Tim Tebow Owns TMZ Ambush

No one -- no one -- handles the TMZ ambush interview better than Tim Tebow. He did it earlier this year, and he did it this morning, when he arrived in New York City for Heisman week. Just watch. All the questions? Shrugs them off with utter calm and composure. Classic.

Tebow: "I Let Some People Down"

"[P]ersonally I felt like I let some people down, and that’s very heartbreaking for me. We had dreamed all year long about winning that SEC championship game and getting that opportunity to go to Pasadena and play for it all. And that was our goal, and we fell a little bit short and that was very disappointing."

-- Tim Tebow, on ESPN's "First Take" this morning, about the SEC championship game.

I don't think Tebow, individually, let people down. You win games and you lose games. Was the loss crushingly disappointing? Absolutely. I suspect that Tebow himself is far more disappointed than any fan ever could be. But to the extent that the fans feel let down by the game's result, it was a comprehensive contribution from everyone -- players, coaches and even fans.

Tim Tebow a Heisman Finalist

Tim Tebow has been invited to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist, becoming only the third player ever (and first since Herschel in the early 1980s) to earn that distinction. Still no word on who Tebow himself voted for. Fascinating subplot.

What Is Tim Tebow's Legacy?

It has taken me a few days since Saturday to try to internalize the game's result and its implications. Obviously, "Championship or Fail" is a factor.

I'm not quite ready to pull together everything just yet, but I was going back through some old posts and found this one from early August, riffing on an Andrea Adelson post about what would define Tim Tebow's legacy more: "The Promise" or an undefeated season.

I was surprisingly heartened by re-reading what I wrote then:

The Promise transcended Florida and became part of college football history. It was the sport's version of Joe Namath's Super Bowl III "guarantee." Because it resulted in a national title, it was arguably the most notable off-field moment in college football history, right up there with the (fictitious!) "Win one for the Gipper."

"The Promise" distilled everything there is to know about Tim Tebow the football player AND Tebow the person. Even how it is referred to -- "The Promise" -- sounds mythological, even evangelical.

The speech sparked a national title. It will be the foundation for a run at a second -- and college football immortality that would come with an unbeaten season and 2009 national title.

In the annals of Tebow Myth -- and they are extensive -- The Promise is the biggest and most important moment. An unbeaten season in 2009 is a direct offshoot of that Promise.

Of course, that unbeaten season didn't happen. And the failure in the SEC championship game is acute -- it is part of Tebow's legacy.

But the defining moment was -- and will always be -- The Promise.

Tebow Legacy Hurt By Alabama Loss?

"Some people asked me Saturday night if the loss to Alabama was going to hurt the legacy of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Not a chance. We will look back at Tebow’s time at Florida, which included two SEC championships, two national championships and a Heisman Trophy, and realize that he was one of the greatest players we have seen. No, he didn’t have the storybook ending with another trip to the national championship game. But that is what we love about sports. You don’t get to write your own ending like they do in the movies. There is a Mount Rushmore of SEC football and it includes Archie Manning (with a notation for his offspring), Herschel Walker, and Bo Jackson. Tim Tebow has now joined them."

-- Tony "Mr. College Football" Barnhart, on Tim Tebow's legacy.

I'm not quite sure I agree with Barnhart's assessment. Oh, I agree that Tebow is on the SEC Mount Rushmore -- hell, I think he's on the all-time college football Mount Rushmore, SEC or otherwise.

And I also agree that we will remember the titles and awards, in the same way we'll remember the other defining moments, like the Jump Pass, or the off-field mythologies that are infused into his larger legacy as a player.

But Barnhart is wrong that fans will simply dismiss Saturday as just another loss. It was a career-defining loss -- not the only career-defining moment in his career, by any stretch, but among them.

And you simply can't discount the "championship or fail" expectations from this season and the related stakes for the game, and how it WAS a failure. Not Tebow's failure alone, but something he will own for the same reason he would have owned the success.

Tebow Heisman Watch: Still a Finalist?

Will Tim Tebow be a Heisman Trophy finalist?

In the initial confirmed vote totals from StiffarmTrophy.com (79 total votes, roughly 8 percent of all votes), Tebow is in 5th place, with 13 percent of the vote.

Clearly, coming off of Saturday's result, Tebow is not going to win the award (anyone else surprised that 13 percent of voters still give him their 1st-place vote?).

