Could Urban Meyer eventually take over for Jim Tressel at Ohio State?
While drawing a connection to Bruce Pearl’s firing at Tennessee, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel predicts that Jim Tressel will eventually resign as head coach at Ohio State and none other than Urban Meyer will replace him.
Let’s face it, Tressel has lost all credibility and could face massive sanctions once the NCAA is done investigating his role in covering up violations by his players. If the NCAA hammer falls and the Buckeyes struggle this year (and you know they will with quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Tressel suspended for the first five games), the pressure will mount and Tressel will ultimately resign.
That’s when a refreshed Meyer will be ready to return to coaching and take over a program he rooted for as a kid. It’s common knowledge Meyer idolized Woody Hayes and grew up a huge Ohio State fan in Ashtabula, Ohio. His intense, conservative, no-nonsense approach to the game is a perfect fit for the Big Ten powerhouse Hayes built.
The idea certainly isn’t far-fetched. Despite his wise move to take a five-game suspension over the original two-game ban that he received from OSU, the situation with Tressel is far from over. And this isn’t the first time Meyer has been linked to Columbus.
That said, unless there’s more to “Tattoogate” on Tressel’s end, I doubt he would resign. I could see him doing so if more embarrassing facts come to the surface, but at this point I think he’s ready to take his medicine after admitting to making a very poor decision.
But what do you think? Do you agree with Bianchi’s prediction or do you think hell would have to freeze over for that scenario to take place?
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Posted in: College Football
Tags: Jim Tressel, jim tressel scandal, ohio state scandal, Urban Meyer
Everything depends on whether Tressel has come completely clean at this stage. If he hasn’t, he’s in for more trouble.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Meyer ended up there, but it’s still all speculation at this point.
Also, the notion that the Buckeyes will collapse without Pryor is unfounded. They have a great freshman, Braxton Miller, ready to step in at QB.
That’s all a great rumor, but if you kindly look at why Urban left Ohio last time, you will see that one of the reasons is family. His wife dislikes the cold weather. He went Utah where it is warmer but snow still falls. Then he moved to UF where half the state doesn’t know what snow is. Until I hear it straight from Urban’s mouth that he has accepted the job, then I can still continue to dislike the idea that he will coach at the other Ohio university!
I love the rumor because while I support Jim Tressel and obviously am very disappointed in his latest NCAA problems. However, If Tressel is forced to resign over latest issues with NCAA, I do see Urban Meyer as perfect fit for OSU, he is native Ohioan, had clause in Utah contract to where if OSU ever offered job, he could leave. Most important is Meyer is smart and savy. He had same clause for Notre Dame and he turned them down knowing the rebuild project and sorry Golden Domers, Irish football hasn’t been among nation’s elite since Holtz days roaming your sidelines. OSU is in reload mode every year thanks to Tressel and has the money and swag that Meyer needs to satisfy his big ego. Meyer will coach again and it doesn’t matter the weather because his wife won’t care when he is getting paid $4-5 million per year it probably will cost OSU to bring him back to sidelines which OSU can afford since they have largest athletic budget in Division I. I for one, would love to see an OSU offense that is not conservative and predictable. OSU is perfect fit for Meyer so if NCAA forces Tressel’s hand, then let the Urban Meyer OSU era begin in earnest.