Ohio State has scheduled a press conference for 5:15 to announce Urban Meyer as the new head coach of the Buckeyes. This is naturally a coup for Ohio State, even though the hire comes with some risk. We’ve seen that Urban Meyer can be a little flaky, and all indications are that he’ll be trying to achieve a work/life balance with this new job that he never achieved in Florida. Can he be as successful without be obsessive with his devotion and time? We’ll see. Will he stick it out if things get tough? Who knows.

That said, it’s a great fit as Meyer is from Ohio and this is his dream job.

Todd McShay has an excellent analysis of Meyer’s approach to coaching and his offense and how that fits with the current Buckeye roster. You need a membership on ESPN to read the whole thing but it’s definitely worth it. McShay is an excellent analyst and I always learn something reading his stuff. Bottom line – Meyer will probably work right away to recruit more versatile and speedy playmakers to fit into an already talented roster. But, it looks like he has his quarterback:

So what does all that mean for the Buckeyes’ talented true freshman QB, Braxton Miller? It means it’s time to go to work.

I think Miller is loaded with talent and he has the ideal physical skill set to excel in Meyer’s system. He has a big, sturdy frame and still has room to add muscle. Miller has very good arm strength (check out his 54-yard TD strike against Michigan) and he’s a more sudden athlete than former Buckeyes QB Terrelle Pryor.

From what I’m told, Miller also has a strong work ethic, leadership potential and toughness (both mental and physical). If that proves to be the case, winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy are attainable goals for Miller. But he needs to be willing to pay the toll — and it won’t be cheap.

Miller showed a lot this season, and he also showed where he needs to put in serious work. He is a great runner. He’s very elusive with devastating cutting ability. Terrelle Pryor was a beast once he got going, but Miller is better in tight spaces. He can also throw the ball, but he missed three open throws against Michigan that would have changed the game. He has to work on his accuracy, and since he was a true freshman we can all expect him to improve in that area.

The Buckeyes will be replacing their starting center and two starting tackles next year, so there will likely be some growing pains. But the overall roster is stacked with talent. If Meyer can bring in a couple of playmakers, the Buckeyes will be dangerous right away.

The streak is over. It had been 2,926 days since Michigan had last beat Ohio State, but today, the Wolverines ended that, picking up a 40-34 win against the Buckeyes in a thrilling game at the Big House.

Courtney Avery picked off a Braxton Miller pass in the final minute of the game to seal the win for Michigan, which is now 10-2 with a legitimate chance to be selected to a BCS bowl. In fact, at this point, I’d be surprised if the Wolverines were passed up by the Sugar Bowl, which is very likely going to have two at-large choices thanks to the SEC likely putting two teams in the national title game.

It was an improved defense that had Michigan in that position heading into today, but it was Denard Robinson that finished the job. The junior quarterback had the best game of his career in what was really a must-win situation for the Wolverines (more on that in a second). He was 14-of-17 for 166 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 170 yards and two scores. He’s had statistically better games, but this is the one that Denard will be remembered for in Michigan.

As to the must-win declaration: With Ohio State in the state it was in this season, and with Urban Meyer coming on board, if Michigan didn’t win this year, it might have been a while before the Wolverines found a way to win against the Buckeyes. Brady Hoke has done a great job in Year 1, but he’s led a bit of a charmed existence thanks to a very weak Big Ten, an 8-game home schedule, and his chief rival — both on the field and in recruiting — being hampered by a rough season on and off the field. He’s taken advantage and deserves credit for doing so — he should make no apologies for dragging a fading program back to 10-2 — but had he lost this game, a lot of the goodwill he has built up might have been gone.

It nearly was, had it not been for the erratic arm of Braxton Miller. The Ohio State freshman looked brilliant in spots, especially running the football, but he missed a lot of open receivers and cost the Buckeyes at least two sure touchdowns with overthrows. The second came on the final drive, as DeVier Posey had double-moved J.T. Floyd into oblivion and was running free down the sidelines.

The thought of Miller with some more seasoning and in Urban Meyer’s offense should scare not only Michigan fans and the rest of the Big Ten, but the rest of the country. Those two will win a lot of games together.

But not today. No, today belonged to Michigan, which isn’t thinking about all of that other stuff while celebrating the only thing that matters in Ann Arbor, beating Ohio State.

