Ohio State officially began preparing for the 2017 season last Thursday with an early-morning practice, which means the Buckeyes are officially back on the gridiron. The big hits are back, the one-handed catches are back, the spins moves are back – football is back.
To celebrate the occasion, Ohio State's video team got to work creating an incredible highlight video of... the team's trip to Magic Mountain?
to some summer pic.twitter.com/k2KRk3yRnz
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) July 29, 2017
The video shows the plays and coaches playing laser tag, racing go karts, playing mini golf and winning tickets in the arcade. It looks like tons of fun, but isn't this valuable time that could have been spent preparing the Buckeyes for the upcoming season?
Well, here's the thing: Urban Meyer is getting his team ready for a grueling 2017 slate – by going to Magic Mountain. See, Meyer knows it's unreasonable to ask a player to do something, to really trust you, if he doesn't know you. And it's impossible to know you if the only time he sees you is in an official capacity at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
"It's called power of the unit," Meyer said. "That's nine units strong, and that guy has to, before he can do what you ask him to do, he's got to trust you. How does he trust you? He's got to know someone other than the guy who walks these offices all the time."
That's why it's important for the coaches to go on these team building trips as well. It's why you see Greg Schiano is whipping around corners in a go kart, it's why you see Kerry Coombs strapping on a vest to light people up in laser tag, it's why you see Zach Smith sliding down a 50 foot slide before ramping into a pool.
Even Urban Meyer is not exempt – every year he invites the entire team to his house for a gigantic pool party.
Summertime winding down but still time to hit the water #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/duFpeBGc1a
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) July 23, 2017
Meyer wants he and his assistants to develop real relationships with the players; not just football relationships.
"We expect them to be over at their house, get to know their families, they know their families, and do something other than constant football," Meyer said. "So you see us do that quite a bit."
It's funny how something as simple as a weekend trip to Magic Mountain is a chance to make your team better, but if it works, Meyer is going to do it.
And the players will hardly complain. After all, it all does look pretty damn fun.
