‘Good Friends’ Saban, Meyer Talk Playoff Matchup

[Madsnooker]

Thought this was interesting dialogue

"One might think Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer were best friends listening to the Sugar Bowl teleconference on Sunday.

The No. 1 Crimson Tide (12-1) and the No. 4 Buckeyes (12-1) will face off in the semifinals of the inaugural College Football Playoff in New Orleans on Jan. 1, and of course the coaching matchup will be a hot topic of discussion leading up to the game.

Saban and Meyer met three times when the latter coached at Florida, with Saban owning a 2-1 record. (Below we have video of Meyer's comments at his OSU press conference this afternoon.)

Saban – who has led Alabama to three national championships (2009, 2011, ’12) during his tenure – began the teleconference by making an opening statement.

“Well, this is obviously a great opportunity and a real honor for our team to be able to come back to the Sugar Bowl and be part of the first-ever playoff system, playing against an outstanding, very traditional, great tradition program like Ohio State with a great coach like Urban Meyer,” Saban said. “So, this is a great opportunity for us. There’s a great history of Alabama and Sugar Bowls through the years – going all the way back to Coach (Bear) Bryant. We’ve been there several times and we’ve always enjoyed New Orleans and we certainly enjoy the hospitality that the people at the Sugar Bowl offer us.”

It didn’t take long for a reporter to ask Saban about his relationship with Meyer.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Urban,” Saban said. “We’ve done some things … some ESPN games and stuff together. I consider him a good friend. I certainly have a tremendous amount of personal respect for the kind of professional that he is and the kind of coach that he is and the kind of programs that he’s had and the great teams that he had at Florida.

“I know we haven’t had much of an opportunity to look at Ohio State yet, but we certainly have a tremendous amount of respect for what their team has accomplished this year and know that they’ll be a very, very well-coached team.”

Saban then talked about Ohio State third-year sophomore Cardale Jones and whether it’s difficult to prepare for a quarterback when there is limited film available for Alabama’s coaches to study.

“Well, obviously he played very, very well when he played,” Saban said. “I think that’s the key thing: that a guy has the capabilities to play well. (Alabama senior quarterback) Blake (Sims) started out the season when he hadn’t (started) any games and he certainly did a good job of playing and improving and becoming a great leader for his team, and making a lot of plays that got his team where they are.

“So, I’m not sure that we’re going to see (on film) everything that (Jones) is capable of doing, but we certainly have a lot of respect for the way he’s played when he has played.”
A reporter from the Chattanooga area – where Ohio State sophomore Vonn Bell is originally from – then asked about the recruiting battle the Buckeyes and Crimson Tide engaged in for Bell’s services. Bell, a safety, is tied for OSU’s team lead in interceptions with five.

“Well, we thought Vonn Bell was an outstanding player and certainly wanted him in our program and I think if he were in our program right now he’d be a very productive player for us,” Saban said.

The Alabama boss then talked about how often the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes compete with each other on the recruiting trail.

“We see Urban a lot in recruiting,” Saban said. “I know last year there were two or three players that we wanted that they got, and there was couple that they wanted that we got. I think if you have one of the top programs – and I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for the energy in recruiting that Urban and his staff and their organization has in trying to go after the best players. Identifying them and going after them.

“Obviously, they’ve done a great job of recruiting there and that’s why they have a very good team and that’s why they’re in this playoff. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the way they recruit.”

 

[Madsnooker]

Meyer Takes The Mic

Meyer – who captured a pair of national championships while at Florida – then gave his brief opening statement.

“We’re very honored to be a part of one of the great bowl games and one of the most-historic bowl games in college football,” he said. “I had the opportunity to be there before and we’re very honored to be able to represent the Big Ten Conference against a great team in Alabama.”

Meyer was asked right off the bat about his 1-2 mark against Saban from their days clashing in the SEC.

“Oh, I probably can’t remember my address or phone number, but I could probably tell you every play in those games,” he said. “The 2008 game was just one of the great games in college football history where two very-evenly-matched teams were going back and forth and obviously we scored right at the end to take a two score lead. The next year, that was one of the greatest teams I’ve ever coached against in Alabama. They handled us pretty good. (Mark) Ingram was the tailback and they dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides.

“So, (I have) a lot of respect for Alabama and their coaching staff.”

Meyer was then asked if he’s surprised he’s facing Alabama/Saban again so early in his OSU career.

“Well, I’m not surprised,” he said. “I think Ohio State is an elite program and obviously Alabama is as well. I still think we’re in the building stages. Obviously, we took over a team a couple years ago that had lost seven games (in 2011) and kind of built it up. We lost some good players last year and so this year we’re still a very young team.

“So, this year, I wasn’t sure. I thought it might be next year until we reached this, especially when we lost our quarterback. But I knew at some point that if you’re going to get to the top, you’re going to have to go through the top. And certainly Alabama the last few years has been at the top of college football.”

There’s that mutual admiration society again.

Oh, but it wasn’t over quite yet. Meyer was then asked point-blank about his personal relationship with Saban.

“It’s good,” Meyer said. “We used to always sit next to each other at the SEC meetings. We’ve actually known each other a long time. It’s very good. We worked together on the agents and those types of things in the past. So, very good relationship.

