"Eye" Gate

The entire college football world is talking about Brandon Spikes this week. Not because he' the best linebacker in the country, or the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Instead they are talking about his eye gouging of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.

I've been listening to all kinds of differing opinions this week, and I thought it was time for me to share my own.

While I think intentionally trying to mame someone is reprehensibly wrong, I think Spikes is being unfairly singled out here. Eye gouging, crotch grabbing, gut punching, spitting, biting and pinching all take place in a typical dog-pile. Spikes was just dumb enough to get caught this time. All the people out there calling for a 3 game suspension should take a step back and look at their own program for a second. I'm sure if you ask anyone on any team, they will tell you it happens all the time.

I don't believe 2 wrongs make a right, but if you watch the game film, early in the first quarter Spikes had his helmet ripped off. While he was helmetless, a Georgia player intentionally head butted him. Who out there would not be pissed off if this were to happen to you. Now, Spikes should have handled that situation right then and there instead of stewing on the sidelines for 2 quarters plotting his revenge. That's where I think Spikes is wrong in all of this.

The other part of this that is getting Florida criticized is the half game suspension for Spikes. I agree with everyone out there. This suspension is a joke. I think it would be in Florida's best interest to suspend Spikes for the whole game. For one, it's Vanderbilt and Spikes is not necessarily needed to win the game. Plus, Meyer could have averted all this extra criticism from the media and Gator Haters.

Now, everyone calling for Spikes' head should read some of Ealey's comments about the incident. If you're too lazy to click on the link, Ealey is basically saying that all that stuff was happening on both sides of the ball on Saturday. Ealey also said that he didn't think Spikes should be suspended, mainly because he didn't even come close to his eyes. I have to give some props to Ealey on this one. He's showing a lot of class coming out to defend Spikes.

For the other side of the argument, take a look at Pat Forde's usually unbiased and well-written Forde-Yard Dash. My favorite part of the article was a comment left by one of the readers:

"Pat Forde, you're an idiot. I wish Brandon Spikes would gouge my eyes out so I wouldn't have to read any more of your articles. ESPN should suspend you for stupidity."

That is just classic.

One thing that is being overlooked in "Eye" Gate was this blatant no-cal against Nick Williams. They don't get much worse than this.



Watching all this drama unfold does remind me of one thing:



That was one of the worst things I've seen in a football game, mainly because it caused serious injury to Earnest Graham. There are Seminole fans to this day that deny Dockett did anything wrong that day.

It All Comes Together

Finally the offense decided to show up for a game. After weeks of hitting the snooze button and missing the game, Florida's offense went off against a reeling Georgia defense. The 41-17 win makes the Gators 17-3 in the last two decades of The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Gators overcame all kinds of motivational ploys from the "Motivational Master" Mark Richt. The Dawgs stormed the field with black domes in the hopes of psyching themselves up. It didn't work. Then, after UGA's first score, Richt had the boys get together and jump around on their sideline. That didn't work either. What did work was Florida's offense and defense.

Tim Tebow looked like his old self in throwing and rushing for two touchdowns each. He broke Herschel Walker's all-time SEC rushing touchdown mark against Walker's old team. Riley Cooper went Cris Carter on Georgia's secondary. His second touchdown catch was a thing of beauty. Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody both ran the ball effectively. Even Mike Gillislee broke off a big run before pulling his hammy.

The defense was stellar once again. Linebacker A.J. Jones picked off two Joe Cox passes. The first pick was a tip-drill to himself that might have been the play of the game. Ryan Stamper got himself a tip-drill int late in the game as well. However, it was Brandon Spikes that was able to convert his int into a touchdown. He quietly walked into the endzone after picking off Cox's backup Logan Gray at the 5 yard line.

The only sour point of the game for the Gators were the injuries. As I mention earlier Mike Gillislee pulled his hamstring on a long run late in the game. Chris Rainey was taken off the field after re-injuring his left shoulder. Tim Tebow, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Spikes were also dinged up during the contest.

