Tebow Day or GameDay? ESPN in Gainesville Next Week

Call it College "Tebow Day": ESPN College GameDay will be in Gainesville next week for the Florida-Florida State game.

Hmm: I wonder why? Perhaps it's because it is the final home game for arguably the most mythic player in college football history. That seems like a good enough reason to show up.

Tebow Swamp Finale Lead-Up: Uniform Controversy?

We'll get into this more later this week, but it isn't without contention that Florida will play its final home game of the season -- Tebow's final home game ever -- in those new Nike "Pro Combat" uniforms, rather than the traditional uniforms.

Even Tebow touched on it, during his post-game press availability, via the Twitter feed of Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post:

#Tebow says he has "mixed feelings" about wearing the new #Nike uniforms next week in his last home game at The Swamp

It's pretty interesting to see a major de facto Nike endorser -- and presumably future cornerstone Nike endorser -- question the uniform choices. (Not that I expect him to pull a Marcus Jordan and refuse to wear the uniforms. But his "mixed feelings" speak volumes.)

But honestly: Would it have been so hard for the school to wear the alternative uniforms THIS week, against a non-opponent in a non-finale context?

Yes, it will -- even slightly -- tarnish next week's game. I'm all for Nike trying out -- and promoting -- new uniform looks and technologies.

Just not in Tebow's career finale at The Swamp.

******

Speaking of Twitter, I'll leave you for the evening with this, from Dick Vitale:

@DickieV : TIM TEBOW is such a winner. Don't measure Tebow by stats- he is MR HEISMAN!

Catch you in the morning.

Tebow's Eye-Black: Romans 1:16

Tim Tebow is wearing eye-black against Florida International sporting "Rom 1:16" -- Romans 1:16. Here is one version:

I am proud of the good news! It is God's powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

(That's the Contemporary English Version. You can see other versions behind the link.)

Usually, I try to come up with a way to apply the eye-black to the storylines of the field. That's a bit of a toughie this week. Maybe something like:

Don't be ashamed of appreciating the wins -- no matter if they are close or blow-outs. Just appreciate that you're winning.

Let's start speculating immediately what eye-black Tebow will wear next week for his last game ever at The Swamp.

Tim Tebow Against FIU: Breezy

As dominating as expected:

17 of 25 for 215 yards and 2 TDs.
Highlight: Getting the ball to all the receivers.

7 carries for 102 yards and a TD.
Highlight: 55-yard TD run (longest run of TT's career)

Played one series into the 3rd quarter, then sat.

All in all, a nice little effort.
More later, including post-game quotes.

Let the build-up to Tebow's Last Game at The Swamp begin.

Tebow Superlatives: Longest. Run. Ever.

It feels like there can't be many superlatives left for Tim Tebow, but he just added another one: Longest run ever.

Tebow just broke off a 55-yard-TD run -- not just the longest TD run of his career, but the longest run of his career, period. (Couple of nifty stiff-arms made it almost Heisman-esque.)

Bonus milestone! The TD run also broke Kevin Faulk's SEC record for career non-passing TDs.

Life After Tebow Begins Today

Today is Tim Tebow's 2nd-to-last game at The Swamp. It should be a romp. The second team should see plenty of playing time, including Tebow's heir-apparent, John Brantley.

Think back to the November laugher in 2006: Western Carolina. Chris Leak was pulled early, and Tim Tebow was given the keys to the offense -- fans at The Swamp (I was there, too) left feeling thrilled about the prospects of the team for the next season and beyond.

Next week will be about Tim Tebow's Swamp farewell. This week will be such a blowout that it will really be about life "After Tebow." And that's what this week's Yahoo-Teblog column is about.

As you wait around until the 12:30 kickoff -- hopefully, you have access to the pay-per-view broadcast somewhere or will be going to the game -- it's a good way to think about today's game.

(Because, as soon as Tebow comes out of today's game, we start thinking about next week's game -- his Swamp finale. Wow: It's going to be crazy.)