Not surprisingly, former University of Florida Gators football head coach and ESPN analyst Urban Meyer just denied a report from SPORTSbyBROOKS that he had accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State.

Rumors had been rampant that Meyer was in line to take the job, but Brooks reported that Meyer had indeed accepted even though it had not been formalized in a contract. Brooks reported that Meyer was in the process of putting together a staff and the Luke Fickell would stay on with the Buckeyes. He also reported that Meyer also aims to add Chris Spielman and Kirk Herbstreit to the staff among others. Spielman makes some sense as he once lobbied to coach at Ohio State, but the Herbstreit part seems to be far-fetched as Herbie has one of the best gigs in broadcasting.

On the air during the ESPN broadcast of the Michigan-Nebraska game, Meyer just said that he had not been offered the position and that he had not agreed to coach at Ohio State. He did not, however, issue a blanket statement that he was not going to coach at Ohio State next season, so he can easily hide behind the fact that he hasn’t signed a contract. But Brooks made that clear in his story, so this looks more like the standard denial that doesn’t mean a thing.

Luke Fickell is the interim coach at Ohio State, and it is generally understood that Ohio State was going to look for a big name at the end of the season. Fickell understood that, so any discussions between Ohio State and Meyer are more understandable and are not a slap in the face to Fickell given his interim status. Fickell has made some progress through the season, but it has been clear many times that he is in over his head. Staying at Ohio State under Meyer would make a ton of sense for him. He can continue to learn at his alma mater and someday be considered either for the Ohio State job or another big job.

This makes even more sense given Urban Meyer’s health issues. He left the Florida job twice, and you have to wonder if he’ll give up on Ohio State as well if problems resurface.

As for Spielman, he did not make any comment during the broadcast when Meyer issued his “denial.” This could be an intriguing opportunity if he decides to join Meyer’s staff, though it also sets him up as a rival to Luke Fickell. Can these guys work together if both of them are angling for the top job at Ohio State in the future?

That said, the main story is Meyer’s status. His statement today tells me that these rumors are real, and that the Buckeyes will soon have a new head coach.

So, about that Ohio State offense. Woof.

The Buckeyes put on a performance for the ages, today against Michigan State. That is, if their ages were 8 or 9. They gained 178 yards in a 10-7 loss to the Spartans, 95 of it coming on their last two drives. The final drive covered 62 yards and ended in a touchdown pass by Joe Bauserman with 10 seconds remaining. Something to build on, I suppose.

But for the majority of the game, the Buckeyes were something worse than atrocious on offense, as true freshman Braxton Miller showed us all what it looks like when a true freshman with limited offensive weaponry around him plays against a legit Big Ten defense. That sight, but the way, is not pretty.

A week ago I wrote that Miller was the Buckeyes answer at quarterback, even though he struggled passing the football. Today he may have proven me wrong. I’m sure Miller, who is supremely talented (or so I hear), will one day be the man for the Buckeyes, and not out of necessity. But with DeVier Posey and Dan Herron coming back next week, it might be a better idea to just go with Bauserman and play boring, classic Big Ten offense. This is not to be confused with the so boring it’s kind of exciting offense that was on display today.

And before you get into the “Michigan State is top-ranked defense” argument, stop. The Spartans numbers are inflated by playing cupcakes and a Notre Dame team that was less interested in moving the ball and more interested in not letting Tommy Rees do Tommy Rees-type things in the second half. Even then, the Irish moved the ball up and down the field without a lot of interference at times.

The point is, this is not the best defense Ohio State is going to see this year, and yes things are going to get better when players return from suspension, but with who the Buckeyes have under center, it’s tough to even see it getting to “watchable.”

The defense is still solid, but it’s not as good as it has been, so I don’t see it being able to pull out games against better foes. It’s going to be a long season in Columbus.

Go ahead, tell me a team that wants to play Alabama right now.

The Crimson Tide destroyed Arkansas 38-14 at Bryant-Denny Stadium, announcing to the nation — if it didn’t know already — that they were once again a serious national title contender.

But it wasn’t just the score, it was the way the Tide dominated every facet of the game to pick up the blowout victory. Trent Richardson ran wild, accumulating 126 yards on 17 carries, and 85 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. A.J. McCarron was pretty near perfect, going 15-of-20 for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

And the defense. Oh, the defense.

