Urban Meyer flips prediction on Miami vs. Florida to open 2024 college football season
Urban Meyer was high on Miami coming into Saturday, but flipped his prediction to the Florida Gators ahead of the matchup.
His former school is facing a big year in Gainesville. The Gators are home underdogs to the Hurricanes, but Meyer has a good feeling about Florida getting the win to open the season.
Meyer explained on Saturday’s FOX Big Noon Kickoff.
“This is inflection point time, because the loser of this game, this season can get away from them real fast, especially the Gators,” Meyer said. “How about the Florida Gators could possibly be underdogs in eight games? Billy Napier has lost 10 of 13 Power Five (games). But on the other side, you got Mario Cristobal. They’re struggling too. He’s only 12-13. Early in the week I picked Miami, but the more I think about it, everyone in Gainesville, and I’ve been there. I’m going Gators at 3:30.”
Fellow Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt clapped back a little at Meyer.
“I knew you were going Florida,” Klatt said. “There’s no way you were not going to do that, especially in the swamp. The home field advantage for Florida is going to be there.”
Slow starts are the big headline for Florida and Miami when it comes to Billy Napier and Mario Cristoabl. But it’ll pay off in the end in Gainesville, according to athletic director Scott Stricklin.
Meyer, of all people, knows what it’s like to win big with the Gators.
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“Billy is a man of substance, he’s a leader of substance,” Stricklin said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “He is very methodical, which probably, long-term, is going to be really good for Florida and for our football program because he’s not gonna cut a corner, he’s not gonna take a shortcut. He’s gonna [build] a really, really solid foundation. And he’s gonna get this thing going to be at the level that all Gators want it to be at, which is competing for championships, playing in meaningful postseason games. Once he gets it to that point, it’s gonna stay at that point.
“I see the steps he’s taken, the caliber of young people he’s brought in. He’s improved the roster, he’s improved the overall structure of the team. I think we have been patient as a university. That patience is gonna be rewarded. I really believe Billy Napier’s gonna be the head coach at Florida for a long, long time.”