Look, I know he had the goal-line fumble at the spring game. But we’ll assume he’ll have that corrected and will start when the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors come to town.

Obviously, no Gator tailback has won the award. Emmitt was always in the discussion, but he really wasn’t there. Blame mediocre Florida teams and a merry-go-round of offensive coordinators for that. But why has this trend occurred? Class, let’s look at Gator football, circa mid-1960s.

The Ole Ball Coach is the starting QB for the team, coached by Ray Graves. With his accomplishments in a very wide variety of sports before coming to UF, he provides a precursor to Tim Tebow 40 years later. Some lab coat types interested in exercise physiology have invented a cocktail of water, salt, sugar, and electrolytes designed to stop muscle cramping and dehydration; they strike a deal with Stokely Van Camp, and the Gatorade marketing machine is born.

But in spite of Steve Spurrier’s considerable talent, the true Heisman favorite lives over 900 miles away. Six years before leading Miami to a perfect record and a Super Bowl title, Robert Griese takes snaps in spring practice at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He’s got the arm and the leadership to succeed.
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One of the more interesting debates on the Gator roundtable is whether Tim Tebow can join Ohio State legend Archie Griffin in the Multiple Heisman club.

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By extremely popular request, it’s baaaaaack…

With the NFL draft just nine days away, it’s time to pay homage to the junior DE’s career.

As one of the last recruits of the Ron Zook era, Harvey was one of the most highly touted prospects at the front four in ‘04. Four years later, not much has changed. With one redshirt season, SEC title, national championship, and defensive MVP on his belt, he’s projected to go high in the first round.

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The Gator defense has improved to our liking. The front four, led by Carlos Dunlap, pressured Tim Tebow and Cam Newton all day. The secondary has also made strides. But what about the fellas in the middle? (more…)

It’s a game where UF wins, no matter what. It’s the prelude to a season. The results have no effect on our championships, no matter what.

Welcome to the Spring Game, that fun intermission that comes right after basketball, right around the start of baseball, and several months before real football.

UF is one of the favorites to win the national championship; that much we know. In all likelihood, the Gators will have to beat Georgia to do so, also trite. But we don’t know what to expect in mere weeks.

Here’s what I want to see in order to feel comfy about our chances in the fall:

1. Quality rushing

I need to see one or two every-down types taking the ball 12-15 times during a standard full-length football game; which sounds more than reasonable. For my mental health, please don’t carry the ball more than five to ten times a game, Tim Tebow. And hold on for dear life, Kestahn Moore! Even if you don’t get 4-5 yards a game, at least protect that pigskin!

2. Balanced passing

If Tim has worked on the two-minute drill like Coach Meyer said he would, we should see a nice mixture of short-yard passes and long bombs. It’ll be interesting to see how the offense fares without Percy Harvin in this one. In that case, Carl Moore will be the primary target. Who knows, maybe Jeff Demps will step in and provide that extra dimension of speed? In the fall, with the mess at the tailback position and Harvin’s potential injury problems, freshmen Jeff Demps will have an opportunity to step in and be the new speedster.

3. How the defense will react

Will we see low rushing numbers for the second-team offense? Will there be some pass breakups? What about tackles and sacks? Here’s a prime opportunity for Florida’s defense to show us what they’ve got after a demanding offseason.

That’s why scheduling Hawaii for the season opener was actually a prudent decision. With the offensive system June Jones has left over there, the Gator defense will be the X-factor. If they manage to rip down 2 or 3 balls in August, it could be a positive sign for the team’s season.

Grrrr. Got some stuff that’s bugging me today…

*These language lab computers won’t let me upload images.

*It just dawned on me that I graduated from former FSU quarterback Danny Kanell’s high school - the same DK who coordinated the Noles to the infamous “Choke at Doak” tie.

*I’m getting rumors that Tim Tebow is getting pressured by defensive backs in practice. Oh wait, that happens in real football games all the time.

But the latest press leaks have Florida’s front four pressuring Superman even more so than last year.

Has the man lost his touch? I doubt it, given that he’s had to masterfully evade pressure in the past. C’mon Vince, he’s doesn’t just turn into a college football flop overnight.

Or maybe the big uglies on D have gotten their act together? Why not? The Gators had a bumper crop of youth and inexperience last year; the underclassmen MUST have packed in some extra pounds.

Either way, a major leap in the football learning curve has just taken place on both sides of the ball. Tebow’s going to have to learn how to evade all the blitz packages defensive coordinators throw at him. And it’s not like he can just, ahem, walk out of the situation, shall we say? This will also be a good test for the lucky every-down halfback chosen to start for the Gators.

