COLUMBUS, Ohio — Officially, Ohio State’s chase for a national title in 2013 came to an end with the Buckeyes’ loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game.
But for all intents and purposes, Ohio State’s championship quest two years ago was cursed before the calendar had even turned to August.
Even though the Buckeyes were coming off of a 12-0 debut season under the new direction of Urban Meyer and were preparing to face a regular-season schedule that they would prove to overmatch from a talent standpoint, Ohio State’s immaturity that year had already caught up to it.
That much was evident when in the span of one July weekend, Meyer found himself suspending two star players—running back Carlos Hyde and cornerback Bradley Roby—as well as freshman tight end Marcus Baugh, in addition to dismissing offensive lineman Tim Gardner for off-the-field incidents.
And while both Hyde and Roby found their names cleared from a legal standpoint, the distractions each caused—including a three-game suspension for Hyde and an inconsistent junior season from Roby—followed the Buckeyes well into their 2013 campaign.
Meyer, of course, is no stranger to discipline-related issues, with the New York Times’ Greg Bishop reporting that 31 players were arrested under his watch as the head coach at Florida from 2005-2010. But so far, aside from the occasional first pitch there and ESPYs appearance here, it’s been a relatively quiet offseason for…
Continue Reading: Quiet Offseason Great News for Ohio State’s Championship Repeat Hopes
