Bleacher Report - Articles by Josh Bassett

Gators Return To Starkville, A Dark Period of My Past Resurfaces

Josh Bassett — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:49:29 -0400

As the No. 1 ranked Florida Gators get set to battle the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville this weekend, there are plenty of storylines to choose from.

Urban Meyer makes his first visit to Starkville, where he will face his long-time friend and assistant Dan Mullen.

All-American middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, along with both of the Gators' starting defensive tackles Jaye Howard and Lawrence Marsh are most likely out (as is Justin Trattou, who plays NT in Florida's 'Joker package'), causing some depth issues for the UF defense.

The Gators offense looks like, well, garbage right now.

I'm sure there are plenty of people writing about all those topics this week, but for me, the Gators' return to "The Dawg Pound" only serves to remind me of a period in my life where I felt lost and confused. Yes, I'm referring to none other than this exact day in history, five years ago. October 23, 2004.

I was a freshman in college, experiencing my first football season as a student. I went to all the games in The Swamp, and it was so much different than all the other times I came up to Gainesville for games as a high school student. But something was different this year, and its not just the amount of alcohol being consumed.

The 2004 season was an odd time for Florida football. Players were being arrested weekly, FireRonZook.com was in full force, and we were coming off an embarassing Outback Bowl loss to Iowa.

After easily dealing with the first opponent of the season, Eastern Michigan, on my birthday (which was a 12:00 game, the morning after my first college birthday experience. Talk about a serious hangover, and an omen for the season to come), in week 2 the Gators suffered defeat at the hands of Phil Fulmer and the Vols.

It was a particularly painful loss, as James Wilhoit booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired in Knoxville, and my friend proceeded to punch a hole in the wall.

After a ho-hum victory over Kentucky and a thrilling win over Matt Jones and the Razorbacks, I witnessed an even more painful loss, this time at the hands of the LSU Tigers.

This game was on ESPN at night and the campus was buzzing all week, hoping the we could get a big win to forget about the Vols loss. The Gators defense was dominating a young JaMarcus Russell, and even knocked him out of the game.

With a 21-7 lead and 1:39 to go in the first half, and LSU's backup quarterback in, things were looking up...but an LSU touchdown pass with nine seconds left before halftime really killed that momentum.

Second string quarterback Marcus Randall and the Tigers went on to score 10 points to our goose egg in the second half, leaving us with a bitter 24-21 loss.

The next game was against Middle Tennessee State University, which was mostly what you'd expect it to be. A blow out. But watching it live, it wasn't as convincing as to 52-16 final score might suggest.

It is worth noting, however, that mere days before MTSU, Ron Zook and some players confronted a frat house and tried to pick a fight. I mean, honestly. What is going on here?

This sets the stage for a game that caused me to feel such a way that I have never felt before.

October 23, 2004: Starkville, Mississippi.

This was a game that, by all accounts, the Gators should have dominated.

And yet, after taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the Bulldogs never once trailed in the game. Jerious Norwood gashed the Florida defense for 174 yards, and they could not seem to be able to stop Omar Connor...yeah, the unstoppable force that was...Omar Connor. The Gators kept up with the Bulldogs in scoring, but the entire game felt strange, as if we knew that we had no shot at winning that game.

I remember being in my friend's dorm room as the clock hit 00:00. I wasn't even mad, which was odd, because I normally get an fell and intense mixture of fury, rage, and depression after a loss.

No, instead, I was lying on the floor of a dorm room laughing uncontrollable and feeling slightly euphoric. I felt like I was in some sort of alternate universe. I feel like we just won, but in actuality, we just lost to the worst team in the Southeasten Conference, and one of the worst teams in the country.

What an embarrassing loss? I mean, that was incredibly awful. Even for a Zook-coached team. Needless to say, he was informed that he would not be returning for the next season.

After that, the rest of the season didn't mater. We lost to Georgia for the first time in 15 or so years, but it didn't really matter at that point.

It was a painful season, yet there was a silver lining. Everyday there was speculation on ESPN on who would be the next coach at UF. Steve Spurrier just got canned by the Redskins (Looking back, what Spur-Dog did with the Redskins is kind of impressive compared to the coaches that have followed) and everyone thought he would come back.

