If you’re an Ohio State fan, you will absolutely not want a legend to say the following words. “Across the country if, you can name someone that respects the Wolverines more than I do, I’d like to meet that person.” That was Urban Meyer on the Cover 3 Podcast, that too amid discussions of the Michigan punishment from the NCAA. But before you throw hands, the veteran coach was simply extending a nod of respect to the glorious years of Michigan football. That does not include Jim Harbaugh and Co, obviously, especially after the NCAA ruling.

In simple terms, Michigan is just getting a slap on the wrist. The ruling outraged college football fans left and right. Because despite hard evidence of the program being involved in cheating, it’s practically getting off scot-free. The sign-stealing gave Michigan football a direct game advantage, and yet the program is getting away with almost nothing. OSU fans are easily the No. 1 group to take offense because of Michigan was treated by the NCAA. Meyer led the program to an unbeaten record over the Wolverines during his tenure. But despite being at the wheel of the ship that was Michigan’s fiercest rival, he tipped a hat to the greats of the program

He sided with the program like any reputable college football coach would do. Greats recognize greats. “I’m not a fan, but I respect, because I knew – I knew Bo Schembechler. I read his books. I studied him when I was hired at Bowling Green,” he said in an August 20 episode of the Cover 3 Podcast. “When I coached against the Wolverines, it was every ounce of everything because you knew that was team was going to be a trained killers on the other side. When you face the Wolverines, you better buckle your chain strap a little. And I – this is [the] same pregame talk I’d give,” he added. It helped the Buckeyes rule over the Wolverines with a perfect 7-0 record.

“Are there great players and great coaches there? Yes. Is that an incredible university? Yes. Checks all the boxes. The winningest program in history of college football. […]  But this is different,” he said. Urban Meyer also had a special description for Jim Harbaugh. “He’s a winner. Now, there’ll be an asterisk there,” he added. Even an OSU HC, who defeated Michigan all the time, can see how troubling this scandal is. And it comes after Meyer passionately advocated for the Michigan cause. At the end of the day, the only winners from the scandal are the Wolverines. No postseason or midseason bans, and a fine levied that the administration will readily pay. USC fans, on the other hand, still grimace when the 2010 NCAA ruling is mentioned.

What’s more disturbing is that the community is going for the NCAA instead of Michigan. Michigan gets to keep all of its wins, with some cap on its recruitment. That’s after Connor Stalions saying he has no regrets about his doing. The man helped recruit Bryce Underwood while being fired by Michigan. Michigan State, on the other hand, is being investigated for its knowledge about the scandal. Everyone else but Michigan football seems to be the losing party when it comes to a run-in with the NCAA. Why Urban Meyer’s words for Michigan should matter, is because he’s been where Michigan was standing, and saw a completely different result.

Urban Meyer strips the NCAA of respect

The NCAA Investigation into USC saw Pete Carroll leave for the NFL. The program could never regain its mighty hold on college football for long afterwards. Meyer, on the other hand, joined OSU when it was freshly sanctioned by the NCAA. Comparing Tattoogate to the sign-stealing scandal doesn’t help the two overlap. But the difference in the scale of punishments between the two is too much to ignore. “It was players exchanging tattoo exchanging memorabilia for tattoos. Think about that for a minute. They fired a coach,” Meyer said.

Meyer arrived at Columbus in 2011, only after being assured by the top brass that he would be able to play bowl games or lose scholarships. “Two weeks later, Gene Smith comes in my office and says, ‘We got a problem.’ I said, ‘What’s that?’ He said, ‘The NCAA just took nine scholarships.’ Nine. Nine. And that’s a big hit. And then also, ‘Your team cannot go play in a bowl game,'” Meyer added. Michigan has no sanction of that sort. “The NCAA is no longer an enforcement entity. It doesn’t exist,” he added. All of this comes from the veteran coach’s experience.

The sign-stealing scandal was only ravaging Ann Arbor until the ruling came. Now, it has even engulfed the NCAA. It has an arch-nemesis of Michigan football siding with the program, which means this time, the institution messed up big time.