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Urban Meyer is putting a lot of pressure on Ryan Day this season. It’s been over five years since Meyer coached in Columbus. Now, he’s back in the sports media world, giving us the content we crave. Love him or hate him, his college football analysis is always interesting. This time, he told Adam King of 10TV in Columbus that Day will have no excuses.
Ohio State is one of four teams locked for the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are my pick to win the Big Ten and finish as national runner-up to Georgia. While Ohio State has a deep roster, I think Georgia has a head-coaching advantage with Kirby Smart over Day. Thus, Day will be facing unreal pressure.
Here’s what Meyer told King about Ohio State’s talent this season.
“This is one of the most talented rosters in the last decade – maybe ever. They’ve got to play, but you look at the quality of athlete at every position, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
If Meyer were coaching this team, the Buckeyes would be my pick to win it all over UGA.
“This is one of the most talented rosters in the last decade, maybe ever.” Urban Meyer with quite the statement about this year’s Buckeye team. He says he’s never seen anything like the talent in the Woody. Jim Tressel agrees, he says there is greatness everywhere you look.
Although no excuses will be tolerated, you have to wonder what Day has to do to keep his job.
Urban Meyer puts even more pressure on Ryan Day to succeed this year.
Look. If Day were to be let go for whatever reason after this college football season, he would find a job immediately. Either as a Power Four head coach, an NFL offensive coordinator, or even an NFL head coach if the right job opened up. However, with Gene Smith retiring and Ross Bjork taking over, the new Ohio State athletic director may want to hire his own guy if Day comes up short yet again.
If I were Bjork, I wouldn’t fire Day after this season unless the Buckeyes were to somehow go 9-3, miss the playoff, and lose to Michigan for the fourth year in a row. I don’t see all three of those events happening this fall. If they do, I would understand Bjork wanting to go in a different direction. If that is the case, I would pay Ohio State alums like Luke Fickell, Marcus Freeman, or Mike Vrabel top dollar.
Ultimately, we can only expect the unexpected from Ohio State this season. No other program faces this kind of pressure. Look at the other national title contenders. Georgia has already won two recently, while Ole Miss, Oregon, and Texas haven’t won one in the College Football Playoff era. Those four other teams will be fantastic, but none of them will be operating under such pressure as will Day.
Meyer putting a fire under Day will either make him or break him. We shall see in a few months then…
