Ohio State Victory Confirms Urban Meyer Is Strong as Ever and Fully in Command

NEW ORLEANS — Urban Meyer was flogged four years ago. He was a weakling for having physical issues brought on by the stress of coaching. Soon, those physical issues were mental health issues. Then they became issues of courage. There was denunciation, an indictment, that he left Florida following the 2010 season because he did not want any part of Nick Saban and Alabama.

I watched him get on a golf cart underneath the grandstands in Tampa following his last game with Florida, Jan. 1, 2011, a victory over Penn State, and I said, “Riding off into the sunset, huh?” He smiled this pained smile, like he was done with it.

I never thought he would be back on top of the heap again. I asked him then if he had any intention of coming back. It was clear he was thinking only about leaving, not returning.

Thursday night, the Urbanator hit the high point in a triumphant return. He rolled the clock back to 2006, when the Gators beat Ohio State for the national title. He replayed 2008, when the Gators took down unbeaten Alabama in the Georgia Dome and then beat Oklahoma for the national title.

Ohio State put away Alabama here in the national semifinal, 42-35, and the Urbanator was full of juice with a team stocked with speed and playmakers and crafty coaches.

Meyer didn’t look so frail when he heaved his headset into the bench area after the officials ruled his punter was on the ground because, well, he must have just slipped. Meyer didn’t look so frail stalking the sidelines with his head down, talking into the headset to the coaches in the press box, scheming to beat Saban and Kirby Smart’s defense.

There is this idea that Nick Saban with three weeks of preparation is a lock to win a bowl game. Well, Meyer had three weeks to prepare and he was the one who won the game...with a third-string quarterback.

The Ohio State offense was retooled to take advantage of the big arm of Cardale Jones, who was a benchwarmer all year. The Buckeyes offense was styled around the runs of J.T. Barrett, and now it was a vertical offense with a 6'5" slinger.

Jones threw for 243 yards in the second start of his career. Ohio State had 537 total yards. Jones also had some big runs, because his coaches schemed in runs to combat Alabama’s two-deep safeties.

How about this? Meyer had his H-back, Jalin Marshall, in motion, moving here and there, and it caused some confusion in the Alabama secondary. The safeties had to rock and roll with the motion and got caught out of position and big runs followed.

“There was some stuff we hadn’t put on film they had issues with,” said right guard Pat Elflein.

Meyer was also the master motivator. On the field after the game, his players said their coach made sure they were paying attention to the demise in the bowl games of the SEC West, which had been labeled the best division in college football.

“I'll tell you when I think the tide turned a little bit: When Wisconsin beat Auburn,” Meyer said about his team’s confidence. “Everybody on our team knew that. I made sure they knew that. When Michigan State came back and beat an excellent Baylor team. And maybe the Big Ten's not that bad. Maybe the Big Ten is pretty damned good. And it's certainly getting better.”

The Urbanator hired a safeties coach, Chris Ash, who is co-defensive coordinator, and the Buckeyes have grown on defense since last season, especially against the pass. Thursday night they held All-American wide receiver Amari Cooper to 71 yards.

Bill Haber/Associated Press

One third-quarter play was key to their scheming. On 3rd-and-7 at the Alabama 36-yard line, quarterback Blake Sims thought he was going to do the usual: find Cooper for the first down. Cooper ran a curl route, but defensive end Steve Miller broke back into coverage to take away the curl. He intercepted the pass and ran 41 yards for the touchdown.

“The masterminds on the sideline and in the press box made that call,” said cornerback Doran Grant. “Down and distance and tendencies; they knew what to do to get us in position.”

Several days after the final four were announced, Meyer was at a press conference at Disney in Florida promoting the first-ever College Football Playoff semifinals.

He was asked about his run in the SEC and how it ended. He hasn’t forgotten. “Very clear memories,” Meyer said.

Revenge is too strong a word to describe what’s going on now. Meyer wants a title more for his home state of Ohio than to claim some redemption, but there must be a pride factor with him for how it ended with Florida.

The Urbanator, once upon a time the Alpha Male in college football coaching, is one win away from snatching back his throne. He’s back in the game. Meyer has a preposterous record at Ohio State (37-3), yet this team is young and growing.

He talks about football being like a game of checkers and said Thursday night, “The guy moving the pieces is a fortunate guy that wakes up every morning and very grateful for the opportunities given to him.”

Ray Glier covers college football for Bleacher Report.