Skull Session: The Birth of Urban Meyer's Spread Offense, Mike Jinks Keeps It 100, and Chargers Look to Acclimate Joey Bosa

By D.J. Byrnes on August 30, 2016 at 4:59 am
Urban Meyer should answer questions for the August 30th 2016 Skull Session
158 Comments

Urban Meyer flummoxed me yesterday by publicly disagreeing with the university's decision to suspend Torrance Gibson for the fall semester due to a violation of the student code of conduct.

Meyer refused to clarify the nature of the violation. I heard various things with a common thread, but nothing I can broadcast here. So, we'll stick with what got reported.

From dispatch.com:

But two sources told The Dispatch it involved a dispute in the spring between Gibson and a female tutor or teaching assistant that was brought to light in terms of a written complaint to the student code of conduct board from the female. The penalty went before a review panel and was upheld.

Meyer is used to domain over his football team, but Ohio State does not suffer fools, and nobody comes before the #brand. This is why it showed Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel, E. Gordon Gee, and Jon Waters the door without hesitation.

Torrance Gibson was a small fish compared to any of them.

Meyer wants to protect his players, and he wouldn't be the first coach to want to handle discipline in-house, but this is what separates Ohio State from places like Baylor — the football coach will never have 100% control.

The university also doesn't wantonly suspend students for entire semesters, so it's hard to sympathize for Gibson. He will weather the storm and come back stronger next year, or he'll fold shop and transfer.

Ohio State will be fine, regardless.

 THE BIRTH OF URBAN MEYER'S O. Anyway, it's game week. Ohio State plays Bowling Green, which is ironic considering a fact of which most Buckeye fans aren't aware: Meyer used to coach the Falcons!

Don't everyone stampede to Wikipedia at once, because I already did that. It's true. Meyer coached them, and he was good. It's also where he spawned the offense we all love to know.

From cleveland.com:

"It was cutting edge. It was, 'Go build something.' There was no model," said Meyer.

This is self-promotion. Meyer took an intensive four-day crash course in spread  philosophy  from Scott Linehan, now the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator, when Linehan was at Louisville and Meyer was still at Notre Dame.

Still, the first time former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, along with Holtz another of Meyer's mentors, saw the offense, Bruce exploded in dismay, shouting, "What the hell is happening? What the hell is that?"

"Coach, it's off-tackle power, your base play," Meyer replied.

Hmmm. Perhaps this is why Earle Bruce underperformed in Columbus?

Jokes aside, this is why Meyer is the perfect new-age coach for Ohio State. He runs a spread that makes defenses defend every inch of the field, but it relies on the principles that propelled Woody Hayes to national prominence. (Sure, Woody might detest the theory of equal balance between running and throwing, but he would love how Meyer's teams impose their will on opponents.)

 THIS JINKS FELLA IS KINDA SWAGGY. Like Meyer before him, Bowling Green head coach Mike Jinks is in his first collegiate head coaching stint. Unlike Meyer, he coached high school two years prior to becoming a D-1 head coach.

This is either terrible or great news for Falcons fans. Jinks will either be unprepared and fail (think Mike Pettine with the Cleveland Browns, who underwent a similar ascension) or succeed since he's a prodigy.

After watching this clip, it's easy to see why Bowling Green sachems liked him.


... A coach saying he won't onside kick the first play is exactly what I'd expect from a coach who plans to onside kick the first play. Good thing my team's coach has a psychology degree from Cincinnati, which means a ploy like this won't work.

Still, Bowling Green's hiring team isn't alone in their fondness for Jinks. His players like him too.

From dispatch.com:

“A Big 12 coach coming in?" [senior quarterback James] Knapke said. “Texas Tech was faster than we were last year. They like to throw the ball around. Well, that’s almost like basketball. The main difference in Coach Jinks’ offense (from former coach Dino Babers) is that it’s more complicated. There is more on the quarterback."

Cornerback Marcus Milton, who played at Pickerington Central and Jireh Prep in Matthews, North Carolina, took to Jinks right away.

“Coach is a humble man," he said. “You see his resume and understand why he got here so quickly."

Sounds like it will be quite the schematic challenge for the young Buckeye defense, which is exactly what you want in a home opener with a team like Oklahoma looming in Norman in two weeks. I'm excited to see what Jinks cooks up.

 CHARGERS STILL SUCK. Joey Bosa's team made it clear to the San Diego Chargers from the outset: He would allow offset language in his contract or delay the full disbursement of his $17 million signing bonus, but not both.

The Chargers' dumb pride made them refuse. Bosa held out and missed the entirety of training camp and three preseason games. After the Chargers realized their defensive line was still trash, they caved to Bosa's original demands.

From espn.com:

“He came in in great shape,” McCoy said. “I had a great conversation with him this morning when he got in and talked about what we’re going to do with him. We’ll go one day at a time with him, and when we think he’s ready to play to go out there and play he’ll be out there with us.”

The Chargers did a good job of keeping Bosa’s arrival a secret, flying him in late Sunday evening and bringing him to the facility early Monday morning. McCoy said that when he brought Chargers chairman Dean Spanos down to the weight room to meet Bosa, the rookie was doing squats.

Dean Spanos probably shit himself when he realized Bosa squatted six Dean Spanoses. 

Now that he’s signed, Bosa will have the next couple of weeks in practice to get up to speed so that the Chargers can at least use the Ohio State product in certain packages.

Congrats to the Chargers for not allowing their cheapness to scuttle Bosa's entire rookie season. I still hate them.

Oh, and this clown is, by law, not allowed to cheer for Bosa when he starts destroying quarterbacks:

trash man with a trash sign
PHOTO: Orlando Ramirez | USA TODAY Sports

Fun fact: The deadline to trade Bosa passed over a month before this photo was taken.

 YOUNG URBAN. Perhaps you're a Wikipedia hater and don't believe Meyer coached at Bowling Green. Well, here's more proof:


Good to know when I scream "LET'S GO" at the TV, I am actually doing quality coaching.

 THOSE WMDs. The unofficial 11W College Football Pick 'Em... The world's greatest counterfeiter... False reports of violence  upend airport operations... The $45 million fall of a wine scammer... The legend of the choco taco... Washing machines fix school attendance

158 Comments
View 158 Comments