Urban Myth?

This will be the shortest post so far and deservedly so. Why in the world did Urban Meyer feel the need to come out and resign, then take a leave of absence and now he feels that he will be coaching the Gators in the first game of the year on September 4th in 2010. Did Urban need attention? What caused this publicity charade at the Sugar Bowl press conference? Did Florida feel like it needed attention after being smoked in the SEC Championship? Is Urban having an affair? Was this a knee-jerk reaction to something we don't know about? Are he and Tebow going to retire from sports and become missionaries? Are he and Tebow going to try and go to the NFL together? Did Urban realize that Florida won't be the same once the golden child is drafted? I honestly don't know...and really just don't care. It is so hard for a coach to just walk away like Meyer attempted to do. I don't know his exact plan or scheme (and nothing was said to indicate in any direction what will happen in 2010) but Urban Meyer will be coaching in 2010...mark it down. And should he decide to continue coaching next season, his biggest challenge won't be his family and health, but the recruiting trail that he will have to navigate after this fiasco.

Gators Losing Dynasty Pieces

On an unsuspecting and calm Saturday evening the day after Christmas, Urban Meyer, could have possibly destroyed the holiday season for the Florida Gator nation while saving his life and family at the same time. The forty-five year old Gator coach decided after five successful seasons, two national championships, two SEC championships and a heisman trophy winner, to step down as head coach at the University of Florida.

Plenty of speculation is already circling as to why this decision was made and if there are reasons hidden behind the ones given (health, family, priorities). Meyer is going to remain at Florida in some capacity that will be determined at a later date. However, the biggest question now is "Who is going to take over this elite program?" Of course the immediate list that comes to mind is Bob Stoops, Dan Mullen and (in my opinion) Jon Gruden will get a call. Charlie Strong has to be pretty upset right now because one would think that had he not taken the Louisville job a couple of weeks ago, that he would be the front runner for the position. Not that he would get to be the next coach, but he would have definitely served his time to be first in line for an interview.

Some would call those three coaches above a dream list, but let's face it…the Gators will land one of those three if that's who they want. Stoops could use a change of scenery after this season at OU, Mullen leaving State for UF is a no brainer and Gruden would just have to decide if he wants to get back into coaching and if college is for him. Either way, the next couple of weeks will be very interesting in the sunshine state, and they better grab someone solid and fast for recruiting sake. But with Jeremy Foley's track record…that shouldn't be a problem. Oh yea…and with the Sugar Bowl being Meyer's last game to go along with Tebow and the two-deep defense…good luck Cincinnati.

Strike a Pose Mr. Ingram

In the closest and possibly most debatable Heisman trophy race in college football history, Mark Ingram gave the University of Alabama its first ever winner by just a mere 28 points over Toby Gerhart of Stanford. Of course there are many arguments as to why McCoy, Gerhart, or even Suh could/should have won the award. But did anyone really seperate themselves from the pack to the point that Ingram didn't deserve it? I understand Gerhart had more yards and TDs but something also has to be said about playing in the SEC and sharing the carries with Trent Richardson who could start for most teams.

The couple of problems I have with the Heisman trophy are: 1) so much is based on what you have done late in the season (except for C.J. Spiller) and 2) how can Gerhart win the Doak Walker award but not the Heisman? Same thing happened last year with Tebow winning the Maxwell but not the Heisman. I understand there are different voters for each award but the consistency does not add up. The argument can run in circles for hours and no one will agree on any one player because there will always be bias in everyone's argument (for the most part).

Personally, I am happy for Ingram and his victory. However, it was just a mere feather in Alabama's large cap that has everyone craving one thing, and one thing only...a national championship. Think about the year (and year before Bama has had). The Tide has won 26 of 28 games, back to back undefeated regular seasons, 32-8 with Nick Saban, the program's 22nd SEC championship, six all-americans, SEC offensive player, defensive player and coach of the year, a trip to another bowl, a chance to win its 13th national championship & now a Heisman trophy (first one ever for Alabama). It's the perfect season for any university in the country. But a loss to Texas in Pasadena and the crimson nation will consider 2009 nothing but a failure along with a pretty sour start to 2010.

