So I’m watching Air Force play Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on New Year’s Eve and one of the ESPN announcers says (I’m paraphrasing), “Everyone wants to focus on the national championship game, but the best bowl this year is in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl is best matchup on the bowl schedule this year.�

No way. No…way…

The announcer went on to talk about how USC was the top ranked program in the nation at one point this year and how Penn State was ranked in the top five, so the matchup is outstanding. Okay, I get that. The matchup does look outstanding, but it won’t be better than the title game.

I’ll be the first one to eat my words if I’m wrong, but I say USC waxes Penn State in the Rose Bowl this evening. The Trojans have one of the fastest and most talented defenses in the entire nation and while Joe Pa’s spread offense has been explosive, PSU hasn’t faced a defense like USC’s and I fail to see how this game remains close when the Trojans are playing in their own backyard.

The only way I see this game being tight is if USC comes out flat like it has a penchant for doing, or if Mark Sanchez starts turning the ball over – which he has a penchant for doing. In fact, if Penn State hangs with USC, I’ll dedicate an entire post about how underrated the Lions were all season and how wrong I was about the Trojans.

The Florida-Oklahoma title game matchup has everything. How will the Sooners’ dynamic offense fare against the Gators’ stifling defense? Will 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford outperform 2007 winner Tim Tebow? Can Bob Stoops’ team perform better this year than they have in past bowls? Will Urban Meyer win his second national championship in three years?

The Rose Bowl looks great on paper, but it’s a stretch to say that it’ll be more entertaining than the title game. (And the ESPN announcer hasn’t been the only one who suggested that it would be better than the title game because several media members throughout the week have been sharing that sentiment.)

Outside of USC and Penn State fans, does anybody else believe the Rose Bowl should be more exciting than the national title game? Am I missing something here?

The 2009 BCS Bowl Season is quickly approaching – not that anyone should care.

I’m not trying to sound bitter, but if the BCS doesn’t care about any of its five bowl games outside of the national championship game, then why should we? All the BCS essentially cares about is figuring out who the top team teams are in college football – and they can’t even do that right.

But I digress. I’m not going to burn another 1,200 words on why college football needs a playoff because it’ll just fall upon deaf ears. Instead, I’ll get into the bowl season spirit and break down the five BCS bowls, as well as hand out predictions for each game.

Predictions are essentially meaningless, but they’re fun so make sure you throw out your picks in the comment section below.

Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC
The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California, January 1, 4:30PM ET ABC
Some college football pundits believe that this one will be over with by halftime, but if Penn State uses Oregon State’s victory over USC as a blueprint for success, the Nittany Lions could make this a tighter game than most expect. PSU tailback Evan Royster has been a playmaker this year and if the Lions can employ him the same way the Beavers’ used Jacquizz Rodgers to beat the Trojans earlier this season, then maybe they can exploit USC’s quick defense. Then again, the Trojans’ D is one of the fastest and most talented units in the country and it won’t be easy for PSU to spread the field on them like they did against Big Ten opponents this season. USC has the most talented linebacker corps in the country and their secondary features two safeties in Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison that blanket the field in both coverage and run support. In order for the Lions to claim victory, quarterback Daryll Clark will have to play mistake free and not try to force action in the passing game. Offensively for USC, quarterback Mark Sanchez has been outstanding, but he will make mistakes. He threw at least one interception in seven games this year and if PSU’s defense can generate some pressure, they could force Sanchez into some turnovers and capitalize on some prime field position. But outside of getting pressure on Sanchez, Penn State needs to tackle well and limit the yards-after-catch opportunities that USC’s receivers thrive upon. Sounds basic enough, but the Trojans have one of the fastest offenses in the league and Sanchez has excelled at taking what defenses give him and in getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers. The Lions would be wise to get 11 defenders around the ball at all times, especially when USC tailback Stafon Johnson gets the opportunity to make plays.
Rose Bowl Prediction: USC 30, Penn State 17.

I wrote in early October how Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports didn’t think Tim Tebow could be an NFL quarterback.

