Urban Meyer post-game comments

Submitted by GratefulBlue on

There's probably discussion of this buried in some other threads, but I didn't see a board topic.

Was anyone else shocked at Meyer's post-game comments and demeanor? Calling this season a "grind" and saying something along the lines of "nothing's ever good enough" . . . he seemed pretty down considering his team just beat Norte Dame in a major bowl game. Looking at what happened with him at UF, I'd be a little concerned if I were an OSU fan. That did not seem like a man who is enjoying his job.

We've all seen this season how teams can assume their coach's personalities, and OSU looked listless and disinterested most of the year. I get that they won a championship last year, but it's not like they were on an Alabama-esque tear of multiple titles in a short span. Especially compared to Harbaugh's ebullience after the Citrus Bowl, Meyer seemed like a coach on the verge of burnout. 

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Eye of the Tiger

January 2nd, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^

He's just being honest--and I bet a lot of coaches privately feel the same way. They just cover it up with meaningless, coachspeak platitudes.

Look, Meyer is obviously a brilliant coach, but it's also clear that he's a workaholic, that he has trouble managing the stress and that, consequently, the game probably isn't a lot of fun for him a lot of the time. I'm not going to criticize him for saying how he felt.

If I were an OSU fan, though, I'd certainly hope there's a contingency plan--an abrupt departure is not unimaginable.



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FrankMurphy

January 2nd, 2016 at 12:45 PM ^

True, but I think that if you told fans of most college football programs (except maybe Alabama) that their new coach would only stay for five years but would win 85%+ of his games, win a national championship, and go at least 4-0 against the program's main rival, they would be okay with that. Hell, I would be fine with Harbaugh leaving for the NFL after five years if that's what his tenure looked like.

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CoverZero

January 2nd, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^

Funny, I was just thinking about this topic this morning while taking a shit.   Not specifically about Urban Meyer, but just coaches in general vs. Harbaugh's approach.

Harbaugh seems to embrace pressure and thrive on it.  He is an ultra-rare person who sets his mind on a goal and says "Im getting this done" and believes it to his core.  Harbaugh does not ever consider failure as something that can actually happen to him.  It simply will not, because he is Jim Harbaugh therefore it will be done.

Other coaches however, do consider (and live with the threat of) failure every day.  Even an immensely successful coach like Meyer, who is 50-4(!) at Ohio can have that pressure to win get to him.  I dont think it gets to Jim much, if at all.

 

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EThos92

January 2nd, 2016 at 3:17 PM ^

Ehh, I think maybe there's a bit of homerism here. I remember how Harbaugh was after the superbowl loss and that last NFC championship game. He was not a happy camper at all. He's human, and prone to letting massive disappointments affect him, although maybe not as much as Meyer. One thing I would speak to as far as big differences between the two situations, at Ohio State, Meyer is just another coach. That sounds crazy to say, but it's true. He may very well be a better coach than Woody or Tressel ever were, but he's just not looked at that same way as those guys were. Part of that may be that OSU fans absolutely loathed him before he came there, but I think it's mostly the fact that he's not viewed as a savior the same way that they were. Woody turned OSU into a blueblood. Tressel put the fire back into the program after a decade of getting spanked by their greatest rival. There was only one down year between Tressel and Meyer, so Meyer was basically following up a guy who will be eternally revered there. It's kind of like how our fanbase reveres Bo, and now Harbaugh, and tends to take Carr for granted. Carr won our only national championship in 50 years, but he was always seen as having just taken the reigns from Moeller/Bo. But Bo saved our program from well over a decade of despair, and now Harbaugh is seen the same way. There's less pressure when everyone is totally bought in and very willing to stick with you through bumps in the road. Meyer just isn't that type of figure at Ohio State.

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CoverZero

January 2nd, 2016 at 3:53 PM ^

If both coaches had 1 year off and no responsibilities...and NASA came to them and offered a seat on the next space shuttle mission, all they have to do is train for 1 year... you know Harbaugh would be all over that for the Challenge and Adventure.   Urban, Im not so sure....

thats the difference in mentalities between the two

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buckeyejonross

January 2nd, 2016 at 4:47 PM ^

Oh also, every time I read threads like this, I feel the same way you all do when people make up stuff about Harbaugh returning to the NFL soon.

Wishful thinking and irrational projection rooted in fear and hate makes for comedy gold.

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ford_428cj

January 2nd, 2016 at 11:05 PM ^

They basically had the same team as last year, that beat bama etc. That offense is crazy good & they should have been in playoffs. It's on Meyer for that horrible play calling/game plan against msu. It cost them possible back to back nc's. 

With that said - I'm glad how it worked out & a lot of those players are gone next year. 

Also Meyer looks really weird/awkward at times in his interviews with players by him. Can't see how guys would want to play for him - besides native Ohioans. 

 

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ford_428cj

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^

Harbaugh seems like an eccentric type. He seems a combination of a touch weird, nerdy in a way yet athletic, & a bad ass as well. Very rare type imo.

The thing Harbaugh has tho that is his best trait imo - is that he is honest & a true gentleman. This will translate into off the charts recruiting in the next few years also imo. Parents & kids will know what he says is true.

Urbz hugging all over zeke after the M game was weird & fake imo. He seems like a shady used car salesman. A good one at that. I believe kids will start hearing stories - ie. Weber etc...& not want to play for him coming up. 

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