Gators, Again; Does Another Title Await In '09?

Closing thoughts on another awesome SEC season that ended Thursday night on the highest of notes for the nation's best league, year in and year out:

--Yeah, it was ragged at times. Crept along because of the overly deliberative officiating crew. Lacking the anticipated offensive fireworks. But for football fanatics, it was a thing of beauty, prettied up by the defenses dealing admirably with Oklahoma's no-huddle and Florida's semi-spread. Urban Meyer may be the Gators boss man, but defensive coordinator Charlie Strong was the sideline star.

--Florida's wins over Oklahoma and Alabama were eerily similar: dead-even games for three quarters, then Gators dominate the fourth. It speaks to their will to win, and their coaching.

--Tim Tebow for MVP? Come on, give it to somebody on the Florida defense, which was superb. Me, I'd find a lineman, seeing as how the Gators' front often crushed the mighty Sooners line.

--Maybe the voters were swayed by Fox announcer Thom Brennaman, a solid play-caller except when he was campaigning for Tebow for sainthood. A little too much, Thom.

--Sam Bradford's rare misjudgment at the end of the first half may have cost the Okies the game. With 10 seconds left, he passed to a receiver shy of the goal line. The ball was picked by Florida. Had it been caught by the red shirts, the clock may have expired. Bradford knows better to throw it in the end zone or the seats, giving him (or his kicker) another snap.

--Percy Harvin can flat freakin' fly -- and is tough, to boot. What a threat.

--Only three seniors started for the Gators, meaning they'll be ranked No. 1 next preseason if the other 19 return. That won't happen, given all the NFL prospects in their junior class, but Florida could withstand the loss of a few and still open 2009 in the same spot where they finished '08. The biggest if is Tebow, still with a year of eligibility. Of course, to listen to Brennaman, he might just forego football and pledge to a life of missionary work.

Selah.

Sooners Than Later, Gator: Liking Florida Less And Less

Florida still looks like a winner to me in the BCS Championship showdown. Maybe it's the absurdly long building between the SEC/Big 12 title games 33 days ago, but I am wavering slightly in my belief that this game belongs lock, stock and barrel to the Gators.

Doesn't Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen working after-hours as the new head coach at Mississippi State affect game preparation?

Can Florida, even with a month of practice, adequately prepare for the Sooners' phenomenal no-huddle offense?

Isn't Oklahoma's defense, which allowed 25 percent of its touchdowns in mop-up time, better than the numbers show?

Didn't the pass-happy offense carve out the most mind-boggling statistic of this era: 11 sacks allowed all season?

For all of Tim Tebow's achievements, isn't Sam Bradford the quarterback you'd choose to win one big game?

I see that the point spread has crept up to four and beyond. I'm headed in the other direction. Put a BB-gun to my head, and I'll pick Florida. But I no longer will be surprised if the Okies are doing the celebratory hokey-pokey.

You?

More Coaching Craziness

   Let's put it in perspective at Auburn. The school selected a coach (Gene Chizik of Iowa State) with a career record of 5-19. He replaces Tommy Tuberville -- 85-40 with the Tigers, including a perfect season just four years ago -- who (a.) was fired (2.) was forced out, or (3.) resigned.

   Chizik, a former Auburn coordinator, may be qualified, but this has to be a tough sell, especially to the Tuberville supporters, some of whom organized a march directed at the school president.

   What do you think of the hire?

   Tuberville owes it to the Auburn family to clarify the circumstances under which he departed. The university maintains he quit. He has stayed silent on the matter. Time to open up, Tub.

   Which of the three possibilities listed above do you buy regarding Tuberville?

   A rare moment of sanity regarding SEC coaches touched Tennessee when the school decided not to pay Phil Fulmer a salary as an assistant to the president. The earnings would have been pocket change to Fulmer, who will receive a $6 million buyout. Better late than never, somebody noted that the appearance of further fattening Phil's bank account looked awful.

   Do you agree with the decision?

   He will now serve voluntary duty.

 

Plenty Of Gator Goings-On

   Sounds as if Mississippi State got their man. New coach Dan Mullen is young (36), energetic and an eight-year protege of Urban Meyer. Florida's offense, under coordinator Mullen, is the nation's best outside the Big 12.