Tebow Farewell Tour: November Patsy

Every week marks one more farewell for Tim Tebow. Against an opponent. In a rival SEC town. He is a one-man Farewell Tour. Games to go: 4

Tomorrow, Tebow will play against a November patsy one last time -- and his second-to-last game at The Swamp. Let's look back at Tebow's history vs. November cupcakes:

2006: Western Carolina, 62-0.
Why it mattered: Florida fans' first glimpse at What Could Be, with Tim Tebow getting starter's snaps in a full-blown Urban Meyer spread offense. He accounted for 4 TDs and nearly 250 yards of total offense (10/12 passing for 200 yards and another 49 yards rushing.)

After the game, Meyer with the understatement of the year about Tebow: "He's pretty good. He's a full-functioning quarterback."

2007: Florida Atlantic, 59-20.
Why it mattered: The "20/20" game for Tebow, as Tim became the first player ever to pass for 20 TDs and rush for 20 TDs in the same season. Tebow also set the SEC record for most rushing TDs in a season.

"20/20" was a big talking point for Tebow's Heisman chances. Dan Mullen: "He's definitely as deserving as the other guys out there. He's had a phenomenal season. He's obviously a major, major part of our offense -- one of the most important parts of our team -- and he's a great person. If I had an award to give, he's a guy I wouldn't mind representing you for that award."

Meyer was more critical: "Tim didn't play his best game. That's being critical. I'm being critical of Tim because he needs a little critical analysis every once in a while. He did not play his best game, but that tells you how good a football player he is."

Give Meyer the last word, when told about "20/20": "That's unbelievable. I can't believe that's never been done before. That's a great record to have. I'd much rather have our ninth win next week." (Note consistency of "Winning is all that matters from 2007 to 2009.)

FAU put up a little bit more of a fight than expected -- not entirely unexpected in what can be considered the Interregnum between title seasons. (And FAU was a substantial upgrade over either the 2006 or 2008 November cupcakes.) Tebow accounted for 4 TDs (3 pass, 1 rush) and threw for 338 yards (25/34 attempts).

2008: The Citadel, 70-19.
Why it mattered: Would this be Tim Tebow's final game at The Swamp?

The answer was uncertain and the adulation was overflowing. Tebow was non-plussed about the game: "I don't want to think about it like that at all."

Tebow played slightly more than a quarter, with Florida taking an absurd 42-0 lead before the 2nd quarter was barely a few minutes underway. Tebow had a game not unlike the 2006 laugher, throwing for 201 yards on 9/11 passing, with 3 TDs.

Tebow took a victory lap after the game, in what would become a bit of a populist -- and popular -- tradition for him:

"I think it's cool. It's not like a burden or anything. It just lets you know they want you."

Tim Tebow Swamp Finale: Prepare

Is it too early to start thinking about next week's game against Florida State -- Tim Tebow's final game at The Swamp? It's going to be a very very very very big deal:

The most popular player in the history of Florida football -- Florida anything, actually -- taking his final run out of the tunnel, snaps on the field, singing of songs in front of Swamp fans.

With tomorrow's game against FIU a foregone conclusion that it will be a walk-over, we can turn attention to Tebow's final home game, his final regular-season game as a college football player.

Wall-to-wall coverage all next week (there will be plenty to cover), but in the meantime, one fan had the clever idea to have fans at The Swamp for the FSU game wear eye-black in Tebow's honor. He created a Facebook group to promote it.

I kind of like that idea, actually. It's subtle but powerful, visual but not out of reach for ordinary fans. Some smart corporate marketing VP should sponsor eye-black stickers for everyone.

Hmm: Would it be crazy for Florida fans anywhere -- even outside the stadium -- to wear eye-black in honor of Tebow's final game at The Swamp?

Tim Tebow NFL Draft Stock Tanking?

Extra-big kudos to the Sentinel's Jeremy Fowler for stepping into the usually quiet Thursday-of-game-week void with the storyline to drive today's Tim Tebow news cycle:

Has Tim Tebow's NFL Draft stock tanked?

