It takes a lot to bring your author back from my winter hibernation, but it is a grand day to be a Gator. In spite of our losing to Kentucky last night in hoops, the broadcast was worth watching just to see Urban Meyer smirking over what had to be countless Kiffin texts on his Blackberry. The Dumpster Fire that is Tennessee football is so hysterical that I almost feel bad for VolNation. Almost.
Vol Fan, at a moment like this I recall the old phrase, "He who lies with dogs, rises with fleas". Kiffie is the undisputed World Champion Four Door Asshole. But for 14 inglorious months, he was your asshole. You loved his snide comments, his trash talk about your rivals (guess he'll never get to sing RockyTop after beating Florida), his NCAA rule infractions (you said it was fine as long as it was in the name of aggressive recruiting), his poaching of the USC swagger and recruiting tactics. But now you hate him. Now your students almost rioted at the news of his dumping you for your hotter sister out in LA. All I can say is, we didn't hate the guy because we feared him. We hated him because he was an unmitigated asshole with zero track record of his own. Now you join the rest of us in realizing who you had as a head coach. Somewhere Phil Fulmer is laughing his fat ass off.
As for you, USC fan, congratulations on "winning" Kiffie, or Pete Carroll Light as I think you should call him. He's planning on bringing back all the old USC coaches and keeping all the USC traditions that Carroll instituted. The problem is, he isn't Pete Carroll. The guy made Al Davis look rational. As UT coach he lost to your rival UCLA at home. He got blown out by the ACC runner up in his lone bowl appearance. And with the NCAA setting up a branch office at your doorstep I'd argue that perhaps Lane, who has no clue what's in the NCAA rule book, isn't your best choice for head coach. Pete Carroll couldn't run the table in the PAC-10, what do you think Kiffie is going to do?
A few random thoughts before I continue savoring the situation in Knoxville and return to my blissful hibernation-
- Do you think the Kiffins will rename their infant son, Knox, to Angelo?
- Ed Orgeron turned out to be a neat guy. From being hailed as UT's greatest recruiter to turning around and telling the early enrollees at UT not to attend class. Awesome.
- If I'm UT I don't screw around with Texas's coach in waiting, Will Muschamp, he'd be crazy to leave a cush gig at one UT where he'll inherit a fantastic program to go to a lesser UT and face Saban and Meyer each year. I call Terry Bowden today.
- The Vols are in danger of missing out on an entire year of recruiting, have to find a staff in a matter of hours, and then have to face one rival who is the defending national champ and another who won 2 out of the last 4 championships and who has the #1 recruiting class in the country. Good times.
Maybe Bruce Pearl and Pat Summitt can continue the magic on the hardwood to keep the Vol fans' minds off the fact that the Peach Bowl might have been their high water mark for the next several years. But I doubt it.
Enjoy your day, Gators, barring winning a championship or this happening in Athens, GA they just don't get much better than this.
BS
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Parting Shots
Good morning, Gators. Turns out I couldn't close out the 2009 season without a little more commentary. Congrats to Bama for claiming their 8th National Title and the fourth in a row for the SEC. I think the SEC champ should now receive an automatic bid to the BCS Championship game, regardless of record. Here are my thoughts on the game in no particular order-
- Bama should be very grateful that Colt McCoy couldn't go after sustaining a pinched nerve in his shoulder. Had he been healthy, I think Texas would have been up 14-0 after Bama's initial failed fake punt and the turnover on the kickoff. I think it was incredibly sad that McCoy couldn't go in this one. He put in so much time and worked for this one opportunity only to see it end within a few plays of the opening kickoff.
- With that said, can you imagine Tim Tebow sitting out with a pinched nerve? I think he sits with a severed arm. Maybe.
- I thought both coaches made some goober calls last night. Saban's lowlights included the fake punt from his own 20 on the first series of the game and his decision to try a 52 yard field goal up 11 with about 10 minutes left where the opposing offense had been struggling all night. They miss, Texas gets a short field, scores a TD and makes the 2 point conversion, suddenly the 11 point lead is now down to a field goal. I thought Mack Brown's decision to call timeout late in the 1st half deep in his own territory probably cost him the game. It was galactically stupid in that his true frosh QB hadn't done anything to suggest they could get the 40 yards needed to get into field goal range with only 30 seconds left. The next play they run a shovel pass (whom everyone has now stolen from Florida) which ends up being picked and returned for 6 by the same dude who knocked McCoy out of the game. Talk about your MVP. But again back to Mack Brown, he calls a timeout to setup a shovel pass against THAT defense? Absurd.
- I thought there was a very interesting contrast between the #8's in this game. Beyond the obvious discrepancy in physical appearance, Bama's Julio Jones went virtually unmentioned except for a few blocks whereas Jordan Shipley for Texas was unstoppable in the second half. I thought Texas's secondary was unreal all night, even when McElroy had time to throw nobody was open. By contrast, Texas's receivers not named Shipley couldn't catch a cold so when Texas needed drives in the fourth quarter it was obvious they were going to #8. But Bama couldn't do anything about it. Think about this kid's life for a minute. He's a good looking honkey receiver at the University of Texas AND plays in a band. I think Hugh Heffner is jealous of Jordan Shipley.
- I'm glad Nike makes all coaches who win the national championship wear those gross leather jackets. Who the hell at Nike comes up with this trash? I think they must have a bet going over how goofy they can make coaches and players look.
- I consider myself an SEC guy, but I was totally rooting for Texas in the fourth quarter.
All in all, it was a good game and I think Texas would have won had McCoy been able to go. Here's my final thoughts going into the off season-
- Urban isn't taking it easy at all. I think we have a big day coming tomorrow with the Army High School game. If we can get Elam back in the fold and add one or 2 more we're a lock for the best recruiting class in the country.
- The new D-Coordinator hire was a surprise, but George Edwards seems to be a great hire. He's been at UF and has 11 years experience of coaching the NFL which should help counteract the Monte Kiffin pitch that Tennessee must be giving recruits. It seems like a clear sign that we're trending toward running the 3-4 defense as well which should better utilize our speed.
- Jevan Snead is foregoing his senior year at Ole Miss for the draft. What a jackass. The guy threw 20 picks including 3 in their bowl game. IF he's drafted he's a 6th or 7th rounder, but he wasn't in the top 3 QB's in the SEC, and we're not a QB rich league.
- Auburn signed former UF QB Cam Newton. Newton is a moose but obviously has some decision making issues as evidenced by his alleged theft of a laptop in a UF dorm room. Good luck with that, Tiger fans.
- I think the top 5 for next year will look something like this-
1. Bama- returns something like 9 guys on offense including the best 2 running backs in the league, giving them the best tandem in the country. We'll see if they can replace that D.
