Bleacher Report - Florida Gators Football

Florida Gators' March To Atlanta and Their Season of Dread

Tom Kessler — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:42:33 -0500

The feeling of dread is almost unbearable.

Florida is perfect this season, while playing imperfect ball. The wins haven’t been pretty enough. The offense isn’t sexy. Defense is the star of the show...but defense just ain’t sexy.

As each week unfolds, expectations have grown...but the potential for disappointment grows, too.

This game with...whoever Florida plays on Saturday is just a distraction. An afterthought disturbing the anticipation/angst at what looms.

Florida State!

Alabama!

National Championship game?

Make no mistake. Florida vs Florida State is a series rooted in major upsets. With the close games Florida is playing this year, FSU could surprise.

Alabama has impressed this year. With a new QB, Nick Saban has done a tremendous job and ‘Bama is very dangerous. Florida vs Bama is already an instant classic...as long as Florida disposes of FSU, and Bama beats Auburn...it will be a game for the ages. But Auburn could surprise, as that is a series rooted in major upsets.

FI WHO?

There are articles out this week dissecting Florida’s keys to a victory over FIU at the Swamp on Saturday.

Serious missives written talking about turnovers, field position, positional match-ups, play calling and special teams. The articles miss the most obvious point.

To beat FIU, Florida just has to show up. They can’t sustain any injuries on their walk into the stadium.

How is master motivator Urban Meyer possibly going to be able to convince his team to take this weeks opponent seriously? Can we forgive 18-21 year old men if they play a lackluster game on Saturday? The pregame speech should be realistic, “Gentlemen, just go out there and don’t get hurt. Save yourself for the FSU game, we want to beat Bobby Bowden in the last game he coaches in this rivalry."

Expect a vanilla offense and defense, with plenty of substitutions and Florida’s third string players seeing significant playing time.

Forgive the team if they don’t look particularly sharp, this is after all...a bye-week.

There are only four more games with Tim Tebow wearing Orange and Blue. Enjoy every one of them.

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Who Needs Offense?: For the Florida Gators, Defense Is All That Matters

Viresh Patel — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:04:06 -0500

The Florida Gators have now won 20 games in a row. Let me repeat: 20 games in a row.

The Gators' last loss was Sept. 27, 2008. That is ridiculous. Why this team catches so much heat is unreal.

Yes, I understand their offense is not what it once was. Their red-zone touchdown percentage is horrible. But they win games. Winning a game ugly is still winning.

Would Gator fans rather have the offense put up 40 points and lose? I don't think so.

Everyone is waiting for this offense to start clicking. Guess what? It's not gonna happen. Would you rather have your team win five games in a row by 30 points, or would you rather have your team win 20 in a row by a mere field goal each game?

Experts and fans alike need to come to terms with the fact that this offense is not great. The Gator offense is not explosive. The Gator offense is not going to do anything spectacular. The Gator offense is not anything special.

So what? Get over it.

The Gator defense is better now than it was in 2006. This Gator defense is better than it was last year. Everybody is so worried about the offense, we've all overlooked the best defense in the nation. This team puts itself in a position to allow the defense to win games.

On 4th-and-2, on their own 28, with a minute and a half left in the game, make no mistake—the Gators are punting. They will put it on their defense to win the game. Why everyone is talking about their offense is unbelievable.

Last year, everyone seemed to talk about the Oklahoma Sooners' record-breaking offense. The Sooners offense put up 712 points on the season, averaging 54.7 points per game. They ended their season by putting up over 60 points in each of their final five games.

Their Heisman-winning quarterback threw for 4,800 yards and 48 touchdowns to just six interceptions. They had two running backs put up over 1,000 yards of offense.

How could anyone stop a record breaking offense like this? The rest is history. Florida held Oklahoma to a mere 14 points in the BCS championship game. In that game, the Gators did not put up eye-popping numbers on offense. Their defense won the game.

With that said, stop waiting for this offense to all of the sudden become explosive. Let's face it, the Gator offense is not that good, and it is not going to get much better. But the Gator defense is great. It is everything you could want in a defense. It wins games, and it does not allow teams to get into the end zone.

Throughout the history of college football, many things have changed. Teams have risen and fallen. Quarterbacks have come and gone. Running backs have gotten bigger and faster. Records have been broken.

One thing remains the same, though.

Defense wins championships.

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College Football: 2009 SEC All-Defensive Team

Justin Hokanson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:56:43 -0500

Most regard the SEC as the best conference in America, and what has always made the SEC so tough a conference is the defense that is played in this league every week of the fall.

The league’s defenses are built on speed and depth more than anything and that’s no different in 2009.

Glenn Dorsey, Patrick Willis, Demeco Ryans, and Laron Landry are just a few of the names that have been All-American's from the SEC and are now playing in the NFL.

Who will be the next great SEC defender to join them in the ranks of the nation's elite?

Here's my SEC All-Defense team for 2009. With teams playing multiple defenses these days, there is an extra linebacker and I went with the four best defensive linemen, regardless of tackle or end.

