After watching the Florida Gators dispatch the Mississippi State Bulldogs, I learned a few things. The Gators do not have an offense and Tim Tebow misses Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. The Gators do not have a go-to receiver who has that big play capability. While Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez are good possession receivers the Gators don't have that big play go-to guy. Their offense is anemic. They will have to find some offense if they expect to win a national championship. Tebow is suffering and has played his way out of any consideration for a Heisman Trophy.
The Gators let Mississippi State stay in the game way too long and Bulldogs had a chance to pull it out up until three minutes to play. This is the fourth game this season that Gators have looked more than beatable by what most would consider a lesser opponent. Except for the LSU game, the Gators look like a team that could fall to any team in the land. On the flip side they have won and that is what a national championship contender is supposed to do, but again, they look very vulnerable.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are also showing the same problems as the Gators. The Tide have a great defense but no offense. Except for Mark Ingram running the ball the Tide have little else. Tide quarterback Greg McElroy is playing with absolutely no confidence and will have to step up if the Tide hope to contend for a national title. Tennessee gave the Tide all they could handle and the Tide had to rely on a blocked field goal at home to escape with the win. Tennessee statistically should have won the game and left Tuscaloosa with the victory, squashing the Tides chances at a national championship. Again, just like the Gators, Bama looks very beatable. And also just like the Gators, have an offense that needs to be found.
If there is one team that has it going for them right now, on both sides of the ball and based on the current rankings, Texas, may be the best team in the country. Colt McCoy and the Longhorns devoured the Missouri Tigers on national television Saturday night and made a statement. After less than two quarters the outcome of the game was never in doubt and Texas made a huge impact on the national football audience.
I'll give you my top five teams right now and my top five Heisman candidates:
Top Five Teams:
1) Texas
2) Cincinnati
3) Alabama
4) TCU
5) Florida
Top Five Heisman Candidates:
1) CJ Spiller - Clemson
2) Mark Ingram - Alabama
3) Colt McCoy - Texas
4) Golden Tate - Notre Dame
5) Christian Ponder - Florida State
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ReplyDelete"I think your opinon when it comes to UF is biased! I really just was kind with that remark, by the way! You bragged yesterday when Ponder, in your own words, "single handly won the game for FSU! "
But, somehow that's different then Tebow having to step up?"
The reality of Tim Tebow winning the Heisman are very slim. If he wasn't Tim Tebow and I'll agree with ESPN announcers from Saturday night, if he had not already won the Heisman his name would not even being mentioned for consideration this year. Tebow's statistics speak for themselves this year. He has 466 rushing and 1,159 yards passing and has accounted for 14 TD's. Not bad numbers I'll admit that. And yes I did say Ponder won the game against North Carolina by taking the Noles and putting them on his back. He passed for 395 yards, his third game in a row of over 300 yards. Tebow has also thrown 4 int's and had two of them returned for td's. No one questions whether or not Tebow can win a game by himself or carry the Gators on his back. He just can not do it every game and it started to show against Miss. State. The Gators do look very vulnerable. They have a nasty defense but an offense that has been struggling against opponents of some quality. Tebow and the defense alone will not win the Gators a national championship some else on that offense is going to have to step up and become another threat as a big playmaker. It's not being biased toward the University of Florida it's just being honest. Tim Tebow can only do so much ALL season.
ReplyDeleteI agree with comments about Tebow. He won't win the Heisman. I think the Gators are the best in the country until someone beats them. Are they playing the best football right now, no they are not. If they expect to win a National Championship the offense will have to step it up. Don't be suprised if LSU gets back into this mix and gets a rematch with the Gators. The team I do feel for though is TCU, they may be the actual best in the country and probabaly won't get a chance to prove it. As you have asaid a couple of time this year. College footbal does need some type of play-off system and your poll votes show that fans agree.
ReplyDeleteTebow is a gamer and will take the Gators far and you are right he can't do it every game. Someone else on that offense is going to have to step up. Alabama is going to have that same problem Mark Ingram can't do it all. I don't know about your choice of Florida being five though. They have won every game and came into the season at one. Don't you think they deserve to still be number one? After Alabama's performance against Tenn. do you think Alabama should be higher than Florida?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the opinion about Tebow playing himself out of the Heisman talk is biased. He's having an average season. On Saturday night he tried to force some passes and got burned. Is anyone else even talking about how many sacks Tebow is taking this season the Gators need the lineman to step up too.
