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Lattimore chooses South Carolina over Auburn
Feb 2nd
Running back Marcus Lattimore has elected to go to South Carolina instead of Auburn. Tomorrow is national signing day, where we hope to have more coverage.
Rocky Top Crumbling Down
Jan 15th
The Tennessee Volunteers named their new head coach and its Derek Dooley, the former head coach of Louisiana Tech. Yes, Dooley had success at Louisiana Tech, but this is not the quality name that Vols fans wanted to see on the sidelines as their head coach. Many high-quality candidates interviewed for this job; including David Cutcliffe, Kyle Wittingham, and Texas defense coordinator and head coach in waiting Will Muschamp, but all of them declined. It has been reported that Muschamp declined a monumental offer to take the head coaching job, which says to a lot to how far the Volunteer program had fallen after Lane Kiffin left for USC.When Kiffin was fired, I thought that David Cutcliffe should have been the leading candidate for the Vols job. He knows the program extremely well and is doing a good job at a Duke program where winning 9 games is considered a great accomplishment. But, even he turned down the job to stay at a Blue Devils team that can not compete for an ACC title every year. Tennessee is still a respectable program with a NFL pipeline that has produced Peyton Manning, Reggie White and Albert Haynesworth, just to name a few. I expect this program to get back to respectability, but with Derek Dooley, it might take longer than expected.
True, Dooley has the potential to lead the Volunteers back, but right now with the quality of head coaches in the SEC, he is widely considered as one of the bottom tier coaches in the conference. With a program losing players such as QB Jonathan Crompton and S Eric Berry, expect a long year in Knoxville come this fall.
Making 60 Predictions for 2010 College Football A Year Away
Jan 9th
Last Updated: January 10, 2010
I know the next game is nearly it’s a year away, but college football is on my mind right now. Following Alabama’s win over Texas, I made my top 25 for 2010. Now I’m going to go a step farther and make 60 bold predictions for next seasons.
In all likelihood I will miss a lot of these, but at least it’s something fun to look at. Make fun of them if you want, but before you do let’s see you make 60 bold predictions for next season with it eight months away. My goal is to get 50% of these right. That may seem like a lofty goal, but I enjoy a challenge.
So what’s the point in a list like this? It’s to get us football fanatics something to think about with football a complete year away. Without lists like this there’s nothing to discuss during the offseason.
I’m sure next year you guys can all have a laugh at my expense when the college football season goes completely different than what I have listed below.
Here’s my list of 60 bold predictions for next season:
1. Alabama will not repeat as national champions. To win a national championship you have to get a lot of breaks and chances are that Alabama used up most of its breaks this year (two blocked kicks vs TN, Mccoy injury in game vs TX).
2. John Brantley will pass for more yards than Tim Tebow ever did in any of his years at Florida. What? Yea, I said it. As the world’s biggest Tebow fanatic, it’s hard to say this, but Brantley looks to be a better passer. Without Tebow’s running, Florida will have to run more next year. That in turn will give Brantley more opportunities to throw the football.
3. Kellen Moore will throw for more INTs next year, then he did this year. The Boise State quarterback threw for only three INTs this season, but with games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State on the schedule (along with Boise’s high expectations) he will make more mistakes in 2010.
4. Michigan will make a bowl game for the first time under Rich Rodriguez. For the first time under Rodriguez, the Wolverines will make a bowl game. A schedule that includes games against Massachusetts and Bowling Green should allow Michigan to win at least six games.
5. Urban Meyer will be the head coach for Florida on opening day. I think Meyer will return from his leave of absence to be the head coach at Florida next year.
6. Alabama WR Julio Jones will not catch 50 passes next season. Jones hasn’t exactly been a dominant receiver during his time in Tuscaloosa, although he gets the national headlines for being one.
7. Boise State will not go undefeated. There’s going to be a lot of talk about the Broncos being the first non BCS team to make the national title game in the BCS era next season, but I think back to back games against Oregon State and Virginia Tech will end those hopes.
8. Nevada will once again lead the nation in rushing yards. After having three players reach the 1,00 yard rushing plateau this season, Nevada will do it again next year with QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Taua returning.
 Prediction #9: Ron Zook will be fired after this season. |
9. Illinois will once again miss a bowl game and head coach Ron Zook will be fired. Road games at Penn State, Michigan State, and Michigan make three games that look winnable very easy to lose.