Terrence Cody, Defensive Tackle

Alabama

Also known as "Mount Cody", it's no coincidence that Alabama's defense went to an elite level last year with the arrival of Cody, and it's stayed that way in 2009. Cody isn't going to rack up lots of tackles and sacks, but he's a guy that demands a double-team almost every snap. Listed at 365 pounds, he is one of the most dominant tackles in college football.

Jermaine Cunningham, Defensive End

Florida

Cunningham helps form the Gators dynamic duo of bookends better than anyone in the country. Likely a first round draft pick, Cunningham is second in the league in sacks with seven, and his 11.5 tackles for a loss is good for third in the league.

Carlos Dunlap, Defensive End

Florida

Dunlap makes up the other end of the great duo at Florida. He has freakish size and athletic ability, and may even end up being a top ten NFL draft pick because of his potential. Dunlap has six sacks and another eight tackles for loss on the season.

Antonio Coleman, Defensive End

Auburn

Coleman returned for his senior season to end his career on a good note and improve his draft stock; he's seemed to do both. Coleman was injured the first part of the season, but since getting healthy he's been one of the best players in the league, leading the SEC in sacks with 7.5 and tackles for loss with 13.5.

Rolando McClain, Linebacker

Alabama

If there is a smarter player in college football, you will be hard-pressed to find him. McClain is the leader of a swarming defense and many think McClain is like having another set of Nick Saban eyes on the field. McClain has racked up 76 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss this season.

Eric Norwood, Linebacker

South Carolina

Norwood was a somewhat underrated recruit out of high school, but he's not overlooked anymore. He’s versatile enough to play end or linebacker and will make some NFL team very happy in the 3-4 scheme. The senior has 66 tackles, seven sacks, and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Rennie Curran, Linebacker

Georgia

In a word: missile. Curran, a junior, is a bit undersized but can really run and when he hits you, you tend to go backwards. The speedy linebacker has 94 tackles on the season, including six tackles for loss.

Brandon Spikes, Linebacker

Florida

Spikes' "eye gouge" aside, he's still one of the best players on defense in the SEC. A unique combination of size and speed similar to McClain, Spikes leads a defense that can flat shut you down. Spikes has missed a few games but still has 45 tackles, three sacks, and five tackles for loss on the season.

Joe Haden, Cornerback

Florida

There may not be a better corner in the nation than Haden. He can run, cover, hit, really do it all and many project Haden to be a top ten draft pick. Haden has nine pass breakups, three interceptions, and an impressive 55 tackles from his corner position.

Patrick Peterson, Cornerback

LSU

Peterson is only a sophomore, but his talent is undeniable. After LSU's game at Alabama, I heard a college football analyst say Peterson may have been the best defender on the field. He has a great combination of size and speed that's helped him register 33 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and two interceptions on the season.

Eric Berry, Safety

Tennessee

Was there an easier choice than this? Probably not. Berry has been spectacular since he was an SEC freshman in this league and this year teams finally realized not to throw his way as Berry only has two interceptions on the season, but has still racked up 70 tackles. Berry will likely be a top five draft pick.

Mark Barron, Safety

Alabama

The only other sophomore on the team along with Peterson, Barron has really emerged as a playmaking safety on the Alabama defense. Barron is a big, physical safety with great athletic ability. His six interceptions are league leading, and has 60 tackles and nine pass breakups to along with them.

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Urban Meyer's Decision: Remain a Florida Gator or Return to Notre Dame?

James Walker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:32:45 -0500

Now that Charlie Weis has most likely sealed his fate with another mediocre season, the annual rumor mill that has Urban Meyer returning to South Bend is cranking back up.

Before the 2009 season began, Coach Meyer said point-blank that he was not going to leave Florida to take the Notre Dame job if it became available.

Nevertheless, the talk continues, and here is my take on why it makes no sense for Meyer to leave Gainesville for South Bend.

First, Florida is in the top-five of all college football programs, and Urban Meyer has done the impossible by becoming the fan-favorite so soon after Steve Spurrier's departure. The OBC is a beloved figure in Gator lore, but Urban Meyer is the reigning king.

Second, Gainesville is in the epicenter of a recruiting mecca. Florida has always had access to recruits throughout their talent-rich state, but now Florida's reach has extended north and west in other areas of the country.

Notre Dame is still a household name all over the country, but the Irish mystique is not what it was in the 20th century.

Third, the Florida Gators team is almost the weekly showcase on CBS at 3:30pm ET, and if not on CBS, ESPN or one of its networks will pick up their game. Yes, Notre Dame has their own network in NBC, but again, the Florida Gators gets plenty of air time.

Fourth, the Florida Gators are on top of the SEC world, and the SEC is the most respected conference in college football. Notre Dame, on the other hand, is sometimes frowned upon for being their own "conference" and given their own position in the BCS.

Winning and competing in the SEC is much more rewarding, and so far Coach Meyer has done just fine.

