Dec. 31--NEW ORLEANS -- When a reporter asked Urban Meyer on Tuesday about the time he called Nick Saban's wife, the Ohio State coach was taken aback.
"That didn't sound right," Meyer said.
OK, a little context. After all, it was 25 years ago.
Saban had just left the Oilers to become head coach at the University of Toledo, Meyer's hometown. Meyer was making $6,000 a year as an assistant at Illinois State, so he called Saban's home and inquired about a job. He recalled having a "great conversation" with Terry Saban.
Alabama's Nick Saban remembered his wife telling him: "I talked to a really interesting guy today, Urban Meyer, and I really do think you should talk to him when you hire your staff at Toledo.
"I was so kind of caught up and busy in what I was doing (with the Oilers), I never followed up on that. And obviously that was a huge mistake on my part because he's a fantastic coach."
Saban is 2-1 against Meyer, with every game coming when Meyer was at Florida. The coaches have combined to win six national championships.
Five alive: Neither Braxton Miller nor J.T. Barrett appeared Tuesday at Sugar Bowl media day.
That was not unexpected considering Barrett would have faced questions regarding a Dec. 10 domestic incident involving a woman and Miller would have been pressed about whether he plans to transfer.
Miller, the two-time winner of the Tribune Silver Football, wore No. 5 until going down in fall camp with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Now tight end Jeff Heuerman wears that number.
"Braxton used to always give me crap about wearing 86. He said, 'that's such an ugly number. Why don't you change it?'" Heuerman recalled. "After he got hurt he said: 'You should wear 5. Seriously, do it.'
"I definitely don't think I've made as many of those wild plays (he has), but having part of him out on the field is special."
