It never takes long for pundits and fans alike to begin looking toward next year once the college football season ends. Once Alabama hoisted the Coaches’ Trophy for its third BCS championship in four years, the conversation immediately turned to whether the Tide can win three consecutive titles in a row.
The early favorite to challenge Nick Saban‘s program? Ohio State. The Buckeyes went 12-0 this season, but because of a one-year postseason ban, did not go bowling. That won’t be a problem for Urban Meyer in 2013, but he doesn’t want to talk about national championships one year away.
“For me to say we have to get there next year, that’s like talking about how we have to go fly to the moon,” Meyer said on Friday. “We’re nowhere near having that conversation.
“We had a good season and there’s a lot of conversation about things that shouldn’t be discussed, because it’s not true... we get a lot better, like a LOT better.”
It’s standard coachspeak, but Meyer is going to have to answer similar questions all offseason and potentially through the season. That distraction will test Meyer’s ability to motivate his team. The first-year coach had to find a way to motivate his group to win 12 games this past season with no bowl game at the end. Now, he has to keep his team playing with an edge even with all the hype surrounding the program again.
(Quotes courtesy of Cleveland Plain Dealer)