Urban Meyer isn't sugarcoating his thoughts on Ohio State's 2024 national championship, and Michigan fans probably aren't going to like it. Despite the Buckeyes falling short against their biggest rival, Meyer believes their title win stands on its own—no asterisks needed.
On a recent episode of the Triple Option Podcast with Mark Ingram and Rob Stone, Meyer shut down any suggestion that Ohio State’s loss to Michigan taints their championship.
“It will be discussed with some of the die-hards,” Meyer said via On3. “No, it’ll go down — and I would always ask our staff, how do you evaluate recruiting? Number one is wins. Number two is NFL draft picks," he said.
For Meyer, championships and player development are the ultimate measures of success. “The NFL evaluates your players for you,” he added, emphasizing how Ohio State's talent pipeline speaks volumes. And it’s not like the Buckeyes were lacking star power. Meyer pointed out that wide receiver Carnell Tate is destined for greatness. “I stood next to that cat. Holy. He’d be anywhere right now as an All-American,” Meyer said, confident in the sophomore’s potential.
Ohio State’s offense was loaded, featuring a dominant rushing duo in Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, both of whom crossed the 1,000-yard mark. Transfer quarterback Will Howard put up eye-popping numbers with over 4,000 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, working alongside standout receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.
Despite the painful loss to Michigan that kept Ohio State out of the Big Ten Championship, they proved their worth by storming through the College Football Playoff and capturing their first title since Meyer’s legendary 2014 squad.
Meyer doubled down on his praise for the team, calling them “one of the great teams in the last 20 years of college football.”
So while Michigan fans may want to point to that regular-season victory, Meyer is making it clear—the Buckeyes are national champions, and nothing can take that away.