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.

Okay, so the spring game is still five and half weeks away, and the first regular season football game isn’t until August 30. But it’s not too early to look at what made Florida a great sports school in the first place. Besides, everyone around here could use a short break from basketball and all of the nervous tension it entails.

Here is a breakdown of the team, position by position. Be warned, this might be a bit lengthy.

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Here’s another guest appearance from renowned O&B Huer Vince Gagliano.

With a few days before Kentucky, let’s talk gridiron.

I am frequently amazed at the number of sportswriters who have Percy Harvin winning the 74th Heisman Trophy. This is going to be a bitter pill for Florida fans to swallow, but #1 on the field probably won’t be #1 in the votes.

Here are 8 reasons why, in memory of his old number.

1. Wide receivers have a tough time winning the Heisman, period.

Even though the trophy goes primarily to offensive players, quarterbacks and running backs take the lion’s share of the trophies (page Barry Sanders) With the exception of Reggie Bush, quarterbacks have won every year in the 2000s.

Nevertheless, it’s not impossible. Notre Dame’s Tim Brown and Michigan’s Desmond Howard staked claims to the trophy in 1987 and 1991.

It could have been worse. When Howard won, the runner-up was FSU’s Casey Wheldon.
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59-20. BOOM!

Anyone see that coming? Yeah, me neither.

This most glorious of days was historic for many reasons.

1) It’s the most lopsided Vols loss in the series.

2) Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin’s Heisman campaigns were launched.

3) Florida will never again ‘rebuild.’ We reload.

The defense, comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores, was far better than anyone expected. The Vols were stuffed for 37 rushing yards (17 of which came against the second team in garbage minutes) and held to one offensive touchdown and two field goals. They were also held to multiple 3-and-outs, a 4th-down stop and made their footsteps felt by UT’s receivers.

The offense? Best we’ve seen since #7 last lined up under center.

Maybe — dare I say it — better.

Folks, this team isn’t about being ready for another title run next year. They’re about winning it again now.

The gulf between Tennessee and Florida is huge.

Tennessee’s junior defensive tackle, Demonte Bolden said it all after the game.  From InsideTennessee.com:

“Our pride was left on that field,” said Bolden, who was visibly shaking. “My pride was hurt. My pride is hurt – period. I hate losing. I came to Tennessee to win. Coaches get me prepared to win. I came here to win, man. I want to win. I’m sorry. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

He stopped briefly, but couldn’t hold back.

“I hate (bleeping) losing, just to be real honest,” Bolden fumed. “I hate (bleeping) losing. I can’t lose no more.”

Ouch.  My heart goes out to the kid.  Sort of.

Anyway, I expect we’ll see similar disparities when Florida plays Georgia and South Carolina.

This team is good, folks, on both sides of the ball. Scary good.

We are just beginning to scratch the fine surface of domination, as Trev Alberts said. More breakdown of the game later.

The “ZOMGOSH I CAN’T BELIEVE IT” Award

This goes to the entire team. SEC Champions, BCS Championship Game, general badassosity (it’s a word–maybe). Wow, just no words (except for all the ones filling this article). I am so very happy.

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The “Demon Who Makes Trophies of Men” Award

Reggie Nelson has once again proven that he is a superpowered alien headhunter who only plays football on the side. Between his monstrous hits which inspired obvious fear in the FSU receiving corps, and his aerobatic circus interception, he showed why he deserves the Thorpe Award. During the game, after one of Reggie’s many amazing plays, I told my friend that “if Nelson doesn’t get a helmet sticker tonight, I’m done with College Football Final.” I don’t think I have to worry about giving up on the show, as I fully expect Lou Holtz’s body to be found skinless and hanging from a rafter somewhere. No one slights number 1. No one! One more year, Reggie!

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Notes and observations:

1. When asked by Tracy Wolfson if this Florida Gators team deserves to be considered for the BCS championship, Urban Meyer responded with a definitive YES. Up until the second blocked field goal by Jarvis Moss, I thought the Gators were going to beat again by this Spurrier coached South Carolina team. Imagine the reaction that Meyer would have to face from here to eternity about Spurrier having the Gators’ number had the Gators not gotten the victory.

2. Dallas Baker intercepted a bad pass from Chris Leak going to a SC defender to keep the Gators from letting the game get away from them. It’s easy to take Dallas Baker for granted. This player has meant so much to this year’s team.

3. CBS announcer Gary Danielson sure seems to be bigger fan of DeShawn Wynn than this Gator coaching staff — he called out the Gator coaches, questioning why they don’t use him more often. Also, interesting hearing him break down some of the routes that the receivers were running as school yard “button-hooks.”

4. How about that Tim Tebow? He made that big play on fourth down and showed emotion while he tried to get the fans into it. His key run allowed Leak to take over and architect the drive which allowed the Gators to march down field for that final score. However, without Tim Tebow and that powerful rush to the end zone at the end of that drive, the Gators don’t win. He deserved the game ball.

5. As far as the Gamecocks, I thought that Steve went for too much on his final play calling on offense. It seemed he was going for the home run punch instead of getting his kicker into the range he needed to make a successful kick. He went for the end zone and he was denied by the Gator defense. Of course, that false start penalty did not help the Gamecocks’ cause either. However, that play where he went for it all — say what you want, but it was crucial loss of down. That play may have setup the Jarvis Moss second special teams block of a kick because the lower trajectory needed for the longer kick. Taking the aggressive approach Spurrier has on offense works out well when you are blowing teams out, but when it comes down to that one crucial play… well, maybe there’s a reason the Gamecocks have lost so many close games.

6. Syvelle Netwton should be praised for the way he played last night. It seemed whenever he Gators had a chance to break away with a big play, he was there in his new position on defense.

… UM fans watched Greg Schiano and Rutgers move to 8-0 Sunday night on ESPN. The Canes fans have fallen back in love with Butch Davis, but if Butch hadn’t betrayed the UM program by keeping his negotiations with the Browns a secret, Schiano would be the Canes coach. And Coker would likely still be the offensive coordinator. And it could have been Miami going 8-0 this weekend. Then again, a lot of anger directed towards Butch has been diffused by the Canes’ descent to “awful and getting worse” status his absence. But everything may hinge on how Athletic Director Paul Dee views Davis’ last minute divorce back in 2001.

… The buzz is that FSU fans are finally getting excited. No, Bobby Bowden didn’t have a stroke yesterday, and Jeff Bowden wasn’t kidnapped by terrorists. Instead, Nole fans have taken heart due to the performance of Xavier Lee in his first start this year. How far has the FSU football program fallen when fans get excited about the offensive display of a sophomore QB, in a loss to an unranked Maryland team that hasn’t beaten a winning program all year (other than FSU)? To me… pretty far. (more…)