A few minutes after the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches poll was released Sunday, an aide stuck his head in coach Urban Meyer’s office at Bowling Green’s Doyt Perry Stadium and told him the good news.
The Falcons were 18th, the highest ranking in school history. Later, they checked in at No. 21 in the AP media poll.
“Most coaches say, `We don’t look at the polls; they’re meaningless,'” Meyer said. “Polls mean everything.
“We’re ahead of Tennessee, Penn State, Florida State, Florida. You’re talking about Bowling Green here.
“Our kids are extremely proud. They still understand who we are.”
They are one of eight undefeated teams in Division I-A, along with Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and North Carolina State.
Meyer was quick to note the flashy ranking will disappear if the 7-0 Falcons stumble in their next five games, including a showdown against Mid-American Conference West Division rival Northern Illinois on Nov. 9 in DeKalb.
But the poll served as midseason validation for an up-and-coming coach and his upstart football program–a program that has won its last five games against schools from Bowl Championship Series conferences, including a 43-42 victory at Northwestern last November.
Bowling Green is a little guy in the land of the football giants. Located in Ohio farmland roughly midway between Ohio State and Michigan, it struggles for recognition beyond Ohio’s boundaries, and sometimes within them.
Consider that the administration recently asked Meyer to put his name on a letter, posted on the school’s Web site, urging fans to turn out for the season’s last two home games. Perry Stadium seats 30,500, but the Falcons haven’t drawn as many as 22,000 for any game–even when the Big 12’s Missouri visited in September. The Falcons dispatched the Tigers 51-28.
It’s safe to assume none of the other unbeaten Division I-A coaches was asked to help with midseason ticket sales.
“Yes, it’s discouraging, but there are so many positives,” Meyer said. “If it bothers me, it’s because our players notice it. You’re in a small town–a small town.”
It’s a shame the Falcons don’t draw better, because they play an entertaining, fast-paced game. With star quarterback Josh Harris spinning the dials, their offense leads the nation with 47.7 points per game.
Harris, a 6-foot-3-inch junior from Westerville, Ohio, was heavily recruited by Big Ten schools–as a defensive back. He came here because he wanted to play quarterback. He ranks 10th in Division I-A total offense with 287.7 yards per game.
The offense has no gimmicks. The Falcons are balanced, running for 251 yards per game and passing for 241.
Meyer gave much of the credit to offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, whom he hired away from Gary Barnett’s staff at Colorado. Brandon also served under Barnett at Northwestern.
But the offensive fireworks and the string of victories they have produced also have raised Meyer’s profile across the country. The 38-year-old from Ashtabula, Ohio, may be the hottest young coaching property in the nation.
In his first season as a head coach at any level, Meyer was named 2001 MAC Coach of the Year after he took a team that went 2-9 the year before and led it to an 8-3 record. The six-game swing was the best turnaround in Division I-A last season.
Like several of its MAC rivals, Bowling Green has been a cradle of coaches. Former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen was the Falcons’ head coach from 1968-76. Others who have passed through include former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, former Wisconsin coach Dave McClain, former Purdue coach Jim Young and former Indiana coach Bill Mallory.
Notice the Big Ten connections? It’s no wonder Meyer already is being named as a possible successor to Michigan State’s Bobby Williams, whose ouster has been rumored for weeks.
If Meyer doesn’t end up in East Lansing, it’s safe to assume he’ll be moving up the Division I-A ladder soon. On Sunday he said all the right things about being happy here. But he also made it plain he won’t jump at a job simply because it’s in a bigger conference.
If a planned $9 million football facility materializes, he might stay beyond the end of his five-year contract.
“If we build a facility, it’s going to be tough to get me out of here unless they fire me,” Meyer said. “You can flat win [here]. You have it as good or better than everybody else [in the MAC]. Our indoor facility is as nice as Notre Dame’s, so we have some great things to sell here.
“You go to somewhere like Duke, you’re really impressed with their academics, but you’re not playing with the same thing as those other ACC schools are playing with.”
Framed photos of Lou Holtz, Sonny Lubick, Earle Bruce and Bob Davie hang on a wall of Meyer’s modest office. Meyer served under Bruce at Ohio State, Lubick at Colorado State and Holtz and Davie at Notre Dame.