2. Ohio State- they finally won a BCS bowl, return most of their team, and play a soft schedule. Hopefully they run the table, guaranteeing the SEC that they'll win 5 national titles in a row.
3. Boise State- Seriously, these guys are good.
4. USC- They were very young this year and play a soft schedule.
5. Miami- Yes they sucked against Wisconsin but with so much young talent and playing in a bad league they'll get some early love.
I think Florida will start just outside the top 5 which is plenty good enough. If we can win the East we'll have a shot, and that's all you can ask for.
Again, thanks for reading, we'll see you next season.
Go Gators!
BS
- Bama should be very grateful that Colt McCoy couldn't go after sustaining a pinched nerve in his shoulder. Had he been healthy, I think Texas would have been up 14-0 after Bama's initial failed fake punt and the turnover on the kickoff. I think it was incredibly sad that McCoy couldn't go in this one. He put in so much time and worked for this one opportunity only to see it end within a few plays of the opening kickoff.
- With that said, can you imagine Tim Tebow sitting out with a pinched nerve? I think he sits with a severed arm. Maybe.
- I thought both coaches made some goober calls last night. Saban's lowlights included the fake punt from his own 20 on the first series of the game and his decision to try a 52 yard field goal up 11 with about 10 minutes left where the opposing offense had been struggling all night. They miss, Texas gets a short field, scores a TD and makes the 2 point conversion, suddenly the 11 point lead is now down to a field goal. I thought Mack Brown's decision to call timeout late in the 1st half deep in his own territory probably cost him the game. It was galactically stupid in that his true frosh QB hadn't done anything to suggest they could get the 40 yards needed to get into field goal range with only 30 seconds left. The next play they run a shovel pass (whom everyone has now stolen from Florida) which ends up being picked and returned for 6 by the same dude who knocked McCoy out of the game. Talk about your MVP. But again back to Mack Brown, he calls a timeout to setup a shovel pass against THAT defense? Absurd.
- I thought there was a very interesting contrast between the #8's in this game. Beyond the obvious discrepancy in physical appearance, Bama's Julio Jones went virtually unmentioned except for a few blocks whereas Jordan Shipley for Texas was unstoppable in the second half. I thought Texas's secondary was unreal all night, even when McElroy had time to throw nobody was open. By contrast, Texas's receivers not named Shipley couldn't catch a cold so when Texas needed drives in the fourth quarter it was obvious they were going to #8. But Bama couldn't do anything about it. Think about this kid's life for a minute. He's a good looking honkey receiver at the University of Texas AND plays in a band. I think Hugh Heffner is jealous of Jordan Shipley.
- I'm glad Nike makes all coaches who win the national championship wear those gross leather jackets. Who the hell at Nike comes up with this trash? I think they must have a bet going over how goofy they can make coaches and players look.
- I consider myself an SEC guy, but I was totally rooting for Texas in the fourth quarter.
All in all, it was a good game and I think Texas would have won had McCoy been able to go. Here's my final thoughts going into the off season-
- Urban isn't taking it easy at all. I think we have a big day coming tomorrow with the Army High School game. If we can get Elam back in the fold and add one or 2 more we're a lock for the best recruiting class in the country.
- The new D-Coordinator hire was a surprise, but George Edwards seems to be a great hire. He's been at UF and has 11 years experience of coaching the NFL which should help counteract the Monte Kiffin pitch that Tennessee must be giving recruits. It seems like a clear sign that we're trending toward running the 3-4 defense as well which should better utilize our speed.
- Jevan Snead is foregoing his senior year at Ole Miss for the draft. What a jackass. The guy threw 20 picks including 3 in their bowl game. IF he's drafted he's a 6th or 7th rounder, but he wasn't in the top 3 QB's in the SEC, and we're not a QB rich league.
- Auburn signed former UF QB Cam Newton. Newton is a moose but obviously has some decision making issues as evidenced by his alleged theft of a laptop in a UF dorm room. Good luck with that, Tiger fans.
- I think the top 5 for next year will look something like this-
1. Bama- returns something like 9 guys on offense including the best 2 running backs in the league, giving them the best tandem in the country. We'll see if they can replace that D.
2. Ohio State- they finally won a BCS bowl, return most of their team, and play a soft schedule. Hopefully they run the table, guaranteeing the SEC that they'll win 5 national titles in a row.
3. Boise State- Seriously, these guys are good.
4. USC- They were very young this year and play a soft schedule.
5. Miami- Yes they sucked against Wisconsin but with so much young talent and playing in a bad league they'll get some early love.
I think Florida will start just outside the top 5 which is plenty good enough. If we can win the East we'll have a shot, and that's all you can ask for.
Again, thanks for reading, we'll see you next season.
Go Gators!
BS
Sunday, January 03, 2010
The End of the Road
Well, Gators, that sure was a great way to end an unbelievable year. Clearly, I would have preferred to cap the 2009 campaign with a victory Thursday night in Pasadena. But rolling over Cincinnati and playing our best game of the year in the Sugar Bowl was a fantastic consolation prize. I knew we were going to win when Mrs. Report and I landed Thursday to find a bright orange full moon over the blue twilight sky in New Orleans. I only wish more of us were there to see it. I hate to tell you, but I think you'll regret not making the trip. I remember back to the 1996 season where I left the Georgia Dome thinking Spurrier could easily win several more consecutive SEC crowns, only to have to wait 4 more years before he won his next (and last). I'll talk a little more about early thoughts for next year at the end, but I'm not 100% sold that Urban will ever have a team like this one again, both in terms of his ability to commit to the effort and the overall makeup. I think it will be a very long time before we see another player like #15, if we ever do.
In addition to the great game, Mrs. Report and I had a huge time in the Big Easy in spite of never stepping foot on Bourbon Street. The Bearcat Faithful had the Gators outnumbered by about 8:1. They weren't as mouthy as their Buckeye cousins, nor did 90% of their fans clad themselves in jerseys like The Ohio State University, but their cheer was fairly obnoxious and they weren't afraid to belt it out (Ohhhh, Ohhhh, Ohhhh, U C!). Special thanks to all of our friends who joined us for the pregame party at the Grand Isles behind Harrah's. The bar opened up into a courtyard where a band called Bag of Donuts played for 3 hours prior to kickoff. Think Kiss meets The Beastie Boys. They were awesome although I suspect my recollection of their talents was skewed as a result of their stage's proximity to the bar. The tailgate was strong enough to require your author to watch the replay when we got home Saturday night in order to fill in some details of the game. The fact that the Superdome vendors were selling both beer and liquor drinks helped dull my memory further, but I know we had a good time. At least that's what Mrs. Report says.