Some thought Mike Shanahan, and others some Urban Meyer guy. But he was going to Notre Dame, or was he?

As painful as the 2004 season might have been for Gator fans, that embarrassment in Starkville was a blessing in disguise.

Zook was gone, and enter Urban Meyer.

Two National Championships later...

What a difference five years can make?

Tebow Practices For First Time Since Concussion

Josh Bassett — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:44:44 -0400

Tim Tebow practiced full speed today in pads with the Florida's first-team offense. Over the last week-and-a-half, there has been speculation on whether or not the former Heisman winner will be cleared to play Saturday at No. 4 LSU.

While Tebow has not yet been cleared for playing in Baton Rouge, he took a major step in the right direction.

Should Tebow not be able to go, redshirt sophomore John Brantley will step in to replace him. The No. 1 Gators have a lot of confidence in Brantley, but he has yet to take any meaningful snaps in his college career. Brantley has been running with the first team in Tebow's absence, and the coaches say that he has a total grasp of the offense. Head coach Urban Meyer claims that the offense will not change much should Brantley be at the helm.

If Brantley is the man on Saturday, he will be making his first ever college start in one of the most hostile settings in college football. The Tigers are currently riding a 32-game winning streak in Tiger Stadium at night.

The Gators coaching staff is not going to rush Tebow into a hostile game situation. There are still a few more benchmarks that Tebow needs to pass before being allowed to play in a game, and more will be revealed throughout the week.

As of right now, I'd say there is a good chance that Tebow is going to start this weekend. Even if he does not play, I think that the Gators have enough talent to win this game and stay undefeated.

2009 Florida Gators Preview: Quarterbacks

Josh Bassett — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:19 -0400

Just as soon as it began, spring practice for the Florida Gators is all wrapped up. Injuries seemed to be the theme of the spring but, fortunately for Florida, the quarterbacks were able to stay healthy.

Considering Tim Tebow and John Brantley are the only QBs on scholarship for the Gators, keeping them healthy was assuredly the number one priority.

Tim Tebow.

What else do I need to say?

Tebow, who passed up the NFL Draft to return to the University of Florida for his senior year, is clearly going to be the best football player to take the field for any team this fall. Already being anointed as one of, if not the greatest college football players in history, Tebow is expected to be much improved in 2009.

The addition of Scot Loeffler to the coaching staff is huge for Tebow's development as a passer. The Gators' new QB Coach has been working with Tebow throughout the spring on tinkering here and there.

The one glaring knock on Tebow has been his throwing motion. Considering all the QBs Loeffler has sent to the NFL, most notably Tom Brady, he should have a good idea of what skills are needed to be successful on Sundays.

Loeffler has already said that Tebow has the skills necessary to become a successful quarterback in the NFL, but his minor adjustments can make enough of a difference to change the minds of the Mel Kiper, Jr.'s of the world (not that what they think matters anyways).

New England Patriots Head Coach and offensive genius, Bill Belichick, really likes what he sees in Tebow. I'll trust him over Kiper or Todd McShay.

We all know about Tim Tebow and his exploits, but lets take a look at the depth chart for the fall.

John Brantley III was a highly touted recruit out of Trinity Prep in Ocala, FL. Coached by former Florida quarterback, Kerwin Bell, he is the son of John Brantley Jr. and nephew of Scot Brantley, who both also played for the Gators. Last season, Brantley beat out dismissed, Cam Newton, for the backup role.

During several blowouts in 2008, Brantley took hold of the offense, but had trouble moving the ball. This spring has been a completely different story.

Whether it was the addition of Loeffler, finally being injury-free, or just growing after two seasons in the offense, Brantley is looking like the stud that Urban Meyer had expected when he recruited "Johnnie Brantley," as he likes to call him.

Brantley has impressed the crowds and coaches while performing at a very high level during spring practices and was particularly impressive during the Gators' Orange and Blue Game.

Brantley led the Orange team to a 31-21 victory over Tebow's Blue team and completed 12 of 18 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns.