Lastly, Coach Meyer has nothing more to prove. Wherever he has gone, he has created a winning program. Why would he risk his reputation and possibly fail in South Bend?

Yes, he may be driven to prove that he could bring the Irish back to the top, but he knows he can continue to win in Gainesville.

Sorry Irish fan, but look elsewhere for Weis' replacement. Urban Meyer has a powerhouse in Gainesville, and the Florida Gators will do whatever it takes to keep him happy.

Remember, he just received another raise, and surely if he brings another national championship back to Gainesville, he will most likely be rewarded once again.

One day, Urban Meyer may decide to head north to Notre Dame, but not now. Touchdown Jesus will stare down upon another head coach while Coach Urban Meyer continues his winning ways with Florida in the SEC.

Besides, everyone knows that God is a Florida Gator: He made the sun orange and the sky blue.

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Can You Remember the Florida Gators' Last 10 Losses?

Josh Sherhag — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:15:34 -0500

It has been a long time since the last Florida Gator loss. I thought it would be entertaining to see if you could remember the last ten losses. I couldn't do it, but I looked them up and it sent me right down depressing memory lane. It's important to remember these moments in order to not repeat them as a history teacher might say.

Begin Slideshow

Florida-FIU: Will a Late Season Patsy Hurt the Gators' BCS Standing?

James Walker — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:08:50 -0500

The Gator Nation has succumbed to a dry, mediocre, and sometimes boring undefeated 2009 college football season.

The Gators have marched undefeated through their SEC schedule, South Carolina being the last team to fall victim, led by the OBC himself, Steve Spurrier.

The regular season always ends with the Gators' annual matchup with FSU, and this season's game will feature Tim Tebow's last home game as a Gator and possibly Bobby Bowden's final game as head coach of FSU.

But before we are treated to that potentially historic event, there is one game that the Gators must host in The Swamp the week before.

FIU—the Florida International University Golden Panthers.

You know, the school that hired NBA great Isiah Thomas (OK, I had to take a jab at the President of FIU, whatever his name is) to coach their basketball team. The school that was involved in that ridiculous bench-clearing brawl during a football game against the "U" back in 2006.

Yes, that FIU, and the Gator Nation is thrilled to host them this weekend.

Seriously, when will the Gators start scheduling more respectable opponents that are outside the SEC? Sure, there are the arguments of the tough SEC schedule that the Gators face every season and the need to schedule schools that will play in The Swamp without needing a return engagement at their place for financial reasons. But enough is enough.

Will it damage Florida's BCS standing regardless of the outcome of the game? If the Gators were to be upset by FIU, it would without a doubt end their hopes of winning the national championship. If and when they defeat FIU, will it require an annihilation to impress the computers and voters?

I, for one, think it's time to punish teams that schedule doormats in order to increase cash flow and/or guarantee a victory. I understand that the smaller schools need the money for their programs, but there should be minimum requirements put in place to ensure each team's opponent is worthy of being on the schedule.

The Gators have already played Charleston Southern and Troy, and the third cream puff of the 2009 season is coming to town this weekend. Please wake me when it's over.

Gator fan, if you enjoy watching another boring and mundane game, feel free to reach out to your local cable operator to purchase the game on Pay-Per-View. I, on the other hand, will spend time with my family and get some chores done around the house instead.

OK, I'll probably listen to the game on Sirius or a local AM broadcast. But I refuse to help fill the coffers of the UF Athletic Department and will not pay one cent to witness this weekend's carnage.

Jeremy Foley, do the right thing and schedule more appropriate games, please?

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Florida Gators Walk a Fine Line with FIU

Jay Hendry — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:32:55 -0500

While most of the FBS schools are locked up in conference matchups this week, the No. 1 Florida Gators and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide are scrimmaging.

No, the teams didn't schedule their bye week late, though it feels that way. Both teams are playing pathetic opponents, which will be rolled handily, setting up the top two's respective Thanksgiving weekend rivalry games.

Since the addition of the totally worthless 12th game, Florida has scheduled a week 11 cupcake (week 11 weak one?).

The pattern is not a coincidence; it is all part of Urban Meyer's plan. Take a look; since 2006, the schedule has followed this pattern: Cupcake, Cupcake, SEC x8 (bye week somewhere in here), Cupcake, FSU.

Alabama doesn't follow a pattern like the Gators, other than scheduling a couple of totally crap teams every year.

So why the strict schedule? Has Meyer found some secret formula for success?

Maybe he has.

During Steve Spurrier's tenure, he often put the bye week before Georgia. Back then, Florida only scheduled two cupcakes a year (FSU always eats up one non–conference game), so a bye seven weeks into the season broke it up nicely.

Now, Meyer can schedule three weak teams. This gives Florida the traditional two-game tune-up prior to SEC play, a bye week during SEC play, the rest of the SEC season, then a terrible team, and then FSU (currently known as another terrible team).

This smart scheduling effectively gives the Gators the luxury of having a preseason and two bye weeks during the season, a huge advantage in the battle against fatigue and injuries when a team is trying to run the table.

However, there are a few concerns with playing what amounts to a late season goof-off game (outside of the fact that the Gators play three games a year that nobody wants to watch).

Rhythm

The whole point of this game is to iron out whatever kinks 10 weeks of football have put in the team's play. Also, Urban wants his starters to get out of the game early. This serves the bye week function of the cupcake game, but it can disrupt a team's timing.

Right now, it doesn't seem that the Gators' offense can get any more erratic. All day they move the ball, but then they get inside of the red zone and transform into the Cleveland Browns. It's embarrassing, really.

Meyer and Steve Addazio will focus on spreading the spread out against FIU and scoring lots of points. The target for the week is probably "beat the spread," but the Gators must be careful in how they go about getting all of those points.

What the Gators don't need is to run stupid plays that won't work in the Gators' next three games.

A triple-option reverse pass to Tim Tebow out of the wildcat will look awesome, and it will probably go for a touchdown against the overmatched Panthers, but realistically, FSU, Alabama, and whoever the Gators get in the bowl season won't fall for something so ridiculous.

A play like that against FIU serves no purpose other than maybe getting on SportsCenter's Top 10. What the Gators need to focus on is getting the ball to receivers on real plays and seeing if Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, and Co. still have a pulse.

By going too gimmicky against FIU and winning on athleticism instead of execution, the Gators can actually hurt their already poor rhythm, leaving the team worse off following all-you-can-crush cupcake day.

Basically, a 45–10 victory by running a more open version of the offense the Gators have run so far (i.e. lots of passing) is better than running the A-11 offense for one game and winning by 90.

Balancing reps with rest

The Gators can also hurt themselves by taking the starters out too soon. If Tebow only gets two or three passes, the FIU game is worthless. If the defense is taken out after the first quarter, the Gators are better off scheduling Texas. The coaches must give the starters get enough reps to justify the game setting and to keep the rust off this late in the season.

Conversely, they can't have someone go down against FIU. Charles Barkley thinks that's a knucklehead move, and depending on who it is (Tebow, Joe Haden, Brandon Spikes), it may cost UF a shot at the national championship.

The second big part of the two-part reasoning behind scheduling cupcakes so late in the season is rest, and Tim Tebow's Rushing Attack: Dive!, aka the Gators' offense, could use it.

Don't suffer the letdown

I don't mean the kind of letdown Michigan had against App State. The Gators won't lose to FIU on Saturday. There is literally a zero percent chance of that happening. The Gators can have a letdown by allowing FIU to score 28 points though.

The Golden Panthers have been held under 20 points four times this season, and UF hasn't allowed more than 20 all season. The most likely spoiler goal for FIU is ruining that stat.

FIU knows they won't win this game. They'll prepare as hard as they can and come out and try to win, but they know they won't. A moral victory can be achieved, though, by making the Gators look weak in victory. This will make the Gators look bad and give their upcoming opponents a little bit more confidence.

This goes double for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama and Florida have been going back and forth all season. Seven opponents are shared between the two (Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi St., LSU, and FIU). Each of those opponents has been analyzed, and the team that won bigger has been given the advantage for whatever given week.

Right now, they are tied with three "bigger wins" apiece. Florida looked stronger against LSU, Tennessee, and Kentucky, while Alabama looked stronger against Arkansas, Mississippi St., and South Carolina. FIU is a little tiebreaker. The team with the more impressive win gets the common opponents victory for two weeks until the real victor can be decided.

This may all be inconsequential media hype, but I'm sure more than a few players have done the comparisons. Ultimately, it will pile one more thing onto the mental edge pile for either the Gators or the Tide (in case you're wondering, Alabama won 40-14).

The bottom line

What this game boils down to is winning big enough to look good while addressing problem areas and giving the starters ample rest. It's not as easy as "throw them out there for a half, score a bunch of points, and then see what that John Brantley kid's got."

While the gameplan will likely follow that basic pattern, there's a lot more that must go into this game if the Gators want to benefit from the late cupcake.

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Why This Florida Fan Will Be Glad When the Gators' 2009 Season Is Over

Jim Folsom — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:14:16 -0500

I know what you will say: What in the hell are you talking about?

But I will be glad when this season is over. It's not been a lot of fun.

Maybe if it were your school you'd be enjoying a 10-0 record with a No. 1 BCS ranking. But that's probably because you aren't a Gator fan.

2008 was fun. Even when the Gators lost to Ole Miss, the game was entertaining. There were a lot of big plays in that game. It just had a bad ending. But the presser afterward made up for it.

The rest of the regular season, every game was a cakewalk. People ask me, "Isn't a close game more fun to watch?" My answer to that is, "Yeah, if it's not my team playing." I prefer a blowout when it's my team every time. Last year there were many.

Not this year. This year the defense has been outstanding. The offense? Not so much. The plays they made a year ago now seem to turn into passes just off the fingertips or runs that ALMOST get broken for big gains. It's like we are a millisecond off here or a fraction of an inch there, and it's the difference in being up by 30 or 10.

The only thing I can attribute it to is pressure. The guys are not playing football. They're chasing a perfect season. It's been this team's goal for two years now.

Last year they sputtered much like this year until that goal was no longer achievable. Before Ole Miss, the Gators struggled to beat Miami and Tennessee. After the loss, they destroyed whoever got in their way—all the way up until they faced Alabama in the SEC title game.

This year with every narrow win, the pressure gets more intense—which in turn causes more narrow wins, which ramps up the pressure even more. It has been a grind

Urban Meyer has even stated that twice this season he has gone back to a happy locker room after a game. TWICE? That sounds like Vanderbilt. You're 10-0 and your guys have been happy two times? There's something wrong with that picture.

If this team can win four more games this year and go 14-0, they will look back on it later and say it was all worth it. So will the fans. We will enjoy this run of the last four years forever, and it will especially be true if this team goes undefeated.

This year will be one we will tell our grandkids about—but actually going through it has not been fun. Not much anyway.

Normally I get a bit bummed about this time of year about how fast college football season flies by. Not this year. I'm almost dreading the week of the Alabama game.

Last year it was excruciating waiting for that game to kick off, and for three quarters I was a nervous wreck. I didn't yell at all in that game until Jermaine Cunningham sacked John Parker Wilson in the fourth quarter. On that play I yelled out a week's worth.

I love watching the replay of that game. Watching it live was not a lot of fun though. This year every game but two has been like that.

I swear after this year if the Gators pull this off, I won't care anymore. People don't believe me when I say that, but it's true. We can be a mediocre team like Tennessee or Georgia, just happy to make a bowl game, and I'll be fine with it. Football will again be for fun—just like basketball is now.

I enjoy Gator basketball. Why? Because we already made it to the top of the mountain there. So now, there's no pressure. If we make it to the tournament, great. If not, oh well, there's next year. I'm looking forward to when football season is like that.

Four more games. Four more games.

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I Have A Dream TCU Beats Florida. I Only Hope Its in The BCS Title Game

James Crytzer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:43:44 -0500

Last year the Bowl Championship Series tried their best to put down the perceived underdog. Utah was given the task of playing Alabama, a team one win away from the BCS title game, practically on the road in New Orleans.

So what did Utah do? They embarrassed the Crimson Tide. They beat them from start to finish.

That doesn't make the BCS happy.

The BCS has had two strategies to their automatic qualifying teams, strategy one: put them in a bowl that a victory won't make an impact.

In the 2004-2005 season Utah, led by Alex Smith and coach Urban Meyer, ranked No. 6, played the Big East Champion Pittsburgh Panthers. Utah turned the game into a laugher, but to most fans victory was expected.

What did Utah get for their win? They ended the season ranked No. 4. Why wasn't Utah given the opportunity to play another undefeated team, Auburn?

The answer is simple, why allow the team to earn any respect? If Utah were to win against Auburn what would that do to the system?

In the 2006-2007 season, Boise State went undefeated and played Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. This game is remembered for the display both teams put on in a 43-42 game which saw the Broncos win.

My problem is that Boise St. was denied the chance to play any team ranked higher than they were. LSU, Louisville, USC, and Michigan were all ranked higher and a victory would have made another impact for the 'mid-majors.'

Instead the BCS put these teams against competition that never allowed them to show their true ability as a team. Nobody remembers Utah's victory over Pitt because they were supposed to win. Boise State's win over Oklahoma proved nothing to critics of smaller conference schools.

Critics will tell you that if Boise was that good, ranked No. 8, they should have taken care of business against a team ranked No. 10.

After two straight non-BCS wins, the Bowl Championship Series changed their plan for their non-automatic qualifying teams. Now they were going to put them in situations to fail.

A year after Boise State's win, Hawaii was Western Athletic Conference champions and on their way to a BCS bowl game. The Warriors were looking for a chance to prove themselves and their conference.

The BCS was looking for a chance to prove their system. Georgia was the pick to take down Hawaii. The hottest team in the country at the time, Georgia took care of Hawaii 49-10, a black eye for the mid-majors.

The BCS had made their stand: We'll put them in games where they can't succeed.

Last year Utah was the recipient of the BCS gift in the form of an away game with Alabama. 31-17 later, the little guys hit the BCS back, and put the entire system on notice.

This season it looks like two teams should be invited to the BCS party outside the six 'major' conferences. Boise State and TCU have earned their chance to make an impact, and I believe they will.

Last night after TCU's big win over Utah, I went to sleep satisfied that the Horned Frogs had a legitimate chance at the BCS title game. I dreamt of a TCU victory over Florida, I can only hope it's in the BCS title game.

Perception has ruined college football, with the use of preseason rankings and perceived conference strength, teams are continually being penalized for situations they can not control.

Why does Boise State and TCU not deserve the same chances that Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Cincinnati have at competing for the BCS title? Can they help their conference? Can they help that teams don't want to play in their house?

All I want to see is a series of BCS bowl games that put great matchups on the field where teams can prove themselves. If these teams don't have their shot at a BCS title, I hope they can play a team where they can "finally prove themselves."

Personally the best teams in college football are as follows: Texas, Alabama, Florida, TCU, Boise, and Georgia Tech/Cincinnati.

With that in mind I hope TCU gets the loser of the Alabama and Florida SEC Championship game. I also hope that Boise State gets the next best team, whether or not that team is the Yellow Jackets or Bearcats.

If the BCS wants to play fair, they'll give the non-BCS teams their chance to show their mettle against the big boys. If not, they'll give teams like TCU and Boise State a team like Iowa, where a victory does nothing for perception.

Like all college football fans, I'd love a playoff, but until then let's get the best teams into these bowls playing other great teams.

I have a dream, a dream of Horned Frog success against the big boys of college football.

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Tennessee Volunteers Move into the Realm of Organized Crime Under Lane Kiffin

Franklin Crittenden — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:48:11 -0500

The University of Tennessee is no stranger to the police blotter. Over the years the Volunteers have had their fair share of problems with the law.

Phil Fulmer was considered the "King of the Thugs" while he was Head Coach at Tennessee, as apparent by the naming of the fictitious "Fulmer Cup" in his honor. This trophy is awarded to the team that has the most players arrested in a given year.

Under Phil Fulmer, players getting in trouble with the law became a running joke around the SEC, with jokes like:

Question: Why do they dress convicts in orange?

Answer: Once a Tennessee Volunteer, always a Tennessee Volunteer!

Question: What's the difference between a Tennessee player graduating and being arrested for robbery?

Answer: One is supposed to take four years and the other only requires one to five!

Well, what's going on at Tennessee under Lane Kiffin is no joke and nobody is laughing!

Things have a way of coming full circle and it looks like the chickens have come home to roost for Tennessee and Kiffin.

Even though it is said, "what happens in Knoxville stays in Knoxville," sometimes these things just can't be caught, and covered up in time. This is one of those cases.

Just a few days after Lane Kiffin bragged on the SEC conference call about not having a player arrested in 11 months, we found out that it may have been more a case of being lucky, rather than good.

That streak ended this week when three of Kiffin's prized recruits were arrested for armed robbery.

By now everyone knows the details of this sorry incident, but to sum it up:

Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson, and Michael Edwards were with a female at a convenience store when they pulled a gun on a group of men parked in front of the store in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

The incident was reported, and the four were pulled over a few miles away near campus where the pellet gun and black hoodies the men were wearing at the time where found in the vehicle.

The victims in this case did not know the thugs that robbed them were actually Tennessee football players until the next morning.

When they discovered this they were ready to forgive and forget, saying they didn't think the players should be suspended.

Many people expected something like this to happen at Tennessee. When your head coach doesn't find it necessary to follow the rules, you can't expect the players to abide by rules either, and Lane Kiffin does not follow the rules.

Since it has become apparent that Lane Kiffin enjoys his bad boy image, it is no wonder this happened under his watch. When your reputation is so bad that thugs like Lil' Wayne include you in their songs, what can you expect?

Assistant head coach, Ed Orgeron, has bragged, "we're not angels, and we're not going to recruit a bunch of angels." How do you expect these types of players to react to this sort of rhetoric?

When you build your program around "thug" music and a we don't give a damn attitude, they will come.

This environment gives the impression that the University of Tennessee football program is running a rehab center, or a halfway house for criminals and misfits.

This impression attracts these kinds of players, and this kind of trouble. Kiffin is building a hatchery for thugs.

The results of these kinds of problems is clear, as represented by Tennessee's loss to Ole Miss 42-17 just after the arrests.

These kinds of athletes serve as a distraction to the other players who are in school, and playing football for the right reasons.

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant once said, "if you don't have discipline, you can't have a successful program," and that is true; you cannot succeed when you hitch your wagon to this kind of trouble, at least not the success a college fan should be proud of.

Every college football program has its problems, but this last incident has taken Tennessee to a new level in thuggery because of the number of players involved, and the methods used.

Some might say that Tennessee football is beginning to dabble into the realm of organized crime.

I am not making accusations, but why do I get the feeling this is not the first time these individuals have done something like this, either together, or separately?

It would seem to be a classic case of a gang-type robbery.

There was one player sent into the store as a distraction and lookout in case someone in the store called the police. Then there was another player who was the lookout and backup outside, and then there was the thug with the weapon.

The question is, now what happens?

Well, if we follow normal Tennessee football protocol, this problem will just go away.

In the past, Tennessee has found a way to make most of these situations just disappear by either intimidating the accuser, or having the victims drop the charges.

Another tactic they might use would be to say that only one player was involved, and the others did not know what was going on; this strategy is already being used.

One would have to wonder what Tennessee's new head coach will do.

Kiffin has made a big deal about team discipline and running a clean program.

Will he follow up his words with actions, and remove the players from the team, or will he let the boosters and Tennessee power brokers handle this in the normal Volunteer way?

