Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Oleszek

A Gator's Fan Perspective on the SEC Championship Game

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:05:01 -0500

Game Preview

No. 1 Florida Gators (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0)

What a difference a year makes.

Or does it?

In a repeat of last season’s SEC Championship Game, Florida and Alabama get set to battle once again for the chance to play for a national championship, only this time against probable Big 12 champion Texas.

And like last season, the loser gets relegated to the Sugar Bowl to probably play an undefeated team that was kept out of the BCS title game.

Unlike last year’s game, however, is the style of which both teams arrived in Atlanta. Alabama is still the same workman-like, smash mouth team that many people think are better than the one Florida played last season.

Florida has only looked like defending champions a handful of times this season and until recently, was only a shell of the harbinger of death squad that searched and destroyed everything in its path to close out last season.

Florida wins the game if....

Florida’s defense contains Alabama’s running game.

Any team that can put eight in the box and effectively single-cover Julio Jones can slow down Alabama significantly. Teams have tried this all season long and have been effective in stretches. Florida has the best defensive personnel Alabama will see all season and should prove to be a tough opponent for Alabama’s offense.

Alabama has used their hard-nosed running game to set up their efficient passing game, entrusting quarterback Greg McElroy not to only win games, but not lose them as well.

Florida needs to shut down running back Mark Ingram on early downs, limit him to short gains, and force the Tide to rely on Greg McElroy throwing the ball to beat the Gators.

Ingram has been the most effective this season when he gets 20 or more carries on the ground, going over 140 yards each time this happens. In the seven games when he hasn’t gotten 20 or more carries, he has only topped the century mark twice.

Florida’s big game experience shines through once again.

All season long, I couldn’t help but compare this team to the 2007 National Champion Florida Gators basketball team. Like the basketball team, the Gators have been faced with enormous pressure to repeat as national champions, coasting through the regular season with almost little to no effort living under a cloud of doubt about their true ability until it was time to play with the bright lights on.

Those lights won’t be any brighter than on Saturday when they kickoff in the Georgia Dome. The upperclassmen on this Florida team have been to the mountain top twice. They know what it takes to win a championship. The experience of playing at such a high level more frequently than Alabama will give the Gators the edge they need to step on the throat of Alabama when the time comes.

Florida loses the game if....

Greg McElroy and Julio Jones can exploit Florida’s blitz package.

In the fourth quarter against Auburn, Alabama was consistently able to exploit the Auburn defense and their blitzing schemes by running Julio Jones on shallow crossing routes and picking defenders with either a tight end or another receiver.

Whether its Joe Haden covering when Julio lines up on the short side of the field, or Janoris Jenkins covering when Julio lining up on the wide side, both corners for Florida need to be physical and jam him at the line, disrupting his route timing so the pass rush can get to McElroy.

Also, look for safety help over the top with either Ahmad Black or Major Wright, as Will Hill plays closer to the line of scrimmage to help stack up against the run.

Carlos Dunlap's suspension is a distraction

From a team stand point, nothing could be worse than a major distraction before the biggest game of the season. Losing Carlos Dunlap is huge; period. He was the Gators' best pass rusher, forced more sacks than he has gotten credit for, and was to be a huge part of the game plan for Saturday.

Now, his suspension is going to be a distraction. If there is any silver lining to this, the suspension came early in the week, so both teams can gameplan from today forward with the knowledge that Dunlap won't be there.

His probable replacement, Justin Trattou, is no slouch at defensive end and has seen a lot of action this year, including the season saving interception against South Carolina.

The X-factor will be....

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow

Do you think it would be anyone else?

If you take him out of the game last year, Florida had no chance. The same goes for this year. Sure, they would be competitive with John Brantley and they will be after Tebow leaves, but as long as No. 15 is suiting up for the orange and blue, the Gators have an edge that many people haven't been able to beat.

Florida didn't look right on offense for the first part of this season and most fingers were pointed at the quarterback. Throw in a serious concussion and some lackluster performances in the weeks that followed, and many people began to wonder if "Superman" had finally found his kryptonite.

Now, he gets to come full circle with Alabama. The Crimson Tide recruited him heavily as a high school player and they eventually lost out to Urban Meyer and Florida, drastically altering the direction of both programs. Mike Shula was fired, Nick Saban was hired, and Urban Meyer has won two championships.

Tim Tebow will be the difference that wins the game for Florida.

Game Prediction - Florida 24, Alabama 14

To see what Alabama Crimson Tide superfan Tim Croley has to say, click here.

Florida-LSU: Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:48:01 -0400

No. 1 Florida Gators (4-0) vs. No. 4 LSU Tigers (5-0)

What Happened Last Week

Florida did not play, as they were on a bye week that couldn't have come at a better time for the Gators.

Despite starting the season 4-0, the Gators have had a rash of injuries, both nagging and season ending—a teamwide bout with a flu-like virus, a brutal concussion to quarterback Tim Tebow, and a growing shadow of doubt over the rest of the season.

LSU escaped Athens, Georgia, with a last-second 20-13 win over Georgia. The win took some big plays from running back Charles Scott and a horrible call from the officials to end in a fourth-quarter win.

Florida Will Win If…

Florida establishes the running game early

With the possibility of Tim Tebow not playing and John Brantley possibly getting his first significant playing time, Florida is going to have to establish the running game to ease the pressure on whichever quarterback is in the game.

It is imperative that Florida ease the early onslaught that LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis will throw at the Gator offense.

Florida has two home run speed threats in Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, with an inside runner in Emmanuel Moody. All three of them will need to maintain a consistent pace when Florida's offense is on the field.

LSU is 41st in the nation in rushing defense, while Florida boasts the top running offense in the nation.

LSU's defensive front is nowhere near the dominant unit that people have come to expect from them. To compound things, the pass rush that has only generated five sacks this season has come against offensive lines that aren't of the same caliber as Florida's

Florida's Defense is Dominant

Brandon Spikes, Major Wright, Joe Haden, Dustin Doe, A.J. Jones, Jermaine Cunningham, and Wondy Pierre-Louis—most Gator fans instantly recognize these names as members of Florida's defense.

However, after a closer look, all seven were either freshman or sophomore starters on the defense that let the 2007 game slip through their fingers.

Remember now? The game that saw LSU go 5-of-5 on fourth down, including 3-of-3 in the fourth quarter. Florida couldn't stop them and LSU knew it.

Fast forward to this year. A defense with long memories and fueled by a desire to be absolutely dominant is mixed with an LSU offense that hasn't blown away an opponent.

It could be a bad mix for the Tigers.

The defense is going to have to pressure LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson in a variety of ways and get him off balance. The running game hasn't been very effective for LSU, and Jefferson has played pretty well in comparison with the production LSU got from its quarterbacks last season.

Florida has not played up to its full potential on defense this year, and a huge game on the road against LSU will go a long way towards building up for a title run.

Florida Will Lose If…

Florida's quarterback situation determines their offense

Tim Tebow may or may not play. John Brantley hasn't played anything other than mop-up time. Tim Tebow is a Heisman Trophy winner and arguably one of the most competitive athletes in any sport. John Brantley has mostly held a clipboard and run the scout team in practice.

The offense cannot be radically altered based on who is in the game. When Brantley is in the game, the offense will feature some sets that Florida utilized when Chris Leak was the quarterback. When and if Tim Tebow is in the game, there probably won't be as many designed runs for him.

LSU is going to come after both of them, hard. Florida's coaching staff needs to keep the offensive changes to a minimum and trust whoever is setting up behind center.

The X-Factor Will Be…

Florida quarterback John Brantley

For everyone who is waiting until Tim Tebow leaves to see what Florida will look like on offense, Saturday night is going to be a good indicator. Nevermind the fact that John Brantley's first possible start is on the road in Death Valley. The true indication is going to be how he reacts to real, fast, first-team football from the opening kick.

One advantage John Brantley has is his young receiver corps. For the past two years, Tim Tebow has spent the majority of his time throwing to Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy, Cornelius Ingram, and Riley Cooper. With the exception of Cooper, everyone else is gone.

John Brantley has spent his time throwing to all of the younger receivers that Florida has counted on to step up this season and haven't—yet.

Brantley probably knows their tendencies a little bit more—how they break out of their cuts, where they want the ball placed, how much air to put under it on deep throws.

This will play into an advantage for Florida, especially when they go with four and five receiver sets.

Game Prediction

Florida 34, LSU 17

Florida vs. Kentucky: Gators Go For 23rd Straight Over the Wildcats

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:18:20 -0400

No. 1 Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0, 0-0)

What Happened Last Week

Florida opened its 2009 SEC play with a 23-13 win over Eastern division rival, Tennessee. It wasn’t the royal beating that a good majority of Gator fans wanted to see, but the end result was a win; and that’s what is most important. Florida comes in ranked number one in the country and is unbeaten in SEC conference play.

Florida has beaten Kentucky 22 years in a row, and this is the third time Florida has been ranked number one when playing Kentucky.

Kentucky comes into their 2009 matchup with Florida unbeaten, after an opening weekend win over Miami (Ohio), which was followed by a third straight win over in-state rival Louisville.

Kentucky is unranked when playing Florida for the ninth time in the last ten years.

Florida will win if…

They Develop a Tempo on Offense early

Finding a tempo Saturday night is going to be ideal for Florida, who has gone to a no-huddle offense at times this season. Florida needs to dictate the tempo up front on offense, utilizing a big offensive line and a good stable of running backs to set the pace of the game and to take pressure off of the young guys who are stepping in at receiver.

If something/someone on offense is clicking, the Gators need to stick with it until the defense can’t stop it/them anymore.

They Don’t Make this a ‘Look Ahead’ Game

Make no mistake about this game: It is a trap for Florida. An undefeated, number one team that is working through injuries and personnel losses is going on the road to an opponent that has payback on their minds for the 63-5 beating they received a year ago. Yeah, that would be a trap.

Not to mention, The Gators have a much needed bye week on the schedule next week before a big test on the road at LSU. Still sounds like a trap to me.

Florida needs to put this game away early and get out of Lexington intact with a win, so that they can start to heal and prepare for LSU.

The Defense Pressures Kentucky Quarterback Mike Hartline

Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline is a dropback passer with limited mobility, and is much less of an athlete than receiver/part-time quarterback Randall Cobb is. Florida will need to use its superior speed on defense to harass and confuse Mike Hartline, whether it is from a base defense or their ‘Joker’ package.

When given time, Hartline can sit in the pocket and pick apart a defense. Louisville had a non-existent pass rush, which enabled Hartline to complete 20 of 27 passes for 178 yards. Denying Hartline the chance to put the ball in the hands of running back Derrick Locke and receiver Randall Cobb will significantly raise Florida’s probability of winning.

The X-Factors will be…

Florida’s coaching staff

SEC play has started, and now is the time for Florida’s coaching staff to step up its game. Poor ball handling, poor tackling, conservative schemes and problems with penalties have given the Gators fits through their first three games; but they are problems that can be fixed, and need to be fixed if Florida wants to make it to the SEC Championship Game.

The coaching staff cannot rely on Tim Tebow carrying the ball 24 times a game. They just can’t. There are plenty of playmakers on the roster that Urban Meyer and his staff have recruited in the past four years, and it is high time that they start using them. Just call the plays and trust the players you’ve recruited to win games for you.

Also, during the first three games of this season, Florida’s offensive line has had very tight splits on running plays, which pulls the defense closer to the center and closes down running lanes. Going back to last season, Florida started to gash teams in the running game when the offensive line had wider line splits. Florida offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Steve Addazio needs to fix this ASAP.

The widening of the line splits dictates where a defender will line up (based on an opponents’ defense), and the offensive blocking scheme Florida uses is designed to open cutback angles and seams for their runners to go through.

Game Prediction

No. 1 Florida 35 – Kentucky 17

Gators-Volunteers: Shut Up and Play Already!

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:52:43 -0400

No. 1 Florida Gators (2-0) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (1-1)

What Happened Last Week

Florida looked every bit like the No. 1 team in the nation—after the first quarter, in a 56-6 win over Troy. The opening period wasn’t kind to the Gators, as a driving rainstorm combined with sloppy ball handling left the Gator Nation feeling a little uneasy.

The Gators would go on to score on their next four possessions, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Tennessee took all of the good feelings and optimism from their week one blowout win over Western Kentucky and completely flushed it down the toilet against UCLA. The Vols took their third consecutive loss to a Pac-10 team, despite holding the Bruins to only 186 yards of total offense and a dismal 3-of-14 on third down.

The Tennessee offense failed to capitalize late in the game, and the Bruins came away with an upset in Neyland Stadium.

Florida Will Win If…

They Win the Three and Out Battle

Three plays and get the defense off the field. That’s a pretty simple philosophy that the Gators need to mandate for Saturday. Tennessee’s offense held the ball for 14 of the last 18 minutes against UCLA and had two drives totaling 30 plays.

