COLUMBUS – Urban Meyer says he’ll be back coaching at Ohio State next year.
(8) OHIO STATE (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten East) vs. NEBRASKA (2-6, 1-4 Big Ten West)
Ohio Stadium Sat., Nov. 3 (Noon/FOX)
The coach who was suspended for three games at the beginning of the season and has been slowed by a health issue has been the subject of speculation that he could retire. Meyer says he’s fine and will return to coach the Buckeyes next season.
“I plan on coaching,” he told reporters at his weekly press conference Monday.
Asked if he definitely planned to return to Ohio State for the 2019 season, he simply replied, “yes.”
“I want Ohio State to be successful in the worst way,” he said in response to a question about his health and his emotional outlook. “I don’t want people to worry about me. I want to make sure we’re getting some things right around here, and that is what the effort is. That is 100 percent of what my focus is on.”
The Buckeyes return from a bye week during which they licked their wounds following a stunning upset at the hands of the Purdue Boilermakers, a loss that knocked Ohio State from the ranks of the nation’s to-ranked teams.
The 383.8 yards per game they are gaining via their high-powered passing game is second in the nation and they welcome a Nebraska defense that is 13th in the Big Ten, with six starters returning from the worst unit in the conference in 2017.
Unfortunately, OSU’s 171.8 yards per game rushing average is 68th in the nation and one of the glaring weaknesses exposed by Purdue in the 49-20 loss at West Lafayette on Oct. 20.
Ohio State and Nebraska are meeting for the seventh time and fifth time since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. Overall, the Buckeyes lead the series 5-1.