Grab Bag Time!

I'm sure my millions of readers world wide have noticed that CFB365 has been a little slow lately. Well, more like a lot slow. Truth is I've been incredibly busy lately. Contrary to popular belief, I do in fact have a life. And since I can't find a competent co-writer for this blog, when I have little downtime, this illustrious site suffers.

Since I've been M.I.A. for a while, I thought it would be nice to throw a bunch of crap together in one single post. There's really no rhyme or reason to any of this, just a bunch of random thoughts about college football at this point in the season.

Enjoy!
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Coaching Carousel

There's already been a few firings this season. Both Tommy West of Memphis and Mike Sanford of UNLV have received the pink slip from their bosses. While both Memphis and UNLV are out looking for that next great coach that no one has ever heard of, I thought I should take a look at a few other schools that I will probably be right there with them in the next few weeks.

Notre Dame - Out: Charlie Weis - No obligatory "coaches on the hot seat" discussion can officially begin until Charlie Weis is mentioned. Weis is proving to everyone what this here blogger has always known: The man cannot coach! He's good at calling offensive plays, but he will never have what it takes to run an entire team. Finally, after 5 seasons, the Irish will let him go. In: Brian Kelly - Kelly is the favorite to accept the Notre Dame coaching vacancy when it becomes available. Of course the Irish will contact Urban Meyer and Bobby Stoops, but it is widely believed both of those coaches will give ND a big "No Thank You!".


Virginia - Out: Al Groh - Groh has made a habit of saving his job with late season pushes. This season has been different. With the amount of talent that Groh has been able to amass at UVA, it is hard to believe that they have never seriously contended for an ACC crown. In: Skip Holtz - This is basically the same move I was calling for at the end of last season. Holtz has done a great job of keeping East Carolina at the top of C-USA. Time to see what he can do at a BCS level program.


Louisville - Out: Steve Kragthorpe - Was in over his head as soon as he took the job. Perhaps he can take over for some C-USA or MWC school (I'm thinking UTEP or UNLV). Kragthorpe just doesn't have what it takes to coach a BCS school. And supposedly, that's what Louisville is. In: Charlie Strong - As much as I would hate to see Charlie leave the Florida sideline, he deserves to be a head coach somewhere. The best way to turn around a falling program is to start with defense. I think Strong is pretty decent on that side of the ball.


Akron - Out: J.D. Brookhart - Brookhart should be the first of these coaches to go. He has put together absolutely nothing during his tenure at Akron. In: Chuck Martin - All Martin has done is win two national titles at Division II Grand Valley St. Some would argue if Akron is actually a step up for Martin, but I'm sure he could use the Zips as a nice stepping stone. You have to look no further than former GVSU head coach Brian Kelly to provide an example.


Kansas - Out: Mark Mangino - I really don't see how Mangino can keep his job after this season. Even if the allegations turn out to be false, the damage has already been done. No parent in their right mind would send their kid to play for Kansas while Mangino is roaming the sideline. In: Kevin Sumlin - Sumlin has done a tremendous job in his short stint at Houston. Who's to say he's not the next Urban Meyer?
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Heisman Race

This year's Heisman race has been anything but clear. There are a bunch of good players, but no real great performances really stand out. Here's how I would vote for the Heisman if I actually had a vote.


Toby Gerhart - Stanford RB - All the pub at the running back position has been surrounding Mark Ingram this year. While I think Ingram is a great player, there is no doubt in my mind that Gerhart is a better back. The only thing hurting Toby is that he plays for Stanford and not an SEC or Big Eleven school. The USC game should have earned him a few more votes.





Mark Ingram - Alabama RB - Ingram is the best player on what is arguably the best team in the country. Just think. Where would Bama be without Ingram? Probably not undefeated and getting ready to play Florida in the SEC championship.







C.J. Spiller - Clemson RB - He can run. pass, catch, and return kicks and punts for touchdowns, One of the more exciting players in the nation, it's a shame that C.J. might not even get an invite to NYC this year.










Tim Tebow - Florida QB - I'll admit, this is more of a lifetime achievement vote than anything. However, Timmy is the QB for the number one team in the country. That's gotta count for something. A big game against FSU could catapult him even further on this list.










Colt McCoy - Texas QB - Pretty much the same as Tebow, this is a lifetime achievement vote. The only reason why I even have these two players is because there is a lack of other viable candidates. Plus they are both quarterbacks of undefeated teams.
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Rivalry Week

This weekend is loaded with traditional rivalry games. For the most part these games are played for state bragging rights and recruiting superiority. Here's a quick look at some of my personal favorite games of this weekend. (Note: Oregon v. Oregon St. is one of my favorite games, but it is not listed since they will be playing next week. I hope to have more material to discuss the Civil War in the coming days.)

Florida v. Florida St. - Of course this was gonna be one of my favorite games. The Gators have dominated this rivalry in the Urban Meyer era. However, the series is even since Good 'Ol Bobby came to Tallahassee. This game will be extra special as it will be the last game at the Swamp for Seniors Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes.






Alabama v. Auburn - The Iron Bowl returned back to Alabama's favor with last years victory. The win erased all the bitter memories created by Tommy Tuberville. If Auburn can pull off the upset this week, they will knock Bama out of the title picture (unless they can bounce back and beat Florida in Atlanta). Now tell me that's not something Auburn will be playing out of their minds to do.




Washington v. Washington St. - The Apple Cup might not have the records and title implications that other rivalry games have this year. But you can throw all that crap out the window when the Cougs and Huskies get set to do battle. I truly enjoy this game ever year. It's a shame it's not the traditional last game on the schedule this season.






BYU v. Utah - The Holy War is always a good game to watch. This one has no MWC title implications, but the two teams hate each just the same.








Clemson v. South Carolina - The Battle for the Palmetto State just hasn't been the same since the two teams decided to duke it out on the field a few years ago. It just seems a little tame as of late. A win against Clemson could turn Spurrier's season around for the better.
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BCS Bowl Game Predictions

Here's the way I see the BCS shaping up.


Orange Bowl - Cincinnati v. Georgia Tech - The Big East and ACC champs will meet in what will easily be the most boring bowl game of the season. Should be a nice farewell victory for Brian Kelly before he leaves to take over the Notre Dame job.


Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma St. v. TCU - A high powered offense meets a very stingy defense. I like TCU's chances of continuing the MWC tradition of destroying BCS opponents in BCS bowl games.


Sugar Bowl - Alabama v. Boise St. - I just think there will be too much pressure on the BCS commissioners to include an undefeated Boise St/ team in this year's festivities. Even though a team like Penn St. will most likely get this invite, it would be nice to see the Broncos shred the Crimson Tide defense.


Rose Bowl - Oregon v. Ohio St. - While I wouldn't be surprised if this were Oregon St., I think the Ducks are the favorite to represent the PAC-10 in this year's Rose Bowl. Of course, keeping with tradition, Oregon will dismantle Ohio St.


BCS National Championship - Florida v. Texas - I think both Florida and Texas will survive rivalry week and their conference championship unscathed. Setting up what should be an exciting title game. Tebow v. McCoy could go down as one of the best QB match-ups of all time.
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Ultimate Fantasy League Update

For those of you that have been following CFB365's Ultimate Fantasy League, I commend you. For those of you that haven't, good luck following this segment. It's conference championship time in the UFL. Here are the match-ups. Remember, each conference champion gets an automatic bid into the 16 team playoff starting next week.

SEC - Florida v. Alabama - Just like real life, these two teams will meet to decide the SEC Championship. Bama was one of only two teams to go through the regular season undefeated. This is easily the best match-up of the conference championship week.


Big XII - Texas v. Nebraska - Nebraska overtook Kansas on the last week of the season to earn a spot in the title game. Texas was able to fend off a surging TCU team. This should be a blowout win for the Longhorns. We'll see....


Big Ten - Ohio St. v. Iowa - For awhile there it looked like the Big Ten would be decided by a title game between Wisconsin and Iowa St. However, things evened out the last 2 weeks of the season and the two best teams in the conference will meet. Ohio St. is the obvious favorite.


PAC 10 - Arizona v. Boise St. - The Wildcats used the early stumbles by California to secure their spot in this game early on. Boise St. has been the most consistent team in this conference. I think everyone is a little surprised that USC wasn't even a factor in the conference title race.


ACC - Virginia Tech v. South Florida - The Bulls reach the title game by default. Although they were able to keep East Carolina from wrecking the party. Either way, Va Tech is the odds on favorite to win this one.


Big East - Penn St. v. Cincinnati - Cincinnati was the other undefeated team that I alluded to earlier. This might actually turn out to be a close call. Penn St. did suffer two late season losses, including one to Cincy. We'll see if they can rebound and secure their spot in the playoffs.


Mountain West - Houston v. Colorado St. - Colorado St. held off Baylor to avoid an ALL-Texas Title Tilt in the MWC. The Rams have to be one of the biggest surprises of the season in the UFL. We'll see if they can keep their luck going against the Cougars.
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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.

Gators Finally Win in Starkville

It wasn't pretty, but the Gators left Starkville, Mississippi Saturday night with a 29-19 victory over the pesky Mississippi St. Bulldogs. With the win, this Gators squad becomes the first UF team to make it through the SEC West schedule unblemished in 11 years.

Once again the Gators offense was nothing to write home about. In fact, Florida's offense accounted for as many Mississippi St. touchdowns (2) as Florida touchdowns. True Freshman safety Johnthan Banks picked off Tebow two times and ran both picks back for touchdowns. The first pick 6 was a memorable 100 yard interception return for a TD. Also, the Gators once again managed to screw up nearly every red zone opportunity against the Bulldogs. They'll need to correct that problem in a hurry if they want to get the win in the WLOCP next weekend.

The good things to take from the game; Florida played much better defense than last week. The Gators' D stymied the Bulldogs all night long, only giving up 2 field goals and returning an int for a touchdown themselves. The Gators held on to the ball. Their might have been two interceptions, but there were no fumbles. That's definitely an improvement from last week.

Here's the stats:


Passing

Tim Tebow 12-22 127 yards 2 ints


Rushing

Chris Rainey 12 rushes 90 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 22 rushes 88 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 5 rushes 32 yards
Brandon James 2 rushes 28 yards
Jeff Demps 5 rushes 13 yards


Receiving

Riley Cooper 4 recs 63 yards
Aaron Hernandez 5 recs 32 yards
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 19 yards

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/4 Long- 27


Tackles

Ryan Stamper 13 tckls
Joe Haden 7 tckls
Dustin Doe 6 tckls
Carlos Dunlap 5 tckls


Interceptions

Dustin Doe 1 int
A.J. Jones 1 int
Major Wright 1 int


Sacks

Carlos Dunlap 3 sacks
Jermaine Cunningham 1 sack


Player of the Game

Carlos Dunlap - Defensive End, Sack Master

I could have easily selected Chris Rainey as the player of the game after his stellar performance on the ground. However, on a night when the defense once again played superb, it's only fitting that the player of the game is a defensive player. Carlos Dunlap and the defensive line made life miserable for Tyson Lee and Anthony Dixon. Dunlap recorded 3 of Florida's 4 sacks on the evening. His unstoppable rush also played a huge role in the Gators' ability to stuff Anthony Dixon all night long. Dixon came into the game as MSU's all-time leading rusher.He left as the latest victim of a Charlie Strong defense. The most impressive thing about Dunlap's and the defense's performance is the fact that they did it without Brandon Spikes and 3 defensive linemen.

Florida v. Arkansas Preview

The immovable object v. The unstoppable force.

That would be the great debate heading into this game between Florida's elite D and Arkansas' new-found prolific offense. However, we have already seen what happens to Arkansas' offense when they run into a solid defense. Just pop in a video tape of their game vs Alabama from a few weeks ago. Just a warning: Hide the kids, because it gets ugly.

So Florida's D is a huge key to victory this week. It's not all about the defense though. It is imperative for the Gators to have a strong showing on offense simply for the fact that it will help build confidence on that side of the ball heading into the home stretch.

The atmosphere in Gainesville will be amazing this week. This is the last homecoming of Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes' playing career. Perhaps the best offensive and defensive players to ever wear the Orange and Blue will put on a show.