If Florida’s offense is parked on the sidelines that long, it will allow the Vols to control the tempo of the game and hang around longer than most people expect. Tennessee can parlay this and a solid defense into keeping the game tight heading into the fourth quarter.

Getting the Vols to go three and out gives the Gators two positives: The high-scoring Gator offense comes back on the field, and Brandon James is back to return punts.

They Take Care of the Football

There were six fumbles by Florida last Saturday, with three of them being lost. Good teams can get away with that against the Troys of the world. Florida will not win if they have three turnovers against Tennessee.

Eric Berry, the best defender in the country, is a ballhawk who can take turnovers back to the house from anywhere on field. Rico McCoy is an All-SEC caliber linebacker who can cause havoc at any time. Linebacker Nick Reveiz is an underrated talent who is playing well in his first year as a starter.

They Just Play Football

It is beyond time for everyone on both teams in this rivalry to just shut up and play some football. Lane Kiffin started at his press conference with "singing Rocky Top all night when we beat Florida." Then, he (incorrectly) said that "he loved the fact that Urban had to cheat, and still didn’t get him," (referring to recruit Nu’Keese Richardson).

Florida lineman Matt Patchan has called Kiffin a "bozo," and quarterback Tim Tebow has said that he "doesn’t like anyone talking about Coach Meyer."

Everybody needs to shut up, immediately. Play the game on the field Saturday between the white lines, within the rules, and settle everything then. If you need an example of how to settle things on the field, just watch the tackle Brandon Spikes made early in the Georgia game on Knowshon Moreno.

The talent levels at every position favor the Gators (except for Eric Berry), and when the Gators play up to their talent level—they win, and win big.

Florida Will Lose If…

Eric Berry Dictates the Pace of Florida’s Offense

The best defensive player in college football, coached by one of the best defensive minds at any level (Monte Kiffin), is lining up against arguably the best offense in the game, and do you think he’s going to just sit back and play cover two the whole game?

Um, I don’t think so.

Eric Berry will have to blitz, play man to man, play cover two, play cover three, line up in the box, and then make enough big plays on top of it to disrupt and confuse the Florida offense enough to make the Gators second guess themselves.

The Tennessee defense feeds off of Berry’s play, and they will need to do so if they want to beat the Gators.

There is no doubt that the Gators will game plan for him and where he lines up, but Florida’s offensive coordinator Steve Addazio cannot allow his play calling during the game to be dictated by one person.

Tennessee Doesn’t Kick the Ball to Brandon James

Everyone in Tennessee should know who Brandon James is by now. If they don’t know him by name, then they should know him by the number 25 he wears on his jersey. And, if that still doesn’t work, Brandon James is the guy who has torched Tennessee’s special teams for 410 return yards and two touchdowns in the last three games.

Now think about the touchdown in 2006 that was taken away on a borderline penalty, and the one also in 2006 where the kicker tripped him in the open field, and it is enough to give any special teams coach an ulcer.

Keeping the ball away from James should be at the top of the list in the Vols’ game plan for Saturday, as it will force the Gators into either bad field position or doing something different in the return game.

The X-Factors Will Be…

Lane Kiffin and Nu’Keese Richardson

Is this really a shock? I think every Gator fan who hasn’t been living under a rock has been waiting for this game and these two people to come to town since signing day in February.

Personally, I could not care less what Lane Kiffin has to say about anything, but some Gator fans took it as a slap in the face. I could also not care less where Nu’Keese Richardson decided to go to school. That was his choice, and it is unfortunate for him that he was the one dragged into it.

Game Prediction

Florida has won the last four games in a row, and more than likely it will be five in a row on Saturday. Eric Berry can’t overcome the deficiencies at quarterback and receiver for Tennessee; and the Gators win with a score closer than most people think.

Florida 38–Tennessee 13

For a Tennessee fan’s perspective, you can read what Tennessee Volunteers Community Leader Michael Shibley wrote here.

Florida-Troy: Don't Sleep on These Trojans

Michael Oleszek — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:04:40 -0400

No. 1 Florida Gators (1-0) vs. Troy Trojans (0-1) Game Preview

What Happened Last Week

Florida opened its 2009 season the same way it ended their 2008 season—with a win.

The game was over before halftime, and the starters were pulled to preserve their health. The Gators even had a chance to play some players who normally wouldn't get the chance to play against the LSUs and Georgias of the world.

Troy, on the other hand, started 2009 on a down note, losing to one of Urban Meyer's former teams. The Bowling Green Falcons defeated the Trojans, 31-14. Troy led at the half 14-7, but faltered down the stretch, going a dismal one of seven on third down and any hope of a comeback came to an end on a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown by Adrien Spencer.

What to Watch For

Don't Expect Troy To Be Intimidated

The Troy Trojans are a veteran team. There are 29 seniors on the roster, and in their four years as Trojans, they have played at a variety of BCS Schools including: Florida, LSU, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida State, Georgia, and Nebraska. Those are some big time programs with big time venues to play in. Troy has been competitive in some of these games, and nearly pulled off an upset at LSU last November.

The Gator Defense To Get a Boost

The Gator defense wasn't as dominant as it could have been Saturday night, and there were a few reasons why. Janoris Jenkins and Dustin Doe didn't play because of suspension, and Jermaine Cunningham wasn't "ready to play" Saturday night, according to reports. Those three players returning to a defense that will see a better offense this week gives the Gators a better personnel group with them on the field.

A Few More Wrinkles on Offense for UF

I-formation? Joe Haden in the Wildcat? A second carry for Chris Rainey? All of these things were non-existent Saturday, as the Gators kept the game plan pretty basic to overrun Charleston Southern. Florida could have stuck with the zone read as their only running play and they still would have rushed for over 300 yards. This week, they will face a much better defense, with a good pass rusher in Brandon Lang. The Gators will need to open the playbook up a little bit more than they did on Saturday.

Expect Florida To Start the Game Strong

This is not the week to get complacent. Again, the Gators need to come out of the starting gate with the throttle pushed to the floor, just as they did with Charleston Southern. There cannot be any sleepwalking through this game with Troy, and then expect to suddenly turn up the volume when things aren't going well. The game for which most Gators have been waiting is still two weeks away, when Lane Kiffin and his Tennessee Volunteers visit Gainesville. Troy is a little bit better than just some other placeholder on the schedule, and the Gators need to realize that immediately.

Game Prediction: No. 1 Florida Gators 49, Troy Trojans 14

Florida vs. Charleston Southern: Killing a Gnat With a Sledgehammer

Michael Oleszek — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:58:21 -0400

Game Preview

If you are a college football fan who enjoys a good mismatch, this is going to be one for the ages.

The defending national champion Florida Gators open their 2009 season with an overmatched FCS opponent from the Big South Conference: Charleston Southern.

The Buccaneers stand absolutely zero chance of winning this game, and quite frankly, they shouldn't even be on the Gators' schedule.

There were talks that Utah was going be the season opener for Florida, but the deal ultimately fell through, and college football fans were denied the chance to seen the top two finishers from the previous season.

Instead, football fans get to watch a team that has no chance go down to Gainesville, take a beating, and go back to Charleston with a nice check for $425,000.

What to Watch For

1. The Chip on Their Shoulder

Ever since the clocks ticked to zero in Miami, the Florida Gators have spent the majority of 2009 being hyped as one of the greatest teams of all time—without playing a game.

It's pretty far-fetched to annoint a team as the greatest without stepping on to the field. But from all accounts, this has been the toughest offseason program under Urban Meyer, and every player from Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes to the walk-ons have talked about not getting complacent.

Now, it's time to prove everybody right and come out of the gates with the throttle pushed to the floor.

It might not seem like a hard task with the quality of the Gators' first opponent, but if they don't have a huge chip on their shoulder the first week of the season, they sure aren't going to have one when it matters the most.

2. Urban Meyer

This season is all on Meyer's shoulders.

Every player on this team was recruited by Meyer and his coaching staff, so there's no more praise or blame to go around for the previous coaching staff.

Plus, it would be easy to rest on your laurels with two national championships and arguably the most talented team in America, so Meyer is going to have to coach more this year than he ever has.

The team cannot coast by on talent alone and allow itself to get sloppy and lose a game. Meyer is the one responsible for this, and the discipline of the season must start from the top and trickle all the way down the roster.

3. The Gator Defense

All 11 starters from a national championship winning defense return. All 11 backups return as well. Plus, the Gators recruited five players on the defensive side of the ball that could see playing time this season.

It won't be enough for the defense to merely stop teams. It needs to shut them down cold and get off the field so the offense can get the ball back and put the game out of reach.

4. The New Faces at Receiver

If the Gators possess a weakness at any position this season, its at wide receiver.

Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy have taken their game to the NFL, and the Gators' returning leading receiver is actually tight end Aaron Hernandez.

That's the end of the bad news.

The good news is that most of the Gator receivers have significant game experience, including experience in the SEC and BCS Championship games.

The receivers will be led by sophomore Deonte Thompson and senior Riley Cooper, who decided to put pro baseball on hold and come back for one more year of football. Fellow senior David Nelson provides a solid third option and will take some pressure off of the younger receivers.

The younger receivers have huge amounts of potential, and redshirt freshman Frankie Hammond, Jr. is the best of the bunch.

Two more receivers that could have an impact are senior Carl Moore and true freshman Andre Debose. How quickly they see the field will hinge on how quickly they return from injury.

Game Prediction

Florida 63, Charleston Southern 7

An Army Of One: 11 Of The Best Gamebreakers Since 1980.

Michael Oleszek — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:34:14 -0400

In any given game, on any given field, there is always one player who can stand head and shoulders above anyone on the field.

These are the gamebreakers that drive coaches crazy, and can take over at any time. Everyone in the stadium knows that once these players get the ball or line up on defense, the game is over.

Here are 11 of the best:

11. Charles Woodson vs. Ohio State—1997

On a cold, grey November day, Charles Woodson of Michigan returned a punt for a touchdown and snuffed out an Ohio State touchdown threat with an end zone interception.

He also caught a long pass on offense, giving the Wolverines the field position to punch in their only offensive touchdown on the day.

The nationally televised performance would lock up the Heisman Trophy for Woodson, the only defensive player to win the award.

10. Edgerrin James vs. UCLA—1998

On a day filled with wild offensive numbers by both teams, Edgerrin James totalled 39 carries, 299 yards, and three touchdowns. His game winner with less than a minute to go buried any hope of a UCLA national championship, and effectively announced Miami's resurrection from the depths of probation.

9. Steve Sarkisian vs. Texas A&M—1996

The Wrecking Crew defense of Texas A&M simply got demolished by the passing of Steve Sarkisian, giving up 536 yards through the air and six touchdowns, including the game winner with just over a minute to go.

Sarkisian's passing showed how little preseason rankings matter, as he helped upset the No. 13 Aggies in the first game of 1996.

8. Bo Jackson vs.Alabama—1983

The Iron Bowl set the stage for Bo Jackson to run wild over the Crimson Tide. His 256 yards on 20 carries were was just enough to knock off Alabama, and gave Auburn its first back-to-back wins over Alabama since 1970.

7. LaDanian Tomlinson vs. UTEP—1999

LT piled up 406 yards on 43 carries, to go along with six touchdowns in a romp over UTEP. The scary thing to consider is how many yards would he have had if TCU hadn't turned the ball over three times.

6. Barry Sanders vs. Wyoming—1988

The Heisman Trophy winner went for 222 yards and five touchdowns in the 1988 Holiday Bowl. His performance capped off the greatest individual season in NCAA history, as Barry Sanders ran wild in his final appearance in a Cowboys uniform.

5. Reggie Brooks vs. USC—1992

On a night when Notre Dame couldn't pass their way out of a paper bag, the one who rose up and played like a champion was running back Reggie Brooks. Despite fighting the flu and taking IV's when he wasn't gashing the USC defense, Reggie Brooks went for 227 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 carries. He single-handedly extended the Irish win streak over USC to 10 games.

4. Wilber Marshall vs. USC—1982

Just three years removed from an 0-10-1 season, Wilber Marshall and the Florida Gators refused to lay down for the Men of Troy. Highly touted and led by Sean Salisbury, the Trojans were upset by the Gators, who benefited by a huge game from Marshall: 14 tackles and four sacks.

After the game, when the Gators took a victory lap; the only one absent was Marshall, who was in the locker room completely exhausted and couldn't move to join his teammates.

USC coach John Robinson told Marshall 'You’re the greatest,' 'You’re the best linebacker I’ve ever seen.'

3. Marshall Faulk vs. BYU—1992

On an ESPN Thursday night game, (back when they were a novelty), Marshall Faulk and the Aztecs of San Diego State upended the BYU Cougars in a shootout that had made the WAC famous.

Faulk ran for 299 yards, 211 of which came in the second half, to go along with three touchdowns; the best of which was a beautiful 65-yard run that displayed the breakaway speed that would make Faulk a household name.

2. Reggie Bush vs. Fresno State - 2005

In a game most of the country missed due to the west coast start time, people missed the Heisman Trophy winner go for 294 yards and two touchdowns—part of the 513 all-purpose yards Bush gained on his way to saving the Trojans from Fresno State's upset bid.

