Meyer’s first recruiting class was a huge success. He was able to change the minds of some big-time recruits and the minute he arrived in Columbus, players that weren’t even considering Ohio State, were all of the sudden seeing scarlet and grey. His determination, pride, knowledge, work ethic, and hustle might be unmatched by any other coach in college football. It caused other coaches in the Big Ten to question Meyer’s tactics, even going as far as using the word “illegal.” Without even coaching a game yet, Urban Meyer has flexed his muscles, raised the stakes in the Big Ten, and the conference has already started to take notice. After a down year a season ago, the Buckeyes are back.

Urban Meyer joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland with the Hooligans to talk about how he celebrated the success of his first recruiting class, on making sure things are done the right way at Ohio State, on evaluating players beyond the football field, if he learned anything from taking a year off, if he was mad at the comments made by Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio, what he has to do to close the gap between the SEC and the Big Ten, and the biggest difference between coaching at Ohio State and Florida.

What he did on Saturday night to celebrate the success of his first recruiting class:

“Saturday night? Saturday night? Oh I went to my man’s concert. (Host: that’s what I thought. You were in Margaritaville right?) Yeah I’m a huge Jimmy Buffet fan. That’s good. You’ve got some spies out huh?”

Whether or not it is true that he has taken locker room privileges away:

“There’s some stuff within the team and certain things, I’m not going to get into specifics, that’s between us and unfortunately in today’s day and age everything you do all of the sudden hits the media or blogs or something else but we have a strong belief that it’s a privilege to be a member of the Ohio State football team, walk into these great facilities to do certain things and if you don’t do things the right way then that privilege will be taken away from you and I’m not just talking about locker room. I’m talking about scholarships, I’m talking about jersey, gear, certain numbers people want to wear, it’s a John Wooden approach to a program and that is an incentive based program. Everything we do is incentive based. Everything. I could go on for probably two hours about there’s everything you do as a football player at Ohio State you get treated a certain way if you do things the right way. If not certain things will be taken from you.”

On evaluating players beyond the football field and the idea every position is up for grabs:

“That’s a great question because if you want to dig into the inside of what we’re all about. Our football program, it is about all those things you just said. It’s not about your vertical jump or you can throw the ball really well but you act like a jerk off-the-field, all those things go into a formula that we’re going to make decisions on players. We have for example a magnet of each player in our staff room and we’re going to give them a 1-10 rating. The strength coach is, the trainer is, the position coach is, the coordinators, and the head coach. All I’m looking for is every day, every week, every month, you have to get a little better. The minute we hit an athlete that’s not getting any better than I have to evaluate why. Is it because of resistance? Is it because he doesn’t want to be here? Is it because of some social issue? You just hit it right square on the head that everything is being evaluated. I mean everything. We’re putting them in enough situations that it’s easy to evaluate and the easiest way is putting them in a situation where you either win or you lose. There’s no grey area. Well I tried hard. Yeah but you lost. So that’s currently what we’re doing right now.”

If he learned from taking the year off:

“Incredible self-evaluation. Incredible evaluation of other people, programs, ways of doing things, and I felt like there were certain things that we could’ve done a lot better. We’re currently doing it. It’s something I learned on the road, but we just don’t have enough time with all the things. I had a notebook everywhere I went. I was working for a great company, ESPN, but I was also working for myself to try to make myself better. Hopefully I have.”

How he plans on adjusting his style knowing there is a bowl ban for Ohio State:

“I really don’t know. I’m actually going to do some research. There’s a program, USC, that’s done a good job. They’re dealing with a really severe bowl ban of three years.  Thought that staff has done a good job so at the appropriate time I might reach out there but I don’t know that answer. We haven’t spent much time on it. At some point I will. I can tell you this, it won’t be any different how we manage the game because we have a really clear plan to win and that’s how I manage the game. We’re going to go one game at a time and our objective is to win every game we play. I think your question about do you play a younger player versus an older player? Do you get them experience getting ready for hopefully a run in the following year, those are all questions I can’t answer yet but that stimulates thought.”

If he was mad about the comments Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio made about him this offseason:

“Not a strong enough word. No. Really not a strong enough word at all especially my name associated with those two terms that were used, first of all it’s not true and then to use that in the media, no, mad is not a strong enough word.”

What they have to do to close the gap between the Big Ten and the SEC:

“I think we have to recruit better. I think the whole Big Ten, that’s our challenge and Jim Delaney is our commissioner and we’ve had a conversation about that. We’ve got to go get some top recruiting classes. There’s some great players in this league, great players in this league but we can get greater. I think that’s a great challenge for all of us in this conference that we can better and I think we will. Our rival is doing a really good job recruiting and there’s some other schools doing a great job and I just think as a whole we can do that. Are you kidding me some of the stadiums in this conference, traditions in this conference, the coaches, it’s all here. We just have to enhance our products.”