   Good for Mullen, maybe bad for the Gators. While no decision has been made on whether he will work the BCS Championship game, most assistants hired elsewhere as head coaches bow out before a bowl. If he stays, you have to wonder how focused Mullen will be.

   Should Mullen leave now or stay through the bowl?

   You also have to wonder if Tim Tebow is tight with Mullen, whose departure could prompt the quarterback to turn pro before his senior year.

   Tebow can weigh his decision on flights to and from New York this weekend. He is one of three finalists for the Heisman Trophy, the others being Colt McKoy and Sam Bradford.

   Surprised that Graham Harrell did not get an invite? The short list indicates that Tebow placed in the top three, ahead of Harrell, who was considered the favorite at one point in the season.

  OK, with the number of candidates whittled down, who gets your vote? 

   

'Tis The Season For Coaching Craziness

   It's the time of year when most SEC news is generated by the old guys wearing headphones on the sidelines.

   --Auburn's insistence that its head coach resigned -- and was not fired -- was denied by Tuberville. Not Tommy, but Olive -- his mother. 

   She claims to have it on good authority that her son was forced out. Tommy has not commented, a wise move given his intent to continue working for the university. Still, somebody needs to clear this up.

   Which account do you believe?

   This just in: Georgia assistant Rodney Garner interviewed Monday for the Auburn gig. 

   --It's par for the course that colleges will try to cherry-pick the coaching staff of a BCS finalist, which is happening at Florida. Mississippi State has shown interest in offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Another Dan, assistant head coach McCarney, was linked to New Mexico, but it filled the position Monday with someone else.

   Shouldn't defensive coordinator Charlie Strong be generating interest? Not only does he have an impressive resume, but colleges inspired to do the right thing would get bonus points by hiring Strong and reversing the decline in black head coaches, now at three nationwide.

   Is Strong ready to serve as head coach?

   --Two former Gators coaches kept Florida from a No. 1 ranking in the USA Today coaches poll. Steve Spurrier and Ron Zook listed UF second behind Oklahoma. Had either reversed his vote, the Gators would have wound up on top.

   Spurrier's affection for Florida is well-established. Should he have helped out the ol' alma mater?

  --Phil Fulmer will answer the next two months to Tennessee's university president as a special assistant. His salary: $12,500 per month, plus benefits.

   His duties will include assisting the college planning for $48 million in budget cuts. Fulmer may be the right guy, but is anybody cringing at a guy getting paid $6 million not to coach by the school's athletics department advising them on saving money?

   Anyone bothered by this?   

Oddsmakers Go With The Gators

    Early betting lines have posted Florida as a three-point favorite over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game. No surprise there, given how the Big 12 has a reputation as an offense-only league. With the game in Miami, the Gators get a slight home-field edge.

   Alabama is a whopping 10 1/2-point pick over Utah in the Sugar Bowl. How the gambling tables have turned. The Crimson Tide was undefeated entering the SEC title bout and was a 9 1/2-point underdog to Florida. Now they're a heavy fave over the unbeaten Utes.

   As I write this on Sunday night, point spreads have been established only for the BCS bowls.

  

Be Careful What You Wish For? Nah

   Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, in what amounts to trash talk for this model of modesty, said some weeks ago that he would relish the opportunity to attack a Big 12 defense, where basketball-type scores became common this season.

   Wish granted. The Gators draw Oklahoma for the BCS marbles. Who knows? Maybe the super-charged offenses will produce a defensive-minded NBA game count.

   The Sooners have eclipsed 60 points in five straight games. Not to be outdone, Florida has averaged 49 points over the last nine games in the nation's best defensive league, by far.

   Thank goodness we have more than a month to decompress from the compelling game at the Georgia Dome. Sure, the other one-loss defeats can gripe, but this match-up would be the people's choice.

   Florida wound up No. 2 in the BCS ratings, No. 1 in the Associated Press. Oklahoma was the opposite. So both coaches can use the lack-of-respect angle to pump up their teams.

   We'll analyze this later -- after our decompression is done. 

No. 1 vs. No. 2, Part II: Title Game Featuring Top Heisman Candidates?

   Tim Tebow did nothing to hurt his Heisman Trophy redux chances at the Georgia Dome. Without Percy Harvin, he shouldered a larger burden than normal and generated 31 points for Florida against a mighty defense. He completed three third-down passes for touchdowns and scored the other himself.

