I promise this isn't trolling. I read the site often and I enjoy the view from the other side. I live in Portland and am friends with a good dozen OSU grads who are devout football fans. We watch the game together every year, and I have had to buy a lot of beers over the last decade. They go back every year for at least one game, and often travel to the bowls.
When OSU hired Urban, they were cautious and considered him beneath Buckeye standards despite his initial OSU success, his historic success and his pedigree. Then after last year, I asked many of them if they were on board again. They smirked, shook their heads and said, "I don't trust him."
So, my question is: Are there many others who feel this way? Obviously I don't see it here very often, and I imagine they're in the minority, but I'm curious if you run into Buckeyes who are still hesitant about the hire. If so, why?
Serously, I ask because I'm curious. Thanks.
I think those OSU grads = Oklahoma State Grads, not tOSU.
He's in Portland.... OSU = Oregon State.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
I would have to say I disagree with your friends. This is his dream job and it always was. Yes ND was high on his list, but he is home. He met his wife at OSU and she is a grad. He left a very successful UF program and said that if it were anywhere but Ohio state he would of stayed in the booth. I would like to know why they don't trust him? In Urban WE trust!
No.
How can a person not trust this face??? He's sooo dreamy!
"Attack the Strong, Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead!"
-Former OSU S&C Coach Lichter
I don't have "man-crushes." That seems to be a new, feminized, generational thing with kids now-a-days. But if I got to meet Urban, I'd give him a great B1G HUG!
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
I have total trust in Urban...and frankly I don't know anybody who considers him below Buckeye standards, as you put it. Personally I think you've come on here just to stir things up.
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
Another one?
I'm thinking so
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
Well think of it this way. After the title game against Florida, most here (along with the rest of college football) hated Meyer and thought he was the scum of the earth. Now, he's the greatest thing ever. Fans don't care about having a dbag for a coach. Fans care about winning. Nothing more, nothing less. See: Jim Tressel.
So now you are saying Urban and Tressel are both dbags?
As people? Absolutely. As coaches, no.
Do you know them personally, "WOODY"? Both of them?
Doubt it. Just shut up already.
Or don't. Have a feeling that will take care of itself.
done much reading lately?
I upvoted you out of sympathy.
Our honor Defend!
No idea about Meyer, but that's certainly my impression of Tressel. Appreciated the wins, but couldn't stand the holier-than-thou persona.
Are you calling Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer d-bags? I hope you get downvoted so low that you won't be able to even comment on this site any longer. All you do is make negative, a-hole comments anyways. SAYONARA!
We "hated" him because he ruined that 06 run. I never thought of him as scum of the earth because of it. It wasn't his fault Ginn got hurt. Nor was it his fault Ohio State looked lost after that.
It's not just because he's the coach of tOSU that i've embraced him. Much like Jim Tressel, he gets it. He's embraced all of it, so i've returned the favor.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Correct. It was all Jim Bollman's fault.
/Duff'd It
Whoa.
Calling Urban a douchebag is over the top and uncalled for. We may have not liked him because of 2006 NC game, but never considered him a "douchebag."
I wasn't distrustful of him at all. I was fricking giddy as a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert when we got him. The dude loves Ohio State. He's home. ;)
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
If he loves Ohio State so much, why did he have an out in his contract at Florida to leave for OSU, ND, and MICHIGAN? Can you answer that?
It's never wise to not have a back-up plan. Fall-back plan. If you're in business, you would know this. Troll along though.
And that back-up just happened to be OSU's biggest rival? Odd for a guy that claims to love OSU.
This is beyond silly. Hating the rival program is for us fans. The days of Woody Hayes "don't get gas in Michigan" crap are long gone for coaches, and really it was nonsense to start out with. It's business. He's from northern Ohio and is very familiar with all three programs. By this logic Bo Schembechler was some kind of turncoat Judas. I don't think that's how most OSU fans feel about him.
I got Bo's autograph when my brother's boy played ball for UM. He was a great man, IMHO. I have/had great respect for him.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
I think that's much more natural, though the days of lionizing football coaches are probably gone too. Seems like you have no problem maintaining perspective about your nephew playing for Mich, which is great. I find it very unpleasant when people let their fandom bleed into other areas of their lives.
As much as I hate to say it, ND and Michigan are probably 2 of the best gigs in college football, as well as OSU. So basically his contract stated that he could leave for a better job.
Once he retired though, many people pointed to his biography, which I believe stated that the only job he would never have to ask his wife before taking was Ohio State
Sorry Urban, Woody is still my favorite
A true fan of OSU would never coach at Michigan. Do you think Woody would have had an out in his contract for Michigan?
Again, the days of coaches like Woody are long gone, and personally I think that's for the best. Perspective is a very good thing.
Then why all the fake crap about not calling them by name?
Oh please don't say things like this. You'll start sounding like a snob. Similar to how UM folks say "Michigan Man". Ugh... What does that even mean?
DO you know the history of Bo and Woody?
Bo was Woody's apprentice, a beloved assistant and one of his closest friends and he took the Michigan job. Woody's plan was for Bo to replace him at OSU, but Woody ended up staying at OSU longer than he said he would. And I believe it's pretty accurate to say that Bo was an OSU fan prior to taking the UM job. It happens. It's happened before.
Urban's wife said in an interview...The day she saw that Jim Tressel resigned she KNEW they were moving to Ohio....even before talking to her husband.
You do realize Ohio State had a coach when he said this, right. Before 2012, it looked as if JT was going to be the coach of tOSU until he decided to call it a wrap.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
He didn't say it. It was written into his contract.
I disagree. And if that were true, I'd say it were a bad thing. See Oklahoma's stagnation for an example of why.
