INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer shared the podium with quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the aftermath of a 45-24 victory over No. 21 Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.
While defensive end Chase Young riffed on how the No. 4 Buckeyes came together in the aftermath of their loss to Purdue on Oct. 20, Meyer looked at his quarterback and smiled. Haskins tried not to laugh. Call this the moment where coach and quarterback could finally relax after a turbulent season that ended with the program in its standard spot.
After Young and Haskins exited the podium, Meyer was asked what this team — a 12-1 team that won the program's third Big Ten championship in seven years but will likely have to settle for the Rose Bowl instead of the College Football Playoff — means to him.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Ohio State lines up behind Oklahoma, Georgia
"This was a very unique year," Meyer said. "There's only one explanation why we're sitting here as Big Ten champs, and two of them just left the podium here. That's the group of players."
Meyer rattled off the names of senior leaders such as Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon, Parris Campbell and Isaiah Prince, and then hit on the one player who wasn't there — defensive end Nick Bosa, who was lost for the season after an injury suffered against TCU on Sept. 15. Losing Bosa, who could be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was a shot, but this team recovered from it.
Meyer is right. This was a unique year. It was also a complicated one, from start to finish. Assistant coach Zach Smith was fired before Big Ten Media Day in July. Meyer was suspended for three games Aug. 22. Interim coach Ryan Day went 3-0 as acting coach. All of that happened before Bosa withdrew from school.
The Buckeyes dominated rival Michigan 62-39 and then dominated the Big Ten championship game, but their 49-20 loss in West Lafayette, Ind., will likely keep this super-talented team out of the Playoff for a second consecutive season.
"The ultimate prize is a national championship," Meyer said. "You certainly can't be in that discussion unless you win your conference. Our objective is to get to Indy, win in Indy, win the conference championship. . . . If we have a chance to play for a national championship, our guys will be ready to go."
Haskins, who finished 34 of 41 for 499 yards and five touchdowns, continued his record-setting season against the Wildcats. That is another complicated part of the story. Haskins might be the best NFL prospect in college football, and Meyer made it clear the redshirt sophomore is a Heisman Trophy candidate who should be in New York. He just won't get to prove it in the Playoff against Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray.
Haskins was the story Saturday, beginning with how he took control of the game early. On third-and-11 in the red zone on the Buckeyes' first series, he was flushed out of the pocket, eluded two defenders and then zipped a 15-yard touchdown pass to McLaurin. Haskins hit six different receivers for gains of 10 yards or more in the first quarter.
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Ohio State led 24-7 at the half after Haskins struck again late in the second quarter. On third-and-20, he hit McLaurin in stride in the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown. Haskins hit 18 of 22 passes for 249 yards in the first half alone. Northwestern (8-5) had no chance against that arm.
"I could have thrown for 80 yards or 600 yards. All we needed to do is win the game," Haskins said. "I'm proud of how we played today. Sure, one (more) yard (for 500) would have been great, but we're Big Ten East champions (and) Big Ten champions. What else would you want to be?"
A third-quarter lull in which the Wildcats cut the Buckeyes' lead to 24-21 was the last reminder of why they won't be in the Playoff next. That stretch erased Ohio State's chance to flip the committee's thinking with a blowout similar to the 59-0 smackdown of Wisconsin in the 2014 Big Ten championship game.
Ohio State was the underdog with a backup quarterback against a 10-win team that night. This time, the Buckeyes were two-touchdown favorites with their Heisman finalist against a four-loss team. They were supposed to win like this.
Ohio State spoiled Northwestern's feel-good story a week after obliterating No. 7 Michigan's "Revenge Tour." For a two-week stretch, it looked like the team it was supposed to be. Now, not even a Big Ten championship will be enough to get Meyer, Haskins and the Buckeyes into the Playoff.
That's how complicated the story can be, even for a unique team like this.
The Purdue loss, the overtime escape at Maryland on Nov. 17 and a resume almost equal to No. 4 Oklahoma's are part of it. The Sooners have Murray. They also have a conference championship, a leaky defense and a more favorable loss than the Buckeyes', one they were able to correct Saturday by beating No. 14 Texas 39-27 in the Big 12 championship.
Running up the score against Northwestern wasn't going to change that reality.
Oklahoma is the easier choice, which will make the committee's conclusion even more difficult for Buckeyes fans to accept given that Alabama held off Ohio State for the final spot in 2017. That's life when the decision comes down to the Buckeyes and a fellow top-shelf program such as Alabama, Oklahoma or even Clemson — teams that have combined for nine Playoff appearances before Sunday's pairings are unveiled.
MORE: SN's live blog of the championship game
That's the short list of programs the Buckeyes can't outbrand, even if Meyer now owns an 82-9 record since taking over as head coach in 2012. This season has included constant speculation about when that tenure will end. Meyer's wife, Shelley, was surrounded by reporters and asked questions about her husband's future, his health and how this year has gone.
"He's feeling good right now," she said. "Winning cures a lot."
Shelley and Urban Meyer (Getty Images)
It takes away those complications. Again, the Buckeyes are likely Rose Bowl-bound, which used to be the Big Ten's ultimate prize. Meyer will coach in that game for the first time if that's the case.
The game will give Haskins another chance to showcase that arm to NFL scouts, like he did on a 63-yard pass to Johnnie Dixon on a deep post in the fourth quarter. That completion set up a 9-yard touchdown to Dixon two plays later that gave Ohio State a 38-24 lead and marked the beginning of the end for Northwestern.
The game will give the Buckeyes another chance to celebrate, like they did on the Lucas Oil Field turf Saturday. Day and strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti posed with a "Big Ten champions" banner. Young and Jonathon Cooper exchanged a long hug before a personalized handshake. Meyer took the championship trophy and handed it to McLaurin, who handed it to Campbell.
Meyer smiled there, too. The Buckeyes might not be in the Playoff this year, but they remain the Big Ten boss for the foreseeable future.
Ohio State fans might wonder what might have been with this team, but a squad flooded with five-stars will return next year.
As for Meyer, there is no reason why he should not come back. This team gave him every reason to stay.
"I'll never forget this team," he said. "You know, that's not shortchanging the other Big Ten champs and the other championship teams we've had, but we had a handful — it's very odd to have fifth-year seniors come back, and they came back with a purpose, and they got that purpose. They wanted to have a ring and be back-to-back Big Ten champs and they were. One of the most unselfish group of players I've ever been around."
