It was December 1989 and Nick Saban, who had just been hired for his first head-coaching job at Toledo, was scrambling with everything from recruiting to putting together his first staff.
Only Saban wasn’t back in Ohio yet, where he had attended Kent State and been an assistant coach at Ohio State (1980-81). He was still in Houston with the NFL’s Oilers, trying to finish the season while preparing for the move, when a young promising coach called his home number to inquire about any openings.
“Terry really interviewed him,” Saban recalled a few years ago about the linebackers coach from Illinois State. “She told me when I came home that night. She said this really interesting guy called and really sounded like a top-notch, bright, articulate … You really need to talk to this guy.”
Saban didn’t. It was one of the things that slipped through the cracks during the chaotic transition, and now we can only wonder what might have been because the guy turned out to be Urban Meyer. Instead, when Earle Bruce got the head-coaching job at Colorado State he hired Meyer as his wide receivers coach and Saban was left with a what-if story that he could joke about a couple of decades later.
“That was obviously one of the biggest mistakes I ever made,” Saban said the last time he opposed Meyer on a football field.
That was four years ago in 2010, and even though a lot has obviously happened since then, including the University of Alabama winning back-to-back BCS crowns, they’re still the only two active coaches with more than one national championship.
Consequently, they’re already considered the marquee matchup when Alabama faces Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
“Well you know I have a tremendous amount of respect for Urban, and we’ve done some ESPN games and other things together,” Saban said Sunday. “I consider him a good friend and certainly have a lot of tremendous amount of personal respect for the kind of professional that he is, the kind of coach that he is, the kind of programs that he’s had, and the great teams he had at Florida.”
Although this is the first year of the College Football Playoff, this will be the third time they’ll meet with a berth into the title game on the line. In 2008 and 2009 the Southeastern Conference’s championship was essentially a national semifinal, and both lived up to the billing.
With reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, Florida rallied for a 31-20 victory in 2008, but a year later Alabama’s 32-13 victory helped Mark Ingram win the award.
“I probably can’t remember my address or my phone number, but I could tell you every play in those games,” Meyer said. “The 2008 game was just one of the great games in college football history in my opinion, where very evenly matched teams were going back-and-fourth, back-and-forth, and obviously we scored right at the end to take a two-score lead.
“The second year that was one of the best teams I’ve ever coached against, Alabama, and they handled us pretty good. Ingram was the tailback and they dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides. So I have a lot of respect for Alabama and the coaching staff.”
Had Florida won the 2009 game it could have laid claim to having a dynasty and who knows where Meyer might be today. Instead, with Tebow’s last gasp being intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Javier Arenas, Alabama began its incredible run that’s still ongoing.
”He’s a great player,” receiver Julio Jones said at the time about Tebow, ”but man, we’re tired of him.”
Although a great rivalry appeared to be brewing between the coaches, their regular-season rematch in 2010 turned out to be a dud as Alabama easily won at home, 31-6. It was the first of three-straight losses for Florida, and after a lackluster 8-4 season Meyer shocked everyone by announcing that he was stepping away from coaching due to health concerns and to spend more time with his family.
Only now here we are again, with Meyer leading a young team that he initially thought was probably a year away from being in the playoffs, and he’ll have to go with a third-string quarterback. Granted, it worked out against Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game, a 59-0 rout, but the Buckeyes haven’t played anywhere near the schedule as the No. 1 Crimson Tide this season.
Ohio State can claim regular-season victories at No. 8 Michigan State (49-37), and at No 25 Minnesota (31-24), but lost at home to Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, since its defeat at No. 11 Ole Miss on Oct. 4, Alabama’s won five straight against ranked opponents: No. 21 Texas A&M, at No. 16 LSU, No. 1 Mississippi State, No. 15 Auburn, and vs. No. 16 Missouri.
“All these teams are conference champions, which means they kind of earned their way,” Saban said about the playoffs. “I think the more good teams you played, obviously, the more your players know how to prepare for good opponents.
“We know we’re going to see a really good Ohio State team in this playoff game.”
And a familiar face, the guy Saban’s wife still gives him grief about not calling back 25 years ago, who will get a chance to dethrone the person who knocked him off the hill in 2009.
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