I'm sorry, but yes, we all considered Urban a douchebag when he was at Florida. Let's be real with ourselves here. This Haymaker guy is a troll, but he's not completely off base.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
Speak for yourself. I never thought Urban was a douchebag. I thought he was a hell of a coach and always thought that he would one day be a buckeye coach after Tressel. We all knew Tressel wouldn't have coached for more than another 10 years, so who would we have preferred to take over for Tressel than Urban. He was the most logical choice.
What happened in 2006 was heart breaking but never did I blame Urban for being a good coach. Nor have I called him by any names in disrespect! Wasn't his fault he outcoached Tressel in that game. OSU had at the very least equal talent to what UF had. Urban just had the better game plan.
Now if this whole conversation was about Saban if he were the OSU coach right now, then you would be absolutely correct. I call him a Dbag all the time, cuz he is!
and it certainly wasn't Meyer's fault that our entire offense was 8-10lbs overweight for the 06-07 title game.
Yeah - I never once thought UFM was a D bag, & I can say that in all honestly. He was a man who's job it was to win games & he did so. The fact that his team beat the team I love did not make me think less of him...I always thought he was a good coach, plain & simple.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
Not I, I told everyone they are being stupid and whiny...
" ... let's beat the shit out of M*chigan." -Urban Meyer-
Mark it zero, Smoky!
"Sherman ran an option play right through the south" - Greatest.Civil.War.Analogy.Ever
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, there are rules.
" ... let's beat the shit out of M*chigan." -Urban Meyer-
These guys sound like the kind of people that need to have a different opinion than everyone else just to be different. The kind of person that is a know it all but has very little knowledge on the subject their talking about.
Brady Hoke has a need to be different also
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
He's(Hoke) different alright. His momma said "he's 'special'." (in a tinted-window school bus kind of way)
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
this is an insult to mentally challenged people! I'm not going to jump on you about the school bus joke and being "special" even though it is inconsiderate.
but comparing Hoke to the mentally challenged is insulting to the mentally challenged!
Or maybe they are fair and honest people who's opinion of Urban Meyer didn't change just because he started winning for Ohio State. I'm sorry, but we all thought Urbz was a sleazeball at Florida. Its just fact. I don't necessarily agree with the OP's friends, but just because they didn't conform to the worship of Urban Meyer because he coaches and wins for Ohio State doesn't mean they ""have very little knowledge on the subject their talking about."
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
I think the fact that so many people don't agree with you shows that we didn't "ALL" think he was a sleaze ball at Florida.
if you did, fine. You're entitled to your opinion. Just don't try to present it like your opinion is the one that every single Buckeye fan had.
i never had a problem with Urban.
My dad knew Meyer at BGSU. My dad does not suffer fools gladly, nor is he swayed by any sort of slickness or douchebaggery. He liked Urban very much as a person, liked his fire and competitiveness, and his "my way or the highway" approach to coaching. Was he a young man/coach in a hurry? Yup. Were BG'ers disappointed that he only stayed 2 years? Absolutely. But then again, MAC programs have known for a while that they are stops along the way, not the destination. He was quite enthusiastic about Urban coming to OSU, thought it was a marvelous fit for both coach and school. So don't count me in your group, thanks.
Stop saying "all of us" you don't speak for all of us. You speak for yourself and your perception of the rest. I hated Urban at Florida, but I respected him as a football coach. I wanted Ohio State to play like Florida. I wanted that feeling of absolute dominance. I was envious, but I didn't think he was a bad person.
Like Hoke, born and raised in Ohio. Was asked how he became a Michigan fan. He said his whole family and everyone he knew were Ohio State fans. So he decided to be a Michigan fan, wanted to be different.
I think a better word than mistrust is "dislike" of Meyer which, for many of us stemmed from the 06 but whuppin he put on us. However I now realize that dislike was completely due to my ignorance of him as a person and as a coach. The more I learn of Meyer the more I like and the more I completely trust in him. He truly loves tOSU, the game of football, the Game, as well as the kids he coaches. What more could you want from a coach?
BamBamBuck
Ask those guys who they would have hired instead of Urban
This reminds me of that troll a few months ago who said Urban visted Aurora High after the tsun game and griped to their coach because he couldn't believe the fans cheered Tress. Utter nonsense.
I don't think so. That one was a pure troll looking to start trouble. this guy(or gal) seems to be looking for an honest question, just not the right way or place for it!
either that or he has some really bad OSU fans that he hangs with. Sad the horrible types of fans that are out there making it hard for us more sensible fans to enjoy our experience.
I would suggest having your friends watch this video of Urban at the Ohio high school coaches conference. Urban sets out what he and his program are all about, and it's not X's and O's.
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/buckshot/2013/02/19634/video-urban-meyer-speaking-at-the-ohsfca-convention
I appreciate the comments, because I really didn't understand why they felt that way. You have the best coach in football, IMO, but I still like Hoke...
you should join your man
Outta the way, man's gotta poop here.
That's quite an entourage that Brady has, to help him go poop!
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
that's his Krispy Kreme entourage. They stand at the doorway to make sure Brady gets all the doughnuts he wants before anyone else, thats where they are rushing to
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
I'm sure one of them gets the honor to wipe his ass, because his short arms probably can't reach his rear end.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
Nothing like dancing on the field in 02...
That's because they've seen the horror show of what happens when he doesn't make it in time!
You can kill a fly with your slipper or a cannon. Either way, the fly dies. -Ramzy
It was the end of the season. I would call where Brady is going, the Unfortunate Bowl. Poor toilet.
Poop Patrol
Now there is a sleezball and douchebag all wrapped into one. Sore loser punk
Urban was beneath Buckeye standards when he was hired? What standards are you talking about, great recruiting and winning? I know a lot of OSU fans who did not care for Meyer after his UF team destroyed OSU by 27 points in the Nat'l Championship back in 07, and rightfully so, but I don't know many who questioned his hiring or that said he "was beneath OSU standards". I think Urban has won most over and most fully trust that he is the right guy to lead this team.
