DeMarco Murray won’t play in the BCS Title Game. Surgery. Hamstring tendon. Boo-yah.

Our official stance is that we never want to see a player hurt, we always want our opponent at full strength, yadda-yadda. But truth be told, this is actually pretty good news for the Gators, because Murray’s greatest strength is his ability to start the Sooners at their own 40. And if the Gators have one weakness this season, it’s kickoff coverage. So, yeah, this is good, insofar as “surgery” and “good” can go together. Hey, it’s not like he was injured in our game.

The Sooners have two other backs which should be able to pound out the tough yardage. Despite being his team’s second-leading rusher, Murray has been described as the ‘big play’ back, the guy who explodes for big gains on a regular basis. However, Florida certainly can’t count out Chris Brown and Mossis Madu, who have combined for 1600 yards and 26 touchdowns.

The other news — is it good or bad? — is that Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen will take time out of his busy schedule to call the plays in the title game.

“I think he’s going to coach. I talked to him yesterday and right now the plan is he’s going to come back right after Christmas,” Meyer said after practice Tuesday. “We’ve talked about it. And the goal is to win the game. I think right now, unless something changes, that’s what’s going to happen. He’s going to coach.”

Asked if Mullen should be able to do all the preparation for the national title contest, Meyer said if he wasn’t he wouldn’t be coaching in the game.

Mullen, we know you can’t wait to start ringing some cowbells, but don’t screw this up.

From Gainesville to Starkville for Mullen.

Reactions:

1) We all knew he’d move along sooner than later. Competing for two national championships in 3 years was sure to shatter this coaching staff. It is the natural order of things.

2) I’m rather shocked that Mullen wouldn’t hold out for something better than Mississippi State. His career is at a logical crossroads: he’s probably ready for a head coaching job. He’s had great success in the SEC. But he now takes on a massive challenge at Mississippi State, the kind of challenge that young up and coming coaches don’t always survive. Three or four miserable years at Mississippi State could end his coaching career early. And Starkville is… well, rough.

3) The timing is rather bad; this will be a distraction as the Gators prepare for Oklahoma. It also portends poorly for Tebow’s return to Florida as he is closer with Mullen than anyone else on the coaching staff. I am personally of the opinion that Tebow needs to return regardless of how anticlimactic it would be if Florida won another national championship; he needs a year of solid NFL prep. As it stands, I’m not sure he’d be drafted in the top 2 rounds as a quarterback.