On the biggest difference between coaching at Florida and Ohio State:

“I think it’s very similar. I think the biggest difference is the fact that this is my home. When I say the great state of Ohio I know it and I’ve lived it. When I meet with the high school coaches I’ve known some of these guys for 20 years. I started my career as a head coach at Bowling Green, played college football here, I played high school football here, so really I think they’re very similar because the fan base is so intense. The intensity, the expectation level is really out of control. However my biggest thing is the fact that I was born and raised in the state of Ohio, that’s the biggest difference for me.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on ESPN 850 WKNR here

Ohio State coach Thad Matta says he tried not to make it about revenge. He says he’s got a young team that needs to simply play like it practices and realizes why it is they play so well when they do. Ohio State returns to action Saturday at Nebraska.

Thad Matta joined ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to talk about getting some revenge on the Hoosiers after Indiana had beaten Ohio State earlier in conference play, the play of Lenzelle Smith Jr. in the victory, not letting the team get ahead of itself as it continues to grow as a young team, a pregame speech by football coach Urban Meyer and the importance of a connection between football and basketball staffs.

On exacting some revenge for an earlier loss to Indiana and a loss to Illinois by beating the Hoosiers by 17 points Sunday:

“It’s funny. I’m trying to get where we’re not in a revenge mode. We had three great practices leading into the game. I’m just trying to get these guys to play like they practice. We did a great job; we wanted to get off to a good start and I thought [defense] was going to be the key. When you play a great team like Indiana, you’ve got to slow them down.”

How about the performance by Lenzelle Smith Jr. despite being sick?:

“I didn’t know until Saturday evening that he was going to play. We hadn’t even seen him. We had him away from the other guys. He had a case of strep throat and came in on his own and watched some film, but we didn’t want anyone else to get it. It was amazing what he was able to do [Sunday] in knocking down the shots.”

Is this a game that you have to make sure that your team doesn’t get ahead of itself, because it’s blown out other teams at home this year?:

“No doubt about that. I think anytime you have a team as youthful as we are, you’re trying to find the buttons to push in getting guys to understand that in today’s day and age of college basketball, it’s an everyday grind, that you’ve got to do all the little things and continue to build a camaraderie and friendship with your teammates and understand that we’re playing for more than ourselves. Hopefully guys can continue to learn why we play well and why we don’t.”

On Urban Meyer addressing the team:

“He came in before the game and I was sitting in the locker room and we were talking and I said, ‘Hey Coach, do you mind saying a few words?’ He was unbelievable. A lot of people don’t know this, he’s a Buckeye. Like he was telling me, ‘I grew up the biggest Ohio State fan and as a young kid my dream was to play basketball at Ohio State.’ So he was very honored and did a tremendous job.”

Will it be the same as when Jim Tressel was there for you, that football and basketball can coexist?:

“That’s the one thing that when I got here eight years ago, I reached out to Jim and now with Urban, the things that we can do together. Football is such a big part of this university and obviously Urban and Jim are or were kind of the faces of the university. A football Saturday here in Columbus is one of the greatest sporting events I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely beneficial for us to be connected with the football staff.”

Listen to Thad Matta on ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Cooper was full of ideas during this interview on Monday, including saying that the NCAA should look at the situations of the teams in the SEC. His thought process is: “We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.” Make of that what you will.

John Cooper joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland with Baskin and Phelps to discuss the current bowl system and his most current thoughts following Monday night’s BCS Championship Game between Alabama and LSU, his ideas to change the system of deciding a national champion, a tournament-style postseason and what kind of format it might take, why the current power brokers in the BCS and at the administrative levels of universities across the country won’t consider the playoff style format, why that reality makes him an advocate of at least implementing a plus-one system as the next best option, his take on what happened at Ohio State in recent years, the pressure of being the Buckeyes’ head coach and how similar situations of rules infractions are widespread throughout the much-celebrated SEC.

What do you think about the current system after watching Monday night’s game?:

“Absolutely no question in my mind we should have one more game. I would love to see Oklahoma State play Alabama and find out if Alabama’s defense is as good as I think it is. I think it is. I thought that was one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen in a long, long time. I thought they were well-coached and played together. … On the other hand, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an offense that was as bad as LSU’s was. If I asked you what kind of offense LSU runs, what would you tell me?”

More on his plan:

“I don’t know why in the world we don’t take the top 10 teams in the country and let them play in the major bowl games. Maybe we’d have to add one more bowl, maybe a bowl down in Texas or something. And then after those games are played, let’s take the two top teams and play and determine the true national champion. The only thing I would add to that is I would love to see some of those great Southern teams have to come up here and play. We’re always the visiting team for goodness sake.”

What about a tournament-style postseason?:

“I’d like a playoff. I’d like a true playoff, but you might as well shut up. You’re not going to get a playoff. They’re not going to let us do that. … The bowl people might be the most corrupt people in athletics. The first thing they do, they invite you to a bowl game but you’ve got to buy 13,000 tickets or so many tickets. Most teams nowadays lose money going to bowl games. … The old days you went to a bowl game and a bowl game was an award for a good season and you had fun and rewarded your players. … I never coached anywhere where 6-6 was a good year and this year UCLA went to a bowl game and they were 6-7.”

