Gator Bait: Florida Wastes South Carolina

A few things that were mildly irritating about the Florida vs. South Carolina game:

1) The game wasn't a game by the time South Carolina performed screw-up No. 3 that resulted in Florida scoring its third touchdown before the end of the period. I thought it was going to be closer...

2) The fact that it was raining meant that all the lovely co-eds that normally populate The Swamp's sidelines were wearing jackets. Darn it!!

3) Gary Danielson (and in particular Verne Lundquist) couldn't stop talking about how wonderful Florida was.

Gary Danielson kept on referring to Florida's defense as a perfect storm (something rubbish about speed, etc.). Don't get me wrong: the Tim Tebow/Percy Harvin/ Everything else is exceptionally hard to stop, but "Perfect Storm?"

I don't normally talk about insensitivity and college football commentators (I'm still a fan of Mike Patrick's somewhat infamous call about pink whistles and problems at the Arizona State vs Oregon game last year), but weren't there a couple of hurricanes in SEC land this year? And also, it can't be that perfect if the Gators lost a game, can it?

Oh, and while I'm at it, Lundquist referred to the NFL as "that league where they pay you to play." Funny that, Verne, I thought was the SEC.

Actually, I'm surprised I was listening to that bit, Verne, I was still laughing at you using the words "SEC football player" and "student athlete" in the same sentence. 

4) Tim Tebow's a great quarterback at the collegiate level, but will he make it in the NFL? I don't like his throwing style, and I'm not sure how the power-runner that is so much of his game will be any use in "that league they pay you to play". But we'll see. I predict a third- or fourth-round pick for the man....sorry!

5) Most of the highlights across to other games meant that I felt I was the only person watching an overly one-sided game. The Wake Forest-North Carolina State (Wolfpack knock off No. 24 Demon Deacons 21-17) looked like a classic.

So did Maryland's 17-15 win over North Carolina. This makes you feel slightly sorry for the "loyal" Carolina fans who didn't bother taking their 17th-ranked team's travelling allocation because it clashed with an exhibition game for their "We did blow it last year, didn't we?" basketball team against the mighty Penn).  

6) Speaking of highlights, I got to see most of the scoring in the rather exciting-looking Oregon State vs Cal game. Oregon State won 34-21, by the way, helped by a last-ditch interception.

Tim Brando in the CBS studio bitchily asked: "Oregon State versus Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Who can't wait to see that match-up?"

I can think of a couple of people, Tim.