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New Name in the Discussion
17 years 9 months ago #3428
by dapolla
Red and Black, Win or Lose
New Name in the Discussion was created by dapolla
I have heard this said so often since the BCS NC Game that it makes me want to puke: \"From now on when the topic of all-time great college coaches arises, the name Urban Meyer must be part of the discussion.\"
Really?
The basis for that god-awful statement is that Urban Meyer, in his second year at every school he's been at, has won some sort of championship or shown dramatic improvement. His second year at Bowling Green State University produced a MAC Championship and a drastically improved record. He won the Mountain West championship both years at Utah and went undefeated in his second, crashing the BCS party and defeating Big East co-champ Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl. In his first year at Florida he won the school's first bowl game since 2001 and in his second went 13-1 and won the SEC and the National Championship. Great coach, right? In the discussion automatically, right?
Let me ask you something: Is Larry Coker in that discussion? After all, in his first year as Miami head coach, he went undefeated and won the NC. In his second year he went undefeated and narrowly lost to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing #2 in the country. Larry Coker just got fired. He will never be considered one of the greats of all time, because he had some mediocrity late(two nine-win seasons is mediocre?) and because the argument is that he won his NC on Butch Davis's talent. The only real player that Urban Meyer recruited to that Florida team was Tim Tebow. He won a National Championship with Steve Spurrier's quarterback and Ron Zook's talent. Automatically in the discussion?
Let's add another level to the argument: in his second year, Mark Richt did the exact same thing. He went 13-1, won the SEC and won the BCS Bowl. At the end of the season(just as in this season) there were two undefeated teams and one one-loss SEC team. The difference was that in 2002, the pollsters gave the two undefeateds the nod by default and Miami played Ohio State. In 2006 the pollsters gave the one-loss SEC champ the benefit of the doubt and put them in the game ahead of undefeated Boise State.
BUT: Richt did it without the benefit of the #1 quarterback in his recruiting class, playing in his senior year. Although a heralded HS QB, David Greene was far from the top quarterback in the country, and was only in his second year.
BUT: Richt's 2002 team didn't make it to the championship game based on a missed field goal. South Carolina should have beaten Florida in 2006, who didn't win that game so much as accept it in a nicely-wrapped package.
BUT: Richt's 2002 team only allowed Arkansas 3 points in the SEC Championship game. Arkansas, who had scored six total points in two appearances, scored 28 on Florida in 2006.
Also let's consider that Meyer has only ever been at any school for longer than two years as head coach. He bolted for Utah after his second year at BGSU and took the money at Florida after his undefeated season with the Utes. In a game where loyalty and tradition are prized above all else, how can a money-chasing nomad like Meyer be considered an all-time great? The greats are coaches like Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Tom Osbourne, Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Vince Dooley, etc. Coaches who stayed at their schools. Even Bear Bryant and Bowden only coached at two schools apiece.
Let him sustain this success. Let him duplicate or exceed what Spurrier did at Florida in the '90s, and let him do it in a much more competitive SEC than Spurrier, by his own admission, ever had to face. Then we'll \"bring his name into the conversation\" again. Until then, SHUT THE F:evil:
UP!!!
Really?
The basis for that god-awful statement is that Urban Meyer, in his second year at every school he's been at, has won some sort of championship or shown dramatic improvement. His second year at Bowling Green State University produced a MAC Championship and a drastically improved record. He won the Mountain West championship both years at Utah and went undefeated in his second, crashing the BCS party and defeating Big East co-champ Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl. In his first year at Florida he won the school's first bowl game since 2001 and in his second went 13-1 and won the SEC and the National Championship. Great coach, right? In the discussion automatically, right?
Let me ask you something: Is Larry Coker in that discussion? After all, in his first year as Miami head coach, he went undefeated and won the NC. In his second year he went undefeated and narrowly lost to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing #2 in the country. Larry Coker just got fired. He will never be considered one of the greats of all time, because he had some mediocrity late(two nine-win seasons is mediocre?) and because the argument is that he won his NC on Butch Davis's talent. The only real player that Urban Meyer recruited to that Florida team was Tim Tebow. He won a National Championship with Steve Spurrier's quarterback and Ron Zook's talent. Automatically in the discussion?
Let's add another level to the argument: in his second year, Mark Richt did the exact same thing. He went 13-1, won the SEC and won the BCS Bowl. At the end of the season(just as in this season) there were two undefeated teams and one one-loss SEC team. The difference was that in 2002, the pollsters gave the two undefeateds the nod by default and Miami played Ohio State. In 2006 the pollsters gave the one-loss SEC champ the benefit of the doubt and put them in the game ahead of undefeated Boise State.
BUT: Richt did it without the benefit of the #1 quarterback in his recruiting class, playing in his senior year. Although a heralded HS QB, David Greene was far from the top quarterback in the country, and was only in his second year.
BUT: Richt's 2002 team didn't make it to the championship game based on a missed field goal. South Carolina should have beaten Florida in 2006, who didn't win that game so much as accept it in a nicely-wrapped package.
BUT: Richt's 2002 team only allowed Arkansas 3 points in the SEC Championship game. Arkansas, who had scored six total points in two appearances, scored 28 on Florida in 2006.
Also let's consider that Meyer has only ever been at any school for longer than two years as head coach. He bolted for Utah after his second year at BGSU and took the money at Florida after his undefeated season with the Utes. In a game where loyalty and tradition are prized above all else, how can a money-chasing nomad like Meyer be considered an all-time great? The greats are coaches like Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Tom Osbourne, Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Vince Dooley, etc. Coaches who stayed at their schools. Even Bear Bryant and Bowden only coached at two schools apiece.
Let him sustain this success. Let him duplicate or exceed what Spurrier did at Florida in the '90s, and let him do it in a much more competitive SEC than Spurrier, by his own admission, ever had to face. Then we'll \"bring his name into the conversation\" again. Until then, SHUT THE F:evil:
UP!!! Red and Black, Win or Lose
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