I thought Tebow was awesome but he was helped out by some outstanding receiver play. Cooper was unreal as was Hernandez, but the good news for next year was that Deonte had a great game as did Rainey. I'd like to think their improved play was partly due to the new receivers coach. I didn't see two receivers running identical routes on the same play once, but I'm glad you have that to look forward to LSU fans! I thought Cincy helped us out by A) pulling a Georgia and changing uniforms just before kickoff (note to college coaches: This is a poor strategy when playing Florida); and B) by talking enough trash on defense to keep our guys interested in sincerely beating them down. I don't care about their coaching change, they could have had Brian Kelly, Joe Paterno or Tony Dungy on the sideline, on the field it was pure men versus boys. I'd love it if we could end every season by facing an undefeated team from Ohio. The matchup always works out for the good guys.
And you just can't overstate the importance of a solid win in this game. Coaches were leaving (a special thanks to Coach Bedford for announcing his departure the night before the game, great timing, Coach), recruits were defecting (I take back all those nice things about Matt Elam, he clearly lacks basic intelligence), and the national media was in a feeding frenzy over Urban's health problems. But the big win goes a long way in cleaning all that up and we should end up with a great recruiting class and good momentum going into next year. If you think it wasn't that big of a deal for our team and coaches to produce this kind of performance, see Alabama's effort in the same game last year vs. Utah, and that was without any of the distractions that Florida had to contend with.
With that said, next year will be incredibly interesting. First and foremost, we have no idea how things will play out with Urban. I know what he says, but I saw the long hug with Addazio and the way Mrs. Meyer was crying on the podium. I'd put his return to the sideline for next September as a BIG maybe. In the next week or so we have to find a defensive coordinator and a new secondary coach to help us shore up this recruiting class. If our running backs coach leaves with Charlie Strong we'll need an additional offensive coach as well. Haden announced Sunday he was gone. I have to assume Hernandez and Dunlap will quickly follow as will at least one, if not both, of the Pounceys. I expect Major Wright to return but if he doesn't we're loaded at safety and will be fine for 2010. On that note, we'll have plenty of talent going into 2010 to make a good run at the SEC East. I don't see us running the table as the schedule gets much harder with a road trip to Tuscaloosa replacing Arkansas and adding a very talented USF team in lieu of a patsy. Offensively we'll need to rebuild an offensive line and find a way to replace the running game that consisted mainly of Tebow for 2009. I would think that the skill players would be thrilled about the prospect of a less mobile quarterback who is a significantly better passer than #15. It will mean more carries for Demps, Rainey, Moody and Gillislee. The loss of Cooper, Nelson and Hernandez will open a huge door for Thompson, Hines, Hammond, Debose and our other young receivers. The question is whether any of them can step through that door.
On defense, we'll have a solid group of linebackers but will have to replace the leadership of Stamper and Spikes, no small task. The secondary will remain the best back 4 in the country and we won't lose any D-tackles. But we'll need to find some kind of pass rush out of our remaining defensive ends. I think William Green and Justin Trattou are going to be very good, but you can't expect them to be Cunningham and Dunlap.
On special teams we keep the best punter nobody's ever heard of and hopefully Sturgis can continue to improve. Brandon James will be very tough to replace but I like that Rainey will get more chances in space assuming he can stay healthy and keep his head on straight.
As I said before, I think it will be a long time before we field a team like the one we had this year, and the schedule won't get any easier than it was in 2009. Tennessee will improve and we've got to play them in Knoxville, Georgia returns a ton of guys, as does South Carolina and LSU. FSU will be better now that Bowden is gone. Bama loses almost their entire defense but keeps almost all of their offensive starters. Assuming Urban returns "full speed ahead" I think we still win the East next year, but two losses would be my guess going into the year. While, in my estimation, we won't have the horses to make a run like we did this year, I am looking forward to being back in the position of the hunter rather than enduring the scrutiny and pressure that comes with being #1. Having some unknowns again should make 2010 really fun.
Looking back on 2009 I want to again thank Mrs. Report for allowing me to see every game with my own eyes. I was really happy she made several roadies with me, but I know the times she didn't meant she was playing a matchup zone against Little Percy and Timmy, and that's no fun. It was a helluva year to do it but not something I plan on doing on a regular basis. I'd rank my top 5 favorite tailgates as follows-
1. LSU- The 8 hour ramp up to game time and postgame outside Tiger Stadium was what college football is all about. TigahBait!
2. Sugar Bowl- Cajun food, plenty of drinks and a great band.
3. SEC Championship- Tailgating while a Christmas parade goes by was awesome as was the after party at The Glenn. Had we won this one would have been ahead of New Orleans.
4. Miss State- The Boys Trip always features a good time, tailgating in the heart of the campus was no exception.
5 (tie). Georgia- Jacksonville on Halloween Day. Tough to beat the 50/50 split of the crowd.
5 (tie). Tennessee- The Bus on the biggest gameday of the year in Gainesville.
My top 5 low moments of the year were-
In addition to the great game, Mrs. Report and I had a huge time in the Big Easy in spite of never stepping foot on Bourbon Street. The Bearcat Faithful had the Gators outnumbered by about 8:1. They weren't as mouthy as their Buckeye cousins, nor did 90% of their fans clad themselves in jerseys like The Ohio State University, but their cheer was fairly obnoxious and they weren't afraid to belt it out (Ohhhh, Ohhhh, Ohhhh, U C!). Special thanks to all of our friends who joined us for the pregame party at the Grand Isles behind Harrah's. The bar opened up into a courtyard where a band called Bag of Donuts played for 3 hours prior to kickoff. Think Kiss meets The Beastie Boys. They were awesome although I suspect my recollection of their talents was skewed as a result of their stage's proximity to the bar. The tailgate was strong enough to require your author to watch the replay when we got home Saturday night in order to fill in some details of the game. The fact that the Superdome vendors were selling both beer and liquor drinks helped dull my memory further, but I know we had a good time. At least that's what Mrs. Report says.
I thought Tebow was awesome but he was helped out by some outstanding receiver play. Cooper was unreal as was Hernandez, but the good news for next year was that Deonte had a great game as did Rainey. I'd like to think their improved play was partly due to the new receivers coach. I didn't see two receivers running identical routes on the same play once, but I'm glad you have that to look forward to LSU fans! I thought Cincy helped us out by A) pulling a Georgia and changing uniforms just before kickoff (note to college coaches: This is a poor strategy when playing Florida); and B) by talking enough trash on defense to keep our guys interested in sincerely beating them down. I don't care about their coaching change, they could have had Brian Kelly, Joe Paterno or Tony Dungy on the sideline, on the field it was pure men versus boys. I'd love it if we could end every season by facing an undefeated team from Ohio. The matchup always works out for the good guys.