10. Jimbo Fisher will lead Florida State to at least seven wins. Games against Oklahoma, BYU, and Florida out of conference won’t make his job easy, but at least both teams are down on paper compared to where we they’ve been recently.
11. Michigan, Auburn, or Florida State will beat their biggest rival. Come on, I needed a little bit of leeway on this one. Michigan plays at Ohio State (MICH has lost 6 in a row to the Buckeyes), Florida State hosts Florida (FSU has lost 6 in a row to the Gators), and Auburn plays at Alabama (AUB has lost 2 in a row to the Tide). One of these three will beat their rivals. It could be the first landmark victory for Rich Rodriguez, Gene Chizik, or Jimbo Fisher at their new schools.
12. Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis will lead the nation in rushing yards. Lewis ranked third in the country this year and with the two guys in front of him (Ryan Matthews, Toby Gerhart) both heading to the NFL, expect Lewis to take over the #1 spot in 2010.
13. QB Cameron Newton will make an immediate impact at Auburn. I don’t know if the former Florida Gator will start, but he will be a big part of Auburn’s offense next season. With Newton and RB Michael Dyer, Auburn is a very scary team in the SEC next year.
14. Lane Kiffin will get his signature win against Oregon or Florida. It’s tough to pinpoint which team the Volunteers will win against, especially since both games are in Knoxville on back to back Saturdays. It’s probably more likely that Tennessee beats Florida, since it will be John Brantley’s first road start for the Gators.
15. Wisconsin RB John Clay will lead the Big Ten in rushing TDs again. Maybe this is a give-me, but when making 100 predictions you’ve got have some that just make sense. Clay is a monster and should find the endzone at least 15 times next year.
16. Brian Kelly’s Irish will equal or surpass the number of wins Cincinnati gets next year. If you want to know why, don’t ask whether I believe Kelly will turn the Notre Dame program around or not. Just look at the schedules. Cincinnati plays Oklahoma, NC State, and Fresno State while the Irish play their traditional Big Ten/Navy/Army schedule.
17. Houston QB Case Keenum will lead the nation in passing yards. Another likely give me, especially with the Mike Leach era at Texas Tech over with.
 Prediction #18: Garrett Gilbert and Landry Jones will combine to throw for at least 4 TDs in the Shootout. |
18. Garrett Gilbert & Landry Jones will combine to throw for at least 4 TDs in the Red River Shootout. Oklahoma and Texas both lose a lot, but these two quarterbacks do have valuable experiences. Jones has practically an entire season under his belt, while Gilbert’s one game just happened to be the BCS national title game.
19. Mark Ingram will not be the second repeat winner of the Heisman Trophy. If Tim Tebow couldn’t do it, I don’t think anyone can. Archie Griffie did, but that was a long time ago and I’m starting to wonder if it will ever happen again. Ingram will be in the discussion, but he won’t win it. The main reason is probably due to Trent Richardson, who will end up stealing a lot of Ingram’s carries.
20. In his first season, Charlie Strong will lead Louisville to a bowl game. The Cardinals have been pretty bad the last few seasons, but Strong will put his touch on the defense and lead Louisville to at least six wins and a bowl game.
21. Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson will lead the Big 12 in total offense. Johnson led the conference in that statistic this season and should next year, barring an injury. I was almost tempted to say that he would lead the conference in passing yards, but Blaine Gabbert from Missouri figures to do that.
22. Navy will be undefeated when it plays Notre Dame. That’s right, the Midshipmen will be unbeaten when they take on Notre Dame on October 23rd. Think I’m crazy? Look at the Navy schedule before this game: Maryland, Georgia Southern, at Louisiana Tech, at Air Force, at Wake Forest, and SMU.
23. In the now traditional opening night game, LSU will beat North Carolina. The ACC/SEC game in Atlanta to begin the year is starting to become a tradition already. Mainly due to its defense, LSU’s will knock off North Carolina to win the game. But, don’t fret Tar Heel fans because both teams will end up in the top 25 in the final AP poll.
24. Miami FL will defeat Ohio State in a rematch of the 2003 title game. The Hurricanes will prove that they are back by beating Ohio State in the Horseshoe.
25. Michigan QB Tate Forcier will not throw 20 TDs next season. Forcier threw 13 TDs this year and everyone has high hopes for the kid next year. He will play well, but won’t reach 20 passing TDs.
26. Tennessee RB Bryce Brown will rush for at least 10 TDs next year. With Montario Hardesty gone, Brown will be the main back in Lane Kiffin’s offense and will shine.
