Gobbler Country explores the similarities and differences between two NCAA FBS coaching stalwarts. On September 6, 2014, the Ohio State Buckeyes experienced the only loss of their 2014 championship season. When Virginia Tech defeated OSU at the Horseshoe in front of an audience of 107,517 fans, the Hokies not only provided the only blemish on the Buckeyes’ otherwise perfect season, but they also stopped Ohio State from breaking the NCAA record for the most single-season college football wins in the AP Poll era. Almost exactly one year after suffering his only home loss since taking the head coach job at OSU, coach Urban Meyer leads Ohio State into Blacksburg for a bitter rematch against coach Frank Beamer and Virginia Tech. Beamer and Meyer both attended the respective universities whose football squads they currently coach. Beamer earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech. Meyer attended Cincinnati for his undergraduate, but received his graduate degree from Ohio State. Interestingly, both men were student athletes and both played as defensive backs during their time as undergraduates. Both have developed number one NFL draft picks. Beamer coached QB Michael Vick who was selected as the first pick of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. At Utah Meyer coached QB Alex Smith who was selected number one by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. When both men accepted their current positions they took over programs languishing under NCAA sanctions resulting from actions of the programs’ previous head coaches…
Continue Reading: Urban vs. Frank