I'd agree.
Many, including myself, despised the guy when he was at Florida. He had just wiped the grass with Ohio State, seemed a bit arrogant (but who wouldn't compared to Tressel), and enjoyed doing it. Then, the rumors of the Shariff Floyd "dream" recruitment... It rubbed many the wrong way. That is called being a fanatic of one team, and despising anything that gets in the way of that team's success.
Fast-forward to the OSU job being open, and Urban Meyer being available. All of a sudden, we could look past what he "did" to OSU while at Florida, and realize he was the best possible person for the job. I'll be honest, I still originally had Jon Gruden ahead of Urban in my own personal pecking order when Tressel left, but as soon as the Fickell season progressed, it was a no-brainer who the best man for the job was.
It's all about perspective. Sometimes as fans, we don't have the right perspective. But, take a step back and look at things with a level-head and things change.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
In all honesty, I had no issue with Urban in regards to 2006, but yes I did say a few things regarding the recruiting practice especially with Shariff Floyd. The whole had a dream that god told him to come to UF was a bunch of crock.
but at the same time, I was also wishing Tressel could recruit like that. I hated Urban for being good at what he does moreso than hating him in general. I always felt he was an outstanding coach.
In his defense, Floyd was really really high when Tebow came to talk to him.
/Duff'd It
By the way I don't see how this guy is trolling. All he is saying is that some of his buckeye friends don't like Urban, and he doesn't understand why. His question seems fair to me.
He would be untruthful, might not have any friends
I do not see this post as cogent and genuine. By not qualifying what you and/or your OSU grad friends mean by "beneath Buckeye standards" or why they "don't trust him" in any way, shape or form, this post seems disingenuous. Moreover, you characterize your friends as "football fans" but not necessarily "OSU football fans." There is a difference, obviously, as not everyone who attends OSU (especially just for grad school) is enamored with OSU athletics.
Thanks for stopping by.
My apologies for my lack of specificity. These guys grew up in Ohio, graduated from Ohio State, and dress their kids from head to toe in scarlet and grey every Saturday. They meet at a bar (Mickey Finns) almost every Saturday, they travel back for a game every year, and they have attended at least five bowl games since I've known them the last decade. They are all family men with young kids, so they can't be as devout as some, but they are Buckeyes through and through, and I'm sure they make annual donations to the school. As far as them being specific, it was probably because I didn't ask them at the time why the felt he was not trustworthy. I saw them last week and they weren't specific, so it just got me wondering whether this was an isolated attitude, or whether there were others who felt this way.
Just trying to defend myself as not a troll, but someone who is curious, because I felt the same way when UM hired Rich Rod. Of course, I can understand why this could be considered troll-like, but you see I've been a lurker for a few years and I thought this would a place to post the question. I also understand that when an OSU poster goes on a Michigan board and posts a legitimate question, these questions are picked through with a fine-toothed comb to weed out the shitstirrers.
Peace, and good luck next season.
Cool. Thank you for the explanation.
I'll man up and admit I thought he was too "slimy" at the time, based on reports of telling a recruit that he had a dream about him that was a sign from god (apparently not true, it turns out), plus lots of discipline issues at Florida.
I do think he probably got caught up in the heat of SEC competition and allowed some bad habits to form. Hopefully all the extra scrutiny and winning right away has allowed him to do it the right way here. So far, I really like what I see of the guy and his methods, beyond wins. Time will tell, but I couldn't be happier with him as our guy right now.
After the 07' Championship game I wasn't pissed at Urban or Florida. They were doing what they were supposed to do and that was win a game. I was dissapointed in the OSU staff for not making sure the kids were prepared to play in the title game. Where was the buckeyes we saw during the regular season? When Urban was hired at OSU though I was excited. The man has a proven pedigree with Ohio ties and cut his teeth down in the toughest conference and dominated.
Pretty much sums up my feelings, both in 2007 and upon Meyer's hiring. I know this might not be a very popular sentiment on this board, since Tressel is still deeply respected as a coach here, but I thought is was a substantial upgrade in coaching, so I was absolutely ecstatic. Judging by the amount of butthurt on MGo about "Ohio cheating and being rewarded for it with a better coach", I'm not the only one who holds that opinion.
I have been an urban meyer fan since he was head coach at bgsu. And always hoped he would head coach at TOSU someday. I am one very happy buckeye now. Oh and tress has always been a favorite coach too.
I'm with ya, Stu. Been a Meyer fan from way back. I wasn't happy about the beatdown in 2006, but I thought Meyer "put it on" Coach T, plain and simple.
An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches
Well, I have to admit, my buddy (not naming who) played for him last season and he told me he wasn't a fan of him because Urban would say in the locker room, "If it weren't for Tressel, we'd be in the NCG." I for one, love Urban's attitude but my buddy stated that he would constantly talk bad about Tressel behind his back, in the locker rooms.
Regardless of how Urban feels about Tressel, he's far too smart of a football coach to bash a legend who recruited and was loved by the current guys he is coaching. It would create an awkward rift that Urban is smart enough to not to make.
I'm sorry, but... B.S. meter
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
Again, this came from a buddy that was actually there when it happened. You can believe what you want, but I swear it happened numerous times, according to him. I never recorded our conversation so I can't prove it. You want an opinion, you got one.
I think context should be explained here because it would be one thing to say "If Tressel didn't do what he did, we could have been in a NCG" as opposed to "I blame Tressel for what he did which is keeping us from the NCG".
Urban wouldn't be lying if he said its Tressel's fault, becuase it actually is. but if your "buddy" said that Urban was ripping on Tressel and blaming him for everything, then yes that would be uncalled for.
I do believe Urban could have said what you say but I think it was more of competitve spirit than just bashing someone! I can easily see it being "It really sucks with what happened with Jim that we are not able to play in the NCG that we are qualified for". Urban just doesn't strike me as someone who would blame others and point fingers. I think it is more like he points out the reason why something happens.
