Step Right Up and Predict Urban Meyer to Ohio State

For the second time this year, the “Urban Meyer to Ohio State” rumors are once again gaining momentum… from one individual simply relying on making “predictions.”

The Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi, who is certainly known for stirring the pot whether it should be stirred or not (most times not), proposed this exact scenario last month once the Ohio State situation worsened. A month later, it seems that it’s Beano Cook’s turn.

Cook, who currently works at ESPN, has been on a variety of television and radio programs over the past 20+ years. This past week, he jumped on AllNight With Jason Smith and let loose on a variety of college football-related topics. After tearing into the NCAA for allowing the suspended Buckeye players to actually participate (and eventually win) the Sugar Bowl, Cook set his sites on Tressel and said he believes the 2011-12 season will be his last.

The Columbus Dispatch shared tidbits of Cook’s comments on the show.

“I think Ohio State has major problems and I think Jim Tressel has major problems. I’ve said on my Podcast. . . (that) Urban Meyer will be the coach at Ohio State in 2012. That was my prediction and I stick by that prediction. Urban Meyer will be ready to coach somewhere. He said when he was coaching Florida that there were only three schools he would ever coach at – Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame. I think Brian Kelly is going to do the job at Notre Dame and Michigan just hired a new coach, and I think this will be Jim Tressel’s last year.”

“I just think it’s a mess. … I just think he will resign. That’s my opinion. That’s all. It’s just a prediction and that’s what we do in this business. Predict.”

Saying that a very talented, recently retired coach will get back into coaching is far from a bold statement. Especially when you’re talking about Urban Meyer who obviously still has the college football itch. Pinpointing his next stop, however, with a position that is already filled and may not be relinquished anytime soon is just throwing #$%^ at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Jim Tressel could certainly be fired in the coming year or years, but Cook’s “predictions” in this matter mean nothing more than what you and I will want to speculate. Is Ohio State still in hot water? Oh, you betcha, but it’s clear that the administration is going to bat for their guy, even if they aren’t pleased with how it’s turned out.

There’s a name for this in the blogging world, it’s called “trolling.” And while the misconception is that only uneducated bloggers are guilty of such nonsensical claims, it appears that is not the case. But we already knew that..

(h/t College Football Talk)