Ohio State's Urban Meyer, facing bowl ban, to place more emphasis on Michigan game
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer says he's not sure if he can add any more focus to the team's rivalry with the Michigan football program.
Associated Press
It won't even be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game.
So, the question is: With the postseason off the table, will Ohio State place increased focus on its season finale against heated-rival Michigan?
"Sure," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Thursday at Big Ten media days in Chicago. "I don't know if you can add any more to it, but ... the big reason is hopefully, by the end of the season, it'll be two really good football teams who are going to play each other.
"Certainly in our own state, a buzz about it already was created."
Big Ten Media Days
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Michigan reserve cornerback Terrence Talbott leaves the program
Taylor Lewan and Denard Robinson listed on B1G's preseason "Players to Watch" list
New-look roster featured a beefed up Craig Roh and Jibreel Black
Devin Gardner switches to No. 12, still listed as a quarterback
Ohio State lost its final four games of the season to finish 6-7, its first losing season since 1988.
Meyer brings hope to Columbus, though, after his work at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida. He won two national championships with the Gators, and turned several quarterbacks into Heisman Trophy contenders.
His star pupil, Tim Tebow at Florida, became the first sophomore in the history of college football to win the award.
Meyer, as it happens, inherits a dynamic mobile quarterback at Ohio State in Braxton Miller. The sophomore is expected to prosper in the new spread offensive scheme.
But without a postseason state, will Ohio State be resigned to treating Michigan like a bowl game?
"I haven't made that decision yet on how we'll attack that game," Meyer said. "It will be our biggest game of the year, and we'll be ready for it. If we have to come up with some kind of gimmick or something to go play that game, that means we're not very good.
I've had to do that before. Coaches kind of circle the wagons and give out wristbands and do all kinds of crazy T-shirts and all that. (But) I'm hoping we're really, really good, tackle well and move the ball well and play a great game against a very good team."
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
Comments
MRunner73
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 9:14 p.m.
Urban is putting so much pressure on himself and his team that I feel there is a risk of ohio blowing this game. He's been showing film or video of the last Michigan-ohio in their locker room., every day There isn't any possible way ohio can prep for any game than humanly possible. Trust me on this; you can over-rev student athletes. Some will rise to the occasion but this is overkill. Urban's tactics will do more harm than good. Maybe in the process, ohio will lose a few more games than expected because they are overlooking the game at hand. Note to Urban: This is the 12th game of the regular season. You must play the first 11. Go ahead, put your eggs in one basket. GO BLUE!!
azwolverine
Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 3:37 p.m.
MRunner...I agree. SEC fan...it's "know."
MRunner73
Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 1:33 p.m.
Hello SEC Fan. I won't wrestle in the mud with you. What you need to know is that I am a former student athlete who understands what coaching and mentoring means. Urban Meyer to me is ...1) the guy who LOST to Michigan in 2008 with a Gator team that was a previous NCAA champ and was a champ the followng year. and 2) the guy who quit of the Gators to do what? TV analyst and now Buckeye Heac Coach. Yea, I wish him well and I'm no psych major so I will stand by my comment: He's putting too much pressure on himself and his team. Relax, we're both fans. You root for your team and I'll root for mine.
SEC Fan
Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 12:29 a.m.
Urban is "putting so much pressure on himself"...you obviously no nothing about football outside of Ann Arbor. Holy Smokes. Do you even know who Meyer is?
BornInA2
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
O-hi-who?
SuperiorMother
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:28 p.m.
Thank you for referring to the team as Ohio State and not Ohio.
Scott
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 5:55 p.m.
Hopefully Rawls can become the featured back and Mattison can find a way to patch together a decent D line. I thinks OSU will be very good and very very hard to beat in that dump they call the horseshoe.
SemperFi
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.
"Meyer, as it happens, inherits a dynamic mobile quarterback at Ohio State in Braxton Miller." Miller had better be mobile, because his arm strength & accuracy won't beat anybody in the B1G.
rightmind250
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
Scott, Denard lead the league in interceptions. It wasn't even close. Fact is, Denard hasn't proven he can throw with any consistency.
azwolverine
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
While Miller missed on a big pass at the end of the UM game last year, he did also complete a lot of passes that helped keep OSU in the game. I'm guessing he's only going to be better this season (as will Denard) and wouldn't count out either players passing ability.
Yost Ghost
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
Scott, I agree on the running part but Miller was a lot less accurate than Drob throwing the ball.
Scott
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 5:57 p.m.
He's a lot like Denard. Innacurate arm, but can destroy you with his running.
osubetterthanu
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 5:09 p.m.
Well I am pretty confident that come November we will win The Game this year. However, I can absolutely guarantee that Michigan will see the most physical ohio state team that we have had in years including all those Tressel teams. Go Bucks!
GoBigBlue
Sat, Jul 28, 2012 : 5:12 p.m.
Sure you are sec. Wink wink.
SEC Fan
Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 12:27 a.m.
no doubt. I'm wagering (for real) it won't even be close. Buckeyes win in a landslide.
Blue Marker
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.
Neither coach or team wants to lose this game so it should be epic. It's much better when it's not one-sided as it was in the 90's and 00's. I grew up with Bo vs. Woody and I think we're headed there again. Go Blue!