Urban Meyer Speaks At Big Ten Media Days

Urban Meyer hasn't made a ton of friends since he took over as the head coach of the football squad for the Ohio St. Buckeyes. His friends are all of those associated with Ohio State and their fans - and nobody else within the Big Ten. Even while dealing with NCAA sanctions and a bowl game ban, Meyer has put together a very strong recruiting class.

And that's where the lack of making friends comes up. Meyer hasn't, say, been doing anything that's disallowed, and there are probably few that would think what he's done is dishonorable. But coaches and athletic personnel at other schools in the Big Ten aren't necessarily happy with the fact that he's been able to sway some players who were thought to be going elsewhere.

At the Big Ten Media Days, Meyer took the podium and had some things to say. Jason Kirk of SB Nation transcribed some of his quotes and they're very interesting. For one, Meyer suggested that the bowl ban and the sanctions allow the school a chance to see which players really want to play for the Buckeyes. He said "We found out who wants to be an Ohio State Buckeye."

On top of that, Meyer had some things to say about players transferring out, notably in regards to the whole Penn St. fiasco:

Asked about Penn State transfers and the coaching frenzy surrounding it, Meyer responded, "I have a problem with that. I think if a player reaches out, the player has the right to choose to go where he wants. To actively go get another player, I don't understand the rule, and we're not gonna get very familiar with it. But a young man has the right to play where he wants to play."

Finally, Meyer spoke on Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, speaking to the recruiting drama the two shared previously. Meyer said that there's no problem whatsoever with the way that Ohio State does business, and said that he has a very, very good relationship with Bielema. Whether or not you think Meyer is right or telling the truth, it's always good to see that he's at least concerned with his reputation at face value.