Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

It is a key distinction. Though even if handled internally, Meyer can probably stay IF GSmith takes the fall instead.

Maybe. I'm not so sure though that he'd be able to avoid it, EVEN if Gene takes the fall. 
Because the issue, if that were the case, would be institutional. And while Gene is his boss, in many ways they're equally "powerful" in the decisions of what happens. I'm sure Urban has a lot of say in the matter.
So if it was Urban and Gene working together [without HR / Title IX], it would IMHO be seen as the sort of "old boys' club" sort of decision-making process and I'm not sure Urban can avoid the axe if that's how it played out.

Which is an important part of this overall story. Especially for the "victim-blaming" folks who seem to keep finding ways to suggest that Courtney is crazy/vindictive, or is making this up, etc etc.
However, that part is not necessarily germane to what happens to Urban or others at OSU. Because while it is clear that they knew of some of the domestic violence allegations, they very likely did not know the full extent of it.

It's just that Courtney waited until Zach got the axe until she screamed "VICTIM" in the court of public opinion.IMO it just smacks of either vengenace/anger/payday.BTW according to McMurphy she tried to sell him the story.She could have gotten a comfortable settlement long ago.Their income was substantially more than the average American who get divorced everyday.So with this supposed weight of evidence why did she wait if the circumstances were already untenable,then silent after separation?Look it wouldn't bother me a bit if Meyer/G.Smith are sent packing.I'd just love to see this go to court

It's just that Courtney waited until Zach got the axe until she screamed "VICTIM" in the court of public opinion.IMO it just smacks of either vengenace/anger/payday.BTW according to McMurphy she tried to sell him the story.She could have gotten a comfortable settlement long ago.Their income was substantially more than the average American who get divorced everyday.So with this supposed weight of evidence why did she wait if the circumstances were already untenable,then silent after separation?Look it wouldn't bother me a bit if Meyer/G.Smith are sent packing.I'd just love to see this go to court

But she left him in 2015, and the divorce was finalized in 2016. It's not like she stuck by his side. She had left--and yes, was probably already getting substantial child support. 
Oh, and he got the axe as a DIRECT RESULT OF HIS OWN ACTIONS in May 2018, when he decided to get himself arrested for criminal trespass, and apparently do enough to get a protective order slapped on him.
That's why this just bubbled up. Had he learned to color within the lines of his divorce, and not CONTINUE to be a problem, he'd still have a job.

But she left him in 2015, and the divorce was finalized in 2016. It's not like she stuck by his side. She had left--and yes, was probably already getting substantial child support.
Oh, and he got the axe as a DIRECT RESULT OF HIS OWN ACTIONS in May 2018, when he decided to get himself arrested for criminal trespass, and apparently do enough to get a protective order slapped on him.
That's why this just bubbled up. Had he learned to color within the lines of his divorce, and not CONTINUE to be a problem, he'd still have a job.

Exactly. Can't have it both ways. Can't say she wait for perfect timing to scream victim and she's crazy because she called 911 a ton in the same defense, which many are doing(not many in this forum, just many in general public).

I have no problem with any of that but since you or I don't have access the financial settlement - that could be open & fluid depending on pay raises - color me skeptical

That's true; we don't know the details of the financial settlement. But I don't know what you're skeptical of?
She may be angry and out for vengeance. After all, now that he's fired and the income is gone, it's not like she has anything to lose. I'll bet she's been angry for the last two years. Can you blame her for lashing out? 
But "payday"? In what way? Is getting Urbs fired going to get her a payday somehow? I don't think she has grounds for a civil suit against OSU or Urban for continuing to employ her ex-husband. 
I just don't see how she actually benefits from any of this. What do you see as her motive that makes you "skeptical"? 

I still have so many questions and I hope we get the answers.

 Some educated guesses are starting to form based on what we do know. 

 I think Zack Smith thinks he’s telling the truth when he says he did not hit her and has wrongly convinced himself that even if it was defensive it makes it OK.  The pictures support that    

 It sounds like he worked really hard with urban to convince him that the relationship was toxic that it was a two-way street, and there’s a decent chance that that is actually true, but again does not excuse 1 ounce of his behavior   Often when there is this level of hatred it’s usually because both people know how to press the others buttons and there are other aspects involved such as alcohol or drugs or whatever.   That might be why Shelley Meyer tried to convince Courtney Smith to press charges which we actually have proof of. Because they were getting two opposite sides of the story and OSU was unsure of what to do.  It sounds like for the long period of time Courtney admitted that she did not share the physical part of the abuse with urban’s wife. She also then expressed that others including her own family advising her to not press forward because it would cost her her major source of income    

 That’s why I actually believe Zach Smith when he says that urban Meyer said if you hit her you are gone      Because up to that point Zack was telling him he did not hit her and Courtney was telling Shellt that he did but she did not want to press charges.   

I also think that when Meyer answered that question at big 10 media days he was specifically referring to a text he got that said that Zack Smith had been arrested in 2015 per the reporters original Facebook post.    

 That’s why he said when they looked into it there was nothing there because at that point there was nothing there    

  Why he opened his big mouth and expanded that to give the impression that he knew nothing about 2015 is beyond me. He probably went off script and clearly that was a huge mistake   

 I am going to assume that it was all properly reported because I’m fairly confident he would not release a statement and say that it was when they could be so easily disproven    

I really want to hear what his wife says about this series of event.  

quite a stretch, but it's possible

Possible, yes.
The Occam's Razor explanation might be something more along the lines of "I've held all this inside for so long and I just have to let it out", too.