Ohio State Football: Urban Meyer beloved by Buckeye Nation
It has been widely reported Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer will retire following the Rose Bowl and will make a formal announcement soon.
It will be the end of an era when Urban Meyer steps down as head coach of the Ohio State football team following the Rose Bowl. And boy what an era it has been.
In 2011 the football program was in disarray and Ohio State lost seven games for the first time since the 19th century. Urban came down from the broadcast booth to revive the program he grew up following as child, and the one where his coaching career began as a graduate assistant under Earle Bruce.
And it didn’t take him long to do so.
Urban Meyer took over a team that didn’t appear to have the personnel to effectively run his spread option offense, with the exception of QB Braxton Miller. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes ran the table and finished 12-0.
They weren’t eligible for a bowl game that year but were back to being relevant in the national landscape.
Ohio State was undefeated again during the regular season in 2013 before losing to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship and to Clemson in the Orange Bowl. Now the table was set for the magical 2014 season.
After losing Miller to an injury before the season began, Urban had to rely on backup J.T. Barrett and then third string quarterback Cardale Jones to lead the offense. He also had to count on young players on both sides of the ball to perform well, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
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An 11-1 regular season, a 59-0 victory in the Big Ten Championship and wins over Alabama and Oregon followed. Buckeye fans will never forget that run to the national title.
There has only been one more playoff game since but the Buckeyes have been in mix to make the CFP every year. Coach Meyer’s teams have won two more Big Ten Championships and defeated that team up north four more times.
Now Ohio State will play in the Rose Bowl for the first time during Urban’s tenure. What a stage for him to coach his last game.
The national media is all over the place trying to figure out what Urban Meyer’s legacy will be because of the situation this year. However, Buckeye fans know how he has helped players to prepare for life after football and contributed greatly to the community, as well as being a great coach.
Next. Multiple Buckeyes will have 1,000 yard seasons. dark
For those reasons, I have no doubt how Buckeye Nation will always feel about him. He will be remembered, and admired, for the terrific job he did for the Ohio State football program.