The course of Ohio State football history alongside the coaching career of Urban Meyer would be drastically different if a failed ask from then-coach Meyer had actually gone as planned.
Meyer has swiftly transitioned away from college coaching in favor of analytical work in recent years, which includes frequent appearances on Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network alongside his work on "The Triple Option" podcast.
During a Christian-centered event called "Life Surge," Meyer recalled wanting to bring his players together to create custom church services to discuss life lessons that could be applied on and off the football field.
Whether affiliated or not, it seemed like a good idea on the surface until it ultimately wasn't, Meyer said reluctantly.
"Every Sunday, right before our team meeting, we’re going to have church service because you take the whole week; players don’t have time to go run a church, so I’m gonna bring church to them,” Meyer said.
Then, things got awkward.
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"And so the school attorney comes over to me and said, ‘Coach, you can’t do that.’ And I said, ‘I can’t do what ?’ She says, ‘you can’t have the Bible study and you can’t have the church service,'" Meyer continued. “And I said, ‘well, we’re gonna do it.’ She said, ‘well, you can’t. Separation of church and state. You can’t do that.’ And I said, ‘I’m really busy. We’re doing it.”
Meyer added the Buckeyes' Athletic Director, Gene Smith, had to get involved after Meyer retaliated against the school's attorneys, telling Smith to "let me go" if a compromise wasn't agreed upon.
Meyer changed the name to "reflections," and thus, the Ohio State administration didn't think twice about it.
“In this day and age, you’re 18 to 21 years old. We take every second of their time. How do you not do that?” Meyer said. “That’s more the question. “It’s instead of saying, ‘how do you do it?’ How do you not do that?”
Luckily for Meyer, he got his way. But if it was another twist of fate, his coaching legacy may still be questioned.
Since 2019, Ryan Day has succeeded Meyer as the Buckeyes attempt to win back-to-back titles this season.