27. Texas Tech will not have a QB throw 25 TDs next year. With Tommy Tuberville at head coach, I will say that Texas Tech will not have a QB throw 25 TDs next year (which was a rarity in the Mike Leach era). For those wondering, Steven Sheffield will probably be the starting QB.
28. Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis will win the Heisman Trophy. This is an article full of bold predictions, so why not throw one out here with Lewis. I’m taking back to back running backs to win it. Another guy I like is LaMichael James from Oregon.
 Prediction #29: Arkansas, yes Arkansas, will upset Alabama. |
29. The biggest upset of the year will happen in Fayetteville, Arkansas. That’s right, the Razorbacks will upset #1 Alabama in Fayetteville behind the strong arm of Ryan Mallet. Alabama is losing a lot on offense and will be ripe for an upset going into Arkansas on a huge winning streak.
30. TCU will go undefeated. I think the Horned Frogs go unbeaten with wins over Oregon State, Baylor, Utah, and BYU. I also think they get left out of the national championship game once again.
31. A SEC team will not reach the national title game. I love the SEC as much as anyone, but this run has to end eventually. While Alabama is the best team on paper entering next season, the other top teams in the league (FLA, LSU) are losing key players on both sides of the football. Plus the rest of the SEC figures to be pretty good as well in order to keep everything in the conference tight all year.
32. Penn State will not win more than nine games. The Nittany Lions are losing a lot on offense and have a tough schedule with road games against Alabama, Iowa, and Ohio State.
33. Mississippi State will make a bowl game. It’s Dan Mullen’s second year and it’s time for the improvement to show for the Bulldogs. It won’t be easy but games against Alcorn State, UAB, and Memphis should hep the Bulldogs get there.
34. Christian Ponder will throw for more yards than any other ACC QB. I have a feeling Ponder will have a big year after being injured this year.
35. Florida State will win the ACC Atlantic. Jimbo Fisher will lead FSU to the ACC Championship in his first year. To be honest, the Coastal is the easier side to win in the ACC.
36. Virginia Tech will win the ACC Coastal. The Hokies will knock off the Hurricanes on the road and will end up winning the ACC Coastal.
37. Missouri will win the Big 12 North. Nebraska will be tough, but Missouri has more offense and will win the Big 12 North.
38. Texas will win the Big 12 South. The Longhorns will have to hold off Oklahoma, but if they can win the Red River Shootout (as I predict) then Texas will win the Big 12 South.
39. UCF will win the Conference USA East.
40. Houston will win the Conference USA West
41. Temple will win the MAC East.
42. Northern Illinois will win the MAC West.
 Prediction #43: Under new quarterback John Brantley, Florida will win the SEC East. |
43. Florida will win the SEC East. The Gators won’t be as dominant as they were in the Tim Tebow era, but Florida will do enough to win the SEC East.
44. Alabama will win the SEC West. Despite a loss to Arkansas, the Crimson Tide will win the SEC West next year.
45. Houston will defeated UCF to win Conference USA. The Cougars, led by Case Keenum, will not be denied after losing the conference title game to East Carolina this year.
46. Temple will defeat Northern Illinois and win the MAC. I can’t believe I’m saying it but I’m taking the Owls to win the MAC. Dan LeFevour is gone and Central Michigan won’t dominate anymore. A lot of teams will have a chance to win the conference this year.
47. TCU will win the Mountain West. The Horned Frogs will once again go undefeated and will win the Mountain West.
48. Troy will will in the Sun Belt. The Trojans won’t win as many games as they did this year, but they should still be the class of the Sun Belt.
49. Boise State will win the WAC. The Broncos won’t be undefeated due to the Virginia Tech loss, but they will win the WAC (as always).
50. Virginia Tech will defeat Florida State and win the ACC title. Virginia Tech will use Darren Evans and Ryan Williams to win the title over Jimbo Fisher’s Seminoles.
51. Pittsburgh will win the Big East title. The Panthers will knock off Cincinnati behind Dion Lewis and win the Big East championship.
52. Ohio State will win the Big Ten title. Terrelle Pryor will lead Ohio State to a Big Ten title, although Wisconsin will finish a close second.
53. Texas will win the Big 12 Championship over Missouri. The Longhorns won’t go undefeated under Garrett Gilbert, but they will be good enough to win the Big 12 again.
54. Oregon will win the Pac 10 Championship. The Ducks should win the conference title with Pete Carroll and Toby Gerhart (two important guys from contending teams) gone.
