Urban Meyer - The NCAA can end cheating with one move

What goes through a coach’s mind when his biggest rival is under investigation by the NCAA? Probably not what you think.

"I grew up an Ohio State fan, but I’ve said this many times—name a person who has more respect for the Wolverines than Urban Meyer, and I don’t know if there’s that many,” Meyer said on this week's episode of "The Triple Option". “And how do you show respect for someone? You work your ass off every day because you’ve got respect for the players, the coaches, and the program.”

Michigan recently decided to suspend head coach Sherrone Moore for two games, ahead of the NCAA’s final ruling on the ongoing sign-stealing scandal. The suspension will cover Weeks 3 and 4 against Central Michigan and Nebraska, allowing Moore to coach Week 1 versus New Mexico and Week 2 at Oklahoma—his alma mater.

Despite the allegations against Michigan, Meyer believes the NCAA shares some of the blame.

“The NCAA is to blame for a lot of this,” Meyer said. “When I played college football and early in my coaching career, steroids and performance-enhancing drugs were everywhere. You know what the NCAA said—and it was the right decision? They said, ‘If you do that, you're done playing sports.’”

For the three-time national champion, it all comes down to risk versus reward.

“If you got caught using steroids or PEDs, you know what happened? It just went away. Because the risk-reward equation for an athlete was simple: don’t do that or your career is over.”

Meyer also pointed out that lying to the NCAA has led to severe consequences in the past. In 2009, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant was suspended for the final nine games of his junior year after lying about interactions with Deion Sanders. He declared for the NFL shortly after.

“He got caught lying to the NCAA. Swift, effective punishment,” Meyer added.

As for whether he believes Michigan should forfeit its 2023 National Championship, Meyer urges patience.

“I say, pump the brakes,” he said, choosing to wait for the NCAA’s final decision and all the evidence to be made public.

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