I think it remains a foregone conclusion that the Heisman Trust would invite up to 5 finalists to come to the ceremony, if it meant they could include the biggest name in college football: Tebow.

It's a little awkward: A year ago, with three finalists, the 5th-place finisher would not be considered a "finalist," if you define that as "invited to New York for the ceremony."

However, under that definition, Tim Tebow is still projected become the first third three-time finalist in the award's history, the first since Herschel Walker.

At the top of the standings, there is a fascinating development:

Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh is in 1st place, in a virtual tie with Stanford RB Toby Gerhart. Suh seems to have elevated himself in the same moment he seriously hurt Colt McCoy's chances.

Mark Ingram is in 3rd, mere percentage points behind Suh and Gerhart. McCoy is a distant 4th and Tebow an even more distant 5th.

No word yet on whom Tim Tebow himself voted for. I presume someone will be asking as soon as they can.

It will be interesting to see if Tebow goes with a fellow QB (McCoy), SEC solidarity (Ingram), the field's most Tebow-like player (Gerhart) or the novelty of voting for a defensive player(Suh).

Tim Tebow Role in Alabama Loss

From the SECCG post-mortem of the essential Saurian Sagacity:

The best quarterback on the field Saturday wasn’t the 2007 Heisman winner. While Tebow threw for more yards than McElroy (247-234) he wasn’t nearly as effective. Tebow was 20 of 35 for a completion percentage of 57.1%, while McElroy had a 66.7% completion percentage (12-18). By quarterback rating Tebow was 120.14, while McElroy was a sterling 196.54.

Tebow simply didn’t play a very good game. He wasn’t particularly pressured (Alabama didn’t sack him once), but many of his throws were ill advised or seriously off target. He failed to find wide open receivers all day, and his sole interception was a game killer.

It might be heresy, but I’m going to say it - the quarterback of the last 2 seasons wasn’t here this year.

Tebow had a QB rating of 172.5 in 2007 when he won the Heisman, and a rating of 172.4 last year. This season, against far easier opponents than either ’07 or ’08, it was a 155.6. I can see only two reasons –

1. The talent he had around him in ’07 and ’08 made him look better than he was.

2. “Something” happened to account for the loss in effectiveness.

He remains an effective runner, but was much less efficient passing this year than the last two.

In the end, Tebow didn’t lose this game singlehandedly (I believe it was much more on the defense), but he couldn’t bail us out.

Read the whole analysis here.

Tim Tebow Career Finale: Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati

Tim Tebow will finish his college football career not playing for a national title against Texas in Pasadena, but playing for pride in the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati.

Thinking back to last week, last August, last January: This is not how it was supposed to end.

Tim Tebow Crying: The Lasting Image

There is a part of me that will always think that the lasting image of Tim Tebow will be when he did the Gator Chomp in the face of Oklahoma's Nic Harris in the 2008 national title game.

But the lasting image from last night is simple: Tebow crying openly as the game's final seconds ticked away, followed by his teary-eyed post-game interview on the field with CBS.

This wasn't uncontrollable Adam Morrison-style bawling. This was college football's greatest competitor letting his ultimate feelings of frustration and disappointment come through.

I think fans should have not expected any less. It remains the symbol of Tebow's competitiveness.

But, based on the video's viral popularity last night and today, it is also the vessel for other fans' schadenfreude that has been building up for four years.

Tebow Quote of Day: Unfinished Mission

"This is not how we wanted to finish our season in the SEC, and you know ... there were a lot of goals and a lot of goals we won’t be able to accomplish. But it was frustrating. To say it wasn’t would be a lie."

-- Tim Tebow

Tebow Google Watch: Tears and Eye-Black

There is no more appropriate summary of Tim Tebow's impact or career than the fact that yesterday, on the list of Google's top trending searches, "John 16:33" was No. 1 and "Tim Tebow Crying" was No. 2. The video of Tebow crying is THE viral video of the weekend.

"They Were Just a Better Team Than Us"

"They were just a better team than us."

-- Tim Tebow, tearful on the field following Florida's loss to Alabama.

That sums it up better than anyone ever could in hundreds or thousands of extra words. Much much more coming, obviously.

Very very disappointing. To say the least.

Tebow's Eye-Black: John 16:33

For today's game against Alabama, Tim Tebow is wearing eye-black featuring the passage John 16:33, which reads:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Every week, it is an open question whether Tebow is using the eye-black to have some sort of secular double-meaning -- that certainly seemed to be the case last week.

