Richt vs. Meyer for years to come?!
by skigator93 on Jul 13, 2009 10:46 PM EDT
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PrintAlthough it isn't the first time he has responded to the unfounded rumor that he is eventually headed to South Bend, Urban Meyer again reiterated that he's going to be in Gainesville for a while. As Coach Richt appears to be a long-timer in Athens, we could be witnessing the early stages of one of the great coaching rivalries in college football. The last 2 games have even provided a little spice to the annual showdown.
Although Meyer is sometimes thought of as an arrogant jerk and Richt as boring, UF and UGA are both lucky to have coaches who appear committed to their respective programs for the long haul. And why shouldn't they be? Those programs are clearly two of the best in the country. I don't think Notre Dame or Miami (where Richt's name is sometimes associated) are even in the same ballpark right now.
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Agreed
As much as I’d love to see Corch Meyers shove off for South Bend, it ain’t happening. Both of these guys look like lifers to me.
Go 'Dawgs!
Sounds great
But it’s not going to be much of a rivalry until CMR starts winning more than one out of every four versus The Pointing One.
Leaving insightful football commentary and analysis to other people since 2006.
I think it will
eventually swing back UGA’s way. The cycles of the rivalry have been well documented by Kyle. I am not sure that 2009 is the year to turn it the other way, but 2010 will defintiely be a rebuilding year for UF, while UGA might be getting its ducks in a row for another SEC title run about that time.
I hope they stay for a long, long time
After this season I could not believe my ears when i heard some fans calling for the firing of CMR. What morons. He has built a perennial power house. Not national championship yet, but that will come eventually. He runs a program as flawlessly as possibly. Players like him, but he isn’t anything close to a pushover. He has brought great respect because he’s a classy guy.
I only hope meyer stays around because eventually CMR will gain the upper hand in that rivalry, and boy will it be sweet to beat Meyer. I firmly believe that running a team of thugs will eventually come around full swing to bite you (see FSU, Miami). There are always trends, we just happen to be on the other side of one for now. MCR has laid a great foundation that is and will continue to pay dividends.
You’re right on the money when you look foward to ’10 and ’11. UGA will be locked and loaded to say the least while florida looks as if it may be scrambling.
I'm going on record about rebuilding in 2010
2011 is another story though. Meyer has shown that his rebuilding periods are brief (see 2007).
Plus, the thug statement is a little undeserved. Sure we’ve had more than our fair share of arrests lately, but it’s not like our blueprint is to recruit the best athletes regardless of character. I don’t think that the players who’ve gotten themselves in trouble had a long history of criminal activity.
maybe this is more what i went
eventually, winning becomes everything to some certain people (meyer, saban). That is why they are jerks. Scoring late points against us last year was tasteless. Saban cruising around the sidelines telling his players that he actually hates the people on the other team is another example. Richt has them beat in the “life perspective” department. Winning isn’t everything to him. He’ll never compromise on his principles. Everyone respects this, and i am of the opinion that it has been paying off and will only continue in the future. The players respect Richt. Sounds corny, but he coaches with love not fear. The respect is mutual.
I appreciate your objectivity, skigator
The reason I say this is your acknowledgment of Meyer’s common characterization as a common jerk. Not only do I acknowledge Richt’s characterization as boring, I myself think he’s boring. Both are great coaches. Meyer would definitely have the one-up on Richt for his two national championships (I guess that would make it a “two-up”), but no one can deny their statures among their peers. Meyer’s place among active coaches has been cemented (barring a Larry Coker like fall, which I don’t see happening), and Richt’s has as well (I reference the write-ups by Dr. Saturday’s Matt Hinton and cocknfire over at Team Speed Kills as exhibits to Richt’s rise as a coach). And both have accomplished great things at a relatively young age when compared to their peers at the top (Mack Brown, Jim Tressel, Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, etc.). Anyways… back to your objectivity. I personally think Meyer is an arrogant jerk. I also think he’s a great coach. He’s both. I don’t like the guy but he’s amazing at what he does. I appreciate that you aren’t the type of loyal fan that puts his head in the proverbial sand when it comes to one’s own team’s misgivings (and I know that you yourself did not call Meyer an arrogant jerk, just that you mentioned his reputation as one).
More on point with your post, I agree that this will turn into a great coaching rivalry as time goes on, and I look forward to it as you do. I can’t help but wonder what it will be like in 20 years with the pundits looking back and recalling the “Great End-Zone Celebration of 2007” and the “Time Out Rub In of 2008.” What’s it going to be for 2009 and on? I’m happy to be around to find out.
Great points
Having nicknames for specific games in the rivalry is one of the things that builds on the legend of the series. I think it’s more for show and motivation than a feud amongst coaches (I’ll bet that Richt and Meyer both have a pretty deep respect for one another and that each believes the other is a great coach). Meyer blew the celebration out of proportion, but I think it was only as a motivating tool to get his team fired up for the ‘08 game. The time outs were a retaliation for the celebration – some would say uncalled for (I am from this camp – I think the retaliation on the field was plenty and the time outs were silly – I don’t favor kicking an opponent when they are down, unless of course they are wearing garnet and gold!).
I think Richt would save things for the Gators that he wouldn’t do against any other opponent, but that is also just to motivate the team and try to win a game. Coaches that respect each other make a much better rivalry that ones that hate each other. I think that Meyer/Kiffin (or Kiffin/every other SEC foe) will be more of a rivalry of hatred. Those typically don’t last as long.
Once again with the objectivity
I didn’t care for those time outs either. Definitely kicking a man while he’s down. I also didn’t care for our celebration the year prior. I was laughing hysterically while it was happening, but in hindsight, I didn’t like it at all. I would have been OK with Richt’s original intent, that only the players on the field (11 of them, not 80) celebrate, but that got out of hand.