Matt Hinton of YAHOO! Sports disagrees:

Forget about yards, touchdowns, pointless awards, running up the score and the myth that Tebow is just a running quarterback in a college offense: Tebow has NFL size and a first-rate temperament; is extremely mobile (duh); has completed two-thirds of his passes, finished in the top three nationally in touchdown percentage and yards per attempt and put up historically high pass efficiency ratings two years in a row; had the second-lowest interception rate and best TD:INT ratio in the nation this year; and has been consistently deadly on deep throws (as if they still threw deep in the NFL) — in two years, Florida has completed 65 passes of at least 25 yards, or 2.5 per game. He’s led the highest-scoring offense in the SEC two years in a row and is on the verge of winning a second mythical championship in three years. Obviously, his career aspiration is Frank Wycheck.

Again, I completely believe the gurus when they say Tebow won’t be a first-round pick. This is their job. It is the most counterintuitive job anywhere. My problem is this: The questions that surround Tebow re: his ability to read defenses and adjust to the pro game apply to every college quarterback making the transition. If Tebow hasn’t answered them enough to even project as a quarterback at the next level, then my god, who has?

Tebow is such a great athlete that I wouldn’t put it past him to make the jump as an NFL quarterback, but there seem to be some question marks about his release and like the article points out, whether or not he can read a pro defense. (But that’s every young quarterback.)

You can’t blame teams for being ultra-conservative and picky when it comes to drafting quarterbacks. There have been so many cases of failure that no team wants to be the one that wastes a pick a player when the warning signs were there from the start. But again, Tebow is such a good athlete that he might be worth the risk.

Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback Sam Bradford won the 2008 Heisman Trophy Award, edging out Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow—who received the most first-place votes—was third with 1,575 points.

“I was definitely surprised and I think it’s everything I imagined,� said Bradford, who raised the 25-pound bronze statue with his left hand still in a cast from a recent surgery. “I think it will take a couple weeks to set in.�

Bradford got 300 first-place votes, McCoy 266 and Tebow 309. Not since 1956 had a player drawn the most first-place votes and finished third; Tommy McDonald of Oklahoma holds that distinction.

Bradford was well-deserving, as was McCoy and Tebow. The only knock I had on Bradford is that he faced some pretty weak defenses in the Big 12 and the one stout defense he did play against (Texas), his team lost. But I guess you could have made the same argument for McCoy, who lost to a much weaker defense in Texas Tech.

Regardless, Bradford was truly deserving of the award. His stats were off the charts and he led his team to the national championship. What else could you ask for out of a player?

Dan Daly of the Washington Times attempts to do the seemingly impossible: determine which candidate is most deserving of the 2008 Heisman Trophy.

If you went purely by passing statistics, Bradford would be your man. He threw for 1,000 more yards than McCoy and almost 2,000 more than Tebow. He also did it against a schedule that included five teams ranked in the BCS top 25 (Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma State and Missouri) plus the Big East champ (Cincinnati). Here’s something else I found out: Only six of his 48 touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, so he wasn’t padding his stats in all those blowouts.

Tebow and McCoy are much different quarterbacks, though. Both rushed for more than 500 yards this season (compared with Bradford’s 65), so there’s another dimension to them. Colt actually led the Longhorns in rushing, much of it gained on scrambles. Many of Tim’s runs, on the other hand, are by design. The Gators run a kind of souped-up version of the old single wing, with him as the tailback.
How do I break this tie? By reminding everybody that McCoy’s team beat Bradford’s 45-35, and Colt had a terrific game (28-for-25 for 277 yards and a touchdown). Sam also played well that day (28-for-39 for 387 yards and five touchdowns, with two interceptions), but it was Colt who made more big plays in the second half, when Texas rallied to win. That’s how I separate them, arbitrary as it may seem.

That and the fact that Bradford has a better supporting cast. Not only does Oklahoma have two 1,000-yard rushers (Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray) it also has a tight end who could well be a first-round NFL pick (Jermaine Gresham). And that Sooners line … let’s face it, the OU offense is one of the greatest in college football history. It’s AVERAGING 54 points a game. McCoy is more of a one-man show than Sam is.

Tebow, too, is surrounded by more talent. None of the Longhorns, for instance, does the things Percy Harvin does (8.8 yards a carry, 17 yards a catch, 16 touchdowns). Indeed, the Florida attack is almost perfectly balanced between the run (229.8 yards a game) and the pass (212.6). And let’s not forget: Tim had a better year last year, when he had a hand in 15 more touchdowns and was the Gators’ top rusher with 895 yards (331 more than this year).