ReplyDeleteI would expect nothing less from a Seminole fan. You are being biased towards the Gators and Tebow.
ReplyDeleteI figured I would respond again to the Gator and Tim Tebow bias. Let's look at the four games against Tenn., LSU, Arkansas and Miss. State...
ReplyDeleteHow does Tebow stack up:
Passing avg. per game 157.8 - 2 td's - 4 ints
Rushing avg. per game 67.2 - 2 td's
Is Tebow worthy of a Heisman? The Heisman Trophy is more than about winning games you also have to put up some good statistics.
How bout them Gators on offense as a team in those four games?
196.5 avg. rushing
157.8 avg. passing
38% third down conversion average
allowed 12 sacks of Tebow (0 sacks allowed vs LSU)
They do look vulnerable. Do I think they can still win the national championship? Yes I do. Do I think they can be beaten?. Yes. Do I think they are the best team in the country? No. Who do I think could beat the Gators? Texas, TCU, Alabama, USC, Oregon, Oklahoma, Boise State. All this just strengthens the arguement for a much needed play-off system in major college football.
Is Tim Tebow a great college football player and ambassador for the sport? Yes. Does Tebow carry more than his weight on the field? A big yes. Can Tebow do it every game? NO. Does Tebow deserve Heisman consideration? No.
Get over it Gator fans. You may not be the best team in college football this year but the Gators will probably luck out and play for the national championship.
ReplyDeleteDon't be suprised if LSU gets back into the national championship picture. They have a game against Bama and then could be playing Florida again in the SEC Championship if they beat Bama.
ReplyDeleteI guess Gator fans only like it when your kissing Tebow's a@@ on this blog. They can't stand it when you put the facts in front of their faces. I never did read though where you said that Florida wouldn't win the National Championship. I noticed on your post you didn't list FSU as one of the teams that could beat Florida. That would have been biased.
ReplyDeleteGator fans always seem to be the type to "take their ball and go home" when they don't like what is said....talk about biased....really?!??!
ReplyDeleteWhy not list Ponder as a Heisman candidate. He has thrown for over 2100 yards. Is ranked ninth in passing rating. Has 12 td passes and just one interception. Tied for the best completion percentage in the country at 70%. Has the the second most completions out of the top ten rated qb's. If the Noles were playing better football as a team he would be getting some press about it. By the way didn't mention he is also a threat to run as well. Oh yeah and he graduated in 2 1/2 yrs and is working on his MBA.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone even talking about the Gators easy schedule this year. Only LSU, South Carolina and Georgia (barely) have winning records. Quit your whining Gator fans.
ReplyDeleteTebow is ranked in the top five in passer ratings and he doesn't have to throw the ball that much when he can run like he does. He has lead his team to victory in every game and that is what a leader is supposed to do. It doesn't matter what the final score is as long as you get the "W". Gators will win it all. Your crazy if you think Bama, Texas or any other team out there can stop them.
ReplyDeleteIt's said that defense wins championships. Hardly any mention of the Gator D. Ya'll just want to bash Tebow and the offense and call us Gator fans a bunch of crybabies.
ReplyDeleteThis is why this blog is becoming one of my favorites about college football. The blogger throws out a comment that seems off the wall and then starts to back it up with facts. I'm not a Gator fan, not a Seminole fan. My team is Ohio State.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about bashing Tim Tebow or the Florida Gators, it is about pointing out the facts that the Gators have not looked that strong and could have easily lost some games this season. It's no knock against the Gators it's just the facts.
The statistics do not show everything but they do show some weakness that both Tebow and the Gators have. I would agree with the writer that the Gators may not be the best team in the country but have a great opportunity to win the National Championship because of where they started the season ranked.
I also would not be suprised if the Gators lost to Georgia this weekend. I don't think Georgia can make it happen, but I would not be surprised.
