Urban Meyer defends Ohio State football fans: 'Football is born in your blood'

Urban Meyer defends Ohio State football fans: ‘Football is born in your blood’

Posted by author January 13, 2025 Football

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Ohio State football is on the verge of another national championship, its first since Urban Meyer led the Buckeyes to the title in 2014.

A 10-year championship drought is borderline unacceptable for Buckeyes fans, who were defended by Meyer on his latest podcast episode. ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, went as far as to call the Buckeyes’ fanbase a “lunatic fringe” at times.

“There’s really one place, and I’m biased (because) I’m from the great state of Ohio, where football is born in your blood,” Meyer said on “The Triple Option” on Monday. “You realize when you’re born in Columbus, Ohio, they give you a ‘beat the team up north’ shirt? … In Canton, Ohio, you’re born, in Massillon, they put a football, if you’re a boy, in your crib when you’re born.

“And people say that’s insanity, I agree with you. You’re out of your mind. But I’ll tell you one thing, you can never worry about an open seat at Ohio Stadium. You can never worry about a program that’s not gonna be funded by the people, because they are complete, absolute, nut jobs.”

Ohio State coach Ryan Day heard much more noise regarding the program’s success than Meyer, as Day is currently on a four-game losing streak to archrival Michigan, despite being considered the favorite in the Buckeyes’ upcoming national championship game against Notre Dame. Day is 69-10 as Ohio State’s coach and that still hasn’t been enough for most fans.

Meyer, having last served as head coach before Day, understands the lofty expectations of the program. Meyer, of course, won a national championship, which Day hopes to accomplish on Jan. 20.

The three-time national championship-winning coach ultimately defended Buckeyes fans for having a rabid support for the program.

“I love passionate fanbases because I’ve seen the opposite,” Meyer said. “I’m very defensive of the Ohio State fanbase because I’m one of them. I grew up a Buckeye. I understand football is a way. … It’s not a pastime. America’s pastime? No. It’s a way of life.”