Now I know, its just a spring game.

The starting defense was split up. Key starters did not play and Brantley had the better receivers. That does not diminish all that he has done this spring. In the fall, when he takes over in the second half of blowouts, look for the Gators to keep the ball moving and keep piling on the points.

Now, to the third-string.

He's not even on campus yet, but Jordan Reed of New London, CT is a monster.

He's been described as a hybrid of Jamarcus Russell and Ryan Perriloux. I don't know how much stock I can really put into those claims, but I do know that he has a rocket arm and at 6'3'', 230 lbs., he will be tough to take down.

Oh yeah, he runs a 4.5 forty.

So with Reed, the potential is there. Especially in Urban Meyer's offense. But, then again, he could just be a faster Cam Newton.

Each week I'll be taking a look at the 2009 Gators.

Next week: The Linebackers

Spring Football Begins For Defending National Champion Gators

Josh Bassett — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:45:56 -0400

It's that time of year again.

It has been less than three months since the Gators beat Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game, but already I have begun to wither away.

Recruiting battles and signing day gave me a quick fix, but even that left me wanting more. September, to me, is like Christmas to an eight-year-old.

Lane Kiffin even made me more excited. I was starting to get bored of thrashing Tennessee, but this year's beat-down will be savored.

Yes, it is spring football.

There are several things that I will be looking for this spring.

Tim Tebow's Growth as a Passer

New QB coach Scot Loeffler will be counted on to make Tim Tebow, already considered to be one of the great players in college football history, into a more complete quarterback.

Loeffler will presumably help Tebow improve as a pocket passer and subsequently as an NFL prospect. The Gators' new QB coach has coached NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Chad Henne, Drew Henson, and John Navarre, all at Michigan.

Loeffler has already gone on record as to say that Tim Tebow will be an NFL quarterback.

Who Will Play Tackle?

Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins are busy getting ready for the NFL Draft in April, leaving the tackle positions up for grabs.

Juniors Carl Johnson and Marcus Gilbert appear to be the front-runners, but don't count out sophomore Matt Patchan as a possibility if he can gain some weight.

Redshirt freshman David Young hasn't showed us anything due to injuries, so if he stays healthy we'll get to see what he has to offer. Early enrollee Jonotthan Harrison would also like to show off his abilities this spring.

Who Will Replace Percy Harvin (and Louis Murphy)?

As if that were even possible...

Andre Debose doesn't arrive in Gainesville until this summer, so for now the job will have to be done in committee like in the SEC Championship Game win against Alabama in which Harvin did not play.

David Nelson will look to break out this spring after having a promising close to the season. Riley Cooper also looks to become a go-to guy for Tebow.Look for transfer Carl Moore to fit more comfortably in the offense than last season.

Redshirt freshman Frankie Hammond Jr. could be the surprise of the spring. After sitting out last year, the speedster put on 20 lbs. of much needed muscle mass and could be a big contributor.

Also, look for sophomore Deonte Thompson to really come into his own and become a top contributor. How will Brandon James, Chris Rainey, and Jeff Demps be utilized in the passing game?

How Will the Offense Look After Losing Off. Coordinator Dan Mullen?

Mullen left for the head coaching job at Mississippi State (whatever man, it's your funeral). That means O-line coach Steve Addazio has been promoted to Offensive Coordinator, but overall, the offensive scheme should not change much since the offensive plays are called in a committee that includes Head Coach Urban Meyer, who obviously has the most influence.

All in all, I am very excited to see how this team evolves this year. We know what to expect from the defense, which returns all 11 starters and 21 of 22 from it's 2-deep.

Who will work their way to the starting lineup? Will Hill?

The offense is the big question of the spring, but with Tim Tebow at the helm, I am not terribly worried. I mean, the offense is returning seven of 11 starters, so they are in good shape.

Florida Basketball: Forget This Season; An Optimistic Preview To Next Year

Josh Bassett — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:27:23 -0400

Finally.

My nightmare that is the 08-09 UF Men's Basketball season is finally over.

