The Loss of Urban Meyer Affects Not Just Florida, But the Whole Nation

As 2009 nears it's conclusion, we look back at this season as one with drama, hype, and a great deal of expectations.

The past month has been taken over by the NFL, college football, and the scandal of Tiger Woods.

Yet, we have not seen such a surprising, and yet disappointing, end of a decade, and a short tenure at the University Of Florida, with the resignation of Urban Meyer.

A few hours ago, I was doing what every sport fan was doing: watching the few entertaining bowl games, and even basketball for a change (can't believe I watched the New Jersey Nets for a whole hour).

And then on the bottom of my television scree, in bright red letters, the news of Meyer's resignation broke. At first, I didn't know what to think. I walked out of my office and told my parents, who enjoy watching college football, what news broke.

The resignation comes after a great deal of health concerns, including multiple stints to the hospital after Florida's loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

In five years at Florida, along with his years at Bowling Green and Utah, Meyer dominated the era. He has two national titles to his name, three BCS bowl wins (two with Florida, one with Utah).

Meyer was the best recruiter in the nation, and showed his true colors at Florida with the athletes that he has brought in, Percy Harvin to name one. He brought in one Heisman winner, and what the stats tell us as the greatest college football player of all time in Tim Tebow.

Whether you realize it or not, Meyer also gave us the BCS busters with the top teams of all the mid major conferences vying for an at large BCS birth. His win over Pittsburgh as Utah's coach not only expanded the BCS, but helped build up the program after his departure, as they look to be a threat on the national scene for time to come.

It was surely a disappointing day for him, along with shock of many high school parents across the country. The early opinions of the top classes had Florida on the top of the list once again, go figure.

Meyer leaves a program at it's highest level, especially with the recent number one recruiting classes which shall keep it at a top level for the next few years.

Whoever is the next man to fill Meyer's shoes, whether if it is the likes of Boise State's Chris Peterson, TCU's Gary Patterson, or even Bob Stoops, will have big shoes to fill.

It is unknown as to whether or not Urban Meyer will be back on the sidelines years from now. I can assure you at least a two year break from Meyer, even though he will miss the game very much.

However, my gut tells me he will be back in college football, and it will make the sport better.

Call me what you want, but even though I don't have as many answers as I do at the professional level, it's obvious what impact he has made on the sport.

Surely the take will be as to what Florida has lost, who will once again have to find a new coach unexpectedly. But there is already mixed reaction from around the nation for certain. The SEC, along with the state of Florida, just begins rising in stock.

As if either of them needed an extra boost, right?

Time will tell if the sport sees any affects from an unexpected end of the Urban Meyer era in Gainesville.

Hopefully we see this man return to the game in a headset, and take the college football world to a whole new level in the new decade.

Matt Miselis is a writer for BleacherReport.com and FanHuddle.com.