When Urban Meyer took the Ohio State head coaching job in November, he did so with the assurances of OSU administrators that the school was unlikely to receive a postseason ban from the NCAA. When they were hit with a one-year ban a few days later despite those assurances, the whole program was taken aback. Meyer held a press conference Wednesday to talk about his 2012 recruiting class, and he admitted that the postseason ban had come as “a bit of a sucker punch”.

In terms of how it affected recruiting, he said “it was damage control for two or three weeks.” Meyer said he called Noah Spence, who became the top-rated player in the OSU class, the night he was hired at Ohio State. Targeting the top uncommitted prospects was only part of the job. Securing some potentially wavering OSU commitments, like GlenOak running back Brionte Dunn, was also a priority.

From that first night, after agreeing to a $24 million contract, and then going home to pick up the phone to talk to high school kids, Meyer has been tireless and aggressive in pursuit of the talent the program needed. Asked Wednesday if he likes recruiting, Meyer responded “You have no chance if you don’t......I love to recruit and I love to recruit great players."

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Sunday’s Ohio State - Michigan game was playing out a lot like many of the Wolverines’ recent games -- a close, hotly contested battle that went down to the wire. A frustrated Jared Sullinger made sure it didn’t stay that way as he scored on three straight possessions down the stretch, helping the Buckeyes finish strong in a 64-49 victory.

The Buckeyes captured sole possession of first place in the conference with a 7-2 league record (19-3 overall) -- and it was Ohio State’s sixth straight victory over their arch rivals. In fact, Ohio State coach Thad Matta improved to 15-2 against Michigan on Sunday, and the 15 point victory had the home crowd in a frenzy.

Matta talked about recapturing the conference lead after the game, “It beats second. It’s such a long season and we gotta keep the focus on us. Knowing we have six days off before we play again there’s some things we gotta keep getting better at,” Matta said. “Turning the halfway point at seven and two I like.”

Lenzelle Smith Jr. had a huge game, scoring 17 points while grabbing 12 rebounds (his first career double-double), and eight of his rebounds came off the offensive glass. Smith’s performance set the tone for the Buckeyes as Ohio State outrebounded the Wolverines 38-29. The extra possessions Smith Jr. created helped Ohio State notch 16 second chance points -- and with as physical as the game turned out, that was the key to Ohio State’s success.

“I knew that was going to be our edge, rebounding and just doing the little things,” Smith Jr. said. “I stuck to that early and just got myself in a position where I could get the rebounds. We weren’t making many shots so it was a better chance on getting rebounds.”

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Defining a legacy is complicated.

As a society, we feel the need to make someones legacy a universal and accepted truth -- not because we strive to agree with each other, but because unity brings comfort when facing the complicated emotions that accompany the death of someone we cared for.

Joe Paterno had barely taken his last breath before the rest of us went to work -- relentlessly scrambling to define the parameters in which we should remember an 85 year old man who impacted so many.

Just three short months ago -- this would have been very easy for most of us.

Joe Paterno would have been remembered by most as a man who dedicated his life to the development of young men. The words “college football” would trigger his face in our minds -- the unhindered smile that revealed wrinkles etched by decades of hard work and charity.

“Joe Paterno was a good man,” we’d say. “His loss is our own.”

Unfortunately it’s not that easy. His legacy will never be universally accepted.

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The death of former Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno is a reminder, if nothing else, of how complicated life really can be.

In most respects, Paterno lived a life worth emulating. In other ways, though, he became a tragic figure with the fatal flaw of not knowing exactly when to say when.

In a tribute broadcast by ESPN, Jeremy Schaap pulled out a revealing Paterno quote to explain why he hung on for as long as he did. Paterno said he wouldn't retire because of Paul "Bear" Bryant, the long time head coach at Alabama. Mere weeks after retiring from Alabama, Bryant suffered a massive heart attack and died, having lost, apparently the will to live once his coaching days ended.

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