We tweeted over the weekend it could be an interesting next couple of months in Columbus. At least one wagering establishment could see it getting interesting as well.
FootballScoop.com reported earlier this week that there was “friction” between Urban Meyer/the football staff “and athletics leadership as well as within the program itself"; the head coach subsequently attempted to knock down that report, for what it’s worth. CFT has caught wind of speculation that it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Meyer were not the Buckeyes’ head coach next season, whispers that grew a little louder given the embarrassing loss in West Lafayette this past weekend and what some have described as Meyer’s “anguished... emotional... erratic” sideline demeanor. And then there is the arachnoid cyst that puts pressure on the coach’s brain and sometimes causes the kind of headaches that dropped him to one knee on the sidelines during the Indiana game.
Add all of that to the battering Meyer’s reputation took nationally over the Zach Smith situation and the coach’s response to allegations of domestic abuse, and some have begun to wonder just how much longer Meyer will remain as The Head Coach at The Ohio State.
In that vein, one online sportsbook, BetOnline.ag, released odds Wednesday as to who will be OSU’s head coach when the Buckeyes open spring practice in 2019. Meyer is the favorite at +125 (5/4), but not as heavy a one as you’d think when you take into account the fact that he has won three national championships, put up 10-plus wins in all six seasons at OSU and just turned 54 years old over the summer.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, who grew up in Ohio and has a MAC pedigree like Meyer, is next at +175 (7/4). Another Ohio native, retired Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, is one of three with 10/1 odds. Another of those at +1000 is OSU offensive coordinator Ryan Day, who served as the acting head coach during Meyer’s suspension and has been mentioned in speculation as a potential coach-in-waiting at OSU. The third coach at +1000 is the man responsible for Meyer’s most recent on-field loss, Purdue’s Jeff Brohm.
My personal favorite? Jim Harbaugh at 40/1. Those are only slightly shorter odds than the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick (50/1) but significantly longer than Lane Kiffin‘s 18/1.
Below are all of the odds as to who will be OSU’s head coach when spring practice kicks off next year:
