I’m going to give this my best effort. It will be my eulogy of Urban Meyer’s tenure.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say my heart was a little broken. Somewhere between my conscious and subconscious, I knew this was possible, and sooner rather than later. I think the Zach Smith saga primed the notion, if not reserved its place in my mind. I’m taking this much better than I did the end of Jim Tressel’s tenure. Maybe it’s the circumstances. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s wisdom. Maybe it’s numbness.
January 8, 2007, likely around 7:30pm.
I had watched the highlights. I though “man, they looked fast.” I had run the scenarios in my head. “But they weren’t tough.” “But it was only highlights.” “But...” I kept trying to rationalize it. 42-39. #1 for the entire season. NFL prospects all over the field. He’d already delivered one, so he would deliver another.
January 8, 2007, likely around 9:30pm.
I don’t understand. Is this what running your hand into a table saw blade is like? What is happening? How is it happening? Who are they? Where did this come from? Can I have it? How do I get it?
Jim Tressel was all I had ever known. I don’t mean “aware of”. I mean known. Like when you learn something and it becomes apart of you. I was aware of Ohio State Michigan games, and I was aware of Eddie George, and I remember the 1997 Rose Bowl. But my freshman year at Ohio State was 2002. I learned who Woody Hayes was. My first game in Ohio Stadium was in Block O in the fall of 2002. They won. Then they won. Then they won. I needed Ohio State football and it delivered. It delivered because Jim Tressel was the man leading the program. Then the night in the desert happened. Ohio State was given 0 chance, and us students ate it up. We knew better. Luckily the players and the coaching staff did the same. I attributed this to Jim Tressel.
The next 8 years could be described as a roller coaster. All we needed was this. All we needed was that. All we needed was an offensive line. All we needed was a quarterbacks coach. All we needed was an offense. All we need is an offensive coordinator. Have you seen what they are doing at Florida? “God, I hate Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators.” The hate ran so strong that I will admit, only amongst us friends, that I actively rooted for Michigan against Urban Meyer’s Gators in the 2007 Capital One bowl. You could have confused me for a member of the DFBIA that day. All I wanted to see was defeat on Urban Meyer’s face after was he did to Ohio State and didn’t care who it was that made it happen. I cheered for Chad Henne and Mike Hart and Mario Manningham because they were less evil than Urban Meyer. I hated him, hated Florida, partly because of what they did that other day in the desert, and partly because I was envious.
Then whatever 2011 was happened. My Facebook posts remind me every year that it wasn’t a great year for Ohio State football. Things weren’t great in Florida either. Things change, I learned.
During the 2011 season, I basically assumed it would happen. There was a video from one of the CBS broadcasts with Urban Meyer talking about growing up in Ohio and his reverence for Earle Bruce. The timing was impeccable. It just so happened that one of the best 2 active coaches in the game was unemployed, at the same time as the school he grew up admiring needed a coach.
November 17, 2011
Eleven Warriors reports that the dream is a reality.
7 years, 1 national championship, several Big Ten titles, even more school records. Urban Meyer upgraded Ohio State football - something I didn’t even know was possible but definitely hoped was possible. He upgraded the talent, he upgraded the program, he upgraded the coaching staff. How do you replace Jim Tressel? Win more. Nothing lasts forever. I’m selfish. I don’t want to give it up, because it’s all I’ve really known. But I’m at peace with it.
I can’t imagine a better 16 years of Ohio State football, even with the ups and downs. Bama fans haven’t even had it as good for as long. They may have more National Championships, but Ohio State did it with 2 separate Hall of Fame coaches. All I’ve ever known about Ohio State football is Hall of Fame coaches (sorry Luke) and winning, and most important beating Michigan.
December 4, 2018
A new chapter.
I’m fine with Ryan Day being named the next head coach. Who else would you hire? I don’t know how you tell a search committee to go find someone to follow Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. Nick Saban is at Alabama. That’s the only way you maybe upgrade. It also isn’t based in reality. I have no idea how Ryan Day will do, but he’s been given all the pieces to succeed.
Thanks Urban.