After last season's embarrassing NIT, we were all lead to believe that the Gators had grown up and knew that it was going to take hard work to get where it was that they wanted to go.

The NCAA Tournament.

Well, this season has come and gone, ending with a loss to an average Penn State team in the quarter-finals of our second straight NIT in typical Gator fashion... lead in the beginnig, let them back in it, and then disapear for the last few minutes. It had its ups and downs. Chandler Parsons looking like he may actually be worthy of his scholarship with an outstanding effort against Vanderbilt in which he had 27 points and shot 7-8 from down town. But, then there was Georgia. An 88-86 loss to the Bulldogs in Athens was an embarrassment and gave the Dawg's their first conference win. I believe that is the game that cost us a tourney bid.

So I am not going to analyze the numbers of the season, it is too frustrating to look at all the stats to explain what went wrong. I think its safe to say that size and poor shot selection in the last eight or so minutes of games are the two things that really set this team back. I think it is safe to assume that the two are related also. Look, Alex Tyus is clearly talented, very much so in fact, but how many times have we seen him try to back down a center and toss up a wild hook? Too many for me to count. How many times has Dan Werner worn himself out before the end of the game because hes banging with guys 30 lbs. heavier than himself? How many times has Chandler Parsons been pushed around like a school girl by, well, everybody? Lack of size is obviously a problem on this squad. Everybody sucking wind at the end of a game means players are more prone to stupid fouls, no legs for the jumpers, and missed free throws. Is it any surprise that we have blown so many leads at the ends of games, and let teams run away with games that were close for the first thirty minutes?

Fortunately, I think that we have every reason to believe that next season the Gators will be a very much improved team. I am, of course, assuming that everyone is staying put, with the exception of Walter Hodge, who is graduating.

To me Vernon Macklin, a transfer from Georgetown, will be the key to Florida's success next season. Macklin, a 6'10'' 240lbs Forward, gives us a big body that will be able to handle the Center position, freeing Tyus to play PF and using his athletic ability much better against smaller defenders. Also allowing Parsons, Werner, Allan Chaney, Eloy Vargas and Adam Allen to produce more effectively as bench players going in against smaller guys, backups or tired starters. And let me just say, I am hard on Parsons, but the fact is his problem is he's not a Joakim Noah or a Corey Brewer. I have high expectations out of out SF/PF position. But get him running and playing on a full tank of gas he can be a very good bench player. He shoots the three... sort of... and I swear, he has had some of the nastiest put back slams I've ever seen. I think the addition of Macklin to the line up will free him to do much more of that. Macklin has had to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules, but should be very comfortable fitting in with the team since he has practiced with them all this season.

Incoming freshman Kenny Boynton could be the factor that takes this team from really good to great. An all-american, Boynton is the #2 ranked SG in the country according to Rivals.com. Alongside Calathes, he can be a scoring machine.

Next year, we could be one of the most talented teams out there. Wishful thinking? Possibly, but how does this lineup sound?

C- Vernon Macklin, F- Alex Tyus, G-Kenny Boynton, G- Erving Walker, G- Nick Calathes

don't like three guards? Put in Werner, Kadji, Ray Shipman, or Parsons... still looks pretty good to me.

Oh yeah, freshman C Deshawn Painter is supposed to be pretty good too, but who knows if he'll even get a chance to see the floor?

All in all, I think we have a legitimate shot to make some noise in the tourney next year. At the same time, I will be a little wary until I see them put it all together on the court, but the pieces are there, and I trust Billy Donovan to see to it that they fit.

Guess we won't know for sure until November.

Nick Calathes Gets Triple-Double, Florida Gators Turn in Second Straight Blowout

Josh Bassett — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:39:00 -0500

Just how good is this Florida Gators (18-3, 5-1) basketball team?

After whipping Vandy 94-69 in Nashville on Sunday (Jan. 25) and last night's (Jan. 28) game in Gainesville, where Florida beat up on the Georgia Bulldogs 83-57, the Gators look like they have rebounded well from the heartbreaking loss at South Carolina.

The Gamecocks won on a last second lay-up that came after Chandler Parsons bricked the first attempt of a one and one that, if both were made, would have most likely won the game. A second before that, Nick Calathes also wasted a one and one opportunity that could also have clinched the game.