You don’t think they could find a way to make a playoff make them even more money or is it just that they don’t want to make the effort?:

“I don’t think they want to make that effort. I even suggested this week that, as we speak, the American Football Coaches Association is having their convention down in Texas and I suggested let’s have the coaches sponsor one more game. … There’s a lot of money that could be made off of one more game, a BCS plus one more game, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot of interest in that among the coaches even.”

What’s your take on what’s happened at Ohio State in the past year? It has to have broken your heart, right?:

“Well, it has. There’s absolutely no question about it. I thought Jim Tressel, Coach Tressel, was a great, great football coach. I still think he is. … I think with Urban, whoever coaches at Ohio State is going to win. It’s too good a program. … Urban I think is a great football coach and great hire here.”

Can you just give us what it’s like to be in that position, the pressure that comes with it and how a situation like this one could have developed?:

“Coach made a big mistake. All he had to do when he got that email is pass it on to Gene Smith or the compliance people. … Some of those players would’ve had to sit out. … I’m told, I don’t know and I haven’t coached in that league, but I’m told that the Alabamas and LSUs and some of these teams that have these great players, that maybe the NCAA needs to look into their situation. Those teams have been on probation. … We say the SEC’s the best and they are the best, but they’ve also had more NCAA violations than probably all the other leagues put together the last 10 years.”

Listen to John Cooper on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland here

Hoke isn’t apologizing to anyone for that, saying that his team has simply worried about itself all season and that isn’t going to change now. The former San Diego State and Ball State coach also has some interesting opinions on Denard Robinson and the rumors that the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game could be moved from the last week of the season.

Brady Hoke joined WXYT in Detroit with Stoney and Bill to discuss preparing his team for distractions in New Orleans, the excitement level of his team as they prepare for a BCS bowl game matchup with Virginia Tech, the threats Virginia Tech poses in all three phases of the game, the agreement between the Big Ten and Pac-12 to play each other every year, the future of quarterback Denard Robinson, and the potential moving of the rivalry game with Ohio State from the last weekend of the regular season.

Are there distractions you have to worry about with your team playing in New Orleans?:

“You’ve been here, right? And you’re distracted easily. When you’ve got a bunch of 18 to 23 year olds and you’re in a great city that has a lot of different opportunities, it can be a distraction. … We pretty much check them in every night. … They had a little time to themselves, but believe me, we check them all in.”

Do you have to educate your players about the surroundings and what’s going on down there?:

“No question. We brought in the New Orleans police department and they do a great job of really trying to educate your guys on the different elements that are here and the different traps that you can fall into. I thought that was a great orientation.”

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How excited is your group and can you understand the frustration of fans from teams like Michigan State who think they should be in a BCS bowl game?:

“We’re extremely proud and excited to be here and playing in a BCS football game. All year long, we haven’t worried about anybody else but ourselves. We’re just going to go out and represent the University of Michigan and represent the Big Ten Conference to our highest level.”

On the matchups with some dynamic offensive players for Virginia Tech:

“The running back, you have a 1,600-yard back. That’s a pretty special thing. He’s definitely a guy who can do an awful lot — hitting the hole, he’s got great explosion, he’s a triple jump champion at the Penn Relays. He’s a very athletic guy, David Miller. And then Logan Thomas at quarterback is a 6-8 version of Denard. He’s 250 pounds. He reminds you a lot of Ben Roethlisberger at an early age, when he could move around the pocket a little better.”

What are your thoughts on the new agreement pitting Pac-12 teams against the Big Ten every year?:

“I think the two conferences have so much tradition together, when you look at the Rose Bowl. I think it’s good for our conference. You definitely have to look at your scheduling and what you’ll do with that, going on from here, if that’s what you’re going to have.”

Do you believe Denard Robinson will be back next year?:

“I think so. We’re the ones who encouraged him to find out [more about the NFL]. There’s a lot of different reasons you would do that, maybe some motivation, maybe some insurance a guy can take out. All of those things are a part of it, and to see where you’re at. Denard kind of came to me about it and was very hesitant and I said, ‘No, I think we need to do this and I think it’s the right thing to do for you.’”

On rumors that the Ohio State-Michigan game may be moved earlier in the season and you guys would always end the season against Michigan State:

“I would be very much against it. That rivalry with Ohio has always been played at the end of the year and you’d probably find a lot of people with the same sentiment that it needs to be kept where it is.”

Listen to Brady Hoke on WXYT in Detroit here

After 11 months of embarrassment, a disappointing 6-6 season, and the program being in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons, Meyer will be looking to the same things at Ohio State. The conditions are not ideal in Columbus. The NCAA has still has to decide what punishment will be handed down to the Buckeyes after a scandal rocked the program earlier this year and the expectations will be enormous for Meyer as he will have to fill the shoes left behind by Jim Tressel. However, if there is any coach in the country who can not only reach the bar set by Tressel but leap over it, it’s Meyer. The two-time national champion is the best coach the game of college football has to offer and will have the Buckeyes back at the top of the college landscape and in the national spotlight once again very quickly. This time for all the right reasons.

Urban Meyer joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about why he decided to keep Luke Fickell on his staff at Ohio State, whether or not he had any doubts about taking the OSU job, if he thinks he will have a lot of pressure to win at Ohio State, whether or not he believes this is his last job, if he was surprised by the way people in Florida reacted after he was hired by OSU, and what he would do if he was coaching against Tim Tebow.

