Tag: Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer says ‘the NFL needs the Redskins to be good again’

The Redskins were one of the blue-blood teams in the NFL during the 1980s and early 90s, something Urban Meyer says needs to happen again.

We’ve yet to see a bunch of solid offseason moves really pay off for the Washington Redskins over the past few years, but hope that some wins are standing just around the corner is ever-present. Moves have been made, talent has been accumulated, and culture is currently being set. Success may not rear its head this season, but it’s hard to believe that the Redskins won’t make a run at things in the coming years.

One of the most critical pieces in this puzzle is Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who the franchise liked enough to pick in the first round of last year’s draft. He struggled mightily in his rookie season, but many believe that he is putting in the work necessary to succeed in the near future, and show that he has what it takes to lead Washington to the playoffs and beyond. He isn’t alone in this endeavor, but he is the biggest wild card on the Redskins path to becoming good again, which is something that his former college coach is something that the sport needs.

“The NFL needs the Redskins to be good again,” Meyer said, via NBC Sports Washington. “Dwayne’s got to be that guy.”

This statement from the former Ohio State coach is nothing new. Last week he proclaimed that he thought his former QB could be a great player in the NFL if the Redskins were to surround him with talent. So far they’ve done that, and a highly-anticipated 2020 NFL Draft should continue that trend. Should Washington keep up their end of the bargain, it falls on Haskins to perform on the field and actually do what they drafted him to do. If all goes according to plan, the Redskins have a chance to return to the glamour of the glory years back in the 1980s and early 90s — back when Washington has part of the core of the NFL, rather than a laughing stock of the league.

The NFL is a better league when it’s blue-blood teams are at the heart of competition. The fans want it, the coaches want it, and the players want it. Haskins has the biggest chance to make it happen.

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Urban Meyer admits that Dwayne Haskins’ love for social media worries him

As with any young athlete, social media plays a big part in Haskins’ life, which is something that his former coach wants him to change.

For any rookie quarterback who is thrown into the fire during his first season in the NFL, there are going to be a lot of highs and lows. A lot of throws he wishes he could have back, but several flashes of competence that show hope for the future. For Washington Redskins rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, the 2019 season was full of those moments, but the lows, unfortunately, outweighed the highs. There were interceptions, misreads, sacks taken, and pleas unheard. For every two great passes he made, there were probably five balls that Haskins sailed, and an interception to go along with it.

Of the numerous concerning moments during Haskins rookie season, probably the most shameful act came off of the field, ironically during his first career win against the Detroit Lions. While the offense was taking the field for the final kneel down of the game, Haskins was nowhere to be found. Instead of celebrating the mile mark with his teammates, he was in the stands, taking a selfie with some fans. Of course, he apologized and it was eventually brushed off as a rookie mistake — something that would never happen again. Still, it shows a personality trait from Haskins that might stick around throughout his career.

“Dwayne likes the social media,” former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, via NBC Sports Washington. “He’s all over the social media. I worry about that a little bit.”

In today’s day and age, it’s hard to find a professional athlete in his early 20’s who isn’t constantly on social media. Haskins isn’t unique in his love for Twitter and Instagram, but it does have a chance to affect him more than it would others. Standing in a place of severe scrutiny, where many threw punches after he was “drafted too early,” claiming that he wasn’t ready for the big leagues and he was an instant bust before his first season ended, Dwayne is in a place where boo-birds live. Criticism of Haskins has been ever-present in his career, and social media is where it comes from.

So how can a young player change his ways and block some of that noise out? Meyer suggests following after one of the elder statesmen of the game.

“I like the Tom Brady approach,” Meyer said. “Just focus on your team.”

One of several things that Haskins could pick up from the living GOAT.

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Urban Meyer to provide commentary on Ohio State’s 2017 win over Penn State airing on FS1

Urban Meyer will be available to provide insight during FS1’s replay of the thrilling 38-37 come-from-behind win over Penn State in 2017.

Urban Meyer is making the rounds. This past weekend, he made an appearance on BTN’s Instagram account live while the network was replaying the double-overtime win over Michigan in 2016. His insight was pretty valuable and extremely interesting.

Now, the former Ohio State head coach is going to be on FS1 Monday night when the network re-airs the Buckeyes’ thrilling come-from-behind 38-37 win over Penn State at 8PM Eastern.

It’s what we’ve all been relegated to with sports and almost everything else being shut-down while we all come to grips with the new normal associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know you’ve probably re-watched this classic on more than one occasion, but never have you done it this way. One of the legendary coaches or our lifetime will provide some inside information that will surely enhance what you know about the win.

So tune in. Have fun. Stay at home and use up some of that toilet paper you have stashed away to TP the house after you watch Ohio State win again.

 

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Urban Meyer is not surprised Dwayne Haskins struggled in his rookie season

Urban Meyer knew that it would be a tough transition for Haskins in the NFL, and it didn’t come as a major shock to see him struggle.

