If the reports are true: Urban Meyer is the new head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. For a team in turmoil within a conference in turmoil, the news couldn't come at a better time. And given Meyer's track record and the Big Ten's lack of high-profile coaches and elite-level programs, Ohio State should have a huge turnaround as both a school and national power.
Consider Meyer's track record. Whether he was winning at Bowling Green, bringing Utah into the national conversation or taking an elite program like Florida and making it a dynasty to remember, Meyer has been a winner all the way. He recruits well and he's an established brand coast to coast. The fact that he was able to rise above the rest of the already-powerful SEC and win two national championships tells you everything that you need to know about Meyer.
For Ohio State, it comes at the perfect time. The shadow of the scandal that took down Jim Tressel and terminated Terrelle Pryor's playing career has itself been overtaken by the Penn State scandal. Ohio State has been scorned but not publicly shamed like PSU. In this instance, if Penn State had hired Meyer at this time (or even soon), the story would still be about the filth on the hands. Luckily, Ohio State isn't the subject of anyone's frustration anymore and the scandal even looks small by comparison (as it should).
In other words, Meyer isn't walking into the storm cloud he could have been if there wasn't a much greater tragedy just up the road in Big Ten country. It's unfortunate that's the case, but you can bet that it's part of the equation of feeling that it's okay to take this job. After all, Meyer's reputation is impeccable at this point with a career record of 104-23.
Even bigger, consider that the Big Ten has several schools with strong football programs, but not a single one of them is a major contender for the national title. You'd have to go all the way to No. 14 in the BCS Rankings to get to Michigan State to find a Big Ten school. When speaking about national football powers, the Big Ten just isn't a part of that conversation anymore. Wisconsin is good. So is MSU. Michigan is resurgent in Brady Hoke's first season. But not a single school is going to lay claim to what Meyer can bring Ohio State to.
In short, Ohio State can and likely will return to its former glory (and then some) with a new coach like Urban Meyer. He's accomplished what they need him to in every single places he's been -- whether at a small or big school, small or power conference, in the West or in the South. That's good news for a school that's been publicly maligned and robbed of talent. And the Big Ten will likely stand in Meyer's shadow soon enough.
[Ed. Note: Meyer quickly came out denying the report that he's signed already. Too much smoke for there to not be a fire, so I could honestly care less.]