Urban Meyer is meeting with his 2013 Ohio State team today, and he said the message will be straightforward.
?Our mantra is going to be truth,? Meyer said.
Especially when it comes to the notion that Ohio State -- coming off a 12-0 season from which it was banned from the post-season ? is poised to make a run at the likes of Alabama, which just won its third national title in four years, and second in a row.
?Our mantra is going to be fundamental development, but truth means exactly ? you have a good season and there?s a lot of conversation about things that shouldn?t be discussed, because it?s not true,? Meyer said. ?For example, ?Are you guys gonna go do this next year (make a run at the national title)?? No, probably not, unless we get a lot better. Like a lot better.?
But Meyer likes hearing that his team is in the conversation, and he said he will use that as one of the sticks to prod his players who already have started their offseason conditioning program headed toward the start of spring drills on March 5. Fundamentals will be stressed from now til next January, though.
?Fundamentally we are not where we need to be,? Meyer said. ?I was fortunate to be at the championship game (as a guest analyst for ESPN), and I think probably the best fundamental team I?ve certainly seen this year won that game.
?And that?s with leverage, that?s with tackling, blocking, all the things that help you win football games.?
Toward that goal, he said major work is needed by the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball, but especially defense where the team lost seven starters, including defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins who left early for the NFL. Gone are six from the front seven, including all four defensive line starters.
The return of linebacker Ryan Shazier and cornerback Bradley Roby, who considered leaving early, too, at least adds some stability from a talent and leadership standpoint, Meyer said. But considering all of those other spots that need to be filled, talk at this time of doing anything but trying to win the season opener against Buffalo would not be prudent.
?For me to say we have to get there (national title game) next year, I mean that?s like talking about we have to go fly to the moon,? Meyer said. ?We?re nowhere near having that conversation.
?What we really have to do is find out who can play defensive line for us. We lost some really good players, and the current status (of the proposed fill-ins), where they are right now (in development), we won?t. To have that conversation we?ve got to win our first game.?
Though there had been some conjecture that junior running back Carlos Hyde was contemplating an early jump to the NFL, Meyer indicated he expects all but Hankins to return. Underclassmen have until Jan.15 to declare their intentions.
?There is a lot to be done,? Meyer said of the coming couple of months. ?The emphasis the next three weeks will be on closing a very good (recruiting) class. We like our class.?
Five members already are enrolled, including quarterback J.T. Barrett of Wichita Falls (Rider), Texas. Two walk-ons joined those scholarship players for spring semester.
?With most classes it?s how you finish is what determines if you love the class,? Meyer said. ?There?s a lot of chaos right now with new staffs, new coaches (across the country) trying to take your players and all that kind of stuff. So we?ve just got to keep recruiting our players and keep going.?
@Tim_Maysports
tmay@dispatch.com
Source: http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2013/01/11/11-meyer-team-message.html
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