Urban Meyer can see another national championship in Ohio State’s future.
The head coach led the Buckeyes to a 2014 title, and they won another championship a decade later under Ryan Day. Meyer likes his former employer to run the gauntlet again, under one condition.
“If they stay healthy, I pick the Buckeyes,” Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast. “If someone gets dinged, I’m going Notre Dame. But I’ll go Ohio State.”
Can Ohio State win another title?
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Health is a possible deterrent for any football team, but Meyer identified another obstacle Ohio State must overcome.
“This is the toughest schedule they’ve had in a bit,” Meyer said.
The Buckeyes play the No. 5 Texas Longhorns in Week 2 and play three more ranked opponents (Iowa, Indiana, USC) on the road in October. Ohio State also hosts Oregon in a colossal Big Ten battle on Nov. 7 and will close the regular season with its annual rivalry matchup against Michigan.
The Buckeyes begin the season No. 1 in the AP Top 25, so Meyer may not be making an overly biased selection. But he shouted out another former employer in Notre Dame.
Meyer considered how much has changed since he coached wide receivers at South Bend from 1996 to 2000. The Fighting Irish also have an easier path with just one game against a top-12 ranked opponent (No. 7 Miami Hurricanes on Nov. 7).
“They’ve gone from a place where they wouldn’t let us use cell phones because it wasn’t Notre Dame-ish, back when everyone was using cell phones, they didn’t have training tables,” Meyer said. “Now you’re talking about, they pay their coaches, they’ve got a great coaching staff, great head coach. They have great football players and, by the way, have the best college football facility in America. And they got a great schedule.”
