New Ohio St. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer took over a program he knew would soon be in NCAA troubles. While he didn't quite know the extent of the damage, he apparently felt the risk wasn't too great to take on. The most damaging sanction is the new scholarship limit, which trims his full ride count from 85 to 82 for each of the next three years, but he's lapping the Big Ten right now and could probably stand to be brought down a peg anyway. Honestly, Mr. Meyer.
The one-year bowl prohibition won't hurt him all that much, unless a couple seniors were looking for a reason to transfer away from the new regime. Otherwise, this is essentially the same program he knew he'd be taking over, now with a built-in rallying cry.
A statement from Meyer on the news:
I agreed to become the Head Football Coach at The Ohio State University because Shelley and I are Ohio natives, I am a graduate of this wonderful institution and served in this program under a great coach. I understand the academic and athletic traditions here and will give great effort to continue those traditions.
It is still my goal to hire excellent coaches, recruit great student-athletes who want to be a part of this program and to win on and off the field. The NCAA penalties will serve as a reminder that the college experience does not include the behavior that led to these penalties. I expect all of us to work hard to teach and develop young student-athletes to grow responsibly and to become productive citizens in their communities upon graduation.
For more, visit Ohio State blog Along The Olentangy and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.