Ohio State Football: What Should We Expect in Urban Meyer's First Season?

Ohio State football is turning a new leaf—the Urban Meyer era begins now.

Meyer was named as the next head football coach for the Buckeyes by athletic director Gene Smith in an announcement Monday evening. His contract is reported to be good for six years and $24 million, with increasing incentives if he stays through 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Luke Fickell, who was given the title of interim coach when Jim Tressel resigned, will remain in charge for the upcoming bowl game. Meyer stated in his press conference that he will also remain on the coaching staff in 2012, as a part of "the best coaching staff in college football."

The Buckeyes finished 6-6 (3-5 Big Ten) and are currently on a three-game losing streak heading into the postseason. Ohio State recorded a similar outcome in 1999, where it had the exact same record, including a loss to Miami (FL) and ended the regular season with three straight losses.

So what can OSU fans look forward to after a huge fallout, a disappointing year, a potential clean house situation with the coaching staff and pending NCAA sanctions?

Just the usual, of course. Not a rebuilding phase, but rather time to reload with some fresh, high-profile recruits.

Urban Meyer has led three different teams in his illustrious coaching career: Bowling Green, Utah and Florida. His resume is outstanding, as he trails only Chris Peterson (92.2 percent) in highest-active winning percentage with 81.9 percent.

And we all know Boise State doesn't play in the SEC.

Many coaches get off to a slow start during their first year with a new team. For example, Jim Tressel—who averaged 10.6 wins during his tenure at OSU—went 7-5 in his first season with the Bucks (2001).

That's not the case for Meyer.

History shows that he's very good when taking the helm of a new squad. Meyer is a combined 27-8 (77.1 percent) in this situation, which means he's right at nine wins.

As an Ohio State fan, it's hard to go through a rough outing like we did in 2011. We're used to 10-win seasons year-in and year-out, becoming spoiled with consistent dominance. However, after this reality check, we must lower our standards for a little while and let Meyer do his thing; he'll get us back to relevance.

Here's the 2012 football schedule:

vs. Miami (OH)
vs. Central Florida
vs. California
vs. UAB
at Michigan State
vs. Nebraska
at Indiana
vs. Purdue
at Penn State
vs. Illinois
BYE
at Wisconsin
vs. Michigan

Realistically, with most of the team coming back next season (could be a good or bad thing), we're looking at seven or eight wins. But Meyer brings a lot to the table and could just as easily turn that number to nine or 10.

Patience is a virtue, Buckeye fans. We've gotten through the worst part together, now it's time to sit back, relax and watch OSU climb the ladder back to the top.

But it could be sooner than later.

In Meyer's second year with a new team, he's a combined 34-4 (89.5 percent) with two conference titles and two BCS wins, one being the national championship versus Ohio State in 2006.

And Meyer's statistics don't lie.