OSU Random Thoughts: Urban and Day

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

With the announcement of Urban Meyer’s retirement, here are some Random Thoughts about the situation and what’s next for Ohio State.

Looking back

Urban’s pending departure shouldn’t really be a big surprise. We hadn’t heard much about his headaches/brain cyst until after the Purdue loss. That struck me as odd. Another telling sign was the sight of his wife Shelley crying almost controllably on the sideline after the Buckeyes defeated Michigan. That told me something was up.

Why the rush?

Nothing personal against Ryan Day, but why rush to name him the next head coach at Ohio State? His resume includes three wins over teams that finished with a combined record of 9-27, and six of those wins came from TCU. Oregon State finished 2-10 and Rutgers was even worse (1-11).

Why not kick the tires on a few other coaches, including Chris Peterson of Washington (yes, that would be a little weird) or Matt Campbell of Iowa State? They at least have true college coaching experience.

Ohio State is certainly one of the top five coaching jobs in the country, and you would think the school could hire almost any of the top coaches.

Ryan Day may turn out to be just fine, ala Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma. I hope he does well but if he doesn’t, Ohio State will look foolish for not at least talking to a few other coaches.

On the other hand

All of this may seem rather sudden, but is it possible this whole thing has been in the works for weeks, maybe months? Yes, it’s possible, and it wouldn’t be shocking.

Stress

Being the head football coach at Ohio State (or any national power) is extremely stressful. It ages guys fast. Look at some of the pictures of Urban and even Jim Tressel when they first started and when they left.

In many ways, it’s more stressful than being the governor of Ohio. Fans are accustomed to Big 10 championships, prestigious bowl games, playoff spots and national championships. 9-4 seasons, even 10-3 seasons aren’t acceptable to fans.

In the eyes of fans and Ohio State athletic officials, Ryan Day had better succeed fast.

Truly retired?

The other question now is Urban really retired for good? Remember, he left Florida amid health concerns, did some work for ESPN then came to Ohio State.

He’s 54 years old. I may very well be wrong, but something tells me he’s not really done for good.  Meyer did say at the press conference that he’s fairly certain he’s done, and he mentioned he plans to stay in Columbus.

It won’t be shocking to see him on a sideline somewhere in two or three years. In the meantime, I’m guessing he’ll do some sort of fundraising for OSU. Athletic Director Gene Smith mentioned a new but apparently undefined role for Meyer at Ohio State.

I don’t want to make light of any health issues. He apparently had heart issues at Florida and now there’s the brain cyst. Urban needs to do what’s best for him and his family.

What’s next?

Only time will tell. I do expect a handful of players to transfer. I won’t name any names here, but Day has shown an affinity for strong armed passing quarterbacks who may not be the most mobile ones around.

Two of their QB commits are pro-style quarterbacks: Dwan Mathis (2019) and Jack Miller III (2020). In fairness, some people believe Mathis is more of a dual-threat quarterback, but his strength is throwing the football.

If Dwayne Haskins returns that would be a big boost, but I wouldn’t count on that happening. If he has fairly solid assurances that he’ll be a top 10 NFL pick, he’s most likely gone, even if he could use another year of seasoning in the college ranks.

I do think you’ll see some changes on the coaching staff. Day kind of sidestepped the question at the press conference by saying coaches are on the road recruiting and getting ready for the Rose Bowl, which translates into “yes, there will be changes.” If he didn’t plan on making changes, he’d just say “no, there will be no changes.”

As far as Ohio State’s 2019 schedule, non conference games include Florida Atlantic, Cincinnati and Miami (OH). Cincinnati poses the greatest threat. I expect Nebraska to be much improved and that game will be in Lincoln. The Buckeyes get Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State at home. The Michigan game will be in Ann Arbor.

Overall, the schedule seems somewhat favorable for a someone entering his first full year as a head coach at any level.

A goodbye gift

It would be great if the Buckeyes sent Urban out with a Rose Bowl win. It’s a game he hasn’t been part of and it’s still “the granddaddy of them all.”

His record at Ohio State is an amazing 82-9 (54-4 Big Ten). It would be nice to see him leave 83-9.

If you have thoughts on the situation, feel free to email me at sports@thevwindependent.com.