Urban Meyer must have forgotten games are played on the field and not on paper. Because during the latest edition of the podcast, āThe Triple Optionā he went out of his way to throw unnecessary shade at Notre Dame.Ā
During one of the segments, he noted that the national championship game features two teams of unequal roster talent ā which heās not wrong. But thatās also a pointless argument to make. Because this isnāt the first time two unbalanced teams have played each other. Doesnāt mean itās an automatic loss.Ā
Every team Ohio State has played this year has featured unbalanced talent. The Buckeyes have the most expensive roster in college football. Yet, they lost twice this season. So that really doesnāt mean much in the grand scheme of things.Ā
Iām sure Ohio State would rather games be played outside of the field, they might be undefeated and Ryan Day would have more than one win over Michigan. But itās not. So Meyer stating the discrepancies between the rosters is a moot point.Ā
Urban Meyerās unnecessary shade at Notre Dame is what makes their playoff run incredible
While Meyer decided to point out the obviousness between Ohio State and Notre Dameās roster, it also highlights how crazy of a run Notre Dame went on. They managed to knock off Penn State and Georgia after beating Indiana.Ā
He did mention the Fighting Irish have a "refuse to lose" mentality. That is true, but again, to evaluate the teams based on their roster talent is a flawed process. Because like you said, Meyer, rarely does the better team lose to the lesser team. But it's possible.
Thereās been a lot of talk about the Big Ten and SEC monopolizing the College Football Playoff. But Notre Dameās run proved why more representation is crucial to an exciting CFP. Both Ohio State and Notre Dame had the hardest run to get to the title game.Ā
And Notre Dame did it with a roster that didnāt compare to any of their opponents ā Indianaās roster was probably the closest comparison to them, which proves roster construction is only part of the story.Ā
Itās more about the coaches than anything. Day has found a way to get his team to find more fight after losing to Michigan. And Marcus Freeman helped his team realize they can compete with anybody.Ā
Calling out a team because their roster isnāt as strong as their opponent is pointless, especially in todayās age of recruiting. The top schools arenāt always going to have the best rosters. And even then that doesnāt always matter.Ā
Yes, Urban Meyer, Ohio Stateās roster is better than Notre Dameās. But that doesnāt matter. The Fighting Irish have been underdogs throughout the entire playoff. So Iām sure thatās going to impact how they play on Monday night.Ā