Tag: Tim Tebow (Page 28 of 32)

      The Official Alabama-Florida Prediction Thread

      December 6, 2008 /

      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.

      College Football

      SEC Championship Game is going to be wild

      November 29, 2008 /

      Alabama Crimson TideNot 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.

      College Football

      College Football Week 14 Primer

      November 29, 2008 /

      Top 25 vs. Top 25:
      Oklahoma State CowboysNo. 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.

      Oregon State Beavers      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.

      College Football

      Heisman voting done too early?

      November 21, 2008 /

      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.

      Troy SmithEvery 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.

      College Football

      Week 12 College Football Primer

      November 15, 2008 /

      Top 25 vs. Top 25
      Tim TebowNo. 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:
      Maryland TerpsNo. 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.

      College Football

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