Now with Urban Meyer’s fate known and a 3-game suspension having been handed down, we know the Buckeyes will be without their head coach until September 3, and that he will also not be available for the games on September 8 (Rutgers) and September 15 (TCU).
So what does that mean for the Ohio State football team on the actual football field?
For now, it’s business as usual. Meyer hasn’t been part of the team since his paid administrative leave that has kept him away from his team for the entirety of fall camp. He won’t be permitted to return until the Monday after the season-opening game against Oregon State.
He will then be permitted to be with the team, but will not be allowed to coach them for the following two game days. Meyer will be able to be on the practice field and help game plan, but then when Saturday rolls around, he may have to watch from the discomfort of his own home.
Where things stop being business as usual for the Buckeyes, clearly, is on game day.
Can acting head coach Ryan Day maintain his job as playcaller and head coach? Is that too much to ask of somebody who has never been a head coach?
Is Kevin Wilson giving him a rundown of what to expect as a former head coach and playcaller? Do they decide together that maybe Wilson is the last voice to be heard before a play?
Both Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel in the past have downplayed the playcalling process, and Meyer has always said it is a collaborative effort. They game plan throughout the week and practice the plays that are going to be called in certain situations, so Wilson and Day should be on the same page on Saturday because they are the ones putting together the game plan throughout the week.
They will talk throughout, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wilson handle the playcalling duties while Day is in charge.
While Meyer said on Wednesday night that this is one of his best coaching staffs ever, they are still going to be dealing with a situation that is different than anything they’ve ever dealt with before.
Having former head coaches Kevin Wilson and Greg Schiano on both sides of the ball is huge, but this is one hell of an audition for Ryan Day.
You also have to wonder about the demeanor of the players themselves. While they are supposed to be in a cocoon, they are very aware of what their head coach is dealing with. Will this create the angry team that Urban Meyer loves, or will this be a team that takes the field noticeably missing their head coach?
Meyer will have been gone from the team for over a month by the time he is allowed to be back around them. There will be no making up for lost time, which is why having a staff he believes he can trust so important.
At this point, the team is used to Meyer’s departure, but game day will be different. They have never played a game without their head coach, so this will be new.
But it could also be viewed as an opportunity for them to show their maturity.
The “next man up” mantra has been around Ohio State for a while, and it also applies to coaches. It applied to Brian Hartline, who has gladly stepped up to replace Zach Smith. And it also applies to Ryan Day as the acting head coach.
Meyer’s hope is that the program is at a place that doesn’t necessarily run on its own, but that the nine units are strong enough on their own to get their respective jobs done.
If everyone does what they are supposed to, then the results should be positive. Especially against Oregon State.
Once that game is over, Meyer will be back with the team on the following Monday. He will be at each practice doing what he does, and so will his players and assistant coaches.
He will miss Oregon State, but will be around to prepare for Rutgers and TCU. While most expect the Buckeyes to be fine in their first two games without Meyer, there are doubts about the trip to Arlington, Texas to face the Horned Frogs.
TCU will likely be a popular pick that week, and expect the Buckeyes to be made aware of it.
If this team and coaching staff are as good as Meyer says, they should be able to overcome his suspension.
The more pertinent question may be how long it takes Meyer himself to overcome it.