Why he decided to keep Luke Fickell on his staff:

“Yeah Gene Smith the Athletic Director asked if I would meet with him. I knew Luke from before. He actually came down when he was an assistant at Ohio State and visited our staff at Florida. We kinda knew of each other so when we met, we met for about four hours. He brought his wife over and my wife was there and it couldn’t have gone better. It was like we knew each other a long time. He’s a Buckeye, he handled the situation as well as he could and that’s all important but the reason he was kept on is because he’s a great football coach. We got to talk football the next morning and we’re fortunate to have him stay with us.”

Whether or not he had any doubts about taking the OSU job:

“Oh yeah. The contact was made on that Sunday but I kinda was watching all Fall and this whole NCCA you just don’t know until you know. I’ve always been an Ohio State fan as far back as I remember but I’m not gonna do something that’s not the right time. Once I was able to visit with people and do the homework I needed to do it was kind of a no-brainer.”

Whether or not he thinks he will be under a lot of pressure at Ohio State:

“I think there is a misunderstanding of pressure. I think there’s pressure at Bowling Green, I think there’s pressure when I was a linebacker coach at Illinois State. The pressure for me is to keep focused and keep it in centerfield and doing what I like to do. I love coaching players, I love teaching, and I love building teams. I’m not a big fan of dealing with all the nonsense in college sports. I can’t stand that and I’m not gonna do it. I’m not dealing with it. The NCAA has their job to do and the recruiting if I get involved with someone who is not doing it the right way then I’m gonna walk away. If that means we’re not gonna get a great player I’m not gonna deal with that. The pressures I’m gonna deal with are gonna keep everything in centerfield, focus on doing what I love to do and what I’m actually pretty decent at, and then I’m going home. I’m gonna be with my family and do the best I can to go watch my girls play sports.”

If he thinks this will be his last job:

“I think so. I’m never gonna make those, I’ve made some comments before that came back to haunt me because you just don’t know. I hope so.”

Whether or not he was surprised at the backlash from Florida fans:

“I was. I tried to say I didn’t watch or listen but I did. Not from Jeremy (Foley), the president, and the people that know that we put every ounce of everything we had for six years in there but there were fans that were upset when we beat Tennessee only by ten points. I mean like really upset. I tried not to let that bother me but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say it did bother me a little bit. I heard the word dishonest and that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth. (Host: Yeah traitor. I heard that too.) Yeah that’s a shame.”

If he is surprised at Tim Tebow’s success:

“I’m not surprised at all. I think what he has done in the NFL from what I understand hasn’t really been done very often and to win that many in a row I knew he’d be successful but I am a little surprised that it happened so fast because the team was so bad for so long. I couldn’t be happier. Quarterbacks are a product of what’s around them. Tim has made an impact, but don’t forget those other guys. That defense is playing at a high level and that kicker walked out there and hit a 59-yard field goal. Tim’s a magical player and a magical person but Tim, I tell this to Tim, I tell him to cool out now and realize he’s just a cog in the wheel. I’m really happy for that team to experience the success they have had so far.”

On the game plan he would use if he faced Tebow:

“I’d force him to throw it. I’d force him to throw it. I’d load that box and force him to beat ya. I don’t know his receivers very well yet but I’d force him, like most people, I’d force him to beat ya throwing the ball. I think he can beat ya throwing it but I’d force him to throw it.”

Listen to Urban Meyer on The Dan Patrick Show here (Audio begins 22:20 into the podcast)

Smith joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland to talk about how the ideal hire — Urban Meyer — fell into his lap, how he’s felt an immediate lift in energy and spirit around Columbus and the Buckeyes program since the announcement of Meyer’s hire was made, what he’s learned from his interactions with the media during the Tressel scandal and the Meyer hiring process, the difficulty of not responding to every last false report published by what he considers to be untrained new players in the media landscape that lack the values to report properly, the Penn State sex scandal, how bad he feels for the victims there, why he thinks his school’s football program was handed down an extraordinarily harsh punishment considering no crimes were committed, and why he’s in favor of increased stipends for student athletes so that they can afford things like cell phones that everybody considers a necessity these days.

On how the ideal hire in Urban Meyer seemingly came out of nowhere to just materialize perfectly and at just the right time:

“Yeah, it did. We were fortunate on so many different levels. One is having a chance in the summer, and then in the fall during the season to do due diligence on a number of candidates, and it afforded us the opportunity to move swiftly at the end. And then, of course, Urban not being at an institution and coaching gave us an opportunity to move swiftly. Had he been coaching, it would have taken a little bit longer. So we were able to get to a point where we could have a conversation, and get together face to face and come to a deal.”

If he’s felt an immediate buzz around Columbus and the program since the hiring of Meyer:

“Yes we have. He’s a perfect fit as you guys said. He’s from Ohio, his wife’s from Ohio, and all their family is still here. And having the success that he’s had at different institutions and grown as a leader, in my view makes him uniquely qualified for this one. Not just because he’s won two national championships, but because he also has the other intangibles that are so important. So you’re right, people are excited about him, he has great personality, he’s engaging, and he has Midwest values. So he fits. Different leaders fit at different times, and the right time for him is now.”