55. Alabama will win the SEC Championship over Florida (again). Even with the one loss I predicted earlier, Alabama will make the SEC Championship game where it will beat Florida again (and for the second time in one year).
56. Texas will defeat Florida to win the Fiesta Bowl. It seemed like we were destined for this title game a few weeks ago, until Alabama changed everything. Due to there not being a SEC team in the national title game, the Sugar Bowl will actually get the SEC champion. That leaves the Fiesta to match Big 12 champ Texas against an at large from the SEC, Florida.
 Prediction #60: Oregon will defeat Virginia Tech to win the national championship game. |
57. Miami will defeat TCU and win the Orange Bowl. The Horned Frogs will come in undefeated, but once again will be denied a spot in the national title game. Both of these teams will be at large selections.
58. Ohio State will defeat USC to win the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl would do anything to keep its Big Ten/Pac 10 matchup in its bowl game, and although I don’t think the Trojans will be great without Pete Carroll they will still likely qualify to be taken here.
59. Alabama will defeat Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide will be this year’s Florida, mad about one loss that derailed them from the national title game, but will not let the Utah slipup happen again in New Orleans.
60. Oregon will defeat Virginia Tech and win the national championship. Oh man, I can’t wait to see the response to this. Why Oregon? Why Virginia Tech? The Ducks have a schedule that includes games at Tennessee and at USC, but the Vols won’t be back yet and the Trojans won’t be as good without Pete Carroll. The Hokies have Boise State out of conference, but get the benefit of playing in an ACC without many top notch teams.
Tuberville is new head coach at Texas Tech
Jan 9th
Former Auburn football head coach Tommy Tuberville has been named the new head coach at Texas Tech. Tuberville will replace Mike Leach in Lubbock after Leach was fired over allegations of player abuse.
One thing is for sure, Texas tech will undergo a completely new coaching philosophy with Tuberville at the helm. Check out the number of pass attempts by Tuberville’s Tigers from 04-08 (his last five years at Auburn) compared to Leach’s Red Raiders in the that same time period.
One Colt Leaving the Stable
Jan 8th
Last night’s swan song for Colt McCoy was not a very happy tune. The senior QB for the Longhorns saw his college career end when he injured his right shoulder on a run on the 5th play of the game. One could argue that the injury cost Texas a shot in the National Championship Game, but regardless this was a rude end to a great collegiate career for the 5th year Senior from Dobbs, New Mexico. Despite all the frustration and sadness from last night’s game, McCoy was able to compose himself and talk about how it was not his day and how he’d accept whatever God has in store for him.
After the 2005 season, Colt McCoy was thrown right into the fire by Texas coach Mack Brown to try to follow a legendary QB in Vince Young. However, he did not disappoint his fans in his freshman season. He was second all time in most touchdowns by a freshman in a single season with 29 passing touchdowns despite a year filled with injuries including suffering a pinch nerve in a home loss to rival Texas A&M.
After a 2007 season filled with disappointment and being called out by his predecessor Vince Young for his poor leadership , he had a 2008 season that put him on the national stage. He led the Longhorns to three wins over top 15 teams including the controversial 45-35 win in the Red River Shootout over McCoy’s friend, QB Sam Bradford. Also, during that season, he had one of the most accurate games I have seen from a college quarterback. He completed 29/32 passes for 331 yards and 3 TD’s in a 56-31 blowout of the Missouri Tigers. Although his team was one win away from an undefeated season, he finished 2nd in the Heisman to the QB who made the title game out of the Big 12, Sam Bradford. Don’t forget, he led his team down the field to a big win in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State that defined his characteristics as a leader.
Just like his friends Bradford and Florida QB Tim Tebow, McCoy chose to stay in school for his senior year because he wanted to stay loyal to his school and help the Longhorns win a national championship. He came close to accomplishing a goal, and he had a successful regular season in the process. He had another top 5 Heisman finish and won another Big 12 Championship Game, but the game that defined him as a passer and runner was on Thanksgiving night in College Station versus Texas A&M. The QB who holds 10 Texas records at the position threw for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns and ran for 175 yards and a TD in a 49-39 win that kept Texas’ national title hopes alive.. Did McCoy make a mistake in not going to the NFL? That is up to you, but regardless of how he ends up in the next level, McCoy should be remembered not only for his accuracy and numbers, but for his leadership, heart, and loyalty to his program. Last night proved that because despite his injury, he was still on the sideline in his shoulder pads giving any support he possibly can to the school he will always be loyal to win or lose.
