Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, right, answers questions as athletic director Gene Smith and university President Michael Drake, left, listen during a news conference in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS — At just past 9 p.m. Wednesday, Ohio State’s president, athletic director, and football coach sat down at a table inside the Grand Lounge at the Longaberger Alumni House.
Across the street, at the university's palatial Value City Arena, a Journey/Def Leppard concert was under way. A few hours prior, adjacent to the alumni facility, Ohio State’s football practice wrapped up. As reporters staked out Urban Meyer’s car in the loading dock, the assistant director of football operations could be heard over a loudspeaker directing practice.
The surreal scene at every turn was indicative of a day that will live in Ohio State lore.
When Michael Drake, Gene Smith, and Meyer walked to the podium, the body language of all three told the story. For 10 hours, Ohio State’s Board of Trustees discussed Meyer’s punishment. Multiple reports indicate the talks became heated, with Drake in a standoff against the board and Meyer, who did not believe he should be suspended.
The Fawcett Center, a football field away across the parking lot, is the site where Meyer accepted the Ohio State coaching job in November, 2011. His demeanor Wednesday was such a stark difference that it wasn’t even on the opposite end of the spectrum — it was completely off the spectrum. Meyer looked defeated and emotionally fatigued, like he went 12 rounds in a prize fight. He stared blankly ahead, almost in a trance.
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The end result of the two-week investigation into the school’s handling of domestic violence accusations against a former assistant coach was a three-game suspension without pay for Meyer and a 17-day suspension without pay for Smith, coinciding with the same three games Meyer will miss.
VIDEO: Ohio State University press conference
In a 25-minute press conference, Drake, Smith, and Meyer answered questions, mostly tying up loose ends. There was criticism about Meyer’s response when asked about Courtney Smith, who had accused former OSU receivers coach Zach Smith of domestic violence in 2009 and 2015 and received a protective order against him in July that led to his firing, but it felt like this winding saga was over.
Then Ohio State released its investigative group’s 23-page Summary of Findings and the unanswered questions multiplied. For many, the domestic violence accusations became secondary because questionable judgment was unearthed in other areas.
Among the investigative committee’s findings:
Damage has been done to Meyer’s psyche and reputation. It’s entirely possible that relationships with university brass are irreparable.
But the findings in the report paint a picture of a possible cover-up by Meyer and a continued pattern of lying or at best misleading statements, including when appearing at Big Ten Conference media event in July one day after Zach Smith was fired. Perhaps the biggest unanswered question is, can Meyer trust the university, and can OSU trust Meyer?
Tucked inside the 23 pages was a telling passage authored by the investigative committee.
“As a result, he has cast doubt on his own honesty, in a way that reflects adversely on him, the football program, and Ohio State.”
Contact Kyle Rowland at krowland@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @KyleRowland.