Ohio State becomes even more Urban….. Meyer

Even though our Editor in charge is already celebrating Turkey Day and hasn’t approved this posting there are too many other legitimate news organizations reporting the rumors to ignore it. The Columbus Dispatch is all in on this story so why shouldn’t we be as well?

Some time next week most likely Tuesday during the OSU vs Duke basketball game The Ohio State University will name their new head coach Urban Meyer. While nothing is official until OSU and Urban both sign on the dotted line there are too many reputable people saying it is a done deal for it not to be. Furthermore, OSU and Meyer both have skirted around the issue never saying it is true or false. if it were blatantly false then all they had to do is say he wont be the coach in 2012 period. Rumors are he will sign for 7 years and 40 mill dollars. Most in the know though say no figures have been finalized.

Lastly, most of the people reporting this news are also saying Coach Luke Fickell will be retained in some form of Coach in waiting or Asst Head Coach helping with the defense and recruiting. If this is true to me it feels like Christmas came early. Getting a HOF coach and also the heart and soul of the coaching staff to stay and join him is a coup de ta.

Again I repeat nothing is official but all signs point to this is really happening. Although it doesn’t replace the man known as The Senator fully it does soften the blow immensely and will stabalize recruiting and seal Ohio back up from the evilness of the North. How excited does this make you fellow OSU fan or does this worry you?

Comments

  1. I have the same concerns about Meyer that most people do. Is he really going to hang around for 7 years, and if so, can he maintain his standard of success for that long? Are his players going to get arrested as much here as they did at Florida? And it still bugs me that he flat-out lied to the fans at BGSU and Utah right before he left those programs.

    So, while he isn’t necessarily my first choice, he clearly is the university’s first choice. And I think it’s important to be able to land your first choice. Some schools haven’t been able to do that lately.

    Also helping me ease into cheering for someone I’m so used to cheering against is the Fickell part of the rumor. If that sticks, then it means Luke might get another shot in the future under better circumstances, and that makes me happy, because nobody deserves a legitimate shot at this job more than he does.

  2. Jay Roubini says

    Jason~It might be your post reveals more about what you don’t know about coach Meyer. Why does Luke deserve a legitimate shot more than any other of the many former Buckeyes who probably are interested in the job & who have shown (for example) at MAC schools they might be able to advance and coach at a big time college program, it’s not like Fickell has shown anything that’s remotely close to that capability. Meyer’s experience at Florida has more to do with Florida than what might be expected in Ohio, it is what it is. Nothing bugs me about the fact that Meyer left my BGSU, he made it clear in the short time he was here where his intentions might ultimately lead him. Saban , Pinkel, Meyer it’s not like the folks in Columbus had a clue about the local talent up here back then, seems fitting one of them just might end up where they should have gone a long time ago.

  3. Jay – I hope you’re right about player arrests being more of a function of Florida than of Meyer, but it’s not like Ohio kids are all saints. It’s a concern is all.

    “I was contacted by one, but I’m not interested. I love it here [BGSU]. We have a lot of work to do. That’s the bottom line.”

    “All I keep saying is I plan on being the coach here at Utah.”

    Less than a week after giving each of those statements, Urban Meyer accepted a new job.

    As for Fickell, he stepped up and took his dream job under nightmare conditions. There was virtually no way he could succeed, and yet he never complained or made excuses. We are at the very least bowl eligible this year, which is better than UM achieved in their first two years under Rodriguez, a coach they CHOSE after a standard search. 4 of our 5 losses are by a single possession or less, despite being held back by a lousy OC and multiple significant suspensions on offense.

    This season has actually made me MORE optimistic about Fickell as a HC, not less. It’s disappointing by Ohio State standards, but we are just a handful of plays away from being 10-1 right now.

    What if Fickell had been allowed to fire Bollman and hire someone he had faith in to do that job–a job he doesn’t understand the way Tressel did? He deserves his shot (later) because he took on a task that no one should envy and did about as well as should have been expected. And now he’s going to coach the biggest game of the year under a cloud of speculation about Urban Meyer.

    And he won’t complain or make excuses.

  4. Jason, who is your #1 choice for head coach at OSU?

    Most coaches play the “awe shucks” game when it comes to moving careers. The truth is, BG was a stepping stone to Utah, Utah was a stepping stone to the big show. He WANTS the OSU job…he’s young and hungry. If he comes here, he’s not going anywhere.

    I know it’s not all Fickells fault, but he didn’t have a good year….and he was simply asked to do too much too soon. Last year he was coaching LBers. This year he had a glazed over look on his face and looked totally overwhelmed. I like him, but he’s not the answer.

    Urban Meyer is on a short, short list of coaches that could actually be an upgrade over Tressel. If you have the opportunity to get him….get him.

    Let’s not forget what Meyer did to Tressel in 2006 (puke).

  5. Jay Roubini says

    Kade~ comments so right on.. ha! Light years ahead of JT, Urban’s a freak, the ultimate football geek, even Belichick’s Patriots run backfield packages that come from Meyer’s playbook.
    Will Luke pull an upset Saturday? …this fan will be remembering storming the field at the Big House in 87 & carrying Earl Bruce off after the upset. Who was Bruce’s skinny 23 yr old grad assistant that year?
    …Urban Meyer

  6. Kade – In a traditional search, I would have been rooting for Dantonio. That said, I was a Pagac guy last time, so I certainly don’t think I know better than the school on this issue.

    I also want to make it clear that I am not against Meyer; he’s just somebody that I have to get used to more than I would with some others. But I will, because he’s a great coach and an Ohio guy.

    I also understand that he’s not leaving here, but he did NOT make it clear to the players/fans at Utah & BGSU that he wasn’t planning to stay. What’s wrong with just being honest & saying your making a career move that anybody else would make too? That just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s not a huge deal, but he loses some respect from me there. I’m sure he won’t lose any sleep over it.

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  1. […] recent news lessens the blow of this gut-punch of a season but there is still a chance for this season to end […]

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