Ohio State’s Meyer criticizes Herman
AUSTIN — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer unexpectedly blasted his former offensive coordinator Tom Herman during a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd.
Meyer took umbrage with some of Herman’s comments following UT’s 51-41 loss to Maryland.
The three-time national champion was peeved by one statement in particular:
Sprinkle fairy dust?
“If we all thought that we were going to come in here and in nine months sprinkle some fairy dust on this team and think that we’ve arrived, then we’re wrong,” Herman said.
“C’mon man. I don’t know where that came from,” Meyer told CBS Sports. “It’s like a new generation of excuse. (Herman) said, ‘I can’t rub pixie dust on this thing.’ He got a dose of reality. Maryland just scored 51 points on you.”
When he accepted the job last November, Herman inherited a team many argued was one of the most talented in the nation despite coming off its third consecutive losing season. Expectations were high enough that UT debuted at No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25.
Then the Longhorns flopped spectacularly in their opener against the Terrapins. Disgruntled fans resorted to peppering the field with debris late in the fourth quarter as Maryland penned the final lines of its shocking upset.
Meyer perceived Herman’s postgame comments as a slight to UT’s players, the majority of whom were recruited and signed by excoach Charlie Strong.
“Those are your players,” Meyer said. “I hear TV guys (say), ‘Wait until they get their own players in there.’ They’re our players. What do you mean ‘their players?’ The minute you sign a contract, they’re your players.
“You didn’t choose me, I chose you. You’re mine, absolutely. I love you, and I’m going to kick the (...) out of you, and we’re going to do it right … (Blaming players) drives me insane.”
Herman didn’t have much of a response to his former boss following Thursday’s practice.
“I don’t have time to worry about comments made by somebody else and about their program,” he said. “I’m worried about our program and winning a game.
“Anybody that’s been around me and our staff for the last nine months knows that we’ve never disparaged the previous staff or our current players.”
Twitter barrage
Herman’s wife, Michelle, weighed in on the situation through her personal Twitter account — though she didn’t address Meyer by name.
“Maybe some people just can’t properly interpret figurative language,” she wrote.
When pressed on whether his comments could have been interpreted as a dig at his players, it was clear Herman was done discussing it.
“Next question,” he said.