Ohio State Football: 5 Reasons Urban Meyer Will Bring Buckeyes Big Ten Title

In just his second season at Florida, Urban Meyer won a national title. How long will it be until he hangs banners at Ohio State?

Meyer takes the reins of a program that was rocked by a recruiting scandal in 2011, and the Buckeyes are not eligible for a bowl game this season due to a one-year ban. However, there is still reason to believe that Ohio State could celebrate a Big Ten title at the end of 2012.

Here are five reasons why Meyer will bring the Big Ten title to Columbus in December.

1. Winning Close Games

Last season, the Buckeyes were 2-6 in games decided by seven points or less, and they did not lose a Big Ten game by more than seven points. Expect that ledger to change with Meyer leading the team.

Ohio State was a mess in 2011, with freshman quarterback Braxton Miller and interim coach Luke Fickell in charge after a disastrous offseason. With Meyer bringing championship experience and discipline, and with a quiet offseason in terms of any recruiting scandals, Ohio State will bounce back to the top of the Big Ten.

Meyer brings a calming presence that will benefit a talented roster, and his career .819 winning percentage will help ease the tension in Columbus.

2. Improved Offense

Meyer's coaching will make an instant impact on an offense that was dismal in 2011. Ohio State was second to last in the Big Ten in total offense last season. Meyer's no-huddle, spread offense will surely be effective if Ohio State can find the skill players to fill the voids around Miller.

Meyer said that the offense will have a faster pace than the one he ran at Florida. If the Buckeyes can adapt to this system quickly, Big Ten defensive coordinators will have headaches trying to figure out how to stop Ohio State.

3. Defense

Meyer doesn't even have to work his magic to rectify the Ohio State defense; the Buckeyes are already set in that department. Ohio State returns nine of 11 starters on a defense that ranked fifth in the Big Ten in 2011. Also, the unit ranked in the top 20 in the nation in least yardage allowed.

According to Rusty Miller of the Associated Press, Meyer has changed the philosophy in the secondary. Instead of focusing on tight man-to-man coverage, defensive backs are practicing ball-hawking and making plays on balls in the air. The Buckeyes can afford to do this with a powerful defensive line led by defensive end John Simon.

4. Intangibles

In the college football world, Meyer has received plenty of well-deserved praise from analysts and coaches, including this piece from ESPN's Todd McShay. Meyer had as many national championships in six seasons with Florida as Joe Paterno had in 44 years with Penn State. His resume is one of a kind, and Ohio State landed one of the top coaching prizes in the game to turn around its program. Meyer brings an attitude and a culture to Columbus that will help the Buckeyes see improvements immediately.

5. Meyer Wastes No Time in Winning

There is no time for rebuilding and reconstructing with Meyer at the helm. In each of his D-I head coaching jobs, Meyer won immediately. In his first season at Bowling Green in 2001, Meyer went 8-3. In his first season at Utah in '03, he went 10-2. At Florida in '05, he went 9-3. No matter what kind of roster Meyer has been handed, his knowledge of the game and his ability to get the most out of his players cannot be overlooked.

He takes over a talented Ohio State roster, and while many believe that the Buckeyes are still recovering from the Sugar Bowl scandal, Meyer will soon remind Ohio State fans that this program is one of the best in the country.