Bleacher Report - Gainesville

Dunlap, Robinson, and LSU's Troubles: Where's the Outrage, SEC Fans?

Joel Barker — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:36:32 -0500

My how a month changes things. It was only three short weeks ago that Lane Kiffin and three Tennessee Volunteers were publicly mocked and ridiculed at the thought of the freshmen holding up two men with a pellet gun.

Should there have been outrage? Absolutely!

Should there have been a public crucifixion of a coach who had pretty much nothing to do with it? Absolutely not.

Even I wrote about my discouragement with the apparent lack of rules for a bunch of freshmen at Tennessee. I still stand by the discouragement.

However, some on this and other sites decided to publish lies and edicts declaring that Lane Kiffin was something akin to Satan himself for not being there to hold the three fools' hands so they would not do something incredibly stupid.

Florida fans were absolutely giddy with this news. Georgia fans, oh they loved it. I would venture a guess that even some fans of the Mad Hatter in Baton Rouge were even pleased.

I know many a Bama fan that was enjoying the moment, although most of that fanbase showed restraint because they've been there before.

So I'm sure you can imagine my sheer amazement at the news of Carlos Dunlap's DUI arrest on Tuesday morning.

Carlos Dunlap. He's not a freshman. He's not some immature kid who has just realized his independence. No, he's an integral part of the No. 2 defense on the No. 1 team in the land.

According to some in the media, the quarterback of that team is the "greatest leader in the history of college football." According to some in the media, his coach is one of the best in the land.

And six days before the biggest game of the '09 season this guy is sleeping off a drunk in his car at 2:00 am. Wow. Just wow. Someone should tell the guy not to be behind the wheel while drunk, even if you are sleeping.

On the same day we hear from LSU that their program is under self-investigation for potential violations.

Not 24 hours earlier those same Bulldogs fans learned that one of their own freshmen, Montez Robinson, was arrested for underage possession of alcohol.

Yet, I do not see stories on this website with 10,000 reads and 400 comments proclaiming this to be the most egregious error in the history of the SEC. I do not see Mark Richt, Urban Meyer, or Les Miles burning in written effigy.

I wonder why that is? I wonder why there haven't been lies and innuendo thrown all over cyberspace like it's October of an election year.

I know why the outrage is not there. I understand completely.

I am not here to throw mud, stones, or any other compound object(s). I am here simply to state that those who call out other coaches and programs need to make sure their's is completely clean first.

The bottom line is that no one is completely clean. Not Florida, LSU, Georgia, or even Alabama. Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow can no more control a junior with a thirst for alcohol and good time than the Gainesville Police can.

LSU apparently couldn't control certain situations within it's recruiting circles. (Remember all those petty secondary violations that Tennessee reported?)

And Georgia could not keep a freshman away from partying at an age deemed too young by authorities.

I don't expect outrage now any more than I did when Lane Kiffin experienced his first bit of adversity at Tennessee. I do expect fans to be responsible and realize that this is the real world and things happen.

These things happen at every school in America—whether they be in the SEC, ACC, Big East, SWAC, MEAC, Big Sky, or MAAC.

Maybe next time something happens we can all express our disappointment without slinging more mud all over an already dirty landscape.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Buell's Eye: Championship Week Picks

Brandon Buell — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:03:00 -0500

The rumor is true: "Championship Week" does, in fact, produce champions. However, not every "champion" is guaranteed a BCS Bowl berth. A run for the Rose is on the table, six schools look to stay undefeated, and a dynasty in Gainesville, Florida is only two victories away from being unveiled. In all ten Top 25 match-ups this weekend, the underdog goes for a knock-out punch. Meanwhile, I go with my gut. After a 14-4 effort in Rivalry Week, my season's record moves to 214-54. I'll need my instincts to come through for me this weekend to steer me away from a very obtainable 5-5 posting, especially if every game winds up being as close as predicted. At least one upset will take place. Four Pac-10 programs go into their respected Bowl games after this weekend with identical 9-3 records. And, the BCS is under scrutiny once again as five undefeated Universities stake their claim as to why they belong in the Title game at season's end.

Begin Slideshow

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.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Hunting For Gator's Bait

Mike Casella — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:04:36 -0500

I was inspired to retell this story after reading Lord of the Flies with my eighth grade class the other day.

I've been teaching this novel for years. For those who don't know the story, it's basically the story of some school-aged boys who get marooned on an island with no adult supervision (sign me up!) and what happens as a result. It's the whole "darker side of human nature bit." Anyway there's one character named Jack. He's sort of the bad guy of the story.

The part that "inspired" me is where Jack decides to paint his face, ala Rambo, so he can hunt down pigs for food. There's a famous line that goes something like this (and I'm paraphrasing), "the mask hid Jack from self-consciousness," blah, blah, blah.

As I was reading this part to my class, my mind wandered back to Gator Growl (the University of Florida's homecoming pep rally held every year where they fill Florida Field and perform all sorts of funny skits at the expense of the patsy de jour. Usually there's a headline comedian and the year I'm thinking back to had Robin Williams in the house)...

My friends and I got to watch from the field this year.

We positioned ourselves as close to the stage as possible strategically behind the Gatorettes (need I say why or more). As we were sitting there, one of my buddies turned to me and goes, "Hey look, it's Albert the Alligator" (UF's alligator mascot that you always see on the sideline during Florida games on t.v.).

Now mind you, we had done the appropriate pre-Gator Growl "preparations" at one of the many near campus watering holes, so I was a bit dubious to my friend's admonishment to turn to look at Albert. Thought he might be "messing" with my already messed up mind. But I did turn.

And this was what I saw: Albert sitting too, right behind the fairest Gatorette in the land.

Now if you've ever seen Albert, you know, that like all alligators, he has a rather over-sized "tail" which pretty much touches the ground whenever he's standing. He also has a huge gator head which masks his true identity.

Well on this night, Albert sat with his tail between his legs, literally. And his "over-sized tail," was pointing right at this Gatorette's "tail." When I turned to look at Albert, he returned my glance.

And I swear he was smiling.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Florida's Carlos Dunlap Out for SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama

Larry Burton — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:46:25 -0500

Following today's practice, Urban Meyer announced that Carlos Dunlap is "suspended indefinitely" after his arrest for DUI early this morning. As a result, Dunlap will not play in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama this Saturday.

Dunlap was out drinking with other members of the team according to Dunlap's father, Carlos Dunlap Sr. He said Dunlap had managed to make it almost back to his apartment before falling asleep at the wheel of a car with the engine running in gear at a green light.

Dunlap Sr. said the player tried to get the police to let him walk home, but they declined.

Dunlap would not allow police to give him a breathalyzer test. However, he failed a regular field sobriety test at the scene and was immediately arrested.

Not only will this foolishness cost Florida one of their best players before the two biggest games of the season, but it may cost Dunlap millions in signing bonus money.

He was projected to be a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft.

According to Dunlap Sr., Meyer had not decided what to do and told the father that he needed to check with the Florida administration, but didn't know if he could play his son.

This is an alarming statement from a head coach who perhaps would have, and should have made a decision to suspend the player himself.

Meyer's statement leaves room for one to wonder whether Dunlap could be available for either the Sugar Bowl or the Gators' bowl game.

We have learned from Meyer's previous actions that "indefinite" can mean anything.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Carlos Dunlap Arrested for DUI Days before SEC Title Showdown

J. Garcia — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:20:35 -0500

Florida star defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested and charged with drunken driving early Tuesday morning in Gainesville. Dunlap is a projected first-round NFL draft pick and is currently the Gators' sack leader on defense.

Early reports suggest Dunlap was found passed out behind the wheel of his car at a Gainesville intersection, failed field sobriety tests once awakened, and refused a breathalyzer. Dunlap was later released on his own recognizance.

One figures Dunlap will certainly be suspended for Saturday's SEC title game in Atlanta, especially after the heat Florida coach Urban Meyer received in the offseason over numerous disciplinary issues concerning his players.

A DUI is a very serious offense, but Dunlap's decision to be out drinking in the middle of the night only a few days before the season's biggest game will certainly be questioned by team officials, fans, and NFL scouts.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Florida–Alabama Preview: Tim Tebow and 14 Other Reasons This Game Rocks

Jay Hendry — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:45:22 -0500

We finally made it. The improbable rematch to the best game from last year is here. Both teams are missing key pieces from last year. However, neither slipped up, and for the first time ever we have a battle of undefeateds in the SEC championship.

To put it bluntly, this game will rock.

Not convinced? I've got 15 pieces of evidence backing me up.

15. No. 15

I don't mean number 15, as in the 15th most important reason to watch this game. I mean jersey No. 15 for the Florida Gators, Tim Tebow. The Heisman winner—and probably two-time Heisman winner—shows up in big games. And this is one of the biggest.

Take a look at his career stats in what I consider the big games (LSU, the traditional rivals, bowls, and championships):

212/333, 2872 yds, 34 TDs, 5 INTs, 166.8 Pass Eff.
285 rush, 1,068 yds, 19 TDs

To give you an idea of how good he's been, the career mark for pass efficiency is 168.9, set by a WAC quarterback. Tebow's been doing nearly that against his toughest competition.

Don't expect anything less than a huge game by No. 15 with a title and an outside shot at the Heisman on the line.

14. The Coaches

Say what you want about the SEC, but the league is the fun. In fact, it's the most fun, most successful league, thanks to the guys calling the plays.

My theory on it? The SEC's model for success is professional wrestling. We've got heels (Kiffin, Meyer, Saban, Spurrier), Wildcards (Miles, Nutt and his wacky daughter), Good guys (Johnson, Richt), inept refs who "never see nothin'," even when somebody smacks a guy with a chair, and a jackass commish who plays favorites.

The championship gives us two of the heels, an all–star cast of crappy refs, and Vince McSlive in attendance. How could you not watch that?

13. Defense, Defense, Defense!

The Gators rank first in total defense, second in passing defense, first in scoring defense, and eighth in rush defense. They are also top 20 in sacks.

Alabama ranks third in total defense, first in pass defense, second in scoring defense, and second in rush defense. They are 25th in sacks.

Neither team gives up more than two scores a game—Florida at 9.8 points per game, and Alabama at 10.8.

For those of you a little skeptical of how two dominant defenses can make for an exciting game, look back at last year's 31–20 SEC championship. Both teams were top 20 in all of the above categories. The two unstoppable forces were able to put up a combined 51 points on the immovable objects. This year they just went and turned it up to All–Madden.

12. Mark Ingram

The other Heisman candidate took a big hit in both his candidacy and on the field. Right now he's not practicing. But he says he's playing, and I believe him.

Ingram's second effort has killed teams this year, and it will be the ultimate test for the Gators' stout defense.

At nearly 300 yards and 11 TDs behind Gerhart, Ingram has some work to get back into the Heisman race. A big game on the biggest stage will do just that.