Fowler quotes plenty of NFL draft experts and scouts who argue that it has. They cite his lack of progress as an "NFL" QB under Scott Loeffler (OnlyGators.com has more on that here); they mention (but discount) his average stats; they point out his decision-making against Mississippi State; there's even a Mel Kiper sighting! (Bearish on Tebow as an NFL QB, as you'd expect.)

Accuracy issues... mechanics issues... all the greatest hits are mentioned. And all of it leads up to a Kiper assessment that Tebow has dropped into the 3rd (or even 4th!) round.

This dovetails with something I noticed this morning: In Sporting News' latest mock draft, Tebow is out of the first round entirely -- this after being a Top 10 pick as recently as last month.

Now, let's begin the caveats -- and there are plenty of 'em:

*It's only mid-November. Remember how Tebow's NFL stock improved when he led Florida to the 4th-quarter comeback over Alabama last December? Plenty of time to show more skills at the college level. And Fowler quotes scouts talking about the opportunity for "defining moments." (You'd think teams would be more clinical in their scouting than to factor in "defining moments," but with Tebow, all bets are off.)

*Ignore the draftniks: How Tebow plays in college games won't have nearly the impact on his draft stock as his private and public workouts with teams -- and the training he will go through to prepare for those workouts, focusing entirely on his NFL skills.

(And not, say, winning games.) One draftnik Fowler talked to points to Tebow's performance during Senior Bowl week. (There's a presumption he will play in it... I wouldn't bank on it just yet. If his agent tells him not to, he might not. Then again, Tebow is such a competitor he just might do it to show he doesn't fear it. Same with the Combine: You don't think Tebow doesn't want to set the new combine record for bench-press reps by a QB?)

*On Draft Day, irrationality will rule. At least as it relates to Tebow. There will be at least a few teams -- maybe the Redskins, maybe the Raiders, maybe the Jaguars -- who will feel compelled to draft Tebow (even a 1st-round reach) for lots of reasons besides what scouts are saying in mid-November. Don't discount the power of "What if he...?" for an NFL owner. Especially when they take into consideration that the smartest coach in the NFL loves him. Segue to...

*The Belichick Factor: I will say it again. Tim Tebow will not -- let me be clear: WILL. NOT. -- slip past the Patriots in the first round.

Before Roger Goodell finishes saying, "The Patriots pick next...," Bill Belichick will snap up Tebow (I will cry a little bit, then suck it up and order my Pats Tebow jersey) and then creatively deploy him in a way that will destroy the rest of the league. Re-imagine Belichick on 4th-and-2 against the Colts on Sunday night with Tebow lined up next to Brady.

In the end -- as much as Pats-haters might dislike the idea -- the most ideal place for Tim Tebow in the NFL is playing for Bill Belichick.

If -- as currently projected -- Tebow slips all the way through the first round because other teams can't see his potential, that will be their loss -- and the Patriots' gain.

But slipping into the 3rd or 4th round? No way. If something crazy happens and the Pats don't take him, there is no way he doesn't go early in the 2nd round -- probably under the theory that a team will be overwhelmed by hysteria for Tebow.

As Urban Meyer will agree: Let's hope that team has a coach who can creatively use him.

-- D.S.

"Tebow Girlfriend" Now On Playboy.com?

One of the most interesting details of Tim Tebow Mythology is that whenever he is seen in a circulated photo with a woman, the immediate question is: "Tebow girlfriend?"

Go ahead: Check Google Trends. "Tebow girlfriend" is a consistent traffic-driver. (Even if the woman in the photo is not, in fact, Tim Tebow's girlfriend.)

There is one photo, in particular, that gets a ton of mileage. It turns out the woman's name is Erin Drewes and she is now on Playboy.com in Tim Tebow body paint... and that's about all.

I'm not going to put the photo up here. You can click through here to see it if you're curious (via Sports By Brooks). I personally find the whole thing pretty ludicrous.

In an odd way, you have to admire Ms. Drewes for turning a fleeting moment of Internet fame into a full-fledged photo spread via Playboy.

Let's reiterate: This is not Tim Tebow's girlfriend. Ms. Drewes was never Tim Tebow's girlfriend. As far as anyone knows, Tim Tebow does not have a girlfriend right now. It's just myth.

Now, the UAA would like a word about the use of "Tebow" on the back of her... um... "jersey."

(Upon further review, commenters on SbB seem to think that the woman in the photos isn't the same as Drewes, the woman in the famous "Tebow girlfriend" picture. So someone is merely exploiting Tim Tebow's name and number to promote some random nude model. Classy.)

This Day in Tebow: WCU Breakout

Hat-tip to The Bull Gator for reminding that November 18 is a notable anniversary:

November 18, 2006: In a late-season romp over an overmatched 1-AA opponent (Western Carolina), Tim Tebow quickly took over from starter Chris Leak and produced 4 TDs, including 2 to Riley Cooper (who caught 3 TDs in the game). Tebow finished 10/12 for 200 yards, with 47 yards rushing. The final score: 62-0.

I was actually at the game in person and remember feeling giddy watching Tebow run an open-throttle version of Urban Meyer's spread offense -- and at the prospects of Tebow taking over at QB full-time in 2007 and beyond.

Meyer summed it up best:

"He's pretty good. He's a full-functioning quarterback."

Let's call that "Foreshadowing."

What an interesting bookend, with overmatched Florida International coming in this weekend. It's not Tebow's final game in The Swamp, but it should have a similar "changing-of-the-guard" feeling as Tebow exits early for heir-apparent John Brantley, who will see extended action.

(I'm actually working on something more extensive about that right now.)

Are Tim Tebow and Florida "Bored?" Hardly

Kirk Herbstreit suggested that Florida was "bored" after winning two national titles in three years.

I would disagree. Most of all, I would say they are as focused as any football team in the country has ever been. The expectations of another national title have made this team all-business.

No other college football program in the country is run as professionally as Florida -- and I mean that admiringly. It is a hallmark of Urban Meyer's system: Treat this game seriously.

It's not boredom. It's professionalism. (No different than a high-level college journalist honing his skills by producing the campus newspaper in as professionalized a way as possible.)

The team is struggling -- either in perception or reality -- for a couple of factors that have been covered thoroughly: No Harvin-like playmaker, plugging holes on the O-line, opposing defenses having a better understanding of Florida's offense, Steve Addazio's play-calling.

Note that no one seems to think that the defense -- which is the best in the country -- is playing like it is "bored." Again: They are playing the game like it is a business. They are taking it seriously.

Teams that combine talent with a professionalized mindset are the ones that set themselves up to win three national titles in four years. The rest may look like they are "having fun."

They are also losing.

Florida players are serious because they haven't met their goal. We will see how "bored" the team looks after they win the national title again.

Tebow Heisman Watch: Meyer Supports

"Yeah, I'd be upset. He's one of the best players in college football, and he's the quarterback on the No. 1 team in college football. I think the Heisman goes to the best player, and I think it'd be hard to argue he's not one of the best players in college football.''

-- Urban Meyer, on whether Tim Tebow deserves to be invited to New York City as a finalist for the 2009 Heisman trophy. Needless to say, Meyer thinks Tebow should be a finalist.

(As Jo Goodman points out, Tebow gets to come to NYC anyway, as a Heisman alum. But it's another thing to be a finalist.)

Heisman Watch: Tebow Down to 5th

Let's start with this: Tim Tebow doesn't care about the Heisman Trophy. Or, at least, he doesn't care about it relative to the level he cares about winning.

That said, Tebow comes in at No. 5 in this week's HeismanPundit.com straw poll.

The top 4 are Mark Ingram, Colt McCoy, Toby Gerhart and CJ Spiller. Can't disagree with any of those folks -- my ballot this week would certainly include Gerhart and Spiller.

What I continue to find fascinating is that even though everyone seems to keep insisting that Tebow is having a year that doesn't compare to either of the previous two, he's still Top 5.

