After winning the Rose Bowl against the Washington Huskies, Urban Meyer seemed at peace with both his legacy at Ohio State and what he's been able to build and accomplish for the future. In his final locker room speech as Ohio State head coach, he addressed both of those ideas, while also passing the torch to Ryan Day.
Addressing his team he asked them to reflect on how they had faced adversity during the 2018 season, and how their fans and supporters had rallied around them.
"Never forget Buckeye nation... Did Buckeye nation ever turn their back on Ohio State? Did you ever turn your backs on each other?"
Meyer added that the team itself had responded to his challenges, saying, "When I needed you the most, you gave me your very best."
Thank you Buckeye Nation!!!!!! The Best Damn Fans In The Land!!! pic.twitter.com/DAe3eewyT6
— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) January 2, 2019
Meyer finished by literally handing over his whistle to new coach Ryan Day, who added that "We wouldn't be standing here today if everyone in this room hadn't stepped up. ... And so now we're going to keep moving this (team) culture forward... and the reason why we can do that is because we stand on the shoulders of the guys who have come before."
The transfer of power from one coach to the next had never been handled quite this way or gone anywhere near this smoothly. It was a wholly unique moment in Ohio State football history.
