The ‘1-0’ mentality has almost become a PR answer for head coaches whenever they are asked about games down the line. James Franklin even tweeted the same during his time at Happy Valley. Even inside the building, the idea is to avoid distraction. Focus on what you have next week. Unlike the likes of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer didn’t believe in that approach when it came to Ohio State’s rivals, Michigan.

“You know, coach Saban talks about that (focus on the process), and I’ve always kind of never spoken like that,” Meyer said on the Breaking Sales Podcast with Dan Lappin. “We did focus on the result. I heard him say, and I’ve listened to him a little bit. He’s a friend of mine. Don’t focus on the result; focus on the process. I can’t say we always do. I mean, one leads to the other. We’re focused on beating the Wolverines.”

During his time at Columbus, Meyer went undefeated (7-0) against the team up north. He even ranks this achievement higher than the Buckeyes’ 2014 national championship. That seven-game winning streak was hard-earned. Inside the building, everything revolved around that game. Assistants studied Michigan year-round. Practices carried reminders. The rivalry never left the facility calendar. That history and the rivalry’s fierceness stand out to Meyer. 

“How do you beat the Wolverines?” Meyer asked. “Well, there’s a process. It’s a 365-day, 24/7 process that we’re going to do, and it’s my job as a leader to make sure we do it. I was like, wait a minute. I’m not sure what that means. I believe that every human being God created us to have a target. If you don’t have a rival, if you don’t have a target, if you don’t have the competitive spirit to beat that person or to beat that company, that doesn’t compute with me.”

Nick Saban built a dynasty at Alabama, winning six national titles, and he built it all on one thing: The Process. Recruits, players, coaches, and everyone involved were told to give their best and put in the hard work, and the results would show. As long as everyone focused on that, he said the wins would usually come. Even after post-game losses and disappointing seasons, he didn’t dwell much on the results; instead, he focused on control. That’s not how Urban Meyer approached things.

Despite coaching the game at the same time, Meyer and Saban only faced each other four times. Both won two games each. When Saban started his tenure at Alabama, Meyer was in the latter part of his Florida run. In hindsight, the former Ohio State head coach can claim that he got the victory in the best of those four matchups in the 2015 Sugar Bowl. It was a game that illustrated Meyer’s E (Event)+R (Response)=O (Outcome) philosophy, as the Buckeyes beat the Tide with their third-string QB.

Urban Meyer’s philosophy did much more than just win for his players and coaches

Urban Meyer approached things a bit like a seasoned coach with a coaching degree would. He emphasized the ‘Above the line’ culture, which included things like planning, staying focused on the overall purpose, and team unity. In contrast, his ‘Below the Line’ things included things like excuses, entitlement, and negativity. But that’s not all.

“Urban Meyer did something in spring ball that I don’t think has ever been done in the history of college football. He took 60 to 90 minutes every single week for these leadership workshops for his coaching staff,” prominent leadership consultant Tim Knight said to the Columbus Dispatch. “No head coach takes that kind of time away from, quote-unquote, football.”

Meyer also had his 10-80-10 principle. He emphasized developing the middle of the team to play like the top 10% of his players. If not? It was like losing a day. As for the bottom 10% of players, he didn’t “waste” time on them; he expected the 80% to handle them, raising their standards. Even beyond football, Meyer emphasized academics, character development, and life after football for holistic development.