The phrase I put in bold seems to have that double-meaning: This game will be a struggle. And one of two outcomes will happen: Either Tebow and Florida will "overcome" Alabama, or they won't... but keep the game's result in life's larger perspective.

Tim Tebow, Wide Receiver

In the absolutely must-see video of the day, here is some bootleg footage of Tim Tebow running routes and catching passes... as a receiver? Tight end? H-back? Mel Kiper will freak.

Recommended Tebow Reads for SECCG Eve

If you're like me and the hours are creeping along today in anticipation of tomorrow's games, here are a few links to some great Tebow-related stuff I've spotted over the past 24 hours:

*Pics of Tebow practicing at the Georgia Dome (Andrea Adelson, Orlando Sentinel)

*Tim Tebow: SEC's Greatest Player Ever? (Jeremy Fowler, Sentinel)

*Tim Tebow leaves it his heart on the field (ABC News)

*It's Getting Close to "Tebow Time" (Chris Low, ESPN.com)

*"Morning Joe" on Tim Tebow (me at Mediaite, h/t Swamp Things)

*Verne Lundquist's Tebow Era (Clay Travis, Fanhouse)

*The Gospel According to Tebow (The War Eagle Reader)

*An appreciation of Tim Tebow (National Football Post)

*Tebow's legacy (PBP's Ben Volin, from last week, but I hadn't linked to it and it's a terrific piece of reporting.)

And, finally:

*The Tim Tebow SEC Championship Drinking Game (viral)

You know you have made it when there is a drinking game in your honor.

Capturing Tim Tebow's Entire Career

Wow, today's USA Today cover story about Tim Tebow was absolutely packed with pretty much every storyline, meme and mythology that Tebow showcases.

You should read the whole thing, but I wanted to point out one fascinating detail that reporter Steve Weiberg digs up: Tebow's Q-Rating.

"Q-Rating" is basically a simple metric that illustrates how well-known someone is. I have been curious about Tebow's Q-score all season, and Weiberg finally gets the numbers:

Last spring when his popularity was measured (for the first time), Tebow was recognized by 49 percent of sports fans aged 12-64. (And that was last spring, before the saturation of coverage and attention since then.)

His actual Q-score was "21," which means that 21 percent of fans named him as one of their favorite athletes. Again, that was before the spring, summer and fall media crush on him.

These numbers are staggeringly good for a college athlete and they quantify what we all already know: Tebow is insanely popular -- probably the most popular college athlete of all time.

I would be willing to bet that Tebow's recognition and "favorite" scores would be among the highest in sports by now. (And sponsors scrambling to sign him up as a partner starting the morning after the bowl game will be banking on that, for sure.)

Beyond those numbers, the story has it all: The on-field accomplishment, the community service, the values, the popularity, the NFL future. All your favorites: The Google stuff; the influence on Urban Meyer; the influence on other athletes and coaches; the attempt to draw historical comparables (going so far as to interview Bill Bradley and Roger Staubach for quotes); even noting the Heisman race last year where Tebow had more 1st-place votes than anyone else.

And, of course, the gushing quotes. Here's one from Vince Dooley:

"Football. Athleticism. Leadership. Charity work. His faith. You name it. I've never seen anybody who had all that in one package. That's what puts him in a class by himself."

I think the story illustrates something important:

To understand Tebow and the Tebow phenomenon, you have to understand that it is the overwhelming breadth and depth of the entire package that makes him so unique for the times and unprecedented in sports history.

Read the full story here.

Meet Tim Tebow's Brother, Peter Tebow

Take 10 minutes and read this terrific profile of Peter Tebow -- Tim's brother -- in Friday's New York Times. Even if you already know Peter's backstory, it is fascinating.

Money quote, from Tim: "He lets me be stupid, be my brother. He gives me a hard time and after a tough day is a support system and lets me take my mind off of it."

(Kudos to NYT reporter Pete Thamel, who constantly finds new angles to illuminate Tebow's life, on an off the field.)

Welcome, Yahoo Front Page Readers

For those coming over to TimTeblog.com for the first time, having seen my "Tebow's legacy" column on Yahoo's front page, then clicked over to see what this blog was all about: Welcome!

TimTeblog.com is a site dedicated to comprehensively covering the Tim Tebow phenomenon this season -- and into his NFL future (whatever that might be). It might seem obsessive to focus exclusively on Tebow, but no athlete this year has commanded as much attention -- and, as you'll see, there has been more than enough material to keep the site cranking along.

