Interesting Quandary for Luke Fickell - What would YOU do?

• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  Try to put yourself in Luke Fickell's shoes for a moment. Many media outlets (not saying they are correct, but for sake of argument, humor me) are saying that Fickell has a chance of being the long-term, permanent OSU coach if he has a "great" season at the helm in 2011.
  
  Let's also assume that the "tattoo 5" are not kicked off the team.
  
  Here you are, with your DREAM job, and your real chance of keeping this position long-term is contingent on a successful first season as head coach. Let's say OSU wins their first 5 games, but looks sloppy in the process, and doesn't look like a well-oiled machine with huge Big 10 games looming. What is your move here? Re-insert Pryor, Herron, Posey, etc into the lineup, and better your chance of keeping your dream job? Or kick them all off the team, and ride what you have (which I know many of you will say is the right move, and you may be right, but again try to put yourself in his shoes)?
  
  Thoughts?
• gerb131

  

  You make your first move as kicking the rest of the 5 off the team and roll with what ya got.
  He'll be fine as a coach.
• dokken

  Pryor is done at OSU.
• queencitybuckeye

  If they're eligible, they play.
  
  Kicking the 5 off the team is not a decision an interim coach gets to make. I guarantee the subject was discussed with coach Fickell and has been resoved, pending any additional NCAA issues.
• enigmaax

  Outside of an ongoing investigation or additional allegations, why kick them off the team? They are being punished in a comparable way to other offenders for the same "crime". When they are done with the suspensions, they've paid their debt and if they're you're best players they should play.
• Pick6

  

  enigmaax;786172 wrote:Outside of an ongoing investigation or additional allegations, why kick them off the team? They are being punished in a comparable way to other offenders for the same "crime". When they are done with the suspensions, they've paid their debt and if they're you're best players they should play.

  Agree.
  And everybody, enough of the tat 5 bullshit. 28 players sincd 02, 9 of them on the curreny roster who have not been named. Its not just the players you think feel "self entitled."
• Heretic

  

  queencitybuckeye;786170 wrote:If they're eligible, they play.
  
  Kicking the 5 off the team is not a decision an interim coach gets to make. I guarantee the subject was discussed with coach Fickell and has been resoved, pending any additional NCAA issues.

  
  This. I'm pretty sure that, as an unexpected full-time rookie head coach, Fickell's choice in the matter will be to listen to what other people say will happen and say what they're telling him to say on any questions pertaining to the matter.
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  Yes, but as coach, he DOES have the choice of whether or not to play those 5 guys ...
• queencitybuckeye

  BigAppleBuckeye;786210 wrote:Yes, but as coach, he DOES have the choice of whether or not to play those 5 guys ...

  
  Yes, and if he wants to have any chance of being the coach in 2012, he'll play those who give him the best chance to win. That some of the five aren't included in that group is a tough case to make.
• WebFire

  enigmaax;786172 wrote:Outside of an ongoing investigation or additional allegations, why kick them off the team? They are being punished in a comparable way to other offenders for the same "crime". When they are done with the suspensions, they've paid their debt and if they're you're best players they should play.

  
  I think I agree with this. The bad thing for Fickell will be that it's a lose-lose for him, because there will be a fair amount of fans on both sides of the fence.
  
  But, winning does cure all.
• queencitybuckeye

  WebFire;786226 wrote:I think I agree with this. The bad thing for Fickell will be that it's a lose-lose for him, because there will be a fair amount of fans on both sides of the fence.
  
  But, winning does cure all.

  
  Don't know who this was attributed to originally, but I think the quote is extremely true - "if you worry about what the fans think, you'll soon be sitting with them".
• ernest_t_bass

  

  Braxton Miller will be the starting QB.
• WebFire

  queencitybuckeye;786236 wrote:Don't know who this was attributed to originally, but I think the quote is extremely true - "if you worry about what the fans think, you'll soon be sitting with them".

  
  I agree.
• 4cards

  

  queencitybuckeye;786236 wrote:Don't know who this was attributed to originally, but I think the quote is extremely true - "if you worry about what the fans think, you'll soon be sitting with them".

  
  ...very true!
  
  I wish Luke nothing but the best going forward through some very tough times in Columbus, and I'm sure he'll have to deal with the "We want Urban Meyer" people as well.
  
  Go Bucks!
• dokken

  So it's possible Fickell could be in a pickle?