Urban Meyer Shares His Vision for a College Football Schedule

Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said in the past there is "no chance" college football is played during the spring of 2021. But on Wednesday, he outlined his vision of how a fall 2020 college season could happen.

Meyer is a College Football Analyst for Fox Sports and often appears on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff, including an appearance on Wednesday with the network's lead college football color commentator Joel Klatt. They each shared their thoughts on how a season could safely begin.

Klatt echoed the sentiments of Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, who said he thinks the "sweet spot" for the Big Ten is a 10-game schedule. Klatt wants play games every other week and extend the regular season into December.

“In my model, what I would do is shorten the season to 10 games and I would lengthen the season from Week 0 towards Christmas,” Klatt said.

Meyer liked Klatt's approach and offered a similar take of his own.

“It’s a 10-week season with three bye weeks. I think you still keep the conference championship games intact, understanding that might not happen, but still put it on the schedule a little later in the month of December. Still plan on a College Football Playoff and bowl games. I think you can always take from it. It’s hard to add to it. I think the idea of three bye weeks, in case there is something that happened where a team gets really impacted by the virus, hopefully it’s around one of those bye weeks.”

“I think we play football,” Meyer said. “I think it’s on the books, and we are prepared to adapt and adjust. Right now, I know that’s what’s happening with coaches across America and AD's and the commissioners.”

It's certainly an interesting proposition, and personally one I have considered as well. Adding in extra bye weeks seems to fit the Big Ten's objective of maintaining as much flexibility as possible in their scheduling. Beginning September 5, there are 17 Saturdays remaining in 2020. Even if you don't have a perfect schedule of play one week, off the next, you could still factor in several bye weeks to account for any outbreaks with the coronavirus.

Player safety is at the forefront of the decision-making process and with everyone trying to come up with a solution that keeps players safe, but still allows for some semblance of a normal football season, I think this is the best idea I have heard so far on the topic.

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