Orlando Sentinel HOOVER, Ala. -- How much does current Florida Gators football coach Will Muschamp dislike former Gators coach Urban Meyer?
Well, let's put it like this: He dislikes him so much, Muschamp wouldn't even mention Meyer or Ohio State by name before taking the podium at the Southeastern Conference Media Days here Tuesday. When asked about recent reports that Meyer and the Buckeyes had reported the Gators to the NCAA for a ticky-tack secondary recruiting violation that turned out to be unfounded, Muschamp replied sarcastically: "We appreciate our friends from Ohio making sure we are compliant with NCAA rules. They certainly know a little bit about NCAA rules." When I asked him if it's a bit strange that Meyer won two national titles at Florida and now has stooped to turning in the Gators for nonviolations, Muschamp replied: "Big Ten Media Days are next week. Ask him." It's become quite clear Muschamp isn't buying Meyer's denial about turning in the Gators. According to sources at UF, Meyer tattled to the Big Ten and the NCAA, claiming UF assistant coach Brian White committed a secondary "bump" violation (making accidental contact with a recruit during a noncontact period) regarding Curtis Samuel — a stud running back from Erasmus Hall High in New York City. Samuel, who was also being recruited at Ohio State, then dropped UF from consideration. The NCAA looked into Ohio State's allegation and found it unwarranted. As it turns out, this is the second time in the last year Meyer's Buckeyes have reported Muschamp's Gators for a nonviolation. Meyer told The Gainesville Sun that it was "absolutely untrue" that he personally turned in Florida. An Ohio State spokesperson then told The Columbus Dispatch that it wasn't Meyer but someone else in the OSU athletic department who turned in the Gators. "It's really a dead issue," Muschamp said. "In both situations we were turned in by Ohio, the University of Florida didn't do anything wrong." See what I mean? Muschamp dislikes the Buckeyes so much that he has torn a page from Michigan coach Brady Hoke's playbook and now refers to them as "Ohio" instead of Ohio State. Isn't it equally telling that Muschamp clearly took a shot at Meyer's arrest-laden tenure at UF when asked how much responsibility coaches bear for the behavior of their players. "You're 100 percent responsible for every student-athlete on your football team," Muschamp said. "I can't possibly know everything that happens every single night with our football team. You also can't stick your head in the sand and pretend everything is OK either." Make no mistake about it, there's no coach Muschamp and Gator fans would love to beat more than Meyer. The only reason Ohio State hasn't replaced Florida State as Florida's biggest rival is because the Gators don't play the Buckeyes every year. It's both unbelievable and unfortunate that Meyer has gone from the coach who won two national titles with the Gators to the coach who is public enemy No. 1 among Gator fans. Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley told me the story recently about a Gator Club gathering he attended in which one of the raffle items was an autographed picture of Meyer. When the photograph was displayed to the crowd, it was lustily booed. Juxtapose Meyer with Gator coaching legend Steve Spurrier, who now coaches at SEC East rival South Carolina. If Spurrier's Gamecocks were playing Southern Cal for the national title, I believe Gator Nation would vociferously root for Spurrier. Likewise, if Meyer's Buckeyes were playing hated UF rival Georgia for the national title, I believe most Gator fans would privately be pulling for the Bulldogs. Then again, do you think Spurrier would ever turn in the Gators for a minor, inadvertent bump violation? "Probably not for that," Spurrier said. That's because Spurrier still considers himself a Gator. Sadly, Meyer, in the eyes of many UF fans, is now considered a traitor. [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BianchiWrites. Listen to his radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740 AM. Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker Bob Parks, LLC 1517 Hunt Club Blvd Gallatin TN 37066 615-972-4239 615-826-4040 Sent from my iPhone -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
