Jon Gruden Loves Tebow

"Concrete cyanide": I'm not quite sure what that means, but with Gruden on "Monday Night Football," expect plenty of discussion from Gruden of how good of an NFL player Tebow will be. (I fully expect and encourage Ron Jaworski to do the right thing and pick apart Tebow's mechanics, at least if Tebow has designs on being a full-time starting QB, rather than a Wildcat specialist.)

The NFL's Tebow Experiment

Great piece by SI's Tim Layden on the NFL's "Tim Tebow Experiment." (Layden should know: He is working on a book about the history of the NFL through its greatest playbook innovations.)

Money quotes:

The NFL is fascinated with Tebow because he represents a potential evolutionary step in offensive professional football. (Emphasis here on potential because it's all a guessing game at this point.)

...

Slowly, however, rigid old rules are loosening. There is no movement afoot to install the Air Force flexbone in the NFL, but there is absolutely an interest in using option principles to complicate defensive preparation. "Somebody, someday is going to run the option in the NFL,'' says Gailey, "and when that happens, all bets are off.''

...

As I quoted Belichick in the Dec. 1 issue of Sports Illustrated, "It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when Tebow comes into this league. There aren't many players who can run and throw."

[D.S.: Feeds my "Pats-Will-Draft-Tebow" Theory.]

...

The challenge for NFL thinkers is how best to use Tebow. Can he be a full-time quarterback? (Not likely, unless he is re-made as a pocket passer). How many times can he carry the ball, making himself a threat without getting, as Belichick says, "broken in half?'' (Maybe 10 times a week? Maybe only five?). Can an NFL offense function effectively with two quarterbacks. Say, Tyler Thigpen for 40 snaps and Tim Tebow for 20? What would this do to your salary structure? Is a Super Bowl worth paying two quarterbacks NFL-starter money?

No answers here. Not yet. But know this: The questions are being asked by the people who write the checks. The Tebow Experiment is forestalled for a year, but it will absolutely take place.

"Oh, And By The Way...": Tebow Comes Back

"Oh and by the way, one more thing, let's do it again. I'm coming back!"

Deadspin's Dash Bennett had the best overview of "what it all means" that Tebow was returning to college football in 2009.

(I merely dubbed 2009 "The Year of Tebow.")

Austin Murphy On The Jump Pass

Phenomenal breakdown of Tebow's jump-pass TD that sealed the BCS title-game win for Florida over Oklahoma. The phrase that pays is: Trey Left, 341 Stop Bend X Fake

Should Tebow Stay a Gator Or Go Pro?

Should Tim Tebow stay at Florida or enter the NFL Draft?

I have laid this out before: Tebow can't do much more as a college player. National title? Check (twice, including once as a starter). Heisman? Check (one win, one 3rd-place finish).

Further, given what you read about what NFL scouts say about him, I'm not sure his draft stock improves with another year of college "seasoning." His NFL flaws will remain his flaws. (UPDATE: Not necessarily true. Florida's new QB coach is Scott Loeffler, who was the QB coach at Michigan and for the Lions -- OK, don't snicker; he knows what the NFL needs in a QB.)

And then there's the money: Sure, he won't make first-round money -- this year or even perhaps in 2010 -- but the endorsement dollars should be among the highest in the NFL. And if Tebow wants to support his father's ministry with his pro earnings, why put it off a year?

That said, there is an appeal to staying:

*If, in fact, he is not seriously considered a long-term NFL starter, why not just stay in college, where he is not only prolific, but beloved -- the poster guy for the sport.

*The endorsement dollars will still be there in a year, and the ministry can probably wait for it; they have waited this long.

*Finally, for all of his accolades and accomplishments, if Tebow returned, he would have the chance to cap an unprecedented career:

Another title? Another Heisman? How about an unbeaten season, which has never happened in Florida history?

How about status as the greatest college football player of all time? How about leading a team that would compete for status as the greatest college football team of all time? (USC '05 alert)!

The idea is hardly unprecedented -- it's not even unique for Florida. When the basketball team won their first title, Joakim Noah and Al Horford would have both been Lottery picks. Corey Brewer would have been a first-round pick.

But they all came back, for the chance to accomplish something special: Back-to-back titles, and status as -- arguably -- the greatest starting five of the modern college hoops era and -- inarguably -- status as one of the greatest teams/dynasties of the modern college hoops era. All that, plus a hell of a lot of goodwill for putting the game and each other ahead of pro dollars.

I'm sure it is tempting for Tebow to stay.

In college football, he is a god (no: not a "lower-cased god," like that creepy "Zombie Jackie Robinson" in the Gatorade "What Is G?" ads). In the NFL, he is a sideshow.

Opportunities for true, Mount Zeus immortality in sport are rare. There are probably only a dozen or so athletes ALL-TIME who qualify -- none in college football. Tebow could be It.