Did your buddy say what was the topic at the time he said it? Did someone in the locker room complain that they felt they were being wronged and Urban tried to explain the situation and that even with sour grapes, over time you can make wine!
lastly, perception can easily be different than reality. What your buddy could have perceived as bashing might have been something different.
Upvote for you.
My buddy didn't say that anyone brought it up when Urban made such a statement. The way I took what my buddy said and from the sincerity of his voice was what you said, "I blame Tressel for what he did which is keeping us from the NCG." My buddy said that he loves Tressel so much because he was a father to him and the rest of the players. It didn't matter if you were a starter or third string, he cared for everyone eually. It's apparently not like that when Urban has his few players that he is drawn to. My buddy had taken what Urban was saying about Tressel as shit talking.
All people have different sides. I for one, never thought that Tressel would ever lie and have a lack of integrity when the NCAA would come knocking, but that wasn't the case then. Urban is a tireless and relentless competitor in a competitor driven situation and I definitely respect what he has already accomplished for my favorite team. However, being such a tense competitor, can lead to negative outlooks on certain situations.
I wish I would've asked him more questions about what else was said, just didn't have the greatest timing. I still respect Tressel and I still respect Urban, just don't understand why some can't believe certain stories about a certin person they have no idea who they really are.
I don't buy this one bit.
Funny thing about freedom, you don't have to.
I wish we would all own up to the fact that we all love Urban Meyer because he's winning and will continue to win at a dominant level at Ohio State. Save all this "I misunderstood him, I never thought he was that bad, its his dream job so he's not so terrible anymore" bullshit, haha. I own up to it all the time. I used to think Urban Meyer was a top five douchebag in college sports, just like all of you did. But now he's winning at Ohio State, and dammit, I love him for it. You used to hate him, and the only reason you don't anymore is because he is winning for us. That is the case for 90% of all of you, including myself. Winning is the reason ANY sports fan loves a coach (past the high school level of sports). Its the reason we love Urban, its the reason we loved Tressel, its the reason 'Bama loves Saban, its the reason USC loved Pete, etc. etc. It really has nothing to do with whether a coach is a douchebag or has ethical standards. If he wins he will be accepted wherever he goes, and the fans will come up with excuses as to why he's a good guy now or never was bad news and was simply always misunderstood.
In summary: Everybody just own up like me! You hated him for reasons other than the 2006 beatdown, but now he's wearing scarlet and grey, so its okay! Go Bucks.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
The only coaches I have time to hate are whoever is coaching TSUN and Bret Bielma because well Bret Bielma.
I don't hate Hoke and I only half-hate Bielema.
I do hate Spurrier and Mike Leach
Don't hate Mike Leach, hate Craig James.
/Duff'd It
Preach it!! I used to hate him.
Jake, your my man because of your even-keeled, balanced perspectives on Thad and Buckeye bball. But I'm not sure that you're applying that same even-keeledness to this Urbz question.
I liked Urbz at BG and Utah.
I hated Urbz at Florida because I'd hated Florida since the 90s, they put a beatdown on the Buckeyes in 2006/7, and because he seemed very arrogant to me. I never thought he was a d-bag. As for recruiting practices and/or player behavior at Florida under Urbz, I just never felt that FLA was worse in that regard than the rest of the SEC, and by far my biggest complaints in those days were directed at U$C, not FLA (I swore that Ohio State had better talent than FLA in 2006 but just didn't show up). As much as I've hated FLA, I've known they were one of the few legit academic institutions in the SEC, didn't oversign, etc. I had some key, compelling reasons to hate Urbz/FLA without Urbz/FLA being anything like Auburn . . .
I also hate/respect Saban and do not see him as a d-bag, either. Kiffins is a d-bag. Carroll and Butch Davis are shady.
You see what I'm getting at? If I'm bringing the same high level of balance and nuance you bring to your Buckeye bball perspectives, then I can look back and realize that my "hatred" for Urbz was never like what Meechigan's Portland-based Buckeye fans feel about him - i.e. that he's somehow untrustworthy; or that he's "beneath Buckeye standards," which obviously cannot be referring to football/recruiting ability, so it must be some kind of statement on his honor, character, human qualities, etc.
Urbz is the kind of coach who generally will be loved by his own fans/team/institution and hated by outsiders. Lest we forget, Woody Hayes inspired much the same feelings. Was he an untrustworthy d-bag?
That's my entire point. Whether you just disliked Urban or thought he was a douchebag, the details don't really matter. Point is you like him now because he's at Ohio State, and all of our excuses as for why he's arrogant/shady/whatever, while Florida has taken on the job of making those claims now. Its no coincidence. If Urban went to Penn State or Michigan I can only imagine the disdain we would hold for him. But he's not at Penn State or Michigan, so fans of their team hate him, even though he would be a god to them had he gone to their team. My whole point is that hating any/coach player that has sucess is pointless, because whoever it is, you would love him if he won for your team.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
I agree with your main point, just think you're being too black & white about it. You're right that when a coach/player wins big games for our favorite teams, that cures just about everything. I'm not so sure that sports "hatreds" are as easily explained in the opposite direction.
Ten years ago, I "hated" both Lloyd Carr and Tommy Tuberville, but only the latter was a d-bag. Try as I might, I couldn't get myself to hate Bob Stoops, Barry Alvarez, Mark Richt, Larry Coker, Phil Fulmer.
Jake, I respectfully have to say that I never, ever, hated UFM. I hate what happened in that game, I hate UF fans, I hate the Gators in general, but I honestly never hated the guy. I thought he was a winner. Yes, he seemed arrogant, I'll give you that - but confidence often looks like arrogance to those on the losing end of things. But, sorry, I cannot own up to disliking Meyer, I just never felt that way...