“From Earle Bruce, I learned how to deal with players–extremely hard on them, but proactive,” Meyer said. “Lou Holtz was the best motivator I’ve ever been around. Sonny Lubick really knew how to handle people, and all he does is win. And then Bob Davie taught me how to handle the tough times and adversity and just keep the ship going.”
Meyer borrowed a little from each coach and added a large measure of his own intensity. He views almost anything that doesn’t advance his program as an unnecessary distraction. He agreed to interrupt his preparation for Kent State, Bowling Green’s oldest opponent, because he hoped an interview with an out-of-town reporter would boost recruiting.
“You doing this article, I’ll be honest with you, I’m not going to get a whole lot out of it,” Meyer said. “But there’s going to be a kid in Chicago who’s going to wake up in the morning and is going to read it, and hopefully there’s a color picture of our orange jersey scoring a touchdown against Northwestern.
“Kids want to see that. It’s all about recruiting.”
Big game in Pullman: If you’re planning to attend the game of the week, better leave now. It’s in remote Pullman, Wash., where No. 16 Arizona State takes on No. 8 Washington State in a pivotal battle in the Rose Bowl race. The Sun Devils and Cougars are the last unbeaten teams in Pac-10 play.
“There was a 3 1/2-hour wait for tickets,” Cougars coach Mike Price said. “The lines were three and four blocks long. This town is just jumping.”
Price said he hopes the weather will turn cold for the desert-dwelling Sun Devils.
“It’s perfect Cougar weather right now,” Price said. “The high [Tuesday] is 38 and there are snow flurries. Couldn’t be better.”
Seminole shake-up: How bad is Florida State? Pretty bad.
The 5-3 Seminoles are off to their worst start since 1986. Much of the blame, right or wrong, is falling on QB Chris Rix, who committed two costly turnovers in a 34-24 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.
Rix has been replaced by Adrian McPherson. Coach Bobby Bowden announced the move two days after the Seminoles’ seventh defeat in the last two years under Rix.
“There was no question we need to move [McPherson] in there and see what he can do,” Bowden said Monday.
STATS & STUFF
BY THE NUMBERS
19-40
Composite record of Minnesota’s first eight opponents.
29-6
Composite record of Minnesota’s final four opponents. The Golden Gophers visit 9-0 Ohio State on Saturday, then play 6-2 Michigan, 8-1 Iowa and 6-3 Wisconsin.
THE LIST
A few weeks ago, it looked as if the Big Ten rushing title would be a duel between Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett and Iowa’s Fred Russell. But both backs were knocked out of games Saturday and now the race is wide open. The top five:
PLAYER SCHOOL YPG
1. Terry Jackson II Minn. 128.8
2. Maurice Clarett OSU 127.4
3. Larry Johnson PSU 117.8
4. Fred Russell Iowa 115.6
5. Anthony Davis Wis. 107.4
%%
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MOTOR CITY MADNESS
There was a silver lining in Northwestern’s loss Saturday to Purdue. The defeat officially eliminated the Wildcats from Motor City Bowl contention, which means Randy Walker and his players will not be spending the holidays in Detroit. The Motor City Bowl, to be played Dec. 26 at Detroit’s Ford Field, has the seventh pick of Big Ten bowl-eligible schools. Here’s how the race stands heading into the homestretch:
1. Purdue (4-5): Must beat Motor City contenders MSU, Indiana.
2. Illinois (3-5): Has uphill climb vs. Penn St., Ohio St., Wisconsin.
3. Indiana (3-5): Weak closing schedule could help.
4. Michigan State (3-5): Never count the gritty Spartans out.
GAMES TO WATCH
No. 13 Colorado at No. 2 Okla.
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Quick look: The Buffaloes take a five-game winning streak into Norman. This could be a preview of the Big 12 title game.
Pittsburgh at No. 3 Va. Tech
6:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2
Quick look: The Panthers have given the Hokies fits over the years.
Florida vs. No. 5 Georgia
6:45 p.m. Saturday, in Jacksonville, Fla., ESPN
Quick look: If the Dawgs win, they clinch their first Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title.
No. 16 Arizona State at No. 8 Washington State
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Quick look: Could be the day’s most attractive matchup. The Sun Devils are on a roll after belting Pac-10 powers Oregon and Washington the last two weeks.
Andrew Bagnato.
