After a 13-10 loss against the Michigan Wolverines, there are a lot of questions surrounding the job status of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day.
And it feels like former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is starting to work his way back into the mix.
Day’s Buckeyes have lost four straight games to Michigan, a cardinal sin in the streets of Columbus. While new Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork gave Day a strong word of support after the loss, this could all change if Ohio State falls flat in the College Football Playoff.
Barring something unforeseen, the No. 6 ranked Buckeyes will host a home playoff game at Ohio Stadium before trying to avenge their loss to the Oregon Ducks.
But there’s little reason to believe that the Buckeyes will clutch up and win the National Championship under Day’s leadership. And that’s no disrespect to Day. He’s a fantastic 64-3 in games that do not include the Wolverines or College Football Playoff, but he’s 2-7 in those career-defining moments.
It sure feels like Day’s legacy in Columbus hinges on winning the National Championship, at least in the eyes of Buckeyes fans, especially after losing against a very bad Michigan team.
The argument against firing Day is that it would be difficult to replace his 56-8 overall record. But former ESPN host Jay Crawford believes that Meyer would want the job back and that it actually could happen.
Crawford elaborates on the fact that Meyer never wanted to leave Ohio State and claims that his hand was forced to step down due to health issues because the current administration did not like how much power he had gained within the university. Additionally, there was the scandal with former wide receivers coach Zach Smith, where Meyer allegedly knew about domestic violence issues and never acted on anything. Both Meyer and Smith claimed innocence.
Controversy has followed Meyer at every stop, from the Florida Gators to the Buckeyes, all the way down to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was fired after his lone 2-11 season.
But that should not stop Ohio State from pursuing him again. College football is a very weird, changing landscape. The one undeniable thing about Meyer is that he relates to his players and is a big game motivator. Losses to “that team up north” quite literally never happened under Meyer’s watch, as he left Ohio State a perfect 6-0 against Michigan.
Former Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones said he doesn’t believe Meyer would return to Ohio State. But his reasoning is the exact opposite.
“Urban is a player’s coach. He’s a coach’s coach, and he just wants to coach ball,” Jones said via Sirius XM’s “Maggie and Perloff.”
Bingo. Meyer could return to the Buckeyes and coach college ball, something that he excelled at the last time we saw him on the sideline. Ohio State just shelled out $20 million in NIL funds to their current football roster. Recruiting was never an issue with Meyer in Columbus; in fact, he would over-recruit, and having deep pockets in Columbus would only help him seamlessly return to this new landscape.
Not to mention, universities have been adding “general manager” roles to handle the financials surrounding building a college football roster.
Many coaches, like Mike Vrabel, have publicly spoken against NIL and their desire to manage that in the current college football landscape. However, Meyer seems to be actively campaigning, at least in the background, and would consider a return to the sideline.
It’s unlikely that he wants his legacy to be remembered as a failed NFL coach. Instead, he could return to the Buckeyes, take down Michigan, win another National Championship, and be revered as a legend of the game. Meyer is 60 years old, but in this new era of college football, coaches are only in it four or five years anyway.
While he seems to enjoy his position as an analyst on FOX, this is college football we’re talking about here. Crazier things have certainly happened.