I also agree that it’s not necessarily a feud between them but a way to motivate their teams, but the line can get blurry if it goes on too long. So I hope they stay on point (football), and off the theatrics (what’s next? rigging the Gatorade thermos. Anyone had Dawgade before?).
by marktheshark on Jul 15, 2009 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually,
I thought the next logical step for this year was to have CMR parachute down to midfield and slam a stake topped by a flaming alligator head into the turf. Then, the team, at this point dispersed around the Florida half of the stands, disguised in mullets, jorts and missing teeth, will throw off their disguises and charge onto the field chanting that “Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye” song and coalesce around our coach. Immediately following this, Uga VII emerges from the tunnel in a convertible black BMW Z4, the speakers blaring the tune (which the Redcoats quickly join in on) “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” by Soulja Boy. At the grand finale, the entire Georgia section joins together for a massive card stunt spelling out “Tebow is a Crybaby.” And oh yeah — we’ll be wearing black jerseys . . . and red pants.
I dunno, I sort of thought that would be the next logical step in the series.
Leaving insightful football commentary and analysis to other people since 2006.
Actually,
Now that the NCAA is easing up on home/away uniform restrictions, a WLOCP with red and blue jerseys sounds sort of intriguing. It would make sense, considering the whole neutral site angle of it. I think it’s worth trying, at least.
Leaving insightful football commentary and analysis to other people since 2006.
I like it
As far as jersey colors, I don’t get too much into that – as long as my team plays well on the field, they can wear whatever they want….well, except for those atrocities with the orange sleeve hopefully those never see the light of day again.
I think the Richt-Miami connection is weaker than Meyer-ND. Richt was at FSU for a number of years which is Miami’s biggest rival. Now, if Shannon flops which is very feasible, Da U may come hard after Richt, but I think Richt stays. We’ll see about Corch Meyers.
While it's clear that Meyer at least listened to Notre Dame . . .
. . . there’s little doubt that Meyer could have had the Notre Dame job and Richt could have had the Miami job had either of them wanted to take it. Neither did.
Consequently, I think the ’Canes coming after Richt is as much of a risk as the Irish coming after Meyer. Yeah, they might, but the answer is going to be no, and neither a Gator fan nor a Bulldog fan ought to be worried about losing his head coach to another school. Georgia and Florida simply are not steppingstone jobs.
Go 'Dawgs!
I don't know
I’d be a little more worried if Meyer actually attended Notre Dame. Maybe he was rejected as a student and it’s payback time for him…
We'll see
But I agree with Kyle: Florida isn’t a stepping-stone. And I strongly believe that Florida’s eagerness to indulge academic shortcomings in favor of on-field talent (worst in the conference (just about the lowest in all of Div IA) according to the last available numbers — maybe it’s changed, but I doubt it’s improved a lot) and Notre Dame’s refusal to do so (at least to the extreme) will keep Meyer at UF.
huh?
What numbers are you looking at regarding “academic shortcomings?” Meyer happens to focus extremely hard on academics and the graduation rate has risen every year since he has come aboard. Florida also does not take partials, which is more than I can say for most of the rest of the conference….
See graduation rates of bowl teams
Ignore the racial aspect of the study for this purpose, but I don’t think this really shows any “academic shortcomings” in the guys wearing orange and blue.
I'm talking about the last available SAT averages
They’re from late Zook, I think, and the lowest among available conference numbers. Vandy’s weren’t published, but, well… And like I said, maybe it’s changed, but I doubt it’s improved a lot. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong when the next numbers come out.
And even assuming improvement, arguendo
I’d still be willing to bet Meyer gets much more freedom in recruiting at UF than he’d get at ND.
That is a given
I’m not arguing that UF’s admission standards on on par with ND and those standards trickle down in rough proportion to the schools’ athlete’s admission standards.
I really don’t count the Zook years – they are just a bad memory for us. I think you will see marked improvement when SAT scores come out for Meyer’s recruits.
Do you have a link to the SAT scores you are referring to? It has been over 4 years since Meyer took over….
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/stories//2008/12/28/acadmain_1228_3DOT.html
When the story was first published in December 2008, it was accompanied by a handy link to a basic list with all the actual available numbers, by conference. I can’t find that one. As I recall, UF’s average was in the mid- to low 800s. UGA’s was a little better but not enough to shake my first. ND’s were, I believe, unavailable, since only pulbic university numbers were available.
The last available numbers for UF were for the Gator freshman classes from 2002-2004. It goes beyond the admission standards for students, generally. I believe UF has the second most competitive admissions procedure in the conference (Vandy first and (because I have to say it) UGA third). Graduation rates aren’t all that impressive to me, either. I’m pretty sure Notre Dame doesn’t have a Family, Youth and Community Sciences major.
But let me make a couple of clarifications. (1) I’m not trying to say Notre Dame athletics is Harvard or even Vandy or Northwestern or Stanford or Rice; I’m sure ND has its share of questionable “scholars” and less-than-challenging curricula in which to tuck a 4.3 40; I have no special love of Notre Dame. (2) I mean no moral judgment against Florida for whatever academic indulgences they make — ok, that’s not true: I do make a moral judgment, but not in any kind of “my team is morally superior” way, because it always has been and always will be a source of discomfort for me that such indulgences are standard operating procedure everywhere, especially including my own alma mater ("special admits, not to be confused with NCAA “partial qualifiers”). Ok, there’s a third: I really don’t want to sound like a whining Georgia Tech fan (b-b-but Joe Hamilton had to take calculus!).
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