And you just can't overstate the importance of a solid win in this game. Coaches were leaving (a special thanks to Coach Bedford for announcing his departure the night before the game, great timing, Coach), recruits were defecting (I take back all those nice things about Matt Elam, he clearly lacks basic intelligence), and the national media was in a feeding frenzy over Urban's health problems. But the big win goes a long way in cleaning all that up and we should end up with a great recruiting class and good momentum going into next year. If you think it wasn't that big of a deal for our team and coaches to produce this kind of performance, see Alabama's effort in the same game last year vs. Utah, and that was without any of the distractions that Florida had to contend with.
With that said, next year will be incredibly interesting. First and foremost, we have no idea how things will play out with Urban. I know what he says, but I saw the long hug with Addazio and the way Mrs. Meyer was crying on the podium. I'd put his return to the sideline for next September as a BIG maybe. In the next week or so we have to find a defensive coordinator and a new secondary coach to help us shore up this recruiting class. If our running backs coach leaves with Charlie Strong we'll need an additional offensive coach as well. Haden announced Sunday he was gone. I have to assume Hernandez and Dunlap will quickly follow as will at least one, if not both, of the Pounceys. I expect Major Wright to return but if he doesn't we're loaded at safety and will be fine for 2010. On that note, we'll have plenty of talent going into 2010 to make a good run at the SEC East. I don't see us running the table as the schedule gets much harder with a road trip to Tuscaloosa replacing Arkansas and adding a very talented USF team in lieu of a patsy. Offensively we'll need to rebuild an offensive line and find a way to replace the running game that consisted mainly of Tebow for 2009. I would think that the skill players would be thrilled about the prospect of a less mobile quarterback who is a significantly better passer than #15. It will mean more carries for Demps, Rainey, Moody and Gillislee. The loss of Cooper, Nelson and Hernandez will open a huge door for Thompson, Hines, Hammond, Debose and our other young receivers. The question is whether any of them can step through that door.
On defense, we'll have a solid group of linebackers but will have to replace the leadership of Stamper and Spikes, no small task. The secondary will remain the best back 4 in the country and we won't lose any D-tackles. But we'll need to find some kind of pass rush out of our remaining defensive ends. I think William Green and Justin Trattou are going to be very good, but you can't expect them to be Cunningham and Dunlap.
On special teams we keep the best punter nobody's ever heard of and hopefully Sturgis can continue to improve. Brandon James will be very tough to replace but I like that Rainey will get more chances in space assuming he can stay healthy and keep his head on straight.
As I said before, I think it will be a long time before we field a team like the one we had this year, and the schedule won't get any easier than it was in 2009. Tennessee will improve and we've got to play them in Knoxville, Georgia returns a ton of guys, as does South Carolina and LSU. FSU will be better now that Bowden is gone. Bama loses almost their entire defense but keeps almost all of their offensive starters. Assuming Urban returns "full speed ahead" I think we still win the East next year, but two losses would be my guess going into the year. While, in my estimation, we won't have the horses to make a run like we did this year, I am looking forward to being back in the position of the hunter rather than enduring the scrutiny and pressure that comes with being #1. Having some unknowns again should make 2010 really fun.
Looking back on 2009 I want to again thank Mrs. Report for allowing me to see every game with my own eyes. I was really happy she made several roadies with me, but I know the times she didn't meant she was playing a matchup zone against Little Percy and Timmy, and that's no fun. It was a helluva year to do it but not something I plan on doing on a regular basis. I'd rank my top 5 favorite tailgates as follows-
1. LSU- The 8 hour ramp up to game time and postgame outside Tiger Stadium was what college football is all about. TigahBait!
2. Sugar Bowl- Cajun food, plenty of drinks and a great band.
3. SEC Championship- Tailgating while a Christmas parade goes by was awesome as was the after party at The Glenn. Had we won this one would have been ahead of New Orleans.
4. Miss State- The Boys Trip always features a good time, tailgating in the heart of the campus was no exception.
5 (tie). Georgia- Jacksonville on Halloween Day. Tough to beat the 50/50 split of the crowd.
5 (tie). Tennessee- The Bus on the biggest gameday of the year in Gainesville.
My top 5 low moments of the year were-
1. Watching Tebow laying motionless for 3 minutes at Kentucky;
2. Urban quitting;
3. Bama rolling us in Atlanta;
4. Not beating Kiffie by 100;
5. Again realizing that I look forward to football season for 8 months only to see it end in what feels like 8 minutes.
All in all, it was a tremendous year for the Gators and I really appreciate all of you who regularly read The Gator Report as well as all of your comments (except those received from The Pride of the Sunshine at 1am). I may or may not post after the national championship game where I'll begrudgingly be rooting for the Tide to roll. If I don't, I hope you all have a great first 8 months of 2010 and I'll be back next season looking forward to another great season.
Go Gators!
BS
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Bowl Week: Bring on the Bearcats
Good morning, Gators. I hope you and your families had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to a great 2010. The old proverb "May you live in interesting times" sure is working for the Gators right now. Per my post yesterday, I was elated to hear that Urban was going to try the leave of absence route and work on his health. I thought some very revealing things were said in the press conference yesterday (by the way, we can never complain about ESPN's lack of coverage for UF again, that was a 90 minute infomercial leading up to the press conference. I loved that they kept rolling the tape of him holding up the 2 crystal ball trophies. You gotta believe that Tennessee/Georgia fan had to be going nuts watching that), but I think the best was when Urban said he'd call Spurrier. If anyone can clue him in on how to find time to take it easy, its SOS. I don't ever think Urban gets to where he's scheduling spring practice around tee times, but he definitely could stand to delegate and spend more time out at his lake place and with his friends and family.
As I was preparing to write the Goodbye Urban post I made a list of all the "traditions" he'd brought to UF in just 5 years- The Gator Walk, coats/ties pregame, the Champions Club, singing the Alma Mater and Orange and Blue in front of the band post game, getting everyone other than the Kappa Alpha block to learn the words to Orange & Blue, Friday Night Lights recruiting event for high school juniors, texting recruits (he singlehandedly caused the NCAA to limit texting), freshman helmet stripes but no freshman hazing, doing pre-season training camp off the practice field and moving to the practice field only for game week, The Plan to Win, expressing love to his players, building the Gateway of Champions, and winning like nobody else has. No wonder the guy is tired. It isn't just game planning, he's been program planning and he's his own quality control/assurance department. I hope he, his family and his friends can collaborate to where he can make it another 5 years. Based on what we've all seen so far, is there anybody willing to doubt that he'll find a way?