What he’s learned about the media having been a part of two big stories now with the end of the Jim Tressel era and now the hiring of Urban Meyer:

“It’s really interesting. Having been in this business for so long and been in so many different situations over the years — everywhere from feeling the exhilaration of winning national championships to having a student die to hiring coaches over the years — I’ve been engaged with the media on so many different levels. And you know, my perspective has always been is that the media are people who are doing their jobs. What’s been interesting and actually kind of sad for me has been the growth and the technology that puts you guys in such a tough spot where you feel like you have to be first. And the people who have become a part of the media who do not do any due diligence to determine the credibility of a story and ultimately just say things on their own, primarily because of technology, that puts everyone in a tough situation. So, frankly during the Urban search process, it was comical in a lot of different ways, because I was reading some of these contract deals that people said we did, and I was like ‘wow, where’d that come from!?!’ That’s amazing. And they say it’s from a credible source inside the athletic department, so it’s like so funny. So I look at it, and I feel for great people like you and the other writers who are credible and great people, I sometimes feel sorry for what you have to deal with. Not me, because I don’t have to deal with it. but at the same time, I know it’s just people doing their jobs. I try to keep it in perspective. So, it’s been crazy, and I just always try to keep it in perspective and try to help when I’m allowed.”

On having to determine when to respond to information disseminated in the press and when to keep quiet and distance himself from claims or allegations:

“Constantly. That press conference was one of the worst experiences in my career. I look back on it and I learned from it, but last week was probably the one where I knew that in order to protect the confidentiality of all of the people that were involved, I needed to go mute and let all the things that were going to come out just come out and try to get to the end.  Keep in mind, I was hopeful as the process moved, we were hopeful that we were going to come to an agreement with Urban. But had it not, there were other people that I had already done due diligence on. So I had to protect the confidentiality of those people and their lives that I didn’t want to be turned upside down. So I had to go stealth as I call it, and mute, and just try to move forward, keep my head down, and make sure I did things the right way so I could get to the end game and then hopefully have a chance where I got to clear the record.”

On how the scandal that Ohio State paid a hefty price for pales in comparison to what’s rocked the Penn State program recently:

“Yeah, guys, you’re hitting on one that’s almost a case study. I felt our case, at a number of different times, was sensationalized. And that’s maybe because of who we were and the success we’ve had. And then the other part I think — and I just feel this — is there’s people that’s entered into the media world that don’t have the training like you guys, that don’t have the training like some of our top writers and top television and radio people. And they’ve just come into the business with really no values, and they just put stuff out there. So it feeds it and it gets sensationalized. I am so devastated by what’s happened at Penn State for the people that were hurt — the victims first and foremost. And then the other people, the players on that field who have no culpability. But when you look at it, you’re right: our young people did not commit a crime. They violated some rules that they ultimately paid an unbelievable price for in their sanctions, but they did not commit a crime. So it’s a learning experience for them and others. But it’s just so sad at Penn State with the victims, and we’ll just have to see where it goes.”

What does he think of the new rules governing player stipends and what does he think ultimately is needed to clean up college football and sports over time:

“I think a couple things. First of all, I wish people would use a different term because we’re not ‘paying’ them like you would in a work environment. If you’re talking pay, you’re talking worker’s comp, you’re talking quantifiable goals and objectives, you’re talking about evaluations that would ultimately cause you to be terminated. That’s not what we’re doing. When we put the $2,000 in place, it was to recognize the fact that the stipend we had in place with the old scholarship model, did not truly recognize the cost of attendance; it does not truly recognize the expenditures that kids have today outside of school and those type of things. Now, it’s different than when I went to school, because all I carried was bell bottom jeans. But now they’ve got cell phones, I mean, this is their world. We need to recognize that. They have cell phones, and they want to have electronics just like everybody else. So why can’t we provide the resources that take care of those expenditures. So anyway, I’m a big believer in making sure that they have that type of money so that they can live a life just like any other student does that works to get extra money . So that’s what I believe in. And I believe what we passed with the $2,000 is a start. At the NCAA level with the enforcement team, they’re great people, they’re great people, they’re just operating the system we put in place. We need to help them find a way to shrink the process. Because with all our cases, people think ours took a long time? Track the Miami case, look back at the USC case, look back at the Oklahoma case — those were well over 18 months, and the Miami thing is going to take forever. So we need to find a way to help these good people have a better system to serve the members.”

Listen here to Smith with Cleveland’s Talking Heads’ on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland

Meyer was introduced as Ohio State’s newest head coach yesterday. The Buckeyes took a risk in hiring Meyer and there are still questions about his commitment after everything that transpired at the end of his tenure at Florida. There’s no guarantee that Ohio State will rise back to the top of the Big Ten Conference immediately. There’s no guarantee that Meyer won’t get burnt out again. There’s no guarantee that this hire will finally allow a Big Ten power to take down the SEC on the biggest stage in college football. All it means is that Ohio State now has the best coach in America walking the sidelines and its best chance of bringing the crystal trophy back to Columbus.

Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Spielman joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland with the Hooligans to talk about how they are feeling after the hiring of Urban Meyer, how Meyer sounds now that he is the new head coach at OSU, how long it will take him to return Ohio State back to prominence after a down year, if they were offered a spot on his coaching staff, and what it will mean to Meyer to have Braxton Miller as his quarterback.

How Meyer sounds now that he is officially OSU’s head coach:

Kirk Herbstreit: “He sounds like an eight-year-old on Christmas morning. He sounds like a guy who is bursting at the seams to get started. It’s interesting because I have been in contact with him almost on a day-to-basis for the last week and a half or so and it’s interesting to see the change in emotion during that time because I think there was some soul searching there. Rest assured this is his dream job. This is the job that he’s always wanted. The only job that probably woulda brought him back out of retirement. At the same time I think that stuff about his health and his family was real. I think he needed to talk with Shelley his wife and with his three kids and they did a lot of sitting around at a dinner table and everybody having a chance to say their piece about what they thought about this. I think depending on how those conversations went was really going to determine whether or not he was going to get back into this, get back into the grind.”

How tough it will be to live up to the expectations left behind by Jim Tressel:

KH: “I don’t know. That’s the thing. Coming off a 6-6 season you’ve gotta remember that this is kind of a golden era that he’s stepping in after with what Jim Tressel did. It was almost a foregone conclusion for seven or eight years he was gonna beat Michigan, they were gonna get to a BCS Bowl game, and if they didn’t get to the National Championship oh man it’s a down year. You have to look at this and think what does he bring to the table? He brings a background of success. You combine what he’s accomplished by winning two national titles at Florida, in his mid-40’s, in the middle of the prime of his coaching career with Ohio State’s brand and resources and I just think Ohio State has a unique opportunity here to recruit at a very high level. I think they’re going to have an opportunity to try to own the state of Ohio despite what Brady Hoke has started up in Ann Arbor. I think he’ll still have ties to Florida to be able to get some skill out of Florida, and I think with the way he’ll quote Woody Hayes, he’s gonna quote Earle Bruce, it’s a different kind of feel with him as a head coach. He’s an emotional guy, he’s gonna tell you what he thinks, he’s gonna be candid. It’s gonna be very different in the way hell run this program from Jim Tressel. If something happens that he doesn’t like he will let you know about it. There’s not gonna be a company line or a spin, he’s gonna tell ya. It’s gonna be different. He’ll refer to Michigan as the school up North and Brady Hoke will call Ohio State Ohio and I love that. Let’s stir it up and get those two going toe-to-toe and get that rivalry going right now. Michigan just won, ended the seven game streak, and now they’re excited about what they’re doing and that’s great. They should be with Brady. Here come’s Urban Meyer who is gonna demand that he and his staff owns the state of Ohio and that kinda goes against everything Michigan is trying to create here. I don’t think you will be seeing too many gold pants on EBay moving forward. I think these guys are gonna realize that beating Michigan should be unique, a special season, and you should hold on to that memory the rest of your life. The gold pants are symbolic of that season and that victory. I would be shocked with the way that he will emphasize that if you see any more gold pants on EBay so you better buy those up fast.”

How long it will take Meyer to turn things around at OSU:

KH: “Well I don’t want to say it’s gonna be the first year that they’re gonna win a National Championship but let’s face it, the Big Ten is mediocre at best as a conference from top to bottom. With the talent that Ohio State has on their roster, with the staff that Urban Meyer will put together, I think there’s reason to be optimistic in that first year. Depending how recruiting goes at the end of this year and next year I really think the Buckeyes first couple of classes are very, very important to help build that foundation of his style of players to fit his system. I’m very anxious to see Luke Fickell’s role and I know there are a lot of other big name assistant coaches that he’ll talk about that if he ends up getting it’ll get people really, really excited. If he’s able to land some of these assistant coaches or coordinators then I think Ohio State hits the ground running with the talent they already have and then with the coaches they have coming in.”

Whether or not he was offered a spot on Meyer’s staff:

KH: “No he and I talked about it in the past and I’ve talked with a number of coaches just about coaching. In my DNA, you know my dad coached and I’d love to coach one day but at the end of the day, for me personally, I’ve got the best job that I could hope to ever have and as much as I would love to coach I’m gonna enjoy being a College Gameday Analyst and calling the games on Saturday night. As long as ESPN will have me I will keep doing this but it would be a great honor to have a chance to go back there, but he and I never really got into serious discussions about that. It was more of a philosophical discussion about the demands of coaching and how tough it can be. I have definitely entertained the thought especially earlier in my career.”

What he knows about Meyer’s love for OSU:

Chris Spielman: “The first game we did was Akron versus Ohio State in the opener. When the band came out and did ‘Script Ohio’ he just slapped me on the shoulder with a big smile on his face and said I’ve never seen this before. That was something special for him and you could tell he is passionate about Ohio State and passionate about the University itself beyond the football program.”

