Well, that was stupid.
First-year Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has just made himself public enemy No. 1 in Gainesville with his mindless bragging to the Volunteers faithful Thursday morning.
After snagging two big recruits from Urban Meyer and the Gators - Pahokee wideout Nu'Keese Richardson and Paris (Tenn.) defensive back Marsalis Teague - the Vols' new kid on the block asked for serious trouble.
Kiffin told a crowd that Meyer illegally tried to contact Richardson over the phone while Richardson was on an official visit to Knoxville last weekend. Kiffin said Meyer calling Richardson while the recruit was in Tennessee is not allowed.
After that, Kiffin boldly made this comment:
"I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and he still didn't get him."
Calling Meyer a cheater? Idiotic.
Calling Meyer a cheater and bragging about your conquest? Suicide.
Getting Urban Meyer angry has not exactly proven successful. Just ask Mark Richt.
Two seasons ago, the Georgia coach told his team to celebrate after scoring its first touchdown against UF. While he didn't plan for his entire sideline to clear and dance in the end zone, that's what his team did.
How did Meyer respond?
After stewing all summer in the memory of that embarrassing celebration, Meyer's Gators nearly hung half-a-hundred on Georgia and twisted the knife by calling two timeouts in the last minute of a 49-10 slaughter.
This summer, Meyer has two recruiting failures and the taunts of a rookie Southeastern Conference coach to keep his playmaking brain occupied. If the Gators dropped 59 points on the Volunteers two years ago without any motivation other than a rivalry game, imagine what they will do to a team without a quarterback next season.
And it turns out Kiffin's claims weren't even based in fact. He must have been high on the love he has been getting from Tennessee boosters for taking Richardson and Teague from UF that he couldn't help but embellish a little.
UF athletics director Jeremy Foley released a statement Thursday to deal with the news that had already begun to explode online. The statement was, well, emphatic, to say the least.
After confirming there was no rule violation with the SEC, Foley went on to defend his coach and all but trash Kiffin.
"It is obvious that Coach Kiffin doesn't know that there is not a rule precluding phone contact with a prospect during an official visit on another campus during a contact period," Foley said. "His allegations are inappropriate, out of line and, most importantly, totally false. It is completely unfair to Urban Meyer, our coaching staff, our football program and our institution."
If you've been looking for drama, you found it.
This has the potential to be bigger than Georgia's celebration debacle simply because the coach can't deny intent this time. Kiffin apologized later on Thursday, saying he was just putting on a show for donors and alumni and didn't mean to offend anyone at UF, but he can't take the words back. Behind every joke, there is some truth.
Questions about Kiffin will be the first thing Meyer hears at his next press conference. They'll be the first thing he hears after UF walks over Troy in Week 2.
And Kiffin will be the last thing Meyer thinks about before going to sleep on Sept. 18.
On Sept. 19, Kiffin will be the one having nightmares.