1. Vince Young vs. USC—2006

Arguably the best bowl game performance of all time, no one did it better on the big stage than Vince Young. USC couldn't stop him; they couldn't even contain him.

With 467 yards of total offense, three rushing touchdowns, and a crucial two—point conversion to put the Longhorns ahead for good, Young put the entire weight of Texas on his shoulders and knocked off the defending national champions.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Coaching Staff Sharpening the Claws for 2009

Michael Oleszek — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:04:59 -0400

Take any football team. Look at it very closely, and the most important thing to winning football games is the coaching staff. Talent obviously plays a huge part in the overall success, but it isn’t everything.

The men in charge of harnessing that talent, developing game plans to maximize the potential, and putting it out on the field to win on Sunday afternoons have more to do with winning than the players.

Not everyone is cut out for the NFL coaching life. The league chews up and spits out coaches with such stunning regularity that it makes free agency look like fantasy football.

Some coaches are barely able to make it through a season, and some even don’t make it the entire season. The path from position coach to coordinator to head coach is the new five-year plan.

The support staffs are just as important. One good season as a coordinator can get you on an owner’s radar, as there are some who are always looking for the next new head coach.

Take Dom Capers for example: He parlayed two successful coordinator positions into two head coaching positions, but the head coaching positions didn’t work too well for him.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been fortunate to have only two head coaches in their short history. Cleveland has been through five since 1999 (including an interim), Carolina has had three since joining the NFL with Jacksonville in 1995, Houston is on its second coach since 2002, and to put all of this into better perspective; Pittsburgh is on its third coach—in the last 30 years.

Jacksonville has a very solid coaching staff that is younger in some positions and more experienced in others. Here are four members of the coaching staff that stand out.

Jack Del Rio – Head Coach

Jack Del Rio, a former All-Pro NFL player with 11 years of NFL playing experience, Del Rio has also served on the coaching staffs of Mike Ditka, Brian Billick, George Seifert, and John Fox. That is not a bad group of coaches to learn from, considering they have a combined four Super Bowl rings and Fox nearly missed out on a fifth.

Coach Del Rio also only has NFL coaching experience, having never coached a single play of college football. His rise from strength and conditioning coach with the Saints to the head coaching job with Jacksonville took five years.

This season, he will take more of a hands-on approach with the defense, helping out newcomer Mel Tucker, who came over from Cleveland.

Mike Tice – Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Coach

Behind every good head coach, stands a good assistant; and the Jaguars have a pretty good one. Mike Tice has been a fixture in the NFL since coming into the league as a player in 1981. He is a 14-year veteran who was a teammate of Jack Del Rio on the 1995 Vikings, his last season before joining the Vikings staff in 1996.

Coach Tice would take over the Vikings on an interim basis at the end of the 2001 season, before becoming head coach for the 2002 season.

New ownership and only one playoff appearance in four seasons sealed Coach Tice’s fate with the Vikings, and he was hired by the Jaguars to start the 2006 season. Like Jack Del Rio, he only has coached at the NFL level.

Dirk Koetter – Offensive Coordinator

Coach Dirk Koetter arrived in Jacksonville without much fanfare in 2007, after being dumped as the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Coach Koetter immediately added elements of a vertical passing attack from his 20-plus years of coaching experience to compliment the Jaguars’ power rushing attack.

The match would pay dividends early on for the Jaguars, as they went 12-4 in his first season directing the offense with another win coming in the playoffs.

The Jaguars have posted two of the biggest blowout wins in franchise history and posted the team's second highest yardage under the direction of Coach Koetter. It will be interesting to see what 2009 will bring with a healthy offense to work with.

Mel Tucker – Defensive Coordinator

One of the newest additions to the Jaguars’ coaching staff, Mel Tucker takes over the same position he left behind in Cleveland, replacing the departed Gregg Williams.

Tucker and the defensive staff will say goodbye to longtime Jaguars Mike Peterson and Paul Spicer, but begin to work with a group of raw but talented players to complement standouts John Henderson and Rashean Mathis.

Coach Tucker‘s defense had 34 takeaways in 2008, which was double the Jaguars’ output. The defense also had more passes defended and gave up fewer points than Jacksonville in Tucker’s first year as coordinator.

Having better players to work with in Jacksonville, and a better season in 2009 could land Tucker on a short list of coaching candidates, potentially being Del Rio’s second assistant to get a head coaching position.

Revamping the Blueprint: 2009 Jaguars Playbook

Michael Oleszek — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:58:49 -0400

Since Jack Del Rio took over the Jaguars in 2003, the Jaguars have established an identity around the NFL as a physical team. This should be no surprise given that Del Rio has coached under Mike Ditka and Brian Billick, two coaches who preached a physical style of football.

The Jaguars have parlayed the strong play on both lines and a solid running game along with efficient play from the quarterback position into two playoff appearances under Jack Del Rio.

2008 was supposed to be a year with another one of those playoff appearances, but injuries along both lines ended the Jaguars’ season before it ever really got started.

The health of the offensive and defensive lines is a key to success in the NFL, because all other branches of the team feed off of the quality of the lines.

The Jaguars’ blueprint for winning all starts up front:

Physical play on both of the lines.
Use a solid running game to set up the passing game.
Efficient play from the quarterback position with zero to minimal mistakes.
A passing game that stretches the chains 12-17 yards at a time.
Solid defense that stops the run first.

After such a disappointing 2008 season that saw the Jaguars fail to execute their blueprint week in and week out, they made some personnel moves in the offseason that will change the landscape in Jacksonville for some time to come:

Fred Taylor leaving via Free Agency

Maurice Jones-Drew is now the feature back in an offense that had seen Fred Taylor quietly rack up over 11,000 yards since coming into the league in 1998.

However, Jones-Drew is one of the more versatile backs in the NFL and should fill in nicely. The only question is whether he can take a pounding for all 16 games as a feature back.

The Jaguars’ reserve running backs aren’t going to turn many heads in terms of sheer production, but they can be called upon to handle spot carries whenever Jones-Drew needs a rest.

Greg Jones will be the lead blocker behind a healthy and revamped offensive line, and can also be called upon in short yardage situations.

The signing of veteran Wide Receiver Torry Holt

The Jaguars have not had a decent duo at wide receiver since the McCardell/Smith days, and even after signing Torry Holt, they still don’t.

The problem with the Jaguars under Del Rio is that they always have a solid No. 1 receiver, but never any real supporting cast.

Then, to make matters even more difficult, they replaced the malcontent/bust parade of Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, and Jerry Porter with a bunch of rookies who were second-day draft picks.

There can’t be much blame placed on the Jaguars for not taking a receiver in the first round, as none of their first-round receiver picks have ever done anything worth noting during their time in the teal and black.

Torry Holt brings a ton of experience and a Super Bowl ring with him, which will be good for the rookies to learn from.

Jarett Dillard could turn out to be a late round steal for the Jaguars and work his way into the lineup, as Troy Williamson and Dennis Northcutt will fill the gaps until the rookies adjust to the NFL.

The hiring of defensive coordinator Mel Tucker

One of the more contributing factors to a disappointing 2008 season was the play of the Jaguars defense. A defense that was built on being a run stopper gave up more than 100 yards per game on the ground, and the pass rush was nearly non-existent.

Some of this can be attributed to personnel. Most of this can be put on the coaching of former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Jack Del Rio gave Williams free reign over the defense, and it turned out to be a disaster.

Williams is a former head coach, and there was some miscommunication and a difference of philosophies between Williams and Del Rio.

The addition of Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator may be a head scratcher, considering he came from Cleveland, but the Browns did tie for third in the NFL in takeaways in 2008.

The Jaguars lacked turnovers, dropped in sacks production, and were pushed around by bigger offensive lines.

Tucker’s defensive philosophy is more in line with that of Jack Del Rio’s, and with some better play from the defense, the Jaguars could right the ship in a hurry.

2009 AFC South: Big Cats Lurking In a Two Team Division

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:37:42 -0400

The AFC South is quickly becoming one of the tougher divisions in the NFL. Each of the four teams has a legitimate shot at making a serious run towards a playoff berth, with the usual suspects leading the way. 2009 could see all four teams in the AFC South finish above .500 and still have two teams knocked out of the playoffs.

Here is my take on the 2009 AFC South:

AFC South Champion: Tennessee Titans

This season, the road to the AFC South again runs through Nashville. However, it is not without speed bumps, as four of their first six games are on the road, including the opener against the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Titans were 6-2 on the road last season, and will need a similar result in 2009 if they are going to equal their league best 13-3 record from a year ago.

The Titans possess the best stable of running backs in the division to go along with veteran play from Kerry Collins. Their defense gets back 10 starters, but they must replace Albert Haynesworth.

AFC South Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts

Even with the retirement of Coach Tony Dungy, the Colts still possess enough talent to win 11-13 games. That will either win the division outright or ensure them a wild-card spot.

Coach Jim Caldwell is a Dungy disciple, and has been with the Colts for eight seasons. The Colts offensive machine will continue to crank out wins, ensuring them of their ninth playoff spot in this decade (2000, 2002-2008).

The Titans and Colts have combined to win all of the seven AFC South Division Championships since the realignment in 2002. Plus, If one of them doesn't win the division, they usually still make the playoffs.

Tennessee and Indianapolis have combined to capture four of the six AFC South wild card appearances since, with Jacksonville taking the other two. This season will prove to be no different.

Dark Horse Playoff Contender: Jacksonville Jaguars

Sure, the Jaguars were 5-11 in 2008, but then again so were the Oakland Raiders. Put the two teams side by side and which one would you take?

Even after dealing with a team tragedy before the season started, the Jaguars were a .500 team entering their bye week. They then promptly went 2-8 down the stretch to equal the worst season record under the leadership of head coach Jack Del Rio.

Keeping this team healthy will be a huge key to a playoff run in the 2009 season, as many of the Jaguars starters populated the injured reserve list last season. The Jaguars cut out the dead wood from the roster that plagued them in 2008, and Jacksonville will be back in the playoff hunt this year.

Team That Could Surprise: Houston Texans

When is the playoff appearance going to arrive?

The most recent wave of expansion brethren (Carolina, Jacksonville, and Cleveland) have all made at least one playoff appearance, with Jacksonville and Carolina making multiple, and Carolina making a trip to the Super Bowl. Even the relocated teams, (Baltimore, Tennessee, St. Louis) have done the same.

The Texans have gone 8-8 in each of the past two seasons, finishing 2008 strong with a 5-1 record down the stretch, somehow losing a game to the Raiders.

They lost four games by a touchdown or less, and that proved to be the difference between a 12-4 record and their 8-8 record. Winning those close games in 2009, and the easiest schedule of any of the AFC South teams could propel Houston towards the playoff appearance they’ve been missing.

Best Coach: Jeff Fisher, Tennessee

The more things change in the NFL, the more they stay the same in Tennessee. After a two-season hiccup, the Titans have reinvented themselves into a formidable force in the AFC.

The reason: Jeff Fisher.

Most owners would have left their coaches for dead in the unemployment line after two straight losing seasons, but Bud Adams gave Fisher the time to rebuild the team.

The Titans have improved in each of the last three seasons despite turnover in personnel. Jeff Fisher is one of a handful of NFL coaches who can get the absolute maximum out of each player. He stands out over his peers within the AFC South.

Coach on the Hot Seat: Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville

Former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin had built a lot of coaching equity with the Jacksonville fans simply by winning right from the start. That all faded with three consecutive losing seasons, and he was dumped as head coach.

Fast forward six years, and Del Rio is running out of his coaching equity as well.

2008 saw the first losing season in Jacksonville since Del Rio’s first year, and last season was uglier than 2003. Malcontent players, numerous injuries, and a destroyed discipline plagued the Jaguars all season.

Jacksonville has been inconsistent under Jack Del Rio, having one great season with a playoff appearance, followed by a disappointing one, and the cycle tends to repeat itself. Last season was a disappointing one, and the temperature under Del Rio's seat got a little bit warmer once the 5-11 train wreck ended.

Best Player: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis

This offseason, the Colts got a new head coach. So who’s the new quarterback you ask? Don’t worry, nobody replaced Peyton Manning, and it really doesn’t matter who replaced Tony Dungy as head coach.

Manning runs every aspect of the offense and all Indy needs is a defensive coaching staff to be successful.

Best Free Agent Signing: Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis Colts

Yes, it was a re-signing and no one switched teams, but the retaining of Jeff Saturday as the Colts starting center ensures another playoff run and the protection of Peyton Manning.

The former All-Pro center, who went undrafted in 1998, has anchored an offensive line that has given up only 192 sacks in 160 games, which is the lowest of any team in the NFL.

Worst Free Agent Signing: Torry Holt, Jacksonville Jaguars

What were the Jaguars thinking? They had, (and still have a glaring hole at wide receiver), passed up Terrell Owens in free agency, and waited until the fourth round of the NFL draft to take a receiver.

