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Ohio State Football: 3 biggest impacts of Urban Meyer’s Retirement

By John Mitchell

ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 25: Urban Meyer head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes after the game against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State won 31 to 20 on November 25, 2017 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 25: Urban Meyer head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes after the game against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State won 31 to 20 on November 25, 2017 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Urban Meyer’s retirement impacts not only Ohio State football, but the college football landscape at large, particularly at Michigan.

As has been speculated for much of the 2018 season, Urban Meyer has decided to retire following the Rose Bowl, giving way to offensive coordinator Ryan Day to take over in Columbus.

His final season with the Buckeyes was marred by a three-game suspension due to his negligence in handling the Courtney Smith domestic violence situation, and increased scrutiny from that along with growing health concerns made it clear that this was likely Meyer’s last season roaming the sidelines.

An up-and-down roller coaster season still finished how most seasons ended with Meyer coaching: a near flawless record and another conference championship. His final game will fittingly take place at the Rose Bowl, which will surprisingly be the first time Meyer has led his team to Pasadena as a Head Coach – the Grandaddy of them All serves as quite the venue for a coaching swan song.

Meyer’s retirement brings Ryan Day to the forefront, the 39-year-old offensive coordinator being handed the keys to a Maserati on the same day he got his license. Day is well respected and was highly sought after during this coaching carousel as an innovative young mind, but the pressure to win right away in Columbus will be enormous. Buckeyes fans have forgotten the meaning of rebuilding years under Meyer and Jim Tressel before him — Day’s leash won’t be nearly as long here as it would have been at lesser programs.

Ohio State’s quick hiring of Day will keep the sharks at bay, but when a coaching legend retires, rival schools begin circling the water with negative recruiting tactics, pitching an end-of-an-era and increased instability in Columbus.

Can Day right the ship quickly and keep Ohio State among the nation’s elite? What’s next for Urban Meyer? Who stands to gain the most from his decision to walk away?

Here’s how Meyer’s decision impacts himself and college football at-large:

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