“The one thing I know is that we’ve committed our entire livelihood to college football and we both believe in players. Players are the most important part of this whole institution of college football. So, we’ve had many, many conversations about how do we keep the game … or do the best we can to make sure the game stays what it is and not something (that is bad for the sport).

“Because I remember we went after this whole … because both of our programs were dealing with just non-stop agents attacking your players. And I know he felt very strongly about it and so did I. So, that’s one of the few times I remember we both were involved with something. And I think we were on a committee about the whole discussion of payment of players and all that.

“So, ours is more about the conversation about the good of college football.”

Meyer then spoke about Bell emerging as a difference maker for the Buckeyes.

“Oh, he’s having a pretty good year,” Meyer said. “He’s our starting safety and he came in last year and was very instrumental on special teams and I probably should have pushed harder as far as getting him in the game more as a freshman. But he’s a very talented guy. Highly-recruited guy that really could have went anywhere. And to go down South … I think it came down to (Ohio State), Alabama and Tennessee, and he grew up a Vols fan. So, yeah, he’s a big part of who we are.”

More Meyer Musings

Meyer said he would likely be out all week on the recruiting trail. His players will be going through fall semester exams.

Between various media appearances and a press conference at OSU, here were more comments from Meyer on winning the Big Ten and reaching the College Football Playoff:

* On the last 24 hours – “It’s a great feeling. We got home at 4 o’clock in the morning. I went to sleep for about an hour-and-a-half and I couldn’t go to sleep. I called our athletic director (Gene Smith) and was like, ‘What do you hear? What do you know?’

“We’re honored to be a part of the first College Football Playoff.”

* On when they learned of their assignment – “Back in 2006 and 2008 (at Florida), you knew. They called us and you get your team together. In 2008, we knew we were in. In 2006, I was at my son’s baseball practice and got a call and you had a couple of hours to prepare.

“Today, we’re sitting in our living room and we had some friends over. Gene was with us. They popped our name up there fast. Nobody knew it before it popped up on the screen.

“Everybody went nuts at the house. I hugged my daughter and my wife. There was a lot of yelling and we even had a quick toast at the house.”

* On being a year ahead of schedule – “We’re a young program. If you had told me this back in August, I would have said not yet. Maybe next year. We are so young. We have seven freshmen playing.”

* On Cardale Jones’ performance – “He was unbelievable. We put together a really good plan. We wanted to get the ball out to the sideline and get the ball out of his hand and get some energy and some confidence. Boy, did he play well? He didn’t play perfect. There were a couple mistakes early in the game … but he rebounded fast. He did excellent work in a loud and noisy environment.

“We knew he could throw the ball, but that is just a small percentage of playing quarterback.”

* On Alabama – “To me, it’s typical Alabama defense. The different area is on offense. It looks like they are spreading it out and throwing it around a little more. This kid (WR Amari) Cooper is as good as I’ve ever seen. We know what we are going to get. We are going to get great special teams, excellent defense and now not just a terrific run game but a balanced offense.”

* On Jones’ emergence – “I was a little surprised. We all know the infamous stuff when he first got here. He went to prep school. He never really knew how to strain in the weight room. He went through some really hard times. Without Ted Ginn’s support and his support group of people … they were awesome and it was all good. Every conversation was for the good.”

The Players’ Take

Here were comments from CB Doran Grant and LB Curtis Grant after the match-up with Alabama was announced:

* Doran Grant on making the playoff – “I think it’s awesome, especially being in the top four. This is the first time it’s happened in college football history. This game will be exciting and hard fought with two great coaches and great teams going head to head.”

* Doran Grant on carrying over the momentum from the Big Ten title game – “I think we can do that. We all had that look in each others’ eyes that we were going to do something good. I can’t say I knew that we would shut them out, but I knew it was going to be something good.

“This was my number one (victory). I’ve been here four years and this is my first Big Ten championship. The next step is Alabama.”

* Doran Grant on Alabama WR Amari Cooper – “I always look forward to a good match-up as a competitor. He is a great wide receiver. I’m not sure what we’re going to do. It’s just an exciting match-up all around.”

* Curtis Grant on how the Buckeyes battled back after the Virginia Tech loss – “I didn’t know (we could do this). I just knew we were going to get better. We bought in to what Coach Meyer was telling us. We stuck together. We believe in him and he believes in us. We just kept getting better. That loss, you’re glad it happened because it made the team closer and hungrier.”

* Curtis Grant on how the defense slammed the door on Wisconsin – “We just executed. We played very unselfish. Everybody did their job responsibility and we went out and played the game. I watched the first half again and everybody just looked super fast on film. Just to go out and make a statement like that, it gives you more confidence. If you can do it one week, why not continue it.”

* Curtis Grant on what he thinks when he thinks about Alabama – “Powerhouse team. They are going to come in and run the ball down your throat. You just have to bow up.”

 

[SpotandStalk]

Not much locker room material in those interviews.

 

[RipperIII]

Not much locker room material in those interviews.

...well coached...

 

[MudDucker]

kissy kissy

 

[Madsnooker]

Not much locker room material in those interviews.

That's what I thought.

Both very professional. Not sure how much they like each other but I think they do respect each other.

 

[BobSacamano]

You're not gonna hear too much foolish fodder from those 2 guys. I'd say 2 of the most driven, intense coaches in the game. It's reflected in their winning percentages wherever they've been.