Urban Meyer Hails Two Big Ten Powerhouses For Adapting to New NIL Era
During an episode of "The Triple Option," a podcast hosted by Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram and Rob Stone, the trio interviewed West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez and discussed the new realities of the transfer portal and NIL.
"Rich Rod" asked the group what the common factors were for the coaches and programs that have had success in recent years.
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Meyer didn't hesitate to provide his wisdom.
"I'm going to answer that first. I think it's a no-brainer," said Meyers. "I think with this NIL and what I witnessed the (Michigan) Wolverines do and the (Ohio State) Buckeyes do the last two years. You got grown ass men in that locker room. My best teams were when I had men, not boys, in the locker room."
Former college football head coach Urban Meyer.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Many opinions from the outside looking in at the college football landscape may believe that money can solve every problem. While NIL spending and a well-paid coaching staff can mask many flaws, a team of veteran players can provide a special advantage over players who may not want it as much or want to win for the wrong reasons, when viewing right and wrong through a lens that Meyer is describing.
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"You look at the Wolverines and Buckeyes. All those kids came back. It's not the 17- or 18-year-olds. You've got 21-year-old dudes who have been through the war. I started reflecting back as I'm watching these teams—my best teams were the same way. I had the Pounceys.
"I had these guys that didn't take any (expletive), and the locker room was the locker room. They were grown men. I know Penn State's trying to do the same thing this year. A lot of those kids came back. Where in the old days, they all left because they had to get paid.
Can a roster of two and three-star seniors beat a team of four and five-star underclassmen? That remains to be seen. However, considering the heavy roster turnover affecting most teams in the NIL era, the ability to retain players is likely the key ingredient to success.
Related: Urban Meyer Gives Unfiltered Take on Nico Iamaleava's Controversial UCLA Switch
Related: Steve Sarkisian Redefines Arch Manning's Role as Texas Eyes National Championship Run
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