When the team returned to Gainesville that night, Parsons and Calathes headed straight to the gym and shot free throws into the wee hours of the night.

It looks like that extra effort has paid off.

Parsons was having a tough time making anything all season, but the next game he blew up for 27 points against the Commodores, including going 7-8 from behind the arc.

Against Georgia, Calathes got his second career triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was actually pretty funny because, with about 9:30 left in the second half, I noticed that he already had a double-double and only needed three more assists. My girlfriend turned to me and asked, "Do you think he knows?" I said, "Probably, I'm sure someone on the bench has noticed...but who knows?"

Then, on the next Gator possession, Nick was practically begging for the ball. One time he actually passed to Dan Werner, who was open in the corner, and yelled at him to take the shot, which I would imagine was a clear indication that he knew (Werner did not take the shot, much to Calathes' chagrin).

After a few turnovers caused by Calathes trying to force assists, he finally got a big downcourt pass to an open Chandler Parsons for a huge slam to give him his 10th assist, giving him the third triple-double in Florida history and passing Corey Brewer, who owns the other one.

So back-to-back happy endings for the two former high school teammates who took the brunt of the blame for the Gators' lone SEC blemish (5-1) a week earlier.

But do these last two games really tell us anything?

Vanderbilt is 1-5 in conference play, and Georgia is 0-5. The combined conference record of the teams Florida has played so far is 9-23. The tough part of the Gators' schedule is coming up (@Tenn, vs. USC, and @ Kentucky). The coming weeks will give us an idea of whether or not this year's version is anything like last year's team, who had the same 18-3 record at this point in the season but finished 3-8, missing the Tournament.

The team has assuredly learned its lesson from last year, but the question remains if they are tough enough to control their fate this time around...

Bucs Make Gruden Walk the Plank

Josh Bassett — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:46:25 -0500

Over the last few years, I've been torn on how I feel about Jon Gruden. I love his work ethic, I think it is safe to say that he is one of the top three coaches in the NFL, if not No. 1, at preparing for a game. I love his fiery personality. I love how you could watch a game and see him drop seven F-bombs at the refs.

But, he has his flaws. His offense is very complicated, and leaves not room for error. But in a league where young, inexperienced players need to see the field due to the $$$ they are making, they cannot under Gruden. He will not allow it. He has a reputation for playing veterans over the young players, which is fine. However he doesn't seem to have the patience or desire to develop the young, raw talent.

The Buccaneers fired Jon Gruden Friday. I was sort of shocked, but not really. After starting 9-3 and looking like they had a legit shot at the Super Bowl, the Bucs finished 0-4, missing the playoffs for the fourth time in six years.

Was it Gruden's fault the Bucs finished 0-4?

I don't think so...First off, the defense was overwhelmingly bad three the last four games giving up 38 to the Panthers, 41 to the Chargers, and 31 to Oakland.

But I don't necessarily blame the defense either. Injuries to defensive lineman late in the season allowed teams to run the ball with ease. With no depth at D-line, the make-up of the team shows its flaws. Undersized lineman and linebackers cannot handle the extra load and a defense based on speed gets tired faster and is dead by the third quarter.

Just a side-note...the losing streak started right about the time that it came out that Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin would leave the Bucs to coach under his son Lane Kiffin an the University of Tennessee.

General manager Bruce Allen (who ran Warren Sapp and John Lynch out of town) was also fired. He never impressed me, and his one good draft pick, Cadillac Williams, looks like he may not be ready to go by the preseason...again. Maybe if he signed some back-up defensive lineman or quality back-up linebackers instead of seventeen old tight ends and eight quarterbacks then maybe things would have ended differently.

Now Raheem Morris will take over, becoming the NFL's youngest head coach at 32, alongside new GM Mark Dominik. There is still a lot of talent on this team, but a lot of questions too. A good draft is imperative, because it has been years since the Bucs have had one and there are a lot of aging veterans on the roster.