We’ve all gotten a season and some change to watch as Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins works to acclimate himself in the NFL and learn how he can better lead the franchise through turbulent times.

While we all may have our own opinions on what we’ve seen thus far, and what may be coming in the next few months, one person that knows a ton about Haskins and his abilities is former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who is now an analyst at Fox Sports.

When asked about Haskins, Meyer kept his confidence and pronounced his belief in Haskins and his ability to weather the storm of a rough rookie year. He doesn’t seem to have been surprised that Haskins went through some growing pains in 2019, but he figures things will get better from here.

“My concern about Dwayne wasn’t so much about maturity, it was about lack of experience,” Meyer said while talking on FS1’s Speak for Yourself. “He had the best quarterback year in the history of Ohio State — one of the best years in the history of college football for a quarterback. However, it was one year.”

The concerns about Haskins’ experience were prevalent in his first year, and it became apparent that others on the team weren’t sold on his ability to lead either. Some videos popped up midway through the season of Haskins pleading with his offensive line on the sidelines, trying to figure what he could do to better help them. They seemed to want nothing to do with him. Then, there was also the matter of the infamous selfie during his first career win — a classic case of rookie naivete.

“To think he’s ready to go lead a franchise immediately — you know the NFL is such a different game, it’s such a fast game — everybody’s an all-star,” Meyer said. “My concerns were only that lack of experience. I think he’s going to be fine if they stick with him.”

It’s a tale as old as time in the NFL, where young QBs are thrown into the game before they’re ready and asked to sink or swim. Haskins might not have passed the test in his rookie year, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find his water wings as his career goes on. Many others have done so.

“What’s the common denominator?” Urban asked, rhetorically. “It’s ‘will they surround him with good players?'”

I happen to know another ‘good’ player who Urban Meyer is also familiar with from his time in college. The Redskins just might draft him with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which would go a long way to giving Haskins a safety net to fall back on.

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BTN to re-air Ohio State-Michigan classics Saturday for Rivalry Week

BTN will be re-airing Ohio State vs. Michigan classic games on Saturday for its “Rivalry Week.”

Like every other sports channel, BTN has gotten creative with its programming during the COVID-19 health crisis. We’ve seen a slew of classic games, countdowns and commentary outside of the normal broadcasting of live sports.

This week, it changed things up a bit and is playing classic rivalry games, dedicating one day per week on the biggest rivalries in the conference. It kicked things off Monday with classic Ohio State-Penn State basketball and football games, and we had a pretty good haunch we’d get some classics between Ohio State and Michigan at some point.

That has now become a reality. BTN will air classic Ohio State-Michigan games Saturday. It all starts very early in the morning and goes until the wee hours of Sunday. Here’s the complete schedule of classic games. Keep in mind, the network had to mine hard for a classic Wolverine win over the Buckeyes, so it is airing the 2011 game three times.

Next … The schedule

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Urban Meyer to field questions live during replay of 2016 Ohio State-Michigan game Saturday

BTN will be re-airing the classic 2016 Ohio State-Michigan football game and Urban Meyer will be available to answer questions live.

By all accounts and measures, the 2016 football game between Ohio State and Michigan was one of the all-time classics in the series — and there have been a lot of them.

While both teams came into The Game ranked in the top five, with Big Ten and national title implications on the line, Michigan was actually favored to finally take down its arch-rival. What played out was dramatic, controversial, and exhilarating all at the same time in a classic Ohio State won in double overtime.

BTN will re-airing the 2016 game this Saturday at 9{M, and you’ll have a chance to ask questions to former head coach Urban Meyer on BTN’s Instagram account. According to a release on Twitter by BTN, both he and in-studio analyst Gerry Dinardo will both be available for reaction, commentary, and interaction with fans as the game re-airs.

So, set your calendar, log into Instagram and have at it. Oh yeah, and remember, the spot was good.

 

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We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.

Urban Meyer tackles the Joe Burrow vs. Dwayne Haskins question

The former Ohio State coach opened up on Burrow and Haskins.

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Former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer would happen to know a thing or two about Dwayne Haskins and probable Cincinnati Bengals pick Joe Burrow.

Interestingly, Meyer sat down in an interview recently and fielded a question on both guys.

When asked why he picked Haskins over Burrow to start at Ohio State, Meyer offered the following to NFL Media (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk):

“Joe was a little behind. You know why? Joe was also Mr. Ohio in basketball and they had a great team in the state championships, and he’s just one of those all-purpose tough guy leaders. Joe Burrow is a no brainer. Absolute no brainer. Can he throw as accurately as Dwayne? He’s improved, but he wasn’t that way. But his leadership skills, his toughness, competitive — you talk about a competitive maniac, that’s who Joe Burrow is.”