In fact, they had every worthwhile receiver still left on the board during the NFL Draft when their pick came up at No. 8, and they still passed.

The Jaguars took offensive linemen with their first two picks in an effort to rebuild their power running game. So now, instead of Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin to mentor, Torry Holt now gets Jarrett Dillard, Mike Thomas and Tiquan Underwood to take under his wing.

One problem in addition to the Jaguars’ late round draftees at receiver: Torry Holt isn’t getting any younger. Receivers at this stage of their careers either go one of two ways: the path of resurgence like Jerry Rice experienced in Oakland, or the path towards retirement like Tim Brown and Cris Carter experienced.

Every player feels that they have one good year left in them, but unfortunately that’s not always the case and some players tend to hang on longer than they should.

Just Keeping the Position Warm: Tra Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars

Another one of the Jaguars’ head scratching offseason moves was the signing of veteran tackle Tra Thomas. He is nothing more than an insurance policy until rookie Eugene Monroe can adapt to the NFL.

Not that I blame the Jaguars for wanting a veteran to protect David Garrard’s blindside, but Thomas is on the downside of an outstanding career and the Jaguars success lies up front with their offensive line.

The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars: The Bold New Team of the South

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:31:24 -0400

The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars are far from the greatest team of all time.

They aren’t even the best team in franchise history.

So why is this team my favorite? Because no other team has ever galvanized the city of Jacksonville like this one did.

The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t expected to do a lot that season, and it showed early on. After an opening day beating of the then-division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jaguars promptly lost their next three games and six of eight overall.

They hardly looked like a playoff team when they limped into the bye week at 3-6.

Now, in the previous season, the Jaguars were an expansion team and had finished with a 4-12 record, respectable as far as expansion teams go, but not good enough for the city of Jacksonville.

Jacksonville has always been a football city. The Florida-Georgia game, the Gator Bowl, the World Football League and the USFL have called Jacksonville home at one point or another since 1915. The people of Jacksonville crave football, and they crave winners even more.

So, after the bye week, and a win against Baltimore; the Jaguars headed to Pittsburgh for another matchup with the Steelers. Pittsburgh had been embarrassed in Week One, and they returned the favor in a big way. The Jaguars managed only three points on the day to go along with four turnovers, and Mark Brunell was sacked five times.

The Pittsburgh game proved to be a turning point for the team. They started believing in each other as a team, and the team started winning. They beat Baltimore for the second time in three weeks, followed by wins over Cincinnati and Houston (both of which had beaten Jacksonville earlier in the year).

The Jaguars then beat Seattle on a Sunday night game, and all that stood between them and the playoffs were the 3-12 Atlanta Falcons. The vibe around town was that there was no way that Atlanta was going to keep the Jaguars out of the playoffs.

It looked that way for most of the afternoon, as the Jaguars held the lead the entire game. Craig ‘Ironhead’ Heyward pulled the Falcons to within two, and the Falcons had a chance to win once Morten Anderson came on to the field to try a 30-yard field goal.

With the entire city holding its breath, Anderson slipped a little on the field goal attempt, pushing the ball just left of the upright and pushed the Jaguars into the playoffs. To say there was pandemonium would be an understatement. Big Cat fever had sunk its claws into Jacksonville for good.

As the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Jaguars weren’t going to have a home playoff game; and they drew the Buffalo Bills in the first round. It was the Bills’ aging dynasty against the expansion upstarts. No one outside of Jacksonville gave them much of a chance.

Bills running back Thurman Thomas claimed he didn’t know of anyone who actually played for the Jaguars.

One advantage for Jacksonville though, was that over the last three weeks of the regular season, the Jaguars' running game had gotten better. The big offensive line began to jell and running back Natrone Means began to run like he did when he led the Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX.

This would prove faithful, as the Jaguars became the first visiting team to win a playoff game in Buffalo. Natrone Means carried the Jaguars on his back with 175 yards on the ground, and kicker Mike Hollis provided the winning margin with a field goal with around three minutes left on the clock.

Jacksonville went ballistic. Five-thousand people flooded Jacksonville International Airport to welcome the Jaguars home. There were so many people at the airport that the local news had to break into programming to tell people to stay at home and not to come to the airport unless you had a flight to catch.

The people of Jacksonville believed in the Big Cats. It was a measure of pride for the people of Jacksonville to have a winning NFL team in their city. For too long, Jacksonville had an inferiority complex about it. The city was used by other NFL franchises (Baltimore Colts, St. Louis Cardinals) to get better relocation deals in other cities.

Much like the Buffalo game, no one outside of Jacksonville gave the Jaguars a chance the next week, when they were matched up with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had finally put together all of the pieces they lacked in previous Super Bowl runs, and were thought to end the Cinderella run the Jaguars had put together.

Then, to make matters worse, Denver Post columnist Woody Paige further intensified things in his game day column with these words of wisdom, among others:

‘How do you get worked up to play somebody called Jacksonville with a bunch of nobodies?’

‘Jacksonville? Is that a semi-pro team or a theme park? Isn't Jacksonville the only Florida city without a beach?’

‘Who do these upstart Jaguars think they are, anyway, coming to Mile High Stadium, where the Broncos haven't lost this season and only once ever in the playoffs? They must think they belong here, but they will learn.’

And he ended his rant with this one:

Can we get a legitimate NFL team in here next Sunday?

Well, it turned out for Denver that they wouldn’t get any NFL team in there the following Sunday, because Jacksonville went into Denver and came away with a 30-27 win. A second playoff win in as many tries.

Jacksonville was one game away from the Super Bowl, and the fans wanted to celebrate. 40,000 fans to be exact. At 1:30 in the morning. At the stadium. The team had its charter plane fly over the stadium so the players could see the fans filling up half of Alltel Stadium, and the team was brought back to the stadium directly from the airport.

Jacksonville was at a fever pitch for the AFC Championship game. The city was fully behind the Jaguars, and it showed. Everywhere you went, there was teal. The city and team combined to do a smart thing, and they opened Alltel Stadium so that fans could watch the game from the inside the stadium.

The Jaguars put up a valiant effort that day, but it just wasn’t meant to be. They trailed the entire day in a hard fought football game. New England pulled away late on an Otis Smith fumble return for a touchdown, and they went to the Super Bowl.

Undeterred by the outcome, the 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars team put themselves on the NFL map. They served as the detonation point for a solid, if not spectacular run through the rest of the decade.

The Jaguars were finally Jacksonville’s team.

NASCAR's Old Problem with a New Name

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:32:57 -0400

NASCAR racing at the series' two biggest tracks have come along way since their inception in 1959 and 1969, respectively.

Daytona and Talladega combine each year to make up just four of the 36 races that make up the NASCAR Nextel Cup schedule.

However, each visit to these tracks cause owners, drivers, crew chiefs, and fans to either go crazy with excitement or dread the inevitable.

The inevitable being "The Big One," a devastating wreck that can consume a few cars or the majority of the field.

"The Big One" has become increasingly commonplace at these two tracks since the requirement of restrictor plates, which NASCAR mandated after Bobby Allison had a nasty wreck during the spring 1987 race at Talladega.

The wreck, which was referenced during Sunday's race telecast, is considered by many to be one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR history.

Depending on which version of the story you consider to be true, Bobby Allison's tire either had a blowout or was cut on a piece of engine debris from his own car. There have been other accounts of the wreck that say someone threw a beer can on the track, and that caused the wreck.

Either way, the wreck happened—and the result was a number of injured spectators and the catch fence sustained a good amount of damage.

Sound familiar?

The wreck was also one of the contributing factors to Bobby Allison's retirement, along with a near fatal wreck later that year at Pocono.

The restrictor plates that NASCAR mandated at both Daytona and Talladega, and one time at Loudon, are nothing more than a temporary fix to a permanent problem.

The plates do what they are designed to do: restrict.

They restrict the airflow intake into the engines of the cars, which significantly robs the cars of horsepower.

This practice, especially at Talladega, bunches the field into one huge pack, which combined with the multiple lanes of racing and a gradual decline in the actual racing skills by the influx of newer drivers, and you get a perfect storm of wrecks waiting to happen.

What happened to Carl Edwards on Sunday was nothing short of spectacular in wrecking terms, but in all reality, it wasn't that bad.

He walked away from it.

There have been wrecks at Talladega since the inception of restrictor plates that have been much worse.

Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Elliot Sadler, Bobby Labonte, Rick Mast, Mark Martin, and Johnny Sauter all had wrecks at the track that put Carl Edwards to shame.

Now, however; with the pack mentality that prevails in plate racing, and the games of follow the leader that occur during a race, any advantage that can be taken usually is.

Blocking is just one of these advantages, and it also causes a good amount of the wrecks at these two tracks.

So, to counter blocking, drivers would race below the yellow line in order to improve their position.

This was all well and good...until NASCAR instituted the "yellow line rule" in 2001.

The rule states that drivers are not prohibited from dropping below the line to avoid another car, but they cannot drop below the yellow line to improve their position.

Because of this rule, drivers use the line as a wall to block faster cars behind them.

Then you're faced with the ultimate catch 22: Drive below the yellow line and run the risk of receiving a penalty, get sent back to the end of the longest line, and basically forfeit a win much like Regan Smith did last year.

Or, stand your ground like Brad Keselowski did, cause someone to wreck, and win the race.

Then, what you're ultimately left with is a trail of debris, torn up racecars, pissed off drivers and fans, unlikely winners, and occasionally injured spectators and drivers; if not worse.

But, with all that being said, how much safer do you want to make it for the drivers and fans?

Every safety measure that the drivers already have is due to prior incidents, which later mandated them:

SAFER barriers, HANS devices, full-face helmets, fireproof suits, throttle kill switches, seat belt harnesses, 'Earnhardt' bars, window nets, Lexan windows, roof flaps on the cars, restrictor plates, and the Car of Tommorow ALL came to be because of wrecks, injuries, and even deaths that occurred either in a race or testing.

That unfortunately, is the collateral damage that NASCAR faces in order to make the sport safer for it's competitors.

But, what the drivers and fans often fail to remember is that these drivers are willing to pilot a 3,800 pound machine around at speeds close to 200 miles per hour for close to four hours.

This is their job.

They don't have to do this for a living. They choose to. Any one of the drivers who gets into a stock car can get out at any time they want.

Drivers run the risk of being involved in a wreck every week, and when a NASCAR fan puts down their hard earned money to purchase a ticket, they run the risk of possible injury as well.

No fan going to a race wants to be hurt by flying debris, but it happens.

That is the risk the fans take when they sit down in a large metal and concrete structure filled with 43 racing machines.

When people go to any sporting event, you run the same risk as you would crossing the street.

Make sure to look both ways.

My Worst Day As a NASCAR Fan

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:08:52 -0400

My worst day as a NASCAR fan came on Feb. 18, 2001. For most NASCAR fans and even casual observers, most people know this as the day of Dale Earnhardt's death. It is a day that will forever be in my mind, and one that NASCAR fans will never forget.

The Buildup

From 2000 until 2005, I worked as an usher at Daytona International Speedway. It was awesome! There were people in this world who would actually pay me to watch NASCAR, as long as I directed people to their seats (which wasn't hard work).

So, for the 2001 Daytona 500, it was the conclusion of my second Speedweek at Daytona, and I was thrilled that the 500 was finally here.

The 2000 Daytona 500 had been boring. With the possible exception of an NBA game I went to, it was the most boring sporting event I had ever been to.

NASCAR had made a switch to the restrictor plate race aero package at the end of the 2000 season, resulting in an exciting fall Talladega race and Dale Sr.'s last win. I was thrilled to be able to see this type of racing up close.

The Pre-Race

Because I worked at the speedway, the ushers had to be in the track much earlier than most people, and way before they opened the gates for the fans. This allowed me to sit inside the speedway and watch the track crew work as the sun came up over turns three and four.

One of the most beautiful sights in this world is to watch the sun rise up from Daytona Beach and over the speedway.

After a while, the beauty of that Sunday morning began to wear off, and I went down to the concession trailers in search of breakfast. If you've never been to a NASCAR race, there's really not much to choose from as far as breakfast foods go.

So, nachos or a smoked turkey leg is about your best option at 8 o'clock in the morning. Not a bad way to start the day.

One of the cool things about working at Daytona, was that the green usher vest everyone of us had to wear, was basically an all-access pass to most of the track. The one thing everyone of us took advantage of, was the elevator.

It may not sound like much, but when you walk up and down stairs all day long, an elevator ride to the top of the backstretch tower is pretty nice.

On my way back from breakfast, while I was waiting for the elevator, I turned around to see two guys behind me, also waiting for the elevator.

One guy was dressed in Home Depot gear (Greg Zipadelli), and the other was dressed in Interstate Batteries gear (Jimmy Makar). We all stepped into the elevator, and I heard this voice yell out "hold that door."