Pete Carroll to Seahawks?
Jan 8th
If you thought the Urban Meyer situation was insane, wait until you hear this. The Seattle Seahawks have fired coach Jim Mora, in part because there might be interest from USC head coach Pete Carroll.
That’s right, Pete Carroll could be returning to the NFL after dominating during his time at USC.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that this deal is going down from both the college level and NFL level.
Amid allegations regarding RB Joe McKnight, this might be the right time for the move to the NFL. McKnight announced today that he was leaving to go the NFL.
Carroll probably feels like Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck can help him win quickly in the NFL. The fact that Seattle plays in the NFL’s easiest division, the NFC West, probably helps as well.
If Carroll does leave, USC will reportedly target Oregon State head coach Mike Riley.
2010 College Football Top 25 2.0: Alabama is #1
Jan 8th
Updated: January 8th (1:39 AM CT)
The 2009 BCS National Championship was just handed out, about three hours ago to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In today’s world, that’s already old news. Around five weeks ago I released a top 25 for 2010 with Alabama ranked #11. I underestimated what the Crimson Tide had returning on defense (despite losing McClain, Cody, Arenas) and underranked them. Just as national champion Florida was my preseason #1 for 2009, Alabama is my preseason favorite for 2010.
Check out the entire top 25 below (along with a few quick thoughts on each team):
1. Alabama Crimson Tide: The defending champions start on top with QB Greg McElroy, RBs Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram, and WRs Marquis Maze and Julio Jones back on offense.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes: Terrelle Pryor is finally winning big games (like the Rose Bowl) and if he can continue to develop as a passer, the Buckeyes could win it all next year.
3. Oregon Ducks: RB LaMichael James returns alongside QB Jeremiah Masoli to form one of the best offenses going into next season. Chip Kelly’s team might be thinking of a bigger goal than the Rose Bowl next year.
4. Boise State Broncos: The Broncos could be the first non BCS team ever to reach the title game next year. They return 21 of 22 starters and play Virginia Tech and Oregon State next season.
5. Florida Gators: The Gators lose do it all QB Tim Tebow, along with TE Aaron Hernandez and CB Joe Haden early to the NFL, but still return a strong nucleus of talent. It’s John Brantley’s show now.
6. TCU Horned Frogs: Andy Dalton returns alongside most of the the rest of TCU’s offense, which could have to take over as the dominant side of the field for the Frogs with Jerry Hughes’ departure.
7. Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns lost to Alabama in the title game, but probably found their QB of the future in Garrett Gilbert. The kid played well in stretches, but it’s tough to be thrown onto the big stage like that.
8. Iowa Hawkeyes: Not only did the Hawkeyes prove their season was no fluke, they also showed that they are going to be good next year. QB Ricky Stanzi returns but so do RBs Jewel Hampton and Adam Robinson.
9. Virginia Tech Hokies: Tyrod Taylor returns on the offense along with perhaps the best set of running backs in the country in Darren Evans and Ryan Williams.
10. Miami Hurricanes: The Hurricanes survived a crazy schedule this year to get back on the map. Next season QB Jacory Harris will have to diminish his INTs. Miami has a lot back on both sides of the ball.
11. USC Trojans: Matt Barkley’s freshman season probably didn’t go the way he had it pictured, but his experiences this season will help next year. RBs Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford return. The young D should improve.
12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Yellow Jackets may return RB Jonathan Dwyer and WR Demaryius Thomas, but as of this article neither had made a NFL decision. Paul Johnson will have a decent team either way.
13. LSU Tigers: The strength of LSU next season will probably be the secondary, where both Patrick Peterson and Chad Jones are set to return. QB Jordan Jefferson will be back on a decimated offense.
14. Wisconsin Badgers: Wisconsin returns QB Scott Tolzein and RB John Clay on offense and in total 17 starters on both sides of the football.
15. Oklahoma Sooners: If there was one positive to take from OU’s season, it was that QB Landry Jones received a lot of reps and should be well prepared for next year.
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers: The face of Nebraska leaves, and there’s no doubt that Ndamukong Suh will be missed. Still, the Cornhuskers bringi back Zac Lee and RB Roy Helu on O to go along with a stout D.
17. Oregon State Beavers: James and Jacquizz Rodgers return on an Oregon State team looking to get over the Pac 10 hurdles of USC and Oregon and into the Rose Bowl.
18. South Carolina Gamecocks: Steve Spurrier might finally have some offense returning with QB Stephen Garcia and WRs Tori Gurley and Alshton Jeffery returning.
