Paul Finebaun right about Nick Saban and Urban Meyer

It is a foregone conclusion that in a few months Nick Saban will be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. On the same ballot is former Florida and Ohio State coach, Urban Meyer.

In 17 head coaching seasons, Meyer's teams at Bowling Green, Uath, Florida, and Ohio State won a combined 85.4% of their games. Meyer's 2006 and 2008 Florida teams won BCS National Championships. His 2014 Ohio State team won the CFB Playoff National Championship. Those achievements are unquestionably Hall of Fame worthy. Meyer was also named the 2004 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (COTY).

Nick Saban's college coaching career far exceeded Meyer with seven National Championships. Saban was twice a Walter Camp COTY; twice Eddie Robinson COTY; twice Paul Bryant COTY, and twice the AP COTY.

Ohio State and Florida fans can argue that Meyer's on-field success is comparable to Nick Saban. A more reasoned assessment is that no coach is comparable to Nick Saban, but Meyer's record is substantial.

Step back from wins and losses and the two men are in no way similar.

Never one to avoid controversy, Paul Finebaum made a strong statement about the two coaches. "One coach has won seven national championships and has been exemplary in everything that he’s done and stood for. He’s been someone who is a beacon for integrity." Finebaum was of course talking about Nick Saban.

Finebaum's opinion of Urban Meyer was blunt, "... it’s embarrassing for him to even be mentioned in the same sentence as Nick Saban." Finebaum described Meyer as "basically the worst of everything imaginable ... He has lied. He has misled."

Was Finebaum just chasing attention? Or was he speaking unvarnished truth? Perhaps he was doing both. Urban Meyer has had many critics over the years, primarily from his stint at Florida. Phil Musnick recently wrote "According to the New York Times, 41 players from that team (2008 Florida National Champions) — 41! — were arrested, as that’s what it took for Meyer to succeed then be paid even more millions." 

Musnick added that when Meyer left Ohio State, he was teaching a "course titled Leadership and Character." Paul Finebaum and many Alabama football fans might add that Meyer was well-suited for that course - if he was, from his own experience, teaching students what to not do.