If you look around (try the archive on the right), you'll see 500+ posts created over the last 5 months since the site launched -- everything from analysis of Tebow's on-field performances to what is happening off the field to curation of the most interesting content being created about Tebow, from mainstream journalists and bloggers, alike.

Obviously, this week there is a lot to talk about related to Saturday's SEC title game and what that might mean for Tebow's legacy; the lead-up to the Heisman ceremony in 10 days; end-of-year and end-of-decade awards and superlatives that Tebow is in the running for; and the steady flow of coverage related to Tebow's NFL Draft prospects.

Please take a deep dive while you're here, and come back daily for anywhere between 3-7 posts -- all about Tebow, all the time. If you find the topic of Tebow interesting, you won't find a site more dedicated to covering the story. (And if you have friends who are Tebow fans, please let them know about the site.)

The season is wrapping up, but there is still plenty to cover -- this weekend and beyond.

Thanks for visiting, and hope you find the site as interesting as I have found to edit.

-- Dan Shanoff

Tim Tebow Meets Taylor Swift

A Tim Tebow tribute to the tune of a Taylor Swift hit? Now THIS is some unabashed fanboyism. I salute you, sir:



And, on the other end of the spectrum, there is the parody video from the guys at Wondershot about the "Tim Tebow School of Life" -- as they put a gratuitous reference to me in there, I feel compelled to link to this:

For Tim Tebow, Is It Title Or Fail?

This week's Tebow-themed guest-post over at Yahoo's Dr. Saturday makes something very clear:

For all the subplots over the last few months -- particularly last week's insanely amazing pep rally at The Swamp -- the expectations for Tim Tebow and Florida remain: National title or failure. And that includes three components: (1) 12-0 regular season. Done. (2) SEC title. This weekend. (3) BCS title-game win. A month from now.

And so we reach the SEC title game, and if Florida doesn't win -- yes -- Tim Tebow's legacy is nicked a bit. Oh, he will still be widely considered ONE OF the best college football players ever, but the argument for "best ever" will be diminished, if only slightly. (I, of course, will continue to argue that his accomplishments are so overwhelming that he should be considered the greatest player ever, regardless of Saturday's outcome.)

That said, in the column, I turn to a recent historical analogy: Matt Leinart and Vince Young. When they played in the national-title game for the 2005 season, two things happened: Vince Young put on a performance that was so good, he vaulted himself into the Pantheon of greatest college players ever (Doc Sat ranks him as the best player of the decade, although caveating that Tebow's career isn't over yet).

Matt Leinart COULD have been considered the greatest ever... if USC had won the game. It wasn't his fault -- USC's defense was mediocre and VY was spectacular. But it's not like he didn't lead USC to a ton of points on Texas' defense. But he didn't win the game, and any talk -- all talk -- of Leinart's place in history (regardless of what he did before) was eroded fundamentally.

(I go back another decade for one more historical analogy: Why is Tommie Frazier on the short list for greatest players/QBs of all time? Because of how ridiculously awesome he was in championship games, which is all anyone really remembers -- fairly or not.)

For all the individual accomplishment and accolades and for all of the off-field mythologizing, the essence of Tim Tebow is the winning. The MVP-ish role, off the bench, on the 2006 national title team. The 2008 title. The winning streak.

Winning trumps everything.

Read the whole column here.

Tebow Awards Watch: AFCA All-America Snub

Tim Tebow was NOT named to the American Football Coaches Association's All-America team. Not unpredictably, Colt McCoy got the nod as 1st-team QB.

In other award news, Tebow will present the Disney Spirit award (which he won in 2008) for "Most Inspirational Player" in college football. Wait: He's going to give the '09 award to himself?

He will present the award a week from tonight at the ESPN college football awards show in Orlando. Tebow is up for a couple of awards, including the Maxwell (Best All-Around) and O'Brien (Best QB), all part of his legacy as the most decorated college football player of all time.

By the way, you can vote for Tebow for the O'Brien -- the fan vote counts for 25 percent of the total.

Tim Tebow's Impact on Urban Meyer(As Described By SI's Terrific SL Price)

What is Tim Tebow's relationship with Urban Meyer like, from Urban's perspective? What is Tim Tebow's role as Urban Meyer's -- dare I say -- role model? One answer:

"It's because Tebow, by marrying a charitable nature with an in-your-face streak, exemplifies better than anyone else Meyer knows how to be both a hard-ass and a softy."