   I suspect he moved up in the Heisman race . . . to No. 2. I think it still goes to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, who completed a masterful season himself with a 61-point avalanche against Missouri, all with a broken non-throwing hand that was operated on Sunday.

   Which one would get your vote? Or do you like Graham Harrell or Colt McKoy?

   Too bad the ballots are due before the BCS championship. Otherwise, the Heisman could be settled on the field, head-to-head, same as the national team title.

   Still, Tebow vs. Bradford provides a juicy angle to the game that is chock-ful of them.

   Should bowl games be played before Heisman votes are due?

   

Ten Observations From The Georgia Dome

   1. Did you anticipate a blowout after the first possession by each team? Three-and-out for Alabama, an eye-blink touchdown drive by Florida.

   2. What was more unlikely than a long, two-play scoring march by plodding Alabama?

   3. What on earth was the Bama special teams coach thinking on the fake field goal without its real kicker on the field?

   4. Was there ever a more crucial bonehead play than Javier Arenas catching the kickoff and stepping out at the four-yard line, which allowed the Gators to break a tie before halftime?

   5. Why did Urban Meyer go to the locker room with three timeouts in his pocket? Couldn't the quick-strike Gators have gotten into field-goal range?

   6. How many shifts of momentum did you count? At least six, right?

   7. Did those who gamble on Alabama (plus 10 points) kiss Meyer on the TV screen when his sideline infraction could have turned the last Gator touchdown drive into a field goal, which would have put Florida up by seven instead of 11?

   8. Can you now appreciate the value of Percy Harvin to Florida -- by his absence, seeing as how the Gators offense got little out of their running backs?

   9. Are Florida's reliable receivers the most underappreciated part of the team?

   10. Did you notice how the scouting report on John Parker Wilson proved true: Put him in passing situations and he cannot beat you.

   And this bonus observation:

   10. Didn't this game achieve the impossible by nearly living up to its billing?  

  

Nuttin' But Net: Houston Scores At Ole Miss

  One year after getting chased away from Arkansas, Houston Nutt has already earned a contract extension at Ole Miss. His 8-4 rookie season with the Rebels persuaded the school to lock him up through 2012, the maximum allowed by state law.

   The SEC is an unusual conference in that coaches routinely go from one school to another, sometimes with stops in between. So when jobs open up, rumors swirl about who in the family is getting hired. With Auburn, several SEC coaches have been mentioned, Nutt included. (Also, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier, both unlikely transfers.)

   Mike Leach appears to be staying at Texas Tech, so the Tigers' wish list is being whittled by outside forces.

   Who do you think gets the Auburn gig?

   Of course, Tommy Tuberville is being linked to Mississippi State. Whoever winds up there will bring new coordinators, with both of the Bulldogs' headed for Clemson.

   Should Missy State look at Tuberville? If not, who? 

And Your SEC Champion Is . . .

   I've seen Florida's offense treat defenses like they were paper mache. I've seen the college quarterback of the decade in blue and orange. I've seen a bright -- and, just as important, flexible -- shape and mold an offense to match his players' abilities.

   I cannot pick against the Gators and Urban Meyer. They have more weapons than Alabama. And Crimson Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson, who is effective when defenses are stacked against the run, will face pressure like he's never seen.

   Now, for the point spread, which has climbed a half-point back to 10: I've seen too many spectacular teams expected to run roughshod over unflashy foes get dragged into a scrum. Romps happen to squads without stellar athletes and play-makers. Bama has both.

   Yard-eaters Percy Harvin and Chris Rainey probably will play for Florida, but injuries will keep them from reaching high gear. Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy sequel has equaled the original, though not without their help.

   Admittedly, I've witnessed many games that have turned from anticipated classics into actual duds.  In this, the most titillating SEC Championship ever and a virtual national title semifinal game to boot, I see the Crimson Tide keeping it close but not lighting a cigar.

   Gators 24, Tide 17.

   Am I close to your prediction?

   As for Tebow's Heisman chances, I think he can overcome Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, but it will take some heroics or huge numbers. I don't envision the latter, but a game-winning drive capped by him bulling across the end zone would send a second trophy back to Gainesville.

   How do you evaluate Tebow and the Heisman? 

Wearing Out Your Welcome: Another Veteran Coach Is Out

   Tommy Tuberville, ousted at Auburn, is the latest SEC coach victimized by the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately? trend.