It’s an incredibly close call, admittedly, but my ballot read: McCoy, then Tebow, then Bradford. If it were up to me, the trophy would go to Colt - not a bad consolation prize for getting chop-blocked by the BCS computers. Tim and Sam, meanwhile, get to play in the national championship game … and prove me wrong.

In efforts to not sound like a broken record, here’s my opinion on who should take home the prestigious award this season.

The 2008 Heisman Trophy Award will be handed out this Saturday and FOXSports.com ranks their top three candidates after Week 15 of the season:

1. QB Sam Bradford, Soph. Oklahoma
Bradford completed 34 of 49 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns in the 62-21 win over Missouri in the Big 12 Championship.

2. QB Tim Tebow, Jr. Florida
Tebow completed 14 of 22 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran 17 times for 57 yards in the 31-20 win over Alabama in the SEC Championship.

3 QB Colt McCoy, Jr. Texas
McCoy completed 23 of 28 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran 11 times for 49 yards and two scores in the 49-9 win over Texas A&M to end the regular season.

Considering the Heisman is supposed to be awarded to college football’s best player, this might be the closest race ever. With a little help from the broke ass BCS system, Bradford led his team to a Big 12 Championship and a national title. (I said a little help Oklahoma fans – don’t rip my face off.)

Outside of failing to pick up that one yard at the end of the loss to Ole’ Miss, Tebow has been damn near perfect in leading the Gators to a national title appearance, while McCoy’s numbers are off the charts, but he never got the opportunity to lead his team to a title berth.

I would have to go with Tebow at this point. He lead his team to convincing wins over LSU, Georgia and Alabama this year – three SEC programs with tough defenses. Nothing against Bradford because the kid put up unbelievable numbers, but the defenses in the Big 12 just don’t compare to the ones in the SEC. And when he faced the best defense in the Big 12, Texas, he lost. That said, nobody should be up in arms if Bradford, Tebow or McCoy won the award because they’ve all been sensational.

No surprise here:

As expected, the final BCS standings had Oklahoma at No. 1 and Florida at No. 2 — the reverse order of their rankings in the Associated Press poll — setting up the first meeting between these storied programs.

“Nine weeks ago our team got together and said let’s make every game count,” Gators coach Urban Meyer said, speaking of Florida’s rebound from its only loss, in September to Mississippi.

Tim Tebow and the Gators did just that. So did Oklahoma, which bounced back from a loss in October to Texas.

Two teams with one loss each doesn’t normally make for a debate-free lead-up to the title game, but even President-elect Barack Obama — outspokenly in favor of a playoff for college football — might have to agree that both these teams belong.

Florida (12-1) has averaged 49 points a game in the nine games since its only lost. Oklahoma (12-1) became the first team since 1919 to score 60-plus in five straight games.

Regardless of the mess of a BCS system, this should be a fantastic game. It really has it all – two great offenses, to excellent quarterbacks and two fast defenses, although the Gators definitely have the edge in that category. I can’t wait to see Sam Bradford and an OU offense that has scored 60-plus points in their last five games match up against Florida’s defense. Looking forward to January 8.

All right, most of us know that predictions are worthless in sports. Nobody really knows what will happen, even if we think we do.

But predictions are also fun and with this being championship week in college football, I thought it would be fun for everybody to throw out some game predictions on the Alabama-Florida game. It can be a full a full game analysis or just a score projection – it’s up to you.

I’ll walk onto the dance floor first:

Perhaps no team in college football is playing better than the Gators are right now. They’re outscoring opponents by an average of 24 points per game, own the top turnover margin in the nation and since their loss to Ole’ Miss in late September, have destroyed teams by a 414 to 97 margin.

But this game will come down to defense, which just so happens to be ‘Bama’s specialty. The Tide are allowing just 11.5 points per game and less than 250 total yards. Their defensive front four is one of the best in the nation and as a unit, the ‘Bama defense is the sixth best in all of college football.

For as well as Florida has played since losing to the Rebels, this won’t be a walk in the park like some purists believe. ‘Bama isn’t undefeated by accident and although they had a few close calls throughout the year, that will only help them if this SEC Championship Game turns out to be the dogfight many expect. The key will be whether or not Alabama can produce enough offense to win. Their running game is solid with Glen Coffee, but they’re going to have an incredibly hard time putting the ball in the air against a UF team that is allowing just 172.9 yards per game this season.

