4 Things Luke Fickell Must Do Differently Than Jim Tressel

After the resignation of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, interim coach Luke Fickell has a one season audition to become the permanent head coach for the Buckeyes. He has the unenviable task of doing so not only in the midst of an NCAA investigation, but also while trying to follow a legend and meet the challenging expectations Tressel set for the program.

After 10 years that included a national title and seven Big Ten championships, there isn't much Fickell would've changed about the Tressel era, but there are some things Fickell should do differently than Tressel did. Here are four of them.

Be Aggressive on Offense

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 2: DeVier Posey #8 of the Ohio State Buckeyes can't pull in this pass as Donald Brown #18 of the Marshall Thundering Herd defends at Ohio Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Offensive consistency was one of the few problems the Buckeyes had under Tressel, but it was a glaring issue. In terms of yardage, OSU's offense finished within the top 50 only three times during Tressel's tenure.

And although the offensive problems were more frequent during Tressel's first five years at OSU, poor showings by the offense against Florida, LSU and Texas doomed the Buckeyes in three of their last five BCS bowl games.

Tressel used to say that the punt was the most important play in football, but Fickell cannot swear to that creed if he wants to remain head coach. The defense replaces seven starters from 2010, so the Buckeyes can't just routinely punt the ball and expect the defense to hold firm. They will also be replacing kicker Devin Barclay, so the offense will have to be more aggressive even within field-goal range.

With a younger defense and perhaps another season of shaky special teams play, the offense cannot afford to play as conservatively as they have in the past.

Don't Sit on Leads

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to hand the ball of to Dan Herron #1 against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Struggling to hold sizable leads was a common occurrence during the Tressel era. The Buckeyes almost surrendered an 18-point lead against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl this past January, as they nearly did in several other games throughout the decade.

With as much personnel turnover as OSU will go through in 2011, a young team like this would be unwise to play "Tresselball" while trying to close out games. Although there is plenty of talent on the defense, they are too inexperienced to be relied upon late in games.

Start the Best Players, Not Just the Upperclassmen

Braxton Miller

Tressel was loyal to a fault with upperclassmen, often starting less-talented seniors instead of younger players with more potential and greater skill sets. Fickell cannot offer the same courtesy to his seniors. 

Simply put, he must play the best players regardless of their seniority. This is most evident in finding a starting quarterback. Fickell must explore the possibility of Braxton Miller, Taylor Graham or Kenny Guiton as a starter, and not compromise the offense in favor of 25-year-old senior Joe Bauserman.

Both Miller and Graham have more upside and talent than Bauserman, and a good showing with one of the younger quarterbacks will make a strong case for OSU to hang on to Fickell after the season.

This also holds true at the crowded running back position. If redshirt freshman Rod Smith performs as well as many expect him to during the five games senior Boom Herron will miss, or if Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry or Carlos Hyde have big starts to the season, then Herron should have to surrender his spot in the starting lineup to one of the younger backs.

Keep Players on a Shorter Leash

The Tat 5: DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Boom Herron, Terrelle Pryor and Solomon Thomas

While it was the players' mistakes that put OSU under the NCAA microscope, it was Tressel's failure to control them that lead to his firing. This is not to say that Tressel ran a dirty program or didn't discipline his players. It only takes one Terrelle Pryor to get a coach fired, and players like that become hazardous to a program if they aren't contained.

With the NCAA and the national media closely following the program, Fickell must have his players monitored more frequently and take immediate action if someone on the team does wrong. He can't give second, third and fourth chances to repeat violators like Tressel did for Ray Small, and he must work with the school's compliance department should anything questionable arise on his watch. Otherwise, he will meet the same fate as his predecessor.