2. OSU’s coaches office
The Ohio State Buckeyes coaches office is loaded with some of the country’s best and brightest. If college football breaks down to talent acquisition, talent development, and talent deployment- the Buckeyes have to be clear favorites to win the College Football Playoff National Championship game in the 2018-2019 season.
Urban Meyer’s staff has put together four amazing recruiting classes dating back to the 2015 season. In 2015, the class was seventh in the nation and boasted 5-star linebacker Justin Hilliard as their top player. In 2016, the class was ranked fourth overall and led by heralded defensive end Nick Bosa, the 5-star brother of NFL defensive end Joey Bosa. The 2017 class finished ranked second overall and 5-star defensive end Chase Young was the star of that signing class. To wrap up the 2018 signing period, OSU was ranked second again and led by offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Talent development hasn’t been an issue for the Buckeyes either. OSU won the College Football Playoff National Championship for the 2014 season with their third string quarterback over the Oregon Ducks. Urban Meyer and Tom Herman worked wonders to prepare three quarterbacks over the course of a college football season and knock off top-tier programs like Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon.
Ohio State’s Sports Performance department is led by Mickey Marotti, who Urban Meyer also entrusted his strength and conditioning to at the University of Florida. The last four NFL Drafts have seen 30 Buckeyes drafted on to NFL rosters proving OSU has developed their talent to be ready for the next level.
Talent deployment is the third part of the puzzle and Urban Meyer’s staff has two assistants making over a million dollars per season in co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. Former Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson and former Washington State Cougars defensive coordinator Alex Grinch are making $800,000 a piece as well. Urban Meyer is expecting to renegotiate his contract as well, he’s currently making $6.4 million per season.
The OSU administration has to be expecting major things since they brought in Alex Grinch to be their 10th assistant. While Grinch could have been paid more else where, he’s a huge investment for a 10th assistant. Meyer’s Buckeyes will have to turn their talent acquisition and development into a CFP National Championship in 2018 to make sense of all of the resources put into the football program.