I stuck my hand out to keep the elevator doors from closing, and who gets in the elevator with us, but none other than Joe Gibbs. I got off the elevator before the Gibbs team, and wished them all a good day. Little did I know that later on the No. 20 car would flip down the backstretch and land on the No. 18, both of them being Gibbs' cars.

After getting back to my assigned section in the Lund Terrace on the backstretch, the fans started to make their way into the track. Other than direct people to their seats, my job was to socialize; make people comfortable at the track and be 'fan friendly' is what my supervisor had told us.

All morning I spent time talking to all kinds of fans: Earnhardt fans, DJ fans, Gordon fans, everyone.

One lady I met stood and looked out over the track for at least ten minutes without saying a word. Finally she turned to me and told me the story of how this was this first Daytona 500 she would see without her father.

And then it hit me: the year before they had been there, her father was in a wheelchair, and they had seats at the top of my section. I remembered them, because during the 2000 race, her father had asked me to wheel him out from under the shade of the tower to the sunshine, if even for a little while.

The lady told me that her father had passed away four days after the 2000 Daytona 500. It was people like this I'll never forget.

A good amount of time had passed, and it was getting close to start time. During driver introductions, there were periods of dead silence while lesser known drivers were introduced, until Jeff Gordon.

I knew people didn't like him, but I didn't remember it being that bad, until his name was called. A few more drivers were introduced, and then he came out: Dale Earnhardt.

Much like when Michael Jordan was introduced as a 6'6" guard from North Carolina, when the PA announcer came on and said: "From Kannapolis, North Carolina. Seven-time Winston Cup Champion..." the crowd went crazy.

The people booing him were outdone by fans cheering for him, but no one was quiet. Everyone had an opinion in some form.

The Race

The race itself was awesome. This was the kind of NASCAR racing I loved to watch: lead changes, three wide, door to door, Earnhardt in the lead, etc. Never once did it occur to me or anyone around me just how unsafe it was for the drivers to ride around so close to one another.

All we knew was that the fans were having a great time, and I could focus on watching the race. I liked the 500 better than the Pepsi 400, because it seemed like there were more drunks I had to deal with in the summer than in February.

Later in the race, as I was helping an older lady back to her seat, I saw a flash of orange in my peripheral vision that happened to be Tony Stewart's car flying through the air. Everyone immediately focused on 'The Big One.' It was spectacular, and it all happened right in front of me.

Once the carnage stopped, and things began to sort themselves out, the cars who had made it through began to come back around the track, and I saw that not one, but both Earnhardt's had made it through with Michael Waltrip in the lead.

I just knew that Dale Sr. was going to win. There was no way that a guy who had never won before and Dale Jr. were going to hold off the Intimidator. I looked over at another usher, who had on a No. 24 hat, and I pointed at my No. 3 hat. He just shook his head and smiled at me.

The red flag had been lifted once the track had been cleaned up and it was time to go back to racing. The last few laps were tight, hard racing, with Michael Waltrip holding off the field, and I waited for Dale Sr. to make his move that never came.

As soon as it got down to the last lap, and I realized Dale Sr. wasn't going to win, I took my vest off and got ready to leave. I watched the wreck happen on the other side of the track, and thought to myself 'maybe next year,' and proceeded to leave to go turn my vest in and go home.

The Aftermath

Little did I know, that I had just seen the last race of Dale Earnhardt's career. It wasn't until I got into line for the shuttle back to the parking lot that I heard the news: Dale Earnhardt was gone. People all around me started to confirm the news either by their radios or their cell phones.

Immediately, people started crying. Some people were skeptical. One guy next to me said that if it were true, he would never watch the recording of the race he had waiting for him at home.

NASCAR for me would never be the same. Dale Earnhardt was my driver. He was the reason I started watching NASCAR in the first place. I drove home that day from Daytona in total silence.

There was nothing I could listen to that would make me feel any better. It was time to let go of a legend. All of the good things that had happened during that day were wiped away completely.

It was my worst day as a NASCAR fan.

Christian Fletcher: A Shock To The System

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:08:08 -0400

What the hell's going on around here?

First off-let's take it from the start
Straight out-can't change what's in my heart
No one-can tear my beliefs apart, you can't bring me

You ain't-never seen no one like me
Prevail-regardless what the cost might be
Power-flows inside of me, you can't bring me

Never-fall as long as I try
Refuse-to be a part of your lie
Even-if it means I die, you can't bring me

You...can't...bring...me...down!

From the song: You Can't Bring Me Down by Suicidal Tendencies

Christian Fletcher: The epitome of anti-establishment in the surfing world and hailing from a line of surfing royalty, took a dying breed of surfing and gave it a much needed shot in the arm.

Born in Hawaii in 1970, and raised mainly in California, Christian Fletcher received his first surfboard at age one, and was beating nine-year-old kids in surfing contests at age five.

After turning pro at age 14, the kid who could surf as well as skateboard decided to apply skateboarding principals to the water, and aerial surfing as we know it today was born. Nothing like a one-man middle finger in a pink wetsuit to upset the establishment, huh?

I'd be pissed off too if one man could change the way people all over the globe surfed.

Those kids you see now throwing aerials all over the magazines? Kids who want to try aerials before they can stand on a board? Kelly Slater's nine world championships? They all owe that to Christian Fletcher.

In 1988, Christian Fletcher was on the cover of both Surfer and Surfing magazine—at the same time. The more established and conventional Association of Surfing Professionals were pissed. They didn't feel that an 18-year-old kid who surfed his favorite local spot all summer was deserving of such hype.

The problem was that Christian was having fun while he surfed, turning surfing into a full-contact sport that offered aggression and excitement, while his peers simply did the same boring maneuvers and won contests doing so.

Then, in 1989, came the full upsetting of the apple cart. At a Professional Surfing Association of America event held in Fletcher's own stomping grounds, the Lower Trestles near San Clemente, California; Christian absolutely smoked the competition.

Preparing for the contest by returning to the skate ramps, and playing Nintendo in between surf heats, Fletcher surfed how he felt: raw, unabated and free— everything that surfing should be. He was edgy, wild, and angry. A visually impressive surfer who destroyed opponents psychologically.

All would not be well however, as Fletcher would grow tired of the competitive surfing scene. Amid a bad marriage, being shut out of contests, banned from magazines and blacklisted from the beach, the surfing revolutionary was done and doomed to a path of self-destructive behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse.

By the time he returned, the innovator of aerial surfing could sit back and watch the monster he created, continually fighting with a hypocritical surfing industry—one that singled him out for his surfing his own way, and later promoted the style when the industry realized how much money they could rake in.

Realize this: No matter what Christian Fletcher is doing now; whether it is watching his son Greyson surf and skate, surfing himself for Santa Cruz Surfboards, or taking a break to let the other guys catch up, rest assured that he is doing it his way—shocking the system as he goes.

Baby Gators: Florida's 2009 Recruiting Class

Michael Oleszek — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:27:26 -0500

In the landscape of college football, one word that sticks out more than others is: momentum. Good teams capitalize on momentum during games, great teams use momentum throughout their season, and elite teams use momentum the entire year.

There are different levels to this momentum, and right now, the University of Florida is riding another fast-building, tsunami-sized wave of momentum that has continued to build since mid-October.

A number of people will look back at the 2008 Florida football season and say that the turning point was the Ole Miss game. Not to me. For me, the true turning point was the swift and complete destruction of the LSU Tigers, only a couple of weeks following the Ole Miss game.

The 51-21 win over the defending champions really began the wave of momentum that washed over the rest of the season, leading to eventual SEC and National Championships.

The momentum continued when both Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes decided to return for their senior seasons, and forgo millions of dollars in the NFL; which will lessen the blow of losing receivers Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin.

There is no way that the Gators would be able to keep this momentum going until September is there?? Think again.

Yesterday was National Signing Day, or Christmas in February for college coaches. It was the day were high school seniors signed the official letters of intent to play football for whichever school they choose.

The University of Florida ended up with a pretty decent class, with several players who look to step right into the mix in 2009, and help the Gators contend for another National Championship.

The Gators finished in the recruiting top 10 (according to Rivals.com and ESPN), and 21st (according to scout.com), and even though the Gators signed a relatively small class (16, with one more possibly signing late). Coach Urban Meyer seems to be pleased with the signing class.

Star of the Class

WR – Andre Debose

Video

Surprise signing

OLB – Jelani Jenkins

Video

Diamond in the Rough

QB – Jordan Reed

Video

The prospects for the Gators in 2009 and beyond are looking pretty good.

Total players signed: 16

Five players who could see immediate playing time.

Andre Debose, WR

Jelani Jenkins, LB

Gary Brown, DT

Edwin Herbert, DT

Xavier Nixon, OL

OTHER SIGNEES

Nick Alajajian, OL

Jon Bostic, LB

Joshua Evans, ATH

Dee Finley, S

Mike Gillislee, RB

Jon Halapio, OL

Jonotthan Harrison, OL

Kedric Johnson, DE

Kyle Koehne, OL

Desmond Parks, TE

Jordan Reed, QB

Breakdown by position

Offensive line: 5

Defensive tackle: 2

Linebacker: 2

Athlete: 1

Defensive back: 1

Defensive end: 1

Running back: 1

Quarterback: 1

Tight end: 1

Wide receiver: 1

Breakdown by state

Florida: 8

New Jersey: 1

Alabama: 1

California: 1

Maryland: 1

Indiana: 1

North Carolina: 1

South Carolina: 1

Connecticut: 1

The Top 20 NCAA Quarterbacks (1978-2008)

Michael Oleszek — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:19:17 -0500

No offense or disrespect to my friend BabyTate, who has probably forgotten as much about college football as I know, but his list of the Top 20 NCAA quarterbacks is lacking. Again, no offense.

So, to further along the debate, here is my own list, and the reasons behind the selections.

1. Joe Montana, Notre Dame

The king of comebacks capped off a stellar Notre Dame career with the "chicken soup game" against Houston in the 1979 Cotton Bowl, when down by 22 points with only 7:37 left to go in the game, Montana rallied the Irish to a 35-34 victory on the last play of the game.

2. Tim Tebow, Florida

What will he do for an encore after two National Titles, two SEC Titles, and a Heisman Trophy?

3. Pat White, West Virginia

WVU was 46-9 in his four years there. Four bowl game wins (only college QB to do so), including the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia that validated the Big East after ACC defections.

4. Danny Wuerffel, Florida

Four straight SEC titles (not done before or since), 1996 Heisman Trophy, and National Championship.

5. Charlie Ward, Florida State

The master of the fast-break offense; won a National Championship and Heisman in 1993.

6. Vince Young, Texas

Singlehandedly defeated USC in 2006 Rose Bowl with 467 total yards, 30-2 as a starter, No. 1 all time for UT quarterbacks in wins.

7. Peyton Manning, Tennessee

39-6 as a starter, Tennessee's all-time leading passer. Set then-record for SEC wins as QB.

8. Tony Rice, Notre Dame

Last Notre Dame QB to win a national championship, 1989 Johnny Unitas winner.

9. Doug Flutie, Boston College

Most famous for the Hail Mary to beat Miami, Flutie left Boston College with a Heisman Trophy and the then-NCAA record for career passing yards.

10. Don McPherson, Syracuse

Davey O'Brien Winner, College Football Hall of Famer, led Syracuse to unbeaten 11-0-1 season in 1987, runner-up for Heisman Trophy, returned Syracuse football to national prominence.

11. Matt Leinart, USC

Two National Championships, Heisman Trophy winner, USC's all-time leader in touchdown passes.

12. Willie Totten, Mississippi Valley State

Leader of the famed "Satellite Express" offense, set more than 50 FCS passing records, College Football Hall of Famer.

13. Steve McNair, Alcorn State

FCS All-American, Walter Payton Award Winner, third in Heisman voting in 1994. Once completed 52 passes in FCS playoff game.

14. Vinny Testaverde, Miami

1986 Heisman Trophy winner, was Miami's all-time leader in passing touchdowns despite only playing in two seasons.

15. Tommie Frazier, Nebraska

Arguably the greatest option quarterback of all time, 33-3 as a starter, two National Championships and narrowly missed a third, Heisman runner-up in 1995.

16. Jamelle Holieway, Oklahoma

Won the 1985 National Championship as a true freshman, the only one to do so.

17. Jay Barker, Alabama

35-2-1 as a starter at Alabama, the best in Alabama history, including 13-0 National Championship season in 1992.

18. David Greene, Georgia

42 wins as a starter.

19. Major Harris, West Virginia

Twice in top five for Heisman Trophy, led WVU to its first undefeated, untied regular season. Literally ran around defenses ("The Play" vs. Penn State).

20. Philip Rivers, NC State

13,484 passing yards and 95 touchdowns, NCAA-record 51 games started in four years (34 wins).

Florida-Oklahoma: How the Gators Will Win the National Championship

Michael Oleszek — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:21:45 -0500

Game Preview

No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) vs. No. 2 Florida Gators (12-1)

"With all due respect, those are two great programs, I don't think anybody can beat the Trojans."—USC coach Pete Carroll.