Edit: BTW, if UFM ever does something shitty, I'll be the first to denounce his actions - I cannot stand hero worship - it is one of the worst things that groups of people can do (see PSU). So don't think I am in the 'how dare you speak ill of that man' crowd. I simply have never had a reason to dislike the man.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
i hated him because he borderline ruined my freshmen year of college and had to lobby to be in the game. i think as an adult i would have acted completely differently, but getting beat that bad cuts pretty deep. as time went on and we all became more removed from the 2007 ncg i cared less about what specifically he did to our team, but more about what he accomplished in the situation he was in. so i was super pumped when he got hired.
i hated him solely for the beatdown.
I like football
Is it so hard to believe that some OSU fans didn't hate Urban Meyer? I didn't hate Urban. I've never in my life hated the man. I don't hate him for the beatdown in 2006 - he and his team did what they were supposed to do - go out and win a football game. I was mad at Tressel and our coaches and players for not being ready to play that night. Urban was doing his job that night.
Class of 2010.
I defended Urban during that time, never thought what most OSU fans did.
jake i find it interesting u can speak for everyone? i for one, wasnt pissed at meyer i was pissed at our own coaching staff for refusing to adjust to the game plan...i started saying after 07 we need to get that guy here to coach and if it wasnt for tressel messing up he prolly never would have gotten here... there were only a couple of coaches i thought were better than tressel. 1 was urbs and i personally think we have the best coach in college football and im very glad that meatchicken didnt get harbaugh bcuz i think he may be one of the few guys that could give urbs problems
mark may wins douchebag of the year... again
If he's not coaching your team then Urban comes across as an arrogant win-at-all-costs person that will take candy from a baby. Of course you don't get to know him or his methods because you don't care - until he is your coach. Turns out he has way more positives and he appears to be doing the right things. Of course everyone thought Tressel was doing everything right too. And I do not doubt that Meyer was unhappy with Tressel (weren't we all?). I would feel the same way if I was coaching and had an undefeated season but was being punished for something others did. Human nature. He's a great coach and so far he appears to be a good person so until we have reason to believe otherwise why doubt it? I have actually been a Meyer fan long before he came to OSU and he is a breath of fresh air and is making this an exciting team to follow. Even recruiting is fun to follow now! My wife's opinion of him - well that's a different story.
Both of you, Sir Rick and Maceyko, make good points. My reaction to Meyer was one of being pissed off that a coach that damn good and that capable of building a team like Florida, an Ohio guy at that, wasn't at OSU. Anyone at the top of any profession is only loved by those that benefit from that winner. If you do not fit under that umbrella, you're standing out in the rain. The rock throwers are always there looking up and in much greater numbers the more successful you are. Tressel was hated too, for the same reason. Urban is a good guy and great coach. He is just a tireless and relentless competitor in a competitor driven situation.
If Coach Meyer had a slew of past NCAA infractions behind him, ala Pete Carroll or John Callipari, yeah, I might be a little leery of him. But wherever the man has gone he's been successful and he did it the right way. Never saw BG, Utah and UF get into any trouble did you? I've gotten the impression if anything stinks under his watch it's out the door in a heartbeat. He doesn't tolerate BS, not by a longshot. His track record speaks more loudly than anyone's opinion and considering he IS the best coach in all of CFB, we're all going to give him the benefit of the doubt even if anyone has any concerns (I sure as hell don't).
"Sherman ran an option play right through the south" - Greatest.Civil.War.Analogy.Ever
I didn't like Urban for being the man responsible for the beat down in 2007. Never "hated" the dude or looked at him as a douche.
But after I accepted that Tressel was finished(took me all of three weeks to get over it), I was quietly praying Urban would be our next coach. Even after Fickell was named interim coach.
Everybody hates a the guy on top(or damn near). And the butthurt from A2 is going to get worse than it was when Tressel was coach. We're seeing that already with more TTUN fans on here looking for answers. They can't win on the field, so they come here and troll. That is the downside to 11W popularity. Wish they'd go to Bleacher Report.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
Afraid the troll population is going to explode here. They will just keep coming back. You can tell when you see new names with pro ttun statements that are commenting often. Just have to call them out and dv them into the can.
Tenyearwar/Ispeakthetruth has been here as like 4-5 different names so far...It's kind of funny to me.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
I totally understand not liking Urban initially (although I have to say I was only excited about his hiring because it was the biggest home run any team has hit since Alabama hired Nick Saban). But after seeing him coach last year any "distrust" I had for him is entirely gone. He teared up coming onto the field for the Spring Game for crying out loud. WoodyHayesHaymaker can't tell me that he would have done that anywhere else. This is his home and as stressful as the prior 2 years were, I am glad things worked out this way.
Ohio State fans didn't like Urban Meyer up til the time he got hired. I had many debates with folks who would of rather kept Fickell than to hire Meyer. There are a host of reasons people didn't like Urban. 41-14 started it. They Tebow love fest continued it. The recruitment of Sharrif Floyd really fueled that fire. Then when he quit came back and quit again people were giving him a hard time. JakeBuckeye is right above, there were many many people that came here every day who hated Urban Meyer. I believe even the staff would take some shots at him from time to time.
Maybe a lot of the people who deny deny deny, weren't really here before Urban was so they don't remember all the conversations, but this was a pretty anti-Urban area for a long time.
I won't get into the personalities of the guys coaching the team because I have no idea who the men are in real life. Does anyone really know who these guys are behind closed doors? No of course not. I question how genuine Urban is at times, and how much this was really his dream job. Don't need it to be though, as long as he keeps hauling in huge classes and winning ball games. At the end of the day, that's all we really care about. He could be a saint that rescues puppies and helps old ladies across the street, but if he goest 6-6 every year no one would want him coaching the team.