19. Arkansas Razorbacks: QB Ryan Mallett will be back, turning Arkansas into what I call “next season’s SEC Ole Miss with less preseason hype”. This team could surprise in the SEC West.
20. West Virginia Mountaineers: RB Noel Devine and WR Jock Sanders will be back, giving WVU the most explosive duo of playmakers on paper in the Big East.
21. Pittsburgh Panthers: RB Dion Lewis might’ve been the best freshman runner in the country this year. Pittsburgh will rely on him again next year. Late in the year they nearly rode him to the Big East title vs. Cincy.
22. Georgia Bulldogs: Fans in Athens are growing impatient with Mark Richt. For Georgia the keys will be finding a running game on offense with RB Wayshaun Ealey, replacing QB Joe Cox, and fixing the defense.
23. Cincinnati Bearcats: Losing Brian Kelly is going to hurt, but this program won’t fall too far in the Big East. QB Zach Collaros is experienced and will be set to lead this team towards another ten win season.
24. Auburn Tigers: In Nick Saban’s shadow, Gene Chizik is slowly building a nice team at Auburn. The Tigers have RB Michael Dyer (nation’s top RB) and QB Cameron Newton (nation’s top JUCO player) coming to campus.
25. Nevada Wolfpack: If you want a non BCS team to watch for in 2010, this is that team. The Wolfpack return QB Colin Kaepernick and RB Vai Taua on an O that had three rushers gain 1,000 yards this year.
Among Others Considered (in no particular order): Florida State, Arizona, Stanford, Ole Miss, California, Northwestern, Connecticut, Missouri, South Florida, North Carolina. Clemson, Tennessee, Utah, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas Tech, Houston, Penn State
Tim Tebow: The Best In College Football History
Jan 2nd
The greatest college football player to ever put on a uniform walked off the field in New Orleans on Friday night as a winner. He wasn’t the greatest winner, although a 35-6 record as a starter is not too shabby. He wasn’t the greatest speaker, although just minutes before taking a final stroll out of the stadium he thanked his savior, his football family, his coaches, and the fans that had adopted him as one of their own. He wasn’t the greatest passer; NFL scouts have been telling him that indirectly since he became a college superstar.
Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer became fixtures in the national spotlight over the last four years in Gainesville. |
For those keeping count, he wasn’t the fastest. Defenders often caught him from behind, but very few took him down when he was steamrolling down the field at full speed. He wasn’t the tallest, quickest, funniest, or best at reading a defense either.
What Tim Tebow was was pretty incredible though.
What Tebow accomplished at Florida is hard to put into words. The Heisman Trophy season in 2007 will go down in college football history as one of the most remarkable feats ever accomplished. His two national championships will never be forgotten as fans reminisce about a man that once vowed that his team wouldn’t lose again.
And they didn’t lose again, at least not until 23 games later.
Think about all the ways we will remember Tebow. Where do you begin?
Oh, this man and his football tricks. This is a man that jump-passed himself onto the national spotlight as a freshman and had his own word bank of phrases known at Tebowisms.
When Urban Meyer needed a first down during his first national championship season, he didn’t look on the sideline to find a big fullback or a trusty senior wide receiver. Instead Meyer pointed to his freshman quarterback from Nease High School and trusted him to get the first down.
Later that season against Ohio State in the national championship game, Florida was considered a very large underdog. Make no mistake, Chris Leak was the offensive leader of that team, but Tim Tebow delivered with two touchdowns and a huge performance on the national stage.
The next offseason all of the talk in the college football world seemed to circle around Tebow. There was no way a kid that ran that hard could throw anywhere near effective enough to be the starting quarterback of a potential juggernaut like Florida. Tebow responded to the comments by pouring in touchdowns as if he was stealing candy from a baby. His 55 touchdowns led to him being awarded the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, the first underclassmen ever to win the award.
During the next offseason, talk changed. Tebow was now known as college football’s top quarterback and his focus (as always) was on a perfect season. Mississippi went into the The Swamp and ruined those dreams on a day that ironically will go down in Gator-lore forever. A blocked Gators extra point had left Florida down by one at home to Houston Nutt’s Rebels that day. What many will forget is that Tebow overthrew two open receivers on passes that could’ve won the game for Florida before finally coming up short on a run on 4th & 2.
That single one point loss changed the national landscape for the next two seasons. Tebow, never a man that took losing as a brush on the shoulder, walked into the post game press conference and spoke triumphantly. He didn’t shout, but he did speak with power when he claimed that “you will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season.”
