Let's make one thing clear: Urban Meyer wants nothing more than to put himself and Ohio State in the best situation to win football games. He often preaches about the culture he and his staff have established in Columbus in just four short years, a timeframe that's yielded 50 checks in the win column against only four losses.
The Ohio State fanbase can't fathom when the Buckeyes lose games. Truth is, Meyer can't either.
That's the expectation to which Meyer holds himself. In order to ensure that stays in place, he surrounds himself with the best coaching talent he can find . There's a reason so many of his assistants have left after studying under him to become head coaches elsewhere. It's also why Meyer named former LSU offensive coordinator and Maryland offensive line coach Greg Studrawa to his staff Friday morning.
Studrawa is set to replace Ed Warinner as offensive line coach of the Buckeyes ahead of the 2016 season, while Ohio State's current offensive coordinator takes over for Tim Hinton as tight ends and fullbacks coach. Hinton will move into the senior level executive director for football relations/special assistant position, an administrative role only he knows if he is happy with.
It is a step back for Hinton, but he agreed to it after a conversation with Meyer, the boss. Whatever Meyer said it worked, and he offered praise for Hinton in the press release the program sent out Friday announcing the transitions.
"Tim is an excellent coach and an outstanding person who I have a tremendous amount of respect for," Meyer said. "I am grateful for everything he has done for us, and I see his value to this program even increasing as he becomes more of a resource and mentor for our current and future student-athletes. Plus, he’ll provide a needed strategy and analysis roll with the offensive coaches."
That might certainly be true, but the overarching reason for the shift in coaching personnel is because Meyer knows he must keep Warinner in the booth alongside quarterbacks coach Tim Beck in 2016.
Meyer is pleased with how Ohio State finished the 2015 season and bounced back from the loss to Michigan State.
"Our offense was as good as it was all year with coach Warinner and coach Beck together in the box," Meyer said. "So keeping those two in place during games is something I think our offense will benefit from as we move forward."
The Buckeyes' offense shredded Michigan's top-10 defense as well as Notre Dame for 86 points in the final two games of the 2015 season, putting together its finest performances with Warinner being the final voice in the play calling tier. The group was efficient and explosive, just like the college football world expected it to be all season. It took too long for Meyer to get it figured out and resulted in Ohio State's lone loss of the year, a 17-14 decision at home to Michigan State Nov. 21.
"I think the performance of Coach Warinner was outstanding upstairs. So was Tim Beck," Meyer said Jan. 7. "Those are two, I know the Team Up North was a top-10 defense. I think (Notre Dame is) close. That was outstanding football."
That same day, Meyer said he didn't anticipate any further changes to his staff in the offseason. Was he lying? Maybe. Did he have a sudden change of heart and realize something needed to change to keep Warinner with a bird's eye view in 2016? Maybe, but he knew it all along.
“I’ve known Greg for a long time, starting with my time at Bowling Green when he was my offensive line coach. I know how good of a coach he is. There aren’t many people I’d entrust our offensive line to after the job coach Warinner has done, but Greg is one of them and I’m pleased to have him join our staff.”– Urban Meyer
"That's still in the evaluation phase," Meyer said 10 days ago when prompted with a question regarding Warinner's future game location. "I will say this: We are going to change some offense. We are going to be more balanced. That's a commitment I made."
Ohio State called 40 pass plays against Notre Dame, with J.T. Barrett throwing 31 times (completing 19) for 211 yards, one touchdown and an interception when his arm was hit as he threw. The Buckeyes racked up 496 total yards against the Fighting Irish, and 482 against Michigan. The strong finish made it clear for Meyer what needed to be done: Warinner needed to stay in the seat Tom Herman kept warm for three years before heading to Houston.
Meyer just didn't make the decision public until Friday, with Studrawa—someone he worked with at Bowling Green and therefore trusts—coming on board to step in for Warinner in molding the big guys up front.
"I’ve known Greg for a long time, starting with my time at Bowling Green when he was my offensive line coach," Meyer said. "I know how good of a coach he is. There aren’t many people I’d entrust our offensive line to after the job coach Warinner has done, but Greg is one of them and I’m pleased to have him join our staff."
The move is a piece to the puzzle working to keep Ohio State progressing forward as an offense, which is and always been Meyer's forte. And it eats at him that he didn't pull the trigger and put Warinner up top earlier, just like it was the right move—for the 2015 team—to have J.T. Barrett start at quarterback instead of Cardale Jones.
"I'm the harshest evaluator on myself," Meyer said. "Went 12-1, that's the bottom line. Would it have changed the one? The Cardale situation. He's leaving Ohio State, three wins against top-10 teams, a national championship, undefeated (as a starter). But could you have moved J.T. in there earlier? I'm not going to answer that, because I don't know the answer. I'm going to keep evaluating.
"I'm sure every one of you have opinions on when could have, should have. I know that's a very difficult, Tim Beck and I had a conversation the other day. That was a grind. That was an anguish, just a knot in your stomach."
Meyer is always evaluating, and made the staff moves for next year to give Ohio State—the place he holds so dear to his heart—the best chance to getting back to the top of the conferene, even though a remarkable nine players left early for the NFL Draft.
He won it all in 2014 with a team that wasn't supposed to do it until last year, a group with leaders like Jeff Heuerman, Michael Bennett, Curtis Grant and Evan Spencer that taught Meyer more than he could describe tangibly. The 2015 squad showed him a different light.
"I make this comment all the time: I learned as much football, as much about life as I ever have from the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes," Meyer said. "I might have matched that this year."
Meyer is content with 12 victories and a Fiesta Bowl Championship. He knows Ohio State could have done more with the talent it had this season, but also knows the Buckeyes will be back and are set up well for next year and beyond.
The offensive staff changes Meyer made this week are just the next step for him to keep winning, get back to the pinnacle of the Big Ten and guarantee Ohio State is put in the best chance to win.
That's all that matters.