An honest assesment of the Gators. Tim Tebow is a great athlete and extraordinary person but just an average college quarterback. He will never make it in the pros and is showing that this season. I was never on the Tebow bandwagon and never will be. The guy can run the ball but his poor decision making is going to cost the Gators a big game this season when he is forced to pass when the run gets shut down.
ReplyDeleteGayter fans have their heads so stuck up Urban Meyer's and Tim Tebow's *ss that they can't see past the skidmarks that UF isn't that good. Didn't anyone look at the fan poll on ESPN they have the gayters at like 24. I guess the only people that can see the gayters aren't that good are people that aren't fans. I can't wait until they lose then you'll hear plenty of crying and boo-whoo'ing from the them.
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with Gator fans? Can they not see that the same things happen every year. The media tries to point out the reasons why any team should not be #1 and why every other team should be. Let the season play out and then either side can say I told you so.
ReplyDeleteGators still have some big games to play and they will not be playing for National Championship. They won't even win the SEC Championship. They've been skating all season and it's going to catch-up with them.
ReplyDeleteI thought he was a closet Gator fan and then he comes out with this blog post. Guess I was wrong.
ReplyDeletecomment sent to my e-mail:
ReplyDeleteThe only comments that get to me are the ones about Gator fans having their head up Meyers and Tebow's Butts. Not much class with that one, or others like it. Tell me that Noles fans haven't shown the same passion with Bobby Bowden for the the last 20 years. Or that Alabama shows with Coach Saban, or Texas with Coach Brown.
It seems that all those great Nole fans of years past, are being replaced by this new breed of arogant, johnny-come-lately fans that are making those that are Tried and True, Garnett and Gold fans, seem like a thing of the past.
Long live the UF/FSU rivalry, even if the Noles are third in the Gator rankings of rivals, behind Georgia and Tennessee. (just as Florida is behind the Canes for FSU)
Gotta agree with the e-mail comment this morning about some of the comments not having much class. I can not though read into this post from the blogger where Gators fans think the viewpoint is biased at all and I don't perceive it to be negative other than to point out the weaknesses of the #1 ranked team that all others are chasing. While putting the Gators at #5 and below Alabama on his list probably rankled some of the Gator faithful and in my opinion may not be that inaccurate. I would replace Cincy and Bama with USC and Boise State. Gator fans must realize that Florida has looked like a team that can be beat. Many Gator fans that I've talked to have said the same thing. As far as Tim Tebow is concerned, he is having an average season statistically. That doesn't change the fact that he is the heartbeat of the ball club. That just means he won't win the Heisman and you know what there are over 10,000 other college football players who won't win it either. To sum it all up it is the media's job to point out some topics that many of us fans to not want to bring up whether they are popular or not. He did get a reaction, albeit some were classless. I can understand how is can seem biased coming from someone who is a hated Seminole for you UF people but it was just a real look at the team. He never said they wouldn't win a national title just said someone else is going to have to step up other than Tebow because he can't do it all alone. As the post above said as well, "passion", it's what drives the college game.
ReplyDeleteGators are the best...really! AP says it, USA Today says it and so do the BCS rankings. Most of these comments are from people who are just jealous of the success that UF has had in the last few years. Us Gator fans are going to enjoy it for as long as we can because it won't last forever.
ReplyDeletecomment to to me via e-mail for posting:
ReplyDeleteAs a true Gator Fan (one who has been a fan since Spurrier was the quarterback at UF), I don't care where the Gators are ranked at this time. All we have to do is keep winning and take care of Buisness in the SEC Championship game.
Any true Gator fan should look at the season in four parts. Beat Tennessee....Beat Georgia....Beat FSU.....Win the SEC. If all that happens....there is a good chance that the Gators will be in the Nat'l Championship Mix."
I'm getting in late in the game on these comments as this was just fowarded to me today but, who are kidding not saying the Gators are the best in the country. Are they not the defending champions who came into the season ranked #1. Have they lost a game? Have they not won some big games on the road? They have done everything they are supposed maybe not in the most dramatic of ways but they have still done it. I think it is very unfair for you to say that they are not the best. Come January you will be eating some humble pie.
ReplyDelete