Really, Jim Tressel?

You would think that right now, disgraced cheater former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel would have more to worry about than the Michigan football program.
You know, with his recent resignation (go ahead, you can just call it a firing, because that's what it was), a Sports Illustrated article that uncovered a cornucopia of NCAA violations that happened under his watch at Ohio State and the subsequent investigation that is probably going to cripple the Buckeye football program for years to come. You'd think he'd have enough to worry about.
You'd be wrong.


(Smartphone video cameras should always be held horizontally when recording, or you end up with an annoying vertical shot. But the cameraman probably goes to Ohio State, so what do you expect?)

On Saturday, Tressel addressed a crowd of rowdy Buckeye fans in his front yard. There, after the crowd sang their jaunty tune about how they "Don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan...," Tressel, according to an AP story, guaranteed a victory over Michigan.

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (AP)—Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel told people at a rally on his front doorstep that he would always be a Buckeye and that the team will beat Michigan again this November.

After a crowd of some 200 people had sung a song disparaging the archrival Wolverines early Saturday evening, Tressel said, “Don’t forget: Nov. 26th we’re going to kick their ass!”

OK- a couple things here.
First- Jim Tressel is no longer the coach at Ohio State. In fact, the Ohio State athletic department is scrambling to distance itself as far from Tressel as possible. In other words, Jim Tressel guaranteeing victories for Ohio State makes about as much sense as a grown man (who's not named Bruce Bowen) wearing a bow tie on a regular basis.
Second- If you truly "Don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan," then singing songs about the state might not be the best way to show it. In fact, the song kind of comes off like you do care a lot about Michigan... Besides, it's not like Ohio is all that great. Cincinnati smells like an armpit.

If it wasn't clear before, it's clear now. Brady Hoke's first priority as the new head coach of Michigan needs to be beating Ohio State. It has to be. Tressel's little porch-side powwow proves it. The Vest just called out Hoke's program and promised to "kick their ass." This type of clownery can't be tolerated. The UM/OSU rivalry suffered under former coach Rich Rodriguez. But I predict it will be stronger than ever this year. And hopefully Tressel brings a bib with his sweater vest if he ventures to Ann Arbor on Nov. 26. I have a feeling he's going to eat his words.