5 Keys to the game

1. Put pressure on Ryan Mallett - The Gators finally place some major pressure on an opposing QB last week. That could have been a product of what may be one of the worse offensive lines in the SEC. This week, the Gators need to prove that they can apply that same kind of pressure against a good offensive line. Mallett is huge, and getting pressure on him may be the best way to force some errant throws.


2. Don't give Arkansas a short field - Ryan Mallett and RB Michael Smith make this Arkansas team very dangerous offensively. They're the main reasons why the Hogs have snuck into my top 25. Giving the Razorbacks a short field via either a turnover (highly unlikely) or a great return (even more unlikely) is almost guaranteed points, even against the best of defenses.

3. Establish a deep threat - This isn't as importamt to this game as much as it is to the rest of the season. Deonte Thompson should be completely healthy for the first time since the Troy game. Frankie Hammond and Justin Williams need to be ready to play, especially now that we know Carl Moore won't be back this season. Yeah getting the ball to Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez is nice, but I wanna see some bombs!

4. Give John Brantley some playing time - We still have not seen Brantley in a ball game that was still in doubt as promised by the coaching staff during the Spring. This is one of those tweener games that would be perfect to get Brantley some early reps. We should never be in danger of losing to Arkansas, but we can still get away with calling it a tough conference game against a very formidable opponent.

5. I gotta have more Moody - The latest out of Gainesville this week is that Moody is finally to take some reps away from Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. I've had no problem with Demps getting the bulk of the carries. He's a bonafide superstar. However, Rainey really hasn't shown the progress that I would have liked to seen out of him this year. On the flip side, despite some early fumbles, Moody has been straight blowing people up and breaking off huge runs on a consistent basis. Time for Moody to seriously tote the rock.


5 Players that need to step up

1. Deonte Thompson - As I mentioned earlier, Thompson is finally completely healthy. This is critical to the Florida passing game this week. Thompson provides a second deep threat to go along with Riley Cooper, and hopefully this will force David Nelson to the bench a little bit more.

2. Carlos Dunlap - I know Carlos Dunlap wants to lead this team in sacks very badly. He needs to step up if he wants to fend off Brandon Spikes for that distinction. Dunlap is a key to Florida's pass rush. Also, he will have to find the difficult balance of providing enough pressure on Ryan Mallett while continuing to stay at home to help hem in Michael Smith.


3. Jaye Howard - Howard is another pivotal figure in Florida's pass defense. More importantly is his role in the run defense. Howard can help clog up the middle to free up Florida's tenacious linebacker corps.

4. Tim Tebow - I'm a little too lazy to do my own research, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've mentioned the G.O.A.T. in this category. I am definitely not calling out Tebow here. I would just like to see a little more passing mixed in with our offense. Maybe even see Tebow notch 20+ completions?

5. Dustin Doe - Before Dustin Doe decided to get arrested for nearly anything and everything this off season he was slated as the starting linebacker opposite Brandon Spikes and A.J. Jones. Since he's been relegated to the bench, he's now fallen behind Spikes, Jones, Brandon Hicks and Lorenzo Edwards. I've even seen Major Wright make more plays from the linebacker position this season than Doe. This is a perfect game for Doe to get back on the field and make some plays, so if anybody finds the Dustin Doe from last season's Georgia game, please show him the way to the Swamp on Saturday.


Here's some highlights from last season's win over Arkansas. As you may remember, this was the first game of the Gators' current winning streak.



Here's what the Hog faithful are saying about the game. Somebody actually has the Hogs scoring 45 on the Gators! There's a difference between believing in your team and just being plan crazy.


My Prediction:

Florida - 38

Arkansas - 13

Which Side Are You On?

There are two types of people in this world, Beatles people and Elvis people. - Mia, Pulp Fiction 1994.

Good 'ol Coke snortin' Mia was up to something when she uttered those words to a bloated John Travolta in one of the greatest movies ever made. 15 years later, this quote needs to be ammended somewhat. You see, nowadays there are still only two kinds of people in the world: Those who like and respect Tebow, and douchebags.

With Tebow's recent injury, the divide has become clearer than ever between the two camps. I have always known of the strong anti-Tebow movement in the country today. I have always been kind enough to respectfully disagree with their position on the matter and move on in the past. However, these people have become ever more vocal after Tebow's injury which is what makes their group known collectively as the douchebags.

These baggers are quick to point out that Tebow is a product of a system, is a mediocre QB, only scores from the 1 yard line, is surrounded by NFL talent at every position, has an uncanny relationship with Coach Urb, is shoved down our throats by the media conglomerate. As I said, in the past I just shrugged these comments off. Now, I guess you can call me kind of jaded. I'm a little fed up with these morons. They always seem to forget the actual stats and performances that point to Tebow's greatness.

I decided to search around the internet and gather the comment I could find both good and bad from all of Florida's rival fan bases in response to Tebow's injury. There are representatives from Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Ohio St., Florida St. and many more.

For your convenience, I've separated them into two groups. Also, I decided not to post the thousands of redundant posts by the douchebag contingent that went along the lines of, "The Gaytors suck! Teblow got what he deserved! Gayturds are going down! Urban Crier sucks Teblow's cock!." There was a surprising amount of these posts.....

The Good


Gator fans, I feel for you. I'm not a big fan of any team from Florida but this kid is an absolute class act. Hope he gets well soon. - zorich88 espn.com (Notre Dame fan)


Why is everyone bashing Tebow on here? he has done more for college football than (Pat) White and (Vince) Young combined...he plays with more heart than anyone out there...he doesn't trash talk before the game...even though he's the only one that has really earned the rite as a player...no one in the game has done what he has both professionally and domestically...hes a good guy. - keenan1990 espn.com (allegiance unknown)


Im a Bama fan but I will say that Tebow has class (more players in NCAA should have such class). I hope that he recovers quickly. - CapnB SI.com


As much as I dislike him as the Gator QB, I think he's a fine young man with good Christian values. - Cooleyvol volnation.com


When I saw him laying there, obviously knocked out cold, I was extremely concerned for Tebow. I know everyone outside of Gator Nation gets sick and tired of hearing about "superman", there is NOWAY that any of us (at least the REAL college football fans) wish him any kind of injury. Tebow is a great human being and one of the best college players of all time. - BuckeyeVols volnation.com


Gator fans, here's to a quick recovery to one of the most passionate and best leaders to ever play the game of football. As a note, I have come to admire and at the same time despise Timmy. You admire his leadership qualities and determination, but at the same time want to see him lose if hes not on your team...Some of you need to do a little soul searching if you are wishing death or injury because of a football game. - Nole55 rivals.com


I don't know why, but I have the tendency to not like very many really good players form other teams. However, Tebow is a guy that almost makes you like him with his style of play, attitude, and the way he acts off the field as well. - tiger_rag rivals.vom


I'm no Tebow fan, but how can ANYONE hate him? I repset him, greatly, and I wish him a swift recovery. - Seven Heismans rivals.com (USC fan)


...As a side note, even with the ineptitude our team displayed I did take some satisfaction in knowing that I witnessed seeing arguably the best college football player in a long, long time. - Sam K wildcatnation.com


...NOTHING about sports should have fans so whipped up into hatred for the other team that they want a guy seriously injured...especially a class act like Tim Tebow. We need more not fewer Tim Tebows in this world. - Dr. H Lecter wildcatnation.com


Now time for the douchebags. You're warned before you read this can get vulgar and pretty idiotic....


He will go down as the most overrated qb in college football history. If hes the greatest qb ever then why won't he be the 1st player drafted in april? Because he's not a qb, he's a system player. - lazarre11 espn.com (village idiot)


This isn't 1950!!! He's not Ghandi!!! This is 2009 and in these days there will never, and i mean NEVER have one person go to other countries and make a "change" or "difference". If Tebow wants to do something good, do it in this country, not in some third world country where no one gives a flying fuuuuck about the USA! Tebow=loser! - jsanders78 espn.com (avid isolationist)


i pray he's gone for the season - ga82 SI.com (The smartest Georgia fan in the world)


Thats what having a Douche bag of a coach will get ya...can't believe Timmy t went down...thought he was superman! - bigorange#1 volnation.com (Secret identity of Lane Kiffin)


This just adds to the drama! Of course he was already sick, right? Someone change his feminine hygiene product in the ambulance and move on... - DawgnLA dawgs.com (funniest man alive)


I'm glad Tebow wasnt paralyzed or severly hurt. I do, however, hope he plays again, and here is why. I am not sold on his abilities at quarterback. He has the best supporting cast in college football. Who knows how many athletes could step in his spot and achieve similar results. For sure, the director of propaganda at UF deseves a pat on the back....Besides, he wears jean shorts! BubmcUGA dawgs.com (World-renowned Fashionista)


A sensible Tebow thread is still a Tebow thread Love him or Hate him ESPN will hype someone else you will be forced to move on. I am so glad ESPN has chosen Barkley to be the next Tebow hoever deserving/undeserving he maybe so that the Gators can get a taste of what the rest of the country is going thru for the next 3 years. - Trojanlaker rivals.com (Stuck in 2002)


I cheered when he got hit. I cheered when he went down. I high fived numerous people when he didn't get up. And I'm still cheering on the inside today. I'm sick and tired of St. Tebow...You are darn right I cheered. I'd do it again, and again, and again, if I had the chance. -Copland wildcatnation.com (Karma's next victim)


Gay as frick and not his kid. Tebow is $$$$$ in Urban's eyes. it was more like a broker watching his stock dro. fricking douche gator fags. - jfortenberrylsu tigerdroppings.com (LSU intellectual)


You Gaytor fans are delusional. Wait till next year when Tebow is gone. RedShirt tigerdrtopings.com (displaced Buffalo Bills fan)


Tebow should go back to playing with kids weiners as a missonary because he's a pansie -
Jon Logan facebook.com (Jealous that he's not circumcized)


boo fucking hoo tebow is hurt big deal I wish the fag was crippled so everyone would snap outta their little fantasy of him being just the "greatest person in the world" fuck him and hope he gets fucked up in the NFL....GO FSU - Bret Yelvington facebook.com (Upset his team can't beat USF)


tebow isnt the greatest player of all time. oh and 4 all the UF fans on here, you dont win chamionships, in fact u dont even have a history before spurrios. ur not even the best in fla. u have 3. miami has 5. in fact you rank 21st for championships, congrats on your 4 years of success. keep drinking your tebow kool-aid. you guys suck. - Adam Indermuehle facebook.com (The bestest math man in the world! Congrats Adam)


For what it's worth, there were more good comments on the message boards than bad ones. Except for Georgia forums. Dawg fans were overwhelmingly on the douche side. LSU fans were probably the next worse. Kentucky, and surprisingly, Tennessee fans were probably the most respectful.

Surreal Sights in Gator Victory

Three years ago when Kentucky came to the Swamp to play the eventual National Champion Florida Gators, there were several firsts. Urban Meyer's coaching scheme came under fire for the first time. Kentucky actually showed up to play the Gators for the first time, and probably most famously, Chris Leak was booed for replacing his back-up Tim Tebow midway through the game.

Last night there were 2 even more surreal sights in the Gators' 41-7 victory over Kentucky. We all know what one of those sights were, and I'll get to that in a bit. However, halfway through the second quarter something happened that went unnoticed by the broadcast booth. Tim Tebow took a snap under center. Granted the play resulted in a no gain run from Chris Rainey, but we saw Tebow take a snap under center! Mel Kiper just improved Tebow's draft stock by two rounds.

Now for the other surreal sight. Tim Tebow lying motionless on the ground after a sack. This was truly one of those moments when I was absolutely speechless. It was crazy to see "Superman" just laying there like he was taking a nap. Watching his offensive linemen stand over him and trying to wake him by tapping on his chest made me realize that this was a serious incident. It was also surreal to see the entire Gator and Wildcat team on the field watching the Florida medical staff work on the G.O.A.T. I'm sure all 200 of them couldn't believe what they were seeing. The constant camera cut aways to Tebow on the sideline turned the actual game into a secondary concern. We got to see Tebow filling a bag to the brim with vomit as he was being carted off the field. Then, to see Tebow being driven off by an ambulance to the local hospital made me reminisce of the days I used to watch the WWF. I half expected Stone Cold to pop out of the cab and hear good 'ol J.R. proclaim, "Stone Cold is driving the ambulance! The Rattlesnake strikes again!" Along with seeing Jerry Rice lying on the ground after tearing up his knee (which I saw live and in person) this ranks as one of the more concerning moments of my football fanhood.