Arkansas finished with 226 total yards, almost all of which came through the air. The Razorbacks run game managed just 17 (!) yards on 19 carries. Yes, math majors, that’s less than one yard per carry. The ‘Bama defense/special teams also chipped in offensively with an interception return for a touchdown and a beautiful punt return for a score by Marquis Maze. On the return, Maze cut back across about half of the Arkansas coverage team (that might be a slight exaggeration), and then cut back on the final guy just for the heck of it. It was as if he wanted the Arkansas trainers to have one more set of ankles to tape this week.

Alabama has another test next week against Florida. The Gators have the type of speed on offense that can score on anyone if given room, but something tells me Nick Saban will outwit Charlie Weis and figure out how to not give those guys room. The big matchup, of course, is Nov. 5 at home against LSU. That will very likely be for the SEC West title, which essentially means a trip to the national title game. Both defenses are outstanding, but at this point you’d have to give a major edge to the Tide offensively.

Some other thoughts from today’s daytime games:

- Ohio State has found its quarterback, and I think a lot of people knew it was going to happen. Braxton Miller didn’t have eye-popping passing numbers by any stretch (5-of-13, 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns), but he used his feet to gain 83 more yards. With either quarterback, Ohio State is going to have to go through some growing pains in the passing game, so it makes the most sense to stick with the youngster who adds an extra dimension to the game.

- Oklahoma State did its part to make sure Texas A&M doesn’t leave the Big 12 with a conference title. The Cowboys rallied to beat A&M 30-29 at Kyle Field, in what is likely the last conference meeting between the two schools. The Aggies, who look to be headed to the SEC next season, jumped out to a 20-3 lead before surrendering 27 straight points to the Cowboys. A&M can still win the Big 12, but it will need some help, and a win against No. 1 Oklahoma. Good luck with that.

- Tommy Rees was horrible for most of Notre Dame’s game against Pitt, but the sophomore found a way to come up bit when it mattered, going 8-of-8 on the Irish’s final touchdown drive to give his team a 15-12 win. On the touchdown, Rees fit a pass through a tiny hole to tight end Tyler Eifert. It was the kind of crisp, decisive pass he hadn’t made all game. His ability to bounce back must be what keeps him in games, because Brian Kelly has certainly had a lot longer leash with Rees than he did with Dayne Crist.

The mess in college football keeps piling up. Real Sports on HBO has a new expose on how the “nonprofit” college bowls spend money like drunken sailors entertaining conference and school officials. We’ll have more on that later.

In the meantime, one of the disclosures from Real Sports involved improper expenditures by the Sugar Bowl for campaign purposes, something that violates tax laws given their nonprofit status.

An HBO “Real Sports” investigation has prompted the Allstate Sugar Bowl to self-report tax law violations it committed by purchasing three $1,000 tickets to fundraisers for then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco in 2004 and 2006.

Under its non-profit charter, the bowl is not allowed to contribute to political campaigns, and such actions also are against bowl policy, according to a release from the bowl.

At the time of the fundraisers, the Sugar Bowl was receiving approximately $1 million annually from the state as a “cooperative endeavor” that helped fund team payouts. The arrangement, which predated Blanco’s term, was rescinded two years ago at the Sugar Bowl’s request.

The release also stated that the money has been refunded from Blanco and those funds have been donated to the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete fund.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Hoolahan and current bowl president Lance Alfrick declined to elaborate beyond the release, but immediate past president Dave Melius called the violation “an accident.”

“Obviously, nobody had any idea,” Melius said. “You have to understand we have an organization with about a $14 million budget, and we’re spending $14 million a year in about a zillion different ways on a lot of things we’re supporting. There are thousands of checks written, and one check goes out that didn’t go through the correct process.”

This is the same Sugar Bowl that lobbied to have 5 suspended Ohio State players be permitted to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.

It’s becoming clear that the “nonprofit” status of these bowls is a complete fraud. They don’t care about college kids – they simply care about money. It will be interesting to see where that $14 million is really going as we get more scrutiny of this corrupt bowl system.