Prediction time – I’m taking Florida. The Gators just have too many weapons (assuming Percy Harvin plays) and Tim Tebow makes things happen around the goal line. This won’t be a blowout, but Florida’s defense should contain John Parker Wilson and the ‘Bama passing attack, although they might have trouble keeping Coffee contain because the Tide can dominant the line of scrimmage at times.

Florida 24, Alabama 21. The Gators win, but the Tide cover the spread. ‘Bama is 5-0 against the spread in their last five games and have covered the last five times in this matchup. I’ll take the gift 10-points from oddsmakers, especially considering ‘Bama could win outright.

Not even their rivals could slow down Alabama or Florida. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 36-0 victory over Auburn, while the Gators trounced Florida State 45-15 in Tallahassee on Saturday.

Even before their victories on Saturday, the two teams were set to meet in the SEC Championship Game, which will be played December 6. But their performances did add an air of intrigue to the SEC’s title game, because both teams looked so dominant against two squads in Auburn and FSU that are no pushovers.

Perhaps the best matchup in the SEC Championship Game will be ‘Bama’s defensive line vs. Florida’s massive offensive line. The Tide’s front four gives most teams fits, but the Gators certainly have the bodies up front to keep Tim Tebow upright. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not ‘Bama can get enough pressure to get Tebow out of rhythm. Another thing to keep an eye on is how healthy Florida wideout Percy Harvin will be after he left the FSU game due to an injury. He’s been such a huge part of Florida’s offense this year that it would be a huge blow not to have him in the lineup.

As of this post, the Big 12 Championship has not been determined, but an argument could be made that the SEC title game will provide the better matchup.

Top 25 vs. Top 25:
No. 3 Oklahoma at. No. 12 Oklahoma State, 8:00 PM ET
The Sooners’ dismantling of Texas Tech last Saturday might have been the most impressive victory of the college football season. Not only did they win 65-21, but they did so in compiling 32 first downs and 625 yards of offense. They finished one yard shy of rushing for 300 yards and threw for 326 threw the air. They didn’t let up for 60 minutes and now have put themselves in striking distance of playing for a national championship. They’ve got a couple of huge hurdles left, however, and one is this Saturday night in Stillwater. The hardest part for Bob Stoops this Saturday will be getting his team back up after playing such an emotionally-charged game last week. The Cowboys are also coming off a week of rest and their offense has been balanced and potent at times this year. Led by quarterback Sam Bradford, Oklahoma has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. But OK State won’t be a pushover and we can probably expect a tight contest.

No. 4 Florida at No. 20 Florida State, 3:30 PM ET
I know this is a huge rivalry in the sunshine state, but no team is playing better than Florida is right now. FSU’s win over Maryland last week was impressive and they have the fifth best defense in the nation, but can anyone slow down Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin right now? Bobby Bowden will have his team fired up – especially at home. But nobody should be surprised if this is another Florida romp as they get ready for Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The only thing that might deter the Gators is if they get caught looking ahead, but the chances are slim that Urban Meyer allows that to happen.

No. 22 Georgia Tech at No. 11 Georgia, 12:00 PM ET
The Bulldogs have fallen a long way since being crowned as the top team in the nation in the preseason. Not only have they dropped in the rankings, but their wins over Auburn and Kentucky the past couple weeks left something to be desired. The Jackets have bounced back well after they were awfully mistake-prone in a loss against North Carolina a few weeks ago, and they get a Georgia defense that has struggled of late. Even though Tech hasn’t won against UGA since 2000, the Jackets want to use this game as a stepping-stone to build on next season. Much like most of these rivalry games this weekend, this should be a close one.

No. 23 Oregon at No. 17 Oregon State, 7:00 PM ET
This is obviously a massive game for the Beavers, as a win would clinch their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1964. The only problem is that they’re facing a better-than-advertised Oregon team and they might not have dynamic underclassmen Jacquizz Rodgers, who injured his shoulder on the final play against Arizona last week. Oregon State has the better overall depth and talent, but the Ducks are balanced and it would make their season to knock off their in-state rivals on their home field – especially with a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line.

Upset Watch:
It’s rivalry week – every game should be considered a possible upset.

Other notable games:
Texas A&M at No. 2 Texas, 8:00 PM ET Friday
The Longhorns can’t afford a slip up, but it’s doubtful Mack Brown’s team falters at home against the Aggies.