Now, as for the actual game that was played. Before the injury, Tebow was his usual dominating self. Timmy was inching closer and closer to his career high rushing yardage mark before getting his dome scrambled. The most impressive part about Tebow's performance, was that his runs were not the typical bruising, run you over, type of runs. Tebow was shaking and juking and spinning all through the Wildcats' D. The running game in general was on for the entire game. The fact that the Gators only completed 9 passes and still won by 34 shows you how great their running game was.

The disappointing part of the game is that if you take away Kentucky shooting themselves in the foot throughout the first quarter, this is another close game. I'm not sure if the Gators just lost focus after jumping out to a 31-0 first quarter lead, but for the rest of the game it was a struggle for the offense.

The defense, once again, was stellar. This was perhaps their best all around game. Brandon Spikes heeded my advice and finally showed up, as did Carlos Dunlap. I always knew those guys took the time out to read my blog. 2 interceptions and 3 sacks helped to fill up the stat sheet for Charlie Strong and Dan McCarney's bunch.

The best news is that the Gators have an off week before traveling to Baton Rouge in what is shaping up to be their toughest game of the season. That means plenty of rest time for Tebow and his noggin, as well as time for all the sickies to get that damn virus out of their system.

Here are the vitals.

Passing

Tim Tebow 5-10 103 yds 1 td
John Brantley 4-6 30 yds 1 td

Rushing

Tim Tebow 16 rushes 123 yds 2 tds
Jeff Demps 12 rushes 97 yds
Emmanuel Moody 5 rushes 57 yds
Mike Gillislee 6 rushes 39 yds
Chris Rainey 9 rushes 36 yds

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 3 recs 54 yds 1 td
Riley Cooper 2 recs 30 yds 1 td
David Nelson 2 recs 27 yds


Tackles

Brandon Spikes 10 tckls
Dustin Doe 8 tckls
Brandon Hicks 5 tckls
Ahmad Black 5 tckls

Sacks

Brandon Hicks 1 sack
Joe Haden 1 sack
Carlos Dunlap 1 sack


Interceptions

Janoris Jenkins 1 int
Major Wright 1 int

Misc.

Chris Rainey 1 blocked punt 1 td



Player of the Game

Tim Tebow - The Concussed

As I said earlier, Tebow was on his game before the injury. 103 yards passing and 123 yards rushing made Tebow's stats sheet look really, really good. The way Tebow was breaking off big runs made this game even more impressive than his Troy performance from two weeks ago. Let's hope Timmy has a speedy recovery and is ready to deliver some punishment to the Bayou Bengals in two weeks.

Too Close For Comfort

Saturday came and went. All the hooplah and hype surrounding the Tennessee-Florida match-up built everyone up for what turned out to be a good, hard-fought, poorly reffed game.

Lane Kiffin didn't get a chance to sing Rocky Top after the loss, but he does leave Gainesville able to hold his head up high. The Gators fumbled and stumbled their way to a 23-13 victory. While a win is a win, this one left a lot to be desired. I don't care what Coach Urb says.

Tim Tebow had one of his worst games in the Orange and Blue. For the first time since he was 12, Tebow did not throw a touchdown pass. Not only does that look bad, but it totally screwed my fantasy football team. He also fumbled while the Gators were driving in for a deciding touchdown. All that aside, Timmy did make some great plays. He bulldozed over all-everything Eric Berry. He made a spectacular game saving run on a third and long. Even on the aforementioned fumble, Tebow was in the midst of a terrific run.

The refereeing in this game was horrendous. It's nice to see how close Gator games will be reffed throughout the rest of the season. On Tennessee's only touchdown drive Jaye Howard was called for a celebration penalty after going with the Duante Culpepper hand rolling celebration after stopping a reverse. On the Gators' ensuing drive, Tennessee's defensive end Chris Walker celebrated in a similar manner after sacking Tim Tebow. No flag. I don't think Howard should have been flagged in the first place, but since he was, how about a little consistency? Speaking of consistency. Jonathan Crompton was not penalized late in the game for an intentional grounding when he launched the ball about 60 rows deep in the stands to avoid a sack. Crompton was not out of the tackle box and therefore should have been flagged.

All in all, the game was a little surprising. Just look at my prediction from last week to see what I thought of the game. Tennessee's offensive line pushed the Gators' d-line around all game long, And the Vols' secondary shut down the Gator receivers pretty regularly.


The stats:

Passing

Tim Tebow - 14-19 115 yds 1 int

Rushing

Tim Tebow 24 rush 76 yds 1 td
Chris Rainey 9 rush 64 yds
Emmanuel Moody 3 rush 33 yds
Jeff Demps 4 rush 31 yds 1 td

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 4 recs 26 yds
Riley Cooper 3 recs 25 yds
Brandon James 3 recs 23 yds
Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/3 Long 37 yds
Interceptions

Joe Haden 1 int
Ahmad Black 1 int
Tackles

Ryan Stamper 12 tckls
Ahmad Black 11 tckls
Joe Haden 8 tckls
Will Hill 5 tckls
Brandon Spikes 4 tckls

Sacks

Ryan Stamper 1 sack



Player of the Game
Ahmad Black - Mighty Mouse

Black secured the interception on Tennessee's last drive of the game. The pick finally sealed the victory for the Gators. Also, Black manged to get double digit tackles thanks to the not so great play of the d-line. Ahmad was solid in helping stop the run as the 8th man in the box. That role may have helped in Black's inflated tackle stats as well.

Week 3 Preview

The college football season is finally starting to get it's legs under itself. For the most part, the cup cake challengers are long gone off of the heavyweight's schedules. Now it's time to get down to the business. There are several teams that will be opening up conference play this week, as well as several teams that are finally going to face somewhat of a challenge.

Here's what you need to know, as deemed by me, for week 3.

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5 Games to Watch

1. Florida v. Tennessee - Of course this game is going to make the list. The Gators are finally going to face a team that will be somewhat competitive for at least two quarters. Maybe. We all know about the hype leading up to this game and I've already gone into great detail what I think about it.

