Tressel’s in trouble at Ohio State; Urban Meyer to the rescue?
"Urban, you'd look swell in one of those sweater vests." (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
The NCAA has just accused Jim Tressel, who oversees the football program at The Ohio State University, of lying. Generally speaking, it doesn’t pay to lie to the NCAA. (Ask Bruce Pearl, who used to coach basketball at Tennessee.) There are those who believe Tressel, his stellar record notwithstanding, isn’t long for his job.
And then there’s Beano Cook, who believes Urban Meyer will coach Ohio State in 2012.
Beano Cook, who used to be a big man in college football circles, went on ESPN Radio last week and averred: “I’ve said on my Podcast. . . Urban Meyer will be the coach at Ohio State in 2012. That was my prediction and I stick by that prediction.”
Corporate synergy note: You can find Beano’s podcast, also on ESPN, by clicking here. And Urban Meyer, who once coached the Florida Gators, works for ESPN. At least he does until he decides to end his latest retirement.
A couple of things: Beano has been wrong before. (So have I.) He infamously predicted Ron Powlus would win two Heismans. (I infamously predicted Georgia would beat Florida and Urban Meyer in 2008. Also in 2010. I never learn.) That said, Beano could be onto something here.
Tressel is in trouble. He has already been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season — Ohio State was ready to dock him two games, but Tressel requested three more — after failing to tell school officials he’d been given reason to believe his players had traded jerseys for tattoos. And Meyer is, among other things, a native Ohioan.
Born in Toledo. Grew up in Ashtabula. Played defensive back for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Started his coaching career at Ohio State. Has his Masters from Ohio State. Can do all the gestures to “Hang On Sloopy.” (Official rock song of the Buckeye State, FYI.)
Meyer does have one blip on his history. He outcoached Tressel and beat the hugely favored Buckeyes in the BCS title game in January 2007, giving rise to the notion that Ohio State couldn’t handle the big boys of the SEC. This was the notion Tressel was so desperate to debunk that he lobbied for those players suspended in the wake of the tattoo investigation to be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. (They played. OSU won, just.)
If Tressel does fall, there’d be no better choice as replacement. But one word of warning to Michigan fans: If your team should score a touchdown against the Meyer-coached Buckeyes and your players should feel the need to express their elation via an on-field dance … well, the Urbanator won’t like that. He won’t like that one little bit.
Oh, and one thing more: Readers have reminded me that The Ohio State University will meet The University of Georgia in 2020 and 2021. Mark your calendars, folks.
By Mark Bradley
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272 comments Add your comment
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
4:59 pm
football history,
Beano is cool and funny. Ever his his call-in’s to Cowherd. They’re hillarious and end with Colin asking Beano what’s he’s having for lunch. It’s usally salad.
Beano’s comments about Meyer and Ohio State is nothing but conjecture and give’s MB something to blog about.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:00 pm
Paul,
Good point. And, if you read the document, there is not a “lack of institutional control” issue in this case.
ClinchCountyDawg
April 25th, 2011
5:00 pm
Buckeye
Do you think Meyer will start wearing cute wittle sweater vests if he becomes the coach at Ohio State? I don’t see Meyer stepping down to the Big Ten after coaching in the SEC.
Va'jayjay Jackson
April 25th, 2011
5:01 pm
Jim Tressel is toast, but not because Beano Cook says so. Jim Tressel will be dumped, because they will suddenly wake-up an realize their program has become a thug-a-thon and will give sweater vest boy the boot. I’ve heard Phil Fulmer is still looking for work!
Could Urban Meyer actually land at Ohio State? – FANATTIC NETWORK
April 25th, 2011
5:04 pm
[...] NCAA’s investigation of the Ohio State football program and head coach Jim Tressel, the rumor mill is firing up regarding the likely ouster of Tressel and his replacement by Ohio native and former Florida [...]
Sweater Vests R Us
April 25th, 2011
5:04 pm
Wal-Mart is having a sale on Buckeye sweater vests. Corruption is running rampant in THE Ohio St. football program, come get your $.05 sweater vest.
Morgan Fairchild
April 25th, 2011
5:06 pm
ESPN is reporting that Lane Kiffen is interested in the vacant Ohio St. job.
PS – I love lamp!
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:07 pm
Dawglas,
Hell yes I’m defensive. I’m digusted and defensive. It’s my program on the line. I’ll keep Tressel, forgive him, and the sooner Prima Donna Pryor and friends leave, the better.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:09 pm
Sweater Vests,
Hmm, can’t recall the presse release that Walmart carries Nike
Morgan,
I’ll take Tressel over Kiffin any day. Kiffin’s wife, now that’s a different story!
jarvis
April 25th, 2011
5:09 pm
I wonder how the spread would look with a bunch of slow white linemen trying to get down the field…
Oh yeah, we saw that at Michigan the last 3 years. It didn’t look so good.