I will continue to insist that he isn't out of it until the Alabama-Florida game, and if he leads Florida past the Tide, Tebow will finish in the Top 3 and go to New York for the ceremony.

I'm not saying he will win -- I think at that point, Mark Ingram drops off and Colt McCoy slides up to No. 1, as the pick that the most voters will find acceptable enough.

(Spiller reminds me of Darren McFadden as a sophomore or junior -- he's probably the best all-around player in the country. If he keeps racking up stats, he'll be in NYC.)

Tebow Quote of the Day: On the Heisman

"You know what, if we win those games, I won’t be too discouraged if I don’t go to New York for that. That’s my focus right now. It would be OK (if i didn’t go to New York)."

-- Tim Tebow, on his mindset about the Heisman. In other words: He doesn't care.

More from today's media availability:

(The Heisman) is not something I really think about or care about. When (the Heisman talk) comes on TV, I usually turn the channel and don’t worry about it. Winning the Heisman Trophy is very special. It’s a huge award, very prestigious, very humbling. But it compares zero to winning a national championship or an SEC championship.

That’s what you train for. That’s what you battle for every day in practice and in the weight room on your own or with your teammates for the last four years. That’s what you train for. You don’t train for winning the Heisman Trophy. That’s something that just comes from being blessed with a lot of guys on our team that help your out and make me look a lot better than I am. Winning a championship is what’s truly special.

I still think that if Florida beats Alabama for the SEC title and a place in the national-title game, Tebow will be invited to New York, along with Colt McCoy and -- perhaps -- Mark Ingram (if Ingram gets enough votes before the SECCG) or a wild-card like CJ Spiller or Toby Gerhart.

I understand why only three players were invited last year, but unlike other awards, "just being invited" for the Heisman ceremony IS a really big deal. And in a Heisman season as uncertain as this one, it would be really cool if they brought in five contenders.

Tebow Quote of the Day: On Winning

Following up yesterday's Tebow Quote of the Day, the complete context of Tebow's key quote following the South Carolina game:

"That's the great thing about winning. A (win) doesn't get bigger by how many points you score or how big the win was. And that's huge for us. You know we haven't won by huge margins in games, but we've shown a lot of character and we've pulled out wins and that's all you can ask for."

"The most important thing is winning. I could honestly care less how many touchdowns or how many passes or how many yards we have because we're winning. That's our goal. That's what we trained for. We don't train for stats, we train for wins. And that's what we're focused on."

The whole "and-oh" philosophy of fandom from last week is predicated on precisely that idea: A win is a win, and as long as the team keeps winning, who's to complain?

Tebow Monday Press Conference Notes

Tim Tebow took the podium for his usual Monday media availability. A few highlights:

On the Gators feeling like underdogs: "We haven't done a lot of things right all season." (OSGators)

On his motivation: "Tebow says winning SEC, national titles way more important than winning the Heisman." (via AP's Mark Long Twitter feed)

On missed connections with Riley Cooper: "I will make more accurate throws."

On his motivation these final two home games: "Tebow says he will leave everything on the field in final two home games." (via Orlando Sentinel's Gators Twitter feed)

On his relationship with OC Steve Addazio: "Zero" friction (via Palm Beach Post's Ben Volin Twitter feed)

On Heisman hopes: "Tebow says he won't be heartbroken if he doesn't even get an invite to NYC for Heisman presentation." (via AP's Long)

But: "Obviously, I would want to win." (via OSGators) -- That's nice to hear.

Who Will Get Tim Tebow's Heisman Vote?

The New York Times' Pete Thamel -- who, in addition to being the NYT's national college football reporter, understands Florida football as well as anyone -- was at the South Carolina game and happened to ask Tim Tebow who he would give his Heisman vote to.

Tebow answered that he didn't know -- good answer. The race is still too close to call. If I had a vote and the season ended today, I would pick Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, who was the face of the Cardinal's epic destruction of USC in LA on Saturday. (And my No. 2 would be CJ Spiller.)