Stat time!

Passing

Tim Tebow 15-21 164 yards 2 tds

Rushing

Tim Tebow 18 rushes 85 yards 2 tds
Mike Gillislee 3 rushes 57 yards
Jeff Demps 5 rushes 31 yards
Emmanuel Moody 7 rushes 26 yards


Receiving

Riley Cooper 4 recs 78 yards 2 tds
Aaron Hernandez 3 recs 29 yards
David Nelson 3 recs 26 yards
Deonte Thompson 3 recs 17 yards


Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/2 Long-56

Tackles

Brandon Spikes 10
Ahmad Black 8
Will Hill 6

Sacks


A.J. Jones 1
Carlos Dunlap 1
Jermaine Cunningham 1

Interceptions

A.J. Jones 2
Brandon Spikes 1
Ryan Stamper 1



Player of The Game

Tim Tebow - Quarterback, SEC Rushing TD King

You know that's gotta sting for Georgia fans. Tim Tebow broke Herschel Walker's record against his old team. Not only that, but Tebow did it on a long run. Something that Tebow has been criticized for the lack of. Tebow's passing also greatly improved this game. With the exception of a few screen passes, Tebow placed the ball exactly where it needed to be on each throw. He now joins the long list of Gator quarterbacks to leave Gainesville with a winning record against UGA.

Florida-Georgia Preview

This year's edition of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party seems to be creeping up a bit quieter than recent years. No this isn't a clash of two of the nation's top 10 teams this season, and no Florida isn't seeking revenge for a showboating ass-whooping from a previous edition of the cocktail party.

All that being said, the Florida-Georgia game is always special, and this installment should be no different. The Gator players and coaches are still hollering about Georgia storming the field in Jacksonville 2 years ago. Personally, I think that's already been avenged with last year's thrashing. I truly believe the Gators are just doing this to rile themselves up. I don't know if that says the Georgia program is so down this year that Florida needs extra motivation to get up for it, or if it says that Florida needs to do something to wake their offense up out of the doldrums.

No matter what the records are of these two teams, or how bad a certain unit is playing, you'll still hear plenty of name calling and jort/red trouser bashing amongst the fans.


5 Keys to the game.


1. Establish a deep threat - Georgia's defense is incredibly horrendous thus far. They have made Ryan Mallett and Jonathan Crompton look like future NFL Hall of Famers. It seems that no matter who Georgia is playing, the opposing team's quarterback is in store for a huge day. That will only be the case this Saturday if the Gators finally decide to throw the ball deep. Something they haven't done since the last play of the first quarter against Kentucky.



2. Protect the ball - Georgia will be feeding off some huge emotion this weekend. Their season will certainly be salvaged in a big way if they were to knock off the Gators somehow. The best way for the Dawgs to accomplish this is to force some turnovers. Giving the ball up is also the best way to give a struggling defense some serious confidence. The ball needs to stay off the turf for the Gators to control this game.


3. Control emotions - Controlling emotions goes a long way in determining if the Gators ca hold on to the ball or not. This is something that I am always worried about heading into a rivalry game. The Gators have been outstanding in these instances during the Urban Meyer regime. If you remember, their only loss to one of Florida's "Big 3" rivals was to UGA.


4.Protect Tebow - This is definitely something that the offensive line has not been doing lately. What would it take for Steve Addazio to shift a tight end over to help protect Tebow's blind side? Hopefully not a loss. That could be on the way if the line continues to struggle.


5. Save your timeouts - If the Gators truly are still pissed at Mark Richt and Co. for that celebration, Meyer should make sure that he has some extra timeouts at the end of the game to "Give Moody more quality carries."


5 Players That Need to Step Up

1. Tim Tebow - Tebow has struggled mightily against Geogria (2007) and looked brilliant against Georgia (2008). I can't remember the last Gator QB to leave Gainesville with a losing record vs. Georgia as a starter. Tebow will be 1-2 if the Gators lose on Saturday.