Brutus the Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:09 pm
Curly Hallman
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:10 pm
DwaginLex,
I’m with you. I bet anyone here a Dilly Bar that Tressel’s eventual replacement is NOT UM.
RomeDawg
April 25th, 2011
5:10 pm
I am of the mindset that as long as your college is paying the NCAA the required ransom they will over look almost any act. (Ex: Auburn and Cam Newton and the 2011 OSU Sugar Bowl Win.)
Let’s face it ladies….college sports are solely about the money.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:11 pm
Clinch,
Urbane has his own style. Les Miles has his hat. Spurrier has the visor. Win with has the hair spray.
Bobo, Bobo, a pirate's life for me
April 25th, 2011
5:12 pm
haha, nice ending paragraph Mark.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:12 pm
Clinch,
Your shift run a bit late today?
Brutus the Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:12 pm
Gerry “Bring back the Magic” DiNardo
Old Dawg
April 25th, 2011
5:14 pm
There’s really no other option for Ohio State than to fire Jim Tressel. It was BS that he was able to maintain his players’ eligibility for the bowl game, in what was clearly poor decision making by the NCAA (Alabama and UGA fans can puke now at the hypocrisy) and with more of the story coming to light, perhaps the bowl game should be forfeited.
As for Meyer going to OSU in 2012, it would be a natural fit. Though the lack of SEC quality talent might drive him nuts.
Oh well, this gives all the talk shows and sports bar folks lots to talk about.
I still trying to figure out how this happened. I mean, the Big 10 is an academic oriented conference, isn’t it?
Matt from MN
April 25th, 2011
5:22 pm
Is there a bigger blow-hard and inaccurate college “analyst” than “the Beanster”? When was the last time he was right about anything of significance? How does this guy have a job and why does anyone listen to him?
Auburn Fans are horrible
April 25th, 2011
5:23 pm
Too bad the NCAA can’t get their $hit together on the Newton Case.
But I love to see THE Ohio State in trouble. It is too bad that Tressell has to be the lamb. I would pay money to watch the jackass that decided Ohio State needed to stress the ‘THE’ slowly strangled.
Calling it ‘THE’ Ohio State university is almost as annoying as Miami players calling it the ‘U’ and Auburn fans claiming their National Title is anything but a rental.
dawgfan
April 25th, 2011
5:24 pm
I counted four UGA references in a column about Urban Meyer going to Ohio State. Am I the only one that finds this odd?
Auburn Fans are horrible
April 25th, 2011
5:25 pm
Well…it did get us posting on here dawgfan.
Mark Bradley`s Booster
April 25th, 2011
5:26 pm
I don`t believe a word of all this speculation started by Beno Cook.
First no one on any blog anywhere nor any media person knows if Tressel will be fired. Its common these days to put the cart before the horse. Why not wait until the NCAA or Ohio State make some statement(s) about the coaching status of Tressel before continuing this nonsense?
Brutus the Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:28 pm
Mark Bradley`s Booster,
Tressel’s out like a fat kid in dodgeball.
sogadog
April 25th, 2011
5:30 pm
I predict Urban remains an ESPN television commentator / announcer. It is a high profile (good for the ego), low stress (good for the body) , high paying (good for the wallet) job. If he wanted to get back into coaching after Florida, he would have gone to Notre Dame.
could it be that urban's wife likes columbus
April 25th, 2011
5:31 pm
after all you are comparing columbus to a conference that has fans who beat up opposing fans an who piss in their own library. than there is the trash and no I’m not talking about just the fans…. the buckeye fans would never disrespect the school like sec fans.
i have attended games in many of the sec venues and i have attended games at the horse shoe. a clear case of a$$ vs class. it is not a priority to sneak flasks at tosu into the games and get as drunk as you can possiblie get while acting like an ass in the process. they enjoy football for the sport not for the partay.
than we have columbus ohio. columbus ohio is a jewel of a college town. meanwhile the sec has places like athens where the restaurants smell of urine, stale beer and vomit. just like the fans.
lastly who the hell wants to hang around fan bases that are still fighting the civil war over n over n over n over n over n over again.
just saying………………………
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
5:34 pm
“columbus ohio is a jewel of a college town”
Yeah, and I’m Brad Pitt.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:35 pm
Auburn Fans,
Ohio State changed their name in 1878 to The Ohio State University. Tressel had nothing to do with it,
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:37 pm
Beast,
Ever been to Columbus?
