Why do the Indianapolis Colts Have Such a Man Crush on Jim Tressel?

One of the more interesting (and somewhat puzzling) reports circulating around the National Football League this weekend is the news that former Ohio State head coach and current Indianapolis Colts replay assistant Jim Tressel has been interviewed twice for the Colts' vacant head coaching position.

Colts owner Jim Irsay reportedly flew to Florida Friday to meet with Tressel, who was 94-22 in 10 seasons in Columbus before resigning last May amidst a scandal that included Tressel lying to NCAA investigators about his knowledge of Buckeyes players selling memorabilia and receiving improper benefits.

Tressel was certainly a successful and highly-regarded coach at the collegiate level, winning a National Championship in 2002 and guiding the Buckeyes to eight BCS bowl appearances. But his reputation was sullied a great deal by the scandal that led to his departure, even if that "scandal" pales in comparison to some of the others that have rocked college football since then.

However, the cloud over the end of Tressel's tenure at Ohio State (and the media backlash that could ensue should the Colts hire him as head coach) is only one of a few reasons why considering him as the next head coach in Indianapolis is a very questionable notion.

First, Tressel has absolutely no coaching experience at the professional level. The track record of coaches making the jump from the NCAA to the NFL is spotty at best and downright awful at worst.

Also, Tressel's conservative style, which depends on a strong running game and defense, seems ill-suited to the Colts personnel, as Indy doesn't have a anything resembling a feature back and have multiple holes that need to be plugged on defense.

All this isn't to say that Jim Tressel couldn't surround himself with a group of capable assistants and be a successful head coach in the NFL. As an Ohio State fan and admirer of Tressel (even after all that transpired), I very much hope he's someday afforded that opportunity,

However, with any number of viable candidates in the NFL, such as Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, available, the notion of the Colts hiring Tressel right now just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.