Urban Meyer calls pressure surrounding Ryan Day the 'reality' of Ohio State job

Urban Meyer knows a thing or two about the pressure Ryan Day is feeling as the leader of the Ohio State Buckeyes at the moment.

While the program is headed towards the College Football Playoff, some have called for Day to be fired due to yet another loss to Michigan. During the latest episode of The Triple Option, Meyer spoke with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram about the expectations that come with coaching in Columbus, and why they’re fair — even if they’re sky-high.

“It’s uncomfortable to hear the ‘fired’ word, and it’s uncomfortable to hear about pressure. But it’s also reality,” Meyer stated. “You’re compensated very, very well. You get all the resources. I talked to someone, I said, ‘Man, it’s a rugged job, but it’s also arguably the best job.’ I would start, you guys laugh at this. Here’s my first team meeting every year and my first staff meeting. I said this at Florida, and also Ohio State, ‘You’re expected to be the very best at what you do in the country.’ If you’re a coach, a running back coach, you better be the very best. If not, you’re going to have to answer to me and say, ‘Why?’ Because of whatever resource you need, I’m going to give you, to go study whatever you need to be the best.

“As a player, if you’re playing tailback — Mark Ingram, you’re expected to be the number one tailback in the United States. If that doesn’t fit your job description, you can go. I’ll help you right now. I’ll sign your lease papers and you can go. Because there’s a lot of places out here, Mark, (where) it’s really not that important. You know, you don’t have to be the best. There’s 130, 120 schools, you don’t have to be the best tailback. You be good, and you’e fine. You go eat your dinner and you go home for vacation and all that. At Ohio State, you don’t. And that’s why you got to clean. I call it a cleansing.

“You’ve got to clean your mind and say, ‘This is my job.’ That means — people say this is drastic. Every waking moment you have, if you’re not the best, find a way to become the best. And that’s your job description. I get it. If you don’t like that, go pay your taxes. Be a good person. But leave here. And so, that’s the way it is.”

Alas, Urban Meyer does recognize Ohio State is a different animal, and two-losses — including one to Michigan, may be acceptable elsewhere, but not in Columbus. Ryan Day may have to save his job with a national title in 2024, and that’s just how it goes when you’re the leader of the Buckeyes.