When Ohio State hired Woody Hayes in 1951, it was as a compromise choice. Hayes landed the job in part because of opposition to a second Paul Brown administration, in part because Don Faurot chose to remain at Missouri. Hayes' success and his staying power created a ponderous burden for his successors. Though Ohio State last won the national championship in 1968, its exacting standards have not shifted. John Cooper twice finished No.2 in the nation, and the average Buckeye fan considered him a failure.
Few jobs are so demanding that they can frighten people as competitive as football coaches.
Perhaps Tressel proved himself the right man for the job simply by being willing to do it. Raiders Lawsuit Vs. The Cincinnati Enquirer , a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper.