Updating Stoops and Ohio State
Published: 11/16/2011 9:19 AM
Last Modified: 11/16/2011 9:19 AM
Doug Lesmerises, Buckeyes beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, has come up with three names that "may interest Ohio State the most" regarding the permanent football job in Columbus: Urban Meyer, Bo Pelini and Luke Fickell.
What, no Bob Stoops?
Wait a sec.
"Ohio State could gauge the interest of current Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops," Lesmerises writes.
Oh.
Guess we can update the Stoops-to-Ohio State timeline.
April 2011: An OU blogger for the Tulsa World figures that when Jim Tressel resigns, Ohio State would have a more realistic shot at Mark Stoops, Florida State's defensive coordinator, than Bob. He figures that Bob prefers coaching at a school out from under the NCAA hammer, and at a school whose president and athletic director actually know what they're doing.
May 2011: Tressel resigns. Stoops' name comes up.
The Dallas Morning News even pumps him for the gig, blogging: "After 12 seasons in Norman, perhaps Stoops feels he is ready for a fresh challenge. In addition, Stoops – an Iowa grad – would be leaving the unstable Big 12 for one of the nation's premier conferences… If Stoops, who is 50, ever is going to leave Oklahoma, this seemingly would be the job."
June 2011: The other paper in the metroplex, no doubt after reading the insightful World blog, takes the counterpoint to the DMN.
"The same reason Bob Stoops is not going to leave Norman for anything other than retirement is the same reason Gary Patterson is never going to leave TCU," writes Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Guys like these have it made. They can pretty much do whatever they want, unless they really screw up (see: Tressel, Jim). They make a ton of money."
October 2011: Steven Lassan, college football editor at Athlon Sports, lists Stoops as a "longshot" in the Ohio State derby. He likes Meyer, Pelini, Dan Mullen, Tim Beckman, Lovie Smith and … ready? … Brent Venables as "top targets."
Which brings us to Lesmerises' report.
I sort of think Fickell's fate depends on the Nov. 26 game at Michigan, which is as unfair to him as this whole season has been. If he can pull that off, he should keep the job. If not, he should still probably keep it one more year. But he won't.
Meyer should take Ohio State over Penn State, unless he likes wearing a hazmat suit to work every day. Really, though, he shouldn't take Ohio State either. Not until the NCAA gets through with it.
That leaves Pelini.
Lesmerises is right. The Buckeyes could, and should, gauge Stoops' interest. Then they should offer it to his old pal from Youngstown, and be happy Pelini is crazy enough to take it.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