But Heisman voters have proven to be a pretty unsophisticated bunch -- part of the problem of having 900 voters, most of whom have no business being voters. It will still likely come down to Colt McCoy vs. Ingram (if Bama beats Florida) or Tebow (if Florida beats Bama).

And that would be a shame. Gerhart and Spiller have earned serious consideration as the best player in the country. (BTW: Ingram isn't better than either of those two.)

Tebow Quote of the Day: A Win Is a Win

"The letter 'W' doesn't get any bigger if you win by more points or anything like that."

-- Tim Tebow, on Florida's win over South Carolina, echoing the point I made Friday.

Tebow: Perfect SEC Regular Season

Much more later, but yesterday's game was precisely the kind of circumstances that I was talking about here, and here, and here.

10-0.

The perfect SEC regular season and the vanquished rival and the thrilling way it happened -- Trattou's INT was one of the biggest plays of the season -- are all bonuses.

10-0.

Tebow's last regular-season SEC road game wasn't pretty -- it was a win. What better testament to his legacy than that?

More later.

Tebow's Eye-Black: Joshua 1:8-9

Tim Tebow is wearing eye-black against South Carolina featuring "Joshua 1:8-9":

⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

⁹Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

That's the King James version. (You can use that link to check out alternative versions.)

Basically, it means: Study the game-plan, and don't get discouraged. Stick with it.

Tebow-Sized Expectations

One of the biggest appeals of rooting for Tim Tebow is his clarity.

Does he care about scoring TDs? Does he care about setting records? Not really.

He cares about winning.

That other stuff? If it's a byproduct of winning games, it's a bonus. Otherwise, it's about winning.

He has an expectation that he and his team will win every game. And that expectation is transferred to fans, who project it back on Tebow and the team.

It is a relentless focus that has made Tebow -- go figure -- a winner. One of the greatest winners in college football history.

That's why we can talk all we want about the offensive play-calling or its productivity, but -- in the end -- it all comes down to wins.

That's why Tebow consistently comes back to: "We're 9-0." Or "We're 8-0." Or "We're 7-0." And so on... all the way back to "We're 1-0."

That's all that matters.

And so in this week's Yahoo-Tebow column that I wrote, I focus on re-focusing on what matters: Winning.

We can freak about how the offense looks. But what's the point? I suppose it's some fear that the offense will stall at the wrong moment and cost the team a game -- cost the team a win.

Cost the team a championship.

But there has been no actual evidence that the offense is costing the team that win or that championship.

You can credit that to the all-world D or great special teams or, yes, even opportunistic offense. But the fact is, this team hasn't lost a game this season.

There has been no reason to doubt our expectations.

And, therefore, this is the bargain: Fans can stop focusing on the "how" of short-term results, because -- in exchange -- Tebow and the team are going to deliver a championship.

Unfair expectations? Hardly.

In fact, I would argue that this is the rarest of all seasons: "Championship-or-bust" is not something to be taken for granted.

It is, actually, the most elevated state a team (or a fanbase) can reach: When nothing less than a national championship will satisfy the potential of the team.

It's not like Florida fans haven't been here before -- the 2007 basketball team had precisely the same expectations. And what made them so epic was that they fulfilled them.

Check out the column, and between the column and this post, leave your comments below. Am I being fair?

It feels like "Championship or Failure" is precisely the attitude Tebow has -- and wants fans to have. It was the premise of The Promise a year ago, and it obviously drives him this year.

(If you enjoyed this post and the Yahoo column, please see this complementary post over at DanShanoff.com. It fleshes this issue out in a different way.)

Tebow Farewell Tour: South Carolina

Every week marks one more farewell for Tim Tebow. Against an opponent. In a rival SEC town. He is a one-man Farewell Tour. Games to go: 5

Tomorrow, Tebow will play South Carolina one last time -- and his final SEC road game. Let's look back at Tebow's history vs. the Gamecocks:

2006: Everyone remembers the game for Jarvis Moss' TWO blocked kicks, but Tebow scored what would turn out to be the game-winning TD, a 12-yard run on 1st and 10 with 3 minutes to go. On the same drive, Tebow had a key conversion on 4th-and-1 from Florida's 29.