Whether or not he thinks it is a good hire by Ohio State:

CS: “I think it’s a great hire. You’ve got a 47-year-old guy who has two National Championships, who will secure the state of Ohio in recruiting, hopefully will bring the state of Florida and Georgia into that, will hire good coaches around him, and will be passionate. He understands what his mission is. That’s to win at Ohio State and win in a hurry and I think he’s up for the challenge. With that being said I want to commend Luke on the job of showing great leadership through the whole process. I think Luke will hopefully get a head coaching job somewhere at some level because I think he deserves it and deserve a shot to see what he can do with his own staff and his own philosophy and stamp on a program.”

What it will mean to Meyer to have a quarterback like Braxton Miller:

CS: “I think it’s vital. He like me believes in a dual threat quarterback at the college level because it’s so hard to defend. I know that his offense will be quarterback driven and here he has a young guy in Braxton Miller that he will develop, grow, and should put up spectacular numbers by the time it’s all said and done.”

Listen to Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN 850 WKNR here

Listen to Chris Spielman on ESPN 850 WKNR here

The person at the center of the failure to monitor charge is Bob DiGeronimo, a prominent ex-booster who the university has disassociated itself from.  Along with that, the NCAA has alleged that DiGeronimo provided a total of $2,405 in extra benefits to nine football players. DiGeronimo has since disputed some of these allegations, but took a step further when he finally spoke out publicly about the latest at Ohio State last week.

Bob DiGeronimo joined ESPN 1540 KNR2 in Cleveland on Munch in the Morning to talk about Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith’s comments about DiGeronimo’s role in recent charge handed down by the NCAA, what he makes of Gene Smith saying DiGeronimo was escorted out of the Buckeyes locker room before a game for hiding in a locker, his feelings toward Gene Smith, whether or not he ever paid a player more money than they earned, and what his feelings are toward the program now that he has been disassociated.

On Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith’s comments about his role in the recent charge handed down by the NCAA:

“I’m really kind of surprised at what I heard last night. I got the call from Columbus. I understand when people are trying to save their job they’re going to say and do certain things but to out and out lie, those things are a little hurtful to me. I have so many great things going for me in my life that you have to focus on the positives. However I’m not gonna let somebody slander me whether it be Gene Smith or anybody else. I can’t let them get away with that.”

On Gene Smith saying he was escorted out of the OSU locker room in 2003 after hiding in a locker:

“I was on the sidelines until 2006 so for them to say in 2003 something happened and I was escorted out of there, wow that never happened. (Host: So you were never escorted out of anywhere?) No. Of course not. The only thing that was ever told of me, at one time after a few years in the locker room I was told that the coach, Jim Tressel, would like all the non-Ohio State University people out on the field with six minutes to go on the game clock before the team entered the field. That was the only thing ever said to me. Hiding in a locker? Munch you know me. I never heard a before-game speech. It was always very calm before the teams went on the field and all that. I never thought they’re doing that because there’s something they don’t want him to hear or something like that. I never questioned it and I didn’t worry about that.”

His feelings toward OSU AD Gene Smith:

“Gene Smith told the reporters last night that he called me in 2006 and told me certain things like stay away and this, this, and that. I said why don’t you ask Gene Smith to show you records of his phone call to me because that never happened. I never talked to Gene Smith. The only time I ever talked to Gene Smith, and I’m answering your question with it’s a bald-faced lie. I’m answering your question with he’s telling them he talked to me in 2006 and I never had a conversation with Gene Smith until this year and the only time I ever met Gene Smith was at a restaurant in Columbus with John Cooper. John introduced me to him. That probably was in 2008. I can’t explain when someone is trying to hold onto his job why they will lie through their teeth. I just don’t know.”

Whether or not he has ever paid a player more than they should have been paid:

“Absolutely not. Absolutely not.”

Whether or not he has any animosity toward Ohio State now that he has been disassociated:

“Number one when John Cooper was fired he said he only had a problem with one person and that was Andy Geiger for the way he did it to him. I don’t have any animosity for anybody at that University minus a couple of people that are trying to save their rear by attacking me and trying to, as the old saying goes, throw you under the bus. (Is Gene Smith one of those people?) Yeah of course he is. Of course he’s the main culprit. Here’s the thing and it was in the statement, I’m more concerned about the kids. I’m more concerned about Devier Posey who gave his word to come back after a five game suspension. Then I give them the backup for Devier Posey and what do they do? They allow the NCAA to give him five more games. I’m saying boy who is looking out for the kids? Who is looking out for those kids? Those kids that come from tough backgrounds and penalizing Devier, it has to kill him sitting out the first ten games. I’m more concerned for the kids than I am for myself. We’ve got a nice business, a nice family, a lot of great friends, and I’ll be fine. I can be disassociated for ten years or a hundred years, it doesn’t matter anymore. I still have the Ohio State sticker on my car, I have an Ohio State jacket that I’m wearing today, and I don’t have any animosity towards Ohio State. I just think it’s sad when people are trying to save their jobs that they’ll stoop to this level.”

