Urban Meyer's Grasp on the Big Ten Just Got Even Stronger

In a recent interview with USA Today, new Penn State president Rodney Erickson said that the school’s focus going forward will now be less about its once-prestigious, and now-troubled football program.

The university’s de-emphasis on football in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal could be welcome news to other Big Ten teams, most notably division counterpart Ohio State, which will be looking to once again become the dominant team of the Big Ten under new coach Urban Meyer.

The Buckeyes endured a down campaign this season, going 3-5 in the Big Ten and 6-6 overall in their first season without coach Jim Tressel, who resigned back in May amid scandal.

But now with Meyer at the helm, Ohio State fans are hopeful that their team can once again become the flagship program of the Big Ten conference.

With Penn State expected to go through a few rough years, that should open things up in the Leaders Division for the foreseeable future.

Yes, Ohio State will still have to deal with Wisconsin, which has won the conference the past two seasons, but if Penn State’s football program really does move to the backseat of the Big Ten bus, that would really benefit the Buckeyes.

Not only will it help them on the field, but it could open up new recruiting avenues for Meyer to explore in western Pennsylvania, as the spots where Penn State once dominated in recruiting are now likely to be ripe for the picking.

Meyer is one of the top recruiters in college football, and if you give him any kind of opening, you better believe that he’s going to take advantage of it.

For the next few years, it looks like the Leaders Division is going to be a two-horse race between Ohio State and Wisconsin, and that should be welcomed news to Buckeyes fans, who got a little bitter taste of what it's like to be an also-ran this season.