The speech was amazing. Look at Mark Ingram who is a true sophomore with his father in jail and playing football 14 hours away from home. His emotion, passion, nervousness, innocence, humbleness, pride and joy all wrapped up in a three minute speech in front of a national audience in the country's largest city was possibly the best Heisman speech ever made (off the cuff no less). It's something Alabama can be proud of, yet Ingram just added pressure to his upcoming performance on January 7th when Texas will look to spoil his award and Bama's year.

Bama Returning to where Tradition Started

"Remember the Rose Bowl, we'll win then!"

The aforementioned line is an excerpt from the Crimson Tide's fight song which (believe this or not) is very well recognized across the country and is included because of Alabama's early tradition in Pasadena. It all began in 1925, when Alabama made the cross country trip with head coach Wallace Wade to play the heavily favored Washington Huskies. Bama won in come from behind fashion, 20-19, to capture the school's first of twelve national championships and shock many fans and media around the country. The Tide would make frequent trips to Pasadena and ended up making the most of their appearances by going 4-1-1 in games. Soon after, the Rose Bowl became more of a traditional matchup between the Pac-10 and Big 10, leaving SEC teams out of the equation.

A win in this year's Rose Bowl (technically BCS Championship game as the Rose Bowl is just the stadium venue) would do a few things for the Crimson Tide. It would clinch Bama's thirteenth national championship, put them back on the map as a dominant power in college football, prove to everyone that Nick Saban is well worth his $4 million dollar salary and give Tide fans a chance to be on top for the first time since 1992. The tradition in Tuscaloosa is second to none when it comes to college football. Fans gather and support through the good and the bad and love to recall the days of Bear Bryant when the program was constantly in the top five in the nation. The numerous traditions include but are not limited to tailgating on The Quad, RV parking and tailgating, the Walk of Champions, wearing houndstooth hats, the Elephant Stomp and more.

Tide fans are also well known for their travel abilities. The love for the men in crimson runs throughout the entire state. Good examples are from the years 2000 and 2002. Alabama had three games in those two seasons that required strenuous travel. The Tide visited the Rose Bowl for a season opening matchup against UCLA. With Bama as a preseason SEC favorite and ranked #3, the fan base brought 35,000 people all the way to Southern California. In 2002, Dennis Franchione took his team to Norman and Honolulu for games against Oklahoma an Hawaii. In the early season game against OU, Bama brought more RVs than the campus could hold and 5,000 more fans than any common Big 12 rival that visits Oklahoma. For the Hawai'i matchup, the crimson faithful came in masses for what was considered a consolation bowl experience because of the NCAA probation. Approximately 15,000 made the trip and witnessed a 21-16 victory.

At the end of 2006, Alabama football was in trouble. Mike Shula had just failed in his four years at The Capstone and the university was about to have to hire a fifth coach since the hiring of Dubose in 1997. The program had been irrelevant in national title discussions and even SEC title talk every year with the exception of one or two. The team and university needed someone to save the program before setting it back even farther behind elite competition. With the hiring of Nick Saban, the Tide landed the biggest coaching splash in quite some time with a man who could one day be looked at as admirably as Bear Bryant. In three short years, Nick Saban is 32-8 at Alabama, has recorded back to back undefeated regular seasons, won an SEC Championship and is now playing to be the first coach ever to win two national titles at two different universities. Bryant helped build Alabama to a power, Stallings maintained that power and now Saban has the program on the verge of resurrection. Bama has never beaten Texas (0-7-1) but will get a shot on January 7th. From 1925 to 2009, traditions have been made, coaches and players have become legends, fans have become obsessively involved and most importantly...championships have been won. It can all come full circle very soon as Alabama meets Texas at the Rose Bowl for the crystal ball and championship number thirteen. A win would mark a new chapter in the storied history of Alabama football...and bring that dead verse from the fight song back to full life.

January 7th - Pasadena, CA 8:00pm EST

#1 Alabama v. #2 Texas (BCS National Championship @ The Rose Bowl)