Tebow - How Good is He?

I laughed when Urban Meyer called Tim Tebow the greatest player of our era (no link - the Miami Herald took it down). Maybe I was too soon to scoff, my conscience has lately been telling me.

The Moviegoer brought up the point recently that maybe Tim Tebow could be in the running for at least being mentioned in the "Greatest of all Time" discussion. At the time, I guffawed and dismissed the thought. What about Archie G.? What about Herschel or Bo? Or even Gino Torretta or Eric Crouch (psych)?

But, now that I've actually thought about it and it's run around in my brain a while, I'm warming up to this idea. I hate to embrace such an absolute as "GOAT" almost as much as I hate to do it over a Gator, but I think there's some credence to it.

Now, he's not the best QB ever. That's obvious. He's not the fastest or strongest, and maybe he can't play under center in the bigs, but the boy's just a flat out gamer. He has willed this team to the BCS title game, and if they win, it'll be because of him. Not his play, but his presence. He could get hurt in the third quarter and Florida could still win, powered by the residue of his presence on the field and his leadership on the sideline. Watch him run round and pump up everybody. He gets in the faces of his O-line, his backs, his receivers and the D. He pumps his fist and waves his arms. He flexes and jumps and challenges and lauds and the whole fucking team just feeds off of it.

Just watch his post-loss to Ole Miss speech. That's the character and leadership college football needs. Combine that with his hard-nosed toughness and will to win, his stats and death defying, skull crushing style of play and you just might have one of the GOAT. He owns records and the only Heisman won by a sophomore. He won a national title as a freshman. He brought back the jump pass and leaves it all on the field. In short, he plays like a champion. Now, imagine if he adds another Heisman and another title ring. That would be sick. He probably won't win the DTAC trophy, but he'll be in NYC for the ceremony. The title, though, is a distinct possibility. And even one out of the two would be enough to put him into this conversation.

So, yes, I think Tebow could be considered one of the greatest players of all time. And, while it's a bit early to be debating this maybe, I think his name would have to be on a short list. At least for the BCS era. In the end, does Tebow play lights out football? Yes. But, it's his off-field aura that catapults him into this discussion.

This needs to be re-mixed with this season's highlights.

Auburn - Now With Bonus Fifth Down! (Not really, Reggie)

Patrick Nix??! Are you just fucking with your fans, now, Auburn? Honestly.

Now they REALLY have something to protest about in Auburn.

Now, it's probably just some hometown formalities and we really won't be seeing tricky-Nix on the plains, but it would be awesome. As a Georgia fan, I loved the Nix-coordinated, Reggie Ball led Tech offense. I'm not the only Georgia fan excited by this, either. Also, the assuredly jort-clad Orson Swindle seems to approve.

In reality, I'd like to think Auburn's smarter than this as an institution. Turner Gill has to be the real choice. I mean, if Mississippi State can do it...

History, Football and Sarcasm? My Favorites.

This is funny. I found it through EDSBS, who has an equally funny rundown of the SEC coaches in their link. Enjoy!

Agreement. Some of us haz it: Top-25 (Bowl Edition)

Well, 30% of the coaches agree with me. Texas is, based on the absurd and ludicrous measuring stick of having defeated Oklahoma, better than Oklahoma. I'd say about 10 points better. To me, running up the score does not quality define.

I'm assuming there will be plenty of first place votes for Texas unless Florida blows out Oklahoma. Not split national title plenty, but enough to create some tension in next season's RRR.

Thanks to The Moviegoer for the first link. Here's the detailed coaches' breakdown. Oh, what fun this is. Right, Hal "Hawai'i's #1"Mumme? Check out where the Big-12 coaches put Florida.

Here's my top-25. We have ties this time. For emphasis.

Top-5 (er, 6)
1. Florida - Tebow + beating Bama = #1
2. Texas - Did you guys know they beat Oklahoma?