OK, with all the Urban news aside, we got a game to play Friday. With all the coaching news on both sides this has to be one of the goofiest bowl games to predict in recent history. For the Bearcats, the players have to be pissed that their head coach bolted for a better job and their interim coach will do so after the bowl game. If I'm coaching UC I'm telling them they have a chance to run the table, beat the defending national champs and the famous Tim Tebow, and they can also show that Brian Kelly wasn't the only reason they could win.
For Florida, I think the motivation is very different. I think Urban's retirement and change of heart has to energize these guys and make them want to win one for the guy who obviously has laid so much on the line on their behalf. I think the seniors like Tebow and Spikes will command everyone's best, and I think the juniors who are planning on coming out early will give it their all to show the NFL GMs why they should pick them early in the draft.
Of course, the reason this is a hard one to pick is that both locker rooms could implode, decide to have a big time on Bourbon Street instead and just mail it in on Friday night.
Talentwise, make no mistake, Cincinnati is very good. The Big East isn't the SEC, but Cincy's undefeated record in spite of losing their starting QB for several games is very impressive and remember that this is their second straight conference title/BCS bowl appearance (they lost to Va Tech in the Orange Bowl last year). They won at Oregon State (don't laugh, USC never can), in Tampa against USF, and had a huge comeback at Pitt. Their offense is incredibly potent, averaging just under 40 a game, and their defense averages giving up under 21. They throw more than they run, averaging 320 per game in the air to 143 on the ground. As a result, their opponents tend to win the time of possession game (averaging almost 10 more minutes with the ball than the Bearcats) but lose on the scoreboard. QB Tony Pike was in the Heisman race before he went down to injury but his backup may have outplayed him so they're deeper than Florida at QB. Their best receiver is #1 Mardy Gilyard and they had 8 returning starters on offense. On D, they are quick but somewhat undersized on the line. On special teams they were only 12/18 on field goals and average under 40 yards per punt but they do a good job on kick coverage based on their stats.
I think Florida's strategy will be to make a bunch of first downs and keep Cincy's offense off the field. I think our interior line should be able to push these guys around and open up some good option opportunities for Tebow, the backs and Hernandez. Pike and Company have been great, but they haven't faced a defensive personnel like ours. If Joe Haden can handle AJ Green and Julio Jones, I think he'll be fine with Gilyard. I have no idea how much Charlie Strong has been involved with the defense in the prep for this game, but apparently he reviewed Louisville's game tape against Cincy from earlier this year (Cincy won 41-10). I cannot fathom that our defense wants to go out like they did in Atlanta against Bama, and have to believe they have too much pride to watch the Bearcats score 30+. I think Dunlap will play like a man possessed coming off the edge and if Cincy can't at least keep us honest by running the ball then Tony Pike is not going to have much fun. On special teams I'm worried about the loss to Brandon James. I think Rainey and Demps are capable returners but that assumes they can catch the ball cleanly (there's the rub). We have the best punter in the conference and hopefully Sturgis has another good night indoors.
My pick assumes we show up ready to play and don't wear those cursed white helmets. Assuming those two things I see a Big Ass Whippin' in the Big Easy: UF 34-Cincy 20.
Here's how I see the other bowl games of interest-
Independence Bowl- The Dawgs have something like 2 coaches left on defense, but based on their performances this year that might be a good thing. Texas A&M looked good in their last game against Texas so this one will come down to who shows up ready to play. I'll take the SEC just because I'm a homer: Georgia 27-Aggies 20.
Champs Sports Bowl- The U is looking for a 10 win season and has to be fired up after watching "The U" for several weeks on ESPN. Wisconsin went 9-3 in the Big 10 and is slow and got hammered by the Noles in the same game last year. Speed still kills... The U 33-Badgers 20.
Chick Fil A Bowl- Kiffie has to be saddened to hear that Urban is coming back, but I bet he had a good night Saturday thinking UF was in trouble. Still, Va Tech has already lost once in the Georgia Dome and I think they'll do it again in a close one. Vols 24-Va Tech 19.
Outback Bowl- Auburn plays Northwestern who, I admit, I never saw play this year. Like all bowl games, its a matter of who shows up to play. Knowing nothing about Northwestern I'll pick the Tigers to win just because they've seen better competition but again, I've never seen a single snap from Northwestern so this is pure guess. War Eagle 23-PurplePeopleEaters 17.
Capital One Bowl- I think LSU has more talent than Penn State, but I have no doubt that PSU is better coached. Penn State lost to both good teams on their schedule and will have to figure out how to play against the speed of LSU, but I'm taking Joe Pa over Les Miles purely on coaching. PSU 20-LSU 17.
Gator Bowl- The Noles sold this game out in 2 hours, and many of Bowden's former players will form a tunnel for the team to enter through. I think the Noles remain shitty on defense, but West Virginia is similarly bad. I'm taking the Noles to win one for Bobby against the team that gave him his first shot in D-1. Noles 35-WVU 28.
PapaJohns Bowl- The Head Ball Coach faces a UConn team who seemingly lost 5 games by a combined total of 5 points. The HBC isn't famous for bowl success and UConn will come to play. I'm taking the Huskies. UConn 27-Cocks 21.
Cotton Bowl- Ole Miss put a beat down on Texas Tech last year in the same game. This year they face a very talented Okie State team. I haven't been impressed at all with the Rebs this year so I'll take the Cowboys, OSU 36-Ole Miss 27.
Liberty Bowl- I bet Bobby Petrino spent Saturday night hoping his phone would ring from a 352 area code. I have to believe that Arky can get it done over the 9-4 ECU Pirates. Hogs 35-East Carolina 28.
Rose Bowl- Ohio State gets Oregon in a showdown of teams from states that start with the letter "O". O, how I hope Mrs. Report and I are drinking somewhere on Bourbon Street to watch this one. Ducks 27-Bucks 23.
Fiesta Bowl- I think it sucks that TCU and Boise State don't get to play against bigger name opponents, but one of them will get their first loss. TCU should have the advantage of crowd support, but I'm not picking against Boise State in that dome. Broncos 33-TCU 28.
Orange Bowl- Georgia Tech gets Iowa down in Miami. The only thing more awkward than BYU fan in Vegas is maybe Iowa fan on South Beach. Tech won the ACC and Iowa struggled to beat almost everybody, but I love the way Kirk Ferentz prepares for bowl games. I think the Hawkeye defense will be ready to go against the triple option. Iowa 20-Tech 17.