On defense, they’re starting to crank it up. Granted, the blitz can only compensate for the secondary so much, but getting better is what it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if the improvement in the rushing attack was complemented by growth in the linebacking corps.

Which brings us to a significant wildcard: the offensive line. Are they going to play up to their potential? I hope so; there’s only so many hits mere mortals like #15 can take. With Trautwein coming back, Maurkice Pouncey guaranteed a starting role *somewhere*, and Mike Pouncey (or whoever it is) snapping the ball at center, I think they’re just fine. If the sack numbers start to drop, as I think they will, then everybody will be A O.K.

Let’s just hope that the cornerbacks will learn from all this…

Apparently, the latest from the college football rumor mill has Florida’s 20.5-year-old legend slated to take a cue from Joe Montana. It seems that Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen want the Teebster to improve in the two-minute drill. The move makes sense for a number of reasons:

*Admit it, Florida fans. As much as you want #15 to walk on water, heal the incurably sick, and lay down vigilante justice against FSU, you know he’s not perfect. He’s a human being who makes human mistakes, and working on the two-minute drill provides a good dose of perspective.

*A further investigation in UF’s losses reveals that in spite of Florida’s youth, atrocious secondary, and lack of a true runner, most of the Gators’ woes came from ineffective final scoring drives. Consider Tebow’s failed Hail Mary pass against LSU and the two turnovers on down against Michigan. So in theory, if the Gators become more effective at closing the deal, they become much tougher to beat. The better the quarterback is at the end, the more margin for error during the game itself.

* Tebow will have to run less and rely more on short West Coast-style passes. In other words, he’ll be doing the kinds of things that make draft scouts feel better about his chances in the pros.

Make no mistake about it. Tebow may have won a championship in his first year and a Heisman in his second, but his junior year will undoubtedly be his most important yet. From a career perspective, he’s beginning to prepare himself for his NFL career, should he choose to go that route. From an SEC point of view, he’s beginning his second year as a starter. And in the way of accolades, he can add to his trophy case and increase his hero status in Gainesville. But I’m getting off-topic.

Here’s an example of how a skilled two-minute QB can change a franchise: A perennial backup quarterback was selected as a compensatory pick in his particular NFL draft and only threw three passes in his rookie year. He initially spent time buried in the back of the depth chart, but he worked really hard at improving; the two-minute was an integral part of his preparation. When the original starter was injured and out for the season, the guy stepped in and helped his team win all of its playoff games and make the Super Bowl, albeit with a lot of grit and a little luck. In the big game, he kept it close against the most prolific NFL offense of its day. But it all came down to one final touchdown drive. And much to everyone’s surprise, he kept cool and led his team down the field for the game-winning score, netting him his first Super Bowl ring and MVP award.

The quarterback who went from zero to hero: Thomas Edward Brady, Jr. Turns out, he was a big Montana fan as a kid growing up in the Bay Area.

And in a twist of irony, his opposite in Super Bowl XLII would win the Super Bowl by beating him at his own game.

Before you start typing remarks about how I’m going off topic and why the NFL won’t match college sports, hear me out.

I’m fully aware that the subject matter is somewhat out of the ordinary. I know that college sports have that unique sense of brotherhood and competitiveness that the pros find lacking. I even know that my post might be a bit overdue.

But in the aftershock of yesterday’s press conference, something must be said for one of the greatest athletes, ambassadors, and competitors that the sport has ever known. There never has been, and likely never will be, another football player with that exact same sense of playful glee that #4 embodied in 17 seasons of a distinguished NFL career.

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This just in: FSU has responded to its academic cheating scandal by trying to police itself. Measures include reducing scholarships in all sports, firing guilty staffers, and requiring all AD administrators and non-administrators to attend a four-hour class in “responsible decision-making” There is even talk of a number of guilty students suffering a loss or reduction in their eligibility.

Don’t get me wrong, my inner Gator gets a demented pleasure out of seeing Free Shoes U. suffer for its crimes, but I’m concerned that what the school is doing vacillates between noble and disturbing. A big reason: the way Noles athletics is structured within the university.

Florida State’s athletic department is considered a division of the school itself and gets money from the university’s coffers. But it’s structure, while widespread, is not universal; UF’s University Athletic Association is considered a private business and generates its own revenue. While this may seem trite, a self-disciplinary policy would have vastly different effects depending on the school receiving sanctions.

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