That's from SL Price's phenomenal profile of Urban Meyer -- as, yes, "hard-ass and softy" -- in this week's Sports Illustrated. Stop what you're doing and read it. Here is a section about Meyer's relationship with Tim Tebow:

It's strange to watch Meyer talk about Gators quarterback Tim Tebow. Coaches admire certain players, of course, but whenever Tebow's name comes up, Meyer's eyes soften and he can't help but smile. He speaks without the usual coach's worry about showing favoritism or looking foolish. His wonder is unabashed, verging on cultish. "He's different from all of us," Meyer will say casually. Or, "He is my son."

Maybe this is understandable. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow is among the greatest players in college football history, and Meyer's success in recruiting him—a shining coup in that dark first year in Gainesville—changed plenty of lives, none more than the coach's. Used to be, Meyer talked about retiring at 50. He doesn't anymore, and in August he signed a six-year extension worth $24 million. Used to be, he didn't like his Florida squads very much, not even the one, packed with Zook holdovers, that won that first national title. Now? "I love my team," Meyer says. He says it all the time.

Tebow did that. His arrival made Meyer's life easier just when it seemed to be getting harder. He was a key piece to winning two national titles, and then, when it seemed last winter that it all might end, he made Meyer's life easier again. Tebow decided in January to return to Florida for his senior season, and "the big reason is [that] I wanted to be with Coach Meyer another year," he says. "I wanted to be loyal to him, I wanted to finish strong for him."

Tebow told Meyer just that in his office the day he decided to come back, causing Meyer's eyes to fill and the two men to hug hard. Cynics will say this is because Meyer wants to win. But it's also because Tebow, combining smashmouth aggression with brains, is the player Meyer would have loved to have been. It's because Tebow, by marrying a charitable nature with an in-your-face streak, exemplifies better than anyone else Meyer knows how to be both a hard-ass and a softy. He has made Meyer more spiritual, less anxious, and, Shelley says, he's the one person alive who can ease the sting of a loss. "He just helps Urban feel better about everything," she continues. "Urban knows Tim's in control of that team. There's a comfort in that that Urban's never had before."

Great profile. Read the whole thing here.

Tebow Heisman Watch: Finalist Status Secure?

Tim Tebow is 1st in the USA Today straw poll, 2nd on the Scripps-Howard straw poll and No. 4 on the HeismanPundit.com straw poll.

I think it is safe to assume that Tebow will be a finalist, when they are announced next Monday.

Colt McCoy leads the two straw polls Tebow doesn't -- and he remains the favorite, despite what are arguably inflated stats produced by playing uniformly mediocre defenses.

The fact is: The voters love a couple things about him: (1) "Lifetime achievement" and (2) Texas is undefeated. McCoy also benefits from regional bias against Tebow out West and in the Southwest (and a split vote between Tebow and Ingram in the Southeast and East).

Mark Ingram is ahead of Tebow in the HP poll, but that figures to flip-flop when Tebow leads Florida past Alabama this weekend.

Toby Gerhart is still among the top 4, and it would be nice to see him get an invite to New York.

To review: Tim Tebow is trying to become the first player ever to be a three-time Heisman finalist and the first player since Archie Griffin to win two Heismans.

In order to pass McCoy, Tebow would need McCoy to lose against Nebraska on Saturday, then turn around with his own win against Alabama.

If Tebow has a spectacular performance against Alabama in what should be the most-watched game of the year in college football, he has an outside shot at nudging past McCoy at the finish.

Tim Tebow As The New Vince Young

Continuing today's theme of Tim Tebow and Vince Young, let's move away from comparing their college careers and expand on yesterday's discussion comparing their pro careers. This from my former ESPN.com colleague Gregg "TMQ" Easterbrook:

Young is now on a 9-0 streak as a starter. Let's hope Tim Tebow has him on commission, as Young likely has earned Tebow millions of dollars in bonus money lately. TMQ noted last week that Young's victories will raise Tebow's draft status, since Young is the NFL player most similar to Tebow. As recently as September, draftniks Mel Kiper and Todd McShay were predicting Tebow would go no higher than the second round of the 2010 "selection meeting" -- McShay forecast that Tebow could fall as far as the fourth round. Why? Purists haven't seen Tebow perform in the pocket, and think big guys who look more like tight ends than quarterbacks can't win consistently in the NFL. Suddenly a big guy who looks more like a tight end than a quarterback is on a 9-0 tear in the NFL. If Young keeps winning, Tebow could rocket up to the top five picks in the 2010 draft. Tim -- send Vince a case of champagne!

