Ohio State Shocked: Coaching Changes Required For Future Success

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The Ohio State Buckeyes were upset by Purdue 26-18 earlier today. Buckeye fans saw everything they were afraid could happen did happen, all in three hours.

The offense sputtered, the defense played prevent all day, and even the special teams were terrible.

But an offense that committed four turnovers is inexcusable against a 1-5 team at any time, especially from a supposed running QB in Terrelle Pryor. Most of the time he made bad decisions, but the offensive line did Pryor no favors.

Sound familiar? This is the same thing Buckeye fans have heard about their offense for the last nine seasons; only this time, there is no Beanie Wells to cover their mistakes.

The loss has been a microcosm of nine years of offensive futility and a passive defense

It's all out in the open, and clearly changes have to be made.

Jim Tressel has been great for the program as a person and a philosophical figure, but as a coach he has become a joke offensively. Regardless of the personnel at any positions, the offense looks the exact same as it did in 2003, 2004, 2007, and so on.

The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results. This time, something has to change.

I'm not calling for Tressel's head entirely, but I am saying that there needs to be huge staff shakeups in the off-season if Buckeye fans want to contend with the likes of Florida, Alabama, and Texas.

When the Longhorns struggled in 2007, Mack Brown shook up his staff and brought in new personnel on both sides of the ball. Texas saw dramatic improvement as they went on to finish the year eight seconds away from a National Championship appearance.

If the Buckeyes want to avoid a freefall and get back to top-tier status, OSU must hire proven offensive assistants and possibly a defensive mind who can turn up the pressure.

With the type of defense Ohio State has almost every season, a barely solid offense would serve the Buckeyes well against anyone they play.

But the offense has quickly become a joke. It also has become apparent that Tressel's schemes are outdated and outside of Darrell Hazell, the offensive staff has not been very good whatsoever.

For the sake of Buckeye fans everywhere, it's time to change something. If Tressel doesn't want to make changes after this debacle, Brian Kelly should be the next man at the helm in Columbus.

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