Reading this and other boards, I am amazed at the level of hype some fans are buying into regarding Urban Meyer and his anticipated "success" ay UF. Since when did having a good season at friggin' Utah while playing in the Mountain West conference against some of the weakest competition in all of D1A Football equate to being a perceived "great coach"? I remember it was just a few years back when another "hot commodity" from the Mountain West Conference named sonny Lubick was supposedly a genius. Lubick had a couple of good seasons at colorado State and the media was all over him as one of the next great head coaches. ROTFLMFAO! Urban Meyer has caoched at a MAC school and at a Mountain West school and has been a head coach for only four years. He has never been a head coach at a BCS conference school. Urban Meyer is in for a real shock this coming season as the SEC is LIGHT YEARS away from what he is accustomed to coaching against and anyone who thinks that coaching against LSU, UGA, Tennessee, Auburn, and Florida State is anything akin to coaching against Utah State, Colorado State, BYU, and other Mountain West Conference teams is absolutely just buying the Urban Meyer hype. Good Lord, in the SEC East alone, Meyer is now coaching against Spurrier, Fulmer, and Richt. Throw in Bobby Bowden in OOC competition and the rest of the SEC and Meyer truly is in for a new outlook on life after this coming season. Look at Utah's schedule from last season and there is no damn way that schedule is remotely close to the level of football Meyer has been coaching against for his entire head coaching career. What a joke. See link.http://utahutes.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/utah-m-footbl-sched.html
I agree with you. In addition to what you say, it is interesting that Meyer is attempting to do so many things differently from what other SEC schools do. less NFL weight training and more players wearing heavy chains and throwing tires. and tug-of-war contest. Interesting... sounds like Jackie Sherrill. Hes also said hes going to run an offense that heavily uses the option - with Chris Leak running it. Here are a few comments from his pre-spring PC. I live in Orlando so I get alot of news on UF. I was surprised Meyer stated in his PC that he had a favorite player on the UF squad, and the he calls out some other players by name for being hurt. I wonder if that will play well over the long run? Seems like it could be a divisive tactic. maybe, maybe not. Speaking in orlando over the weekend (I didn't go, I just read the recap in the paper, I hate UF) he stated he ran a play in the bowl game just because he knew UF fans were watching. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, but it is kind of odd. Anyway... here are some excerpts I posted on a different board yesterday. The more I hear from this guy the less impressed I am. He seems to be a fan of not leaving anything unsaid to the public. I got all of this from gatorcountry.com. Direct quotes from his pre-spring PC: There isn’t a tailback that’s done a thing around here other than I think Skyler (Thornton) has done a nice job on the off season. I keep hearing about DeShawn (Wynn), I’ll tell you about him in another two weeks and Markus Manson’s a nice guy other than that I can’t tell you much about them except that that is the position that is the number one concern. I anticipate a lot of people have (want) our defense to be more aggressive. Linebacker, a lot like our tailback spot we have two guys that have earned their keep around here but that’s about it. If I had to pick a guy that was a Florida Gator it would be Brandon Siler, he does it right off the field, he does it right on the field, he's a great recruiter, a great leader. I shouldn’t say this but he’s my favorite guy. Todd McCullough is a great guy but once again he falls into that great guy category. The great guy category is one that can’t play or can’t play because of injury. The great guy can only get you so far. On DeShawn Wynn and the tailback position: I hate to put the whole season on the tailback position, but I’m putting the whole season on the tailback position. You cannot function without the tailback position, and Dane Guthrie might carry the ball a little bit. We will not jeopardize 21 other positions for one. They need to know that, they’re going to know that, and it’s going to be a tough go. On the athleticism at Florida opening new doors for the offense: The most impressive part about University of Florida Football right now is the athleticism at the skill positions on offense. We don’t have enough, because we often operate four or five wide, but the athleticism at receiver – I can’t wait to see Andre Caldwell catch that shovel pass and see where he takes it. The first day I’m looking forward to seeing the speed and athleticism from the offensive skill positions." On the tight end position: "I’ll give you my recruiting speech when we recruit tight ends. Our tight ends are expected to catch 50 to 60 passes, and the recruits’ eyes light up when they hear that. You need to be athletic, be able to do a lot of things, be tough – the old, traditional slow plodder at tight end has no purpose here. The good news is Tate Casey is not like that and neither is Dane (Guthrie) or Markell Thompson. Catching the football and being able to move in space is a prerequisite of playing tight end, and we’ll utilize (the position)." On the players learning the offense: "I’ve talked to Chris (Leak), and we’re going to meet daily to get a quick shot (of the offense). I watched most of the offensive tapes from last year, and there is some carry over from (last season’s offense). I think the mechanics of the snap – if the center can’t put the ball between the numbers 100 percent of the time, there is no offense. That’s where you start. I wouldn’t say it’s a difficult offense. There are a lot of moving parts and people that take things for granted, like a shovel pass. Chris has done some of those things, and there will be some carry over, but we have a lot of work to do." On Chris Leak: He’s a junior now, he’s no longer a freshman or sophomore, and it is time for him to become that (vocal) guy, even if he’s uncomfortable with it. His leadership, as far as the way to do things and the amount of effort he gives, I’d give him an A+. There’s a notion that he’s not athletic; he’s very athletic. He can do everything we’ll ask him to do." On defensive end: "I had a discussion down in Orlando yesterday about this whole recruiting process, where someone has a recruit ranked number six. Well, the person that’s ranking him number six is trying to make money off of people reading that he’s ranked number six. They aren’t studying film. I think coaches at places like Ohio State, Notre Dame and Florida, start reading those rankings instead of doing the film evaluation. On a number one concern on defense: "Linebacker-we have two. At Florida we should have seven or eight. We moved over two fullbacks to give us a little depth. There’s a guy named (Brian) Crum who fits in that nice guy category, (Billy) Latsko is a tough nut and I’m anxious to watch him, (Eric) Rutledge is a lot like Latsko, and I’m hoping they find a home. Todd McCullough is a nice guy, and it’s not his fault that he’s been hurt, but it’s time for him to not get hurt and help our football team." Gator Fans recap of his orlando speech monday: Speaking in Orlando: Chris Leak WILL be an option QB and that people misunderstood him when he had spoken previously on the subject. He said the option is part of the offense that is integral to it's success and that Chris Leak will do very well running it. Said that the hook and ladder they put in for the bowl game was strictly put in for UF fans. He said he knew gators would be watching so he wanted to put in a play like we would run in the 90's. During the game he said the assistants did not want to run it but he overruled them on the headset and said "we have to run this one for the gator nation". Said that is a true story that the only reason that play was even put in was for our benefit. He said their approach to weight training is different than many. He said that the first thing they did with respect to the weight room was to throw out the gloves. He said blisters build character. Less NFL type weight training and more apt to see players with heavy chains around their necks and flipping heavy tires around and tug of war contest. (This is also reported by Ivan Maesel on ESPN.com) TIGER BAIT!!!!! :crystal: :geauxtige LSU!