2. Deonte Thompson - Thompson went M.I.A. again last week. I think he should change his nickname to Nessie. No one can really prove that he exists, but every once in a while he'll pop his head up and cause all kinds of commotion.


3. Emmanuel Moody - Moody is continuing to establish himself as the Gators best runner out of the backfield. Demps will be sore with a sprained neck and Rainey will have to be relieved at some point. I would like to see Moody get some carries out of the I-Formation against the Dawgs' D. It worked the whole 1 time we ran it last week.


4. Brandon Spikes - Spikes set the tone during last season's Georgia game by clobbering Knowshon Moreno as he tried to break through the line. Brandon should be well rested after sitting out last week's game with a sore groin. I feel bad for Richard Samuel.


5. Dustin Doe - Even though Spikes grabbed the highlights last season, perhaps Florida's best linebacker in that Game was Dustin Doe. Doe was all over the place last season in Jacksonville. If he doesn't get arrested by Saturday, he should continue to build on last week's stellar performance. Showboating aside...


Here's some highlights of last year's 49-10 victory.



Here's what they're saying about the game over at Dawgs Sports.

I like the second comment. The only way Georgia can beat us is if the Florida bus driver drives us to the wrong stadium. Good Stuff!

My Prediction

Florida - 27


Georgia - 17

Title "Defense"

The big news came just hours before the game. Tim Tebow would be the starting QB for the Florida Gators in Death Valley. While the news was good, it may not have been the most important part of the Gators' victory last night. The biggest story for this Gators team is the fact that their defense is very, very good.

This defensive unit still has only allowed 2 touchdowns all season long. I'm not sure if too many people around the nation can comprehend that fact. As Urban Meyer likes to say, this unit is a "grown man's defense." The offense uncharacteristically sputtered late in a few drives and left at least 10 points on the field. They need not worry, as the defense was there to pick them up.

Brandon Spikes was all over the field for the first time this season. Joe Haden seemingly broke up every pass that headed his way, including a late second quarter interception. Ahmad Black turned into Major Wright and delivered some bone jarring hits. The defensive line was amazing. Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Trattou and even Terron Sanders all had great games against the very solid rushing attack of the LSU Tigers.

There were some bright spots on offense as well. The O-Line, led by the Pouncey Twins, played perhaps their best game of the season. They allowed the Gator rushing attack to gut the very stout front seven of LSU. Aaron Hernandez played a very solid game at the TE position. He even came within inches of saving Tebow and hauling in a third quarter TD pass. Emmanuel Moody finally showed why this particularly blog has a total no-homo man crush on the guy. He never went down on first or even second contact and averaged 7 yards a carry.

I have to cut the outline short now. I just arrived in Gainesville to kick Caleb Sturgis in the nuts as promised. Although for different reasons.

Here's the stats of the classic SEC-style victory of the Gators.

Passing

Tim Tebow 11-16 134 yards 1 td 1 int

Rushing

Jeff Demps 16 rushes 86 yards
Emmanuel Moody 6 rushes 42 yards
Tim Tebow 17 rushes 38 yards
Aaron Hernandez 1 rush 16 yards
Chris Rainey 4 rushes 11 yards

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 6 recs 70 yards
Riley Cooper 2 recs 31 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 2 recs 11 yards
Brandon James 1 rec 20 yards

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/3 Long-32 yards

Tackles

Brandon Spikes 11
A.J. Jones 10
Ryan Stamper 9

Sacks

Brandon Spikes 2.5
Jermaine Cunningham 1
Justin Trattou 1
Carlos Dunlap 0.5

Interceptions

Joe Haden 1


Player of The Game


Brandon Spikes - Linebacker, The Predator

Spikes played easily what was his best game of the year. Now that I think about it, it was about LSU week when Spikes really started playing out of his mind last season. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come. All I know is you can pretty much pencil him in as All-American 1st team at the LB position. I hope Spikes formally introduces Ryan Mallett to the Swamp and SEC play next week.