hey brad
April 25th, 2011
5:38 pm
the truth hurts. you can deny it all you want but columbus ends up in the top 10 lists of many ‘best cities to live in’. matter of fact they fell in the top 10 this year as well. google it.
meanwhile ….. urnine trash and vomit oh my.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:39 pm
Brutus,
Funny line….out like a fat kid in dodgeball………….
superDawg
April 25th, 2011
5:40 pm
SEC-14 osu-0
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
5:40 pm
Buckeye,
Spent a week there for work. Thought it was a hole. Crime’s pretty bad from what I hear. To be fair, most college towns are much the same (Gainesville, Tallahassee, Athens, etc.).
Ohio State groupie
April 25th, 2011
5:40 pm
You can fire O’ Jimbo, but please dont mess with our hard schudule at the beginning of every year. I just dont konw what I would do if you too away the Ohio’s, Youngstown St. Akron, Toledo’s away. Just fire Tressel
teewest
April 25th, 2011
5:40 pm
Ya Har Har!!! Ol Markus strikes again!!!! He serves up a helping of fried coach and EVERY buckeye fan in the south comes out!! Markus YOU are a genius i tell ya!! You ought to have your own cooking show “Fried Coaches with Markus Bradley” Hey how bout some fried Derek Dooley with some smothered Les Miles on the side!!!
Concrete Jungle
April 25th, 2011
5:42 pm
Tressel to Georgia State?
hey brad
April 25th, 2011
5:42 pm
i find it funny that of all the disparaging things i had to say about the sec venues the only thing you could pick up on was my ‘jewel’ comment. sounds like you agree with what i had to say.
btw i lived in columbus for 6 years so i have first hand knowledge unlike YOU!
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
5:43 pm
@hey brad,
Just busting your chops. I’ve been to every stadium in the SEC except for Fayetville. Not a big fan of “college towns” now that I’ve quit binge drinking and chasing 18 year old girls.LOL! I prefer a city like Atlanta where there is actually something to do for adults.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:43 pm
Old dawg,
“lack of SEC quality”…. Are you referring to Fulmer Cup wins, academic achievement, alumni bases, notable alums, graduation rates, exactly what?
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:46 pm
Beast,
I don’t think of Columbus as a college town a la Athens, Oxford, OH, South Bend. While the university plays a major role, Columbus, like Atlanta, has seen expansive growth. Hardly ‘Cowtown” anymore. Hell, the “Outerbelt” (270) goes the entire way around the city.
beast that is fine.....
April 25th, 2011
5:48 pm
everybody has an opinion but i was dead serious on the top 10 places to live. i have been following those lists for years and columbus does fall in the top 10 repeatedly. even without tosu students columbus still has a population that is over 100k so it can stand alone on its own accomplishments.
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
5:49 pm
Buckeye,
It’s been (more than) several years ago. To each his own. If I leave the ATL, it’ll be for the Florida coast again. I do miss the water!
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
5:52 pm
Buckeye,
All kidding aside, do you think Tressel will resign? I think he weathers the storm and all is forgotten by mid-season. I surely don’t think the administration will force him out based on the stance they took already.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:53 pm
Beast that and Beast from,
A quick Google reference reveals Franklin County which emcompasses most of Metro Columbus boasts a population of over 1.1 million.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
5:57 pm
Another quick look reveals TV market ratings…
Columbus – 32
By Comparsion………
Lexingtin – 63( For you, Dawgin)
Columbia, SC – 79
Knoxville – 59
Clinch Country – Still has rabbit ears with foil wrapped around them
more on columubus ohio
April 25th, 2011
5:59 pm
http://www.relocateamerica.com/ohio/cities/columbus
http://www.relocateamerica.com/top-100-cities/2010/top-10-large-cities.cfm
and the list goes on.
Buckeye
April 25th, 2011
6:00 pm
Beast,
Yes, I do think Tressel will resign and said as much on this blog when the story broke. I predicted he would resign soon than later. Also predicted 2010 vacated, Sugar Bowl vacated (crap) , No Bowls for two years.
ClinchCountyDawg
April 25th, 2011
6:01 pm
Buckeye
I hear Pat Dye and all of the Bowdens would be interested in the Ohio State job. Pat Dye would be a step up in the morals dept.
Beast from the East
April 25th, 2011
6:01 pm
Buckeye,
I just don’t see it happening. I’ve been wrong a time or two in my life, so I wouldn’t be willing to bet on it.
ClinchCountyDawg
April 25th, 2011
6:02 pm
Buckeye
I want my MTV!!!!