Part of being a college football coach is being a bullshit specialist. That's how you win over fans, that's how you sway the rest of the conference to change the rules a little, and that's how you win over recruits. Let's not be so shocked that people find that less than appealing when their coaches aren't doing this well enough.
Talbert, excellent comment in general, but I'm not sure that you directly address the "complaints" of the Portland Buckeye fans - that Urbz is supposedly untrustworthy and beneath the "standards of Ohio State," which must refer to ethical/moral matters (since Urbz is so obviously exemplary in football terms). Factors like 41-14, Tebow, and the stress-related burnout might have contributed to the hate fest, but they don't relate to trustworthiness.
One of your sentences is telling to me:
Exactly. These Portland Buckeye fans have no idea - not much concrete, established basis - to seriously question Urbz's trustworthiness and/or ethical standards "in real life" because they don't really know such things. It's just how they've felt about Urbz.
Well, in my book, the reflexive feelings we get toward people associated with institutions we don't like aren't usually that reliable - they don't represent well-established judgments that we ought to clutch in the face of new evidence.
Yes, this site was very anti-Urbz in 2010, but those feelings were mostly rooted in irrational fan impulses, which are partly what cbf so great, but also so nasty at times. Conversely, once Urbz becomes coach of The Ohio State University, however, yes much of that fan irrationality simply swings in the other direction. Yet that's the way irrational fan impulses are supposed to work. And it would be no more rational - probably less so - for the Portland Buckeye fans to cling to their original prejudices out of a false sense of intellectual/moral consistency, which was never built on a solid foundation to begin with.
Yeah my comments were more aimed at the outrage that someone would call Urban a douche and the denial that people around these parts didn't like Urban prior to that press conference announcing him as the new coach of THE Ohio State university.
I never heard anyone say that he was below Ohio State Standards, that is correct. I did see many people who wouldn't trust that he would stay more than a few years.
I just think it's funny that in a short time people went from questioning if he were the man for the job or not to HOW DARE ANYONE TALK ABOUT URBAN!!!!!!
BT, thank you! I'm not nearly as respected around here as you are, so its nice to know that I'm not completely crazy.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
I remember not liking the guy very much. I thought the Shariff Floyd story(though exaggerated as it was) was crazy. Then there was the time where he went off on the reporters at practice. The constant love fest on TV between he and Tebow made me ill. When he quit, came back, and quit again I got to thinking wow this guy is a mess.
HOWEVER.......Midway through Fickell's season I had all but decided the Ohio State coaching search should start and end with Urban Meyer. He is one of the 2 best coaches in college football and the gap between those 2 and the rest of the pack is vast. I would of loved the Sharrif Floyd recruitment if Urban was on our side and pulled that off. You know what, he kind of is a douche, but not in a bad way. He's not affraid to tell people exactly like it is if people want to hear it or not. I'm kind of a douche too!
I want him on my side, I like him now, but I didn't like him before, and quite honestly if he left and went somehwere else I probably wouldn't like him again (because it means whoever we have isn't as good).
Most of the doubts I initally had about hiring meyer had their roots in what I had read on sites like this (primarily Bucknuts before it was a total pay site)! A lot of rumors...We heard this and that. Did Meyer ever have any actual NCAA investigations, etc.? None that I know about. I think he seems like a good guy and there are a lot of people who want to see successful people fail. Can't say I'm upset about the hire!
I really don't know if he's a good guy or not, but what is important is not only do guys who play for him love him, guys he recruits really like him, even if they go elsewhere. You can see that he keeps a good relationship with former players too. That's all I care about, players and recruits like him. I'm not worried about fans, other fans, or other coaches.
Urban minces no words. Says how he feels. People are so soft in todays world, they can't handle it. That's what he brings and I only wish more people were like that. It would solve many problems.
Since I live in Florida and I was here for all of Urban's time at UF, I had no doubts when they hired him. I have no ill will for what happened in the NCG, that was more of a Tressel failure than anything else!
"Because I couldn't go for 3"
Meechigan - thanks for post/question. Welcome to 11W. We enjoy hearing different perspectives.
I'm honestly at a loss in trying to "locate" (in my mind) where your Portland-based Buckeye fans "fit" within Buckeye Nation. I simply haven't met that type.
Not suprisingly, I knew a lot of Buckeye fans who hated Urbz when he coached at Florida. I don't know any Buckeye fans who feel that way now. Now, a few of them are perhaps ambivalent, not sure if Urbz will leave Ohio State after only a few years; or, they don't like his personality and/or style, but they're willing to tolerate these qualities as long as Urbz maintains high standards, including in the classroom, off-the-field player behavior and discipline, in relation to NCAA compliance, etc.
For some of the Buckeye fans that I know, the reasons they hated Urbz at Florida are now mostly irrelevant to them - because he's no longer coaching at FLA (and in the SEC), his brashneess (arrogance?) is being put to work for the good guys, along with his aggression on the recruiting trail.
Yeah, if there were fans who genuinely had deduced, through careful study, that Urbz was "untrustworthy" and (presumably in terms of character) "below the standards" of Ohio State before he was hired, they are probably being inconsistent by conveniently obliterating those well-established conclusions from their minds.
But I'm not sure how rational, evidence-based such feelings tended to be in the first place. Many fans who said such things probably had little idea what was going on at FLA, except that they were winning NCs, recruiting top 5 classes, and had a string of off-the-field incidents toward the end of Meyer's run there. If these feelings were somewhat contrived to begin with (motivated partly by our butthurt from 2006 and hatred of all things SEC), shouldn't such reflexes (prejudices?) give way in the face of more evidence, greater familiarity with the subject, etc.?
So, it doesn't surprise me that I don't know any fans like your Portland Buckeyes. They sound like an austere sort, which do not typically make for passionate football fans.