CFB365 Positional Rankings

Last season, I intricately broke down the top 20 players from each position in college football. Since I decided to wait until the day before the season started to do it this year, I'm going to combine every position into one post. This, of course, will call for more brevity than in the past. It does not, however, affect how right I am. Which is 100%.

I may update these rankings as the season progresses and players either make a name for themselves or stumble all over their own vaginas.

QB

1. Tim Tebow - Florida
2. Colt McCoy - Texas
   
3. Sam Bradford - Oklahoma
4. Zac Robinson - Oklahoma St.
5. Jevan Snead - Ole Miss
6. Todd Reesing - Kansas
7. Terrelle Pryor - Ohio St.
8. Juice Williams - Illinois
9. Max Hall - BYU
10. Darryl Clark - Penn St.

RB

1. Jahvid Best - California
2. Kendall Hunter - Oklahoma St.
3. Jonathan Dwyer - Georgia Tech
4. DeMarco Murray - Oklahoma
5. Noel Devine - West Virginia
6. Andre Anderson - Tulane
7. Joe McKnight - USC
8. Anthony Dixon - Mississippi St.
9. Eugene Jarvis - Kent St.
10. C.J. Spiller - Clemson

WR

1. Dez Bryant - Oklahoma St.
2. Arrelious Benn - Illinois
3. Julio Jones - Alabama
4. A.J. Green - Georgia
5. Damian Williams - USC
6. Mardy Gilyard - Cincinnati
7. Brandon LaFell - LSU
8. Dezmon Briscoe - Kansas
9. Jonathan Baldwin - Pittsburgh
10. Kevin Jurovich - San Jose St.

TE

1. Jermaine Gresham - Oklahoma
2. Aaron Hernandez - Florida
3. D.J. Williams - Arkansas
4. Rob Gronkowski - Arizona
5. Dennis Pitta - BYU
6. Ed Dickson - Oregon
7. Cody Slate - Marshall
8. Kyle Rudolph - Notre Dame
9. Jeron Mastrud - Kansas St.
10. Richard Dickson - LSU

OL

1. Sergio Render - Virginia Tech
2. Trent Williams - Oklahoma
3. Jeff Byers - USC
4. Ciron Black - LSU
5. Anthony Davis - Rutgers
6. Kristoffer O'Dowd - USC
7. Maurkice Pouncey - Florida
8. Mike Pouncey - Florida
9. Russell Okung - Oklahoma St.
10. Adam Ulatoski - Texas

DL

1. Gerald McCoy - Oklahoma
2. Greg Hardy - Ole Miss
3. Carlos Dunlap - Florida
4. Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska
5. Sergio Kindle - Texas
6. Geno Atkins - Georgia
7. Jerry Hughes - TCU
8. George Selvie - South Florida
9. Terrence Cody - Alabama
10. Rahim Alem - LSU

LB

1. Brandon Spikes - Florida
2. Rolando McClain - Alabama
3. Eric Norwood - South Carolina
4. Sean Weatherspoon - Missouri
5. Sean Lee - Penn St.
6. Rennie Curran - Georgia
7. Navarro Bowman - Penn St.
8. Sean Spence - Miami(FL)
9. Travis Lewis - Oklahoma
10. Reggie Carter - UCLA

DB

1. Eric Berry - Tennessee
2. Taylor Mays - USC
3. Joe Haden - Florida
4. Trevard Lindley - Kentucky
5. Patrick Peterson - LSU
6. Morgan Burnett - Georgia Tech
7. Janoris Jenkins - Florida
8. Alterraun Verner - UCLA
9. Chad Jones - LSU
10. Syd'Quan Thompson - California
    

Plays of the year

Time for CFB 365's plays of the year. These were my personal favorite plays. There is no argument on the order because I am right. That is all.