Auburn at No. 1 Alabama, 3:30 PM ET
The Tide control their own destiny – beat the Tigers on Saturday and the Gators in the SEC Championship Game and they’ll be playing for a national championship. The idea is simple, but the road is going to be brutal. Auburn might be 2-5 in the SEC, but they still have one of the better defenses in college football.

Fresno State at No. 9 Boise State, 6:00 PM ET
BCS supporters will quietly be rooting for Fresno State so they don’t have to hear about how the Broncos deserve a shot to play for the national championship.

Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times makes a great point that the Heisman Trophy shouldn’t be voted on until after the bowl games have been played.

Every year, the voters are forced to decide the winner too darned early.

For years, this has been the most annoying thing of all about the Heisman. The committee just can’t wait to give it out. The movie is still going on, and already, these guys want to toss Academy Awards at the screen.

This year, for instance, voters are supposed to have their ballots returned by Dec. 10. At least the voters can wait until after Tebow and his Florida teammates play top-ranked Alabama for the SEC title and until either Bradford or Harrell or Texas’ Colt McCoy play for the Big 12 title.

On the other hand, the national championship game won’t be played until Jan. 8, almost a month after the deadline. Who knows? Perhaps it will be Tebow vs. Bradford. Maybe Tebow vs. Harrell.
Just asking here, but shouldn’t that game be factored into the voting?

In his article, Shelton has a table that illustrates how several winners in the past decade (Ohio State’s Troy Smith, USC’s Reggie Bush, Oklahoma’s Jason White, Nebraska’s Eric Crouch) all won the Heisman and then turned in average to atrocious bowl game performances.

He brings up a fantastic point – why isn’t the national championship factored in to Heisman voting? It’s supposed to be the most important game in the college football season, yet it doesn’t play a factor in determining who the best player in college football is? It’s not fair for a player to lose the Heisman with one bad performance, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to (and I’m borrowing Shelton’s point) hand out season awards when the season isn’t even over.

Top 25 vs. Top 25
No. 25 South Carolina at. No. 4 Florida, 3:30 PM ET CBS
After they were shocked by Ole’ Miss and turned in a lackluster performance in a win over Arkansas, the Gators trounced LSU, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt in convincing fashion. Nothing against the three teams ranked higher, but Florida might be the best team in college football right now. Tim Tebow has resurrected his Heisman candidacy after rushing for five touchdowns and accounting for 424 total yards in the Gators’ 51-31 win over the Gamecocks last year. But Steve Spurrier’s squad has been one of the hottest teams in the nation over the past couple of weeks. The rotation of Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley at quarterback has lifted South Carolina and the defense has played inspired. This is a better matchup than most think, although it’s highly possibly that Florida could roll with how well they’ve played over the past month. Expect the Gators to use this as another statement game leading up to their huge battle with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game December 6.

Upset Watch:
No. 16 North Carolina at Maryland, 3:30 PM ET ABC
The Terps have clearly been a different team at home than on the road where they’re 4-0 and averaging 25.5 points per game as opposed to 1-3 and 11.75 PPG on the road. Maryland has also won five straight against ranked opponents the past two years and still control their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic. Three wins in their final three games would send the Terps to the ACC title game, which is amazing considering this was the same team that got drubbed 31-0 by Virginia. If Maryland is going to pull off the upset they’ll need to get Da’Rel Scott and Davin Meggett going in the running game because putting the ball in the air against the Tar Heels is a risky proposition. UNC has one of the best ball hawking defenses in the nation and has forced opponents into mistakes all season. If the Terps play things close to the vest offensively and rely on their defense to win the game, an upset could be in the making.

Other notable games:
Mississippi State at No. 1 Alabama, 7:45 PM ET
It’s highly unlikely the Tide lose focus against a 3-6 Mississippi State team, but the Bulldogs did pull off one of the better upsets of the year when they crushed previously No. 13 Vanderbilt 34-3.

No. 3 Texas at Kansas, 12:30 PM ET
The Longhorns try to keep in the national title hunt while the Jayhawks look to end the season as quickly as possible.

No. 10 Georgia at Auburn, 12:30 PM ET
This is one of the more underrated rivalries in the SEC.

