Ohio State Football: 5 Coaching Candidates If Urban Meyer Turns Down Buckeyes

After Jim Tressel left Ohio State on Memorial Day, the one name floating around as the favorite to take the job after this season was Urban Meyer.

Ohio State is one of Meyer's two dream jobs along with Notre Dame, and supposedly one place he had an escape clause for in his contract at Florida.

But what if Meyer doesn't want to take the job due to potential NCAA sanctions, his health or his family?

Money can certainly be taken out of the equation because with the second largest athletic budget in the country, money is not an object in the Ohio State coaching search.

But if Urban Meyer doesn't take the job after this season, here are five other names you will see linked to the job as candidates.

Bo Pelini: Nebraska Head Coach

The job Bo Pelini has done at Nebraska, which is nearly one of the elite teams in the country, has been very good and quick as well.

After just two seasons, Pelini's Cornhuskers had a chance to win the Big 12 and now they appear to be favorites in the Legends Division of the Big Ten.

It is only Pelini's fourth year on the job, making the team's recent successes all the more impressive.

But the likelihood of him leaving one Big Ten school for another seems bizarre and implausible until you consider he does have a history with Ohio State.

He played for the Buckeyes and he, like Tressel and Meyer, is from Ohio, which to some fans is a necessary job qualification as to avoid another John Cooper situation.

It's unlikely that he would leave Nebraska at this stage, but it's certainly not far out of the realm of possibility.

Jon Gruden: Former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach

Gruden has not coached a football game in three years and seems to have a great job working on Monday Night Football and Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN.

But he is still very young, and there are some job opportunities that can be too good to pass up.

A young, intense, no-nonsense guy like Gruden would be something that could re-energize Ohio State football, especially with very stagnant offenses.

Born in Sandusky, Gruden doesn't necessarily have any direct connections to OSU, but he should have an understanding of the programs around Columbus.

It would take quite a hefty paycheck along with a bit of divine intervention, but Jon Gruden could be an interesting man to see on the Ohio State sideline.

Gus Malzahn: Auburn Offensive Coordinator

Gus Malzahn may be the most unlikely candidate for the Ohio State coaching job, but is there any doubt he is the hottest name when it comes to assistants in college football?

Malzahn coordinates probably the most dynamic offense in the country at Auburn and has an aggressive mentality to go along with his innovative thinking.

But with Gene Chizik's youth and popularity after bringing a national championship to Auburn, there is no way Chizik will take that job.

Malzahn can still look elsewhere, and where better than without a doubt the most high profile job on the market at this point in time?

His only high school coaching experience came at Springdale High School in Arkansas, but he did take his team to two state title games, winning one in 2005. 

Chris Petersen: Boise State Head Coach

Chris Petersen has probably been mentioned in every single coaching opening in the past several seasons.

And while he has an easy job right now at Boise State, at some point he will want to play for a national title, something he will never do at Boise State unless they join a BCS qualifying conference.

Obviously, there are concerns due to Petersen's lack of connection to anything in the Midwest. He also seems content in Boise with the health of his son, who has a brain tumor, and has a good relationship with the doctors in the area.

That might be enough to keep Petersen away, but there is no doubt of the allure of the Buckeyes coaching job—he can pretty much name his price and the school will pay him the money.

The track record of what he has done at Boise State is remarkable, meaning a job to an elite, AQ power is not a question of if, but when. 

Luke Fickell: Interim Ohio State Head Coach

How soon do we forget about the man who already has the job at Ohio State, at least for this season anyway?

Luke Fickell has said that this is his dream job, but the loss at Miami really crippled his stock.

Part of his problem is due to when he got the job, on Memorial Day of this year. He was forced to bring back the offensive coaching staff, which has been basically inept since Tressel brought Jim Bollman and company to Columbus.

Fickell may be able to keep the job, but he must hire a competent coordinator if he wants to keep his job for longer than just this season.

He also must learn to focus on both sides of the ball as opposed to just defense, as most young defensive coordinators turned head coaches tend to do.

He needs time and help on the sidelines, but Luke Fickell can still be a good head coach at Ohio State.

Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for more college football news and updates.