Look out College Football! There's a Buckeye Loose: Urban Meyer

"Gentlemen, protect yourself at all times!"

This is the message newly installed Buckeye coach Urban Meyer is sending Brett Bielema, Mark Dantonio, Barry Alvarez and the rest of the Big Ten brethren.

The Big Ten topography has changed dramatically with Urban at the helm of one of the most prestigious programs in college football. The Ohio State Buckeyes will never be the same. The Big Ten will never be the same.

A new mindset is coming to the great Midwest. This is no longer a social club with all coaches liking one another. Things are about to get real dicey in America's bread basket. We're about to see some winning football.

I don't think you'll ever again see the Big Ten do so poorly in post-season bowl games. Urban Meyer's entrance has changed all of that. That's a good thing.

Coach Bielema, Mark Dantonio, and Barry Alvarez are great for college football. They coach and administrate at great college programs. But let's face it—Big Ten Football is inferior to the superior SEC. Never mind how the SEC does it. Big Ten football is inferior to SEC football. I think that is about to change.

The Meyer injection is giving new life to a struggling football conference. Respect is about to come back to the Big Ten. All schools will benefit from Coach Meyer's presence.

His presence forces every coach in the conference to try a little harder. To be on par with Ohio State, you will have to dot all your i's (no pun intended)  and cross all your t's. The Big Ten fraternity of coaches know this. This is a very good thing.

Recruits are not untouchable because of a verbal agreement. Obviously, recruiting is not over until that student athlete signs on the dotted line.  

A coach cannot stop his engagement with that student because he has a verbal—coaches are lurking in the background, just waiting to get their meat hooks in a prep sensation. Guard and care about your star recruit at all times.  

Coaches Bielema and Dantonio are learning this the hard way.

However, caution is needed.  

"Coach Meyer. Please don't turn the Big Ten into the SEC." Some things we just don't want to see. Some things we don't need to see. 

Wouldn't you hate to see over signings with athletes losing scholarships because a bigger, faster, stronger version of player came along? 

How about a coach leaving one conference school and heading another program in the same conference, aka Houston Nutt leaving Arkansas for Ole Miss? That's incest—we don't do that in the Big Ten.

Let's keep our standards high. We can be competitive, but let us also be ethical. Let's never forget that aspect of Big Ten athletics. Let's do it the right way.

It's funny, but I wonder if Coach Bielema remembers his non-stop pursuit of former Buckeye and current Philadelphia Eagle, Brian Rolle. I understand he and his staff were relentless up until Mr. Rolle's signing day. How quickly we forget.

Competitive persuasive pursuit is what recruiting is all about. 

"Why should I render my skills and talents to your institution of higher learning?  Why should I don your uniform and colors and compete on the gridiron?"

"You, as my coach, need to convince me."

Obviously, Coach Meyer is adept at doing just that.

To close the gap between the Big Ten and the SEC Coach Meyer is badly needed.  The good thing is that we also need Belini, Fitzgerald, Hoke, Bielema, Dantonio, and every coach in the conference to make the Big Ten better. 

Once the Big Ten is better, we will no longer suffer the humiliating defeats at the hands of the great adversary, the SEC.