South Carolina vs. Florida
Florida is considered one of the hottest teams in college football, as they have won their last five games by an average of 39 points. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier would love to knock off his alma mater out of this year’s BCS championship title hunt. And he will try to defeat the Gators by rotating quarterbacks (Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley) on every offensive play. The rotation system did not seem to bother either quarterback in last week’s 34-21 victory over Arkansas; they combined to throw for 219 yards with two touchdown passes and only one interception. It will not matter how well the QB duo performs if the Gamecocks defense cannot contain Tim Tebow, he accounted for seven touchdowns in a 51-31 victory at South Carolina last season. National coverage will begin Saturday at 3:30 PM on CBS.

UFC 91: Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship Title
The main event of UFC-91 is a classic example of two contradictory styles going against one another, as Randy Couture puts up his heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Lesnar is still untested as a fighter, as he going into only his fourth MMA fight this Saturday night. Couture is unstoppable coming into matches where he is an underdog with a 9-1 record. Lesnar is bigger, stronger, faster and hopes to neutralized Couture’s Greco-Roman wrestling style being a former NCAA wrestling champion himself. Couture has out-muscled larger opponents in his career and expects his experience to come into play in this fight. He hopes to avoid the takedown by moving side-to-side and using his hand speed and quick legwork to neutralize his opponent’s superior strength. If Lesnar can take Couture off his feet, the question will become: Can he keep him on the mat? Pay-per-view coverage will begin Saturday at 10:00 PM

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
The Dallas Cowboys hope the return of quarterback Tony Romo to the starting lineup will provide a spark and help them get a “W� in the win column this Sunday night in Washington. Since winning their first three games, the Cowboys have dropped four of their last six games and likely will need to win at least five of their final seven games to hopefully be considered for a playoff spot. Injuries could have a large role in determining if the Washington Redskins make the playoffs. They may have to go the rest of the season without running back Clinton Portis, who is second in the NFL in rushing with 995 yards. He injured his knee at the end of the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago and has not returned to the lineup. National coverage will begin Sunday at 8:15 PM on NBC.

Two SEC powerhouses who don’t like each other very much square off in a game with major BCS implications. That is what fans will get to see Saturday when the fifth ranked Florida Gators (6-1) visit the eight ranked Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” (Although they’re not allowed to call it that anymore.)

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

The Gators have been an offensive machine this season, averaging 42 points per game. They’re coming off a 63-5 drubbing of Kentucky last week in Gainesville. Tim Tebow led the way with a couple of touchdown passes and a pair of touchdown runs. Tebow has now totaled 17 TD’s on the season.

The Bulldogs have been no slouches either. They’ve put up an average of 34.3 points per game this season and averaged 52 points on the vaunted LSU defense last week in Baton Rouge. Bulldogs’ running back Knowshon Moreno led the offensive attack with 163 yards rushing on 21 carries and a TD.

The smack talk started last season when these two teams met in Gainesville. After a Knowshon Moreno 1-yard touchdown run, the entire Bulldogs team ran onto the field to celebrate the score, which came on the orders of Georgia coach Mike Richt:

“I told them if they didn’t get a celebration penalty after our first score, all of them would be doing early morning runs,” Richt said after that victory. “I wanted to make sure we left this game with our hearts on the field.”

Florida players no doubt remember the unusual celebration and are more than ready to get some payback:

“Georgia is a game that everybody knowingly wants on our team,” Florida linebacker Brandon Hicks said last month. “Everybody wants that game back. It feels like we have something to prove to the world. They came out and everybody thinks they intimidated us. We didn’t play good after the stunt they did.

“That’s pretty much the team that everybody wants on their list.”

One has to wonder what kind of celebration we’ll see from whoever scores first. Below is a complete list of Florida and Georgia blogs and information sites to get you primed for the matchup.

Top Florida Gator Sites

Florida Football

GatorBait.net

GatorSports.com

SI.com: Florida Gators

Gator Country

Top Georgia Bulldog Sites

Georgia Sports Blog

SI.com: Georgia Bulldogs

GeorgiaDogs.com

UGAsports.com

Dawg Sports

The bitter SEC rivals have played each other a total of 86 times, with the Bulldogs holding the edge 47-37-2. Georgia beat Florida 42-30 last season. It was just the third win in their last 18 meetings against the Gators.

As Pete Thamel of The New York Times writes, Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators appear to have gotten their swagger back after thumping SEC rival LSU on Saturday night.

