Beckman, Tressel = Family

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo coach Tim Beckman doesn't just know Ohio State's Jim Tressel... his dad, Dave Beckman, played for Jim's dad, Lee Tressel at Baldwin-Wallace, and Lee Tressel became the father figure for Dave Beckman. And Dave Beckman, actually used to babysit the future Ohio State head coach!

"We've been a part of the Tressel family for all my whole life, plus 44 years of my life, so my parents have been involved with the Tressel family for a long time," Tim Beckman said.

So they grew up together, and they also both went to Berea High School, where Tressel's a hall of famer and, as of last weekend, so is Beckman's brother.

Beckman said, "There's a lot of talk at the high school. I'm sure there's not many head coaches that are from the same high school that will be on, you know, battling one another, so it's kind of neat."

Actually, a few years ago, the two guys were on the same side. Beckman was Tressel's cornerbacks coach at Ohio State in 2005 and 2006.

"He's very organized," Beckman said. "I mean, they've got their winners manual. We've got our Rocket manual. He's definitely as good a player's coach as I've ever been around. I think he has his players prepared.

"I know who they have. I coached those guys that are there, or recruited them, so I know a little bit about their personnel."

And Beckman also knows that this week, the good luck text messages from Tressel will probably stop because on Saturday, this game's kind of like a backyard brawl, only in a more literal sense, for Berea bragging rights.