Meyer versus Spurrier
We know you were thinking about it.
We know you suspect the answer, but may not want to face it.
We at Saurian Sagacity have no fear, so we are here to tell you the facts.
After two years, Spurrier versus Meyer – how do they stack up?
First of all, let us caution about comparing coaches of different eras. It was easier to win the SEC in 1990 than it is in 2006, as in 1990 one only had to play 7 SEC games, and no SEC Championship game.
First of all, the résumés –
Spurrier – 1990-1991
19-4 record (82.6%)
One “unofficial” SEC Title
One official SEC Title
1990 AP Ranking – 13th
1991 AP Ranking – 7th
Victories over final AP ranked teams –
1990 – Auburn (19th)
1991 – FSU (4th), Alabama (5th), Tennessee (15th), Georgia (17th)
Bowl Record 0-1 (lost to Notre Dame 39-28)
Meyer – 2005-2006
22-4 record (84.6%)
One SEC title
One BCS title
2005 AP Ranking – 12th
2006 AP Ranking – 1st
Victories over final AP ranked teams –
2005 – Georgia (10th), FSU (23rd)
2006 – Ohio State (2nd), LSU (3rd), Arkansas (15th), Georgia (23rd), Tennessee (25th)
Bowl Record 2-0 (over Iowa 31-24, over Ohio State 41-14)
Now, Meyer has a way to go to reach Spurrier’s 6 SEC titles and overall winning record.
But for the first two years, the Visor has been eclipsed.
Mentioned in Austin Murphy's book 
12 comments:
You are correct, you can't compare eras. In fact I would argue that the reason Meyer wanted to come to UF was because Florida was an underachieving program under Zook. It was underachieving based on the previous performance by Spurrier's teams. In other words the Swamp is the house that Steve built and if there had never been Steve Spurrier, I doubt we'd have Urban Meyer.
Besides the arms race is college football is much bigger today than in 1990.
Indeed Meyer has eclipsed SOS in his first two years at Florida, and I for one hope this is only the beginning.
I'd love to see Meyer become the winningest coach in FLorida football history, with more SEC titles and perhaps even more NC titles.
Meyer came to UF for all the right reasons, and I hope he's found a permanent home here. Should he bring in his second top-5 recruiting class come National Signing Day on 2/7, Machen/Foley BETTER give him a contract extension and raise!
I'm just tired of all these Yankees coming down here like Meyer and running our programs like we don't have any balls to coach are own men. Now we got another Ohio boy Nick Saban at Bama, when does this northren invasion end?
The Civil War ended in the 1800's, get over it and enjoy SEC football!
The author of this blog started with the Yankee carpetbagging stuff in regards to the Crimson Tide talkin with Nick Saban on a January 3rd post to this thread. Guess it got me thinkin bout why we have to have this Ohioan, Urban Meyer coachin our boys. If you grew up down here maybe you could appreciate and understand this Florida victory is a bit of a hollow one for some of us older folk. It's about southern pride son, enjoying the SEC without it being all about these northerners.
He was joking about Saban's coaching background because he was going to Alabama, where I guess many people think like you. For the record Saban is from West Virginia.
I don't care that Meyer is from Ohio just like I don't care that Spurrier was raise in Tennessee.
The SEC is about winning.
We have a clever troll amongst us!
As Henry pointed out, I was joking. While Alabama has long been concerned about hiring an "Alabama man", Florida has never much cared.
Because, as you see, most folks in Florida are - ready for this - not from Florida!
I myself am from Ohio, just like Urban Meyer. Had I been not as fortunate to have moved when I was young, and got to attend the University of Florida, I shudder to think that I too might be among the downtrodden of the Buckeye nation right now.
Ohio - where winners come from, but don't stay.
Saban spent about 20 years in Ohio so that makes him a Yankee. Spurrier now there's a southern man I was very proud of to coach our boys. I used to love watching him get all red in the face over this and that all fired up, hard to watch him at SC but glad he stayed close.
Spurrier took over a program that was on probation. Meyer did not. So comparing the first two seasons is rather silly.
Still, Spurrier won the SEC his first two years. Meyer did not.
And one more thing. Spurrier won the SEC 7 times, not 6. Yes, the first title, the first year, was stripped, denied, whatever, but he still won it. It says so on the stadium.
Anonymous,
Both Mergz and myself are Spurrier fans. We are not saying one is better than the other. Spurrier took over duting a different era and comparing the two can not take place in a vacuum. That said it still shows that what Meyer has done is an incredible accomplishment.
As for the 1990 SEC Championship, I agree Florida was the best. I saw that team first hand as a student but they did not win the title, it wasn't "stripped" like the 1984 title. And the stadium doesn't claim a championship for that year, it says "Best Record in the SEC 1984, 1985, 1990".
I wrote "stripped, denied, whatever." Florida having had the best record in the SEC in 1990, the 1990 title certainly was denied.
Anyhow, my only point was that Spurrier - despite probation - had the best record in the SEC his first two years, something Meyer did not do. A comparison of the two coaches' records the first two years cannot fairly omit that fact, whether we call it "win" or "title" or "best record."
Point taken and it is now on the record.
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