Florida’s Meyer still supports playoff system

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Urban Meyer, if nothing else, stayed consistent.

The Florida coach was adamant about the need for a college football playoff before his team slipped into the No. 2 slot to play No. 1 Ohio State and stuck to that line even after the system worked in his favor, culminating in the Gators’ 41-14 trouncing of the Buckeyes Monday night in the BCS national championship.

“I know USC looked like a million dollars when I saw them play,” Meyer said of the Trojans’ relatively easy victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

“I learned a lesson when I made some comments about a month ago, whenever that was, that there (are) probably five, six, seven great football teams in this country and there is one way to figure out who the better team is and that’s to go play the game.”

Monday’s game showed, in the month of January, no team is better than Florida, which captured its first college football national championship since 1996. The Gators, after giving up a 93-yard touchdown return to Ted Ginn, Jr. on the opening kickoff, outscored the Buckeyes 41-7 the rest of the way. Dominance is often overused in sports, but no other word adequately describes Florida’s battering of Ohio State.

The Gators had more first downs, 21-8, including 14-1 passing. Florida senior quarterback Chris Leak, whose promise as a heralded freshman had not been met until Monday, outplayed Ohio State’s Troy Smith, this year’s Heisman Trophy winner. Leak completed his first nine passes en route to going 25 for 36 for 213 yards and one touchdown. Smith’s statistics required a double-take: 4 for 14 for 35 yards and an interception.