Nick Saban Gives Oklahoma Important Information About Florida Gators

Yes, that is correct: Nick Saban has been on the phone with Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, helping the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the Florida Gators as they head to the BCS National Championship Game to be held in Miami on Jan. 8, 2009.

Bob Stoops said that he and Nick Saban are close friends, and that Saban having played Florida will be helpful in defeating Florida.

Stoops said it will be a situation where the familiarity they have with Florida will obviously work in our favor, we hope. It will give us a head start on our game-planning and what we plan on doing.

Now, if I were a Florida Gator fan I would certainly have a problem with Alabama's Nick Saban doing this... IF IT WERE TRUE!

Well, guess what, it is true. Only the one helping the other team is Urban Meyer and the one getting the help is Utah's Head Coach Kyle Whittingham. So it is not Nick Saban doing the dirty deed, it is Urban Meyer!

Utah is Alabama's opponent on Jan. 2, 2008 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Utah, currently undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the BCS standings needs no help.

Although some may want to downplay Utah as a BCS contender because of their schedule, they have wins over two Top-20 BCS teams, TCU and BYU. They also defeated a very good Oregon State team, something even USC couldn't accomplish.

Now, I might be wrong, but something rubs me wrong about a brother SEC Coach helping a team from another conference in their hopes of defeating a fellow SEC member.

Judging by the look on some of you Florida fans' faces as you read the first few lines of this article, I would bet you would have the same problem.

If the tables were turned and it was Alabama's Nick Saban sharing strategy and information with Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, then what would you have to say?

I am an Alabama fan first, but after that, my allegiances is to the SEC. I will be pulling for Florida to defeat Oklahoma for the BCS Championship, regardless of whether Urban Meyer feels the same about Alabama.

I became aware of this backstabbing while watching a Mountain West preview of the bowl games on The Mountain West Sports Channel Saturday night. While interviewing Kyle Whittenham, the question was asked, are you getting any help from Utah former coach Urban Meyer. The answer by Whittenham was given with a smile:

"We talk at least weekly throughout the course of the season, and it will be a situation where the familiarity they have with Alabama will obviously work to our favor, we hope. It will give us a head start on our game-planning and what we plan on doing. We share ideas all the time, so that's not new to us."

Only this time, Urban, it is a common opponent and a fellow SEC school to boot.

So now we know where we stand with Mister Meyer, his loyalty is to the Mountain West football Conference instead of his own Southeastern Conference.

I know Urban Meyer is not an SEC guy and his dream job is really Notre Dame, not Florida, but really, does this not seem petty?

Maybe this sort of thing goes on all the time, but under the table. Kyle Whittingham is bragging about it to the media and smiling the whole time. 

Even if Florida and Alabama were bitter rivals, this would still seem classless in my opinion.

I will stop short of calling Meyer a traitor to the conference, but I think some Alabama fans would certainly call him one.

I know one thing, after finding out that Urban Meyer is pulling for Utah, some Alabama fans may decide that the Oklahoma Sooners are the team that deserves their support on Jan. 8, 2009!

Well, you know what they say, all is fair in love and war, at least that is the way Urban Meyer sees it!

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?