   A year ago, the Tigers went 9-4, nothing to be ashamed of in this league. Tennessee won the East and played in the championship game.

   Both coaches are gone, the two most tenured in the SEC. Tuberville logged 10 seasons, seven fewer than the Volunteers' Philip Fulmer.

   Sylvester Croom of Mississippi State, with the sixth most seasons (five), also resigned with considerable coaxing. That's a 25 percent turnover before the season is even over.

   Is any other coach in trouble?

   Tuberville was doomed by his worthwhile attempt to keep up with the football Joneses and adopt the spread offense. He misjudged having the talent onboard to make the conversion, at least to the degree that deposed offensive coordinator Tony Franklin desired. Tuberville's forcing Franklin to walk the plank at midseason paid no immediate dividends.

   Should Tuberville have been granted another year to fix his mess?

   Are SEC schools too hasty in demanding resignations?

Will the 'Dog Have Its Day?

   As Percy Harvin's chances of playing Saturday rise and fall daily like the Dow Jones average, here is more on the eye-opening 10-point favoritism bestowed by oddsmakers on Florida against Alabama.

   There is recent precedent for a No. 1 team to enter a game as a double-digit underdog. In the 2001 Orange Bowl, top-ranked Oklahoma was a 10-point 'dog to No. 2 Florida State. In a good omen for Bama, the Sooners triumphed 13-2.

   A story in the Palm Beach Post quoted one oddsmaker as saying he and four colleagues agreed Sunday that the Gators deserved the status of 10-point faves. This doesn't mean they believe Florida is superior by that amount, only that equal amounts of money will be wagered at that number on each team.

   If you were a betting man, who would you side with?

   As far Harvin, I wouldn't put it past Urban Meyer to be playing games with the media on his condition. Any crafty coach would do the same.

   Harvin, indeed, is the X factor -- with the game itself and for those who bet on it.

   Do you believe Harvin will play? And, if so, be effective?

Gators Favored By 10? Here Is Why

   The nation's No. 1 team is a 10-point underdog to the No. 4 team. Huh?

   Yes, those who invest on the outcomes of college football and side with Florida in the SEC championship game are counting on a Gators' win by at least 11 points.

   And those who support Alabama with their hard-earned bucks can collect if the Tide loses by up to nine points.

   What do you think about the betting line?

   At first blush, it's hard to believe, especially with Florida's Percy Harvin ailing.

   But, all season long, oddsmakers have gradually elevated the spread on Gator games to head-scratching level -- and Florida keeps covering. UF went 9-2 against the line, a shocking record given how most teams hover around .500 in this category.

   Another factor is that coach Urban Meyer never calls off the dogs when victory is sealed. He plays to the final horn, so the Gators often score garbage points against a deflated or second-string defense.

   So, if Florida leads by a touchdown late in Saturday's game, Meyer will keep trying to make it two TDs.

   It's an approach beloved by Florida betting backers.

   If you were wagering, which team would you favor?

   Anybody think Bama will win straight up?

   

Don't Look Over Your Shoulder, SEC

   A CNN/SI writer makes the case that the lesser of the southern leagues, the ACC, is making strides on the SEC.

   Though he acknowledges the yawning gap between the top tier teams in the league title games, the Saturday scores say that Georgia Tech schooled Georgia and Clemson did the same to South Carolina.

   The ACC did land a potential 10 teams in bowl games, compared to a maximum of eight for the SEC. But that's because a bunch of ACC teams finished 8-4 and 7-5. If you have a 12-0 (Alabama) and an 11-1 (Florida), you're naturally going to have more teams with losing records.

   Are you worried, SEC devotees, that the ACC is catching up?

    

Heisman? No, But Tebow Belongs In The Picture

   Tim Tebow was pissed when some Florida State fans celebrated an injury to teammate Percy Harvin. He asked Florida coach Urban Meyer to call his number on the next few running plays. Meyer obliged, and an angry Tebow bulled across the goal line.

   That's what a Heisman Trophy winner is made of.

   Yet, a few hours later, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, with a much slighter build than Tebow, scrambled toward the end zone and went airborne, putting his body at great risk. Bradford was nearly knocked into the first row, but he dusted himself off and led the Sooners over Oklahoma State.

