What Urban Meyer at Ohio State Means to College Football

I'll be honest. I didn't originally want this to happen. I didn't necessarily think Urban Meyer was the best thing for Ohio State football. I'll admit. I have had a change of heart.

I know Meyer is a great young coach (only 47 years old). He has two BCS National Championships under his belt. His resume reads like no other head coach his age in NCAA Division I. He's a native Ohioan (born in Toledo and raised in Ashtabula). He served as an assistant under Earl Bruce at OSU. He earned his post-graduate degree from tOSU.

He all along has said that his "dream job" is to be at the helm of the Buckeyes. The only two jobs his wife had no veto power over were Notre Dame (he's a devout Catholic) and Ohio State.

Why was I against him becoming the next Ohio State Buckeye head coach?

If I'm honest, the only reason is that he coached Florida and beat the "bucknutz" out of Ohio State in a BCS National Championship title game.  

Florida is in the SEC (Southeast Conference). 

I cannot stand the SEC! They're the best in college football (OK.  I'll finally admit it), and they know it. SEC fans are so proud and arrogant that a Big Ten man like myself can't take it. 

Buckeye fans are obnoxious, but they're worse!  Nothing.......and I mean nothing........is equal to the SEC.

They want me to believe that if Ohio State were in the SEC, we'd only finish fifth or sixth in their conference. I find it hard to believe that there are five teams in the SEC better than the Buckeyes, but I'm glad we're in the Big Ten and we don't expect a merger.

That will change under Meyer.

The quality of teams in the Big Ten have truly fallen off in recent years. We're simply not what we used to be. In the '60s, '70s and much of the '80s, we dominated. Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and a few others could play with most anybody. Penn State coming in the fold was a big boost as well.

I was glued to my television set this college season watching a 9-6 OT thriller between LSU and Alabama. If I had to sit and watch a 9-6 game between Ohio State and Wisconsin, I would be bored to tears. Who could bear to sit through that? Loyal fans do it because they are true "fanatics" of Ohio State and Wisconsin. 

If you're in your favorite sports bar in Atlanta, the patrons quickly turn the channel from Northwestern versus Purdue. They know the action is much better between Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. They laugh at Big Ten football. This has been a "bitter pill to swallow." Buckeye fans in the Southeast can't swallow it.

Ohio State needs an Urban Meyer. The Big Ten needs an Urban Meyer. 

Things are about to change. Meyer will bring innovation and change to boring fall afternoons in Columbus. No longer will a "vanilla safe" offense take the field.

Of course, the rest of the conference will have to keep pace. Be thankful that a Bo Pelini and Nebraska are in place. Michigan is on the rebound under Brady Hoke (another Ohioan). I don't think it will be too long before the Big Ten will be back on pace with our SEC foes.

You are about to see some very special things with some very special athletes. Athletes will be utilized to their full potential. We have been wanting to see that for some time now.

No longer will we sit in amazement on Sundays and say: "I didn't know Jake Ballard could do that."

"Is that Brian Rolle and Kurt Coleman starting for the Eagles?"

The Buckeye program has and will always have great players. Now the Ohio State players will be coached to their full potential.

Do you think Braxton Miller could benefit by having a QB coach like Josh Harris (played QB under Meyer at Bowling Green)? I'm not saying that will happen but that is probably the kind of thing at Meyer's disposal.

Tressel was a good recruiter. He wasn't great but he was good. The OSU brand is basically all it takes. 

Meyer is a great recruiter! He'll get the best of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas. He'll use the OSU brand to its full potential. Hopefully, he will procure the best talent that really want to be Buckeyes. Hopefully, these young men will prove to be positive assets to a great university.

If what we hear is true, it will also be a great situation for interim head coach Fickell. If he is retained as the assistant head coach, he will benefit greatly.

Think about it. He is being groomed for greatness. 

Everyone knows he wasn't quite ready to be head coach of a program like The Ohio State University. He was too young and too inexperienced.

He will now have the opportunity to learn from one of the masters of college football while he is still young. He benefited from Tressel's conservative approach. Now he can benefit from a more aggressive approach.

I can't predict the future but ten years from now, Meyer might be ready to make another exit.  He'll be 57 years old then and maybe ready to do something else. Fickell will then be 47 years old and possibly ready to accept the head coaching job at OSU on a full-time regular basis.  Maybe, he'll be ready then.

I can't wait to see how things will play out for the Buckeye Nation. Buckeye fans are still anxiously awaiting the final call from the NCAA. 

Regardless of the outcome, OSU should be in pretty good shape with Urban Meyer.