10. London Crawford


9. Beanie Wells


8. Knowshon Moreno


7. James Rodgers


6. Sam Bradford



5. Middle Tennessee


4. Buffalo


3. Brandon Spikes


2. Michael Crabtree


1. Edwin Baptiste

SEC Championship Preview

I feel like a kid again. I have so many memories of watching Florida and Alabama playing each other for the SEC Championship. Back in those days I wasn't the awe-inspiring die hard Gator fan that I am today. I would route for my Gators, but it wasn't the end of the world if they lost. All I cared about was that for three hours, I got to see the Gators play. Plus, I was up past my bedtime!

Now, of course, things are different. I am a deranged Gator fan that watches every second of every game three times. Now, a Gators loss really does feel like the end of the world. Whenever the Orange and Blue fall, I shut myself off from everybody until the next game.

And I hate 'Bama now. I hate Nick Saban. I hate their stupid chants. I hate their boring uniforms. I hate the fact that their mascot is a god damn elephant. Granted my hatred for the Tide is not as large as my hatred for Georgia, Tennessee or Florida State, but it's pretty close. The only good thing about Bama is that the SEC Championship always seems better when it's Florida v. Alabama. This year should be no different.



5 Keys to a Gator victory

1. Stop Alabama's running game.

You know Nick Saban is going to try to eat as much clock as possible. The only way to slow down this Gator attack is to keep them off the field. It seems that in the past, when the Gators have fallen in big time games, it was mainly due to their inability to stop the running game. Mark Ingram, Glenn Coffee and Terry Grant don't need to become Travis Henry, Warrick Dunn and Jamaal Lewis reincarnated on Saturday. If the Gators can stop Bama's rushing attack early, they should be able to cruise to a victory. However, that is a very big IF.




2. Improve kick-off coverage.

The Gators kick off team has been porous at best lately. This is a frustrating aspect of the team to me. Our special teams dominate in every way possible EXCEPT for kick off coverage. Last week, the lone bright spot for the Seminoles was the play of kick returner Michael Ray Garvin. Even the Citadel put together a couple of decent returns against the Gators. I can tell you one thing, Alabama's Javier Arenas is on a whole other level when it comes to the return game. The Gators are going to have to step it up big time if they want to slow down my fellow Robinson High School grad.





3. Win the field position battle.

This goes hand in hand with my previous two points. Alabama's whole game plan relies heavily on winning the field position battle. If they can establish the run this may be a lost cause. Also, the Gators will definitely need to improve their kick off coverage if they want to take this one. Luckily for Florida, they have the best punter in the league to reverse the field position if need be. It wouldn't hurt if Brandon James could return to early season form either.







4. Play Percy Harvin.

I don't care if Percy Harvin really is hurt. Florida needs to dress him and play him. I figure there are three different levels in which Percy could be hurt. The Gators can find a way to play him at all three levels.

Level one- Not hurt at all. Percy is as good as usual. The head coaching staff finds a way to get him the ball whenever possible.

Level two- Bothered by the injury, but not severe. At this level, the Gators could still find ways to get Percy the ball. Just put extra tape on his ankle and run him on a sweep, or a go route.

Level three- Pretty damn hurt. Florida could still use Harvin at this level. He would be the ultimate decoy. As long as Percy is on the field, the Alabama defenders will be forced to focus on him.



5. Get Demps and Rainey the ball in space.

This could be a huge factor if Harvin falls into the level three category above. I know 'Bama has athletes on D. But there's no way they have anybody that can stop Demps or Rainey in the flats on a consistent basis. Rainey has perfected the spin and change direction move, and Demps is simply just faster than everybody. Run a couple screens or even reverses to get these guys out in the flats one on one with some d-linemen and linebackers. And don't give up if it doesn't work at first.





5 Gator players that need to step up

1.Chas Henry- I bet you though you'd never see a punter on this list. Henry may be the most underrated player on the Gators squad. His ability to reverse bad field position when need be will be huge on Saturday.

