Urban Meyer and what he means for Ohio State

After the demise of Jim Tressel the Ohio State football program was left with a giant stain on the success that they had achieved throughout his tenure. Not only was the program left without their leader of the past decade, they were also unsure of the future of their coaching staff. Following their worst season since 1988, Ohio State decided to look to the outside for their next head coach. In perhaps the biggest coaching hire since Nick Saban returned to college football, Ohio State found their coach: the legendary Urban Meyer.

Considered one of the pioneers of the spread offense, Meyer has achieved nearly unprecedented success as a head coach. In two years at Bowling Green, Meyer led the Falcons to a 17-6 record and earned the MAC Coach of the Year honor. After just two years in Bowling Green, Meyer left to take the head coaching job at Utah. While there, he led the Utes to a combined 22-2 record, and an undefeated season capped off by a BCS win in the Fiesta Bowl over the Pitt Panthers. Meyer once again won conference coach of the year honors, and was also recognized nationally as one of the top coaches in the country. Alex Smith, the #1 pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, was groomed under Meyer's system that utilized Smith's athletic ability and accuracy in the short passing game.

After his second season at Utah, Meyer was courted by some of the top schools in the country including Florida and Notre Dame. Ultimately, Meyer decided to head south and become the head coach for the Florida Gators. While Meyer had achieved national recognition before going to Florida, it was with the Gators that he became known as one of the elite coaches in the game. His recruiting success was rarely matched during his tenure at Florida compiling 3 top five classes (according to Scout, which is the recruiting service that I will often refer to). He attracted future collegiate and NFL stars such as Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Carlos Dunlap, the Pouncey twins, Aaron Hernandez, and Cam Newton, among many other top talents. While reeling in some of the top talent across the country, Meyer achieved great success on the field as well: 3 ten win seasons, 3 BCS games, 2 National Championships, and an overall record of 65-15.

With the problems facing OSU (NCAA sanctions, a losing record, and a sub-par recruiting class) it was imperative that they make a "splash hire," and they did just that with Urban Meyer. Known for his success in big games, Meyer will undoubtedly lead the Buckeyes to many successful seasons. While one could question his longevity (his longest stay at a school was 6 seasons), his players off-the-field track record with the law, and his health, it is tough to debate his nearly unparalleled success both on the recruiting trail and on the field. It will be interesting to see how he does in his first year with the Buckeyes facing a bowl ban as well as a change in scheme offensively, but beyond year one the Buckeyes should experience more of the success that they became accustomed to in the past decade. Meyer seemingly has no limitations on the recruiting trail and will have a very talented quarterback, Braxton Miller, to build his famed spread offense around. No matter what happens in the first season, Meyer will restore the Buckeyes to a national power, which in turn helps the Big Ten. Couple the Meyer hiring with Michigan State on the rise under Mark Dantonio, Wisconsin's recent success, and Michigan achieving an 11 win season this year capped with a BCS win, the Big Ten should be highly competitive in the coming years as one of the premier conferences in college football.

Stay tuned for more on the Big Ten in the near future!