GAINESVILLE
— He is not coaching in the game and might not even attend it, but
the biggest storyline of the upcoming Gator Bowl will center on
former Gators coach Urban Meyer.
Florida
found out Sunday it will play in the Gator Bowl against Meyer's new
school, Ohio State. Both teams are 6-6 and unranked, but the programs
are two of the most prominent in the country. They will face each
other Jan. 2 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville for a rematch of the
2007 BCS National Championship Game.
"As
we looked at the teams on the board, we really felt that Ohio State
and Florida gave us the best opportunity for a great match-up,"
Gator Bowl chairman Greg Smith said. "There will be a lot of
national interest."
Instead
of Meyer, who was hired last week, Luke Fickell will coach Ohio
State. The school named him the interim coach when Jim Tressel
resigned in May. Considering the controversy and scandal the Buckeyes
have endured, playing against Meyer's former team will not stress
Fickell.
But
it might be uncomfortable for Meyer.
"I
would imagine there's where a little more of the anxiety is,"
Fickell said. "We've been through a lot this year. For our young
men and our coaches, we've got a little more clarity on moving
forward. For coach, I imagine it's going to be a little bit harder.
"Not
that he'll be there or anything like that, but it's just another
situation with the matchup where I'm sure there's a ton of people in
Florida that he loves and respects, as well as his players that he
loves and respects. I think there might be a little more anxiety
there than with the rest of us."
Meyer
coached the Gators from 2005 through '10 and won two national
championships. He left Florida at the end of last season because of
health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family.