2. Tim Tebow- I just wanna see Tebow run across the middle and bulldoze Rashad Johnson like he did Jamie Robinson last week. It's funny how much vitriol is being spewed Tebow's way by the Tide faithful. Jealous much?

3. Chris Rainey- I think that out of the trio of Rainey, Demps and Harvin, Alabama may be the must unprepared for Rainey. I look for Chris to get the bulk of the carries (Sorry Manny....).

4. Javier Estopinan. It's gonna fall on the interior of the d-line to stop the 'Bama rushing attack. Unfortunately for the Gators, the injury bug has bit this position as of late. On the bright side, the last time I picked a DT in this segment(Terron Sanders) he went on to have a monster game.

5. Brandon Spikes- All-Everything linebacker Brandon Spikes will be their to clean up anything that gets beyond the line of scrimmage. Mr. Spikes has also become a threat in the interception department this season. JPW better keep his eyes on him.


Here's a glimpse at what the two teams have done against common opponents this season.

Alabama......Florida
Arkansas W 49-14...... W 38-7
Georgia W 41-30...... W 49-10
Kentucky W 17-14...... W 63-5
Ole Miss W 24-20...... L 31-30
Tennessee W 29-9....... W 30-6
LSU W 27-21...... W 51-21


Here's a video from the last time the Gators made an appearance in ATL.




Check out what's being said about the game at a Tide forum. It's funny how it's been hijacked by people rooting for Florida.



Time for my prediction. I was pretty damn close last week. Just needed a late Caleb Sturgis field goal. Where's Randy Shannon when you need him?

Florida 38

Alabama 24

UGA's headache

The Florida D hounded Matthew Stafford all game long in Jacksonville on Saturday. Sacking him twice and forcing three picks. Here, Brandon Spikes and Terron Sanders make it a little harder for Stafford to see the field. Early in the game, the Gators hobbled Stafford, who was noticeably limping the rest of the way.

That's what I'm talking about!

The Gators absolutely dominated LSU last night. The Tigers came in ranked number 3 in the country and left the Swamp with bruised arses. The only bad thing about last night was the fact that professional douche jockey, Ricky Jean-Francois was not in town to witness the beatdown. The Gators were so impressive that they have climbed back into the top 5 of the ESPN poll. We'll have to wait and see where they'll land in the much more important CFB 365 power poll.

Tebow seems to have reverted back to his old self. The fire and intensity that looked to be missing thus far this season, was evidently back last night. Tebow hopped, Gator chomped, and ran over defenders all night long. Harvin was great once again, and the rest of the receiving corps was incredibly solid. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of last night's victory was the Gators' running game. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey ran wild through the vaunted Tiger defense. Even much maligned Ketsahn Moore scored a touchdown.

If Florida's run game was impressive, their ability to stop LSU's was phenomenal. Brandon Spikes, Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden were all over the field. Spikes picked off two Jarrett Lee ducks and returned one for a score. I'm getting more and more comfortable with Janoris Jenkins as the starting corner opposite Joe Haden. If anything, Jenkins' play has actually cast a shadow over Haden. Even that asshole Lundquist noticed that Haden was having some trouble covering LSU's receivers.

This was obviously a great football game. The Gators put together the best all-around performance I have seen in recent years. They were dominant in all phases of the game. Perhaps this game will shut up those dumb asses that call themselves Gator fans that have been calling for Dan Mullen's job.

Here's the stats:

Florida Passing
Tim Tebow 14-21 210 yards 2 tds


Florida Rushing
Jeff Demps 10 129 yards 1 td
Chris Rainey 11 66 yards
Kestahn Moore 4 23 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 12 22 yards 1 td
Percy Harvin 2 13 yards
Brandon James 2 12 yards


Florida Receiving
Percy Harvin 6 recs 112 yards 2 tds
Louis Murphy 1 rec 37 yards
Deonte Thompson 2 recs 26 yards
Riley Cooper 2 recs 19 yards
Jeff Demps 1 rec 11 yards
Aaron Hernandez 2 recs 5 yards


