Two months ago, Urban Meyer told 10TV in Columbus that he'd “never seen anything like” Ohio State's roster. He doubled down on that statement this week.
On the first episode of The Triple Option, a new weekly show the former Ohio State head coach co-hosts with fellow FOX analysts Mark Ingram II and Rob Stone, Meyer declared that the Buckeyes have what might be college football's best collection of players “in the last decade.”
"I've read about them, I've watched them. This might be the best roster in college football in the last decade," Meyer said. "As far as NFL talent, as far as depth. You've got the second-string running back, whoever it is is probably going to be a first-round draft pick. I mean, they are loaded."
"This might be the best roster in college football in the last decade." @CoachUrbanMeyer & @MarkIngramII know @OhioStateFB are all in on bringing a national title back to Columbus pic.twitter.com/UmVCu9DYgq
— The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) August 21, 2024
One concern that Meyer has about the team is quarterback play, as he's not sure how well Will Howard will transition from Kansas State to Ohio State or what his ceiling at the position can be. But the Buckeyes' new play caller will elevate his play, Meyer feels.
"They've got Will Howard, who's going to be a big question mark," Meyer said. "But I feel the combination of him and Chip Kelly, the new offensive coordinator, they're married for each other. He's an athletic quarterback. He's surprisingly fast. I was told he ran 22 miles an hour at practice, which, you're a sub-4.5 (40-yard dash). That's fast fast. And he's a big dude."
Another concern Meyer holds is whether OSU can keep all of its stars engaged when they are projected to blow out their three non-conference opponents, Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall.
"Here's the challenge," Meyer said. "How do you keep all (players) happy? Their schedule is kind of a joke early on. They're gonna be 50-point favorites in the first three games. They have a bye week and then they play Michigan State, which is a shell of itself right now. So the starters will probably play 30 to 40 plays (a game) in the first month of the season. That means, statistically, they're not gonna have many catches, the running backs are not gonna have many carries.
"You're not gonna play those guys in the second half of those games and someone gets hurt. So how do you keep the personalities, the NIL, the agents I guess – that's a world I don't know – how do you keep them all happy?"
That seems like a bit of a first-world problem for a team that, at least in Meyer's opinion, will be the most talented in college football this season.