   Bradford gets my vote. With two other blanks on the ballot, I'm unsure among Tebow, Texas' Colt McKoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. I'm sleeping on it.

   Does Tebow belong in the top three? If so, where?

You Couldn't Draw This Up Any Better

   Ultimately, it doesn't matter if Florida is ranked only fourth in the BCS while getting No. 2 recognition by the Associated Press poll.

   The winner of the SEC title face-off Saturday is surely headed to the national championship game.

   It's essentially a BCS semifinal at the Georgia Dome, with the winner playing Oklahoma, Texas or Southern Cal for all the marbles. Alabama is in with a win, of course, and Florida's computer ranking jumps up with a victory over No. 1.

    Now that the BCS ratings have settled that much, we're left to wonder on the point spread for Saturday (Gators by a touchdown over Bama?) and the status of Percy Harvin (will an ankle injury sideline the scary receiver/running back?).

   And ask ourselves: Is this the most anticipated league title showdown ever? (It is to me.)

   One loss between them, Florida against Ole Miss. Two sky-high rankings. Two brilliant coaches, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. A delicious contrast in styles, Bama's traditional offense and the Gators' spread.

   Both did their part with wins by 30 points or more Saturday. Alabama flat-out crushed Auburn 36-0. Florida overcame adverse weather conditions and a hatin' crowd by smacking Florida State 45-15.

   Six days to kickoff. Counting down the seconds already.

   What's your key to the outcome?

   Would Harvin's absence make a big difference?

   How much would you pay for a seat in the Georgia Dome?

    

Will Iron Deficiency End Tuberville's Reign?

   Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville did not hear the good ol' vote of confidence from Tigers brass after the 36-0 drubbing from Alabama in the Iron Bowl. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it leaves his fate murky.

   Tuberville made no bones Saturday about his desire to remain on the Plains. The season was a disaster and, given that he was nearly run off a few years ago, it's clear the Auburn administration is not wedded to him.

   But, unlike at Tennessee and Mississippi State, which ran off Phil Fulmer and Sylvester Croom, Auburn has not been in a steady decline. This season was an aberration, so the guess here is that Tommy will be back in the same saddle.

   Do you think Tuberville will return?

   Does he deserve to?

   

Woe is Georgia, South Carolina

   Florida was the sole league winner in the three SEC vs. ACC instate rivalry games.

   Georgia, ranked No. 1 nationally to start the season, did not even wind up No. 1 in its state. Georgia Tech beat the Dawgs 45-42 on Saturday with only one complete pass.

   Its option offense befuddled the Bulldogs, who had two weeks to prepare but looked as if they'd spent two minutes learning the intricacies. Because Georgia's defense seemed helpless during all three losses this season, coach Mark Richt must think long and hard about replacing defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

   Should Martinez be fired?

   How would you sum up Georgia's 9-3 season?

   South Carolina, with Hall of Fame coach Steve Spurrier, couldn't outfox Clemson interim Dabo Swinney, whose chances of full-time status was uncertain . . . until the Tigers' 31-14 trouncing Saturday.

   The Gamecocks' offensive master went through 12 games, five of them setbacks, without developing a quarterback. The loss in the finale gives Clemson a leg up on statewide recruiting battles.

   Has Spurrier lost his touch?

    

Bottom of the Bowl(s) for Kentucky, Vandy

   With four out of 12 losing-record teams ineligible for bowls, the SEC falls short of filling its nine guaranteed post-season slots. So, Kentucky and Vanderbilt will go bowling -- with less momentum than a bowling ball rolling uphill.

   Kentucky, humiliated Saturday by Tennessee, wasted a 4-0 start to finish 6-6, last in the East. The Wildcats' lone win in their last five games was by one point at home against West cellar-dweller Mississippi State.

   Vandy, drubbed by Wake Forest, opened 5-0 amid speculation that Bobby Johnson was the leading candidate for coach of the year. Oops. The Commodores also limped home 6-6, their only victory in that span against . . . Kentucky.

   Neither deserves much more than the Independence (Shreveport) or Papa Johns (Birmingham). But Kentucky could rise into the Music City (Nashville), which would be unlikely to select the local team.

   Would you Kentucky and Vandy fans prefer to pull the plug on the season and move on to basketball?

   If not, what would be the attainable bowl of your choice?