There were moments all over the field Saturday night that showed how re-energized Tebow was. He chest-bumped Mullen before the game. He knocked helmets with Percy Harvin after a 70-yard touchdown pass — a career high for both — in the game’s first minute. He led the team in celebratory helmet slaps, fiery fist pumps and any other signs of emotion.

“That’s the difference between this year and last year,� Tebow said. “They scored and they made it within 6 points and we knew we had to put a drive together. That’s where you see a difference now, a more mature team and a more poised team.�

Tebow is a more mature and poised player, more content to share the wealth with his teammates and not try to do everything himself. That is one reason his 10 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns through six games are off last year’s pace.

Even after its stunning loss to Mississippi, Florida (5-1) is in line to win the SEC East. Few things are certain in college football when it comes to the national championship game, but it is likely that whoever wins the SEC will have the best shot of any league champion to play for the title.

Tebow and Florida can partially thank LSU defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois for getting their swagger back. Even in a blowout win over Arkansas two weeks ago you could tell Tebow and the Gators were still feeling the effects from their loss to Ole’ Miss. But once Jean-Francois shot his mouth off about ‘taking Tebow out,’ UF seemed to re-focus.

Florida is still a juggernaut – I don’t care what anyone says.

LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois said early this week that if he and/or his linemates got the opportunity to knock quarterback Tim Tebow out of their game Saturday against Florida, they would do so.

Not only did the Tigers fail to knock Tebow out of the game (Jean-Francois didn’t even play due to an injury), they failed to do much of anything as the Gators routed their SEC rivals 51-21 in Gainesville Saturday night.

Tebow completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards and also threw two touchdowns with zero interceptions. On the third play of the game, Tebow found Percy Harvin for a 70-yard touchdown pass after an LSU defender tipped the ball up while trying to make an interception. From there, the Gators mounted a 20-0 lead before the Tigers made a small rally to cut the score to 20-14 early in the second half. But the comeback was short lived as Florida scored touchdowns on their next three possessions and the rout was on.

An outcome like this proves how broke the college football voting system is. LSU was ranked seven spots higher than Florida in the polls, yet was smoked by 30 points. Remember LSU’s big win over Auburn a couple weeks ago? Looks pretty weak after Auburn lost to Vanderbilt (who lost to Mississippi State Saturday) and unranked Arkansas the past two weeks.

Florida proved tonight that they’re still the team to beat in the SEC. Furthermore, this game might have proved that the SEC is weak as a whole this season.

Early this week, LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois said that if he and his fellow linemates got the opportunity, they would take Florida QB Tim Tebow, “out of the game� when the two teams meet Saturday evening.

Turns out Jean-Francois won’t get the opportunity to back up his words because the Tiger defensive lineman won’t even make the trip to Gainesville due to a groin injury.

“He wasn’t able to do much on it,” LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Friday night at the team hotel in Ocala, Fla., according to USA Today. “He practiced during the week, but the trainers ruled him out. And the coaches didn’t want to dress him out if he wasn’t going to be able to play.”

Bonnette said Jean-Francois’ absence had nothing to do with what he said this week about going after Tebow.

“Of course not,” Bonnette said, according to The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. “He’s still injured … There’s no point in letting Florida know … We thought he would be recovered by now.”

Granted Jean-Francois later backpedaled and said that LSU “had great respect for Tim as a player,� but I’m sure that was hand-fed to him by someone in the program. But still, he made those comments knowing he might not even play? Way to go champ.

Oklahoma vs. Texas
This year’s Red River Rivalry battle at the Cotton Bowl has more marquee value than in past years; as for the first time since 2004 both teams will enter the game ranked in the top five. Heading into this season, the Longhorns offense was thought to be their biggest strength. But it has been the Texas defense that has provided most of the swagger. The Longhorns are ranked fourth nationally in total defense and that is a big jump since the 2007 unit set a school record for most yards allowed in a season. They will get stiff competition come Saturday against top-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners are in the top five nationally in all offensive scoring categories, led by the nation’s second-rated passer Sam Bradford. National coverage begins Saturday at 12 PM ET on ABC. Click here for the official Oklahoma-Texas smack thread.