11. NFL Pre-draft Workout

This game should be the first choice for every NFL scout in the nation. The Gators have Tebow, Spikes, Haden, Dunlap, Hernandez, James, Cunningham, and the Pounceys to show off.

Alabama's bringing Cody, Daederick, McClain, Arenas, and Woodall.

McClain and Spikes are the defensive leaders, likely the first and second best players at the inside linebacker position, respectively. Haden and Cody are possibly the best players on each team.

Short of bringing the 2001 Miami squad back, you're not going to get more talent in a college football game.

10. Spread Versus Stuff

Last year, Urban's offense got the best of Saban's defense, but it wasn't easy. Florida averaged just 3.4 yards per rush, never gaining more than 14 yards on a single rushing play.

Every hard yard was worth it in the end though. Every time Demps failed to get outside, every time Tebow got stuffed up the middle, every seemingly ineffective play increased the tension until finally, one got free for a 10 yard gain. It felt like an NFL playoff game.

9. Brandon James

I don't know what happened during the beginning of the season, but James forgot how to run. Well, Florida's return man has come on a bit in the last few weeks, gaining 182 punt return yards over the past five games.

Last year he averaged 24.2 yards per kickoff return and 8.3 yards per punt return. I doubt Urban will let him regress to his early 2009 form, so I'd expect similar numbers this year.

8. Javier Arenas

This year, the better return man clearly plays for the Tide. Last year, it was a wash—both were extremely explosive on every play. However, James has fallen far from his 2008 form, and Arenas remains the same.

Something should be said about his confidence not leading to mouthiness, too. Greg Reid said he'd break one. Florida didn't give him a chance, only punting once. Arenas has wisely stayed silent, allowing his impressive résumé to speak for itself. I doubt Henry will only be punting once, and Arenas will get his chance.

7. Power Run Versus 3–3–5 Mega-blitz

Florida has the deepest, most talented secondary in the nation. Charlie Strong realized this last year and put in the 3–3–5 package. It worked, so it became the base set.

This year, he's taken blitzing from the nickel and turned it up to 11. This, coupled with the Gators' all-around athleticism, has led to a high-reward defense that managed to keep risk low.

Most of the risk management falls on No. 5. Haden can tackle anyone in the open field. He leads the team with 61 solo tackles, and is often left by himself while Florida sends the house. Strong trusts him to save the TD, and so far he has.

Enter the Alabama rushing attack and Mark Ingram.

Ingram leads the lead in "holy s*** he just rolled that guy!" (HSHJRTGs). He sheds defenders that hit him low or high, and if Haden doesn't make him fall on one of his frequent left-on-the-island-alone plays, Ingram will be in the end zone before someone else catches him.

6. Revenge

Revenge for what, for losing one game? Nope. Revenge for a missed BCS title.

Dumb people will say, "Alabama lost to Utah. There's no way they would have won the title last year." I disagree with those dummies. Alabama's hearts were broken in Atlanta. One month later, they had lost their edge and barely showed up against a hungry Utah team that felt like they deserved to be in Miami.

The result was an unexpected beat-down where Alabama never really got into the game. If the roles were reversed, the results might have remained the same. A defeated Florida squad could have done the same thing against Utah, and a perfect Alabama team might have stalled the mighty Sooners offense, outlasting them and hoisting a trophy in South Florida.

There's no real way to know, but you should know this. Alabama believes that to be true. That's all they need for this year.

5. Hits

These are the two most athletic defenses in the nation. If a quarterback sails a pass, the safeties will punish the receiver. If a running back or running quarterback goes for the extra yard, he's getting his helmet knocked off.

Even if the score is 3–3 after four overtimes, the game will be exciting because of all of the highlight-reel hits.

4. Julio Jones

Even though he was more exciting last year, before teams knew that they could shut him down, he's still a game–changer. Part of Bama's game plan will be getting Jones involved more as a receiver than a decoy because he's the only Tide WR who can make big plays on the Gators' stingy defense.

3. Porous Pass Protection

This one's for all of the Tebow haters. He might get rocked on Saturday. His line has allowed 28 sacks (81st in the nation). While the Gators have cleaned up a little bit since Xavier Nixon began starting at tackle, they haven't faced a defense like Alabama.

Tebow's going to get hit, and he might get hit hard. Those of you who like that stuff should probably hang around.

2. Alabama's Redemption

One game is one game. Two games is a series. If the Tide lose the big game twice to the Gators then it clears up two things. First, Urban is the better coach. There's no other way to slice it. He's the better big game coach, he's better head to head, he's just better. Sorry, Bama.

Second, it clears up how far my road trip will be in January. It's either a 2500 mile drive or a 700 mile drive. As soon as I know, I'll be able to plan accordingly.

1. It's 12–0 No. 1 vs. 12–0 No. 2

This is a BCS championship in early December. Need I say more?

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Hesiman Candidates will...Remember, Remember the Fifth of December

Bryan Flynn — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:54:32 -0500

The 2009 college football season started with three clear cut contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Those contenders were Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy.

In the first week of the season Sam Bradford was injured against BYU and his hopes to repeat as a Heisman winner were gone. To be fair, Tebow and McCoy have seen the door opened to other contenders by unrealistic expectations being placed on both quarterbacks.

Now, heading into the last week of the season during the conference championship games and the final regular season games, the contenders get to make one last statement. December fifth the Heisman hopefuls get to make their final case for the award.

The Heisman will be won on this final week before the bowl season starts. Let’s look at the contenders, and the game ahead of them that could win them the Heisman.

Two for Timmy:

Season Stats: 2,166 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 796 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns

Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators could be peaking at the right time. In the big season finally before the SEC Championship Game against Florida State, Tebow threw for 221 yards, three touchdowns, rushed for 90 yards and two more touchdowns.

Tebow could be helped more than other Heisman contenders in the SEC title game. His Gators play the undefeated and second ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Tide has a top ten defense and has gotten a lot of help from the defense to remain undefeated. Tebow will get a chance to put up numbers against this defense. If he can put up big numbers against this defense, while securing a win, he will wrap up the Heisman.

Much like last year in the fourth quarter against the Tide, all eyes will be on Tebow, especially if the game is close.

The Heisman is supposed to be a seasonal award, but Tebow’s past accomplishments could give him an edge if voters cannot decide. He has broken nearly every school record, several SEC records, and is without question the best leader in college football today.

Tebow will get extra credit if he can lead the Gators to the national championship game and a chance to repeat for the first time in school history. The only negative could be that Tebow has won the award before and voters may not want to give him two.

The Real McCoy

Season Stats: 3,328 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 368 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns

Colt McCoy has to be the sentimental favorite for the Heisman. Of the big three quarterbacks, McCoy is the only one who has not won the award. Bradford and Tebow both have a Heisman and this fact could swing a few votes Colt's way.

McCoy could be helped by a big game in the Big-12 Championship against Nebraska. He will face a very tough Cornhuskers team.

Again, the stats for McCoy are not as good as past seasons, but he owns nearly every school record at Texas and several Big-12 records. He is also the winningest quarterback in college football history.

McCoy helped his case with a big game against in-state rival Texas A&M. Colt threw for 304 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards with one touchdown.

All Colt has to do is keep Texas heading to its first national championship game since Vince Young led the Longhorns to a title in 2005 season.

A loss against Nebraska would end Colt’s Heisman hopes.

The award might not be for career accomplishments, but it has happened in past seasons. The most recent example would be Ron Dayne and what he did for the Wisconsin Badgers. Dayne won the Heisman his senior year based on the body of work in his college career.

McCoy could fall into that category in a season where no one has stepped up to win the award. Still, that could also go against McCoy if voters look, specifically, at his senior season.

Ingram Might Not Be “Hip” Enough To Win

Season Stats: 1,429 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 246 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns

Mark Ingram was in the driver’s seat for the Heisman, until Alabama played Auburn. While McCoy and Tebow helped themselves against rivals, Ingram did not.

Ingram only rushed for only 38 yards and was on the bench while the Tide rallied to beat the Tigers in their final drive. Alabama head coach Nick Saban believed that Ingram had a bruised hip and it kept him off the field.

The Crimson Tide has one of the most storied histories in college football, but has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. Even with the bad game this fact could help Ingram win the award.

Gutting out a game against the top ranked Gators and a top ten defense would sway a lot of voters in favor of Ingram. He will have to go over the century mark rushing and the Tide will have to win the game for voters to give him their vote.

Ingram could have his Heisman hopes ended by a late season injury.

If he does not play or is ineffective, he will not leave the lasting mark on the voter’s and it will be unlikely that he will get the Heisman.

While Tebow has a lot to gain this week, by playing in the number one versus number two matchup in the SEC title game; Ingram has a lot to lose.

Making the Case for Keenum

Season Stats: 4,922 passing yards, 38 passing yards, 120 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns

Case Keenum is one of two quarterbacks from non-BCS conferences that are putting up video game numbers. Keenum, who plays for Houston, is in Conference USA and does not get a lot of national exposure because of that.

Keenum has had big games against teams from BCS conferences. In three out of conference games against Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, and Texas Tech, Keenum threw for 1,235 yards, 8 touchdowns, rushed for 56 yards, and two more scores.

Two things hurt Keenum's Heisman chances. Those two things are loses to Central Florida and UTEP. The two loses were not Keenum’s fault, but the fault of a bad defense which forces Keenum and the offense to have to keep scoring.

In the C-USA title game Keenum will get one more chance to impress voters. The 10-2 Cougars will play the 8-4 Pirates from East Carolina.

Keenum might have to put up unheard of numbers in a win to even have a shot at the Heisman.

One thing that does help him is that Houston has had a Heisman winner before.

The fact that he plays in a non-BCS conference with two loses will hurt Keenum’s chances.

His numbers, on the other hand, make it impossible to ignore his potential to win this award.

An Undefeated Boise State Could Give Moore More Votes

Season Stats: 3,053 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, nine rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Kellen Moore is the other quarterback putting up video game type numbers. Moore gets a lot of attention playing for an undefeated Boise State team.

Moore will get a final chance to state his case in the final regular season game against New Mexico State. He should have no problem putting up huge numbers against an Aggies team that is 3-9 on the season and giving up 30.8 points a game.

The Broncos and Moore will be playing for a chance to make a BCS game for the second time in school history.

Boise State might need to win big to impress the bowl representatives of the BCS bowls who will take at-large bids.

Moore faces a lot of the same problems that Keenum faces. He plays in a non-BCS conference and on the West coast. By playing in the WAC, which does not get much national television exposure in primetime, Moore's Heisman chances may falter.

Moore will also be helped if Oregon can win the Pac-10 and Boise can say the beat the Pac-10 champions. If he can be the only player from the West coast who plays on an undefeated team, the voters will have to give him a look.

Suh, a Defensive Player Could Win the Heisman

Season Stats: 70 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, one blocked kick

Ndamukong Suh could steal the Heisman in the Big-12 Championship Game. Suh will get a chance to stop a nearly unstoppable Texas offense.

Suh has been unblockable and unstoppable this season.

He faces constant double teams and is still is able to disrupt the opposing team’s offense.

More importantly he opens the door for his teammates to make plays because of all of the attention he gets.

The Cornhuskers have not forgotten about James Brown and Texas beating them and keeping them from winning a national championship. Suh and his Nebraska team will come out firing.

Suh will be a big part of the game plan if Nebraska has any chance of beating the Longhorns.

He will need to harass McCoy and force Colt into mistakes all day long to create an upset win.

The only thing that hurts Suh’s chances of winning the Heisman is the fact it is hard to quantify the impact of a defensive player on a season.

Anyone who has watched the Cornhuskers play would see that against Missouri and Oklahoma Suh dominated the game.

C.J. Scoring Talent Spiller’s over

Season Stats: 912 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, 440 receiving yards, four touchdowns, 210 punt return yards, one touchdown, 645 kickoff return yards, four touchdowns, 17 passing yards, one touchdown

Clemson’s C.J. Spiller can score on any play in which he touches the football. Spiller is the only true game breaker in the college game today.

Spiller has scored in the return game, rushing, receiving, and even throwing for a touchdown. He is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.

Clemson will play Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. Spiller was outstanding in the regular season match-up against the Yellow Jackets rushing for 87 yards and adding another 69 yards receiving with one touchdown.

Spiller did have a somewhat bad game against South Carolina with just 37 offensive yards, but he did have an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

The bad game against the Gamecocks and the fact the Tigers are a four loss team could cost Spiller the Heisman.

To be fair to Spiller, he has been nursing an ankle injury the later part of the season. A huge game rushing, receiving, and in the return game in an upset win would give Spiller a lot of attention for the award.

Still, Spiller will be a very long shot to win the Heisman. He will need all the other contenders to have very poor days since he hasn't gotten the hype other players have all season long.

Other Hopefuls

There are several other hopefuls for the Heisman. One of those hopefuls is Toby Gerhart who leads the nation in rushing yards.

The main problem for Gerhart is that Stanford's season is done after their win over Notre Dame. In that game Gerhart rushed for 204 yards and three touchdowns. He also passed one time for 18 yards and a score.

The other problem for Gerhart is two subpar games against Wake Forest and Oregon State. Against the Demon Deacons he rushed for only 82 yards and no scores and against the Beavers he rushed for only 96 yards, but had two touchdowns.

Stanford not playing December fifth, and the fact that Notre Dame has a horrible defense that everyone put up huge days on could hurt Gerhart’s Heisman hopes. Especially if the other Heisman contenders listed above have huge days for teams playing for BCS bowl games and conference championships.

There are players who are on the Heisman radar who are playing before December fifth and could sneak up and steal the award.

Three of them will be on the same field playing for both a BCS game and a conference title.

The Oregon versus Oregon State game will be for the Pac-10 title and a berth in Rose Bowl. Jeremiah Masoli for the Ducks and the Rogers’ bothers for the Beavers have one last chance to make their Heisman case.

Masoli will be helped in his case if Oregon wins. He has passed for 1,865 yards with14 touchdowns through the air and 619 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Masoli will need a big game to make people forget about the egg he laid against Boise State. Plus the fact that he missed the game against UCLA and Oregon won without him.

James and Jacquizz Rodgers are the play makers for the Beavers. They both have had solid seasons for an Oregon State team that has three losses.

The Beavers have losses against USC and Cincinnati. James Rodgers has 865 yards receiving with 8 touchdowns, 260 rushing yards with one touchdown and 151 return yards.

Jacquizz Rodgers has 1,313 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns, 436 yards receiving with one touchdown, and 14 passing yards with one touchdown. All three players will be hurt by playing on Thursday and their efforts could be overshadowed by other contenders.

The only other player who might even have a chance at the Heisman is Noel Devine. The West Virginia running back could use a monster day against Rutgers to have a chance at the Heisman.

Devine has rushed for 1,232 yards with 11 touchdowns and has 149 receiving yards with one touchdown. Devine has kept West Virginia in games and provided a spark on offense when needed.

Still, Devine has been hampered with an ankle injury that has slowed down his amazing speed. A huge day by Devine could jump him in to the Heisman race.

In a year that no one seems to want to standout and win the Heisman, the last week of the season could determine who wins the award. The contenders will all have one final chance to impress voters.

That is except for Toby Gerhart who will have to hope that all the contenders playing this final week stumble. Gerhart will not have a chance to make a final statement to voters these other players will.

This could be the year all Heisman hopefuls tell the voters the same thing. Remember, Remember the fifth of December.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

SEC Year-End Awards

Stephen Clay — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:43:42 -0500

Now that SEC league play is complete, awards are warmed up and ready to pass out. You will notice a Player of the Year and separate awards for Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. In these awards the selections will not be the same. Some will be a surprise so enjoy! TUESDAY: ACC Year End Awards

Begin Slideshow

Top 10 Hottest College Football Cheerleaders

Greg Riot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:44:20 -0500

With college football season coming to its most crucial point, it'd be easily to focus solely on everything taking place on the field. But remember for every touchdown scored and field goal kicked, there's a cheerleader behind it, whose endless enthusiasm and excitement made it happen. And this weekend coming up, with Oregon and Oregon State battling each other for top placement in the college football rankings, there are plenty of reasons to tune into the action.

To curb your excitement, and to feast your eyes on some eye candy, here are my Top Ten Hottest College Football Cheerleaders with bonus pics!:

Begin Slideshow

Confessions of An Anxious Gator Fan

Mike Casella — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:15:56 -0500

I'm nervous. As a Gator fan that is. See, I've been around for awhile. Ever heard the Florida Gators referred to as the "Choking Gators?"

Unless you're over the age of 35, probably not. Heard of "Run, Lindsey Run!?" Again, probably not. But I have.

I've seen the other side of Florida football. Know all too well that the well hasn't always been as deep as so many perceive it to be. But believe me, I'm nervous.

Saturday, the Florida Gators will play (again) in the SEC championship game against Alabama. The Gators have been playing with fire all year. Too many close calls. Too many bad calls. And too many questionable calls that have the naysayers questioning the validity of Florida's number one ranking. Trouble scoring in the red zone all year. No big down field threat. Tebow overrated. Offensive line giving up too many sacks. And on. Heard all of it.

I'm afraid of the bell tolling this Saturday. The prospect of losing to Nick Saban (and Alabama) is nauseating. We don't like Nick Saban. Maybe he reminds us of ourselves.

But he's the bad guy, so we can justify our displeasure.

My Gator friends probably wouldn't come as clean as I'm doing right now. Too much pride, hubris, and maybe not enough humility. But I'm nervous.

I know what'll happen on Saturday. I'll act like I'm just going to watch the game.

"It's just a game," I'll say.

But I know better. It's way more than that. I realize the emotional attachment I have to my team and the investment sitting down to watch the whole game entails. But I'll have to.

My kids will have to understand. They know what daddy is like once the Gators come on. The yelling. The nervousness. The hair-pulling. It's never easy.

Never.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Week 14 College Football Picks From WhatIfSports.com

WhatIfSports.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:53:00 -0500

Each Monday morning, we will preview every college football DI FBS game of the upcoming week. All of our college football content, including our most recent power rankings and links to the pre-season preview are located here.

The inputs to the 10,000 simulations of these games are based on a rigorous analysis of each team that considers strength-of-schedule-adjusted team and player ratings and then makes modifications for injuries and depth at each position. To see other picks like our Upset and Locks of the Week, as well as our season-to-date performance, click here.

Game of the Week: No. 1 Florida 26 vs. No. 3 Alabama 21
The game will decide the conference champion. It will go a long way in helping determine a national champion.

We've been officially awaiting the Florida-Alabama SEC Championship for a couple of weeks. Unofficially, the wait has listed much longer than that. Now the battle between two top-three teams for one spot in the national title game is here.

Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow led the Gators to another undefeated regular season, closing it out with an impressive 37-10 victory over rival Florida State on Saturday.

Since a narrow three-point win over Arkansas on Oct. 17, the Gators each of their next six by at least 10 points and three of their last four by at least 24.

Behind Tim Tebow and Jeffrey Demps–each with at least 700 yards on the ground–Florida has one of the top rushing offenses in the country. The Gators are one of 15 teams in the country averaging more than five yards per carry, picking up 5.60 yards per touch on the ground.

Florida’s passing attack may not look that devastating in terms of yards per game, but in terms of yards per play.

Only nine teams in the nation average more yards per pass attempt than the Gators’ 8.79. Together, the balanced attack leads the Gators to a top-10 offense overall. The Gators rank 7th in the nation, averaging 6.77 yards per offensive play.

Florida's defense is just as, if not more, impressive.

Just 12 teams in the country give up less than three yards per carry and the Gators are one of them, giving up just 2.90 yards per touch on the ground. They're tops in the country in terms of passing yards allowed per game and rank third in yards per attempt, giving up just 5.16 yards per toss.

All together, those numbers give them one of the top four defenses in the nation. Just four teams give up less than four yards per play and Florida ranks fourth amongst them–behind only TCU, Alabama and Texas.

Yes, you read that right, that list includes the Crimson Tide, giving this game two of the premier defenses in the nation.

Tebow and Co. will likely see their stiffest challenge of the season as Alabama brings the No. 2 defense in terms of yards per play–3.87. How'd they get to that number?

Well, the Tide hasn't had that much trouble. They rank second in the country in terms of rushing yards per game and fourth in terms of yards per rush, giving up just 2.62 yards per carry on the ground.

Against the pass, Bama is even better. Best in the country, perhaps, and they have the numbers– they're giving up a nation's best 5.06 yards per attempt–to prove it.

Offensively, Alabama hasn't been quite as consistent, but it still has one of the best offenses in the nation. They scored just 12 points and had to squeak out a victory over Tennessee last month.

Even last week, they had to avoid the upset bug again, holding off Auburn with a late drive by just five points.

With Heisman candidate Make Ingram at running back–and he's expected to play this week–the Tide are also in the group of 15 teams averaging more than five yards per carry.

Quarterback Greg McElroy hasn’t always turned heads–see most of the Auburn game–but his numbers, 2,200 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, are pretty darn good.

The Tide’s passing numbers aren’t as great as Florida's numbers, but they mimic the Gators'.

Their yards per game leave Bama with a much lower-ranked passing attack in terms of yards per game, but in terms of yards per pass attempt–7.39–it does just fine.

Combined, the Tide still averages more than six yards per play, but will need to pick it up from their performance last week to stand a chance against Florida.

Speaking of that chance, our computers give Alabama a 38.6 percent shot at taking down the nation's longest winning streak. In 10,000 simulations of the SEC Championship Game, the Gators win 61.4 percent of the time, but by less than a touchdown at an average score of 26-21.

Other Notable Games in Week 14
It's all about earning a spot in the Bowl Championship Series.

Nobody is giving Nebraska much of a chance to keep Texas from likely joining the SEC champion in the national title game and the computer doesn't like the Huskers very much, either. The Longhorns go to 13-0 and virtually ensure a Pasadena spot 85.7 percent of the time, doubling up the Huskers.

Will Boise State join TCU, giving mid-majors two spots in the BCS?

The Broncos' game with New Mexico State likely won't make a difference in that argument unless the Aggies pull the upset of the year. And that's highly unlikely–try about a five percent chance.

In the Pac-10, it's Oregon and Oregon State deciding who will join Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. The rivalry game is decided by a touchdown as the Ducks join the BCS party about 69.1 percent of the time with a 28-20 home victory.

In the Big East, Pittsburgh lost last week but can still steal a spot in the BCS by beating undefeated Cincinnati. The Bearcats have to travel to Pitt, but still remain undefeated nearly 70 percent of the time, though it's by just five points.

And both Georgia Tech and Clemson lost last week as well, perhaps overlooking those games with this one on the horizon. They'll still get to play for their spot in the BCS and it's the Yellow Jackets winning on the road more than 68 percent of the time, but by just four points.

To see other picks like our Upset of the Week and Lock of the Week, as well as our season-to-date performance, click here.

College Football Week 14
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	68.1	30
vs Clemson Tigers	31.9	26
South Florida Bulls	31.9	20
@ Connecticut Huskies	68.1	30
Cincinnati Bearcats	68.1	35
@ Pittsburgh Panthers	31.9	30
West Virginia Mountaineers	76.5	28
@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights	23.5	20
Fresno State Bulldogs	67.3	34
@ Illinois Fighting Illini	32.7	29
Ohio Bobcats	25.1	14
vs Central Michigan Chippewas	74.9	24
Arizona Wildcats	27.9	20
@ USC Trojans	72.1	30
Oregon State Beavers	30.9	20
@ Oregon Ducks	69.1	28
California Golden Bears	95.0	35
@ Washington Huskies	5.0	17
Alabama Crimson Tide	38.6	21
vs Florida Gators	61.4	26
New Mexico State Aggies	5.0	10
@ Boise State Broncos	95.0	59
San Jose State Spartans	12.0	12
@ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs	88.0	30
Wisconsin Badgers	82.1	35
@ Hawaii Warriors	17.9	24
Army Black Knights	16.3	13
vs Navy Midshipmen*	83.7	28
Arkansas State Red Wolves	86.1	26
@ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers	13.9	13
Nebraska Cornhuskers	14.3	13
vs Texas Longhorns	85.7	26
East Carolina Pirates	26.3	23
vs Houston Cougars	73.7	31
Florida Atlantic Owls	76.1	27
@ Florida International Golden Panthers	23.9	17

*Game played 12/12/09.

Ever wanted to be in be in charge of your own college football program? With Gridiron Dynasty from WhatIfSports.com, you have a chance to do just that. From recruiting and running practice to gameplanning and scheduling - it is all under your control. Start at DIII and try to work your way up to winning the DI championship at your favorite school.

Eric Schmoldt is a writer for WhatIfSports.com, a division of FOX Sports Interactive specializing in NCAA Matchup analysis and college football sim games. With any comments, questions or topic suggestions, Paul and Eric can be reached at BtB@whatifsports.com. Thanks!

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The BCS Fix Is In: Please End The NCAA Football Replay Rules

Pete Misthaufen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:41:45 -0500

How did we finish the regular season with six undefeated teams? Was it coincidence, accident, or something else?

Looking back over the season, it seems as though one culprit more than any other is responsible for this result: The NCAA replay rules.

Consider this, the Florida-Alabama game this Saturday most likely would have two one-loss teams but for some very questionable work by both on-the-field SEC officials, as well as in-the-replay-booth SEC officials.

Likewise, Cincy, where Big East replay officials turned a Bearcat fumble into a Cincy touchdown over West Virginia after a five minute delay. Cincy's coach was as shocked as anyone with the ruling.

Even Boise State had some questionable help in its win at Tulsa.

And do not forget the questionable replay booth work in the Pac-10 a few years ago.

The Flawed Replay System

Under the current NCAA replay system, every single play may be reviewed by officials and they can delay the game to do so, even without a coaches' challenge.

There is no time limit for review.

The standard for overturning a ruling on the field, conclusive evidence, is vague at best.

Replay officials in many stadiums, including the SEC, lack HD TVs.

The worst aspect of the current system is that it leads to the perception that something fishy is going on in the replay booth.

When fans at home and in the stadium have seen the replays dozens of times during a five minute delay and the announcers are even forced to start to question some replay decisions, there is something very wrong at foot.

Moreover, with the vast sums of money at stake, only a fool would not wonder if something more nefarious was at stake.

It is not only the BCS bowl money at stake, as large as that might be.

It is also the huge TV deals that result from having teams compete and win the BCS championship.

For conferences like the SEC, there are billions at stake.

Even conferences such as the Big East have a huge need for an undefeated team to finish the regular season.

Having officials hired by conferences means that the officials are beholden to the very conferences that pay their paychecks.

Having some officials hidden away in a booth who know the big bucks at stake may not just have an appearances of malfeasance, but indicate that the fix is in.

The SEC sure got what is wanted, as Bama and Florida ran through their supposedly tough SEC schedules undefeated.

As long as we continued with the flawed BCS and its fraudulently named national championship game, we will continue to see very questionable officiating dictating the outcomes of games.

And as long as we continue with officials owned and paid for by conferences, we will continue to see conference loyalty prevail over fair and unreasonable outcomes.

So, while the Gators and the Tide battle it out for a spot in the BCS title game, just remember that neither team would be undefeated without "official" assistance.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

SEC Championship May Not Be the End All-Tell All of 2009

Ashton Gilstrap — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:18:54 -0500

Let me pose an interesting question to you:

What happens if this weekend's conference championship games shake up the BCS enough to necessitate a rematch between Alabama and Florida for the National Title Game?

This is how it could happen:

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Alabama manages to come back after a devastating loss in last year's SEC Championship Game to defeat Florida and become the No. 1 team in the land?

Everyone is assuming that the National Title game will be between the winner of the SEC championship and Texas, but what happens if Texas loses this weekend to Nebraska's stout defense in the Big 12 Championship?

There's still a handful of undefeated teams out there, but let's look to the 2007 National Championship Game—when LSU lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks but still managed to get into the National Title game and beat Ohio State.

The point is no other teams in the country will have the kind of strength of schedule that SEC teams have, and that strength of schedule is what could push a rematch between Florida and Alabama for the title game.

Now, obviously, this is just raw speculation. A lot of things would have to go right for it to happen, but if Texas and Florida lose, can it really be argued still that the Gators are not the No. 2 team in the nation and thusly earn their right to go to the National Title game?

Only the next week will be able to tell us this, but I don't think it's too far-fetched to not deserve to be written about.

The SEC is the strongest conference in football, about that there can be no argument. I refuse to even entertain the idea that any other conference can hold a candle to the top to bottom strength that is present in the SEC.

Who's to say it couldn't happen? I'd love to see it happen. As an SEC purist, I think that Florida and Alabama are the two best teams in the country, and regardless of the other undefeated teams, one can clearly see that none of these other teams would make it in the SEC.

The two best teams in the country should play each other for the Championship, rematch or not.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Florida Gators: Been A Long Road

Mike Casella — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:57:23 -0500

Wayne Peace was the quarterback for the University of Florida back in the early 1980's.

So what?

Contrary to popular belief, the Gators have not always been that dominant team. In fact, there was a time that they were referred to as, "The Choking Gators."

I know. I've spent most of my life as a fan and alumnus.

But, they came into their own beginning in the 1980's.

As a student, I'd go to every home game for five years. I'd go to many away games too.

I can clearly remember Wayne Peace quarterbacking Florida. I can also clearly remember the moaning and groaning of fans who thought our offense was too conservative.

Peace used to have this patented pass play where he'd sort of sprint out to his right or left and throw to a receiver just off the line and wide on either side. Kind of a "sideways" pass.

The offensive coordinator called it "stretching the defense horizontally." It was sort of a unique offensive concept. We weren't too familiar with it, but we'd adjust to the move, much to the chagrin of many of the Gator faithful.

That offensive coordinator used to get "killed" by the press and fans as being too predictable.

Oh, little did we know.

Now, that same man is called "the best offensive mind in the N.F.L."

And he was recently fired after a long run as the head coach of an N.F.L. team. He's the same man now on most team's "short lists" of potential head coaches.

The team was the Denver Broncos. And the man is Mike Shanahan.

Funny how things work out.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Tim Tebow Has Entered the Favre Zone

Jay Hendry — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:44:07 -0500

As we approach the final hour of Tim Tebow's fantastic college career, Gators fans can look back and remember the greatest four years in University of Florida football history. I say "can," but I really mean "are forced to."

Why? Because Tebow has entered the Favre zone.

The Favre zone is an area, roughly the size of North America, occuppied by Brett Favre and Tim Tebow (and probably some other players that I'm failing to remember right now). It is maintained by a network of sports writers and TV personalities who burst a virtual dam of praise any time one of these two players comes up.

You know those parents who always brag about their kids being so advanced for the kid's age? "My little Jimmy can walk now. Did you know he's walking three weeks earlier than average kids?" Yeah, those ones. The entire nation of sports personalities turns into those parents as soon as a member of the Favre zone is brought up.

Tim Tebow and Brett Favre can do no wrong. Also, they lead the world in "We announcers have nothing to talk about so we'll just bring up someone random and roll with it" moments.

If the Browns are playing the Rams and it's not a 70 point offensive explosion or someone isn't streaking on the field, the conversation shifts to Favre. If Dan LeFevour runs for a touchdown, it's "Tebow–ish." Favre and Tebow probably combine for 75 percent of the filler talk that goes on during a football event.

So how did we get to this point? What created the Favre zone? I believe it's a combination of five things.

1. Perceived Accessibility

This goes beyond personality and willingness to give interviews. Charles Barkley iss funny as hell and he'll talk to anyone, but he'll never be in the Favre zone. Why? Because the majority of the media can't connect with him. He's an intimidating black athlete with a knack for busting people's balls. Some people don't want their dirty laundry aired, and if you spend time with Barkley, he'll put it out there.

The athlete has to appear nice, willing, and unthreatening. So what if Favre had his own locker room and alienated himself from the Jets? He did it with a sheepish smile on his face!

2. Stats, Stats, Stats

At the very least the player has to be in some "greatest" discussions. Consistency is key too. While college football doesn't allow for much consistency (you've got about 50 games to make your mark), it's hard to argue against Tebow being one of the most consistent players ever. He's only had one truly bad game, the two INT performance against Mississippi St.

Favre has consistently been the prototypical gunslinger for nearly my entire life. Sure, he's had some down games, but he's always playing. He's managed to put his name next to quite a few passing records as well.

3. Transcendence

Tebow is an amateur surgeon, prison motivational speaker, and all–around great guy. He's a model student athlete (3.6 GPA), and human–athlete. Basically, there's more to him than football.

Favre has none of those things, but he still manages to check off this one. Hell, I'm pretty sure that football is the only thing keeping Brett Favre alive at this point.

However, John Madden, football's most transcendent figure has a total man-crush on Brett Favre and mentions him at every opportunity. The constant mentions snowballed until everyone had a Favre story, or at least a reason to mention Favre.

4. Relevance

The Favre zone is a fickle place. It holds little reverence for the dead, or in this case, the no-longer relevant. If Tebow becomes a backup, or an NFL washout, he's ejected from the Favre zone. Once Favre retires for more than a year, he's gone too.

5. Hyperbole

This is more the conclusion of entering the Favre zone than a requirement for entry. Inevitably, the gushing takes an impossible to prove turn, as those maintaining the Favre zone start making ridiculous comparisons.

Is Tebow better than Vince Young, Herschel Walker, or Barry Sanders? I don't know. Does he mean more to his teams than those guys? I have no idea.

But the Favre zone pushes people to do crazy things, and people who disagree push back.

"Tebow is overrated/Tebow sucks." This is the counter-argument by many who grow wary of the overwhelming praise, and is equally impossible to prove.

It's not like this is new for Tebow. He's been circling around the outside of the Favre zone for a while now. He's the most polarizing, most popular college athlete ever.

However, the recent national farewell tour with everyone participating takes it to a new level (from CBS covering UF-FSU as Tim Tebow Day to the 15 "We'll miss you Tebow!" national articles that followed the game), and that places him in the black hole of media ultra–love that is right at the center of the Favre zone.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The Biggest Game in Our Lifetime? The 2009 SEC Championship

Jim Folsom — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:58:30 -0500

We have all heard them. The stories of legends past. The stories of Knute Rockne and the Four Horsemen. We know of Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. We have heard the stories of Bud Wilkinson's Sooners.

If some of us are old enough, we may remember Bear Bryant's Alabama teams or John McKay's Trojans or maybe even Woody Hayes's Ohio State teams. These are college football icons. They have and will stand the test or time.

Have you ever wondered what it must've been like when those teams were in their hey day? Have you ever wished you could go back in time and see those teams play? How cool would it have been to watch the Army-Navy game and see Roger Staubach play or watch Auburn-Alabama with Joe Namath? Well wonder no more.

This Saturday, you will know what it's like. You will be watching Tim Tebow and the undefeated Florida Gators play the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. This is, without a doubt, the biggest game in SEC football history.

And that is saying something. It's the second straight year these two have met in Atlanta to decide the SEC Champ. It's the second straight year both were ranked No. 1 and No. 2. It's the fourth straight year the winner of this game will play for the National Title. The winner is already three for three in those four years.

If Alabama wins, they will tie Notre Dame atop the all time college football programs with their eighth National Championship. They will have come all the way back to the days of the Bear. The days when 'Bama was always a contender. Nick Saban will have 'Bama back as the dominant team in the SEC west for the foreseeable future. A win this week could easily parlay into multiple SEC and BCS titles.

If Florida wins, they are already there. This senior class will have a chance to got to the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl and become college football icons. It will give the Gators three titles in four years. This will put them forever in the conversations with the all time great teams.

Tim Tebow will forever be linked with the great names of the past. Forty years from now, Lord willing, if they are still playing college football in this country, Tebow's name will come up every time some great QB does something amazing. Florida's name will come up whenever a great team gets on a roll.

Big games in the future will be measured against this game. All SEC Title games will pale in comparison. Whenever some pretty good east team meets up with a pretty good west team in a fairly meaningful SEC Title Game, the announcers will say something like "It's big. It's not Florida Alabama Big. But it's Big."

And you can turn to your grandkids and say "I know what game he's talking about. I saw it. It was the biggest game ever."

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

SEC Championship Game 2009: Can Tim Tebow and the Gators Win the Rematch?

Todd Williams — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:41:33 -0500

Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators have completed the second undefeated regular season in the Gators history. The defending national champions are riding a 22 game winning streak into the SEC Title game.

The SEC Title game will be a repeat of last year’s epic battle versus Alabama. The roles are reversed this year though, as Florida comes into this game as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Unlike last year, however, Alabama is ranked No. 2, so we will get to see the top two teams play before the National Title game!

Alabama is going into this game coming off a tough win over rival Auburn. It was a game that was won on the final possession, but the impressive part was how methodical Alabama was at closing the game out. There was never any indication of panic, and they looked like they knew the game was theirs to take.

Florida, on the other hand, has not had a margin of victory less than ten points since the Arkansas game. The rivalry game against Florida State was not even close.

In FSU’s defense, starting quarterback Christian Ponder was out, but how much that would have mattered is debatable as the Seminoles could not stop Tim Tebow from contributing five touchdowns.

Surviving their state rivals was the last step before both teams to set up this epic matchup.

Florida is coming in a little banged up. In the month of November, key contributors linebacker A.J. Jones and running back Emmanual Moody are both listed as day to day. They are both officially listed as questionable for the SEC Title game.

Alabama on the other hand has a centerpiece of their offense listed as day to day in Mark Ingram. Ingram left the game against Auburn in what is believed to be a bruised hip. While listed as questionable, he is expected to play. The only other day to day injury situation for the Tide is back-up running back Terry Grant.

Overall, Florida has ten players listed in their injury report, and Alabama has five. Most have been out since earlier in the season and are out indefinitely.

Going with the assumption that Ingram does indeed play, this game is going to feature two of the top rushing offenses in the nation.

After 12 games Florida boasts the number six rushing offense in the nation in terms of yards per game. At 5.6 yards per carry clip, the Gators are putting up an impressive 236 yards a game on the ground. Florida put up 26 touchdowns on the ground this season.

Countering that rush offense is Alabama’s No. 2 ranked rushing defense. During the regular season, the Tide has only given up 77 yards a game on 2.6 yards a carry. The run defense only yielded five touchdowns all season.

Looking at Alabama’s rush offense you see a unit that is also very productive. With 212 yards a game on the ground, Alabama is ranked 13th in the nation. They run at a 5.1 yards per carry clip and have scored 24 touchdowns on the ground.

Going up against that Alabama rush offense is Florida’s eighth ranked rush defense. The Gators are only giving up only 89.9 yards a game—a 2.9 yards-a-carry pace. In total Florida has given up only three touchdowns on the ground.

Clearly the rush offense versus rush defense is going to be a huge part of this game. It is the strength of both teams' offense and will determine who is going to play for the national title. Both rush defenses rank in the top ten, so this is a key matchup to watch.

The Tide will run right at you with Ingram and Trent Richardson. The Gators front seven will need to contain those two to be successful, something that Auburn was able to do fairly well. Ingram was banged up and did not play most of the game, however.

For Florida, you will get more players thrown at you in the running game. The leading rusher in both attempts and yards for the Gators is quarterback Tim Tebow.

Everyone is well versed on Tebows running at this point, but even though you know it is coming, he is near impossible to stop on third and short.

Florida will run at you with two incredibly speedy back Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey, both averaging over six yards a carry. If he is able to play, Moody will supply a nice change of pace back, as he is more of a power runner than a sprinter and has been productive when he plays with a seven yards per carry average.

The other match up to look at is the passing offenses versus the secondaries of the respective teams.

Florida comes into this game with the 64th ranked passing offense in the nation at 214 yards a game. The leading receivers for the Gators are Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez, who have combined for 12 of the 24 TD’s through the air for the Gators.

Other Gators to make an impact in the passing attack are Deonte Thompson, Brandon James, David Nelson, and Omarius Hines.

The Gators like to spread you out and try to create mismatches taking advantage of their speed, and you will see both of the running backs looking to make some catches as well.

While they like to throw the ball too—they run about 1.7 times more of than they throw. Tebow is an efficient thrower at 66 percent completion and a 17-4 touchdown-interception ratio.

Facing off against the Florida air attack is Alabama’s fifth ranked passing defense. On the year they are giving up 156.8 yards a game and have only yielded an impressive eight touchdowns through the air.

This is another reason I believe both teams will focus on the run. While both teams have a strong run defense, statistically their passing defenses are even more dominate.

The Alabama throwing attack comes in at 89th in the nation averaging only 194.5 yards a game through the air. They did manage to put the ball in the end-zone 16 times. They do feature a slightly more balanced offense than Florida, running the ball 1.5 more times than they have thrown it.

The passing attack for Alabama consists of star wide receiver Julio Jones, who has caught 40 passes for 545 yards this year and four touchdowns. Along with him Maruis Maze, Colin Peek, and Ingram have all had large contributions, with seven different Tide players catching a touchdown pass.

At quarterback, Alabama has Greg McElroy. Elrow is fairly accurate at 60 percent completion and has thrown 16 touchdowns to four interceptions.

Florida matches up against that passing attack with the number one pass defense in the nation. Giving up only 143.1 yards a game through the air, they have twenty interceptions resulting in six touchdowns. The Tide looks to struggle throwing the ball against this stout run defense.

Overall both teams come in with incredibly strong defenses. At one and three, respectively, Florida and Alabama have been dominating opponents more so with defense than offense.

This is especially the case for Alabama, who’s offense ranks 40th overall in the nation. Florida also relies on their strong defense, but has been more productive with the 12th total offense in the nation.

This is as big of a game as you can imagine. Last year’s title game was an epic battle, and this year’s looks like it could even surpass the hype for last year’s game. With the number one and two teams in the nation squaring off, the SEC Title game is going to have the feel of the National Title game.

Alabama has an incredible football team and will certainly not go down without a fight. They are going to play solid defense and run the ball right at Florida. On defense, they look to stop the running game and avoid big plays through the air but will try to make Tebow and the Gators beat them through the air.

Florida is looking to do the same thing—continue to effectively run the spread offense with option runs and shovel passes, mixing it up and getting all their playmakers touches with the ball. On defense the Gators will, like the Tide, try to make their opponent beat them through the air.

Beating either team through the air has been quite a challenge for anyone this year, so it will be an exciting game to see who’s powerful defense can stand up strong enough to send their team to the National Title game. Watching these two powerful run games go at two of the top rushing defenses will be a treat for fans of defensive football.

Florida and Tim Tebow look to take home three national titles in four years, and Alabama gets a shot to gain a measure of revenge on the defending National Champs. Alabama is also looking to take the SEC back from Florida, as they feel the SEC traditionally belongs to them.

It is always hard for a game to live up to the hype, especially in a huge game like this, but I think this game can more than live up to the hype. Start your countdown clock; these two SEC heavy weights are due for battle.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

BCS Bowl Predictions: Final Week

Brian Nelson — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:52:09 -0500

This week featured some of the most compelling and meaningful games of the season.

Oklahoma State's buckling at the Bedlam game had by far the most significant impact on final BCS destinations. The Cowboys lost 27-0 to the 6-5 Sooners. It's amazing this team was just one win away from the "exclusive" BCS.

Just like the Big 12 itself, OSU was vastly overrated.

Perhaps, the nation should have paid more attention to what last year's bowl results were telling us. The Pac-10, the SEC and the MWC are for real and the Big 12 seemed mediocre.

The big winners this week were Boise State and the SEC.

Boise State seemed to be on the outside looking in until Oklahoma State fell.

The SEC manhandled the ACC over the weekend. Florida was too much for the Seminole defense and two mid-tier SEC teams whipped both ACC division champions.

Alabama survived another close call. This week pulling it out at the last minute against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Props to the Tide and to Greg Mcelroy who looked terrific.

Although, I am very surprised the Tigers called two running plays during the one minute drill. I think the idea is to run plays that stop the clock and that actually move the chains.

The biggest loser this week aside from the ACC and Oklahoma State may have been the Big East. Pitt's loss to West Virginia takes a lot of glimmer off next week's de facto conference championship game.

In addition, if Texas were to somehow fall to Nebraska next week, it will be increasingly difficult for Cincinnati to pass up TCU in the Final BCS standings.

Either way, I see Pitt winning next week. Dion Lewis and Pitt's explosive running game will prove to much for Cincinnati's suspect run defense.

Here is how I see the BCS Bowl playing out on selection Sunday:

National Championship Game: Texas vs. Florida.

Texas does not deserve to be in this game. I know they were victims of the system last year and this will be a killer match-up, McCoy vs. Tebow, two major powerhouses. The ratings will be through the roof. Which is probably all the BCS cares about anyway.

The BCS should really take a stand on Texas' schedule. They certainly have no problem doing it with non-BCS teams. That hypocrisy will cost them one day. Big time.

Playing for the Crystal Football, Charlie Strong exposes Texas weak running game and the Gators' disciplined secondary keeps McCoy in check. Shipley returns a punt for a touchdown but the defending champions prevail, again.

Florida 27, Texas 17

Rose Bowl: Oregon vs. Ohio State

Ohio State continues their pathetic January play by folding to Jeremiah Masoli and Chip Kelly's brilliant offense, who always seem to play better and better as the year progresses.

Oregon 28, Ohio State 20

Orange Bowl: Pitt vs. Clemson

Dude, seriously could this game get any uglier? The Orange Bowl, with the third at-large pick, selects Pitt in order to avoid a Clemson-TCU rematch.

Four-loss Clemson advances to the Orange Bowl automatically after knocking off Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets.

Pitt knocks off Cincinnati with their stellar run game and terrific defensive line play. They do the same to Clemson despite 250 all-purpose yards from C.J. Spiller.

Pitt 13, Clemson 10

Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. Boise State

By losing Texas to the National Championship Game and Oklahoma State due to deficiency, the Fiesta Bowl has the honor of selecting two at-large teams. Knowing that their last pick will inherently be a less desirable non-BCS team, the Fiesta selects Penn State over the more deserving Iowa Hawkeyes, banking on the pull of Joe Pa and the strong, traveling fan base of the Nittany Lions.

While Iowa travels well too, the Fiesta views Penn State as the higher octane offense that can keep up with the Boise State Broncos.

Despite TCU's stronger resume, the Fiesta Bowl pulls from past experience and opts for the more proven commodity in Boise State. A team that has historically traveled better than TCU.

The Big Ten's woes in BCS games continue.

Boise State 42, Penn State 31

Sugar Bowl: TCU vs. Alabama

I love the Tide and suffer from Tebow-fatigue. But even a very talented, well-coached and well-balanced like this year's Alabama won't get by Urban and Tim in the national championship semi-final.

While Mcelroy and Julio Jones looked terrific against Auburn on Friday, Alabama's passing game won't be strong enough to keep up with Tim Tebow and Riley Cooper, despite Mark Ingram hobbling to 100 plus rushing yards.

Once again, the Tide will have to "settle" for another Sugar Bowl with another inferior MWC team. Saban learns his lesson from last year and does not provide any bulletin board fodder by discounting the MWC.

But he still overlooks TCU and their capable run defense.

The Tide faithful lay claim that they would've demolished TCU had Andre Smith suited up.

TCU 31, Alabama 17

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The Tale of a True Gator

BamaFreak — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:33:51 -0500

Saturday was an emotional day for many college fans, but no place in America was more emotional than Ben-Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainsville, Florida.

This day was Senior Day for the Florida Gators and would be the last time the Gators would host any team on Florida turf with Tim Tebow leading the way.

The most reconizable name in college sports has created a legendary legacy at the University of Florida and in the NCAA. Tebow has broken many records and has led his team to two national titles—one as a starter. He won the Heisman trophy as well.

There is not much this great player has done.

There is no doubt that Tebow is a legend and that he will be missed. Saturday in Gainsville was Tebow's last ever game at the Swamp.

In my opinion, there will never be a better player put on a Florida jersey. Although that was his last game in the Swamp, it wasn't his last game to wear the Gator blue and orange.

Next Saturday will be the game of the year for both the Gators and the Crimson Tide. They will be playing for not only the SEC Championship, but national title contention as well. Whomever wins this game will be in the national title game in January. This game will shed blood, sweat, and tears.

Who has enough to win?

There is no question that Florida will need its quarterback to lead the way once again. Tebow will be the main ingredient to Florida's offense.

If the Gators can get Tebow started, Alabama may have trouble stopping him. Tebow has a lot of fire power and a lot of help on offense.

Tebow offensive line does an exceptional job of protecting him each game. He also has great receivers outside, starting with Riely Cooper. There are two outstanding backs lining up in the back field being Jeff Demps and Chris Rainy.

There's not a doubt in my mind that he is a strong contender for the Heisman trophy. This would be his second if he can pull off a fantastic game against a tough Tide defense.

He was 17-21 for 221 yards and five total touchdowns against rival Florida State. If he can have a resemblance of that next week, he will most likely lead the Heisman race.

Tim Tebow is a legend if I've ever seen one, and he will be remembered forever. Florida has never seen a player of his caliber, and probably never will.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Tim Tebow Says Goodbye to Gator Nation Against FSU and Bobby Bowden

James Walker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:49:14 -0500

When it was all said and done, the Florida Gators defeated the Florida State Seminoles in The Swamp as most predicted. However, that story-line was the second most important of the day for the Gator Nation; by far it will always be remembered as the day Tim Tebow said goodbye to The Swamp.

As each Senior was introduced prior to the game, the 90,000+ people in the stands cheered and waited until the last player ran out of the tunnel to greet his coach and parents. Fittingly, No. 15 was the last name called, and when Tebow's name was announced, the crowd in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field roared like never heard before.

It was an appropriate tribute to the greatest Gator, and quite possibly the greatest college football player in the history of the NCAA.

When the game actually begun, the Gators were fired up and ready to do battle with their in-state rivals. In years past, Florida State was a big-time annual event for in-state bragging rights, but today it was simply a stop on the road to Atlanta and Pasadena.

The only difference with this game was it was Tebow's last in The Swamp.

Tebow's production was typical. He passed for 221 yards and three TDs going 17 of 21. He also rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries scoring two TDs. It also kept him in the running for this year's Heisman Trophy.

When Tebow walked off the field in the fourth quarter, he did it in his legendary unselfish manner. He was replaced by future starting QB John Brantley, and he stood on the sidelines cheering like the fans that were in the stands.

The week preceding today's game saw several tributes to Tebow. ESPN's College Gameday crew was on campus for the game, and of course they were there to pay homage to Tebow. Each tribute was nicely done, but none could capture what Tebow has meant to the University of Florida or the college football world.

Coach Urban Meyer was emotional during his weekly press conference this past Tuesday as he described how it was coaching and working with Tebow. It was more personal than professional for Meyer the past four years, and it has been refreshing to see a strong relationship between coach and player.

If Tebow was nervous or feeling meloncholy during the game, it didn't show. He led the Gator offense like he always did with the skill of an experienced Field Marshall. He passed, he ran, and he scrambled. When it was all said and done, he was victorious.

Even though the Gator fans celebrated the win, they also felt sorry that their beloved Tebow would never play football in The Swamp ever again. History had arrived, and it was bittersweet.

There are two games left for the Gators, and both have championship implications.

First is Alabama. Both the Gators and Crimson Tide are undefeated, ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively, but one will lose and one will go on to Pasadena for the National Championship.

No matter what happens in the coming weeks, the Gator Nation can fall back on the memories Tim Tebow provided. The book is almost over, but two chapters need to be written to complete the story.

Unfortunately, we can't skip to the end to see how it ends.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Chomp! Chomp! Florida Batters Florida State in Tim Tebow's Finale

Alex Ferguson — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:00:22 -0500

On weekend that saw Florida's BCS rivals Texas and Alabama (nearly) fall to in-state rivals, Florida showed how it was done against Florida State, hammering the Seminoles by the 'close' score of 37-10.

Yesterday we at the VFA made the point that winning rivalry games was often a question of who 'wanted it more'.

Now, we'd like to correct ourselves. We're quite aware that both sides 'want' to win. It's obvious—college football players don't exactly go out to lose, do they?

But get this: If you impress during a rivalry game, then everyone gives you the thumbs up on Thanksgiving Weekend, even if you were playing a defense as horrific as Florida State.

Florida State's problem isn't about speed. The speed that Florida State (as a team) has—in our view from watching an awful lot of teams this season—is second to none in the country.

But defense-wise, it's second to about everybody. I think that even Indiana would be disappointed with scoring under 30 against the 'Noles if the two met up. That is the poverty of FSU's defense.

Mind you, Texas A&M and Auburn's weren't great either. But it was Florida who exploited the weaknesses of Florida State's—as they did last year—and you have the feeling that had the 2009 matchup been in Doak Campbell, the result would have been exactly the same.

And to make matters worse for the Bowden-ers, Florida's defense was so dominant that the touchdown in garbage time late on in the game was a little bit on unjust side. Still, it was one heck of a catch, and well worth Youtubing!

And Tim Tebow, was, well, Tim Tebow. There was one horrible fumble late on in the game that the Tebow-haters enjoyed (and we still can't believe that the SEC officials didn't call him for an offensive facemask too), but otherwise, you can hardly complain with 17-21, 221 yard, 3-touchdown effort, could you?

We doubt that he'll put up the same gaudy numbers against Alabama going against a fearsome defensive front, but we think he'll do pretty well.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The Swamp Says Goodbye to College Football Icon

Chad Minton — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:50:46 -0500

One of the best college football players off all time is suiting up for his last game at the Swamp. I think you know that guy is Tim Tebow.

Not only does Tebow have a chance to win his second Heisman trophy, but he's also got an even better chance at winning his third national championship.

He's got to most likely beat in-state rival Florida State today to make both of those happen. That shouldn't be too much of a problem.

As with every Senior Day, emotions always pour onto the field when the seniors play their last game before making their respective journeys past college football. Some will make the NFL and others will go onto other careers that aren't playing football.

For Tim Tebow, his future is also a little cloudy. He will obviously play football somewhere, but it's not so certain that he'll play at the same position that has already made him the icon that he has become.

That shouldn't be looked at as an insult to his football ability. If anything it should be looked at as a compliment. Not too many quarterbacks have gone onto the NFL to play another position. It shows that Tebow isn't just a quarterback. He's an all-around good football player that Florida will miss greatly after this year.

It's a good possibility that Tebow will play fullback or tight end in the NFL. Personally I think he could make a team's Wildcat formation extremely tough to stop for opposing defenses.

There are numerous instances you can look back on that justify him as one of the toughest and most passionate players we've ever seen play the game.

Things like the synonymous jump pass against LSU as a freshman, to his famous "the promise" speech after the tough loss to Ole Miss, to coming back from a concussion to lead the Gators to a huge win over LSU this season all show that Tebow isn't you're ordinary football player.

We've already seen Urban Meyer's emotions spill onto the table when discussing Tebow's departure, and I'm sure there's thousands who feel the same way.

These people aren't upset because they think the future of Florida football is in jeopardy when he leaves. That's the last thing they're worried about. This program will continue to be one of the best long after Tebow is gone.

They're upset about losing a player who is an all-around good guy that the sports world needs more of. He may not be a future NFL Hall of Famer, but I guarantee you you'll hear about him doing things in the community far more important than how many MVP's he wins at the end of his career.

That's the guy that will suit up for the Gators in the Swamp one final time today. Forecast calls for plenty of Gator chomps with a 90% chance of the Seminoles getting run out of the stadium.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

How Tim Tebow and Florida Fans Won Over a Rabid USC Trojan Honk

Rick McMahan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:00:55 -0500

Before I explain the title of this article, let me first confess some sentiments that are borne of being a fanatic USC Trojan fan.

I don't like the SEC or their fans.

More specifically, I have never liked or appreciated Florida fans.

As a USC fan, not liking Florida or their fans felt like a moral obligation.

Of course, in some ways, Florida fans have made it easy for me not to like them.

I have written several articles, some of which were not very complimentary to the SEC, and in return, I have received some very obnoxious replies. The worst of which came from those same Florida fans whom I confessed my distaste for.

Of course, on the field Florida has represented excellence and this too has threatened me, because Florida, over the years, is the only team I believe rivals my Trojans in terms of overall greatness.

And then there is Tim Tebow.

You know, "Superman."

I couldn't stand the guy for his first two years.

However, despite my efforts to maintain a distance emotionally from Tebow, he has won me over in the last couple of years.

After all, the guy is a great player and leader.

But more importantly, he is a great human being.

So despite my efforts to the contrary, I have come to like Tim Tebow.

"That's okay," I thought to myself, "I still can't stand those damn Florida fans!"

And then this morning arrived and that changed too.

While watching ESPN's "college gameday," who are broadcasting from Gainesville, Florida, the home of the Gators, a segment was devoted to my USC Trojans and their efforts on behalf of a soon to be blind seventh grade boy named Jake Olson.

The young man, an avid Trojan fan like myself, had cancer which attacked his eyes.

When he was very young, his left eye had to be removed and eight different times the cancer returned to attack his right eye.

Eight times he beat the cancer but when it returned for a ninth time, it didn't respond to treatment and it was determined the eye would have to be removed, thus sentencing him to a lifetime without sight.

Pete Carroll and the Trojans responded by granting young Jake's final wish before he lost his sight...to be with his beloved Trojans.

An extremely touching story to be sure and one that brought tears to my eyes.

But that isn't what this article is about.

No, this article is about what happened after the segment aired.

Florida fans, those same folks that I developed such distaste for, clapped in appreciation of the Trojans and young Jake Olson.

I was shocked.

Florida fans acting civilized and compassionate? Impossible!

Then on cue, as if they were consciously sending me a message some two thousand miles away, they did something else.

They started chanting.

"Jake!," "Jake!," "Jake!"

Over and over again.

And with each chant, I felt my distaste for Florida fans slowly ebbing away.

Now all is forgiven.

Of course, this can all change if I continue to receive personal insults every time I innocently write an article that questions Florida or the SEC's supposed superiority.

But in the meantime, from a rabid Trojan fan, thanks Florida fan for your kindness and compassion.

Now what am I going to do with all this distaste and no one to direct it toward?

Oh yeah, UCLA is playing my Trojans tonight.

Problem solved.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The Florida Gator Boys Are Hot Again!

Jim Folsom — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:08:59 -0500

We interrupt this most important football weekend to bring you the following message. The Gators are at it again. Friday night, the Gators ran their record to 5-0 with a 77-74 win over No. 2 Michigan State in Atlantic City. It appears that Billy Donovan hasn't forgotten everything he knows about basketball after all.

The Gators opened up the season with three cupcakes at home. In the opener, they hit one three-point shot in the last minute to keep alive a streak of 579 games. A streak that dates all the way back to 1992.

They beat Stetson easily despite the poor shooting but that was to be expected. Then they played host to Georgia Southern. In the first half the Eagles were able to stay withing one point as again the Gators could not hit a jumper. The second half UF pulled away to win by 20.

Game No. 3 vs. Troy went much the same way even though the threes did start to fall a bit. Troy actually led at the half by 1 point. Florida got it together in the second half again to pull away by 22. But at 3-0 and staring at an impressive and very tall FSU team and No. 2 Michigan State, there were plenty of doubters in Gainesville.

This was especially true considering the Gators last two NIT seasons. I myself made the comment at halftime of the Troy game that it looks like we'll be hosting the NIT again.

But an impressive defensive display against FSU in the first half along with some guys finding the range from deep and UF built a 20-point lead at the half. They then withstood an icy cold start to the second half and with the help of some more stellar defense, got a five point lead back up to 15 in a flash.

Then the Gators packed up for a road trip to New Jersey to face the Spartans. They jumped out to a 9-2 lead which the Spartans quickly erased at 11-11. Instead of folding the Gators hung tough and led by two at the half. The first part of the second half again saw the Gators go ice cold as MSU built a seven-point lead at the 15:00 mark, 50-43.

The Spartans seemed to get every rebound and had numerous easy buckets in the game but the Gators never quit. They pressed MSU into 23 turnovers (the same number FSU had) and they made every big shot down the stretch. Erving Walker hit a deep three to put UF ahead by one with a little over 3:00 to go, to make it 72-71. The Gators were again awful from three-point land but made the big one.

This Gator team was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East this year. But so far, they have a look of a team that may not be the most talented or the most athletic, but they will fight you for 40 minutes. They will press you into mistakes and they look to be very confident going to the free throw line in clutch situations.

With two wins over BCS conference schools already, they look to be a very good bet to make the NCAA Tournament. They play a Big East team tomorrow night (Rutgers) and another on Dec. 10 (Syracuse). A split with those two and going 9-7 in the SEC will be plenty enough to get UF in.

The 2006 Gators were similar to this team. Nobody picked them to do much, not even Gator fans. They went to an early season tournament and knocked off Syracuse in Madison Square Garden. Pretty soon that team was 22-0 in February. I know it's early yet. I know that Gator Nation has it's focus on winning three more football games. But keep an eye on these guys.

They may be up to something.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Florida Gators Surprise Michigan State 77-74

Rick Gillispie — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:10:58 -0500

The Florida Gators got the first major upset of the season with a 77-74 victory over No. 2 Michigan State. The Gators will play Rutgers in the Legends Classic final.

Erving Walker hit a go-ahead three-pointer to clinch the game for the Gators. Michigan State had 22 turnovers for the game and Florida was 22-for-25 from the free throw line.

The Gators are proving that the SEC can and will play with the big boys this year. They entered the game as one of only two undefeated teams in the SEC. With this win the Gators will surely be ranked in the Top 25 poll on Monday.

The Gators had a balanced attack, with five players in double figures. They are showing signs of the teams that won back-to-back championships. When you have a team, not one or two individual stars, anything is possible.

The Gators are still weak on the boards. Michigan State out-rebounded them 36-20. If the Gators plan on making a longer run in the postseason Tyus and Macklin are going to need to do a better job.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Colt McCoy and Texas Outlast Rival: Can Tim Tebow and Florida Do the Same?

Todd Williams — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 05:37:34 -0500

It was a wild one in College Station, Texas, as the Longhorns yielded their highest point total of the year to in-state rival Texas A&M.

On the strength of Colt McCoy's 479 yards of total offense and five touchdowns, the Longhorns were able to outlast the persistent Aggies 49-39.

The game was indeed as close as the score indicates as A&M was able to outscore the Longhorns in the fourth quarter, but a 10-point differential in the second and third quarters was too much to overcome to the Aggies.

Texas A&M came into the game 6-5 looking for their first win against a ranked opponent all year. Quarterback Jerrod Johnson had a breakout game totaling 439 yards of offense with four touchdowns to only one interception.

Three of the touchdowns were to sophomore wide receiver Jeff Fuller, who also had an exceptional game, posting his best numbers since the opening game of the season.

Coming into the game, Texas was heavily favored, and with the third ranked total defense in the country, it looked to a blowout.

Even with everything to play for, a shot at the National Title still on the line, it is possible that Texas might have been looking ahead to the Big-12 title match with Nebraska. A&M had only put up 49 points or more twice all season long, and once in conference.

Did the stifling defense that Texas has had on display all season fail, was the defense exposed? The follow up performance against Nebraska, and then a bowl game, will tell the whole story.

It looks like a mix of it being a rivalry game, which means what should happen is rarely reflected in the actual game, and possibly looking ahead to Nebraska in the Big-12 title game.

Remember back to 2005, the Longhorns took home the national title, only after barely surviving their game with A&M. The thing to watch for is that A&M’s spread offense DID tear up the Longhorns defense, and A&M is not near as effect as Florida at that style offense.

Texas Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp should use this as a wakeup call, and make sure that, if it is Florida they face for the National Title, they are more prepared.

The other two teams that play a significant role in the National Title picture are SEC powers Florida and Alabama. Both teams also have their rivalry games this weekend, before the showdown between the two squads in the SEC Title game.

While their participation in the SEC Title game is assured, both need victories in their rivalry games to keep in the National Title picture.

The Sunshine Showdown or Battle for the Governor’s Cup was dominated by Florida State in the '90s as the Seminoles held an 8-4 edge over the Gators.

Both teams were incredibly strong, and led to some epic rivalry games. The last nine years, however, have not been so kind to the ‘Noles.

After the departure of Steve Spurrier, the Gators were looking to keep the momentum going, hiring Ron Zook to care for the program. While Zook was a heck of a recruiter, his four or five losses a season did not sit well with the Gator faithful.

In comes Urban Meyer. The young coach took over the talent the Zook brought in and has won two national championships in three years, and is looking to play for their third in four.

While Florida had coaching changes and came out for the better, Florida State has declined under legendary coach Bobby Bowden. The man who led the team to no fewer than 10 wins for 1987 to 2000 has had one 10-win season since then. The last three years have produced two seven-win season and a nine-win season last year.

Coming into this game FSU is 6-5 and looking to once again reach the seven win total; hopefully giving more hope to the squad for last year.

Bobby Bowden has insisted that this is a young team and he feels next year he can lead them to a great season and walk away a winner.

Florida is not having it though. After going head to head in the '90s and coming out on the losing end, the Gators have chomped the Seminoles six of the nine times they have met since 2001.

The 2003 game, known to UF fans as "the swindle in the swamp" due to controversial calls, has Gator fans feeling they really have only lost two games this decade to their hated rival.

These two squads look to be going in opposite directions, but FSU is still enough of a challenge that Florida will have a hard time looking past them.

Since Tim Tebow’s famous, or infamous depending on your opinions on the Gators, speech, the Gators have not lost a game.

While the offense has not been as dynamic minus Percy Harvin and Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullen, they still have Tim Tebow and speedy running backs Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey, making this one of the most dangerous offenses still, ranking 15th in the nation.

Also important to remember is that Harvin did not play in last year's SEC title game, and have proven in those games and this year they can still score without their playmaking wideout.

Couple that with a strong D, which, despite all the attention paid to the offense, has been the strength of the Gators NC runs this decade, is still dominating ranking No. 2 in the nation.

The Seminoles come into the game with a decent offense ranking 16th in the nation, but an atrocious defense which ranks 106 in total defense in the nation!

It is a rivalry game, and there is still a lot of hate between these two teams, but if Florida State is looking to take back the Sunshine State from Florida, they should start looking to next year, as this year, it is all Florida.

Looking at Alabama-Auburn, we have two teams that just a couple years ago looked to be going in opposite directions.

Before landing Nick Saban, Alabama was struggling to find a coach and had been out of the SEC title race for too long, their fans felt, and what made it worse is that Auburn stepped up in the meantime, culminating in a 13-0 season in 2004.

That team was coached by Tommy Tuberville, who resigned at the end of the 2008 season under uncertain circumstances. The official story is he resigned on his own, and the admin was "shocked." Those close to the Auburn program feel there may have been more to it than that.

Regardless of the reasoning, Auburn brought back Gene Chizik from Iowa State, but he is better known to the Auburn folks as the defensive coordinator of that 2004 squad.

It was his performance as defensive coordinator and familiarity to the AD that got him the job at Auburn, certainly not his five wins while head man at ISU.

This year’s 7-4 Auburn team is a shell of that 2004 team but is still dangerous. With a balance, productive offense ranking No. 16 in the country, Auburn looks to challenge Alabama’s stingy No. 1 rated defense in the country.

Alabama has a strong defense as well having the fourth-ranked offense in the SEC. Auburn is a team in flux with a first year coach, but does look to be headed back in the right direction.

Auburn’s only win over a ranked opponent was Mississippi last month, and the Tigers have struggled mightily in the SEC with all four of their losses coming in conference.

Alabama, on the other hand, has won against all three ranked teams they have played, and are full of confidence coming into this game.

Last year marked the "tide" turning again in the Iron Bowl, as after six consecutive wins over Alabama, Auburn got shut out last year. Alabama holds a 10-game lead in the series, and I expect that go to 11 this Saturday.

With Mark Ingram powering the strong running game on the ground, and the defense playing lights out, Alabama is too strong. While it is a rivalry game, and it is possible Alabama looks ahead to UF, I just don’t see the upset in this one.

Texas did their part Thanksgiving night, and barring an upset in the Big-12 title game, will be waiting to see who will be their huckleberry for the National Title game.

Rivalry games, which can be the biggest game of the season for some teams, is the only thing stopping an epic one vs. two showdown in the SEC Title game with the winner getting the trip to the National Title game.

In the past, Auburn and Florida State have caused UF and ‘Bama fits, but this year they are too strong. Get your popcorn ready for the SEC Title game, it should be incredible!

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

Oh My God! What If Texas Loses!

Rick Gillispie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:18:37 -0500

As we enter the last few weeks of the season, we still have six undefeated teams.

Alabama and Florida will both be undefeated for their matchup in the SEC championship game if they can win their in-state rival games this week. Cincinnati has Illinois and Pittsburgh to finish their season. Texas has Texas A&M and Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game. Boise State has home games against Nevada and New Mexico State to finish the season. TCU finishes their season this week with a game against New Mexico.

All teams will hold serve this week going into the Championship week.

The biggest question for me is what happens if Texas loses against Nebraska?

Let play through this for a second.

Florida/Alabama winner by 4 in a classic game between two SEC powers.

Nebraska shocks Texas by 3 in a defensive struggle.

Pittsburgh claims Big East title with 10 point victory over Cincinnati.

If this scenario plays out, who would deserve to play the winner of the SEC Championship Game?

I think the loser of the SEC Championship Game deserves the other title game slot if the game is a close one. How does the loser fall behind TCU?

Would Pittsburgh or Georgia Tech have an argument?

Is this why we love the BCS? Because of the confusion it causes?

I predict that Pittsburgh will beat Cincinnati, so Texas must win out to prevent mass chaos once again in the BCS.

My predictions if Texas loses.

Rose Bowl

Oregon vs Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl

TCU vs Nebraska

Sugar Bowl

Texas vs Boise State

Orange Bowl

Pittsburgh vs Georgia Tech

Championship Game

Florida vs Alabama rematch

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com

The Six Biggest Upsets in the Florida-FSU Series

Tom Kessler — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:03:59 -0500

Fans of College Football can be forgiven if their interest in Saturday’s Florida vs. Florida State game at the Swamp in Gainesville is tepid Casual college football fans may not even tune into Saturday’s Florida vs. Florida State football game at the Swamp in Gainesville. A Florida win would be their sixth in a row in this storied rivalry. But will FSU roll over, or could the Noles craft one of the biggest all-time upsets in NCAA history...or will Tim Tebow exit his stellar collegiate career having never lost to FSU?

Begin Slideshow

Tim Tebow's Swan Song in The Swamp; Gator Nation Bids Farewell

James Walker — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:56:40 -0500

During a press conference this week, Florida coach Urban Meyer paused several times as he answered questions about Tim Tebow and the effect he has had on Meyer's family and college football.

Meyer was overcome with emotion, and as I watched, I reflected on all the great moments Tebow has brought to Gator Nation.

My first memory was during Chris Leak's senior season in 2006 when the student section chanted Tebow's name, calling for him to enter the game.

I remember all the hype that surrounded "The Chosen One," but hearing the students chanting his name during the first game of the season made me wonder:

How good is this kid, Tim Tebow?

Soon it became customary for Leak to trot off the field as Tebow entered the game. Everyone knew the ball was not leaving his hands, and he was going to rush straight ahead while taking a lineman or two with him.

That is, until the National Championship game against Ohio State.

With 23 seconds left in the second quarter, in came Tebow, and the Ohio State defense prepped, thinking Tebow was going to lunge in for another score.

Instead, Tebow rolled left and quickly threw a one-yard pass to Andre Caldwell for a TD. That pass was an arrow shot through the hearts of Buckeye Nation.

It was also the coronation of Tim Tebow as King of Gator Nation.

Yes, Chris Leak won the MVP for the 2006 National Championship game, and as he walked off into the Arizona sunset, Gator Nation was already prepared for Tebow to take over the reins of the Gator football program.

When the 2007 season began, Tebow began his mission to become possibly the greatest college football player in history.

Tebow's 2007 season was historical. He was the first QB in college football history to both pass and rush for over 20 TDs in one season.

Those stats compelled voters to select Tebow as the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy. He would become the third Gator to win it, joining Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel.

Then came the magical 2008 season. The Florida Gators were firing on all cylinders up until the Ole Miss game in The Swamp.

The Gators were upset on that Saturday afternoon, but Tebow took the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for the loss emotionally, and to promise everyone that he would push and lead the Gators for the remainder of the season like no other player ever had.

"The Promise" was heard around the world, and the legend of Tim Tebow was solidified in Gator lore for eternity.

The Gators of 2008, led by All-Everything Tim Tebow, would go on to win the National Championship in Miami, defeating Oklahoma and Heisman Trophy-winner Sam Bradford. This was the second National Championship in three years for the Florida Gators.

During the post-National Championship celebration in Gainesville, Tebow announced he would return for his senior season. Frankly, I never had a doubt in my mind.

During an interview after winning the Heisman Trophy, he said that his priorities were God, family, school, and football, in that order.

I never doubted that Tebow's priorities would ever change, so naturally he would return for his senior season.

Enter the 2009 season. Gone were Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, and freshman phenom Andre Debose was out for the season with an injury.

Nevertheless, all the starters on defense from the National Championship squad were back, including Brandon Spikes, so naturally Florida was favored to repeat as national champions.

The season has had its ups and downs, most notably Tebow's concussion suffered in the third quarter of the Kentucky game in Lexington.

Never before had the college football world been controlled by one story: Would Tebow be able to play against LSU in Death Valley? It seemed like you couldn't turn on a television or radio without hearing some update on Tim.

Then game day arrived, and it was announced that he would play. Of course, he led the Gators to victory, if rather conservatively. Up until that point, the LSU Tigers had won 32 straight home games, but Tebow led the Gators to end that winning streak.

Florida's offense has not shown the firepower of the 2008 Gators, but Tebow has led the offense to produce just enough while allowing the defense to prevent any team from outscoring Florida.

The Gators are currently ranked No. 2 in total defense, No. 1 in pass defense, and No. 7 in rush defense in the FBS.

As Florida prepares to face FSU this weekend in The Swamp, the final home game of the 2009 season, there will be plenty of tears shed.

Not only is it Senior Day for coach Meyer's very first recruiting class, but quite possibly it may be the last time coach Bobby Bowden coaches the Florida State Seminoles during a regular season game.

Bob and Pam Tebow will be on the field when they introduce Tim on Saturday, and as he hugs his mom and dad, Gator Nation will stand and show its appreciation for all he has accomplished.

Unfortunately, I will not be in attendance at that game, but I will definitely be one of those who say "thank you" for everything he has done for Gator Nation.

I know fans of the University of Florida will have those same feelings, but I do hope all fans of college football put aside their biases and applaud his accomplishments, too.

Tim Tebow is an extraordinary athlete and student, but most importantly, he is an exceptional human being.

And who knows? As coach Meyer alluded to during the aforementioned press conference, Gator Nation may see Tim Tebow return, eventually, to the University of Florida as a coach and possible replacement for Meyer.

I would hate to see Meyer leave Florida, but if he did, I would welcome Tebow as his replacement.

Read more Gainesville news on BleacherReport.com