Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Dodd Coach of the Week Award honors college the football coach whose team was not only successful on the field, but best embodied the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity during the previous week.
"Coach Meyer motivates his players in all aspects of their lives," said Jim Terry, Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "His team has had an exemplary season â on and off the field â and we'll definitely be keeping an eye on them the rest of the year."
Ohio State currently sits atop the Big Ten East Division following Saturday's 49-37 road win over Michigan State, expanding its record to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in conference.
Earlier in the week, freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and sophomore defensive lineman Joey Bosa was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
Off the field, Ohio State's Jacoby Boren was named to the College Sports Information Directors (CoSIDA) Capital One Academic All-District 5 Team. With the recognition, Boren is now eligible to earn Academic All-America honors.
Boren maintains a 3.80 grade point average in sustainable plant systems. For his efforts in the classroom, he has been named a Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar, an Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree and a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.
Overall, under Meyer's leadership, the Ohio State football team boasts a 78% graduation rate, and an Academic Progress Rate score of 972.
Meyer also stays active in the community, creating the Urban and Shelley Meyer Fund for Cancer Research, a general cancer research support fund dedicated to advancing cancer research and recruiting cancer research experts to Ohio State.
The annual Dodd Trophy â along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award â celebrates the head coach of a team that enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
The winner of the 2014 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl week. A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2014 season.
(Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Press Release)