3. TIE Alabama - lost to Florida by 11
Oklahoma - lost to Texas by 10

5. Penn State - still by virtue of the Oregon State game
6. USC - will probably right this ranking wrong in the Rose Bowl

The Rest of the Top-10
7. Utah - Enjoy Bourbon Street. I'd drink A LOT if I were you.
8. Ohio State - Could make all this OU vs. Texas stuff moot.
9. Texas Tech - Who? Oh, yeah....those guys.
10. Boise St. - Undefeated = shitty bowl, tough opponent

Who hung with Oklahoma?
11. TIE Cincinnati - Big East Champs! Hoo-Ray!
TCU - Horned Frogs held OU to a measly 35 points

Who Beat Florida?
13. Ole Miss - They beat Florida. Pay no attention to their losses.

We're 9-3 and either very proud or VERY disappointed:
14. Oklahoma St. -Why not?
15. Georgia Tech -It's NOT the same play, people.
16. - Georgia - National Champs, Baby! What? No tackling?! You sure? Oh...Ok. Nevermind.
17. Michigan State - Javon Ringer hearts arm tackles. Javon Ringer hearts Georgia's D.
18. Oregon - For freeing the slaves. Oh, sorry. Different Civil War.
19. - Pitt - They're the real McCoy (it had to be done. And, now I apologize).

Flotsam and Jetsam:
20. Virginia Tech - To the BCS! Fascinating. To play Cincy, no less. I feel Game of the Year...
21. Missouri - I think the Sooners are still picking pieces of Tiger out of their teeth
22. Oregon State - Rodgers will be back and he will fly like the wind
23. Iowa/Northwestern - You decide.

We Hardly knew Ye:
24. Ball State - For Nate.
25. BYU - This spot = phoned in

We play for Glory...And Glory lasts Forever.

KTL made a surprise guest-picking appearance, so now we have three games with man-pride on the line:

I have Pitt, KTL has UConn

I have Tulsa, KTL has ECU

I have BC, KTL has VA Tech

I think we all remember the TCU-BYU debacle from earlier this season. So, I'll keep my mouth shut and let the Panthers, Hurricane and Eagles do my talkin' for me.

The SECCG's not really a point of contention - they kin.

How big is Urban Meyer?

If you had asked me, I would have assumed he was smaller than Nick Saban. Saban just carries himself as a big, tough guy, out making plays, while Meyer seems like a little second-stringer, obsessively studying his playbooks. Who knew?

I hope this is a trick of perspective.

called out....and i aint no pussy

Korean in the house! Protect the women and children.

Rutgers 63 - Louisville 14: I'm a genius

Pitt 17 - UConn 45: UConn tougher than the ranking suggests. They roll easy.

USC 63 - UCLA 17: USC plays angry, and so does UCLA, but come on it's UCLA.

WVU 42 - USF 20: Last game for Pat White, WVU coming off a loss. This is a no brainer.

Cincy 35 - Hawai'i 10: Sorry Hawaii, you don't have a lot of quality wins (Fresno State does not count)

Navy 45 - Army 17: This was just me pulling random numbers out of my ass. But I like the last name of Navy's QB, Kaipo-Noa. Go Asian-Americans!

Arizona 35 - A State 10: Who can suck worse? A-State.

Ball State 24 - Buffalo 42: Man, I can really call these early in the week games.

Tulsa 21 - ECU 45: Tulsa has been overrated all year.

Boston College 21 - VA Tech 35: Va Tech has already lost to BC, so I don't think theyll do it again.

Oklahoma 63 - Missouri 28: Oklahoma makes a statement

Florida 33 - Alabama 35: Toss-up. This one is close, just bc Harvin is probably not going to play and Rainey has a groin injury that he'll try to play with. But whoever wins, will roll anyone in the BCS Championship game.

In Middle America

In the MAC Title game tonight, the Ball State Cardinals were clipped, 42-24, fumbling away their perfect season. Charge on, Bulls. I wanted to tear-up with Coach Turner Gill after the game as he attempted to give an emotional post game interview. I love seeing these historically terrible programs having great seasons. It's the reason I love college football so much - the passion and emotion of the game. We get away from that too much these days.

