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Meyer, Gators basking in life at the top
May 11, 2009 8:00 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
Did you catch some of Florida coach Urban Meyer's comments during his booster club speaking engagement in Jacksonville last week?
The gist of what he said: He knows what a good a thing he has going at Florida right now, and he's not about to let up.
"I can tell you for the first time in our coaching careers, it feels like home. I love Florida," Meyer told the crowd in his closing comments as reported by Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun. "This is a hell of a place, and this is a hell of a team. We're going to enjoy the moment and learn from the moment. Is this a good program? No, it's a great program. We have our foot squarely on peoples' necks, and we're not going to take it off. Right now, everyone is trying to catch the Gators. We will not let that happen."
Meyer went on to compare Florida's program to Southern California's in terms of all the highly rated players competing at different positions. Of the 22 players listed on Florida's defensive two-deep going into the BCS National Championship Game last season, 21 return in 2009. There's also that Tim Tebow guy returning on offense with a few people around him who can run and make plays.
"I've studied USC a little bit," Meyer said. "They had the cornerstone on developing depth and developing competition in practice, where if you have a bad day, you're out and someone else goes in. It's life in the big city and at good programs. Right now, we're a good program."
I'd say so.
Florida will be the consensus or near-consensus choice as the No. 1 team in the country heading into the season.
Meyer is cleaning up on the recruiting trail and has the biggest, deepest pond to fish in when you consider how many good football players there are in the state of Florida. But with the program on overdrive the way it is now under his direction, he's no longer recruiting.
He's selecting.
And when you start selecting in that state, it's pretty sobering for others.
History has shown in the SEC, though, that the winds of change can blow in without much warning, and Nick Saban's recruiting machine at Alabama is rolling along pretty well right now.
There's also a feeling around the league that the playing field will level somewhat after Tebow is gone. He's going into his "ninth" season at Florida next year.
Will there be a drop-off post-Tebow? Yeah, probably some. Will it be enough of a drop-off for everybody else to catch the Gators? That's hard to say.
But whether you love Meyer or loathe him, he's taken this program and turned it back into the monster it was under Steve Spurrier in the 1990s. In fact, Meyer has already surpassed the Head Ball Coach in terms of national titles, and something tells me he's far from content.
Meyer has that blend of confidence, smarts and rub-it-in-your face drive that the Florida fans swear by. He's constantly analyzing things and always probing deeper. His organization and attention to detail rise to the level of being obsessive compulsive.
They're all the qualities (along with his collection of rings) that cause his opponents to swear at him.
Nobody likes the guy at the top, especially when he's not adverse to reminding you rather smugly that he's at the top and is going to stay at the top as long as he pleases.
Well, that is nobody outside the Gator Nation, which is no doubt enjoying the ride.
Florida Gators, Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, Alabama Crimson Tide, Nick Saban
