Inside Look at Urban Meyer's New Mantra for Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Although its win over Oregon in the College Football Playoff National Championship appeared to be the start of a potential dynasty for Ohio State, it was also the end of a chapter for the Buckeyes.

But according to Urban Meyer, it didn't take long for his team to start a new one.

"'The Chase' is complete," Meyer proclaimed following Ohio State's 42-20 win over the Ducks in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12.

"The Chase" had been the Buckeyes' mantra for each of the past two seasons, a not-so-subtle reference to their pursuit of a national title which hung over each practice inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Upon completing The Chase, Meyer removed the banner and had the 2014 national champions sign it to commemorate their journey. However, it wasn't long before Meyer found another motivational mantra to take its spot, announcing the Buckeyes' new slogan via his Twitter account:

The Grind. Get used to hearing it if you follow Ohio State football—it's going to be around for a while.

As for what it exactly means, Meyer's yet to elaborate, but he's alluded to it more than one time in the month that's followed the Buckeyes' national championship.

"Elite warriors, when they accomplish their mission, they celebrate," Meyer said the day following the national title game. "The next thing they do is learn from it. And then the final thing is they look forward to the next mission, next assignment."

That next mission appears to be The Grind, a nod to the notion that Ohio State is no longer the hunter but rather the hunted.

And if there's anyone who knows just how difficult that role can be, it's Meyer, who previously captured national championships at Florida in 2006 and 2008.

Meyer wasn't able to accomplish a repeat, with defections never really giving the Gators a chance to go back-to-back in 2007. Florida came closer to recapturing its crown in 2009, starting the season with a 12-0 record before losing to Nick Saban and Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

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As opposed to the thrill of chasing a championship, defending one simply isn't as much fun, making The Grind an accurate description of what's likely ahead for Ohio State.

Meyer is no stranger to just how miserable raised—and perhaps unrealistic—expectations can be, citing the Gators' 2008 title defense as one of the causes of the health problems that led to his premature retirement in 2009.

"I remember standing at the SEC [media day] podium, and they said, 'Coach, how does it feel that anything other than undefeated and a national championship, you're a failure?'" Meyer told Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel's Andrea Kremer last September. "And I just stared at the person asking the question, and it just sunk through my body. And I said, 'You're right.'"

Meyer says he's gotten better at managing the pressures that come along with coaching college football, but that hasn't stopped him from being conscious of the effects a championship can have.

Just as easily as being the hunted can get to a team, so can a sense of having already been fulfilled—especially with a roster as young as that of the Buckeyes.

"We have to watch for complacency in the program," Meyer admitted. "We're going to watch that very closely...this is a very complicated machine, college football."

In order to overcome that potential complacency, Meyer said that he'll rely on OSU strength coach Mickey Marotti, who has been his right-hand man since their days together in Gainesville. Meyer said Marotti would be responsible for putting together OSU's offseason schedule, and he was likely an influential force in the adoption of The Grind.

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Given the track records of Meyer and Marotti, it's hard to question their plan, especially with the momentum the Buckeyes are currently riding.

Ohio State's new mantra may have just been revealed, but plans for a repeat have been in motion from the moment the Buckeyes closed the door on The Chase a month ago.

"I'll give you a couple days off, Zeke, and we're back at it. You and Cardale," Meyer told running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Cardale Jones at their post-national championship press conference.

"The chase is on," Jones replied with a smile.

"The chase is over," Meyer retorted.

Little did Jones know that The Grind was already underway.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.