Congrats to Buffalo for winning the MAC title and earning the first bowl game in school history. It was fun seeing the team celebrate and dump Gatorade on all the coaches (I think they went 3 for 3). Turner Gill, I wouldn't unpack after the trip to Toronto if I were you - you'll probably be moving soon.

I do feel bad for Nate Davis, though. He had a personal worst night, including 5 turnovers. Everyone has a bad game, though. NFL scouts still love him and his future's secure. Even with the loss, it's been an amazing season.

By the way, up and coming ESPN sideline rovers, when someone says "I'm speechless", why would you follow that up with: "Why are you speechless?" Doesn't the word speechless indicate a lack of speech, which would be needed to answer your follow up questions? Just a thought.

BCS, I will end you, Rahm Emanuel-style, if you do this-

First, cheers to Samberg's Rahm Emanuel. Topical, clever, funny, spot-on and cut from the show. Nice one, SNL.

Now, that's nothing compared for the venom in store for the BCS if their digi-tard system fucks up bad enough to do this. To quote:

"(3) OU wins; Florida wins: Seemingly simple -- OU-Florida in the BCS title game, right?

Wrong: It is possible that the BCS formula would put Florida 3rd behind Oklahoma ... and Texas (emphasis added). The result? Florida fans go insane; many others revolt, because no one really wants to see OU-UT II. Highest likelihood of a split champ. National hand-wringing over state of BCS -- you've seen nothing yet.

So, if you assume all three outcomes are equally likely, there is a high likelihood of a relatively acceptable outcome, but the small but potent chance that all hell will break loose on Sunday night. (Consider that last year heading into this final weekend, Missouri and West Virginia were 1-2 in the BCS and LSU was 7th.)

Look for an insane amount of politicking on Saturday night."

So, we could see an OU-Texas re-match if Florida wins. That's fucking stupid. I'm not even a solid playoff guy, but shit like this makes me want to jump on board, no questions asked. Sometimes, I actually think the BCS is a ploy - a system put into place to actually force a playoff. I know they say they don't want one, but then you see this and think, "They have to secretly really want a playoff to keep doing shit like this, right?" Like, if they fuck up enough, we'll go all Rage Against the Machine on them and revolt bolshevik style for a people's championship. Like it's a Jeffersonian matter of time. It's genius really. Use bullshit to force the people to create change. So, I guess the BCS is like John C. Calhoun, and the computer rankings are the Tariff of...stretch.

You know what? Props to the ACC. The league voted in favor of a playoff last season, and they really sucked then (but did beat the SEC this year). Fuck the Big-10 and the Rose Bowl for standing in the way. Again.

Also, props to the AP for making sense (UF 2nd). It's time to take to the streets, tarring and feathering local Harris Poll voters and going all Office Space on the computer polls. Blood alone moves the wheels of history.

Thanks to guest-poster, The Moviegoer

Got somehting to contribute? Let me know and you can join the fun here at FTS!

As we get closer...

...I really want to pick Alabama for tomorrow's SECCG. They've got size and power and enough speed (not as much as Florida, mind you (who does?)) to compete and their decision makers play smart (Wilson and Johnson, to name a couple). They play tight, predictable, methodical football and don't make mistakes. More importantly, they have the muscle to smack Florida around a little. UF's not been hit like this all season, and games are won in the trenches. If the Gators win, it will be a bruising and physical victory. If Bama wins, it's like a giant victory for fundamentals over flash, and I have to admit there's a big piece of me that likes that idea. Saban lives football and Tebow was sent here by Jesus to play. Settle it on the field, gentlemen.

But, I'm sticking to yesterday's pick. Gators by 1 - no one breaks 30.

Who for AU?

I know everyone's been waiting for this post since joaj34 hinted at it the other day. Well, here are my thoughts on possible replacements for Tubs, a coach much beloved of me. (Still, I think it was time for he and Auburn to part ways.)

1. Mike Leach - I'm kind of disappointed to hear he's supposedly no longer a candidate. Sure, his system might be a dud in the SEC, but if what we're looking for is a splashy hire, Lubbock's Pirate King is the flashiest, especially to recruits.