2. Virginia Tech v. Nebraska - This is probably the best game that has not been talked about all year long. Both of these teams are solid defensively as well as great rushing teams. Roy Helu of Nebraska and Va Tech's Ryan Williams could be the deciding factors for this game. Also, look for special teams to play a major role.

3. Washington v. USC - This game looks like a blowout no matter which way you study it from. I am a sucker for new coaches facing their old teams though. That's what you have with this match-up. Steve Sarkisian's Husky squad is coming off it's first win since 1975. They will be all kinds of motivated to put up a fight against the Trojans. They still lose, and possibly lose big. But I'll enjoy watching it.

4. Oregon v. Utah - This is Oregon's chance to redeem itself. They already failed miserably in trying to take down a top-tier Non-BCS team this season. We all remember the LeGarrette Blount Bowl in Week 1. Now the Ducks get a shot at the Utes. I actually like the Ducks' chances in this one. They are playing at home, and Utah no longer has Brian Johnson taking snaps.

5. BYU v. Florida St. - The Noles will be fighting to earn some respect back in this game. After barely losing to Miami, Bobby Bowden's bunch went out and almost lost to the Gamecocks at home last week. That's not the South Carolina Gamecocks. That's the vaunted Jacksonville St. Gamecocks. The very same team led by the legendary Ryan Perriloux. BYU will be looking to continue their BCS season. Knocking off Oklahoma and Florida St in the same season will look really good in the school's media guide for years to come.

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5 Players to Watch

1. Tim Tebow QB Florida - Tebow is coming into the game vs. the Vols extremely pissed off. You don't wanna make Timmy angry. He could be in for a huge day.

2. Darryl Clark QB Penn St. - Clark is another QB that could be in for a huge day. The Nittany Lions are hosting Temple.

3. Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green - Barnes is among the nation's leader in nearly every receiving statistical category. This week the Falcons will be taking on Marshall. A team that is not well known for it's pass defense.

4. Damion Fletcher RB Southern Miss - The Eagles are hosting Virginia this week. The Cavs are one of the worst teams in the nation. They can't do anything right, much less contain a top-flight RB.

5. Dan LeFevour QB Central Michigan - Last week LeFevour led a come from behind victory vs. Michigan St. This week: Alcorn St. I think he'll do just fine.

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The Heisman Race

1. Tim Tebow Florida QB

2. Colt McCoy Texas QB

3. Max Hall BYU QB

4. Joe McKnight USC RB

5. Jahvid Best California RB

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My TV Schedule

Be jealous...

12:00 CBSC Ball St. @ Army

12:00 ESPN California @ Minnesota

12:00 ESPN2 East Carolina @ North Carolina

12:00 ESPNU Louisville @ Kentucky

12:00 VS Duke @ Kansas

3:30 ABC Nebraska @ Virginia Tech

3:30 CBS Tennessee @ Florida

3:30 NBC Michigan St. @ Notre Dame

3:30 CBSC Virginia @ Southern Miss

3:30 ESPN Utah @ Oregon

3:30 ESPN2 Arizona @ Iowa

3:30 ESPNU Indiana @ Akron

3:30 FSN Tulsa @ Oklahoma

6:45 FSN Cincinnati @ Oregon St.

7:00 ESPNU UL-Lafayette @ LSU

7:00 VS Florida St. @ BYU

7:30 CBSC Air Force @ New Mexico

7:45 ESPN Georgia @ Arkansas

7:45 ESPN2 West Virginia @ Auburn

8:00 ABC Texas Tech @ Texas

10:30 ESPNU Hampton @ NC A&T

11:00 CBSC Hawaii @ UNLV

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Ultimate Fantasy League Week 3

Florida @ LSU

Georgia @ South Carolina

Tennessee v. Georgia Tech

Clemson v. West Virginia

Auburn v. Illinois

Alabama v. Michigan

Mississippi St. @ Louisiana Tech

Ole Miss @ Texas Tech

Kentucky v. Tulsa

Colorado @ Missouri

Kansas @ Nebraska

Kansas St. @ Texas

Arkansas v. Oklahoma

Oklahoma St. v. Texas A&M

TCU v. Utah

Washington @ Oregon

Washington St. @ Iowa St.

Oregon St. @ Cincinnati

Stanford v. Boise St.

USC @ Arizona

UCLA v. Arizona St.

California @ San Diego St.

Ohio St. @ Boston College

Northwestern @ Indiana

Minnesota @ UNLV

Wisconsin @ Notre Dame

Purdue @ Pittsburgh

Iowa @ Michigan St.

Miami @ Virginia

Virginia Tech v. North Carolina

NC State @ Louisville

Florida St. @ Maryland

Wake Forest @ Duke

South Florida @ East Carolina

Connecticut @ Rutgers

Syracuse @ Army

Penn St. v Vanderbilt

Navy v. Central Florida

Air Force @ Southern Miss

Colorado St. v. Troy

Baylor v. BYU

Wyoming v. Houston

Bring On The Vols!

The Gators left Florida Field Saturday with a 56-6 victory over the Troy Trojans. It would have been easy to reflect on how the Gators went all Brad Pitt on Troy's Eric Bana ass. Instead, everyone is focused on next Saturday. There's a certain obnoxious coach leading his creamsicle crusaders into the Swamp.

I'll have plenty on that game later in the week. For now, let's reflect on Saturday's victory.

The Gators started out rather slowly. Fumble and miscues had the Gators locked into a 7-3 battle for a quarter and a half. It wouldn't be long, however, until Tebow was raining touchdowns on the hapless Troy defense almost as unmercifully as mother nature unleashed her own fury on the crowd in the literal "Swamp."

Tebow tied his career high of 4 touchdown passes and ran for another before being relieved by John Brantley late in the third quarter. Perhaps the two most impressive Gators on the field outside of Tebow, were Chris Rainey and Mike Pouncey.

Rainey looked more like Earl Campbell on Saturday. He simply did not go down on first contact. Rainey literally constituted the whole Gator offense on one drive early in the third. The drive was capped off by a 3 yard touchdown run.

Mike Pouncey was a beast in his own right on the field. I thought I was sitting a table at the local IHOP on Saturday. I think in the future, Mike should carry some whip cream and jelly dispenser to heap on the defenders after one of his trademark "pancakes." The highlight of the game for Pouncey was probably his mid-air recovery of a Brandon James fumble during the Gators' first drive of the third quarter. I would bet Pouncey has better hands than Deonte Thompson.