As the Buccaneers try to "right the ship," decisions will have to be made concerning Jeff Garcia, who will be turning 64 this year, the running back spot, and getting a reliable speed threat at receiver, as well as more depth on defense.

There has been a sizable portion of Bucs fans who have been calling for Gruden's head the last few years. They got what they have been asking for, but with so much change in the offseason, including breaking in a young, new coach that has absolutely zero experience leading a team (who will have quite a few players older than he is), I don't know how successful the Bucs can be next year.

BCS on ESPN Is a Conflict of Interest: How Will Execs Handle BCS Bashing?

Josh Bassett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:24:52 -0500

Every day you turn on ESPN, it is almost inevitable that someone, some way, is going to voice their "expert" opinion on why there should or should not be a playoff in college football.

ESPN is reportedly coughing up $125 million a year for the rights to broadcast the Bowl Championship Series games from 2011 through 2014, except the Rose Bowl, which ABC (the parent company of ESPN) holds under an older separate contract, which includes the 2014 National Championship game.

I am undecided on the whole playoff argument. Right now I'm a defender of the BCS because my Gators are on their way to their second BCS National Championship in three years. But if Penn State hadn't lost, maybe I'd feel differently. I would go for a four-team playoff. I am definitely against an eight-team playoff, however.

So with all these different objections to the current BCS system, how will ESPN react now that they are the BCS broadcasters?

Now let's think about this. We all know that ESPN is THE main source of sports news, information, and programming for most people in the country. What ESPN thinks is important, IS what's important. Do I like it? No, but that's the world we live in.

So with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line, I can't imagine that ESPN executives would be to terribly thrilled to see all of these TV personalities on every show like Mike & Mike, Around the Horn, and PTI talking ad nauseam about why the BCS is garbage and should be dismantled in favor of a playoff system.

If you don't believe in the power of the ESPN Information (Propaganda?) machine...look at the story of John Amaechi.

Now here's a guy who was a decent basketball player who played in the league for a couple years and had one kinda good year with Orlando in '99-00, where he averaged 10.5 points in just over 20 minutes a game. You wouldn't know it by the attention the "NBA Star" got from ESPN.

On Outside the Lines, Amaechi came out that he was gay...duh duh duh...

OK, great...good for you. It's a good story, I guess. But it's not a big deal. He was gay and played in the NBA...and was NOT a star by any means. That is newsworthy for about three days because there is no controversy. Give me a player who is gay and currently playing—now that is something that is worthy of a lot of buzz.

However, with ESPN pumping this story for weeks and asking every single NBA player past and present what their opinion was, something was bound to happen.

After weeks of boring "Yeah, that's cool" or "I'd be OK with that" comments, along comes Tim Hardaway...saying ignorant things about how he "hates gays."

Bingo! ESPN had hit the jackpot. This is exactly what they wanted out of the story, and they got it...along with weeks of bashing Hardaway and forcing out of him a half apology, if you could even call it that.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that."

But we all know you still do, Tim. Just don't say it.

The point is, ESPN executives manufacture stories. There is an agenda that is carried out.

So back to the topic of the BCS. The higher-ups at ESPN can and will have a say in what is being talked about on their network. That includes ESPN.com too. I would not at all be surprised if there is a big drop-off on BCS bashing.

If ESPN will fire Harold Reynolds for hugging people, then think what they'll do when Mike Golic defies the powers and goes on and on about the Division III football playoff system. He'll one day disappear to the land of the unknown...and hang out with Trev Alberts.

Maybe this is an overreaction, but with less people publicly pushing playoffs and submitting to the BCS and ESPN execs, the hope for any sort of reform becomes even more and more unlikely.

Then again...maybe it is some sort of sinister, yet genius plan to somehow sabotage the BCS through bad publicity and marketing tricks...like playing all the games on ESPN U or ESPN Deportes...

Everyone loves a good conspiracy.

Tim Tebow, Gators Blazing a Trail That Ends in Miami

Josh Bassett — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:52:04 -0500

At the beginning of the season, the Florida Gators had several goals that they wanted to accomplish by season's end. All the goals would be met if they could reach their ultimate goal...finish the season undefeated. By completing this goal, winning the SEC East Division, Going to Atlanta, and winning the SEC championship, and winning a national championship would all be inevitably checked off.

