We've arrived at the end of the first round of our all-time Big Ten coaches tournament.
Our final opening-round game pitted the most recent coach in our field against someone who started coaching in the Big Ten in 1913: No. 9 seed Ohio State's Jim Tressel vs. No. 8 seed Illinois' Bob Zuppke.
The possible future president of the University of Akron advanced with ease, as Tressel ousted Zuppke by a count of 68 percent to 32 percent in your voting.
And so our elite eight is set, and Tressel will face top overall seed Woody Hayes in an all-Buckeyes showdown. Look for the next two matchups later this week.
But first, let's hear some of your comments on our last first-round game:
Josh from Columbus, Ohio: Age skews my vote. I voted before even reading about the other coach. It would seem he would be more deserving. However, I appreciate what Tressel did for me as a fan. For that, Tressel gets my vote.
A.J. from Hickory, N.C.: I'm picking The Vest. You look at what he did during his time at OSU. He was pretty much forced out because of what happened. Think about what he could have done with more time.
Dukester from San Diego: Even though I'm an Ohio State fan, and I love Jim Tressel, I voted for Bob Zuppke. Four national championships, the long and successful tenure, Red Grange, etc. As great as Tressel was, I've gotta believe that Zuppke accomplished more.
Chad from Dacula, Ga: I vote for Tressel. Just based on his record against the other top school in the B1G, TTUN! (At least during that 10-year reign).
Chief Illiniwek from Illinois: Zuppke beats Tressel hands down. Anyone looking from a distance might not appreciate how much of an innovator Bob Zuppke was, not just with the huddle but with his formations and game planning. No two games were coached or planned the same, in an era when most teams had no more than a handful of plays they used all season. Coaches like Tressel (a great coach, no doubt) were able to accomplish what they did in large part because of coaches like Zuppke and Stagg. On top of that, Zuppke was a great motivator and educator, as Red Grange himself pointed out. Zuppke made Grange earn his way onto the team and pay his own way through school with no guarantee of playing time, but he also taught him a lot about football. Without Zuppke, there is no Grange, and without Grange, possibly no NCAA football or NFL as we know it.