DALLAS -- Urban Meyer has tutored a No. 1 overall pick in Alex Smith as well as one of the best to ever play college football in Tim Tebow.
His opponent in this week's College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Oregon's Marcus Mariota, is right there with them on the pantheon of all-time greats in the game, according to the coach.
"Our biggest concern is the guy receiving the snap every play," Meyer said Sunday before the title game. "I think he's one of the finest that's ever played the game, and that's our biggest issue."
It's not hard to argue Meyer's point.
Mariota not only won the Heisman Trophy this season but has rewritten school and Pac-12 record books over the last three seasons, and he's led the Ducks to the cusp of their first ever national championship in football. He has thrown for a touchdown in every game he's played in while sporting a 36-4 career record in college.
"When the season is done, I'll take a step back and kind of just take in everything," Mariota said earlier in the week. "But right now I'm just focused on this game and getting together with my teammates, and just ready to play."
While there is a ton of debate over the quarterback's potential at the next level, his impact on Oregon has been undeniable in getting the team to its current place among college football's elite programs.
As fate would have it, the only thing that might keep him from cementing his status on college football's Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks might just be Meyer's Buckeyes. But the high praise from a coaching legend certainly rings true on the eve of the title game.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.