The first bump in the road happened when Ole Miss came into The Swamp and stole a game from the Gators. Sloppy play on offense led to three turnovers that gave the Rebels the ball in UF territory. Then a blocked extra point cost the Gators their undefeated season.

After the game, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow gave an emotional speech in which he promised that there will not be a more hard-working player in the country than himself, or a more motivated team than his.

But the next game against lowly Arkansas had the looks of another possible upset for the Gators.

That's when it happened.

The Razorbacks brought the game within 10 points, and, after a late third-quarter Tebow interception, fans were thinking, "uh oh, here we go again." But after a quick defensive stop, the Gator offense came onto the field with the look of determination that had been missing up to this point.

A seven-play, 83-yard drive, capped by a picture-perfect Tebow-to-Percy Harvin touchdown pass is what resulted, making the score 24-7. The Gators added two more scores to win, 38-7.

You could say that from the fourth quarter of the Arkansas game, this has been the team that Tebow promised after the Ole Miss loss, and the team the Gator Nation had expected to see from the beginning of the season. UF has outscored its opponents by a 226-50 margin since. It's even more impressive if you consider two things:

Thirty of the 50 points were scored when the Gators' first-teamers were on the bench already
The teams they did it against were:

LSU: The Gators administered a beatdown to the tune of 51-21 to the defending national champs.
Georgia: The preseason No. 1 Dawgs looked like puppies after a 49-10 thrashing, avenging last year's stomp party.
Kentucky: Coming into the game, the Wildcats had the top-scoring defense in the SEC. That is, until they gave up 63 to the Gators.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores had not given up more than 24 points this season until Florida scored 42 with ease; in fact, the backups came in with a 42-0 lead halfway through the third quarter.

Assuming Florida continues to play focused, it will roll over South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida State, and Alabama in the SEC championship. The 2008 season will almost assuredly end with the Gators and the (Red Raiders, Longhorns, or Sooners) battling it out for the national championship.

2008 MLB All-Rookie Team

Josh Bassett — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:21:03 -0500

ln a year that showcased a rather deep rookie class, it would be a disservice to only acknowledge the top rookie of both leagues. Therefore, I bring you my 2008 All-Rookie Team, composed of rookies from both the American and National Leagues.

SP—Armando Galarraga (Det)—The starting pitcher spot was the most difficult to decide on. The Braves' Jair Jurrjens and Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda were not far behind, but with a 13-7 record and opponents hitting only .226, Galarraga was a notch above the rest. His 13 wins led all rookies, and it's definitely worth noting that he led his team as well, which was more wins than Justin Verlander, Kenny Rodgers, Dontrelle Willis, and Jeremy Bonderman. Also, his 126 strikeouts leads all AL rookies.
C—Geovanny Soto (ChC)—Maybe the best power-hitting catcher since Mike Piazza, Soto was the first rookie to ever start at catcher for the National League in the All-Star Game. His 23 home runs while hitting .285 were good, but his rookie-leading 86 RBI, 35 two-baggers and 60 extra-base hits make him a favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year.
1B—Joey Votto (Cin)—Coming into spring training, Votto was on a lot of people's short list to be the top NL Rookie. At season's end, he has a shot to be the upset winner. Batting .297 with 24 homers, he's near the top of all the power-hitting statistical categories. With 11 errors at first base, he's pretty good with the glove, but not great.
2B—Alexei Ramirez (CWS)—With 21 home runs, "The Cuban Missile" has excellent power for a second basemen. He also holds the major league record for most grand slams in a season by a rookie, and is tied for the big league record with four. The fourth slam came in an 8-2 win over Detroit in the last game of the season to clinch a one-game playoff with the Twins.
SS—Mike Aviles (KC)—Playing in Kansas City, a lot of people may not have heard of him, but keep the name in the back of your head...because, in a few years, he'll be playing for a contender (any team not named the Royals). Aviles had the highest batting average of any rookie (with at least 145 at bats).
3B—Evan Longoria (TB)—Is there a more complete player in this rookie class? Not only did Longoria hit 27 homers in only 122 games (leading all rookies), but he shined defensively, too, consistently making big plays with his glove.
OF—Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos)—Although it feels like Ellsbury has been around for a while, this was his first full season. He was an essential part of the Red Sox 2007 World Series Championship team and built on that performance this year by hitting .280 and leading all rookies with 98 runs scored and 50 stolen bases.
OF—Jay Bruce (Cin)—Bruce probably had the hottest start of this rookie class. In his first week after being called up, he already had three home runs, nine singles, three doubles, and six walks while hitting .577 (15-of-26). He cooled off as the season rolled on, but was still a solid contributor for the Reds with a .251 average and 21 homers.
OF—David Murphy (Tex)—This Texas native must be feeling at home in Arlington because he was leading AL rookies in RBI with 76 when he went on the DL on Aug. 7 and did not return. He finished with 15 home runs, 28 doubles, and a .275 batting average.

