One of Ashtabula County’s favorite sons came under some fire by a fellow coach on Sunday.

Urban Meyer, a 1982 St. John High School graduate and now the head coach of the University of Florida Gators, was criticized by Miami coach Randy Shannon, whose team bowed at Florida on Saturday night, 26-3.

Meyer sent his field-goal team onto the turf at the Swamp in the final 30 seconds to add three points to a 20-point lead.

It didn’t go over well with Shannon.

“I’ll just say this one statement,” Shannon said on Sunday. “Sometimes when you do things, and people see what type of person you really are, you turn a lot of people off. Now, whatever you want to get out of that, I won’t say it again. But it helped us. It helped us more than you’ll ever know.”

Whatever.

In this day and age, the way the system is set up, margin of victory plays a big part in how many poll voters judge a team. And considering the polls play a huge part in which teams play for the BCS national championship, well, you get the idea.

Considering it just happened to come against one of Florida’s intense state rivals — and whose players foolishly ran their mouths in the weeks leading up to the game — the bet here is Meyer would have scored another 50 or so points if he could.

Shannon seemed to imply some recruits from the Sunshine State were turned off by what he perceived to be piling it on.

To his credit, Meyer wouldn’t bite on Shannon’s bait.

“It was a great football game,” Meyer said. “Why don’t we talk about the players that played a great, hard-nosed football game and quit measuring up to worrying about Florida. I learned a long time ago just coach your team and take care of yourself. Special teams, offense and defense occupies all our time.

“So I’m good. We’ve got to move on.”

This brings to mind two recollections. The first comes only from stories heard and read.

In their national championship season of 1968, the Ohio State Buckeyes led visiting archrival Michigan late in the game, 42-14. The Buckeyes added a late final touchdown and, to the surprise of many, legendary coach Woody Hayes then had the Buckeyes go for two and converted to win the game, 50-14.

Lou Holtz, then an assistant on Hayes’ staff, has told a story for decades that many believe to be fact.