Buckeyes' assistant knows Meyer

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FINDLAY — Ohio State defensive backs coach Tim Beckman knows what it is like to face Florida coach Urban Meyer and the Gators' offense.

The two coaches faced each other nearly every day for two years at Bowling Green.

Meyer was the head coach and Beckman was his defensive coordinator.

They'll be on opposite sidelines on Jan. 8 when top-ranked Ohio State (12-0) meets No. 2 Florida (12-1) in the BCS national championship game in Glendale, Ariz.

"I competed against Urban at each and every practice, but I'm not sure it'll be just like a practice at Bowling Green," Beckman said. "He was the offensive mind behind what we did at Bowling Green and he let me run with the defense."

Four other assistants

Four of Meyer's offensive assistants also coached at Bowling Green. Meyer was 17-6 in two seasons at Bowling Green, and in his second year the Falcons set a Mid-American Conference record for points scored, averaging 41 points per game.

"It will be a lot of fun to compete against him and those assistants," Beckman said. "We would compete in winter workouts and practices and the spring football games."

Under Beckman, the Falcons led the conference in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and scoring margin during the 2001 season.

Beckman, a native of Berea, spent seven seasons at Bowling Green before coming to Ohio State last season.

Replacing nine starters on defense and spending all season at No. 1 have been a challenge. "It's been a fast season, almost like a dream. It's all happened too quickly," Beckman said.

Family connection

His father, Dave, coached at Iowa and was an assistant for the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers. His dad also played at Baldwin-Wallace for Lee Tressel, father of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

Beckman said he learned from not only from his father but Dick Strahm, his college coach at Findlay who won four NAIA national titles.

"A lot of what I do is what coach Strahm did," Beckman said. "To learn from a great coach like Strahm, it pushes you in the direction of where you need to go."

Friday, December 15, 2006