Urban Meyer opens up on state of college football amid realignment, NIL stance

Urban Meyer took a look at college football and harkened back to a time before realignment. The Pac-12, or Pac-10 and 8 as it used to be called, was once the heralded conference in all of college football.

Now it seems like it’s an arms race between the Big Ten, SEC and now Big 12. Meyer made his opinion known on the changing landscape of the sport, especially with NIL as it’s still in its infancy.

Meyer talked about the big moves from the Big Ten to acquire Pac-12 teams and much more during Tuesday’s interview with The Herd.

Meyer on his first reaction to Pac-12 teams leaving

“I think my initial sting was like everybody else,” Meyer said. “I grew up with the Pac-12 when it was arguably the best league in the country. USC was dominant, Terry Donohue was at UCLA, all those programs, great players, Heisman Trophy winners, but I like you, I get it. I think that the Big Ten is got to be reckoned with now I mean, can you imagine? As we were talking earlier, you flip on the TV at 10 o’clock, you got Big Noon Kickoff. And you go until midnight because you got the West Coast now.”

On how Big Ten fans view expansion

“Well, I think the fans are probably fired up because they see their conference strength right now,” Meyer said. “They’re going to be able to watch and here’s the interesting thing that goes along with the fans. How about the coaches, also now the Big Ten West? You had Iowa, you had Wisconsin, you had Minnesota, those teams are competing fo a chance to go the championship game Northwestern (goes to) a championship game. 

“If they eliminate divisions, and you add Oregon, Washington, UCLA, USC, you know what happens to the Wisconsins? What happens to the Michigan States? What happens to those teams that are really good programs, but they’re just a notch below? Do they drop even further below in the conference? Those are the questions that if I’m a coach and at one of those places, I’m thinking if they eliminate divisions, what chance do I have to get my program to that Big Ten championship game, which is everyone’s goal, because it just got a hell of a lot harder.”

On if college football needs a commissioner

“I did. I’ve sat in many, many meetings,” Meyer said. “That problem is that really every conference is out for itself. Every school is. I mean, there’s no getting along, let’s do this thing together. Right now the SEC is worried about one thing. The SEC. The Big Ten obviously, they couldn’t care less about the Pac-12 because they took their teams. You know Same with the Big 12 … 

“So as long as everybody is so independent, the chance of a commissioner and coming under one umbrella, I don’t see that happening. I don’t see that at all. Because right now the SEC, you know, do you think they really could care about the Pac-12 and Big Ten, the Big 12? Not at all and same with the Big Ten. They are where they need to be. They’re worried about one thing, can they support all these other sports and every program in their conference? And that’s a tall task.”

On Jim Harbaugh’s teams

“Well, I know his teams very well, and they’re tough,” Meyer said. “You know, he grew up in a tough family, played for a tough coach. And you watch, the reason they beat Ohio State the last two years is they won the line of scrimmage. That game, the history of that game, whoever wins the line of scrimmage wins. So you remember about three years ago, his job was on the line? I think they redid his contract. They were really struggling and he’s done a great job. He’s got a really good football team. 

“He’s got a quarterback coming back, one of the few teams with the returning quarterback. So when I think of a Jim Harbaugh team, I think about you better line up and run the football and stop the run because that’s coming at you.”

On how NIL is playing out currently

“I think I’m a little more comfortable than the initial sting,” Meyer said. “I guess I hear a lot of things that many people don’t because I’m still very tied in with many of my old colleagues … You know the one thing that you hear is the collective and the collective is they go raise money from donors, they put together a big pot of money, they think they pay players to come to your school and in return the players have to do charitable work. 

“If you want to eliminate the Wild Wild West, I think collectives need to go away. I think NIL, the purpose, was great. If a player like Marvin Harrison Jr, if Marvin Harrison Jr. can get a job at a car dealership selling cars, selling autographs, selling jerseys, that’s called capitalism and that’s great. But I’m like you, I think when you started saying okay, I’m recruiting a 17 year old, he has an agent and this school has offered him $20,000 a month, we need to go to $25,000 a month. I don’t know what else you call that other than cheating.” 

More on NIL

“You know that’s not what the intent of NIL is, that’s not what the purpose is,” Meyer said. “I think once a player has earned that right, and he has value, that’s the whole purpose of name and likeness, I think it’s fantastic. It should have been done a long time ago. 

“But that’s not what’s happening right now. There is that happening, but the the fact that they’re paying players to go to schools, you know, that’s very clear in the rulebook and says don’t do that.”

On Ohio State’s WR talent, Brian Hartline, philosophy

“It kind of happened to me at Florida,” Meyer said. “We started recruiting speed and I always made a comment I want to be the fastest team in America. And then you get good news or bad news. The good news is you have the most talented players in the country. Bad news, they got to touch the ball. So you have to get that ball in their hands. I’m not saying Ohio State’s less physical, but I’m saying you have a group and you are correct, Brian Hartline has recruited, and I did this a long time, I’ve never seen the level that the quarterback and receivers are recruited at Ohio State right now. 

“Everyone’s a first round draft pick, everyone everyone’s a five star, but you have to get the ball in their hands. And you know, the good thing is they are loaded at tailback this year too. But I would not say that it turns into a finesse game. But it turns into a game that you got to be creative whether it’d be hand it to him, throw to him, throw screens to him. Your job as a head coach is to get the best players the ball.”

On if weather will be a factor in the Big Ten for USC, UCLA

“My last few years at Ohio State we played USC in the Cotton Bowl and then Washington in the Rose Bowl,” Meyer said. “So we saw every game and I felt the skill positions were about the same. When you get to the offensive and defensive lines, that’s where I thought Ohio State, they were unable to block the Bosa’s and Chase youngs and not many people can, but you just saw a difference in the offensive and defensive lines for USC and UCLA, Washington and Oregon to compete. And you did bring up whether that will be a factor. 

“They’re gonna have to get much better on the offensive and defensive lines. I just noticed a little bit of a drop off in the last few years. And I talked to several colleagues that coach that west. They’re not as easy to find as they used to be out west in high school and I don’t know why.”

On what to expect from Deion Sanders, Colorado

“I mean, I’ve known Deion Sanders a long time,” Meyer said. “I’ve always loved Deion Sanders. I respect him, we get along. I called him up, I was out west, we have you in the first two games. He was more than gracious to have me out. The most underrated people, obviously got your players, the most underrated people in football are the assistant coaches. And he’s hired really good coaches. I went to the meetings and I watched the practice, they have I believe 70 new players. 

“So I call this thing that grand experiment and I’m telling you Colin, I mean, that was not what I expected. You know, I didn’t know what to expect. But I saw a very good team. I saw talented players, his son’s an excellent quarterback. They got Travis Hunter … I looked at Prime and I said man, I’ve had one of those called Percy Harvin. I just pushed him to the side, you don’t need to practice him much longer. He’s that good. The thing they’re lacking Colin, is depth. If they can stay healthy, they have a tough schedule, they’re gonna make some waves in the Pac 12.”