Solich transforming OU into the 'Boise State' of the Midwest

[NYBuckeye96]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--fra ... dwest.html

Frank Solich transforming Ohio University into the 'Boise State' of the Midwest

Frank Solich has a rule. He vowed he would never break it. No matter what, he told himself, he would never take a head coaching job at a school that didn't have a conveniently located airport.

He broke the rule. And not just a little bit, either. Ohio University, where Solich took the head coaching job seven years ago, is more than an hour from the nearest airport. How remote is it? So remote that West Virginia is closer than the Columbus airport. So remote that you have to drive through a national forest to get from Athens to your flight.

"We don't have a major airport nearby," Solich says. "We don't have a large population. We're kind of isolated. Those things are concerning."

Not concerning enough, apparently. Ohio U. is now the hottest football team in the Buckeye State. Sorry Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland (and Oxford, Akron, Bowling Green and Toledo). The Bobcats had more wins (10) last year than any other Division I team in the state. That hasn't happened since 1968. And it's likely to happen again, as Ohio is the only unbeaten MAC team, having already beaten Penn State on the road. They are favored to win the rest of their games, and although you shouldn't expect them to get consideration for a BCS bowl, you should expect the Bobcats to be a topic in the wearying December debates about who "deserves" what bowl.

"We can be kind of like a Boise State," says senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton. "We're still not at a top level but we can be recognized across the country."

The key word is "recognized," because both Tettleton and Solich are on the verge of getting recognition that's well overdue. Solich, you'll recall, was Tom Osborne's hand-picked successor at Nebraska. He took the Cornhuskers to the national title game in 2001 after 19 years as an assistant, but was fired two years later with his "appalling" record of 58-19. (Solich had more wins over the same six-season time frame than Osborne did in his first half-dozen years.) Bo Pelini will have to go 18-2 to match Solich's record. He hasn't even taken the Huskers to a BCS bowl.

Nebraska's trash was Ohio's treasure. Solich was perfect for a program that needed to set itself apart from the too-many-to-name D-I competitors in the state. Forget about challenging OSU, how about competing against Kent State?

"We have not had a strong winning history," acknowledges athletic director Jim Schaus. "At some point you have to develop a vision. You need the right leadership. He knows what a successful program looks like."

And what a successful quarterback looks like. Solich had one in Eric Crouch, and although Tettleton is much more traditional in style, the winning knack is the same.

Tettleton has dealt with his own Big 12 snub. He grew up a huge Oklahoma State fan and got serious interest from the Cowboys until he tore his ACL as a junior in high school. Every single D-I offer vanished – eight to 10 schools, he says – and the son of former big-league slugger Mickey Tettleton was left with a lone offer from Northern Iowa. Then Ohio reached out at the last minute and Tettleton de-committed to go to Athens.

"I wanted to prove a lot of people wrong," Tettleton says. "I'm not saying anything's wrong with Ohio. I just felt like I wanted to prove something to all those people that dropped me."

So the spurned coach and the spurned quarterback went on the warpath together. Ohio won its first-ever bowl game last December, the Famous Potato Bowl in (of all places) Boise. This season the Bobcats have outscored opponents 51-10 in the second half and Tettleton has thrown for 599 yards and six touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. Penn State looked like it might have had its opening game in hand at halftime, but Ohio did all the scoring after the break to stun the Nittany Lions. Clearly some of the resilience of both Solich and Tettleton has shown up on the field.

"We're two tough people," Tettleton says. "Competitive guys, all about winning."

That might be the best parallel between Ohio and Boise State (besides the remote location). It's way too soon to compare the two programs on the field, as Boise has done nothing but win under Chris Peterson for many years now, but in both cases you've had a no-nonsense head coach paired with an undersized quarterback (both are 6-feet tall) who makes precious few errors against supposedly better teams. Kellen Moore was never going to be Dan Marino, but it's hard to bench a guy who keeps the offense on the field. Tettleton hasn't thrown an interception in nearly 100 attempts, going back to last season.

"Getting done what Boise got done requires a lot of things to go right," says Solich. "You need to win at a tremendously high level. Win your conference. Continue to go to bowl games and win bowl games. I'm not a guy that tries to look that far down the road. I want to do everything right, right now. Then another step will be ahead of you."

There are suddenly several steps in view. Solich has kept his staff mostly intact. His reluctance to eye bigger jobs (he's 68) gives recruiting major ballast. The school is building a $12.5 million indoor complex. And Solich will be the first to tell you about a new highway bypass that will make the trip to the airport a little less arduous.

There will be no international airport in Athens anytime soon. But if the Bobcats keep winning, coming to play in Southeast Ohio will be less about how you're getting there and more about where you're going.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

i agree, and hope this university and program continues to thrive. my hope is one day ohio-ohio state will be a huge instate rivalry, not unlike the other instate rivalries throughout the country. mich./michigan state-----auburn-alabama , etc.it can happen.

[Pol pot]

Solich does not coach at Oklahoma!!! It's OHIO thank you! Or OHIO University.

[VegasEagle]

i agree, and hope this university and program continues to thrive. my hope is one day ohio-ohio state will be a huge instate rivalry, not unlike the other instate rivalries throughout the country. mich./michigan state-----auburn-alabama , etc.it can happen.