The Oakland Raiders selected former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor with a third-round pick in the 2011 supplemental draft. Seeing as how they now don’t own a second, third or fourth round pick in 2012, it was quite a gamble for Al Davis and his franchise.

But here are three reasons why Pryor was worth the gamble for Oakland (and three reasons why he wasn’t).

1. Don’t get fixated on the third-round compensation.
No, the Raiders currently don’t own a second, third or fourth-round pick for 2012. But they also just lost cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and tight end Zach Miller via free agency so chances are they’ll recoup that third round pick when the NFL hands out compensatory selections next year. In fact, there’s a good possibility that Oakland will receive a third and a fourth-round pick for next year’s draft. That doesn’t mean that the Raiders should just give away their draft picks, but that’s not what they did. In Pryor, they landed a gifted athlete with plenty of potential…

2. …Pryor is a gifted athlete with plenty of potential.
Pryor is raw as a quarterback prospect but there’s no auguring how good of an athlete he is (which is why Al Davis was so attracted to him). He ran in the sub 4.4-range at his recent pro day and if he doesn’t make it as a QB, he has the quickness and body control to potentially become a receiver at the next level. As of right now, the Raiders don’t have any quarterback on the roster signed through next season. That includes Jason Campbell, who becomes a free agent at the end of the year. Even though Pryor will miss the first five games this season due to a suspension, he gives Oakland the developmental quarterback that their roster currently lacks.

3. The reward could outweigh the risk.
As it stands right now, this isn’t a move that will set the Raiders back for years to come. In the end, all they gave up was a third round pick that they’ll probably get back next year anyway thanks to Asomugha’s decision to sign with the Eagles. If Pryor winds up being a starting quarterback in Oakland, all it would have cost the Raiders up front was a third-round pick. That’s also third-round quarterback money, which is nothing. On the flip side, if doesn’t pan out at quarterback, the Raiders could still try him at receiver. If he flames out there, then hey, at least they didn’t give up a No. 1 overall selection (eh, JaMarcus?).

THAT SAID…

1. Davis’ meddling could turn this situation into a problem.
The only reason why JaMarcus Russell wasn’t cut sooner is because Al Davis was still infatuated by the bust’s physical tools. Pryor has a long ways to go before he steps foot on a NFL field as a starting quarterback and if Davis meddles with Hue Jackson’s development of the youngster, then things could turn ugly. As previously mentioned, the Raiders don’t have any quarterback signed through 2012, so Davis could force Jackson to make Pryor the starter next year if he really wanted to. Just like he did with Russell, if Davis wants to see a player on the field there’s really nothing to stand in his way (including his head coach). Pryor needs time to develop and if Davis rushes him, then I take back what I wrote about this move not setting the Raiders back for years to come.

2. Pryor has some major flaws as a passer.
Personally, I think Pryor is a better thrower than his critics give him credit for. But that doesn’t mean I think he’ll be a good quarterback (big difference). For starters, his footwork and accuracy are his two biggest issues right now, which are two things that will leave a NFL quarterback looking for work. He also wasn’t forced to go through his progressions a lot in Jim Tressell’s offense, so we don’t even know if this kid can read a defense yet. At Ohio State, Pryor was often at his best when the play broke down and he could use his athletic ability to make something happen. But in the NFL, everybody is athletic. It’s a faster game and Pryor will die a quick death if he tries to get by on his athletic ability alone.

3. Oakland isn’t exactly a great support structure.
There have been plenty reports about Pryor’s lack of maturity while at Ohio State and look no further than “TattooGate” for a glimpse at his decision-making off the field. With that in mind, it’s a little unnerving that he’s headed off to one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the NFL. One of the biggest reasons why Michael Vick is considered a MVP candidate again is because he wound up in Philadelphia under Andy Reid. Granted, Hue Jackson is a good man. He deserved the opportunity to become a head coach and he may work wonders with a kid like Pryor. But Al Davis simply can’t stay away. Again, if he meddles in Jackson’s work with Pryor then this whole thing could blow up in Oakland’s face. Teams should always view third-round picks as potential starters or else why draft them? It’s not until the fourth and later rounds where teams build their depth. So even though it’s important “not to get fixated on the third-round compensation,” the Raiders still need this guy to pan out or else what’s the point? After all, this wasn’t a seventh-round flier. This was a third-round pick.