BCS Title Game- I am dying to pick Texas in this one purely because they'll spend 4 weeks leading up to the game hearing about how good Bama is and Mack Brown has already won a big title in the Rose Bowl. My big question about the Tide is whether they can come in with the same purpose and focus they had against Florida and it isn't out of the question that they shot their wad in beating the Mighty Gators after waiting 364 days to do it. Still, with Bama's D and Texas's last two shaky games I have to pick the Tide to get it done. Barring turnovers I think Bama wins comfortably. Bama 27-Texas 17. Assuming I'm right, that means 4 straight titles for the SEC.
Enjoy this last one, Gators. If this weekend's events did nothing else, it will hopefully make us all more appreciative of what we've had the last 5 years and enjoy every opportunity to see these guys get after it. I'll give you my review of the Sugar Bowl when I get back next week.
Go Gators!
BS
As I was preparing to write the Goodbye Urban post I made a list of all the "traditions" he'd brought to UF in just 5 years- The Gator Walk, coats/ties pregame, the Champions Club, singing the Alma Mater and Orange and Blue in front of the band post game, getting everyone other than the Kappa Alpha block to learn the words to Orange & Blue, Friday Night Lights recruiting event for high school juniors, texting recruits (he singlehandedly caused the NCAA to limit texting), freshman helmet stripes but no freshman hazing, doing pre-season training camp off the practice field and moving to the practice field only for game week, The Plan to Win, expressing love to his players, building the Gateway of Champions, and winning like nobody else has. No wonder the guy is tired. It isn't just game planning, he's been program planning and he's his own quality control/assurance department. I hope he, his family and his friends can collaborate to where he can make it another 5 years. Based on what we've all seen so far, is there anybody willing to doubt that he'll find a way?
OK, with all the Urban news aside, we got a game to play Friday. With all the coaching news on both sides this has to be one of the goofiest bowl games to predict in recent history. For the Bearcats, the players have to be pissed that their head coach bolted for a better job and their interim coach will do so after the bowl game. If I'm coaching UC I'm telling them they have a chance to run the table, beat the defending national champs and the famous Tim Tebow, and they can also show that Brian Kelly wasn't the only reason they could win.
For Florida, I think the motivation is very different. I think Urban's retirement and change of heart has to energize these guys and make them want to win one for the guy who obviously has laid so much on the line on their behalf. I think the seniors like Tebow and Spikes will command everyone's best, and I think the juniors who are planning on coming out early will give it their all to show the NFL GMs why they should pick them early in the draft.
Of course, the reason this is a hard one to pick is that both locker rooms could implode, decide to have a big time on Bourbon Street instead and just mail it in on Friday night.
Talentwise, make no mistake, Cincinnati is very good. The Big East isn't the SEC, but Cincy's undefeated record in spite of losing their starting QB for several games is very impressive and remember that this is their second straight conference title/BCS bowl appearance (they lost to Va Tech in the Orange Bowl last year). They won at Oregon State (don't laugh, USC never can), in Tampa against USF, and had a huge comeback at Pitt. Their offense is incredibly potent, averaging just under 40 a game, and their defense averages giving up under 21. They throw more than they run, averaging 320 per game in the air to 143 on the ground. As a result, their opponents tend to win the time of possession game (averaging almost 10 more minutes with the ball than the Bearcats) but lose on the scoreboard. QB Tony Pike was in the Heisman race before he went down to injury but his backup may have outplayed him so they're deeper than Florida at QB. Their best receiver is #1 Mardy Gilyard and they had 8 returning starters on offense. On D, they are quick but somewhat undersized on the line. On special teams they were only 12/18 on field goals and average under 40 yards per punt but they do a good job on kick coverage based on their stats.
I think Florida's strategy will be to make a bunch of first downs and keep Cincy's offense off the field. I think our interior line should be able to push these guys around and open up some good option opportunities for Tebow, the backs and Hernandez. Pike and Company have been great, but they haven't faced a defensive personnel like ours. If Joe Haden can handle AJ Green and Julio Jones, I think he'll be fine with Gilyard. I have no idea how much Charlie Strong has been involved with the defense in the prep for this game, but apparently he reviewed Louisville's game tape against Cincy from earlier this year (Cincy won 41-10). I cannot fathom that our defense wants to go out like they did in Atlanta against Bama, and have to believe they have too much pride to watch the Bearcats score 30+. I think Dunlap will play like a man possessed coming off the edge and if Cincy can't at least keep us honest by running the ball then Tony Pike is not going to have much fun. On special teams I'm worried about the loss to Brandon James. I think Rainey and Demps are capable returners but that assumes they can catch the ball cleanly (there's the rub). We have the best punter in the conference and hopefully Sturgis has another good night indoors.
My pick assumes we show up ready to play and don't wear those cursed white helmets. Assuming those two things I see a Big Ass Whippin' in the Big Easy: UF 34-Cincy 20.
Here's how I see the other bowl games of interest-
Independence Bowl- The Dawgs have something like 2 coaches left on defense, but based on their performances this year that might be a good thing. Texas A&M looked good in their last game against Texas so this one will come down to who shows up ready to play. I'll take the SEC just because I'm a homer: Georgia 27-Aggies 20.
Champs Sports Bowl- The U is looking for a 10 win season and has to be fired up after watching "The U" for several weeks on ESPN. Wisconsin went 9-3 in the Big 10 and is slow and got hammered by the Noles in the same game last year. Speed still kills... The U 33-Badgers 20.
Chick Fil A Bowl- Kiffie has to be saddened to hear that Urban is coming back, but I bet he had a good night Saturday thinking UF was in trouble. Still, Va Tech has already lost once in the Georgia Dome and I think they'll do it again in a close one. Vols 24-Va Tech 19.
Outback Bowl- Auburn plays Northwestern who, I admit, I never saw play this year. Like all bowl games, its a matter of who shows up to play. Knowing nothing about Northwestern I'll pick the Tigers to win just because they've seen better competition but again, I've never seen a single snap from Northwestern so this is pure guess. War Eagle 23-PurplePeopleEaters 17.
Capital One Bowl- I think LSU has more talent than Penn State, but I have no doubt that PSU is better coached. Penn State lost to both good teams on their schedule and will have to figure out how to play against the speed of LSU, but I'm taking Joe Pa over Les Miles purely on coaching. PSU 20-LSU 17.
Gator Bowl- The Noles sold this game out in 2 hours, and many of Bowden's former players will form a tunnel for the team to enter through. I think the Noles remain shitty on defense, but West Virginia is similarly bad. I'm taking the Noles to win one for Bobby against the team that gave him his first shot in D-1. Noles 35-WVU 28.
PapaJohns Bowl- The Head Ball Coach faces a UConn team who seemingly lost 5 games by a combined total of 5 points. The HBC isn't famous for bowl success and UConn will come to play. I'm taking the Huskies. UConn 27-Cocks 21.