(Fun trivia: Chris Leak had arguably his finest moment as a "dual-threat" QB, rushing for 30 yards on 3 carries on that game-winning TD drive.)

2007: With a night game on ESPN, this may have been the performance that locked up the Heisman for Tebow: 7 TDs. That's right: 7. (7!) Two passing and five rushing. SEVEN. He threw for 304 yards (22/32) and ran for 120 (on 26 carries). It was the quintessentially dominant Tebow performance of his entire Florida career.

(It was almost like Meyer, Tebow and Florida were punishing Steve Spurrier for having the temerity to beat Florida at in Meyer's first year in 2005, then to ALMOST ruin Florida's national-title hopes in 2006. There was some vengeance in there.)

2008: South Carolina was not a very good team. Florida was... well, the soon-to-be national champ. It was 21-0 after the 1st quarter, 28-0 a couple minutes into the 2nd, and the game was non-competitive. Tebow sat virtually the entire 4th quarter.

Notable: I remember thinking Tebow's two passing TDs were a nice foreshadowing of '09: A 46-yarder to Deonte Thompson and a 5-yarder to Aaron Hernandez. Tebow had a rushing TD, too, but was largely held in check: 14 carries for 39 yards (2.8 ypc).

(If the 2007 game was about punishing Spurrier, the 2008 was about humiliating him -- it was Spurrier's worst loss ever at The Swamp, and one of his worst losses ever as a coach.)

So here's the context: In 2005, Spurrier and South Carolina beat Meyer and Florida. But that was pre-Tebow. In 2006, Florida barely survived, and Tebow played a small but key role. In 2007, Tebow throttled USC. In 2008, Florida humiliated the Head Ball Coach.

All signs would point toward Meyer, Tebow and Florida owning Spurrier and South Carolina. This season isn't like the past two seasons -- at least offensively. But Florida's D is better than the one last season that held USC to two field goals. The special teams are spectacular.

And, as Tebow and Co. showed against Georgia two weeks ago, when they are motivated by rivalry, they find another gear. And Spurrier gets Meyer and Tebow's blood boiling.

I can understand the reasoning behind thinking this game will be close; I think it will not be close.

The defense will hold South Carolina to a couple field goals and maybe the errant TD; the offense will score more than 30 (or, perhaps some of those 30+ points will come from the D -- like Spikes' pick-6 a year ago -- or from something on special teams -- a blocked punt or a punt return TD).

It is this team's -- and Tebow's -- final SEC road game. Expectations from home fans at The Swamp are more daunting than the hoots and jeers from the Columbia crowd. Tebow and Co. will embrace the hostility from the South Carolina fans... find strength from it... and, ultimately, throw it back in their faces.

Prediction: 37-13.

Tebow Troubles Against South Carolina?

The Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu has a bad feeling about tomorrow's game:

The way the Florida offense is playing, the Gators are going to have trouble putting up a lot of points against a very good, very fast and athletic South Carolina defense. If Tim Tebow doesn’t get better protection, this could turn into a real meltdown game for the offense. Something tells me the Gators will be playing from behind at some point in this game. How they react to that will be huge.

This Florida team has looked a lot more like the 2006 edition than the 2008 edition all SEC season long. And everyone remembers that nail-biting (or nail-blocking) finish against South Carolina in '06.

I waver between blind, complete confidence and freaking out over the prospect of a season-killing loss.

Tim Tebow Getting Media Industry Love

Sorry for the light posting today. I have been at a sports-media conference, where Tim Tebow's place as the entire and exclusive subject of a site -- this site -- was cited as something on the leading edge of the trend toward hyper-topicality (or hyper-locality) to best serve fans. (No: without prompting by me.) Always nice to be noticed.

More later, and a ton more tomorrow.