2. Paul Johnson - Me, I love to run the ball having the option to run the ball three ways on any given play is right up my--and Auburn's--alley. Still, he's not leaving GT after a year, and I don't know that I'd want him were he disloyal enough to.

3. Butch Davis - Please come to the Plains and contend with Saban year in and year out. That could become one of the awesomest coaching rivalries in the nation. But he ain't leaving Chapel Hill, and I don't blame him.

4. Chris Peterson - Fine with me. If you want to go undefeated, why not go to the mid-major king? But I read somewhere he was a Scientologist (no kidding), and that BS wouldn't play in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Unless he could bring us an National Championship. Then nobody would care.

5. Todd Graham - Only if he brings Gus Malzahn with him.

6. Turner Gill - I'm intrigued but don't know enough to know how intrigued.

7. Will Muschamp/Jimbo Fisher - I'd rather have Charlie Strong or Dan Mullen. Plus, they're already tied up.

8. Jim Grobe - Maybe but is he better than Tuberville?

9. Houston Nutt - I love the Right Reverend, but he's not better than Tuberville no matter how many times he beat him (6 times out of 11).

10. Steve Spurrier - Are you kidding me? Tuberville's biggest problem is his lack of fire. The OLD Ball Coach ain't getting any younger. Plus, have you seen SC? They're not exactly setting the world on fire.

Tuberville seemed to have lost his drive, and his teams have steadily been declining since the undefeated season that he failed to build a solid foundation upon. But he was steady, constant, and ran a clean program. We absolutely cannot hire down (Nutt, I'm talking to you) or laterally (Grobe). With Saban upstate, the hire has to be big, Shamu splash zone big. We shall see...

Chris Brown > me

There were links to this in EDSBS and Get The Picture. It's amazing and I wish I'd found this blog sooner. This post in particular is impressive. I'd like to see him break down Johnson's GT offense, but I guess someone probably did that 40 years ago.

Please read it. And try to think about how much actually goes on behind the scenes and in the trenches before you run your mouth about how much you know or how your team should stop certain plays. Chances are, you're way off. This guy knows his football. We are but peasants in his realm of technical knowledge.

By the way: He talks a little about the veer. Hoo-ray.

By-by the way: That counter trey is disgusting. And also beautiful.

Weekly Picks

Rutgers 31, Louisville 17

Pitt 27, UConn 19

USC 42, UCLA 17

WVU 28, USF 24

Cincy 37, Hawai'i 35

Navy 27, Army 14

Arizona 38, AZ State 27


MAC Championship Game:
Ball State 41, Buffalo 24 - Nate Davis is too much, but Turner Gil has done a great job with the Bulls.

C-USA Championship Game:
Tulsa 48, ECU 27 - A lot of points and no one watching

ACC Championship Game:
Boston College 27, VA Tech 21 - All 7,000 fans should have a blast!

Big 12 Championship Game:
Oklahoma 48, Missouri 31 - I hope the Sooners don't fuck this one up. It wouldn't be the first time. By the way, did you know that Texas beat Oklahoma earlier this season?

National....Uhh, I mean, SEC Championship Game:
Florida 24, Alabama 23 - Florida hasn't been hit like this all season. I think Tebow can push them past, but it'll be physical.

Would KTL like wake from his month and a half long slumber to take a stab at the picks this week? How about the newly added Auburn fan, the Moviegoer?

Auburn Coaching Situation: Pretty Good

Well, at least "pretty good" is how Tubs and Lester would describe it, I guess. Tommy Tuberville is out as head coach of the Tigers. He had an undefeated season, won an SEC championship, and worked in-state with the undefeated, #1 team in the land, but he still got booted for going 5-7. Well, I guess it's for how he went 5-7. Anyone remeber Tony Franklin? How bout that 3-2 barn burner with MSU or the 36-0 shutout at Bama? Yeah, that's the stuff. Now Auburn's off to find the guy who's going to make them a national contender and help them beat Alabama every year. Oh, wait....

