Urban Meyer told Ohio State ‘we are going to handle this with humility and class’ whether they made Playoff or not

Less than an hour after the College Football Playoff committee announced that Ohio State will be one of the four teams fighting for a national championship, Urban Meyer took to the podium to talk to the media about the next step for his team. The Buckeyes finished the regular season ranked No. 3 and will begin preparations to face No. 2 Clemson on New Years Eve.

• Meyer said he texted his players and coaches during the announcement telling them “we are going to handle this with humility and class” noting how many different teams deserved a spot in the playoff.
• Having the week of to stay healthy and to have some additional time to recruit was a bit different than years past. He quipped that several coaches got sick afterward because they won the rivalry game and were out on the recruiting trail the next day.
• On what the month of December looks like in terms of preparation, Meyer said he is meeting with the operations guy right after the press conference to set up the practice schedule. They are going to mirror what they did to prepare in 2014, but with some adjustments with so many young players.
• The head coach knows Clemson very well. He’s friendly with the coaching staff and recruited several of their players -- including quarterback Deshaun Watson.
• Meyer couldn’t be goaded into defending why Ohio State deserves a Top 4 spot out of respect for the other coaches and players who played their hearts out this season and into the conference championships. He admitted he didn’t realize the level of disrespect a few years ago from those calling the Big Ten the worst conference in the country. This is one of the reasons he’d rather not defend the decision.
• Meyer admits the win in Oklahoma was not just important in them getting to the CFP, but it was a big game for the young guys and seeing how far they’ve come and could go. He wasn’t “jacked up” to take a group of guys who had yet to play a road game at Ohio State all the way to face the Sooners, but he doesn’t control the schedule.
• On how much Meyer values conference championship, he said, “that’s why I go to work everyday”. He also noted that he wished he was in the Big Ten Championship when he was at home watching it.
• The head coach was asked if the College Football Playoff was fun. Meyer wouldn’t go as far as calling it fun, but did say he’s compared it to March Madness being 365 days a year — you can’t lose.

Just before he spoke to reporters, Meyer talked to ESPN about Ohio State being in the College Football Playoff. On his reaction, he opened with, “Very appreciative of the committee, and with it comes a lot of responsibility”.

• He lauded the players and coaches across the Big Ten conference who have helped change the conversation from worst conference to the best.
• Meyer said he plans on having a conversation with Athletic Director Gene Smith about out-of-conference scheduling now that it’s evident how important it is -- citing Oklahoma being left out thanks to their two non-conference losses.
• The head coach also spoke about knowing Clemson’s players very well, having recruited several of them.

Tom Rinaldi announced on ESPN’s pre-selection show that Meyer became a grandfather on Sunday as well; his daughter Nikki gave birth to a healthy baby boy, named Troy. Meyer later said that he watched the selection show from the fifth floor of the maternity ward.