said.
More Big Ten teleconference notes
• Rodriguez said he’ll wait until Thursday to reveal Michigan’s team captains. Players voted for the honor Monday after rotating game captains all year.
• Tressel on Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham: “He’s just a great football player. Quite honestly, I was hoping a year ago he’d go out early to the NFL. He’s a great player and it says something about his character and his relationship with his staff that he wanted to stay and be a part of this building process.”
• In the context of picking an all-Big Ten team, Rodriguez was asked to name a few players in conference who've stood out in games against Michigan this year.
“Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of guys look good against us and that’s nothing fun,” Rodriguez said. “It’s probably too numerous to mention.”
• Rodriguez on questions he gets having to defend his familiarity with the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry: "It's kind of amusing. I kind of expected it the first year, coming from outside. But even then it was like, 'Geez, I think anybody in college football understands it.' And certainly after you’re here a while, whether you’re here a year or a month or a day, you’re going to hear about the rivalry and the importance of this ballgame.
"It’ll pass in time, I’m sure. I’m just hoping that we can play a good game. I know we’ll give good effort, but I just hope that we can execute well and play good football and give us a good chance there to have some fun Saturday afternoon."
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
DaveQ
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 : 8:09 a.m.
So its not about winning or losing. Its about having fun.
foreigner
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 2:52 p.m.
Stop comparing a pep talk given by the coach to his players against a press conference where the coach is addressing the media.
westsideblue
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 1:34 p.m.
Hey idiots. Read his quote in context. The thing he says will pass in time is people asking him if he understands the rivalry, not the importance of the rivalry. I understand you all have a nonsensical hate for RR (which I will never understand), but I don't even know how you take that out of context. Quit looking for things to say against him.
rightmind250
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 1:03 p.m.
Tater, Where are you going to get these horses you talk about. Have you looked at the 2010 recruits on defense. A buch of 3 stars nobody but IL, Indiana, Purdue and UM wanted. I think a 6-6 record in 2010 is pretty acurate. UM loses more in 2009 than it gains in 2010.
supa
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 12:30 p.m.
Michigan will win this weekend. Rivalry games are just like that.
lugemachine
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 12:07 p.m.
"I just hope that we can execute well and play good football and give us a good chance there to have some fun.." Everybody fired up by that? Here's a reminder of what a coach sounds like when addressing his team. If this doesn't bring a rush of adrenaline and a tear to your eye, then you're not a Wolverine. This will NEVER get old. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnSOwvj24M0 This no longer feels like Michigan. This no longer feels like The Game. There is no fire, no spirit and no leadership. The greatest program in intercollegiate athletics is languishing and it must be fixed. Go Blue.
Fan
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 9:54 a.m.
Great time for an upset!
oneandseven
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 12:57 a.m.
I can assure you that you will be proud of your young people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the football field. Jim Tressel -- 2001. "Itll pass in time, Im sure. Im just hoping that we can play a good game. I know well give good effort, but I just hope that we can execute well and play good football and give us a good chance there to have some fun Saturday afternoon." RR -- 2009 Unbelievable.
ohiowolverine
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 11:47 p.m.
blue50, the reason RR didn't make a comment like you said is because he knows he is not a good enough coach to get his team to play that way.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 10:42 p.m.
It will not pass in time. The Ohio State rivalry is such an important part of this program. The rivalry pushes both schools to excel.
blue50
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 10:31 p.m.
There is some guilt on my part for not being tolerant of RR. However, after reading his uninspiring comments regarding the BIG GAME on Sat. I find myself feeling less guilt. RR truly does not "get it." How can a man coaching Big Blue reference this Saturday's rivalry game by saying, "It'll pass in time, I'm sure. I'm just hoping we can play a good game." Good Lord, Bo would kick such a dull unenthusiastic coach off his staff. The Buckeye's vs. Michigan is what Michigan football is all about. It is not just another game where the head coach can simply say, "I just hope we execute well and play good football and give us a good chance to have some fun Saturday afternoon." What the hell kind of politically correct bunch of crap is that??? RR, you will not make it as a Michigan Coach with such a sissy attitude toward the Ohio State game. Let me give you a better comment, "We have played embarassingly bad for two years, our goal is to play the best damn football game of my coaching career on Saturday. This will be a Michigan Team that will take the field on Saturday in the tradition of Michigan. Instead of a bunch of high school athletes representing Michigan you will see a well trained group of men wear the maize and blue on Saturday. A team that will hit like they have never hit before, tackle like they have never tackled before, play like thier life depends on it from the beginning to ending whistle. Saturday is the day we turn the horrible experience of the past 2 yars around. By God, we can do this."
