Urban Meyer gives dual view for Ohio State, Notre Dame season-opener
The Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game is one of the biggest on the Week 1 slate. The hype is building, especially since both teams are ranked in the top five of the preseason AP Top 25.
Former Buckeyes head coach and former Notre Dame assistant Urban Meyer knows what it’s like to open the season in such grand fashion. He knows exactly what Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman are going through ahead of game week.
During the first installment of On3’s “Urban’s Take with Tim May,” Meyer said the top-five matchup will bring plenty of pressure. That’s why both teams have to pour their entire efforts into it, especially from the Ohio State perspective. The Buckeyes’ next games are against Arkansas State and Toledo before Big Ten play begins against Wisconsin.
“As a fan, as a Buckeye and as a fan of the Irish, I think it’s fantastic. As a coach, I think it’s tough,” Meyer said. “You have to win that game. We opened up with an Oklahoma, a Virginia Tech on the road. When I was at Utah, we played A&M on the road. It changes your whole mentality because after Notre Dame, Ohio State’s got some easier games. Just being quite honest. Everyone knows that. You’ve got to shoot everything you’ve got at this game. The preparation is something else I’d like to talk about next week. It’s so different when you open with a game like this. You have to have scrimmages.
“Remember the term ‘game ready,’ and Ryan is going through that right now. He’s trying to make sure first, the scheme is game ready. Once it is, put it away. Keep it warm, but put it away. The most important thing is the health and safety of that player. Once he’s game ready, he is not in a position where he’ll hit the ground another time before they play the game.”
The matchup will get the prime time treatment. Kickoff between Ohio State and Notre Dame is set for Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.