Florida Punting
Chas Henry 2 59 yards



Florida Punt Returns
Brandon James 2 47 yards


Florida Kick Returns
Brandon James 2 53 yards
Javier Estopinan 1 8 yards


Florida Interceptions
Brandon Spikes 2


Florida Field Goals
Jonathan Phillips 3/3


Florida Tackles
Janoris Jenkins 9
Major Wright 7
Joe Haden 6
Brandon Spikes 5
Lawrence Marsh 4
A.J. Jones 4
Jacques Rickerson 3
Justin Trattou 3
Terron Sanders 3
Ahmad Black 3
Duke Lemmens 2
Markihe Anderson 2
Justin Williams 2
Will Hill 2
Jermaine Cunningham 2
6 others with 1

Florida Sacks
Janoris Jenkins 1
Duke Lemmens 1
Jermaine Cunningham 1


Player of the game.


Jeff Demps - Running Back, Lightning in a Thimble

In such a great win, there's always plenty of candidates for player of the game. This game was no different. There were several Gator players deserving of player of the game honors. Percy Harvin was amazing once again, Tim Tebow put his name back in the Heisman race, and Brandon Spikes and Janoris Jenkins led the dominant Gator D. There's one man, however that stole the show. That man was human blur, Jeff Demps. Demps ran for 100 yards in back-to-back SEC games. And since I overlooked him last week in favor of running mate Chris Rainey, it's only fair that I recognize him this week. One thing that impressed me the most about Demps was his poise and intelligence during the post game interviews. It's nice to know the future of Gator football is in good hands with this guy.

Gator superlatives

I feel like I have been neglecting my Gators lately. I've been going on and on about every other program in the nation and it seems I almost forgot the best one of all, the University of Florida.

So I decided to do an entire blog about the Mighty Gators. This one is for those fans that may not be as familiar with the program as my awesome self is.

Here are a few superlative categories among the Florida football team. Enjoy and tell me what you think or how great I am in the comment section.

MVP- Tim Tebow QB. There are a lot of choices on the team for this one, but there is no way you can go against a returning Heisman winning QB. At times last season, Tebow was THE Gator football team. Florida needs him to stay healthy if they want to make a title run.

Best Newcomer- Omar Hunter DT. I don't remember more excitement around an incoming freshmen since......well since Timmy. Hunter should get playing time right away on the D-line. If the defense performs as bad as it did last season, look for Hunter to make a few starts.

Fastest player- Deonte Thompson WR. There are so many choices on the squad for this. There have been all kinds of 40 times thrown all over the place. But I've seen the entire team in person and Deonte is FAAAAAAAAAST! He edges out Chris Rainey, Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin.

Best Runner- Percy Harvin WR. Now there is a difference between being a good runner and a fast runner. Harvin happens to be both. That makes him the best runner.

Breakout star- Major Wright S. I wanted to go with Chris Rainey on this but everyone is expecting him to takeoff. I think a lot of people are sleeping on Wright in the secondary. I look for Wright to have a Reggie Nelson type season. He is already known as the Eraser 2.0.

Most likely to succeed at next level- Percy Harvin WR. This is Harvin again. Percy is in the Reggie Bush/ Darren McFadden type level. That pretty much assures that he will be a VERY high draft selection.

Defensive leader- Brandon Spikes LB. Tebow has this wrapped up on the offensive end, but when it comes to defense it's all about Mr. Spikes. Spikes speaks volumes with his play as well as his vocal leadership. Brandon is the best of a great group of linebackers.

Most likely to be famous outside of football- Joe Haden CB. Haden is a character. If you talk to anyone on the team they all use the same word to describe Haden: Rock Star.

Top Heisman candidate- Tim Tebow QB. This was a close call between Tebow and Harvin. Whenever it's too close to call it's usually a good idea to go with the safer bet. That would be the incumbent in this case, Mr. Tim Tebow.

