Jon Gruden: Urban Meyer did greatest coaching job of all-time

Jon Gruden told ESPN’s Colin Cowherd on Thursday that Urban Meyer’s coaching job the “best ever”

Jon Gruden is no stranger to hyperbole. Oftentimes he seems to exaggerate mere details.

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But speaking to ESPN’s Colin Cowherd about Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer Thursday, Gruden did not hold back on his praise.

“Urban Meyer did the greatest coaching job of all-time. Winning a national championship with his third string quarterback. I’ve never seen that before.”

Gruden praised Meyer as the best coach in the SEC to leave to coach in the Big Ten. That was just a qualifier. “What he did at Ohio State, losing a Heisman Trophy candidate and then doing what he did with two different quarterbacks that were backups. Amazing to me.”

He of course said it all with typical Gruden, childlike enthusiasm. Praise him or criticize him, like John Madden before him, Gruden has found a niche as a color commentary by providing (mostly) smart analysis with a great fire and passion, while simplifying the NFL game for the fan.

His praise may be abundant, but that does not mean it is shallow or hollow.

His praise of Meyer is refreshing in a world where everyone assumes that Nick Saban is the best coach in college football. Based on his success at Bowling Green, Utah (took them to a perfect record and Fiesta Bowl victory), Florida (two national championships) and now The Ohio State University, it is pretty clear that Meyer is one of the two or three best coaches in the college game.

And Gruden is right. No coach has ever won a college football national championship with more obstacles in his way. Even if you dismiss the remarkable continuity of the Ohio State offense throughout the season with two different backup quarterbacks–which you might try to explain by saying that offensive coordinator and new Houston Cougars head coach, Tom Herman, was a genius–there remain more obstacles.

Meyer and his Buckeyes overcame an embarrassing Week 2 home loss to Virginia Tech. Playing in a rather weak Big Ten, neither the pollsters nor the newly minted College Football Playoff committee showed them any grace leading up to week of the Big Ten Championship Game.

All they did in that game was put a whooping on Wisconsin, 59-0.

Still, there were questions over whether Ohio State would even make the playoff. They snuck in at No. 4, meaning they had to play No. 1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Nick Saban was known as the genius who could stop a train if it was running at him, prior to the game, but had no answer for Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones.

Still, Oregon seemed to be a superior team to Alabama in the eyes of many. Yet, despite turning the ball over four times in the national championship game, Ohio State rolled.

As Jon Gruden said, Urban Meyer is a great coach. He deserves such praise.

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