Twenty two games and a second national championship later, Tebow’s words still rang true. He’d led the team back against Alabama after trailing after three quarters in the SEC Championship game. Somehow, he’d overcome two first half interceptions against Oklahoma and had helped Florida seize the national title with a jump pass.
Just days after beating the Sooners, Tebow stood in front of a huge crowd at The Swamp. Would the junior with too many accolades to count go to the NFL? As he finished a speech thanking the Gator fans for their support he screamed, “And let’s do it again! I’m coming back!” After that short eight word phrase everyone and their brother had Florida winning the national championship this season. Things got off to a great start, especially after surviving loudmouth Lane Kiffin in the Gators third game of the year.
Yet, right in the midst of Florida’s huge winning streak, everything almost came to an abrupt end. Against Kentucky during a 41-7 blowout victory, Tebow suffered a concussion and had to be carted off the field and rushed to the emergency room. It seemed as if Tebow had finally shown that he was human.
The only circled game on the Gators schedule was next: LSU. The Tigers simply don’t lose home, night games at Death Valley. With each Les Miles interview it seemed as if LSU’s confidence grew while Florida’s uncertainty became more and more magnified.
Over those next two weeks between the Kentucky and LSU games, Tebow mania hit a new high. Would the Florida quarterback play? As the Gators took the field against LSU, nobody knew if Tebow was going to start.
This concussion added to Tebow’s legacy after he was able to return and be effective against LSU. |
Seconds before kickoff, Urban Meyer told the world that Tebow would indeed start the game. Many still expected to see a lot of backup QB John Brantley, but the backup QB never stepped onto the field. Instead, the Gators protected Tebow in the first quarter by not playing their normal style of offense. By the time the second quarter came around, it was very clear: If Tebow was Tebow, Florida had to open up its offense and play or their national championship hopes were gone.
It turned out that Tebow was good enough to win that night. Aside from a touchdown pass to Riley Cooper, Tebow was more of a game manager but still got the job done. Without Tebow, many will tell you Florida’s run at perfection would’ve ended that night.
Sure, there were other great moments in his historic career like the final two drives to help Florida escape Arkansas this year or the Gators romp of Georgia in the revenge game to the “Gator Stomp” affair of 2007. This season didn’t end in a national championship for Tebow and his Gator teammates, but it did end in a BCS bowl against an undefeated team.
In a sense his final game emulated what he was to his football team. He racked up 533 yards and scored four touchdowns while putting his mark in the college football record books one final time. He completed almost every pass, made nearly zero mistakes, and made the game we’ve come to love to watch him play look extremely simple one final time.
There were questions about his coach coming in. The quarterback had showed support for a man he sometimes referred to as a second father all week long, while also trying to answer questions about a pro career that many are calling over before it begins. After a 51-24 win on Friday night, Urban Meyer bypassed questions about his own future and declared his quarterback the best college football player ever.
Many will question whether we will ever see Tebow shine again, or if his outstanding college career was the end of his great playing days on the gridiron. Tebow doesn’t know the answer to those questions, but in his closing speech to Gator nation he declared that the last four years were the “greatest of his life”.
With that the greatest player in college football history stepped off the podium, walked across the field, and took one final stroll off of college football’s big stage. He ran for more touchdowns than Herschel Walker. In his final game, he totaled more yards than anyone in BCS history. But to Tebow, numbers are just numbers. All he wanted to be remembered was his heart and what he stood for.
Tebow wasn’t a lot of things, but he was a champion in every sense of the word. He represented Christian values, teamwork, passion, and desire. He may not have been the best at everything, but when it’s all said and done he might just end up being declared the best.
He didn’t play for himself. No, the greatest college football player in history played for his teammates and for his fans.
What a joy it was to watch.
A Big Day for the Big Ten
Jan 2nd
With the new decade beginning, the Big Ten had a chance to give itself a new image as a conference that can compete on the same field as the SEC and the Pac-10. Today, they did just that with wins by Penn State in the Capital One Bowl and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. With these two victories the Big Ten was able to restore most of its credibility, even though in the Outback Bowl Auburn outlasted Northwestern in overtime.
