One person you should probably thank for the incredible run that Ohio State football is on under Urban Meyer? Dave Wannstedt.
No, really.
As crazy as it sounds, Wannstedt played a key role in the series of events that ultimately led to Meyer at Ohio State, and him turning the Buckeyes back into a national powerhouse after Jim Tressel’s ugly exit before the 2011 season.
How, you ask? It all began in Morgantown, WV on December 1, 2007.
Wannstedt’s 4-7 Pitt Panthers entered the 100th Backyard Brawl against No. 2 West Virginia as 28 1⁄2 point underdogs, in a game that looked to be a coronation for Rich Rodriguez’s dominant Mountaineers squad on their way to the national championship game.