Life's tough Pete, get a helmet. Whether you like it or not, these are the two teams playing for the National Championship. This is the current system, and unfortunately college football fans have to live with it until something better comes along.

This is the first ever meeting between Florida and Oklahoma.

Florida wins the game if...

1) The Florida defensive front seven controls the Sooners' rushing offense.

Florida's defensive line rotation will need to eat up blocks up front, control the Sooners' offensive line, and allow the back seven to make plays. The Sooners' O-line isn't a very active line in terms of pulling and trapping on run plays. They drive block and zone block very well, which opens up huge cutback lanes on the second level of the defense.

Tying up the Sooners' O-line will allow Florida's fast linebackers to play downhill against the run, and with safety help from Major Wright, Ahmad Black, and Will Hill, the Gators' defense will stop the Sooners' rushing attack, which is averaging over 200 yards a game.

Florida held their own against Alabama in the SEC Championship, which is the best O-line they have faced all season. Oklahoma returns all five starters from a year ago.

2) Florida's playmakers protect the football.

For either team to win, you obviously must protect the football. This is more of an importance for Florida to hang on to the football and keep the Sooners offense off of the field.

Florida will try to get their playmakers into space with the football; Oklahoma gives up a lot of space. Then, Oklahoma's defense will hold up a runner with one defender and then let two or three more come and strip the ball away. They try to force turnovers, but they don't want to put pads on people.

3) Florida wins the three and out battle.

Oklahoma has had 18 drives this season of a minute or less, in addition to scoring 700+ points, winning their last six games while scoring 60 points or more, etc. With the exception of TCU, Oklahoma hasn't faced a better defense, at least statistically. Florida has much better personnel on defense than TCU, and they should be able to force Oklahoma into more three and out situations than Oklahoma is used to.

Florida will capitalize on this and use it to their advantage.

Florida loses the game if...

1) Sam Bradford has time to throw the football.

Florida's defense needs to pressure Sam Bradford effectively to get him and the rest of the Sooners offense out of a rhythm and then off the field. Texas' defensive ends pressured and harassed Bradford in the second half, combined for three sacks, and put him on the ground a number of times.

Florida has a decent pair of defensive ends of their own, including Carlos Dunlap, the SEC sacks leader. Oklahoma's tackles tend to play a little bit high in pass blocking, which make them vulnerable to edge rushing. Florida's rotation of defensive tackles will generate enough of a push to cave in the gaps between the center and guard, pressuring Bradford effectively.

2) Florida's offense becomes one-dimensional.

Florida must continue to spread the wealth on offense. Despite playing without their best player in the SEC Championship, Florida was still able to get the ball to all of their playmakers in order to win the game. Now that Percy Harvin will be back in the lineup, the offense cannot focus solely on him and Tim Tebow.

The offense must continue to utilize every weapon in the arsenal. This is especially important with the situation regarding the play calling for the Gators.

The X-factors will be...

1) Florida kick returner Brandon James vs. Oklahoma's special teams

Brandon James is one of the most dangerous kick returners in the nation, with four career return touchdowns. Oklahoma has allowed four kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, including the momentum turner against Texas. If Oklahoma kicks to him, it could be a long night for the Sooners.

2) Florida quarterback Tim Tebow

There aren't too many players in college football who can dictate a game on their own. There isn't anyone who can dictate a game this season like Tim Tebow has. The do-it-all quarterback has evolved from a freshman game-changer to a junior team leader who is playing like a man possessed.

Tim has lived up to the hype and finally delivered wins of meaning, and will add another one on Jan. 8.

3) The Heisman Effect

Sam Bradford is a very talented quarterback. He would not be the second sophomore to win the Heisman if he wasn't. The only thing is that with Heisman winners, the bowl game is either hit or miss, especially if there is a national championship on the line. Only four Heisman winners have ever won a national championship in the same season.

Something to think about...

The last time Florida played on Jan. 8, they beat No. 1 Ohio State 41-14 to win the National Championship.

Game Prediction: Florida 49, Oklahoma 24

Punch, Counterpunch: DeMarco Murray Out, Dan Mullen in for the BCS Championship

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:55:52 -0500

Earlier this month, the SEC Championship game was compared to one of the legendary Ali-Frazier fights. The BCS Championship hasn't quite hit that hype level yet, but it is starting to get there.

First, it was whether or not Oklahoma deserved to play in the Big 12 Championship. Then, it was whether or not Florida deserved to play for the BCS Championship. Awards season hit, and then it was Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow competing for various awards, with Bradford taking the Heisman Trophy.

Now, it will be the absence of Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray countered by the presence of Miss. State head coach/Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Both of these guys will add another X-factor to a football game already full of them.

There is no doubt that Murray will be missed. He is the Sooners' second-leading rusher and was a sufficient weapon in the passing game as well. With Murray out, most likely Mossis Madu will slide into the No. 2 running back slot behind Chris Brown.

Madu isn't the type of playmaker that Murray is, but he should provide enough of a relief whenever Brown comes out of the game. Oklahoma has a number of other playmakers that will pick up any slack, should there be any.

The absence of Murray should also be a wake-up call for the Florida defense. They cannot afford to slack now that they only have to deal with one 1,000-yard running back. Madu is good enough to start at most schools. Florida's defense should still prepare to face an outstanding offense.

Plus, Murray missed most of the Big 12 Championship, and both Brown and Madu gutted Missouri by going over 100 yards with three touchdowns apiece.

Florida Gators: The Players Who Made 2008

Michael Oleszek — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:42:18 -0500

The 2008 SEC Champion Florida Gators. Without these players, the SEC Championship and BCS would not be possible. There has been much said about the 2008 Gators. Some good, some bad. Some people feel that they should not be playing for there second BCS title in three years. The one word that defines them though, is the word TEAM. With special emphasis on the word 'team,' there has not been a better team in Florida football history. This team is a band of brothers that will do anything for one another and pick up the pieces whenever one of them falls.

Begin Slideshow

Percy Harvin: Florida's Perfect Weapon

Michael Oleszek — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:04:39 -0500

Percy Harvin.

The mention of his name alone can give defensive coordinators an ulcer. A nightmare matchup for defenders, this wide receiver/running back is the perfect weapon in Florida's spread option offense. When he gets his hands on the football, he becomes like the bullet in the movie Wanted, the one that is engraved with "goodbye." Goodbye as in, game over.

With the possible exception of Reggie Bush, there hasn't been a player this explosive in college football since Rocket Ismail was doing it all at Notre Dame. Percy Harvin can change the game at any time, whether he is on the field or not.

The Human Highlight Reel

Pick a play, any play, from Percy Harvin's career to define his ability, and the obvious ones always come up: the backbreaker run against Arkansas, the direct snap against Florida State—any of them will do. But there is one play that is not so obvious that truly defines him.

In the 2006 game at Auburn, late in the second quarter, Florida had a 1st-and-10 around midfield. The score was close, 10-8 in favor of Florida. Here is what happened next:

Harvin took the pitch from Chris Leak and hustled towards the right hash mark, where he was cut off by Auburn's defense for a one-yard loss—until Harvin broke the tackle, cut back against the grain, and went five yards deep in the backfield with seven Auburn defenders in pursuit.

He would have been stopped five yards deep by the safety that came flying in, but the safety whiffed badly due to a small juke, and Harvin was off to the races. He eventually was knocked out of bounds around the 10-yard line.

The Auburn game was the first real look at his explosiveness on the college level.

Missing in Action

If there is any knock on Percy Harvin at all, it's that he hasn't played a full season of football in the three years he has been at Florida. Problems with his ankles, heel, and a sinus infection have forced him to miss all of five games, and parts of others. None of the games he has missed were bigger than last week's SEC Championship Game.

Although Florida was undefeated in games without him, and remained so after the game, the impact of his departure was huge. This wasn't a game against Hawai'i or Florida Atlantic that he was missing. This was the SEC Championship, against No. 1 Alabama, for a chance to play for a BCS Championship. This wasn't a game to sit out.

Harvin's absence drew Florida together. Players stepped up and made plays. Before Saturday's game, the only thing David Nelson was known for was being called out on national TV by Regis Philbin for decommiting from Notre Dame. He caught a touchdown.

Riley Cooper and Louis Murphy made huge catches. Tim Tebow put the team on his shoulders and made good on his promise. Florida won a game of meaning without its best all-around player.

Back in the Saddle

On Jan. 8, Florida will play Oklahoma for the BCS National Championship. Florida could probably beat Oklahoma without Percy Harvin. They will beat Oklahoma with him in the lineup.

Oklahoma will have to account for him on every play, whether he lines up wide, in the slot, in the backfield, or as a quarterback. If Oklahoma doubles him as a receiver, it leaves someone open. Tim Tebow is deadly with open receivers. If they load the box to stop him in the backfield, it opens up play action. Hello, Aaron Hernandez.

If they decide to play him one on one, kiss the crystal ball goodbye. It won't even be close.

The Final Act?

Will Jan. 8 be the final time Percy Harvin puts on the No. 1 Florida jersey? Hard to say. If it is, this will be a chance to shine when the lights are brightest, on the biggest stage of the college football season. One last chance in a Gator uniform, with not playing in the SEC Championship game, could very well spell doom for the Sooners.

Creature Vs. Creature: A Gator On The SEC Championship

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:04:06 -0500

Game Preview

No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0) vs. No. 4 Florida Gators (11-1)

The magnitude of this game is pretty simple:

Win, and you're playing in Miami on January 8th.

Lose, and you're playing January 2nd in the Sugar Bowl.

This is old guard SEC and the new school mixing it up once again. These two teams have met the most in SEC Championship Games, and have provided some classics. With the staggering amount of young talent on these two squads, this will not be the last of the Florida-Alabama matchups to come in the next few years.

Florida wins the game if....

1.) They run the perimeter early in the game.

The strength of Alabama's team defense is their defensive line and how they control the line of scrimmage. Tackle Terrance Cody is a mammoth in the middle, so running right at the Alabama defense will be a problem early on. Florida runs its spread option offense very well to the outside by breaking containment of defenses, and often cutting back against the grain.

Running the ball along the perimeter early from sideline to sideline, will wear down the big defensive line to the point that by the 3rd and 4th quarter, Florida can start to work the middle of the defense and rip off some bigger chunks of yardage.

A huge key to running the ball outside for Florida is the downfield blocking of both the receivers and the offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is great at getting downfield and blocking in the secondary.

2.) They continue to answer the bell.

This Alabama team will be the toughest test the Gators will face all season. Both teams have led a bunch and have rarely trailed at all. Both teams have not had to face much adversity at all. Alabama won a game in overtime on the road, which is no small task. Florida lost a game at home to Ole Miss, a team that Alabama has beaten.

The adversity faced advantage though, goes to Florida. Two points:

The Ole Miss game

Yes, they lost. Florida trailed at three separate times in the game, and each time they came back to either tie the game, or take the lead; until the extra point that was blocked.

Following the Ole Miss game was the now famous promise by Tim Tebow, and a win over Arkansas, the season was still up in the air until:

The LSU game

Florida led the LSU game 20-0 with only 49 seconds left in the first half. Not too bad, until LSU answered with a touchdown drive before halftime, and then a 12 play, 80 yard touchdown drive to begin the second half.

LSU had seized the momentum of the game and sucked the life out of The Swamp. Any and all hopes for the rest of the season hinged on the Gators next drive, which they answered with a 67 yard touchdown drive, a three and out, and a 60 yard touchdown drive. Just like that, the lead was back to 20.

3.) The passing game is clicking.

Alabama's secondary really hasn't been tested at all this season. Rashad Johnson is their best defensive back, but the secondary can be thrown on. They did well against Matthew Stafford, and Jevan Snead is talented but is without surrounding talent like Stafford.

Tim Tebow has the best group of receivers to work with, regardless of whether Percy Harvin plays or not. Louis Murphy would start as a No. 1 WR at probably 100 other FBS schools and is their most consistent receiver. Riley Cooper and David Nelson have stepped up to make plays all season. Tight End Aaron Hernandez could be a major factor in the passing game.

Florida loses the game if....

1.) The defensive line gets manhandled up front.

The success of Alabama's team this season starts up front with their offensive line. Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell will be playing on Sundays in the near future. Florida's defensive line is banged up, but they will empty the bench on Saturday, rotating in as many guys as possible to play the two inside line positions. Alabama's line has struggled at times this season, and Florida's defensive line needs to play its best to stop Alabama's running game.

2.) They buy into the hype.

For weeks now; the media, fans, analysts, etc. have been saying how great Florida is. Urban Meyer calls the hype surrounding his team "Florida nonsense." Florida is widely predicted to beat Alabama. Only a few of the media have said that Alabama will win. Florida was a 10 and a half point favorite at one point.

People need to stop and think. Alabama is undefeated for a reason. They are No. 1 for a reason. Alabama can beat Florida for a reason. They are a damn good football team.