In Orlando, the Capital One Bowl had a sloppy field that fit the style of play of Joe Paterno’s team. The Nittany Lions were able to use their smash mouth running game and their solid rush defense to turn LSU into a one dimensional team. Jordan Jefferson struggled to make the big throws down the stretch despite the success of his two main receivers Terrance Tolliver and Brandon LaFell. Lafell had questions of whether this game should be played on these conditions, “That was by far the worst field conditions I’ve ever seen in my life. For them to say this is the best bowl outside the BCS, I would expect to play on the best field outside the BCS.” Daryl Clark did not mind the sloppy field conditions at all as he lead his team down the field with his senior leadership towards the game winning field goal and ultimately the victory.
Coming into the Rose Bowl, loads of questions surrounded the Ohio State program as a whole. There were questions about whether Terrelle Pryor could win a big game and if the Buckeyes could go out to California and put up a good performance. Well, both things came true for Ohio State. Terrelle Pryor was able to make plays not only with his legs, but also with his arm. He completed 23/37 passes for 266 yards and 2 touchdowns while also running for 72 yards on 20 carries. Every time the Buckeyes needed to make a play on offense, Pryor would come up with the big throw that every Buckeyes fans had waited two years to see. Despite the big running plays from Oregon’s rushing attack, it was the Ohio State defense who made Jeremiah Masoli uncomfortable all night long. This is a win that Jim Tressel can build on, snapping a 3 game BCS bowl losing streak and will allow Pryor to have something to build on for his junior year. Pryor said that he “just wanted to come out and show [he could] be a complete quarterback.” Well, he did just that up in Pasadena.
Leach’s firing ends an offensive era that we won’t see again
Dec 30th
When I first heard of Mike Leach’s firing, I shook my head in disgust. I don’t know if I’m mad at Leach, a.k.a the “Mad Scientist”, for putting himself into a situation where he could be fired or if I’m mad at Texas Tech for firing a man that had unbelievable success at a school that has never been regarded as a top notch football school without digging very deep into an investigation.
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Mike Leach took Texas Tech to new heights, but was fired after allegations of player abuse. |
No matter which side you’re on; that of Adam James (ESPN analyst Craig James) or Leach’s, it’s easy as a football to mourn the end of one of the greatest passing offenses in NCAA history. While it’s possible Leach will return somewhere, run the same offense, and have some success, it’s very unlikely his offense will ever peak like it did at Texas Tech.
Friends of mine call it a video game offense because it’s quick, unstoppable, and it feels as if Leach is pushing buttons from the sideline to plug it all in to make it work.
Starting in 2000 Leach’s quarterbacks put crazy numbers up: 00-Kliff Kingsbury (3,412 yds, 21 TDs), 01-Kliff Kingsbury (3,502 yds, 25 TDs), 02-Kliff Kingsbury (5,017 yds, 45 TDs), 03-B. J. Symons (5,833 yds, 52 TDs), 04-Sonny Cumbie (4,742 yds, 32 TDs), 05-Cody Hodges (4,238 yds, 31 TDs), 06-Graham Harrell (4,555 yds, 38 TDs), 07-Graham Harrell (5,367 yds, 43 TDs), 08-Graham Harrell (5,111 yds, 45 TDs), 09-Taylor Potts/Stephen Sheffield (4,199 yds, 33 TDs).
I wasn’t at Texas Tech to see whether Leach handled James’ concussion properly, so I won’t defend a man that I can’t. I also won’t defend James or his father Craig, because something tells me that if it was my son it wouldn’t be as big of a deal. What if James was really just trying to get back at the coaching staff for lack of playing time, as a few coaches suggested? Is this the beginning of an era where student athletes have more power than their head coaches when it comes to treatment of “injuries” that may or may not be there.
Leach was never one to do things the conventional way. Texas Tech knew that from day one and that uniqueness caused him to be successful at the highest level of college football. His Red Raiders reached their peak during his stay last season when they knocked off Texas, a loss that eventually denied the Longhorns a chance to play for the national championship.
Leach went as far as to call the players distracted by their “fat, little girlfriends” after a humiliating loss to Texas A&M this season. It was that humor that made him different.
One of the most interesting things about Leach was that his offense was his baby. By that I mean a Steve Spurrier type of infatuation with X’s and O’s that led the Red Raiders head man to constantly tinker with how to make his offense more explosive. When things were working he was like a kid in a candy store, but when things were failing he was more like a southerner stuck in New York City traffic.
I will never forget watching Texas Tech just to watch unbelievable offense, even if the Red Raiders defense was only going to relinquish points just as fast half of the time.
No matter which side ends up in the right/wrong, hopefully both Leach and the school will move on from these allegations and find success.
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