Urban Meyer shares message he sent to his Ohio State players on morning of The Game vs. Michigan

Urban Meyer found the formula for success against Michigan as the Ohio State coach, and now he’s finally sharing his secret. Meyer went 7-0 in “The Game” against the Wolverines, winning close contests and blowouts alike.

That allowed Meyer to win three Big Ten Championships in four appearances as the Buckeyes coach, with the game against Michigan typically determining the winner from the Big Ten East. In this week’s episode of Urban’s Take with Tim May, he revealed the message he sent to his players ahead of every game in the rivalry.

“I would always say, ‘don’t let that team stand in the way,'” Meyer said. “There’s so much to ride on this and, at the end of the day, don’t let that team stand in the way of what you’ve worked so hard for. Every year when you play these guys, the game after this is usually a Big Ten Championship Game. Don’t let that team stand in the way of everything you worked for.

“That was kind of in my own mind and I was sure there were players on the day of the game. That was my message constantly. You control this. They have no control over this. You do.”

Meyer rolled to several big wins against Michigan, including a 62-39 victory in his final season. Of course, he also had his fair share of close calls.

Ohio State won the 2014 version of “The Game” by a score of 42-41 as it stopped a two-point conversion attempt after the Wolverines scored a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining. That helped them to maintain an undefeated record before losing in the Big Ten Championship to Michigan State.

The Buckeyes escaped in double overtime two years later by a score of 30-27. They managed to hold Michigan to a field goal in the second overtime before Curtis Samuel ran in the 15-yard game-winning touchdown.

Meyer went on to say that he would have players practice without pads in order to prepare for the physicality of the game. He tried to get across how important it was to hit hard in every phase of the game.

“This will be the most physical game you’ve ever played, ” he said. “The most physical team’s gonna win. It’s gonna be a cold day in Ann Arbor. Maybe a chance of flurries and all that. The team that’s the most physical team will always win this game. You have to believe that. You have to get that in the mind of every player.

“Whether it’s on kickoff, kickoff return, punt. Whoever hits the hardest in this game will win. That’s our job as coaches to make sure their bodies are ready to swing as hard as you can.”

This year’s contest between Ohio State and Michigan will once again determine who advances to the Big Ten title game. It’s also a chance for the Buckeyes to snap a two-game losing skid and retake the rivalry. That in mind, Ohio State will look to remember the message Meyer provided in his time as a coach and help lead Ryan Day to victory.

Kickoff for “The Game” is set for noon ET on Saturday in Ann Arbor.