Ohio State’s season began with stars Joey Bosa, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson suspended so it is not really surprising that during the week that head coach Urban Meyer spent promoting his new book, “Above the Line,” his resolve gets tested by his star player.
The Buckeyes’ trials are not unique and show just how difficult it is to defend a championship regardless of talent. Entitlement, ego, complacency, pressure and off-the-field distractions impact teams regardless of the measures taken to avoid such nuisances.
The question is how do you handle the issues? Is it better to shield the team from outside criticism or more helpful to let it in to motivate the players?