Urban Meyer Ohio State Speculation: Is Penn State or Ohio State Better Fit?

The hottest coaching prospect in college football is Urban Meyer.  

Which makes a lot of sense, as he brought the Utah Utes program from nothing to a BCS bowl game in two years. He won two BCS national titles in six years while at Florida, while putting together an impressive record of 51-14 in those six years. Not to mention he did recruit one of the best players ever to play college football in quarterback Tim Tebow. 

That recruitment of Tebow, when Urban caught lightning in a bottle with this great kid, is one of the reasons why schools like Penn State and Ohio State want him to take over their program.  

Both schools have gone through a very tough 2011. This year these schools have seen their programs get dragged through the mud because of coverups. However, the coverup mud was different for both schools.  

For Ohio State it was all about head coach Jim Tressel covering up for his players who sold athletic awards, apparel and equipment to an owner of a local tattoo parlor.  

For Penn State it was all about head coach Joe Paterno covering up for his defensive coordinator who may have been abusing children.  

So if you are Urban, which job sounds more appealing to you? The job where Ohio State has self-imposed sanctions? Or the job where the entire campus of Penn State was affected by a criminal case?  

For Urban, both jobs will come with a lot of pressure. If he would choose Penn State, he would have to replace a legend in Paterno. It’s never easy to replace someone who was successful. In Penn State’s situation, not only was Paterno successful, but he was the head coach for the last 46 years. 

The Penn State job is almost impossible to be successful at. The offense doesn’t fit Urban’s fast-paced style. No matter what he does, he will forever be compared to Paterno, while being expected to stay at Penn State for a long duration of time.  

If Urban is to come back into coaching, it has to be the Ohio State job. At Ohio State, Urban will receive a hero’s welcome on arrival. If Meyer would go to Penn State he would constantly be in Paterno's shadow.  

Yes, Ohio State is going to go through some penalties from their scandal, but the NCAA has yet to make their official ruling. The school has already put itself on probation, while vacating wins from the 2010 season. However, they did not take away any scholarships or put a ban on playing in any postseason bowl games. 

The choice is clear for Urban if he wants to leave ESPN and head back into coaching. He has to head back to his home state of Ohio, where he can be the face of the new Ohio State Buckeye program. 

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