Ohio State beats Washington in Rose Bowl to send Urban Meyer off with a win
Urban Meyer, if this is indeed was his final game, went out with a win. And there was very little drama — until the end.
Before he passes the head-coaching baton to Ryan Day in Columbus, Meyer coached his Buckeyes past Washington in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State won 28-23, but it was not as close as the final score may indicate.
It was Meyer’s first time coaching in the Rose Bowl, and his team came ready to play. With Dwayne Haskins picking apart the Washington defense, the Buckeyes jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. That lead grew to 21-3 by the time halftime rolled around. And a touchdown midway through the third quarter pretty much put the finishing touches on a dominant performance.
While Haskins, who may soon declare for the NFL draft, completed 25-of-37 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, the much-maligned Ohio State defense played one of its better games of the season — for three quarters.
Washington didn’t reach the end zone (for the first time in seven quarters, no less) until early in the fourth. That score came on a nifty jump pass (an homage to Meyer, perhaps?) on fourth-and-goal. UW added two more scores — with 6:42 and 0:42 to play — to make Meyer and the OSU brass nervous, but it proved to be too little, too late for the Huskies.
The win was the 13th of the season for the Buckeyes. And for Meyer, it gives him an 83-9 record over seven seasons at OSU and 187-32 for his coaching career. If that indeed turns out to be his final record, he ranks among the best ever.
The win caps off a tumultuous year for Ohio State
Ohio State finished 13-1, but it was a long and winding road to get there.
Before the year even began, the program was engulfed in the scandal involving former wide receivers coach Zach Smith. Smith was accused of and engaged in an array of misconduct during his time under Meyer, including physically abusing his wife. The university investigated what Meyer knew about Smith’s misdeeds and suspended the head coach for three games without pay.
While Meyer was suspended, Day served as interim coach and led the Buckeyes to a 3-0 start. Meyer returned Sept. 22 against Tulane and picked up right where he left off. With inconsistent play on defense there were a few close calls until the flood gates opened against Purdue. The Buckeyes were embarrassed 49-20 in West Lafayette in the game that ultimately kept them out of the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes rebounded with four straight wins to close the regular season, including a trouncing of rival Michigan 62-39 with the Big Ten East on the line. A win over Northwestern in the Big Ten title game followed, but the Buckeyes were left out of the playoff field at No. 6.
All the while, questions about Meyer’s health persisted. With a history of issues because of a cyst in his brain, Meyer was often shown in extreme discomfort on the sideline. In the end, Meyer announced that the Rose Bowl would be his final game, with health being the main reason.
Just 54 years old, whether Meyer can stay away remains to be seen. After the win, ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi asked if he would ever be back on the sidelines.
“I don’t believe that’s going to happen,” Meyer said. “I’m going to enjoy tonight. I don’t believe I’m going to coach again.”
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