That is if it’s 1996.
You gotta love this. The self proclaimed “Official Website of Gator Football Head Coach Urban Meyer” has a page dedicated to Florida’s one and only national championship win.
For those of you who don’t remember, Coach Meyer’s “official” site provides this brief refresher:
“…the Florida Gators capped off the greatest season in school history with a rousing 52-20 victory over number one ranked Florida State in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 2, 1997 to claim the consensus 1996 national championship.”
Hmm…wait a minute. They beat number one ranked Florida State?! But didn’t they play Florida State during the regular season???
Oh…wait…there it is, I had to read down a little further on the Coach’s “official” page:
“They [Florida Gators] held that spot [#1] until the last regular season game of the year when they suffered a 24-21 setback to number-two ranked Florida State in Tallahassee and fell to a fourth place ranking in the national polls. Fate, however, would bring these two state rivals back together six weeks later in New Orleans.”
Oh yeah, I remember, Florida traveled to one of their biggest rivalries, ranked number two at the time, and lost by three points in a hostile environment ending their regular season. They then got a REMATCH and beat Florida State in the Sugar Bowl (pre-BCS).*
Unfortunately, Coach Meyer wasn’t around to give his opinion on a rematch. Gainsville.com, however, is there to report Meyer’s current feelings on a rematch (I took the liberty of replacing Ohio State with Florida State and Michigan with Florida Gators for you)
“A rematch would be unfair to Ohio State(Florida State) and it would be unfair to the country,” Meyer said. “I just don’t believe that’s the thing to do. How do you tell Ohio State(Florida State) they have to go beat the same team twice? (Michigan (Florida Gators)) had their chance.”
Isn’t hypocrisy a beautiful thing?
*Ohio State beat number two Arizona State in the Rose Bowl, since known as “The best two minutes in Rose Bowl History”) to make the next day’s Sugar Bowl the national title game…
…you’ll have to give me a minute…I’m a little fleclempt…talk amongst yourselves…I’ll give you a topic…Joe Germain.