The Gators D looked significantly better this week. Troy looked absolutely over matched against the stout Gators defense. The defensive front bounced back nicely from last week's game, in which there were 0 sacks. Three times the Gators knocked Levi Brown on his anoos.

However you want to spin this game, it was still a tune-up for Tennessee. It's a shame the Vols couldn't take care of business against UCLA last week. Now there's no shot of Kiffin making any kind of absurd statements in he days to come.

Here's the stats:

Passing

Tim Tebow 15-24 237 yards 4 tds
John Brantley 10-12 135 yards 1 td


Rushing

Jeff Demps 7 rushes 87 yards 1 td
Chris Rainey 12 rushes 85 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 13 rushes 71 yards 1 td


Receiving

Riley Cooper 5 recs 82 yards 1 td
Omarius Hines 4 recs 67 yards
Aaron Hernandez 4 recs 39 yards
Cade Holliday 3 recs 66 yards
Brandon James 2 recs 49 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 2 recs 39 yards 2 tds
Justin Williams 2 recs 15 yards
David Nelson 2 recs 9 yards
Mike Gillislee 1 rec 6 yards 1 td


Defense


Tackles

Ryan Stamper 5
Ahmad Black 5
Joe Haden 4
Jermaine Cunningham 4


Interceptions

Janoris Jenkins 1


Sacks

Markihe Anderson 1
A.J. Jones 1
Carlos Dunlap 1


Player of the Game


Tim Tebow - G.O.A.T.

Tebow had another god-like performance on Saturday. Tebow's 1 rushing touchdown tied him for third all-time on the SEC rushing touchdown list. His 5 tds total moved him into second place all-time on the SEC list. The 4 passing touchdowns tied his personal career high. Finally, his all around awesomeness ranks him as the greatest thing to hit the college campus since sorority all-white parties.

Week 2 Preview

Week 1 kind of dragged on a little bit. It was a lot like am Adam Sandler movie, actually. You were all excited for it to start but you kinda fell asleep halfway through. Granted there were some great moments. BYU knocking off Oklahoma, the Miami-FSU finish and the Bama-Va Tech game were all high points. But the week lacked substance.

We did learn a few things from week 1. We learned that Sam Bradford will not win a second Heisman trophy. We learned that Ohio St. is still not very good against out of conference opponents. We learned that Jacory Harris is a future stud despite his head coach's constant crying. And we also learned that there's room in Mark May's mouth for more than just SC's Cardinal and gold cock.

I look forward to week 2, despite the lack of obvious must see games.

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5 Games to Watch




1. USC @ Ohio St. - This is the obvious biggie of the week. It's unfortunate that Ohio St. will put up little resistance to the Trojans once again. I will be anxious to see how Matt Barkley reacts to an extremely hostile environment. However, outside of the home crowd, there's really not much else going in Ohio St.'s favor.

2. Houston @ Oklahoma St. - I would say only watch this game if you really love offense, bu the Cowboys didn't exactly flex their offensive muscle against UGA in week 1. Houston's Case Keenum and OSU's Zac Robinson are two of the best QB's in all of the land. I expect Dez Bryant to hit triple digits in receiving yardage.

3. Notre Dame @ Michigan - This might be the first time in years that this game won't be coma inducing. Both teams looked really good against inferior competition in week 1. The Irish seem to be the favorite as their QB position is slightly more stable than Michigan's. I wouldn't be surprised to see Denard Robinson break a few big plays against the Irish defense.

4. South Carolina @ Georgia - The USC-UGA game is always a good one to watch. This has been especially true since SOS has been roaming the Gamecock sideline. Stephen Orr just seems to have the Bulldogs' number. It may be hard to believe but South Carolina may actually have a better QB situation than Georgia does. The Dawgs just named Joe Cox the starter for Saturday today.

5. Purdue @ Oregon - A couple of things I'm looking for in this game: Will the Oregon fans turn on Chip Kelly if the Ducks fall behind early? Will Oregon really miss LeGarrette Blount as much as we think they will? Can Purdue's Ralph Bolden have another monstrous day?

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5 Players to Watch

For the fantasy geeks in all of us....




1. Tim Tebow Florida QB - Tebow will play more this week with Tennessee looming than he did against Charleston Southern. Troy gave up a bunch of yards to Bowling Green's Tyler Sheehan, and I think Mr. Tebow may be slightly better than him.

2. Roy Helu, Jr. Nebraska RB - Helu had a huge day rushing the ball against Florida Atlantic in week 1. This Saturday the Husker continue their run through the Sun Belt conference against the Red Wolves of Arkansas St. Look for Roy Jr. to have another big day.

3. Dez Bryant Oklahoma St. WR - I've already predicted what I think Bryant will do against Houston this week. The Cougars' secondary better be ready for a long night.

4. Max Hall BYU QB - He's playing Tulane. Just look at what G.J. Kinne did against Tulane in his first game as a starter ever. Hall has a bit more experience than 1 game.
5. Jahvid Best Califronia RB - Best and the Golden Bears will be taking on the Eastern Washington Eagles. If Best can shred Maryland's defense, I'm supremely confident he can do the same against EW's.

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Heisman Watch



Sam Bradford's injury has shaken things up quite a bit in the Heisman race. Here's how I got it.

1. Tim Tebow Florida QB
2. Colt McCoy Texas QB
3. Jahvid Best California RB
4. Dez Bryant Oklahoma St. WR
5. Joe McKnight USC RB

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Ultimate Fantasy League Week 2

No TV schedule this week as I will be in Gainesville all day otherwise entertained. So on to the UFL schedule.

