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Urban Meyer knows that when he enters the Horseshoe on Saturday, about 100,000 Ohio State fans will rise and celebrate his return after a three-game suspension for failing to properly handle former assistant coach Zach Smith.
The Buckeyes are 3-0. No one in the country, other than perhaps Alabama, looks so strong. The coach is back. Let the good times (continue to) roll.
The quicker Meyer can give those inside what he calls the "Buckeye Nation" a reason to excuse or, at least, get out of Smith's "toxic" and allegedly abusive relationship with his wife Courtney .
So, there was Sunday morning Meyer, sitting inside his house, sitting in front of Tom Rinaldi of ESPN, and he said it, without saying it directly, to convey a message very simple to those who are inclined to follow him: Shelley, believes Courtney Smith's allegations of spousal abuse.
Whether it's Urban's job to make that decision, whether it's Urban who has been oblivious to Zach, that his own university believes him, but just apologizes, this n & # 39; 39 is not the point that Urban was trying to convey to fans. Give the cover to the cheers ahead was.
ESPN has released the first part of the interview on Sunday, so there is still much to come – hopefully more, which will explore more precisely the details of what Meyer knew, said or stepped up in this case.
Sunday, however, it was to express a doubt to Courtney without ever expressing doubt to Courtney.
What did he know of Zach's arrest in 2009 for abuse against Courtney while Zach was working for Urban at the University of Florida?
"I knew in 2009 that there was an incident and I was led to believe by both parties that it was not domestic violence," Meyer said.
The two parts? The Ohio State report disagreed with this story. Meyer told investigators that he had met with Zach and Courtney and that "Zach Smith 's arrest was based on incorrect information provided to the authorities by Courtney Smith and that, in fact, Zach Smith did not. had not hit or otherwise violated Ms. Smith. . "
Ohio State found this inaccurate, especially after Zach and Courtney said the meeting never took place and only Zach met Urban.
"We find that it is more likely that only Zach Smith met Coach Meyer in 2009, and that Courtney Smith probably did not give up his allegations of abuse at that time," says the report of the Ohio State.
Urban Meyer can not wait until we focus on football. (AP Photo / Jay LaPrete)
It does not matter. Meyer was essentially repeating it.
After all, how many people remember what was written in an administrative report that the university deliberately published late at night and after the press conference to announce the suspension of Meyer?
The school wanted as few people as possible to read that. It worked.
"Zach Smith was arrested by the Gainesville Police Department after he" picked up his wife and threw her against a wall, "said Rinaldi." It's in the findings of the investigation. Did you make the arrest?
"Both parties came to see me," said Urban. "I asked the question and it was said that it was not domestic violence. She was very angry at him for drinking.
Rinaldi asked, who told you that?
"I think both did," said Urban.
Again, even Ohio State does not believe in this story.
"The report also says about 2009, you and your wife, Shelley, did not think Courtney Smith was completely truthful when she called 911 to arrest Zach," Rinaldi said. "That's what the report says, Urban. In what way was it untrue by calling 911?
"I remember being informed and thinking that it was not domestic violence that she had thrown out of the house and that there was not any." from accusations, "Urban said. "I completely depended on the information provided by law enforcement to say that there were no charges".
So, was he totally dependent on law enforcement, or his own interaction with Zach and Courtney, that the Ohio state probably did not know, as Urban claims?
Who knows? If there is no crime, if Courtney Smith has just invented everything, then there is no cover. Perhaps no one outside of Ohio thinks so, but for Meyer, it's all around the city.
The most important point, of course, is that Urban's job was not to determine who was telling the truth. He has the right not to believe Courtney Smith. It can be correct. This does not matter.
To trust his judgment at the time is madness. At the time, when Urban was in Florida, 31 players were arrested and had to withdraw temporarily due to heart problems and stress related health. He admits to having so few professional and personal priorities that he seldom talks to his own children. This arrest number does not even count on Aaron Hernandez, whom the police sought to interrogate twice about separate violent incidents (an assault and a double shootout) but was never detained.
It is fair to conclude that Urban was a judge of absolutely horrible character at the time.
Here is an even bigger problem. In 2015, Zach was again charged with domestic violence and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith learned of it. When Gene Smith took the problem to Urban Meyer and contemplated what to do, Urban never told Gene Smith about Zach's arrest in 2009.
That alone is, at best, a lie by omission and at worst a direct concealment. Saying "Hey, Gene, you could know it's not the first time" could have changed everything. If Gene Smith had received complete information on the issue, he would have known that it was a model of domestic violence. Zach may have been fired in 2015 and none of this is happening. It makes sense for Urban to know that Zach would also be fired.
It's fair to wonder if that's why Urban never said anything.
On Sunday, Urban even said that his wife, Shelley, had not told him about text messages and photos of injuries shared by Shelley and Courtney in 2015. In these posts, Shelley expressed her concern for Courtney. for her, encouraged Courtney to obtain a restraining order against Zach and said about Zach that he "scares me".
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "All thisbut she did not bother talking to her husband once in the next three years? Not once? "Data-reactid =" 86 "> All thisbut she did not bother talking to her husband once in the next three years? Not once?
Even the Ohio State found this implausible. Just about every married couple in America have done it too.
Urban deftly noted that even though he could not reveal it, there was a mysterious reason why Shelley "did not share these texts with me".
Oh, of course there is.
"She shared her reasoning with me," said Urban. "I do not want to speak on his behalf."
Well, he'll talk a little bit on his behalf.
"We talked about it and she wanted to be as compassionate as possible and once again she has reasons why she did not react," Urban said. "And I'm not here to speak for Shelley, but she had her reasoning and if her reasoning was what she was, that's why she did not alert me or came anywhere else. "
Everyone has to fill in the blanks about it.
So, if you're inclined to support Urban Meyer on Sunday, you've heard loud and clear what Urban Meyer wants you to know about the situation.
And on Saturday, Urban Meyer will probably hear those roaring applause. Then Ohio State will come back to play football.
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