Even though Kiffin talks the talk, so far he has not been a shining example of doing the right thing. I guess you can tell by my sarcasm that I will be more than surprised to see this handled on the up and up.

The one thing I know is the rest of the SEC and the nation are watching.

Now we will find out which is the real Lane Kiffin.

Is he the coach who brags about running a clean program, or the coach who is proud of his bad boy image, and being mentioned in songs by Lil' Wayne?

Read more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com

Nu'Keese Richardson Is Lane Kiffin's Pawn

Josh Sawyers — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:51:24 -0500

In the game of chess, the pawn is the weakest piece and it is often used metaphorically to indicate something that is unimportant or expendable. In the game of college football, Nu'Keese Richardson has become that pawn for the University of Tennessee football program.

Kiffin first used Richardson back in February at an "energetic breakfast" with some of Tennessee's donors and alumni. Kiffin claimed Urban Meyer broke NCAA rules by calling Richardson while he was at UT on a recruiting visit.

"I'm going to turn Florida in right now in front of you. As Nu'Keese was here on campus, his phone keeps ringing. So one of our coaches who is sitting in a meeting with him says, 'Who's that?' He looks at the phone and says,Urban Meyer."

Kiffin continued "Just so you know, when a recruit is on another campus you can't call him. But I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him."

With Kiffin's blatant lack of knowledge of the rules, he was able to get national headlines after National Signing Day. With their "don't take no for an answer" approach and his promise to turn Richardson into the next Reggie Bush, Kiffin had his trophy to keep his program in the news.

Kiffin said after National Signing day, "We're just getting started. This is just a little bit of a taste. There's already been a message sent and I think there are going to be bigger ones sent soon."

His recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron saw it fit to take some direct shots at the Gators, "In order to beat the national champ on the field, you have to beat the national champ in recruiting. We beat them twice."

Also Orgeron made it clear the strong arm tactics they used to get Nu'ke out Florida, "A commitment doesn't mean anything nowadays. Just the fax. When you see that name come across the paper, that's what matters."

While Boy Blunder and his League of Super Coaches were planning their next PR move, a unsure Richardson had to live with his rushed decision. "I wanted to move it back," Richardson said. "I wanted to wait. But I felt if I did too much thinking, it would make it harder on me."

Fast forward to November 12th, rumors are swirling about an unhappy Richardson considering a transfer and skipping a practice, but what takes place around 2 AM at the Pilot gas station in Knoxville comes as a shock to us all. I won't get into the details as they have been covered thoroughly.

What I want to focus on is the fact that a kid who was promised to become the next Reggie Bush, sits in a Knoxville jail cell because no one has posted a $19,500 bond for him. So, the pawn that was uprooted from his family and friends in Florida gets sacrificed. In a week where Kiffin boasted about his clean program, he has yet to issue any disciplinary actions or shown any compassion towards his players.

Would things have been any better if Richardson came to Gainesville? That I have no clue, but one thing is for sure; Richardson has been nothing but PR magic for Kiffin. He gave the UT program its only win over Florida and in return he gives the Tennessee football program its biggest black eye too. Maybe going forward, the UT advertising agency will look a little deeper into how these headlines affect the people in them.

UT quotes from - Knoxville News Sentinel

Contact Josh Sawyers at GatorsNow.com and follow at http://Twitter.com/GatorsNow.

Read more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking News: "Mulligan Replay" Rule Announced To Help BCS Contenders (Satire)

Brian Nelson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:16:56 -0500

The NCAA, in conjunction with the BCS, has finally agreed to publicly announce the implementation of the new "Mulligan Rule."

The rule, also known as the Get Out of Jail Free card, was created at the onset of the 2009 season and has been made known only to key conference administrators, coaches, and replay booth officials up until this point.

Under the Mulligan rule, a conference will select a "favored" team prior to kickoff.

The favored team is then allowed one free replay booth overruling, or the sustaining of any call on the field per game, regardless of accuracy, so long as it meets the following criteria.

The Rules

1. Mulligans may only be used by:

A team with a top-ten ranking
A team that is currently in contention for a national championship
A team that is in first place in its conference
A team in contention for a conference's second BCS berth

2. In order to take advantage of the Mulligan Rule:

The benefiting team must be designated and confirmed prior to kickoff by the conference. The coach of the benefiting team may contact replay booth officials directly during a close call or preferably delegate the communication to the conference itself.

Note: In most cases, the conference itself will have determined the desired outcome of the call before the play is reviewed by the official (if in fact the play is reviewed at all).

Mulligans must be used in a timely fashion to ensure the appearance that a clear decision had been made without hesitation. At the same time, even if the conference has signaled their preferred call to the field official, the official must wait at least one minute prior to announcing the conference's decision minutes so as give the appearance the play was carefully reviewed.

Field officials are cautioned to use their best judgement so as not to arouse suspicion.

Replay booth officials must report to the conference the final ruling before issued to the officials on the field. This allows the conference to ensure the outcome of the call is the most conducive to the objectives of the conference.

3. The Mulligan may only be used under the following circumstances:

When overruling a call on the field, the ultimate ruling must only be used when video evidence of the original call is disputable, ambiguous, and unclear to ensure the Mulligan is not misused or wasted.

When supporting a call, there must be video evidence demonstrating that the result of the play on the field does in fact solidify the victory for the favored team.

Note: Mulligans are recommended in particular for call that directly influence the outcome of the game.

4. Opposing Coaches are not permitted to mention or even allude to the use of the Conference Mulligan:

Perpetrating coaches will be reprimanded, fined excessively and portrayed through the media as whiners and poor sports. Coaches have no right to voice any opinion regarding calls no matter what the impact may have on their personal job security or on the feelings of their players.

Coaches may not refer to Mulligan calls as unjust to players who have spent countless hours working to be the best at their craft only to have plays to have games decided by conference via replay officials.

Player's time and effort must be used to the holistic benefit of the conference, not for their own personal gain. Any reference to the contrary will result in disciplinary action. Coaches may not refer to their athletes as "humans" who seek recognition for stellar play on the field either. Only conference referees and replay booth officials may be referred to as "human."

Coaches and schools must boycott any press member who chides the conferences for "insulting the intelligence of the fan" by consistently and ironically enacting rulings that "just happen to help the team the conference needs to win in every single instance."

Dealing With the Media

Benefiting coaches may also not refer to the use of Mulligans, but are required to answer suspicious media inquiries using the following guidelines:

1. Distract the media by directing attention to the effort of the players. After all, players on the winning team have worked hard all their lives and calls like these are the fruits of their hard work.

2. Refer to a particular call that was not in the team's favor during the game, even if the call was obviously correct. If one cannot be found, get the media to empathize with your position in a befriending manner by announcing that "that's the way the ball bounces" or "we've been on the other side of close calls too."

3. If the media insists, rebuke the media by reminding them of what little monetary gain officials receive and the sacrifices made by the officials to perform this work. Also, incur sympathy by alluding to the many derogatory phone calls and threats these officials receive.

4. Explain to fans and the media that the winning team "would have won anyway." Deny that the call had any impact on momentum, field position or the final outcome of the gain.

Note: Do not refer to the time and money spent by the fans to observe a game where the conference has decided the outcome beforehand.

Fans are emotionally attached to teams. They do not see the big picture nor do they understand the money involved with a prestigious BCS Bowl. Over the long haul, it's in their best interest that the conference helps determine outcome.

5. Conference administrators will not discuss calls with the media. Instead, reassuring talk will be provided to indicate that conference matters will be handled by the appropriate people at the appropriate time.

6. If the media or fans present indisputable evidence that shows the replay booth acted in biased faith, responses must be used in the following order:

The conference shall provide a formal and believable excuse. For example, a conference can identify how poorly equipped replay booth officials are. They may add that due to the recession, such officials have been forced to use older audio equipment with 15 inch screens or smaller and no HD technology. If the media points out that that particular conference had just signed a $3 Billion TV deal, acknowledge that upgrades take time, and the situation will be revisited and refer to step two.

Inform the press that conference policies and procedures dictate that only retired field officials could be employed to man the replay booth. Inherently, these officials due to age and over-usage, suffer from poor vision.

Do not allow the media to point out that these may also be the most easily influenced because they have no career to lose.

Stats

Year to date usage of Mulligans—Florida , Alabama , Iowa , Cincinnati , and Boise State .

Read more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com

Florida Gators All-Decade Team and Awards: 2000-2009

Jay Hendry — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:06:43 -0500

As the end of the year draws near, Gator fans must also say goodbye to the most productive decade in Florida Gators history. Two national championships, three SEC championships, and an opportunity to add one more of each. The Gators are also saying goodbye to a turbulent decade that saw three different head coaches and a near fall from national prominence. The Gators won only four bowl games in the decade, and lost five. The five losses came by an average of 15.6 points per game. The four wins? An average of 16.75 points. Hooray close bowl games! Funny, how things change. The Gators said goodbye to Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia as heated rivalries, going a collective 21–8 against the three. Now the most relevant game on the Gators schedule is played against the Bayou Bengals, a series that the Gators took 6–4 in the 2000s. The winner of the LSU–Florida game has represented its division in the SEC championship six times. LSU also went twice in losing seasons. Funny how things change. Funny how they try to stay the same too. Prior to this year, the Gators hadn't won in Starkville since 1985. The Florida offense tried their hardest to not change history, scoring 13 points for the Bulldogs, but the Gators' defense would have none of it, giving up only six of their own ending one of the Gators' more head–scratching streaks. This is a tribute to the good times and the bad times of the 2000s, the best wins and the worst losses, the best players, plays, seasons, teams, and coaches and everything else that made the 2000s the decade to remember for the Gators. So without further ado, I present to you the Gators All Decade Team and Other Awards from the 2000s.

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