I think untrustworthy and not up to OSU's standards are inaccurate. There are few that have issues with Urban but for the most part, many of us couldn't wait til Urban came on board. It was a life raft during a time of complete turmoil.
Again, dislike UF in general, disliked losing recruits to UF, but never disliked a coach that is really good at what he does. Especially when he hasn't done anything against the rules. Mike Bianchi likes to point out some player troubles but I chalk that up to the fact it is Gainesville FL. Pot and trouble are common down there no matter who they recruit. Currently Muschamp has player trouble, moreso than OSU has had over the past year and a half!
I must admit that, at the time of Meyer's first "retirement" from Florida, I thought he was just looking for attention or some more love from fans, administration, whomever. After watching him coach this year, though, my eyes have been opened to just how intense the dude is. His investment, emotionally and physically, is insane and, truth be told, I worry for the guy as far as achieving balance; it would seem like it would get easier with two NC's, but it just doesn't work that way. When people suggest that he's a five-year guy or whatever, I kind of see their point, but I think it will be due to burnout, not him being fickle or vain. He's all-Buckeye.
Here's a picture of coach prior to the Purdue game - he's just about to give my son a high five..
I've been consuming copius amounts of information, articles, stories, and anecdotes about Urban Meyer since he was rumored to be tOhio State's next coach. I wasn't sure what to expect at first, simply because of having only a superficial understanding of the man and his methods.
Back in '06/'07, I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watched him get his troops amped up for the National Championship game against tOSU. I knew we were damn good, but.......I thought, "that man flat out knows how to motivate" (dammit, why did USC lose that game to UCLA at the end?). I kept thinking, he damn sure knows how to coach. tOSU fans saw that in action in a painful way. Of course I heard stories about how some of his Florida players had troubles with "the law", so at the time I told myself that tOSU had players that were more "honorable".
So that was likely my prior view of the man, great coach and motivator, maybe didn't care who he recruited as long as they were fast and athletic, maybe he played a little fast and lose with the rules. I didn't really know for sure, and didn't follow him too closely then, so who knew?
So what does this die hard tOSU fan think of him now? Honest assessment? The more I see the more impressive he is. First issue - the legal problems with players at Florida - Meyer loves a challenge, and he wanted to turn around some kids who had difficult backgrounds (my take after reading his book and other articles). In some cases he succeeded, and in some cases he didn't. It may not have helped that U of Florida had an extremely liberal "5 strikes and you are out" policy for their athletes that he inherited.
With the recruits he has been targeting for his two seasons in Columbus, and how some of the problem players from last year's team were dealt with (Jamal Berry), you can surmise that he has a different approach now - maybe not as willing to take a chance on a marginal character recruit, quicker to mete out punishment - at least that's what it looks like to me.
How about oversigning in the SEC? Well, Meyer didn't partake in that, and didn't approve of it. In fact he subtly called out his SEC coaching peers on it, and my sense is that he was tired of some of the things going on in that conference (scam Newton anyone?). By the way, he did make the call to dismiss the one player who could have brought him another National Championship. Not exactly a sign of compromised morals.
OK, so what about the way he left Florida, the health issues. We've seen lots written about that, but you can sum it all up in one word: burnout. If you've ever been there, and I have, it takes a toll on your outlook and your health. Meyer seems to have diagnosed what caused it, and continues to work on preventing it. One of the absolute strengths of this guy seems to be his ability to learn from his mistakes.
Coach Meyer has shown he knows how to put together a highly competent staff that knows how to recruit, he keeps them on the same page, and has a "redundant" strategy if possible so that if say, Luke Fickell leaves to be a HC, then he doesn't miss a beat as Everitt Withers steps in (more learning from Florida).
He is showing the rest of the B1G how important recruiting is, how antiquated the old notions such as "gentlemans agreements" were, and how you have to broaden your scope in where you target prospects. Meyer is a master at recruiting because he understands you have to get your "brand" out there, which he does arguably better than anyone else in CFB (ESPN, commentating at National Champ game). Pete Carroll (calm down, I hate USC too) was a master at this and it payed him big dividends. Remember when Pete was on 60 minutes? Yes 60 minutes.
I like to think I can spot fakes a mile away. Maybe we all think that. The more I see the newest coach of tOSU, the more genuine the man looks. Maybe one of these days, I'll have pause to re-evaluate my view, because, hey, we all stumble in life.
What he said^^^. Well done. You hit the nail on the head.
boom
I like football
Great stuff Cause, very good assessment.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
If you check out the video of him speaking at the OHSFCA Convention you can see who he is. That video changed the way I see him as a coach and person.
I think he reallys genuinely wants these kids to suceed in life after football. He wants them to do their best in life and not settle for average. Watch the video and listen and i think you will see a different side of a man who cares about those kids outside of the football field.
I did not have time to read all the comments, so this may have been addressed already. Some may be concerned about the length of time he is here, based on the actions that took place at Florida. As for considering him being beneath OSU? I find that hard to believe. Any school in the nation, save 'Bama right now, would hire him in a second. Even those who wear yellow colored glasses have to admit this fact.
Coaches are human beings like all of us, and they have flaws. Urban may rub some people the wrong way, but many football coaches display the same confidence and passion. What I know unequivocally is that Urban loves OSU as much as anyone, just like his idol. The guy has been through so much in the last few years and I think it refocused his desire to help young men get an excellent education, while growing into productive citizens and great football players.
Wayne Woodrow Hayes
I've always loved Urban except when he was smashing us in the title game. I love a coach who loves and has a passion for the game and players like Meyer does. I always thought he would coach at tOSU but I was thinking it would be after JT would retire rather than the other circumstances. Sounds like they're fair weather buckeye fans to me. How can you not love the man? Especially with his background and pedigree he's brought back to tOSU. Perfect coach for the best University.