I think for this to happen OU will have to build a larger stadium lol

[Pol pot]

i agree, and hope this university and program continues to thrive. my hope is one day ohio-ohio state will be a huge instate rivalry, not unlike the other instate rivalries throughout the country. mich./michigan state-----auburn-alabama , etc.it can happen.

I think for this to happen OU will have to build a larger stadium lol

OU seats 85,000+ why do they need to expand?

[3morethan2]

i think your referring to Oklahoma Pol Pot, Ohio University seats only 25,000 and change

[Pol pot]

No, OU is Oklahoma, OHIO is Ohio University. Here is the problem! For years the University has asked to be referred to as Ohio, not OU, not Ohio U. We are simply OHIO, that is our identity and our brand. The media after years is finally catching on, now it's time for the people to catch on.

[Pol pot]

And actually Peden Stadium seats 24,000

[Pol pot]

http://www.ohio.edu/athens/bldgs/stadium.html

Please note in this next link that OU is not a licensed mark of Ohio Athletics and any reference must be used in assoaction with Ohio University. OHIO is our mark,

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ohi ... ndards.pdf

[cool cucumber]

No, OU is Oklahoma, OHIO is Ohio University. Here is the problem! For years the University has asked to be referred to as Ohio, not OU, not Ohio U. We are simply OHIO, that is our identity and our brand. The media after years is finally catching on, now it's time for the people to catch on.

Every single person I know refers to them as OU, as well as myself. It's called an acronym, the first letters of multiple words formed to make a phrase or word. OU OH YEAH! Is a pretty common expression as well (When they win in a sporting event), so I don't see why you are so against it. Just chill out.

[Pol pot]

I linked you an official link to Ohio Athletics and their liesenced trademarks Nd "acceptable" use of their athletic teams. OU is not acceptable to Ohio Athletics and they send memos to national media every time they use the wrong term. You in SE Ohio know OU, but OHIO Athletics wants a national recognition, and OU is not a Nationally recognized name for OHIO Athletics. Travel out west and say OU, travel outside of OHIO and say OU, and people will talk Sooner sports. Simply we are OHIO, not State, not OU! OHIO!!!!!!

Please refer to the registered legal trademark of OHIO Athletics, linked above!

[Pol pot]

OUtm is not an athletic mark and must be used in conjunction with “Ohio UniversityTM"

That's right from University literature, and has been in effect for 15 years.

[Orange and Brown]

Who freakin Cares????????

OU, Ohio, Ohio U, The Bobcats......At least they aren't getting laughed at like they used to............

[Pol pot]

But what matters is identity, and when the school is trying to create that identity, and it's own base refuses to follow a simple request. It's just not that hard. But hey what do you expect from someone from Nelsontucky?

[NYBuckeye96]

As a two time alumni of OU, I can say with certainty that the vast majority of our alumni refer to ourselves as OU. If you walk down Court Street and ask students where they go to school, they will say "OU" not "OHIO".

Oklahoma State and Oregon State alumni call themselves OSU.

Northwestern and Nebraska alumni call themselves NU.

[Orange and Brown]

But what matters is identity, and when the school is trying to create that identity, and it's own base refuses to follow a simple request. It's just not that hard. But hey what do you expect from someone from Nelsontucky?

Actually I'm not From Nelsonville............

Nelsontucky is meant to be derogatory, and someone saying OU instead of Ohio isn't......

[Orange and Brown]

But what matters is identity, and when the school is trying to create that identity, and it's own base refuses to follow a simple request. It's just not that hard. But hey what do you expect from someone from Nelsontucky?

After spending the bigger part of my life around the Campus, and giving OU my money for a few years, I will call them what I want!

They always have been and always will be OU! When I talk to people who aren't familiar with the school I say Ohio University, When I talk to people who knows who Ohio is then I say OU!

[Pol pot]

And when you simply use the term OHIO, there's no explination needed. Last time I checked the Uniforms they said OHIO, not Bobcats, not OU, not Ohio U, just simpley OHIO.

[NYBuckeye96]

No one ever says they currently attend or graduated from Ohio. It's either OU or Ohio University. Like Orange and Brown, I say OU and will say Ohio University if talking to someone who would not be familiar with OU. In that case, I usually say "Ohio University, not Ohio State" as many people outside of Ohio have no idea OU exists, especially if they don't follow sports.

[Orange and Brown]

No one ever says they currently attend or graduated from Ohio. It's either OU or Ohio University. Like Orange and Brown, I say OU and will say Ohio University if talking to someone who would not be familiar with OU. In that case, I usually say "Ohio University, not Ohio State" as many people outside of Ohio have no idea OU exists, especially if they don't follow sports.

I was in Virginia once and someone asked me where I graduated from. I said "Ohio", and they said Oh yea? Ohio State is a good school....... I said no Ohio University, they said oh you went to OU!

Also....Posted on my FB page a few minutes ago by "Ohio" "OUrcampus: A Sunday Evening in Athens"....Now if everyone is so offended by OU alums saying OU then why does the University get to do it?

They will always be OU to me and thousands of others who went there or grew up around the Campus!