Cotton Bowl- Ole Miss put a beat down on Texas Tech last year in the same game. This year they face a very talented Okie State team. I haven't been impressed at all with the Rebs this year so I'll take the Cowboys, OSU 36-Ole Miss 27.
Liberty Bowl- I bet Bobby Petrino spent Saturday night hoping his phone would ring from a 352 area code. I have to believe that Arky can get it done over the 9-4 ECU Pirates. Hogs 35-East Carolina 28.
Rose Bowl- Ohio State gets Oregon in a showdown of teams from states that start with the letter "O". O, how I hope Mrs. Report and I are drinking somewhere on Bourbon Street to watch this one. Ducks 27-Bucks 23.
Fiesta Bowl- I think it sucks that TCU and Boise State don't get to play against bigger name opponents, but one of them will get their first loss. TCU should have the advantage of crowd support, but I'm not picking against Boise State in that dome. Broncos 33-TCU 28.
Orange Bowl- Georgia Tech gets Iowa down in Miami. The only thing more awkward than BYU fan in Vegas is maybe Iowa fan on South Beach. Tech won the ACC and Iowa struggled to beat almost everybody, but I love the way Kirk Ferentz prepares for bowl games. I think the Hawkeye defense will be ready to go against the triple option. Iowa 20-Tech 17.
BCS Title Game- I am dying to pick Texas in this one purely because they'll spend 4 weeks leading up to the game hearing about how good Bama is and Mack Brown has already won a big title in the Rose Bowl. My big question about the Tide is whether they can come in with the same purpose and focus they had against Florida and it isn't out of the question that they shot their wad in beating the Mighty Gators after waiting 364 days to do it. Still, with Bama's D and Texas's last two shaky games I have to pick the Tide to get it done. Barring turnovers I think Bama wins comfortably. Bama 27-Texas 17. Assuming I'm right, that means 4 straight titles for the SEC.
Enjoy this last one, Gators. If this weekend's events did nothing else, it will hopefully make us all more appreciative of what we've had the last 5 years and enjoy every opportunity to see these guys get after it. I'll give you my review of the Sugar Bowl when I get back next week.
Go Gators!
BS
Urban
I was literally driving to my office to write my Goodbye Urban post when the news broke that he's changed his mind. ESPN is reporting he's going to sit out all next season and Addazio is going to be the coach, but local radio says the length of the "leave of absence" is up in the area and speculation is that he'd find it hard to stay off the sidelines next year. This is unquestionably unique, but with a coach like Urban you give him as much time as he needs. He is simply the best and we should all be grateful to have him (I'm sure the last 18 hours have led you to the same conclusion). Apparently the leave of absence was the initial suggestion of the University and now he's embraced the idea. In the end he may discover that he can't go less than 100% and will have to retire permanently, but as I said, he's the best and the right move is to retain him and let him try and work it out.
For the record, my version of who we should hire to be our next head coach would be as follows in order of priority-
1. Stoops- OU fans are complaining about losing bowl games. Let them try and do better. Stoops would do great with our talent and his learning curve in terms of being The Man at Florida would be short. Foley would need to make one call and simply ask if he's in or out.
2. Gruden- You gotta at least make the call. I think he's a pro guy at heart and wouldn't last more than 3 years but it would be a helluva entertaining 3 years and we'd load up with recruits year in and year out.
3. Whittingham- He's an Urban guy and has had a great run at Utah. He might not want to try and replace Urban again but he'd be great.
4. Tuberville- He beat Urban twice, went undefeated in the SEC, and had a great run against Bama.
5. Terry Bowden- This would never happen because Foley wouldn't put up with his history of off the field incidents, but he did go undefeated at Auburn and I'd love to see a Bowden on our sidelines hammering FSU. Same with Derrick Dooley against Georgia.
6. Patterson/Petersen- If you can run the table at TCU or Boise State you could do wonders with the talent that UF brings in.
7. Kevin Sumlin- Houston's offense is wide open and I think this guy is an up and comer who could be a great recruiter at UF.
8. Mike Leach- Fun offense, even better press conferences.
9. Charlie Strong- A Gator through and through but I don't see us hiring someone who has never been a head coach. Let him cut his teeth at Louisville, then we'll see in a few years.
10. Dan Mullen- He'd be able to keep offensive continuity but I just don't buy into him as a leader.
I'm glad this list doesn't look like it will be necessary. I plan on tuning into the 4:30 press conference and seeing what Urban has to say. More tomorrow...
BS
For the record, my version of who we should hire to be our next head coach would be as follows in order of priority-
1. Stoops- OU fans are complaining about losing bowl games. Let them try and do better. Stoops would do great with our talent and his learning curve in terms of being The Man at Florida would be short. Foley would need to make one call and simply ask if he's in or out.
2. Gruden- You gotta at least make the call. I think he's a pro guy at heart and wouldn't last more than 3 years but it would be a helluva entertaining 3 years and we'd load up with recruits year in and year out.
3. Whittingham- He's an Urban guy and has had a great run at Utah. He might not want to try and replace Urban again but he'd be great.
4. Tuberville- He beat Urban twice, went undefeated in the SEC, and had a great run against Bama.
5. Terry Bowden- This would never happen because Foley wouldn't put up with his history of off the field incidents, but he did go undefeated at Auburn and I'd love to see a Bowden on our sidelines hammering FSU. Same with Derrick Dooley against Georgia.
6. Patterson/Petersen- If you can run the table at TCU or Boise State you could do wonders with the talent that UF brings in.
7. Kevin Sumlin- Houston's offense is wide open and I think this guy is an up and comer who could be a great recruiter at UF.
8. Mike Leach- Fun offense, even better press conferences.
9. Charlie Strong- A Gator through and through but I don't see us hiring someone who has never been a head coach. Let him cut his teeth at Louisville, then we'll see in a few years.
10. Dan Mullen- He'd be able to keep offensive continuity but I just don't buy into him as a leader.
I'm glad this list doesn't look like it will be necessary. I plan on tuning into the 4:30 press conference and seeing what Urban has to say. More tomorrow...
BS
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Random Pre-Christmas Musings
Hi, Gators. Your author finds himself at work unwilling to focus. But before I leave the office for Christmas I thought I'd say Happy Holidays to you all and offer a few random musings for your holiday weekend.
- I'm not much of a recruiting guru, but I did make it a point to watch the 4A State Championship game featuring Matt Elam from Palm Beach Dwyer and 2 of his other teammates who are headed to Florida next year. Elam had 3 touchdowns by halftime and seemingly 200 yards in the first 5 minutes. Granted, Niceville High School's defense isn't Alabama, but the kid played both ways (he had a 56 yard pick 6 return in the semi-final game) and is legit. The announcer said he's projected as a safety at the next level, but I hope he at least gets a look on offense. FYI, his teammate who committed just 10 days ago had 2 TD receptions of his own. The running back for Niceville is headed to Oklahoma. Amazing how much talent comes from Florida.