Player I'd like to hang out with- Wondy Pierre-Louis CB. He's Creole. I'm Creole. There would be some good food and a lot of hot sauce.

There's my short list. I may make another one in the future. If you have any more categories to add, just let me know. If not, screw you.

Defense wins championships........And the Bronko Nagurski Award

If you thought preseason polls were bad, how about nominating a player for an award before he even plays a down. That's what the Charlotte Athletic Club did when the released the Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list. Two Gators did make the list. Brandon Spikes may be the only one of the two with a real shot of winning it.

Here are the names to be "watched"



2008 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
Malcom Jenkins, DB, Ohio State
Antonio Baker, DB, Louisiana Tech
Peria Jerry, DT, Ole Miss
Darry Beckwith, MLB, LSU
Rashad Johnson, DB, Alabama
Ted Bentler, DL, Army
Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee
Jan Jorgensen, DL, BYU
Dirayl Briggs, DE, Bowling Green
Frantz Joseph, LB, Florida Atlantic
Everette Brown,DL, Florida State
Mitch King, DT, Iowa
David Bruton, FS Notre Dame
James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State
Joe Burnett, DB, UCF
Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
Terrill Byrd, DT, Cincinnati
Sen'Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn
Ian Campbell, DE, Kansas State
Rey Maualuga, LB, USC
Reggie Carter, LB UCLA
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Jamar Chaney, LB Mississippi State
Albert McClellan, DE, Marshall
Patrick Chung, DB, Oregon
Scott McKillop, LB, Pittsburgh
Barry Church, S, Toledo
Gerald McRath, LB, Southern Miss
Antonio Coleman, DE Auburn
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Emanuel Cook, SS, South Carolina
Greg Middleton, DE, Indiana
Maurice Crum, LB, Notre Dame
Fili Moala, DT, USC
Jermaine Cunningham, DL, Florida
William Moore, S, Missouri
Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest
DJ Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
Brian Cushing, LB, USC
Joe Mortensen, LB, Kansas
Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
Clayton Mullins, LB, Miami (Ohio)
Vontae Davis, DB, Illinois
Captain Munnerlyn, DB, South Carolina
Wil Dunbar, FS, UAB
Andre Neblett, DT, Temple
Solomin Elimimian, LB, Hawaii
Troy Nolan, DB, Arizona State
Dannell Ellerbe, LB, Georgia
Eric Norwood, DE, South Carolina
Kevin Ellison, DB, USC
Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke
Auston English, DE, Oklahoma
Jeff Owens, DT, Georgia
Larry English, DE, Northern Illinois
Derek Pegues, DB, Mississippi State
Maurice Evans, DE, Penn State
Dave Philistin, LB, Maryland
Zack Follett, LB, California
Nick Reed, DE, Oregon
Marcus Freeman, LB, Ohio State
Myron Rolle, DB, Florida State
Londen Fryar, DB, Western Michigan
George Selvie, DE, South Florida
John Gill, DT, Northwestern
Matt Shaughnessy, DE, Wisconsin
DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma
Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia
Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers
Alphonso Smith, DB, Wake Forest
Michael Hamlin, DB, Clemson
D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech
Greg Hardy, DE, Mississippi
Clinton Snyder, LB, Stanford
Nic Harris, DB, Oklahoma
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
Victor Harris, DB, Virginia Tech
Terrance Taylor, DT, Michigan
Daniel Holtzclaw, LB, Eastern Michigan
Brian Toal, LB, Boston College
Phillip Hunt, DE, Houston
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri
George Hypolite, DT, Colorado
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
DeAndre Wright, DB, New Mexico
Players may be added or deleted from the list before or during the season

Good Luck to all! (except Tyson Jackson, Greg Hardy, Myron Rolle, Jeff Owens, Eric Norwood, Dannell Ellerbee, Solomin Elimimian, Captain Munnerlyn, DJ Moore, Emanuel Cook, Trevard Lindley, Everette Brown, Eric Berry, Darry Beckwith, Peria Jerry and Geno Atkins)