Urban Meyer and Ohio State Football: How Much Will NCAA Sanctions Affect Plans?

Ohio State football fans didn’t have much time to complain about their team’s disappointing 6-6 campaign this year, which included a loss to arch rival Michigan at the end of the season.

After days of rumors swirling all around the Internet, the official word came down on Monday that former Florida coach Urban Meyer, who already has two national championships and four BCS bowl victories on his resume, will indeed be the next head coach at Ohio State.

Meyer comes to Columbus during a desperate time for the Buckeyes, as the program is still reeling after a memorabilia scandal cost the team its coach Jim Tressel and star quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

This year, Ohio State often looked listless, and the Buckeyes painfully limped their way to the finish line, finishing the season with three straight losses.

Interim head coach Luke Fickell did a serviceable job after being unexpectedly thrust into the position, but it was clear that he was not the right man to lead this team going forward. He will reportedly be retained and be a part of Meyer’s staff, though.

Meyer, an Ohio native, knows he has work to do in order for his home-state team to once again become a national title contender, however, one of the problems is the new head coach still doesn’t know what kind of NCAA penalties the program will be facing.

The school will likely learn what the sanctions are soon, probably within the next few weeks.

Ohio State officials have already self-imposed a scholarship reduction and a two-year probation on the football program in the hopes of softening the blow from the NCAA.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith has said that he does not expect a bowl ban for Ohio State.

Still, a loss of scholarships and practice time could slow down Meyer’s efforts to get this program back up and running like the well-oiled machine it was a few years ago.

Meyer is a savvy coach who knows how to handle adverse situations, but he’s also got to be careful that he doesn’t cross any lines or break any rules over the next two years due to the current state of the program.

There’s no room for error at Ohio State anymore after all that’s gone on in Columbus, and Meyer will have to make sure that he accepts the penalties and plays by the rules he’s given, because if he doesn’t, it could mean some very severe consequences for the Buckeyes, who are already on thin ice.