COLUMBUS, Ohio – When it was pointed out to Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer that a small town in the state was changing its name to honor him, he thought it was a joke.
Told that the village of Urbana, in western Ohio, was dropping its last letter in his honor — becoming Urban on Monday, when the Buckeyes play Oregon in the national championship game — Meyer was temporarily taken aback.
"You're kidding," he said with a grin. "They're dropping the 'a'?"
Assured that was the case, he smiled and added, "Wow. That's very nice."
That was only one of many amusing vignettes Tuesday when Meyer and the Buckeyes faced questions on Ohio State's media day.
At one point, quarterback Cardale Jones did cartwheels, laughing loudly. (It should be noted, he did them with no coaches in sight.)
It's clear the Buckeyes are a loose bunch heading into the biggest game of their lives.
During 30 minutes of a light practice open to reporters, the Buckeyes stretched and went through their paces — just like a typical workout inside the Woody Hayes facility. A four-inch snowfall overnight forced everyone indoors.