RP—Joey Devine (Oak)—In 45.2 innings pitched, Devine struck out 49 and allowed only three earned runs to give him a major league-leading (minimum 40 innings pitched) 0.59 ERA, en route to a 6-1 record for the A's.

The Winners

NL Rookie of the Year

Geovany Soto seems to be the clear favorite this year. His numbers are near the top of a lot of categories all while leading a Cubs pitching staff to a division title.

AL Rookie of the Year

In my opinion, Evan Longoria beats out Alexei Ramirez for the award because of his stellar defensive play, making him a mainstay on "Web Gems" on Baseball Tonight. Helping the Rays win the AL Championship probably seals the deal.

The "M-E" In Team

Josh Bassett — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:18:47 -0500

The trademark of Billy Donovan's two-time National Championship team has undeniably been team basketball. That team concept is apparently not quite getting through to everyone these days.

Enter Jai Lucas, starting Gator point guard, and son of former NBA star and coach John Lucas. He is leaving UF after a productive freshman season last year in which he started all 36 games averaging 8.5 points and 2.8 assists a game in a season where not much was expected from the team who started three freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior. He will not play any games this season, and is going to be transferring at the end of this semester. He has not made any decisions about where he is going to play next year, but may be headed somewhere closer to his home near Houston, Texas. There are no personality clashes, nor lack of playing time, and by all accounts, he has enjoyed his time in Gainesville... nobody saw this one coming. He looked like such a nice guy too, like a little kid having fun playing ball.

So what's the deal Jai?

It seems here that Lucas wants to handle the ball. He's not comfortable playing off ball. Whatever. Sounds more like "I want to run the team, I am the NBA star's son, I am supposed to be the man."

But with Nick Calathes getting a lot of time running point while Jai is left shooting spot up three's.

“I just think we were going in different directions.” Lucas said. “I have no regrets about it. The coaching staff, the players, the school, were great. I had a great time while I was here. I just wanted something else.”

So basically, what you're saying is everything was awesome, except I didn't get what I want. I mean, that's fine, its your life, you could've gone anywhere to play. But guess what, you are still an underclassman with three years of eligibility left. You do whats asked of you, play hard and things will work themselves out. If you truly care about the team you would suck it up and share the ball...

Unfortunately, you were concerned with your NBA future more than anything and now you've wasted everyone's time and set the team back a year. With no established pure point guard, the Gators will have to make do this season. While the focus was going to be on developing the young front court, we now have a team with a bunch of SF's, freshmen, and Walter Hodge.

I've never been that upset with players transferring... They usually just want to play because they've been stuck on the bench for a few years, and if they can get floortime somewhere, more power to them. Look at Mohamed Abukar and Ryan Appleby.. the went on to have respectable careers at SDSU and Washington.

But this is different—plain selfishness is the way that I see it.

“He didn’t feel like it was the best fit at that point for him,” Donovan said. “We were using him a little bit off the ball with Nick back there and I don’t think he was mad about that, but I don’t know if (he wanted) to play over there that much. I think on any team there’s a little bit of give and take by everybody."

I didn't see any give on the part of Jai Lucas, and now he's gone... good riddance.