Urban Meyer was bound to have the last laugh after Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame, which marked the program’s first National Championship since his tenure as head coach. Following the game, he took aim at critics of his successor, Ryan Day, especially after his name surfaced as a potential replacement due to Day’s fourth consecutive loss to Michigan. Meyer dismissed the notion of returning to coaching, instead expressing concern for the program’s precarious state amidst calls for Day’s dismissal from what Kirk Herbstreit described as the “lunatic fringe.” However, the Buckeyes rebounded, winning four straight games for their ninth championship in history.
On his podcast, The Triple Option, Meyer remarked, “A lot has been made of it, of Coach Day and the pressures of coaching at a place like Ohio State. The thing that’s got to change — and has changed — is the idiots on social media that don’t sign their name to stuff. When you start involving families, you’re pushing it too far.” Additionally, Herbstreit reinforced his critique of Ohio State’s fanbase by stating that Day required 24/7 armed security.
Meyer stated, “Booing because you don’t get first downs and you lose to the rival? That’s part of the game. But, you got to keep the families out of it.” He understands the pressure of leading high-profile programs, having faced it during his time at Florida and Ohio State. He recalled, “When I first [went] to Florida, you know they wanted [Steve] Spurrier. I’d want Spurrier, too. He was a Heisman Trophy winner there, won the national championship… I really didn’t understand the dynamic until I got there. I’ll never forget — he goes to South Carolina — and we lose to South Carolina, which you don’t do that at Florida. I walk in to do my radio show on a Thursday, and I am the most miserable human being. I’m a stranger in a strange land down South, and I come walking in and they boo me. I’m 7-2, I think, at the time.”
At Ohio State, he faced similar challenges: “Just nut job fans would say things about my girls or something, and we’d have police come 24/7 around the house a few times — just because you’re in the public eye,” Meyer shared. He recounted how these pressures affected his players, noting a conversation with former Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett: “One time, J.T. had a bad game — and I love J.T., toughest nut there is. One day, I was talking to him, and he said, ‘These fans are nuts here.’ I said, ‘I know.’ Then he showed me some of the things that were hitting his Instagram or whatever.”
Ultimately, in a high-stakes environment like Ohio State, the only thing louder than the critics on social media is the sound of winning — something Ryan Day recently demonstrated.