Alabama should not be taken lightly, and I feel that most people outside of the Florida football program are taking Alabama lightly. It will be a sad day if the Gators take Alabama lightly.

The X-factors will be....

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes

These two players are the heartbeat of the team. Both players are more mature, they have grown into better leaders, and the rest of the team feeds off of both of them. Brandon Spikes probably wouldn't be having the type of season he is without Tim Tebow, and vice versa. Tim Tebow has elevated his game, and Spikes has as well. Both can take over and become one man wrecking crews on their respective side of the football.

Something to think about....

In the three years that Percy Harvin has been a Florida Gator, Florida is undefeated (4-0) when he misses a game completely. Florida has won by an average margin of 48.5 -18.5.

Game Prediction - Florida 35, Alabama 17

To see what Alabama Crimson Tide superfan Tim Croley has to say, click here.

Florida-Florida State: The Gators look for 5 in a row.

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:43:06 -0500

Game Preview

No. 4 Florida vs. No. 20 Florida State

This rivalry game doesn’t carry the same type of weight it once did, but there are still national title implications involved. Florida has BCS title hopes at stake, while FSU does not. Florida is on a huge seven-game winning streak, while Florida State comes off of a big win at Maryland.

Florida wins the game if...

1) They land the first shot early.

Something needs to happen early to take the pro-FSU crowd out of it. Florida needs to make a big play in any phase of the game, whether it is a punt return, an early turnover, or even something as simple as a big hit.

This needs to happen, especially while playing on the road. Florida will have not played in an environment like this since the September trip to Tennessee, and with FSU a huge rival, the crowd will be a little bit more pumped up for this game.

The Gators have absolutely buried teams in every win this season when they land the first shot. In the 10 wins, the Gators have scored 281 points before the other team scores.

2) They force the game into Christian Ponder’s hands.

Coming into the season, Florida’s defense was the major question mark. That is not the case anymore. Florida has stepped up its defensive game to match the play of linebacker Brandon Spikes and is good enough to shut down the Seminoles offense. Slowing down Florida State’s running backs will put the game in Christian Ponder’s hands, which is not good news.

Ponder has been at both ends of the spectrum this season. At times, he has played like a seasoned quarterback—very calm and efficient. Other times, he has been an erratic thrower and has made poor decisions.

His mobility has helped him this year, and he is a threat to run the football. However, with the way the Gators are playing right now, they will make it a long day for Ponder. Florida’s secondary is too talented for Ponder to sneak anything by them, and too athletic for Ponder and FSU’s receivers to beat them straight up.

Florida loses the game if...

1) Florida State controls the tempo of the game.

Florida’s defensive line is banged up, and they will be without defensive tackle Matt Patchan. Florida State has the No. 1 total offense and scoring offense in the ACC, to go along with the No. 7 total defense in the NCAA.

Controlling the tempo against a Gator offense that has put 42 or more points on the board in six straight games will be tough, but they do have personnel to slow down the Gators.

Florida State’s offense isn’t particularly explosive, but they can put up points. A slower tempo would keep the ‘Noles out of a shootout, which the Seminoles would lose going up against Florida.

2) They are looking ahead to Alabama.

Looking ahead to a bigger game already burned the Gators earlier this season. They came off a road win at Tennessee and were looking ahead at a showdown with LSU. Ole Miss caught the Gators looking ahead—Florida played its worst game of the season and ultimately lost the game.

This has the potential to be an Ole Miss type of football game. Plus, it’s a rivalry game. Florida State is an athletic team, especially on defense. They have two mobile quarterbacks who can run the ball and a good but not great collection of skill players.

The X-factor will be...

Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer

With the exception of USC coach Pete Carroll, no other coach in the country can motivate a team like Urban Meyer. The only difference is that Meyer takes it to another level when playing a rival, and the record shows. He is a combined 10-1 against Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State, including three straight over FSU.

Final score prediction

Florida 41, Florida State 14

Tim Richmond: NASCAR's Forgotten Son

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:00:59 -0500

Yesterday seems as though it never existed.

Those lyrics, taken from the Metallica song Fade to Black, perfectly describe what is left of the career of former NASCAR driver Tim Richmond.

Largely forgotten by most casual NASCAR fans, and not known at all by the new generation, Tim Richmond holds a special place in the hearts of the most die-hard racing fans. The man people called "Hollywood" and compared to James Dean, is now nothing more than a memory.

Tim Richmond wasn't cut from the same cloth as his NASCAR peers: He was from Ohio and not the South, he attended a military academy instead of dropping out of high school, his father was a wealthy manufacturer of drilling equipment instead of a race car driver, and he cut his racing teeth in open-wheel racing instead of dirt tracks.

It was after a nasty wreck in open-wheel racing, that Tim Richmond began to race stock cars. His tremendous talent and tremendous ego made fans either love him or hate him. He was flamboyant and a showboat off the track and a terror on the track. Tim could race any line, at any speed, on any track.

The one thing Tim could do the most, was win. He could win anywhere, from road courses to 2-mile ovals at a time when NASCAR was purely racing and not the watered down version it is today. He drove for Raymond Beadle, leaving the car Rusty Wallace drove to a championship; and Rick Hendrick, providing the foundation of the Hendrick dynasty.

Tim's career would begin its rapid decline after the 1986 Winston Cup season. Amid swirlling rumors about drug use, Tim was diagnosed with AIDS. At the time, AIDS was still a taboo subject and little was known about the disease. It has been surmised that Tim Richmond contracted AIDS sexually from one of the many females he encountered during his racing career.

Tim managed to keep his diagnosis private, explaining his absence by telling people he had double pneumonia. He would regain enough strength to drive midway through the 1987 season, and Tim won his first two races since coming back. This would be the last success Tim Richmond had in a race car.

He was told not to race by NASCAR after only six more races in 1987, and he resigned from Hendrick Motorsports in deteriorating health.

Despite securing a ride with Ken Ragan for the 1988 Busch Clash, Tim would never see the track again. Persistent rumors of drug use allowed NASCAR to test Tim for drugs under their policy that they called "reasonable suspicion."

It was a modern day witch hunt designed solely for NASCAR to wash its hands of him. The NASCAR rulebook was and always will be a joke. The first test showed that he had tested for "banned substances," which virtually destroyed Tim. A second test, insisted on by Richmond, came back clean. Those "banned substances" were nothing more than common cold medicine.

Desperately wanting to repair the damage and restore what was left, Tim decided to sue NASCAR for reinstatement and damages. It sounded like a rock-solid case, but the NASCAR-friendly judge ruled that Tim Richmond and his doctors would have to fully disclose his medical records, tax statement, and drug screens in a full invasion of privacy.

The AIDS diagnosis Tim carried around with him, was the proverbial scarlet letter that still haunts his legacy-even today.

Faced with relasing this information into the iron fist of the France family, Tim was the bigger man and withdrew his lawsuit. He retired to virtual seclusion and died in August of 1989.

Although Tim Richmond was voted as one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, you never hear anyone associated with NASCAR speak of him. There is barely a blurb about him on their website. There was no No. 25 painted on tracks or doves released after his passing. There have been no moments of silence on Lap 25.

It's almost like he didn't even exist.

Talkin' Noise: Volume 2

Michael Oleszek — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:12:51 -0500

"On this episode of Michigan is 3-8...."

Could it get any worse for RichRod and the Wolverines? Yes it can, actually. That super-recruit, Terrelle Pryor, and his merry band of Buckeyes look to stomp Michigan and send them to a 3-9 season. Not too good for the coach who spurned lawsuits, threats, buyouts, and basically mortgaged the 2008 Michigan season on landing Terrelle Pryor.

Until Pryor signed with the hated Buckeyes. If Michigan wins on Saturday (which they won't), it will have cost the Wolverines a cool $1 million per win. That's bordering on New York Yankees-type money.

And, it may cost the Wolverines even more, if they can stop the rumored defection of players. Among those rumored to leave is YouTube superstar/running back Sam McGuffie.

"Going pro in something else..."

Good luck to Florida State safety Myron Rolle on Saturday. Not because the Seminoles are playing Maryland to stay in the ACC race, but because Rolle will be interviewing for a Rhodes Scholarship, and will miss at least the first half of the game.

For those who don't know what that is, it is a scholarship for international study and a pretty big deal in the academic world.

Some of the past people awarded one include: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Former NBA star and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, Former USC quarterback Pat Haden, and Former Colorado running back and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron "Whizzer" White.

Florida State can use this achievement; especially for a school with the academic/ football scandal still looming, an anthropology school located in a strip mall, and a curriculum that includes classes for joining the circus.

You would think that with the support of the Seminole Indian tribe of Florida, and the football team supporting them by wearing all-black uniforms, they would at least have classes in Casino Management.

"We're having another blackout." "What do you need, an F-ing nightlight?"

As I mentioned above, Florida State broke out the all-black uniforms again last week in support of the "Unconquered" state of the Seminole Indian tribe. They are one of the teams in college football that has all-black uniforms, despite black not being one of their primary colors.

Maryland and Louisville have all-black versions of their unis, and last week the University of Phil Knight...I mean Oregon, debuted their version with some awful duck/Kid Icarus wings on the jersey.

I hate to break it to these schools, but you're not meant to wear all-black. You're just not that badass enough to pull it off. Johnny Cash? For sure. Darth Vader? Yup. Elvis when he made his comeback in '68? You betcha. Dale Earnhardt? Absolutely.

"This ain't your daddy's wishbone."

Watching Miami get shredded by Georgia Tech's flexbone/triple option offense last night brought me a big amount of joy.

For years, the triple option offense was rendered virtually useless against the vaunted speed of various Miami Hurricane defenses. Even though Miami is rebuilding, there is plenty of talent and speed on that defense.

All of it went to waste last night in a flash of true triple option football. No other non-service academy is using the true triple option scheme. Granted, aspects of the spread option are used and based off of the flexbone/wishbone/triple option; but not to this extent.

If Paul Johnson and the rest of the Georgia Tech coaching staff can move the recruiting vacuum from Athens to Atlanta, they could run the ACC for years to come.

"The Immovable Object meets The Irresistible Force."

Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma.

A huge game with Big 12/BCS/National Title implications slapped into the middle of rivalry week. Two of the best teams and two of the best quarterbacks in the country will be on display in primetime on Saturday night.

For all of the people clamoring for a playoff (including me), this game boils down to a playoff game. The loser will be eliminated from the Big 12 and BCS contention.

Florida-Citadel: A Look into the Future

Michael Oleszek — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:44:18 -0500

Game Preview

This game will not be pretty. In fact, it will be downright ugly.

The game isn't even going to be televised on most cable packages because there are much better games to televise.

If other games on Florida's schedule are road bumps, this game with the Citadel amounts to the bug that gets smashed on your windshield. Florida will win the game without much effort, in what amounts to a glorified scrimmage, before next week's rivalry game with Florida State.

And, for those fans who complain about schools playing FCS teams, keep in mind that undefeated Texas Tech has played two FCS schools this season

Thank You, Seniors

Thank you to each and every senior Gator that will suit up for their last home game. Thank you for the 2006 SEC and National Championships. Go get another one. You will be missed.

What to Look Forward to in '09 and Beyond

The starters probably won't play more than a half, but here are some players you may not have seen that much this season who will get their first significant playing time:

John Brantley—Quarterback

Emmanual Moody—Running Back

Brandon Frazier—Wide Receiver

Cade Holliday—Wide Receiver

Deonte Thompson—Wide Receiver

Corey Hobbs—Offensive Line

James Wilson—Offensive Line

Will Hill—Safety

Justin Williams—Safety

Brandon Antwine—Defensive Tackle

Torrey Davis—Defensive Line

Jaye Howard—Defensive Tackle

Lorenzo Edwards—Linebacker

Game Prediction

Florida 77, Citadel 0

Keep Politicians Out of College Football

Michael Oleszek — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:15:50 -0500

"Eight teams. That would be three rounds to determine a national champion. It would add three extra weeks to the season. You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this."

"If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system."

—President-elect Barack Obama on the BCS

Those quotes, taken from the first interview since the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, deals with his view of the BCS and the lack of a college football playoff in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

I agree with him on the need for a playoff in college football, or at the very least a change to the current BCS system, and I am fully aware that Senator Obama hasn't even been sworn in as President yet, but I feel that he is way out of bounds on this issue.

I consider myself to be one of the 'serious college football fans' President-elect Obama referred to during the 60 Minutes interview.

As both an American citizen and a college football fan, there is a separation of the two, and the two are not be interchanged with one another.

Frankly, the United States of America has bigger problems for the Obama Administration to fix than the BCS. The credit crisis, mortgage crisis, gas crisis, bank bailouts, auto industry bailouts, health care, taxes, unemployment, the war in Iraq, and cleaning up the previous administration's mess should keep him busy longer than term limits allow.

The current BCS system has not been without controversy, and this year will be no exception. The amount of potential one-loss teams left at the end of the season could be staggering, and some of those teams will most definitely be shut out of the BCS.

