Bob Stoops Would Be the Perfect Fit for Head Coach at Ohio State

Dear Ohio State,

It's time to trade The Vest for The Visor.

It was just a matter of time before Ohio State's Head Coach, Jim Tressel, resigned. Frankly, I'm surprised it happened this soon.

Now's the time for Ohio State to evaluate their options.

Do they quickly put together a search for the program's next head coach, or does the football program take a mulligan on the 2011 season and simply appoint an interim head coach until something more definite can be locked up?

Is it too late in the year to find a suitable replacement? I don't think so.

A few names getting thrown into the ring for the head coaching position at Ohio State include: Bo Pelini, Mark Dantonio, Gary Pinkel and Urban Meyer.

I'm not too big on any of those names as potential successors with the exception of Bo Pelini. Even with that being the case, I think he's far too loyal to the state of Nebraska and NU's athletic director, Tom Osborne, to accept a lateral move.

Now, let's talk about an interesting name that will soon be on OSU's short list of HC candidates (if it isn't already). Bob Stoops.

If you think about it, Stoops would be perfect for the job. He's already had big time college success, he won a National Championship with the Sooners in 2000 and his HC record with Oklahoma over an 11 year span is 129-31 (.806).

His reported annual salary is currently $4,303,000, so I don't believe there's much financial incentive for him to make the move, however there is an emotional one.

What else does he have to prove with the Sooners? Has his career in Norman hit a plateau?

Some may think so.

How much longer will he stay around a conference that is quickly losing its luster?

It's only a matter of time before Texas has an infectious death-grip on the entire BIG XII, which is why now might be the perfect time for Stoops to leave and return to his home state in order to coach one of the nation's finest football programs.

Coach Stoops would be able to hit the ground running at OSU. He's familiar with the Big 10, he was raised in Ohio, he played defensive back at Iowa and then he coached there under Hayden Fry.

There's a lot of charm the conference, and his home state, still hold in his heart.

Will he be the one to keep Ohio State the nationally dominant football program that it has been for the last decade?

Will Ohio State faithful see The Visor pacing the sidelines for the home opener at The Horseshoe on Saturday, September 3rd?

I think so.