Urban Meyer Criticizes Michigan, Defense

Urban Meyer recently spoke about Michigan on the Big Ten Network. Was he taking a shot or is his analysis objective and accurate?

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer had his way with the Wolverines during his tenure in Columbus going 7-0 against "that team up north." Now Meyer is part of the Fox Sports analyst team and he recently joined the Big Ten Network to discuss the very obvious problems at Michigan.

“I’m sitting there like probably most of the country, almost in awe of what Indiana was doing,” he said. “They were getting behind the defensive backs, and the defensive backs at times were there, but they’re not playing the ball.”

Well, that comment certainly isn't a shot. It's 100% accurate and clear as day to anyone who watched the game. Wide receiver Ty Fryfogle had a career high 142 yards and a score on seven catches in the first half alone. His receiver buddy Whop Philyor finished the day with 11 catches for 79 yards. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was dealing all day long going 30-for-50 for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Meyer doesn't have to be one of the best college coaches of all time to see the issues against the pass.

He continued.

“Whether it’s talent; I can’t imagine it’s a drop off that significant. It has to be fundamentals. You have to play the football. When you start seeing Indiana and Michigan State just light them up down the field throwing the ball, over 300 yards in each game. That’s very alarming.”

More facts. Neither Indiana or Michigan State are necessarily prolific passing teams but they both looked like it against Michigan and Don Brown's one dimensional man-to-man approach. When Brown did try to run a zone defense against Indiana, it may have been even worse. Receivers were running free and were allowed to make easy catches and pile on YAC yards.

Meyer finished by giving his opinion on what the rest of Michigan's 2020 season will look like.

“What does that mean down the road? They’re in trouble,” Meyer said.

One could argue that Michigan is already deep in trouble. Sitting at 1-2 with a loss to an awful Michigan State team and a beatdown at the hands of Indiana, who hadn't beaten the Wolverines since 1987, is not where Michigan should be. The fanbase is already off or jumping off the Jim Harbaugh bandwagon and a coaching search seems inevitable. 

Meyer routinely beat up Michigan on the field while he was coaching in Columbus, but this wasn't an agenda-driven additional shot. This was objective, fact-based and, quite frankly, easy and obvious criticism.