It isn't particularly fair, but that is the system we have to live with, for now.

The BCS needs to be fixed by the NCAA, the league commissioners, university presidents, athletic directors, and NOT politicians.

Give us something better to debate about.

If politicians want something to do with sports—why don't they look into ESPN/ABC becoming a monopoly by buying the television rights to the BCS?

Or performance enhancing drugs?

There is plenty in this country that needs to be fixed, but not by Barack Obama.

The politics need to be kept out of college football.

Talkin' Noise: Volume 1

Michael Oleszek — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:31:38 -0500

"Upon further review..."

The SEC may or may not have the toughest conference this season, but what it does have is the worst officiating.

Not only does it have the best tackling official in the game, but it also has the worst replay officials since the Oregon/Oklahoma fiasco.

Saturday night in Nashville, Florida WR Percy Harvin scores a rushing touchdown to put the Gators up 34-0, right??? Wrong. Try to follow.

The ball broke the plane of the goalline. Touchdown.

The ball touched the goalline as Harvin went to the ground. Touchdown.

Harvin was down by contact after he scored. Touchdown.

Vanderbilt ripped the ball out after Harvin scored. Give him six.

Vanderbilt fell on the loose ball outside of the endzone after Harvin scored. Still a touchdown.

After viewing the replay, the officials still gave to Vanderbilt at the 20, and not at the two-yard line where they recovered the supposed 'fumble.'

Not that the touchdown would have mattered much anyway, but the officials took away a touchdown that was rightfully earned.

"Speaking of Nashville..."

Last night, I spent the majority of the evening killing time until Sons of Anarchy came on by watching the Country Music Awards.

Not a bad thing to watch considering the amount of smokin' hot female country singers there are in this world. But, they are mostly better to look at than listen to.

The guys aren't much better to listen to, either. George Strait was referred to as "The King." Too bad Elvis and Richard Petty already have that claim, so pick another name.

Watching the CMA's last night shows that there are no more badasses in country music anymore. No more 'shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die.' Steel drums have replaced steel guitars.

Country music? Which country? Jamaica?? Because it damn sure isn't the United States.

The only saving grace the CMA's had was the extremely short 'tribute' to Jerry Reed. For those of you who don't know who Jerry Reed was, he played 'Snowman' in the Smokey and the Bandit films. Still don't know?? Ok, he was the evil coach in The Waterboy.

Nashville was on a roll until last night. The Titans are undefeated, Vanderbilt was carrying the SEC torch for the state and not the Vols, and then they put out last night's show; which boiled down to an American Idol hack and some guy who'd like to check you for ticks. Go figure.

"You don't tug on Superman's cape...."

Eric Norwood, meet Geno Hayes; and Ricky Jean-Francois; and Demonte Bolden, and the guys from Miami and Georgia.

Learn from their examples. You just don't trash talk the Florida Gators, and especially not Tim Tebow. Do you not see what a motivated team this is?

So, you don't think that Florida will put up 40 points? How about 50 then? or 60?

Let me ask you this—Have you ever seen a child poke at a big dog with a stick?? It doesn't end well.

"My sincere apologies..."

To Penn State coach Joe Paterno. This should have been your swan song: A chance to ride off into the sunset with a National Championship. A chance to validate Penn State's existence in the Big Ten. A chance to validate the Big Ten, period. A redemption of sorts for missing out on that 1994 National Championship.

This year would have wiped out all the naysayers and the STATE PENN t-shirts, and those player arrests would be forgiven as long as you won.

But, I guess Coastal Carolina and Syracuse doesn't prepare you for life in the Big Ten, after all.

If the Season Ended Today: BCS Projections

Michael Oleszek — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:21:17 -0500

If the season ended today, the BCS landscape would look like this, given the current BCS standings and the current BCS arrangements.

Because the season is not over, conference title games have not been played, and this is purely speculation at this point. I am choosing conference champions based on BCS rankings.

The top two teams are given automatic berths in the BCS National Championship Game.

Alabama (BCS No. 1) vs. Texas Tech (BCS No. 2)

The champion of a BCS conference (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC) is guaranteed an automatic BCS bowl bid unless two other teams from their own conference finish No 1 and No. 2 in the final BCS rankings.

Doesn’t apply in this case.

The highest ranked champion of a non-BCS conference will receive an automatic berth if it is ranked in the top 12—Utah (MWC, BCS No. 7) and Boise State (WAC, BCS No. 9)—or ranked in the top 16 and higher than another BCS Conference champion.

Ball State (MAC, BCS No. 14)—Big East Champion Pitt is ranked No. 21.

A special case is made for independent Notre Dame, which receives an automatic berth if it finishes in the top eight.

Doesn’t apply in this case.

No more than two teams from any one conference may receive berths in BCS games.

Oklahoma, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Michigan State would be eliminated.

The third-ranked team will receive an automatic berth if it has not already received one, and if it is a member of a BCS Conference.

Texas (BCS No. 3) receives at-large bid.

If the third-ranked team did not require an at-large berth, then the fourth-ranked team will receive an automatic berth if it has not already received one, and if it is a member of a BCS Conference.

Florida (BCS No. 4) receives at-large bid, due to so-called "Kansas State Rule" which ensures that the No. 1-No. 4 BCS teams appear in a BCS Bowl.

The BCS Bowl Matchups would look like this.

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas Tech

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn State

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. at-large or Pittsburgh

Orange Bowl: North Carolina vs. at-large or Pittsburgh

Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. at-large or Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh would be assured of a BCS Bowl as Big East Champion.

Here is the reality.

Because Utah, Boise State, and Ball State would all automatically qualify for the BCS, someone would have to be left out.

There are 11 teams to fill 10 slots. You can't have 11 teams when only 10 are required.

This is why the BCS is so comical, and why we need a playoff in college football.

Florida-South Carolina: The Gators Take on the Ol' Ball Coach

Michael Oleszek — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:27:24 -0500

Game Preview: No. 4 Florida (8-1) vs. No. 25 South Carolina (7-3)

*BCS Rankings used.

Just like old times. "The Ol' Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier, will be prowling the sidelines in Gainesville Saturday, Florida will then face Alabama in the SEC championship game, and the Gators are in the middle of a winning streak that has seen them put up 30-plus-point wins over four SEC opponents.

Despite the nostalgia factor of Saturday's game, it really is 2008 and not 1996. Spurrier will be on the opposing sideline as head coach of the Gamecocks and the No. 1 defense in the SEC. The Gamecocks come into Gainesville looking to secure their first New Year's Day bowl bid since 2001.

South Carolina has beaten Florida once since joining the SEC in 1992, but did come very close in 2006. The 2006 game was a classic that came down to a final field goal by South Carolina. It was blocked by Jarvis Moss and the win propelled Florida to a BCS Championship.

Florida wins the game if...

1. It sticks to the "one game at a time" theme.

After every game this season, the pulse of the Gator Nation has looked ahead, and after every win the buzz from Gainesville is moving outward toward the rest of the country. Some people may call it "drinking the Kool-Aid," Urban Meyer calls it "Florida nonsense."

At this point in the season, the Ole Miss game seems like an aberration. Florida is playing as well as any team in the country, and it all comes from the head coach. Urban Meyer has this team focused on one priority every week, and that is the game in front of them. This team has been dialed in every week, and has a focused ruthlessness not seen since the Steve Spurrier era.

2. The "forgotten" players keep making plays.

Every college football fan with a pulse knows that the Gators' offense starts with the duo of Tebow and Harvin. Then it trickles down to Demps and Rainey. After those four players, you would have to be a serious follower of Florida football to know that on Saturday against Vanderbilt; Harvin had one touchdown, while Demps and Rainey didn't find the end zone. Louis Murphy, Riley Cooper, and David Nelson had more touchdowns Saturday than Rainey, Demps, and Harvin had combined.

Add in the touchdown that Percy Harvin had taken away due to a terrible and now highly controversial (Meyer is contacting the SEC offices) 'fumble' call by the officials when it was clear he broke the plane of the goalline, the non-overturn by the replay official, and they would still fall short.

Aside from maybe Southern Cal, there is not another team in America that could go up to 11 or 12 deep with players who can take it to the house at any point. Also, remember running back Emmanual Moody? He's finally getting healthy. He's carried the ball 14 times for 119 yards in the last two games, which averages to 8.5 yards a carry. Just another weapon to have for the run to the BCS.

Florida loses the game if...

The game is played ugly

IF, (and a big if) the Gators are turnover-prone, the game is low-scoring, there are missed opportunities in the red zone, they have sloppy execution, and there is a possible letdown now that the SEC East is clinched; the Gators lose this game.

South Carolina doesn't have the offensive weapons to get into a shootout with the Gators, (their leading receiver is tight end Jared Cook), so the Gamecocks will try to contain the Gator offense long enough that they can stay in the ball game. South Carolina's defense is statistically ranked as the best in the SEC, while their offense is sadly ranked 86th in the NCAA (seventh in the SEC), which is strange given the offensive nature of their head coach.

The X-Factor will be...

South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier

Even though he may be patrolling the opposing sidelines now, Steve Spurrier is still as much a part of the Gator football program now as he once was. He is living proof that the Gators had a football program before he was the coach. He was the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history, and later the coach who brought the first official SEC crown to Gainesville.

Not many people can say they put a football program on the map twice. Steve Spurrier made the Gators a decent regional team as a player, and then took them to a national level as a coach. His name is twice-displayed proudly in The Swamp; once as a Heisman winner and once in the Ring of Honor.

He is revered in Gainesville, and will be welcomed home on Saturday as Gainesville's favorite son. He is probably the only Gator who can give Tim Tebow a serious run for his money in terms of popularity right now.

Game Prediction: Florida 35, South Carolina 14

*A big thanks to Rusty Thompson and the boys at Gatortailgating.com for puting this article on their site.

Florida - Vanderbilt: How the Gators will clinch the SEC East

Michael Oleszek — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:58:00 -0500

Game Preview

Florida (7-1) vs. Vanderbilt (5-3): Florida is rolling right now, and slowly building BCS momentum.

Vanderbilt is on a three game losing skid after starting out undefeated.

Florida is on a four game tear through the middle of their schedule, which has featured wins over Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, and the most recent prison yard stomping over Georgia.

Florida is playing as well as any other team in the country right now, and looks to clinch its second SEC Championship appearance under Urban Meyer. The game is on national TV on ESPN2, with a sellout expected in Nashville for the 8 p.m. kickoff.

Vanderbilt has not beaten Florida since 1988, with 17 losses to Florida in between. Florida is undefeated when playing on ESPN2, with the last win coming in 2005 against Vanderbilt.

Florida will win the game if...

They take care of the football.

Vanderbilt lives and dies by the turnover. In order for Vanderbilt to win the game, they have to force turnovers and then capitalize. Vandy has forced 11 fumbles and recovered 5 to go along with 13 interceptions. Florida killed any hope of winning against Ole Miss by turning the ball over repeatedly, and cannot afford to turn the ball over like that on Saturday night.

They are patient on offense

Florida needs to develop a workman-like attitude on offense this week. This will be more so in the passing game. Vandy's secondary is one of the best in the nation, led by D.J. Moore; and will look to shut down any deep passing threats that Florida poses.

Underneath pass routes to slot receivers and tight ends, and a strong inside running game with Emmanuel Moody will bring up the safeties, where then Florida can try deeper routes and also catch the defense off guard with running plays along the perimeter.

The second half is where the talent and the depth chart will begin to payoff for Florida, and Vandy will fold under a barrage of scoring.

Florida will lose the game if...

Vanderbilt catches the Gators by surprise

Vanderbilt did start the season undefeated, and is the best team Bobby Johnson has had in Nashville. That includes the Jay Cutler-Earl Bennett team that gave Florida all it could handle in 2005.

Ole Miss caught Florida asleep at the wheel after a big Florida road win at Tennessee, and shredded the Gator defense with a few big plays from a couple of players.

Vandy boasts little in terms of offensive threats, but WR Sean Walker is coming off of a career day against Duke, accounting for the Commodores’ only Touchdown in a 10-7 loss.

Vandy gave Georgia all it could handle a few weeks ago on the road, and they will have a packed house, blackout crowd on hand to greet the Gators. Vandy is one game away from bowl eligibility and coach Bobby Johnson could be looking at a bigger coaching job after this season. They will be looking to make the most of this opportunity against a top-five opponent.

The X-factor will be…..

Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow

Since the Ole Miss game, and the impassioned speech that followed, Tim Tebow has ignited the Gators into a completely different team, and it shows. When you look at the first four games of this season, the Gators looked sloppy, out-of–sync, and were ultimately beatable.

Now look at them, and the Ole Miss game seems like it was the 2007 Gators instead of the 2008 version. The Gators have developed a ruthlessness that has touched everyone from the coaching staff down to the special teams players. The Gators are running roughshod over people, and it doesn’t look they’re stopping until they reach the BCS.

Final Score Prediction: Florida 41, Vanderbilt 7