CHICAGO — When Urban Meyer looks back at Tim Beck's first season on Ohio State's coaching staff, he recognizes the difficult situation the quarterbacks coach stepped into.
"That was tough on him. He even said he felt someone overwhelmed because he's walking into, think what he walked into," Meyer said Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days. "One of the best three-game runs in the history of college football, two quarterbacks, Braxton (Miller).
"It was tough on him."
Beck received the brunt of the blame from some fans and others outside Ohio State's football program for what they perceived as a disappointing 2015 season. The year didn't finish the way it was supposed to because of a stunning home loss to Michigan State which nuked any chances at back-to-back national championships.
After that game, Meyer moved Ed Warinner — the team's offensive coordinator — into the press box. Ohio State waxed Michigan 42-13 and beat Notre Dame 44-28 in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 12-1. Warinner will remain up top in 2016 in addition to coaching tight ends as Meyer brought in Greg Studrawa to man the offensive line.
Beck said this spring he did not prepare J.T. Barrett and the quarterbacks enough to beat the Spartans, a contest where Ohio State's play calling left plenty to be desired and the Buckeyes managed only 132 total yards and five first downs. Thing is, Meyer knows he put Beck in a situation that made it difficult to succeed last year — even before the loss.
"I put that one more on me than Tim last year," Meyer said. "We had our coordinator on the field last year. Tim was stuck in a position that he shouldn't have been in, because I'm very active in the play calling and it was a triangle. That's too much.
"Ed and myself call the plays and (Beck) will be very involved in the play calling (this year)."
Beck juggled the quarterback derby, unsure who Meyer planned to tab as the starter until mid-October. Braxton Miller returned to the fold and needed touches. So did Ezekiel Elliott. So did Curtis Samuel. So did Michael Thomas. The list goes on.
Beck also faced the task of replacing Tom Herman, who led Houston to 12 wins in 2015 and beat Florida State in the Peach Bowl as its head coach.
"That was rough on Coach Beck being that each and every week he had to prepare two quarterbacks because you really weren't sure who was going to play," Barrett said Tuesday. "So I think where he's at right now, we're on the same page as far as where we want to be as an offense and what it's going to take to get there with him having a year under his belt in our offense."
It helps having Warinner alongside him in the press box, the team's offensive coordinator responsible for relaying thoughts to Meyer and pushing tempo — just what Ohio State wants.
"The way we do our business, because I'm very involved, I have to have that guy upstairs," Meyer said specifically of whoever he's had as his offensive coordinator in the past. "I tried to make it work, because we just won a national championship, had a helluva year."
Herman served as offensive coordinator in addition to quarterbacks coach from 2012-14. Meyer promoted Warinner ahead of last season, but he remained on the field for 11 games because of his duties as offensive line coach.
Meyer needed a loss to see that keeping Warinner on the field wasn't going to work. The Buckeyes missed a chance at back-to-back titles, but their head coach feels fine with where things stand now with the structure of his offense.
"Tim Beck has settled in, that was a tough situation he jumped into," Meyer said. "Ed Warinner was coaching the front line, five guys and still coordinating. That was one of the mistakes I probably made a year ago. You really can't do that. Now he's coaching the tight ends. So I feel much better with where we're at."
It helps Beck doesn't have a quarterback dilemma to worry about, too. The same goes for Barrett. Both know he is the starter unless something drastic happens.
"I don't know if I noticed it at a certain time, but I could just tell that he's more comfortable when we talk ball and sit in meetings this summer," Barrett said of Beck. "Just feel like he's more relaxed in that atmosphere."
As it stands, Meyer is doing his best to forget about that loss and focus on preparing a young team for a daunting schedule.
"It all worked out. I'm not going backwards, we're going forwards," Meyer said. "Very comfortable with where we're at this year."