I didn't like Urban when he said teams and coaches shouldn't politic to get into the NCG, and then he went out politicking to get UF into the game (as hard as it would've been, I REALLY wanted to beat Michigan twice). The game had no importance to me about Meyer as I was more mad at the Bucks than I was anything related to Florida. However, I started to like Urban the first time I heard him in the booth calling a game. Everytime I watched a game when he commentated, I learned something. That guy is a football genious. I have felt that way about Bobby Knight calling basketball, and didn't feel that way about anybody in football other than Meyer. If Urban never came to OSU, I think I would still like him a lot.
Ok...I just saw this article and read the posts down to the part where BSTP DECON makes a comment about Urban's alleged comments against Tressel in the locker room. Listen closely...my son is a student at OSU and is a classmate and friend of Tracey Blunt, a backup wide receiver. I asked my son to call him to call him and ask him about this. He JUST NOW called me back and said that this NEVER happened. Not one time.
So....BSTP DECON, you are a stirring stick for some crap that you just wanted to throw out there.
What my son did say was that apparently Urban made reference to the team's inability to GO to a bowl, and (paraphrasing) that "you all know about that and let's use it to fuel our anger. We SHOULD be angy about that." Urban told the kids to simply use the situation to benefit play on the field. Urban never once blamed Tressel for it, although we all know he had a part in at least the cover up.
Trolls will be trolls. I am even a bit suspicious of the supposed guys in Portland who are "fans". If they represent even a biased cross section of OSU fans, then at least ONE of them would have disagreed. But no...ALL of them feel that way? What are they...quintuplets? Meechigan may have posted later to "clear up some things", but I see this as a fairy tale post.
Give me the names of these fans, let me see their Facebook page and read about what they think...and THEN I will concede that such an astronomical arrangement of the known universe has thrown together three absolute DOPES in one city who call themselves Buckeye fans.
End rant.
Can't we kill this thread already?
Leach and Gundy and Spurrier and Tuberville are in the coaching universe and people hate Meyer???
Pelini yes
Meyer NO
Kiffin yes
Meyer NO
I really think the denial of some people is insane! Most of the users on this website used to hate Meyer. I'm sorry. And for reasons other than the 2006 beatdown. If you really can't own up to that like me, then I'm sorry.
October 20th: National Kenneth Guiton Day
I had many questions about Urban becoming the football coach at OSU. ..... Player discipline, were Meyer's health problems due to Tebow graduating Florida, type of players he would bring to Ohio State (thugginess, shit-talkers, arrest records). Hell, I didn't know Urban then, and I don't know him now. I do know that he can coach football. He took a 6-7 team and 14 months later has a 12-0 record under his belt and is probably sitting preseason top 5 for 2013. OSU hasn't violated it's NCAA probation and Urban has represented the University well, as far as I can tell........ call me a satisfied, happy, eagerly anticipating fan.
I think all Buckeye fans had some disgust toward Coach Meyer after the beat down he gave us in '06. As a matter of fact I have one friend who won't fully accept him until "he brings back the championship he stole from us". The '06 team was so dominant and he was literally puking during halftime of the NCG, and it wasn't from drinking.
I have other friends who have had a hard time letting go of Coach Tressel, so it's not really that they don't like Coach Meyer, but have a hard time accepting anybody new. (One of these still hasn't forgiven tOSU for firing Coach Bruce.)
As far as Coach Tressel, it is my opinion that anybody that says he is a bad person should be punched in the face. My best friend's brother in law was one of the members of Navy Seal team 6 that was shot down in a helicopter in Afghanistan. His wife was very close to her brother, and took the loss of her brother extremely hard. Her boss has some contacts at tOSU and made a phone call. My buddies wife had some trouble with her phone, but when it was fixed, she had 50 some odd missed calls. One of them left a voicemail. It was coach Tressel. He told her that he heard she was a big Buckeye fan. He told her that on behalf of him and all of Buckeye Nation he would like to apologize to her for her loss and thank her for her brother's service and sacrifice. The fact that he took the time to do that in the middle of tatgate, with everything he was trying to deal with, speaks to who Jim Tressel is. He had plenty problems of his own, but took the time to show genuine concern for others. This past Christmas he even sent her a Christmas card letting her know he hadn't forgotten about her.
This is what made coach Tressel. Yes he made a mistake, but I believe he was a good person. I truly believe that he hid what he did to protect the people , not nessicarly the athletes they were. I might be a naive but I hope that's what he was doing...
I love Coach Tress.
I love Coach Meyer.
They are two different men, I like them both for different reasons; both were/are great coaches.
That is all.
Champions Bleed Scarlet & Gray
I have followed Urban's career since he was at BG (I knew he was an ex-Buckeye coach so I always rooted for him). I admired the style of football and success he brought to Utah and was anxious to see how he could do in the SEC. I had heard how Earle Bruce was his mentor and Urban had a lucky buckeye in his pocket. I obviously wasnt happy when his team crushed Ohio State in the NC game or when he beat out Tres for recruits on signing day (see Sharif Floyd). But i always had respect for him and thought he was one of the most innovative coaches in the country. We absolutely could not have made a better choice. I give credit to everyone invovled in bringing Urban in as the Buckeye coach, in very short order, after the end of a very trying season. And the hiring of Urban is what made me aware of 11W!
I am glad he is OSU's coach; he was always a buckeye!
Not sure why everyone assumes we should hate the coach that beats us. The guy was from Ohio, young handsome and coached up his kids and put together a game plan that made us look like amateurs.
He didn't have everyone saying he was God a la Paterno and didn't act like an ass on the sideline like Pelini and didn't have Gundy post games or start felons a la Beamer.
I was disappointed with Tressel after the NCS, not Meyer
I was too, but I grew to hate him with his success and popularity. But I asked myself if Tressel was gone, who would I want? That SOB right there. We are blessed.
THis^^^^^
12 and 0 seems to clear up any questions.
This thread just needs to die already like Dorner.