Ignore Kiper and McShay, whose personal opinions will ultimately have to be reconciled with information coming from GMs that Tebow has moved into the 1st round -- it is more important for them to be in the ballpark on their mock drafts than it is to correctly forecast a player's NFL future. (They will continue to insist on his shortcomings, thus hedging on his prospects.)

Young isn't quite the appropriate analogue -- VY throws a better ball, Tebow has more potential as a between-the-tackles runner. But it's more than Easterbrook's superficial comparison.

Let's re-emphasize yesterday's caveats: This is Young's 4th season in the league -- it has taken him this long to establish some form of mastery. Young also performs in a system tailor-made for his strengths. Oh, and he plays next to the best all-purpose player in the league, who scares defenses so much that they give VY plenty of room to work as a passer.

Between the time to develop, the favorable scheme he plays in and the all-world talent around him, let's hope Tebow gets that kind of chance. In all honesty, it seems like a lot to ask for.

When Tebow is in the pros, I will keep reminding people about the multiple necessary conditions that proved invaluable to Vince Young's success.

Tebow Is No. 2 Player of the Decade? Ha.

Forget the conversation over where Tim Tebow ranks among college football players all-time. My friends at Yahoo's Dr. Saturday blog have ranked the Top 10 college football players of the decade.

Tim Tebow is No. 2.
Vince Young is No. 1.

Start with Doc Saturday's caveat to lead VY's entry:

There is still time for Tebow's grand, myth-making finale. But on this deadline, he does not yet have the single, transcendent performance Young delivered to end mighty USC's 34-game winning streak on the biggest stage of the decade, in the Rose Bowl, for the national championship, with his team was trailing by double digits with five minutes to play.

So the presumption is that when Tebow leads Florida to the national title this season, he will pass Young as the best player of the decade.

I'm still dubious about VY ahead of Tebow, even if you don't count what happens over the next two games for Tebow:

Sure, Tebow does not have a better record as a starter. Then again, Young didn't stick around for a third season as a starter.

Sure, Tebow doesn't have as signature of a performance in a title game as Young had against USC. Then again, USC's defense was porous. Compare to Tebow's 4th-quarter against Bama in last year's SEC title game.

Meanwhile: Young has one national title. Tebow has two -- one as the starting QB, one as the most valuable player (while still coming off the bench).

Even if you allow that Young deserved the Heisman in 2005 (which he did), Tebow has one Heisman Trophy, another finalist finish and an unprecedented third finalist finish presumably coming a week from Saturday. Young bookended two magnificent bowl games with one amazing season; Tebow is on track to bookend two great (but not spectacular) national-title-winning seasons with two of the best seasons a QB has ever had, including a Heisman and a national title.

VY had an incredible 2005 season and an even more incredible national-title game. But Tebow wins on sheer volume -- titles, awards, stats... not just for one season, but multiple seasons. It's not just that Tebow was spectacular, but there's just so much of the spectacular.

One thing you can't discount is Tebow's mythology, both on and off the field (because they are intrinsically linked). I'm not saying VY doesn't have his own myth -- he is the most universally well-respected player of the decade.

But VY's myth was almost entirely built on that single-game performance -- yes, the greatest single-game performance by any player in college football history. Tebow's myth is so densely layered and has lasted so long that it is difficult to pick out a single defining moment.

Which is a good segue: The defining moment of college football of the decade wasn't Vince Young's game-winning TD -- although I would argue that it was No. 2 (and certainly the most defining ON-FIELD moment).

But the most defining moment of college football of the decade was Tebow's "Promise."

Before the season started, I wrote that essay for the Gridiron Gators book about Tebow's place in college football history. I noted that -- as of August -- he was behind Vince Young, but that Tebow had every opportunity in the world -- with another national title, with another Heisman run, with more myth-making -- to pass Young.

I am willing to concede that Tim Tebow's season will not be defined at its essence until he gets through the next two games: The SEC title game and, ideally, the national-title game.

So if you want to ignore all of the evidence I laid out above as to why Tebow tops Young even before these final two games of the year, you can have your "Best Player of the Decade" title for Vince Young... for now.

But I accept the challenge: Let's plan to revisit the discussion once and for all, the morning after the national-title game.