LSU vs. Florida
“The Showdown at the Swamp� marks the first time the last two national champions have faced each other since Notre Dame defeated Miami, 29-20, in 1990. The stakes are high for both schools; Florida must win to maintain any realistic hope of staying in the hunt for a berth in the BCS championship game, while LSU needs the win to stay on course to repeat as National Champions. And the matchup got even more intense after Tigers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois promised that the LSU defense will try to knock Gator quarterback Tim Tebow out of the game. Later in the week, Jean-Francois said his comments were misinterpreted by the press. National coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM ET on CBS.

Major League Baseball LCS Series
The animosity between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox is not ready to approach the level of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, but their contempt for each other is a good undercard. Back on June 5th, the Rays’ Game One starter, James Shields, hit Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp with a pitch that triggered a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams. Has this issue been resolved? Stay tuned for the answer. Meanwhile, the National League Championship series boils down to how well the Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitchers throw to the Philadelphia Phillies lethal left-handed hitting. The Phillies led the NL with 214 homeruns, with Ryan Howard leading the way with 48 followed by Chase Utley with 33, and both players bat left-handed. The top of the Phillies’ lineup also includes switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, who both have outstanding on-base percentages. NLCS Game Two is Friday at 4:30 PM ET and Game Three is on Sunday at 8 PM ET; all NLCS games are on Fox. ALCS Game One is on Friday at 8:30 PM ET and Game Two is on Saturday at 8 PM ET. All ALCS games can be seen on TBS.

New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers
Their franchise quarterback is out for the season, and somehow the Patriots have still put together a successful start to their 2008 season. On the other side of the field, the Chargers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. To avoid falling further back in the AFC standings, the Chargers must try to defeat a Patriots team that has eliminated them from the past two post-seasons. Inconsistent play on both sides of the ball has plagued the Chargers all season; they have lost three games by a total of 10 points. Coverage begins at 8:15 PM ET on NBC

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow loves the attention he receives once he makes his way out of a tunnel and onto an opponent’s field, he wants to draw all of the ire from the opposing fans, and let his teammates concentrate on winning the football game.

So go ahead yell, scream obscenities, or make imaginative signs about his homeschooled education. It’s all been done before and none of it bothers Florida’s star quarterback.

Tebow credits his religious upbringing as being the base to give him the inner strength needed to lead on the football field. His parents wanted to instill deep Christian beliefs into the lives of their children, and decided a homeschooled education was their only option.

Bob and Pam Tebow met at a Christian student group meeting on the University of Florida campus in the 1960’s. Together, they wanted to spread the message of their faith as far as humanely possible, and after graduation, the Tebows established a Christian organization to fulfill their passion.

One of their many endeavors throughout the world was creating an orphanage in the Philippines. Last spring, Tebow traveled there with his parents to spend time with the orphans, speak about his faith, and assist the medical staff with certain procedures. The family motto is simple: The Lord has everything under control, and he will take care of the Tebows.

Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 7.

Top 25 vs. Top 25

No. 5 Texas at No. 1 Oklahoma, 12:00 PM ET ABC
Boy the schedule makers really screwed ABC by showing this game at Noon didn’t they? People on the west coast will have to get up at 9:00 AM to see the best game of the week. Ouch. The Sooners get a huge boost to their defense with the expected return of DT DeMarcus Granger and redshirt freshman Frank Alexander. They should help generate a pass rush, which will be imperative in stopping Heisman candidate Colt McCoy. Offensively for OU, the switch to the no-huddle has been a tremendous success for QB Sam Bradford, who seemingly has a leg-up on McCoy in the Heisman race. This game will come down to which secondary can rise to the challenge and which team can establish a running game against their opponents’ stingy front seven. At least on the onset, the Sooners have the edge in both categories.

No. 17 Oklahoma State at No. 3 Missouri, 8:00 PM ET ESPN2
This is going to be a shootout, which only favors QB Chase Daniel and the host Tigers. Missouri has scored in 19 of 20 quarters this year and have now gone 49 straight possessions with no three-and-outs. That’s a remarkable feat to say the least. But the Cowboys bring plenty of offense to the table themselves, scoring 56 points per game in their last four outings. Although MIZZOU doesn’t provide a huge challenge defensively, it must be noted that OK State has yet to face a tough defense on the road this year. The Tigers are 14-point favorites and that bodes well considering they’re 12-3 in their last 15 games as the favored team.

No. 4 LSU at No. 11 Florida, 8: