Urban Meyer Ohio State: Why Not Even Meyer Can Save the Buckeyes

If you've been paying attention to the rumor mill recently, you'll know that it's pretty much just a matter of time before there's a new sheriff in town in Columbus.

If you haven't been paying attention to the rumor mill, the short version of a long story is that former Florida coach Urban Meyer is this close to becoming the new head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

SPORTSbyBROOKS passed along word on Friday that Meyer had agreed in principle to coach the Buckeyes, and on Tuesday he reported that Meyer had confirmed his hiring to several former Ohio State players.

So, basically, the only thing left for Meyer to do is to sign on the dotted line.

If all of this comes to pass (not ready to say "when" yet), the general consensus will be that the Buckeyes have scored a major victory.

Less than one year after longtime head coach Jim Tressel was forced out thanks to a memorabilia scandal, the Buckeyes will have landed the most coveted free-agent coach in college football.

Prayers answered, problems solved. Right?

I have my doubts. As good a coach as Meyer is, adding him is not going to be an instant fix.

It's going to take time to repair the Ohio State program no matter who the next coach is, and Urban Meyer is not going to expedite the process just because he's Urban Meyer.

The thing to keep in mind here is that the NCAA's investigation of Ohio State is still open. When the case closes, I'm going to presume that the hammer will fall. The Buckeyes have imposed their own sanctions on themselves, but the NCAA has the power to make things much worse.

The worst-case scenario for Ohio State is being hit with sanctions similar to those handed to USC in the summer of 2010. A postseason ban could be in the cards, as could scholarship restrictions.

One way or another, the NCAA's objective will be to hit Ohio State where it hurts: the future.

It's going to be a tough situation for Meyer to walk into, and success in the long- or short-term will be far from guaranteed.

My primary concern is how much time the administration and the Ohio State faithful will be willing to give Meyer. I don't think many people will be foolish enough to expect immediate returns from the Meyer regime, but it won't take long for people to start demanding that Meyer make Columbus like Gainesville. As the years pass, the pressure will increase.

With all due respect to Meyer, he's demonstrated that he's the kind of man who can only take so much pressure. He's only human, and he's already worked his fair share of miracles (with a little help from Tim Tebow). If miracles aren't forthcoming in Columbus, the pressure on him will be that much greater.

The fact that Meyer is even circling the job is enough evidence for me to believe that he's open to embracing the challenge. I just hope he realizes that he is walking into one of most challenging rebuilding jobs in the history of college football.

Can he get the job done? Sure.

But will he get the job done? Like I said, I have my doubts. It's possible that Meyer will resurrect Ohio State football, but I wouldn't say it's probable.

Your call, Urban.