Fresh121
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 9:34 p.m.
RR 0-1 LC 1-6 vs JT thats no good for RR or befor him.
jwgoblue
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 7:17 p.m.
This is Ohio ST Mr plain and lets not go and give them the win yet... they habe played like crap at times this year as well... Ohio ST is gratly over rated or Iowa woould have been crushed with the second string QB in... The Big blue has to play a near perfect game just dont turn it over. Sweater Vest will give us plent of runs up the middle and 3rd and longs with Pryor having to read even a bad U oF M Defense is almost a draw...
saginaw
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 7:07 p.m.
Bo is gone. Will Michigan be consistently good on defense? Our defense was great in 1997 and good in 2006.
chosen1
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 7 p.m.
I miss the days of Woody-Bo, Woodson-Boston, when the teams and coaches hated each other. JT and RR are too PC and aside from Tate promising to get the seniors to a bowl game, there hasn't been alot of talk. The boren talk isn't even that good. But of course the last mouthpiece we had often got shut up real quick in these games (mr 0-4 mike hart)
MichFanTex
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 6:23 p.m.
rensational, The traditional date for the UM-OSU game is not the Saturday before Thanksgiving, it is traditionally the last game of B10 season for UM and OSU. While that usually occurs on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving, it was the Saturday following Thanksgiving during these recent years: 2001, 1995, 1990, and 1989.
amaizenman
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 6:22 p.m.
Coaches getting it has nothing to do with it. The B10 decided to move the schedule and that is what it is.
vi4mi4
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 6:18 p.m.
rensational, that is a sobering but accurate post... the MICHIGAN vs. ohio state pre-game has gone pc. loyalty is a lost art... rumor has it r.r. approached The Band about changing a couple of notes in "Hail To The Victors!" Ban The Red Wristband! Go Blue! v
rensational
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 6:01 p.m.
Neither of these coaches get it. You don't move Michigan-OSU to after Thanksgiving, first and foremost, because that's not part of the Michigan-OSU tradition. According to this piece, Tressel never mentioned that. The other reasons might be important, but Michigan-OSU is played mid-late November, and that's that. And like I just pointed out on Adam Rittenberg's blog at ESPN, there are people who understand how big the rivalry is, and then there are people who are *passionate* about the rivalry all year long. As soon as the game is over, especially if you lose, you go flip to the next November and mark that game and already start talking about winning it. No game is bigger to that second group of people. RR basically has only shown, and now told, us he's in the first category. Nothing wrong with that, except people like that should not coach or play for Michigan. The lack of *emotion* towards OSU in the Michigan football program is one of the reasons why, even when Michigan was good enough to, they weren't beating OSU and one of many reasons why Michigan will continue losing to OSU. This rivalry looks more and more like it died with Bo.
vi4mi4
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 5:42 p.m.
..i just heard the most dispassionate pre-schmuckeye interview with a MICHIGAN coach, ever... r.r. sounds like he can't wait for next year for more of HIS players for HIS scheme......can we just send the players and leave the coach with the red wristband at home? Ban The Red Wristband! Go Blue! v
newe82
Tue, Nov 17, 2009 : 4:57 p.m.
Four days until the beat down! It is going to be ugly on Saturday. Ohio State 48 Michigan 10. The sad thing is RR will probably consider a 38 point loss a moral victory. Sad, Sad, Sad. Last years game was bad, but at least it was at OSU. This year the massacre is going to happen in the Big House (soon to be "little house" if RR stays around). It will be a site to see Michigan stadium with 50,000 people in it if RR is still the coach next year. 2010 RR coached team 4-8.