Jim Bollman Still Has A Job, Apparently Doing It

Look, he's trying to coach!

Jim Bollman is doing something resembling work these days:

"That was the most physical spring practice I can recall being a part of," the fifth-year Ohio State senior offensive lineman [Jim Cordle] said.

That's a good sign, isn't it?

Regardless of what has happened in the past or might happen in the future, the tougher and more physical we can play up front, the better we'll be.

Well, yeah of course...

"The only way you are going to be able to fly around and play fast, and play physical, is if you have no questions in your mind, because your mind has a way of slowing up the body."

That last quote is Jim Tressel, and thank whatever God you believe in that he mentioned speed. Watching the Ohio State offensive line the last year, I never thought physicality was the primary issue; yeah, at a few key moments against Penn State and USC, they were playing pattycake, but later on in the year they were escorting most defensive lines - even Texas' very good one (for a half) into the secondary. I have no doubt that, 2008 aside, Jim Bollman turns out tough lines that specializing in ramming the ball down the middle and doing it for five-plus yards a pop. 2008 was the first year where I saw guys getting routinely physically beaten at the point of attack; prior to that it was a nuiscance, and something that can be expected occasionally with all teams. 2008 is when it became a problem, and that, piled on a host of pass protection issues that Ohio State lines have suffered since possibly 1998 or thereabouts, made the Ohio State offensive line look especially incompetent, because they had no real strengths. There was nothing for Tressel to fall back on at points, and that is why the offense struggled overall.

But really, this is just covering ground we lost in 2008, isn't it? We'll be big and physical just like every other year under Tressel, sure, and we'll be able to do what Ohio State does best, but does this actually improve the team above and beyond, say, the 2007 unit? The pass protection issues - which have a lot to do with "speed" as well as technique - may still be there; I have seen no indication in any of these articles that there is a greater focus on protecting the passer this spring; and the Good Doctor agrees with me, Ohio State is probably a consistent passing game away from actually beating (or at least competing with) the LSUs, Floridas, and USCs of the world.

But now Tressel is at least mentioning "playing fast" in his practice pablum, so perhaps all my worries are for naught and we'll see a line that dominates no matter what type of play is called.