This doesn’t read as Meyer saying he’d take Haskins over Burrow today by any means. Haskins, the 15th pick last year, fell to a dysfunctional Washington team that fired Jay Gruden in the middle of the season and was skittish on letting him get in games. He completed 58.6 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and interceptions.

In other words, the jury is still very much out on Haskins. This does more to explain why Burrow left Columbus and is — in the minds of a few — a “one-hit wonder” thanks to his performance last season.

Burrow, hitting a peak at the right time, took an unorthodox route to the top. He’s clearly a dynamite pick now and given the circumstances, that odd route doesn’t do him any harm in the draft-stock department.

Or as Meyer just put it, he’s an absolute no brainer.

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Urban Meyer: ‘I think this is the year’ that Florida beats Georgia

Former Florida Gators HC Urban Meyer thinks this is the year Dan Mullen and UF beat Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs football program.

During his tenure at Florida, former Gators head coach Urban Meyer went 4-1 vs Georgia, with his only loss being the famous 2007 “Gator Stomp” game.

Meyer’s success against the Bulldogs has not yet been replicated by another Gator coach since.

Now, with Dan Mullen as the head guy in Gainesville, Florida is playing catch-up to Kirby Smart and Georgia. The Dawgs are 2-0 against Florida since Mullen took over and have won the last three vs the Gators.

Georgia has taken control of the series, holding a 6-3 record since 2011.

But Meyer, now a college football analyst with Fox Sports, thinks that this is the year that Mullen gets Florida back into the national spotlight, beats Georgia and navigates the Gators to their first playoff appearance.

“I think (Florida) should be in the playoff. I think it’s time,” Meyer told GatorBait’s Buddy Martin. “Dan’s built a good program. But I spent six years at Florida. Georgia is a big game. Until you beat Georgia you can’t say a thing. And I think this is the year.”

Meyer looks at 2020 as a transition year for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs.

He’s not wrong, but Georgia fans see the transition as a good thing. The Dawgs got an upgrade at offensive coordinator with Todd Monken, a fresh face at quarterback in Jamie Newman and what could even possibly be a boost at offensive line coach with Matt Luke coming into replace Sam Pittman.

There’s a lot of player talent to replace other than Fromm, but Kirby’s landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in each of the last three years. I have no doubt that Florida will give Georgia a challenge the year, but I’m getting the sense that Kirby has Mullen’s number, and that’s not changing.

Florida is coming on strong, and many do expect the Gators to dethrone Georgia as SEC East champs in 2020. If that happens, it would make Florida the first team other than Georgia to win the division since 2016.

Retiring Big Ten official compares Jim Harbaugh to child, speaks out on J.T. Barrett spot

Retiring B1G official Dan Capron sat down with Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune. He spoke of Jim Harbaugh and the J.T. Barrett spot.

Dan Capron has been working Big Ten college football games for twenty years. The time has come however for him to make a decision to call it quits after doing a bushel of very big games. He’s done some Ohio State vs. Michigan games, a national championship game, and a slew of other big-time tilts throughout his career.

That means he’s got some behind the scenes stories and perspectives not many have from on-the-field moments and battles that only someone in his position has access to.

The Chicago Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein sat down with the officiating veteran to pick his brain on some things the public may not know. It’s a fascinating read, and there are some things in there that Buckeye fans will get a kick out of, and one that they may not.

Some of the most interesting nuggets come from the Ohio State vs. Michigan game in 2016 that went to double overtime. You know the one. The game in which there was a “controversial” spot that J.T. Barrett received on the winning drive of the game, and the same one in which Jim Harbaugh got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing his playbook on the field in disgust. Yeah, that one.

When discussing the unsportsmanlike penalty, Capron compared Jim Harbaugh’s antics to a fourth grader.

Next … Capron’s take on Jim Harbaugh’s antics in the 2016 game

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Zach Smith sentenced to 180 days in jail stemming from violation of Civil Protection Order

Former Ohio State assistant Zach Smith was sentenced to 180 days in jail Friday for violation of a Civil Protection Order.

Just when you thought this story was dead, it just keeps going. Former Ohio State and Urban Meyer assistant Zach Smith was sentenced to 180 days in jail Friday for violation of a Civil Protection Order back in December. This, according to The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach.

Though the sentence is set at 180 days, 160 of those will be suspended — meaning Smith will spend just 20 days in jail. As a part of those conditions, he will also have to take part in an anger management program, perform forty hours of community service, and will also receive three years of probation with “drugs and alcohol conditions.”

Smith was fired by Ohio Stae in the summer of 2018 for allegations of domestic abuse after Brett McMurphy broke the news of an alleged pattern of trouble stemming from his days at Florida and beyond.

The report was a polarizing one that resulted in the suspension of both Urban Meyer and athletic director Gene Smith. Myer would end up coming back from suspension, coaching the team through the remainder of the 2018 season before announcing his retirement after the Michigan game in late November.