Josh Benner

Tag: ohio state

  • What great coaches can teach us about life

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    Relentless effort (not talent or intelligence) is the key to achieving great things in your life. Struggle is part of the process. It is hard and often painful. But it’s also necessary, because it’s in the struggle that great things are achieved.
    -Urban Meyer, in Above the Line

    Tonight, one of the greatest college football coaches of all time retires.

    Urban Meyer concludes his seventh and final season as the head coach at Ohio State. Meyer has amassed an incredible record at Ohio State and throughout his coaching career. Coming into tonight’s Rose Bowl, Meyer is 82-9 as the Buckeye head coach.  In his seven seasons, Meyer never lost more than two games in a season. He lost four conference games total. He won his first 24 games in Columbus.

    He’s one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. Three national championships. He won .85 percent of his games. Meyer had four winning streaks of 20 or more games (to put that in perspective, no other coach even has three).

    Great coaches can teach us all things. I think of things I’ve read over the years from people like John Wooden, Vince Lomardi, Woody Hayes, Bobby Knight.

    For people who have succeeded in competitive endeavors, they have insights from which we can all benefit in terms of work ethic, leadership, and grit.

    We so often make excuses for our failures and mediocrity. Great coaches don’t settle for mediocrity. They demand excellence from themselves, from their staffs, and from their players. We so often chalk up failure to a lack of resources, things beyond our control, or the fault o others. Great coaches show us all that excellence comes from hard work. Success comes from preparation and learning from mistakes. Success comes from wanting it more than your opponent.

    It’s true on the playing field, on the court, and in life.

    “I’ve come to learn that leadership is not automatically granted to you because of your position or your salary or the size of your office. Leadership is influence based on trust that you have earned. A leader is not someone who declares what he wants and then gets angry when he doesn’t get it. A true leader is someone who is going someplace and taking people with him, a catalyst for elite performance who enables people to achieve things they wouldn’t achieve on their own. A leader is someone who earns trust, sets a clear standard, and then equips and inspires people to meet that standard.”
    -Urban Meyer in Above the Line

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

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  • Ohio State dominates Wolverines in “The Game”

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    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

    Easily their best game since USC last year, but this game reminds me more of the 2014 Wisconsin game. Playing a good team, playing as an underdog, and just imposing their will. Dominating the game in every facet.

    But Urban Meyer takes this game to another level. Ohio State’s defense had been widely (and justifiably) criticized and maligned. People kept saying that this was Harabugh’s year. OSU has dominated the series over the last 17 years. But this was one of the rare times, where the Wolverines came into this game playing better, more highly ranked.

    But at the end of the day, it was dominating win over the fourth ranked team in America.

    Throughout the season, Ohio State has struggled on defense. They have given up their longest rushing and passing plays of all time this year. They’ve given up big plays. They’ve had a historically bad scoring defense. Gave up 51 points last week to Maryland.

    But in the first half of this game, Ohio State made the Wolverines earn their yards. It was the best tackling they’ve had all season. Buckeyes were bending but not breaking, holding the Wolverines to just six points until late in the first half.

    With 3:18 left in the first half, Dwayne Haskins hit Johnny Dixon for a 31 yard pass to give OSU a 21-6 lead.

    With the Wolverines against the ropes, Shea Patterson led a really solid scoring drive capped off by a great catch by Nico Collins which made the score 21-12.

    On the ensuing kickoff, something happened that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in my 25 years of watching football. The return man (DeMario McCall) fumbled the kick. The Wolverines suddenly had the ball on the nine yard line. They scored on the next play (failed on the two-point conversion). It was a swing in momentum, but Ohio State had really dominated the play in the first half. In the last :41 of the first half, OSU was able to drive down and kick a field goal.

    The third quarter was what put Ohio State ahead, as the Buckeyes outscored the Wolverines 17-0. After the initial Ohio State drive of the second half stalled, the Wolverines traded them an unfruitful possession. When OSU took the ball back, the Buckeyes hit a 31 yard run by J.K. Dobbins and a 36 yard pass to Parris Campbell and the Buckeyes were suddenly inside the 5, threatening going up by 12. In short yardage, they decided to put Tate Martell in at quarterback. This has been a struggle this season. Martell has gotten in on short yardage situations each of the last three games. All the plays were runs, as were all three plays in the red zone and what looked like a touchdown drive resulted in a field goal. Still a one-score game, as the Buckeyes led 27-19.

    Wolverines picked up a couple of first downs on the following drive. On fourth down, punting from their own 36, Buckeye receiver Chris Olave blocked the kick. Olave had also scored two touchdowns in the first half as he began a legacy in this gam today. The blocked punt was returned for a Buckeye touchdown.

    Now trailing 34-19, on third and long, Shea Patterson threw an interception to Buckeye Joran Fuller. Two plays later, Mike Weber scored to make it 41-19.

    Fourth quarter was back and forth. Wolverines finally caught fire on offense but had no answers on defense.

    The Wolverines had 40 carries for 160 yards, but a lot of those yards came late. Ohio State dominated between the tackles today. The heavily touted Oho State defensive line had been banged up (Nick Bosa out most of the season), but they had also been underwhelming at times. Today they were able to get pressure.

    It was a great game. Great performances from Dwayne Haskins, Chris Olave. Parris Campbell had 192 total yards in his final home game as a Buckeye. As much as the defense and linebackers have struggled, Malik Harrison had a huge game. Easily Ohio State’s best game of the year.

    Wolverines have the number one defense in the country: Ohio State scored 62 points. Over 300 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. Just under 250 rushing yards.

    Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear what you think, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

    Let’s connect!
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  • Urban Meyer keeps job, but is it worth the cost?

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    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons

    I’ve gone back and forth on the Urban Meyer story. When I initially heard about it, I thought it was blown out of proportion but studied it in greater detail and thought it would result in Meyer’s termination. But I continued to dig and more information came out and I started to think that Meyer did what he should have done. This was always a very complicated story. I was always curious to hear results of the investigation and report. I defended him as the investigation continued.

    But in the first full day after the report, after the suspension, part of me questions if he should have been dismissed.
    The standard line I’ve heard from Buckeye fans who want to defend Meyer is “He’s not the police. It’s not his job to investigate these things.”
    That’s true but that’s not the issue.
    Urban hired Zach Smith. Zach Smith has had issues with drinking, issues with other substance abuse. He’s misused university funds. He’s had affairs. He has skipped out on recruiting visits and instead gone to strip clubs. And Urban kept him around. Urban hired him, when he shouldn’t have in the first place. Smith was hired because of who his grandfather is. And Smith ran wild.
    Zach Smith was never charged with domestic violence (how he wasn’t, I still don’t understand).
    But even without that, he was engaging in many, many, many behaviors that should have resulted in him losing his job and Urban kept him around.

    (more…)

  • Bad arguments abound on why Ohio State shouldn’t make playoff 

    I’ve heard more bad arguments in regards to the college football playoff this week then I heard from people during the election cycle earlier this year. 

    Tomorrow, the four playoff teams will be named. It looks quite likely that Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Washington will be those four teams.  (more…)

  • Life lesson for Wolverines

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    Courtesy of Flickr Creative commons
    When I was in seminary, I had a professor who was one of the best New Testament scholars in the world (D.A. Carson). He would give us these Bible quizzes that were RIDICULOUS. He’d ask totally obscure questions. Most people hated them. Dr. Carson wasn’t empathetic when one day he said “life is hard and then you die, get used to it.” (more…)