I think UF fans are drinking the koolaid because he had a lot of success wherever he has been (Utah and before that Bowling Green). He was a media darling because he poked the BCS in the eye. This kind of motivation may work with 2 star athletes and high school teams, but not necessarily with the 4 and 5 star recruits. Jackie Sherril is another coach who beleived in tugowars and telephone pole situps, etc. Look where it landed him in the SEC. I will be delighted when Meyer fails miserably. Let them enjoy their pre-season run. It may be all the fun they get.
You never know for sure where Meyer will end up at seasons end. He may have the wins to back up all the hoop la. I know a lot of people around here would like to have had a chance to hire him, although that does not make him a winner. I believe Spurrier came to Florida from Duke. He did a fair job in the SEC. Folks back then did not believe the Old Ball Coach could do it in the SEC. Coaching on the lower levels with great success is how you get to the big time. Meyer was a good hire, so was Miles at LSU. How they work out in the long run is a very big "?" at this time.
I agree wholeheartedly. If I had the choice, I probably would have ranked Meyers over Miles (but not by a lot) and Ferentz over both as candidates, but at this point why would you care, and so passionately no less? Let history take it's course; no one can "know" at this point. Either may turn out to be legends, or failures, or most likely somewhere in between.
Thanks, turbotiger. You've opened my eyes a bit about Urban. I agree with your take on these comments, especially these in particular: First, if Les Miles started talking so loosely about who was or wasn't "an LSU Tiger" at this point in time, it'd grate on me pretty severely. Just pulling on the ballcap or the school's colors doesn't make you the resident expert and caretaker of a school's decades of football tradition and identity. It just seems very presumptuous, that's all. I think he's trying to cloak himself in that Spurrier-esque swagger and such, but such bravado coming on the heels of consecutive decent to mediocre seasons means such "tough talk" masks an overall team confidence level that's about a mile wide and an inch deep. Let's see how much they squawk after their first test against Tennessee. That'll be an early test.
Miles hasn't proven he can be a consistent winner either, IMO. Meyer just has the glamour and media's attention at the moment. Going by football records, I'd have to say that Meyer looks more impressive than Miles. Going by interviews & what each coach has to say about the programs, I'd have to say Miles is far & away better than Meyer. Only the next few years will tell which program made the better hire...
CParso, you are exactly what I am talking about...... Any fan who thinks that playing & beating teams such as Utah State; BYU; New Mexico; San Diego State; Wyoming; UNLV; Colorado State, etc. is preparing a head coach for the SEc is kidding himself. Hell, if Les Miles had coached for 4 years against MAC & Mountain West competition, I don't care if he had gone undefeated, he wouldn't be ready to coach at the SEC level. There is no way you can compare MAC or Mountain West competition to the Big 12 competition that Miles has been coaching against. In his entire 4 years as a head coach, urban Meyer NEVER beat a team like OU, NEVER. Les Miles did it twice and did it with sub par talent. That is attributed to one thing and one thing only. Coaching.
Re: CParso, you are exactly what I am talking about...... i'm not really that afraid of meyer's offense. since the old ball coach left the SEC, the defenses have gotten WAY faster. what does frighten me about meyer, however, is that his defense did so well at utah. yes, i know, it was the MWC. but still, statistically, his teams have done outstanding on both sides of the ball. on a different note, i hope his offense flops if for no other reason than so that i don't have to be constantly barraged with the lame-o phrase "urban warfare".
I don't know CParso. I'm not an eternal optimist by any means, but I find Miles' accomplishments playing second fiddle in a fairly weak football state (by LA, TX, FL standards) in a big time conference to be pretty persuasive. I'm less enthused about Meyer, in so far as he is truly an unknown quantity at major levels. Had his scheme produced decent results against the size, speed, and depth of major confernece foes, I would have more confidence in him. I'm not saying who's going to be better, but at first glance, Miles has proven himself more.
