Urban Meyer Leaving Florida: This Time It's For Real And The Buzz Is Nationwide

Urban Meyer leaving Florida headlines lasted about a week this time last year.

Today, it's for real. There won't be a quick comeback, he's had it. He won't turn into Brett Favre and turn the University of Florida into a stage for some ridiculous drama to play itself out.

He quit a year ago after he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. He was supposed to come back and take it easy, delegate more, relax his grip on the program. As it turns out, that just isn't what Urban Meyer is about and it showed with Florida's 7-5 record this season, the worst of the Meyer era.

Meyer will coach the team's game in the Outback Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 1 against Penn State. It will be his swansong.

Meyer's resignation will crank up the rumor mill, the search will be instant.

When will the university begin its process to replace Meyer? "Immediately" is what ESPN analyst Lou Holtz predicted.

Last year's fire drill no doubt sent a message to Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who has probably already pulled his short list from his desk.

Possible candidates?

Foley's first call will most likely go to Mississippi State's Dan Mullen. There are reports circulating that Mullen turned down the Miami job but Florida is a different ball of wax.

Mullen was Meyer's offensive coordinator at Florida before taking the Mississippi State job. He was Meyer's quarterback coach at Utah. Mullen understands the demands of the job and could jump right into the recruiting battle.

Offense, or the lack of it, was also the main problem at Florida this season and Mullen could be the one to inject new energy there.

Louisville's Charlie Strong was Meyer's defensive coordinator and assistant head coach before taking the Louisville job last year. Strong did an outstanding job at Louisville, getting the Cardinals back to immediate respectability in the Big East conference.

Strong is on Foley's short list.

Bob Stoops' name will come up immediately. He's was defensive coordinator before Strong and his body of work at Oklahoma speaks for itself. But it might be a long shot trying to get Stoops away from Oklahoma, where the Sooners are the state's flagship program.

While the process plays itself out, other schools will be hard on the trail to lure recruits away from Gator Nation.

Florida State stands to prosper most from Meyer's resignation. The Seminoles thrashed Florida in the final game of the regular season with a swarm of recruits on the sideline for that game.

Jimbo Fisher will be tough for the next Florida coach to go against on the recruiting trail.

The balance of power in the SEC has shifted over the past few years from Florida, to Alabama and now to Auburn. The next Florida coach will have some work in front of him.

Meyer will be a tough act to follow. He won BCS national championships in 2006 and 2008.