Urban Meyer’s interaction with Alabama head coach Nick Saban began long before their head-to-head matchups on the field. It actually started with a phone call.
Meyer was coaching linebackers at Illinois State when he was given Saban’s phone number which he called to see if he could get a job on Saban’s staff at Toledo. The rest of the details were foggy to Meyer, but he does remember one thing.
“They didn’t hire me; I know that,” Meyer said with a smirk.
Saban’s recollection of the story brought back one main memory. His wife did her best to convince Saban to hire Meyer.
“His wife is great,” Meyer quipped. “I’m a big fan of her.”
INJURY REPORT: Meyer said that running back Emmanuel Moody is “good” for Saturday’s game, and he confirmed that nothing has changed with AJ Jones’ status, and he will miss the game on Saturday.
Jermaine Cunningham’s shoulder is still not 100 percent, but Meyer credited his toughness for allowing him to play.
STRONG POSSIBILITIES: As schools across the country begin to make decisions about their head coaches, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong’s name continues to be brought up.
The latest buzz involves the possibility of Louisville showing strong interest in Strong after they fired head coach Steve Kragthorpe.
Meyer said he has not spoken with Strong about the possibilities of these jobs, but they will talk about it when the appropriate time comes.
“I don’t have a lot of thought about it, but we’ve lost five coaches here in two years,” Meyer said. “Charlie’s not only a great coach but one of my great friends. He’s a great guy. The one thing about him is he’s very professional. There’s been zero discussion about that, but at the appropriate time, we will.”
MEMORIES OF THE PAST: There is a noticeable excitement in Meyer’s tone when he talks about the atmosphere that this Saturday’s game will have. Most of the reason he has pleasant memories of the SEC Championship Game is because he is 2-0 in his time at Florida, but last year’s game will always stick out in his mind.
It’s one of the best games he has ever been around. And it wouldn’t surprise him to see something similar on Saturday afternoon.
“There aren’t a whole lot of ‘rah-rahs’ now,” Meyer said. “It’s just a matter of you’re playing a borderline great team. This is going to be a great college football game, just like last year. Being able to watch the film on last year, that was one of the finest college football games I’ve ever (been a part of). Obviously we won it so I feel a little better about it. You’re talking about two teams playing extremely hard. That’s the way it was last year and that’s the way it will be Saturday.”
ALABAMA OFFENSE: Quarterback Greg McElroy struggled at the beginning of the season, but he has turned his year around in the past few games. His improved play makes them even more dangerous with playmakers like Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson in the backfield.
The run game is well documented. It’s the passing game that also has Meyer anxious.
“They struggled earlier in the pass game,” Meyer said. “They’re throwing the ball effectively right now. They won that game against Auburn by throwing the ball in the second half. They’re a very good screen team. It’s not just Julio (Jones), though. That No. 4 (Marquis Maze) is a hell of a player. The quarterback has been throwing the ball a lot better than he was earlier in the year.”