So, who's next on the Plains? Well, I'd have to agree with the Moviegoer and assume that they've spent the last few days reaching out to coaches. Rumors? Well, who else? The guy rumored everywhere now that he finally didn't lose 4 games, Mike Leach. Pirates of the Plains! Hell yeah! That'll work here.

Actually maybe it might, now that Tubs ain't around to tie up anyone's hands.

Maybe they should pull a K-State and go retro. Who was that guy who used to coach at Auburn? He went undefeated one year and beat Bama six years in a row? They should get that guy.

Pirates of the Puget

What would Leach's system look like in Washington? Shitty. Because it's Washington, and the whole fucking state has given up on football, apparently. It would be cool to see all the maritime tailgaters flying jolly rogers on their yachts, though.

Honestly, his crazy shit might just be the spark they need. Washington has been a real national contender more recently than Texas Tech has. Oh well, Guns Up...err...uh...woof, woof, woof? What do they do there?

Yep, I figured.

Well, I was right. They're keeping him. Weis will be back in South Bend for the '09 season. The run-around since Saturday night has just been to drop the hint to Weis needs to sort his shit out. That, and it's easier to raise 12 million dollars after a third shitty season than after just 2. Maybe we won't be so quick on the contract extensions from now on.

Pack a lunch...It could be a LONG day

If Georgia doesn't get it's tackling woes straightened out, it's going to be a LOOOONG New Year's Day in Orlando. After being shredded by the likes of Kentucky and Georgia Tech, the Dawgs need to do some serious soul searching. Likely Capital 1 opponent, Michigan State, has a better back than Georgia's seen all year in Javon Ringer. Now, I know Georgia, when they decide to play, can shut down even the best Big-10 back (see: Ron Dayne, Outback Bowl, 1997). But, the problem is getting the defense to actually play. Tackling is the most fundamental aspect of football - and Martinez's D refuses to do it - relying instead on shoulder bumps, pushes, and arm tackles. If we bring that approach to the sunshine state for the holidays, Ringer will run all over us in embarrassing fashion. If I was MSU, I'd spend the next month implementing an option offense. We would make them look unstoppable.

If it's not Michigan State, it could be Iowa. They have Shon Greene. Same story, different uniform. Either way, we have to sack up and play real defense. We have 4-5 star talent and we're being blasted by 2-3 star teams. The difference? Leadership and coaching. We have none.

The Great Weis Hype

Charlie "Pear Bryant" Weis.* What a strange trip it's been. Notre Dame renewed his contract, bundled it with millions of dollars, perks, campus conveniences and all on the back of a BCS season. Then, Charlie pulled a Ty-Ty and followed that up with mediocrity and, eventually, failure. It was all capped by the worst two-season swing in school history and an awful showing at rival USC. It just goes to show you, X's and O's might be all you need in the NFL, but in college you need to have some ability to motivate and communicate - and you have to embrace the traditions of your school, and, until you win enough to do differently, suck up a tad to the boosters. Weis did none of this and that's why he's probably out at the Golden Dome. At this point even the 12 million seems like pocket change to be free of the burden.

Honestly, if he was back next season, it wouldn't surprise me. Right now, ND's just dragging him along. They're probably trying to prove a point and send a wake up (the echoes) call to Weis, letting him know he needs to win, and big probably, to stay around in South Bend.

Remember when he got clipped on the sideline and blew out his knee? Yeah. That pretty much sums it up.

* That creative 'Pear Bryant' tag comes from Jason Whitlock, by way of a creative reader comment.

New Harris Poll Fuck-Upery

Please read this. It sums up the validity of BCS polling.

Some people hate that the AP separated away from the BCS. Those people also hate mixed marriages and black people voting. Separation from a corrupt system is how change is affected. The AP decided to march on Washington after seeing an unworthy Big-12 team put in the national title game - TWICE - the second time over USC who was ranked 2nd in BOTH polls. The BCS gave the machines the power and now the AP is trying to take it back for us human-folk. Thank you, you John Connors of football punditry. This SEC fan recognizes USC's title.

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There has been an editor's note added to the Thanksgiving Post.

Stay tuned for picks and predictions...