Listen to Bob DiGeronimo on ESPN 1540 KNR2 here

The first few games were rough for Fickell and he seemed incredibly indecisive. He couldn’t pick a starting quarterback and Ohio State looked like anything but a Big Ten power. Even though the team is coming off an enormous road win against Illinois their last time out in which they completed just one pass and still won, they have the undesirable task of welcoming Wisconsin to the ‘Shoe. The Badgers are fresh off their first loss of the season against Michigan State and they will be looking to take their frustrations out on someone. Fickell will be handed yet another obstacle that he tries to leap over in attempt to show Ohio State he is worthy of consideration as the Bucks head coach beyond this season. With the way the team has played this year, Fickell is a long shot. A win against Wisconsin could force the Bucks to give him some consideration.

Luke Fickell joined ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland on Munch in the Morning to talk about the win against Illinois, what he liked about Dan Herron coming off suspension to give the team a lift, what he thinks about the progress of Braxton Miller, if he was surprised by the score between Michigan State and Wisconsin Saturday night, and whether or not he thinks the Badgers loss against Michigan State was a good thing or bad thing for his team.

On the win against Illinois:

“I don’t know that it was exactly what we had in mind. Obviously we called a few more passes throughout the game. The weather kinda dictated a little bit of how we were playing but also the way the game was going. We had a good idea that it was going to be quite a bit of more of a running emphasis but obviously the game dictated it and allowed us to continue to do it.”

What he liked about Dan Herron coming off suspension to give the team a lift:

“It’s the way he has handled it. The respect he has from everybody on the team because of what he has done and the way he handled it, the way he has come back, and the way he’s battled. We needed that, we missed that, and it’s good to see Dan out there doing that.”

On the development of quarterback Braxton Miller:

“Braxton’s coming along every day. The thing he has done well throughout his high school career is throw the football. Obviously he can run but he’s just learning a little bit more of the game and seeing the field and maybe probably coming from under center a little bit more is something he hasn’t done in the past. Each and every week you can see his confidence level grow, you can see the things he can grasp, handle, and regurgitate when he comes to the sidelines. Those are the things that you keep studying to see and judge his progress.”

If he was surprised by the score between MSU and Wisconsin:

“Yeah I was. That was probably a very similar score to last year when they played them. The game starts going and no matter what you do you have to be able to improvise, adapt, adjust, and ultimately come up with a way to win the ball game. That’s what they did whether it was by special teams, turnover, and big plays.”

What he expects from Wisconsin coming off the loss against Michigan State:

“They’re going to be fired up. I don’t think you were gonna see anything different anyway. I know that they had this game circled and they always do. It starts with their head coach. Does it put a little more fire in their step? I’m sure it does. It’s probably as much as anything a wake up call just to make sure they understand that you have to play the entire game and special teams is a huge part of it. They were going to come out fired up no matter what but their wake-up call has already been had.”

Listen to Luke Fickell on ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland here

Fickell started senior Joe Bauserman in the Buckeyes’ first three games — a drubbing of Akron, a close victory over Toledo and then, most recently, a loss at Miami this past weekend. Now Bauserman is out and freshman Braxton Miller is in. He’ll start Saturday against Colorado and Fickell will see where things go from there.

Luke Fickell joined 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland with Bull and Fox to discuss the decision to bench senior QB Joe Bauserman in favor of the freshman Braxton Miller, whether he intends to play Miller the whole game this Saturday, whether he wishes he would have done things differently the past couple weeks, what his transition to being a head coach has been like, his young offense and how Bauserman took the news that he wouldn’t start.

You’ve announced Braxton Miller as your starting quarterback. Does that mean he plays the whole game?:

“We don’t know for sure yet. We’re going with Braxton and we’ve got to continue to move forward with what’s best with this group. … We’ve got a little bit of a plan for each. We’re going to go in, obviously, with Braxton and not telling him, ‘You’re on a leash,’ of any sorts or anything like that. We want him to be comfortable with what he’s doing. He knows we have confidence in him, but we also want Joe to be ready.”

If you could go back and change things, would you have used the quarterbacks differently in the past three games?:

“We’re moving forward. You’ve got enough things to do to spend any time thinking about what could have been. I guess maybe at the end of the year that’s when you have time to look back and reflect.”

How tough of a transition has it been for you given all that has happened in the past few months?:

“It’s different; it’s definitely different. I think anything that’s different is difficult. … The great thing is I’ve been with this staff for eight, nine years, most of them. So everybody knows each other, we know how to communicate. There’s no feelings outside of just making sure we’re doing what’s best for this program and this team. That’s made this transition possible.”

Was the decision to start Miller made tougher by the fact that you have so many other young guys on offense?:

“We can’t look at it like that. We’ve got to look at the whole group. Regardless of whether they’re young or not, they’re what we’ve got. Whether he had five or six senior wideouts or whatever, he’s still a freshman quarterback. The most important thing is that’s where we think we need to go and we continue to move forward. We’re not focused on anything other than, how can we get better and how do we get our best 11 guys on the field?”

How has Joe taken the news?:

“Joe took it good. It’s hard on anybody. It’s hard on us as coaches. … He’s obviously disappointed, but you would want him to be disappointed. … We talked two months ago with those guys that no matter what we were going to need both of them and how their relationship worked was going to be key to this team and helping each other grow. Things have a way of working themselves out.”

Listen to Luke Fickell on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland here