Urban Meyer Warns Ohio State Players They'll Be Dismissed If They Fight vs. UM

Urban Meyer does not want a repeat of last year's Ohio State-Michigan game, when running back Dontre Wilson and offensive guard Marcus Hall were ejected for fighting, and Hall was suspended for his dueling one-finger salutes to the crowd as he left.

In order to prevent such transgressions, Ohio State's third-year head coach has issued a strict zero-tolerance policy: Anyone who fights will be more than just ejected from the game.

He will be ejected from the team.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

"He wants the game to be very intense, but if anybody throws any punches this year, we're dismissed," Buckeyes linebacker Curtis Grant said Tuesday, per Austin Ward of ESPN.com. "You know he pretty much put it out there [Sunday], so there's no telling what will happen if you get into a fight this year. 

"We've got to be on our best behavior."

Meyer chimed in with his own rationale for the policy:

"

I had a talk with our team about that, and absolutely no case for that. Intensity? Absolutely. There's a certain mentality we need to take to this field, but that's not acceptable.

That's not the way we play the game, and I think a lot of lessons were learned. We went without one of our key linemen in the championship game the following week, and we played a game without two or three good players. That was a very strong conversation in the team meeting.

"

Ohio State beat Michigan for the ninth time in 10 meetings last season, but securing the win was a struggle. The Wolverines hung 41 points on the then-undefeated Buckeyes, losing 42-41 when a play-for-the-win two-point conversion attempt was intercepted at the goal line.

With Hall out of the lineup, though, OSU lost its first game of the year—and the Meyer era—in the Big Ten Championship, falling to Michigan State, 34-24. It then lost the Orange Bowl to Clemson, 40-35.

It's hard to say if having Hall against the Spartans would have changed anything, but the fact of the matter—that Ohio State's season crumbled in the wake of the Michigan game—remains the same. On multiple fronts, Meyer does not want a repeat of 2013.

This year's Buckeyes do not control their fate the way last year's did, but at 10-1 they do have a good chance to make the College Football Playoff. They might not even need any help. Bleacher Report's Ray Glier said he has a suspicion "that the Buckeyes and their pedigree are going to get them into the Top Four if they win out."

There is no reason to jeopardize their season against Michigan.

A 5-6 rival is still just a 5-6 team.

Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter: @BLeighDAT