Urban Meyer focused on current season
7/26/2012COLUMBUS — Urban Meyer is tired of hearing about next year.
Despite the Ohio State football team facing a postseason ban this fall - and Meyer’s record of success in his second season - the first-year Buckeyes coach made that theme clear Thursday in his first appearance at Big Ten media days.
"We’re playing for something," he said. "I hear, ‘What about next year?’ No, what about this year?"
Meyer said he is excited about the state of a program coming off its first losing season since 1988, though he acknowledged disappointment in a series of off-the-field incidents that included the suspension in June of left tackle Jack Mewhort, a St. John's Jesuit graduate, and tight end Jake Stoneburner. Meyer said he expects Mewhort and Stoneburner, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, to return to the team for the start of fall camp next month.
"There’s a lot that's very positive going on," Meyer said. The issues that happened this summer, I'm very disappointed. However, I think as I continue to grow with myself, I'm not going to worry about what I can’t control. We're worried about tomorrow, not yesterday. Mistakes are made, you handle it and move on and go forward. Players need to follow the lead of the coach. ... I’ve been there. You get so angry and upset. God's greatest gift is free will. However, we move forward."