Florida @ Tennessee
Georgia v. California
South Carolina v. North Carolina
Clemson v. Georgia Tech
Auburn @ Mississippi St.
Alabama @ Arizona St.
Ole Miss v. Duke
LSU v. Kentucky
Colorado @ Boise St.
Kansas v. Rutgers
Kansas St. v. Nebraska
Missouri @ Michigan St.
Arkansas @ TCU
Oklahoma v. Texas A&M
Texas @ Texas Tech
Oklahoma St. v. Connecticut
Washington @ UCLA
Washington St. v. Oregon
Oregon St. v. Stanford
USC v. Virginia Tech
Arizona v. San Diego St.
Ohio St. @ Iowa
Illinois @ Wisconsin
Northwestern v. Purdue
Minnesota v. Notre Dame
Michigan v. Louisville
Indiana v. Maryland
Iowa St. v. Virginia
Miami v. Wake Forest
North Carolina St. v. Boston College
Florida St. @ South Florida
East Carolina @ Tulsa
Syracuse v. Navy
Penn St. @ Army
West Virginia v. Central Florida
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Vanderbilt v. Air Force
Colorado S. v. UNLV
Southern Miss @ Wyoming
Baylor @ Utah
Louisiana Tech @ Troy
BYU @ Houston

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
    

10 Things That Won't Change In '09

This year more than ever there seem to be many certainties heading into the college football season. I can't remember the last time the pre-season poll looked so similar to the previous' season's final poll. Also, there has never been an instance when every single Heisman finalist invited to NYC has returned to play another year of football.

Here are my thoughts on the things that I expect to see remain the same this season.


1. Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy will be invited back to NYC.

I don't know if Tebow, Bradford and McCoy will be the only Heisman finalists invited to New York, but I do know they will each get an invite once again. It would be Tebow's third trip to New York and the second for both Bradford and McCoy. Tebow should improve his passing numbers tremendously this season thanks to the implementation of a more traditional scheme and the arrival of QB coach Scott Loeffler. Bradford will more than likely put up some ridiculous numbers for the third straight season. Alone with Timmy, Bradford is trying to become only the second player in college football history to win two Heismans. For what it's worth, I thought McCoy should have won the Heisman last season. If he puts up the same numbers this year, and beat Sam Bradford head to head once again, I don't see how the voters can deny him this time around.



2. Michigan will miss a bowl.

It was tough at times watching Michigan struggle the way they did last year. That is until I remembered Rich Rodriguez was their head coach. This season RichRod has proclaimed that Michigan will go with a new 3 QB look to start the season. There is no way that this is anywhere near to good news for the Wolverines. Also, defense in Ann Arbor these days is almost non-existent. Michigan should improve on their 3 wins from a season ago, but not by much.






3. Three Big XII South teams will be ranked in the top 5 by season's end.

Last year, Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all were ranked in the top 5 at one point. Proving that the Big XII South was the best division in all of college football. This season Oklahoma and Texas will both start out ranked in the top 5. I expect Oklahoma St. to join them at some point as well. The Cowboys have a chance to prove themselves early with a home game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Luckily for fans, all three teams will play each other this season, and since the Big XII has a very judicial way of deciding who gets to represent the South in the title game, there will be no controversy or arguments in the case of a three way tie.



4. Randy Shannon will cry.

Last year it was a late field goal by Urban Meyer's Gators that send Shannon off. The guy cried and cried and cried..... In fact, I bumped into Shannon over the Summer and he still seemed a little teary eyed. What will set him off this year? A hard tackle by an FSU player? A late game touchdown by a South Florida player? Maybe he'll stub his toe while running from the tunnel....



5. A Non-BCS team will go undefeated.

Last year Utah pulled off this tremendous feat by knocking off Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to cap off an undefeated season. This season there are several teams who are contenders to pull of this feat. TCU, Utah, BYU and Boise St. are all ranked by most publications in the top 25. TCU, Utah and BYU all face each other, so their road will be a bit tougher than Boise St.'s. My money is on the Broncos to go undefeated. Chris Petersen is one of the best coaches in the nation and Kellen Moore is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Plus, if Boise St. can take care of Oregon early in the season, they pretty much have smooth sailing the rest of the way through.



6. An SEC West team will lose to a irrelevant Non-BCS team.

This ugly trend started two years ago when Alabama inexplicably lost to Louisiana-Monroe late in the season. Last year, in a not so big of an upset, Louisiana Tech knocked off Mississippi St. Some say that loss is what gave Sylvester Croom the final push to leave Starkville. This season, I like LA Tech's chances of pulling off another mild upset. Auburn opens up it's season at home against the Bulldogs in Gene Chizik's first game as head coach. Imagine the uproar in Auburn when the Bulldogs leave the field with a 16-10 victory over the Tigers. Chizik did lose to Kent St. last season while coaching Iowa St....



7. The ACC race will come down to the final week.

The ACC was average at best last season. No one could pull itself away from the crop. That led to an above average race to reach the title game. Virginia Tech, Boston College, Maryland, Florida St., North Carolina and Georgia Tech all had a chance to reach the conference championship at season's end. In the end, Virginia Tech and Boston College would emerge as the two teams. I expect more of the same this season. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech seem to be the cream of the crop heading into the season. Florida St. looks to be much improved. Butch Davis has things rolling in Chapel Hill, and I think NC State may be ready to turn the corner. It will be a fun race.



8. Mark May will continue to blow his load over USC.

I just don't get it. Mark May has never been able to complete one sentence without mentioning USC in his life. I imagine he yells out VICTORY when pleasuring himself to Pete Carroll's latest book. I have to admit, I am rather impressed with Mark May's ability to spew nonsense at the top of his lungs while continuing to hold SC's manpiece firmly in his mouth. I can't imagine what the May household would look like if USC were to make it back to a title game this season. I hate to even think about it....





9. Oklahoma will lose a BCS bowl game.

It's gonna happen. You know it, and I know it. Oklahoma will ride a spectacular, awe-inspiring offense and a slightly better than average defense to yet another BCS bowl game. It was become an annual tradition, the Sooners will drag their entire fanbase to whatever unlucky city hosts them. The fans will continually and relentlessly rape the ear canals of the general population with unforgiven cries of "BOOMER! SOONER!" all throughout the week. Of course, the fans will turn to blabbering Randy Shannons as soon as they realize their team is going to lose yet another BCS game. The only question is which team will have the luxury of facing the Sooners this season. It could be a repeat of last year's championship game against the Gators. Or they could face Boise St. in the Fiesta bowl once again. Or maybe Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Either way, they're losing.



10. The Florida Gators will win the National Championship.

Bookmark this page and reference it. Come back after the Gators go back to back and revel in my genius.