- Upon further review, beating Michigan State in hoops is not a unique feat. And we're not good.
- Texas, on the other hand, is quite good at hoops and has a very real chance to match our football/basketball title run of 2006.
- I don't ever want to hear that Gator fans are the best in the country. We're not. We're clearly better than FSU and Miami, but we can't even sell out the Sugar Bowl with a 12-1 team featuring the most renowned player and winningest senior class in school history. Remember what Spurrier said when he left Florida? Something like winning 10 games each year wasn't enough anymore. Apparently winning 12 isn't enough either.
- After Tebow broke through, we've now seen 3 sophomores in a row win the Heisman. Its gone from the award for the best upperclassman-offensive player on one of the best teams to the best offensive newcomer on one of the best teams. I think both McCoy and Tebow were penalized for over-exposure. Don't get me wrong, Ingram is a great back, but I'm not even sure he's the best in the conference. Anybody who wants to argue should go watch the Auburn game again.
- Not only has Cincy's head coach left them for Notre Dame, but their interim coach announced he's taking the Buffalo job as well. I think its anyone's guess as to whether either team shows up to play next week.
- Good luck to Charlie Strong at Louisville. With the turmoil at Cincinnati and the possibility of Syracuse or Rutgers heading to the Big 10, I like his chances to win there.
- Does anyone else really enjoy seeing Pete Carroll's program getting grilled for repeated NCAA infractions?
- Is there anything more absurd than BYU being invited to the Las Vegas Bowl?
- Speaking of NCAA infractions, poor Vandy. Even when they win they lose. They got a commitment from Aaron Rodgers' (Packers QB) younger brother only to find out that he committed during a recruiting dead period. Now there's speculation that he won't be eligible next year. If they had an athletic department instead of running everything through their Intramural Office in the student union this wouldn't happen.
Some bowl picks leading into next week-
Tonight- Poinsettia Bowl- I'll take the Utah Utes to keep the Mountain West rolling over Pac-10 competition. BYU rolled over Oregon State last night, Utes 35-Cal 23.
Tomorrow- Hawaii Bowl- Nevada plays SMU. Not even I will watch this.
Saturday- Meineke Car Care Bowl- Pitt plays UNC in Charlotte. For Cousin Johnny and my buddy Ricky I'm taking the Heels in their home state. UNC 27-Pitt 20.
Emerald Nuts Bowl- I love that USC is in the Emerald Nuts Bowl. They've got guys suspended, injured and under NCAA violation. But they've still got plenty of talent to beat BC. SC 33-BC 17.
Sunday- Music City Bowl- Our first chance for an SEC team to win. Kentucky has been tough in bowl games and with Clemson you just never know what kind of effort you'll get. I think Clemson has better players, but I'm taking the Kitties for the goof: UK 28-Clemson 24.
That's it for now, Gators. Enjoy your holiday and we'll talk Sugar Bowl next week.
Go Gators!
BS
- I'm not much of a recruiting guru, but I did make it a point to watch the 4A State Championship game featuring Matt Elam from Palm Beach Dwyer and 2 of his other teammates who are headed to Florida next year. Elam had 3 touchdowns by halftime and seemingly 200 yards in the first 5 minutes. Granted, Niceville High School's defense isn't Alabama, but the kid played both ways (he had a 56 yard pick 6 return in the semi-final game) and is legit. The announcer said he's projected as a safety at the next level, but I hope he at least gets a look on offense. FYI, his teammate who committed just 10 days ago had 2 TD receptions of his own. The running back for Niceville is headed to Oklahoma. Amazing how much talent comes from Florida.
- Upon further review, beating Michigan State in hoops is not a unique feat. And we're not good.
- Texas, on the other hand, is quite good at hoops and has a very real chance to match our football/basketball title run of 2006.
- I don't ever want to hear that Gator fans are the best in the country. We're not. We're clearly better than FSU and Miami, but we can't even sell out the Sugar Bowl with a 12-1 team featuring the most renowned player and winningest senior class in school history. Remember what Spurrier said when he left Florida? Something like winning 10 games each year wasn't enough anymore. Apparently winning 12 isn't enough either.
- After Tebow broke through, we've now seen 3 sophomores in a row win the Heisman. Its gone from the award for the best upperclassman-offensive player on one of the best teams to the best offensive newcomer on one of the best teams. I think both McCoy and Tebow were penalized for over-exposure. Don't get me wrong, Ingram is a great back, but I'm not even sure he's the best in the conference. Anybody who wants to argue should go watch the Auburn game again.
- Not only has Cincy's head coach left them for Notre Dame, but their interim coach announced he's taking the Buffalo job as well. I think its anyone's guess as to whether either team shows up to play next week.
- Good luck to Charlie Strong at Louisville. With the turmoil at Cincinnati and the possibility of Syracuse or Rutgers heading to the Big 10, I like his chances to win there.
- Does anyone else really enjoy seeing Pete Carroll's program getting grilled for repeated NCAA infractions?
- Is there anything more absurd than BYU being invited to the Las Vegas Bowl?
- Speaking of NCAA infractions, poor Vandy. Even when they win they lose. They got a commitment from Aaron Rodgers' (Packers QB) younger brother only to find out that he committed during a recruiting dead period. Now there's speculation that he won't be eligible next year. If they had an athletic department instead of running everything through their Intramural Office in the student union this wouldn't happen.
Some bowl picks leading into next week-
Tonight- Poinsettia Bowl- I'll take the Utah Utes to keep the Mountain West rolling over Pac-10 competition. BYU rolled over Oregon State last night, Utes 35-Cal 23.
Tomorrow- Hawaii Bowl- Nevada plays SMU. Not even I will watch this.
Saturday- Meineke Car Care Bowl- Pitt plays UNC in Charlotte. For Cousin Johnny and my buddy Ricky I'm taking the Heels in their home state. UNC 27-Pitt 20.
Emerald Nuts Bowl- I love that USC is in the Emerald Nuts Bowl. They've got guys suspended, injured and under NCAA violation. But they've still got plenty of talent to beat BC. SC 33-BC 17.
Sunday- Music City Bowl- Our first chance for an SEC team to win. Kentucky has been tough in bowl games and with Clemson you just never know what kind of effort you'll get. I think Clemson has better players, but I'm taking the Kitties for the goof: UK 28-Clemson 24.
That's it for now, Gators. Enjoy your holiday and we'll talk Sugar Bowl next week.
Go Gators!
BS
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