You could argue that he is already almost there -- one of the "all-time greats" in his sport -- even if his career ended now.

There are two telling tales from recent years:

*Vince Young: VY left early, after a transcendent season and championship-game performance, and that hasn't dimmed his place in college football's Pantheon any.

(More similarities: In addition to reaping tons of endorsement dollars that Tebow is likely to similarly create -- more, actually -- VY has run into problems in the NFL on the field, similar to what Tebow might face.)

*Matt Leinart: Leinart stayed all 4 years -- for much of the same reasons Tebow would stay: He loved college life. His USC team had the potential to be one of the best -- if not THE best -- ever. Win another Heisman. And it all ultimately collapsed around him, unfulfilled. I would argue that Leinart's star as a college football super-great dimmed, perhaps just slightly, by staying.

It is a complex decision.

I think that Tebow has nothing left to prove in college -- success came so early, so comprehensively and so exhaustively that his senior year seems superfluous.

And yet I think Tebow IS college football; how could he be one of "those" players who abandons it early? Particularly -- especially -- if there is no great demand for him in the NFL.

I will be torn either way he decides. I will be thrilled if he comes back -- it is almost overkill. (Almost.) I will support him as an all-time college football great if he leaves.

I can only imagine how difficult it is for him. His particularly unique disposition -- and I would say his disposition, of anything, is what puts him over the top as an all-time great -- is uniquely suited for a decision like this. He possesses an uncanny sense of clarity.

And yet in analyzing it here, there are simply no easy or obvious answers.

My prediction: I think he will come back to Florida for his senior year. And it will be mayhem.

(Reprinted from DanShanoff.com, 01/09/09)

Tebow: The Next Donovan McNabb?

Tim Tebow's closest college football -- and perhaps NFL -- analogue is... Donovan McNabb. So says Allen Barra of the Village Voice, with stats to back it up.

About Tebow's John 3:16 Eyeblack

OK, so about Tim Tebow's "John 3:16" eye-black...

Some don't like the in-your-face evangelism. Unsurprising.

However, surprising even myself, I don't mind it, because -- generally -- he's so much less in-your-face than others...

...And much less in-your-face than you would expect from a player whose faith is as integral to his life as Tim (a development that made me re-think my own biases, to be honest).

In his first interview last night on the award podium, note the first thing he said. It wasn't "I want to thank Jesus." It was this:

"I just want to thank the fans. They are so unbelievable... I just love being a Gator and I thank all of you!"

From my observations -- and I have observed him a lot (specifically about this issue of proseletyzing) -- he seems to make an active effort to be inclusive. He doesn't -- and won't -- ignore his faith; he brings it up all the time. He simply does it in a fairly thoughtful/careful way.

Just got this message on my Facebook Wall from an old college buddy, with an Onion-like headline mashing up Tebow's faith -- and my faith in Tebow:

This just in: Shanoff Converts to Christianity - "Christ makes me feel closer to Tim."

Want to hear the most ridiculous part? When Tebow originally came out onto the field last night, I was like, "Hey, what happened to Phil 4:13? John 3:16 is so cliche."

(Seriously: It's like I was waiting for the guy in the rainbow wig who sits behind field goals to show up and do a little dance on the sidelines about it. He totally ruined John 3:16. Honestly: What was wrong with Phil 4:13? There was a nice little winning streak with Phil 4:13! Did he really want to jinx things by changing it up NOW? Come ON!)

Tebow John 3:16 Eye-Black a Google Sensation

Tebow changed his eye-black from Phil 4:13 to John 3:16 -- and the Bible verse is dominating Google Trends. Talk about a symbol of Tebow's influence...

Two Takes on Tebow

If you love Tebow, read this.

If you hate Tebow, read this.

(But, seriously, how can you hate Tebow, beyond hating the IDEA of Tebow? Yes, I'm biased: He is my favorite college football player -- probably my favorite athlete -- of all time. But he really does seem to live up to his ideals; not to be too messianic about it, but he is a once-in-a-lifetime player. I hope he comes back to school, if only because he is the very ideal of a college football player. While he may or may not be an effective pro player on the field, he will continue to be the model pro player off the field.)

Tebow's NFL Potential

Tim Tebow's NFL potential?

Mel Kiper isn't a fan (at least as a QB.)

Matt Hinton asks "Why not?"

MJD says "That's why."

As for me, I think, at worst, he can have an impact with a coach who is willing to go crazy with the Wildcat: Let your "game manager" QB get you to the 15; let Tebow do the rest. At the very least, how about using him innovatively; he doesn't have to take a lot of snaps to have a big impact (see Florida's 2006 national-title season).

At best, I think Tebow can be an NFL starter; don't underestimate the ability of NFL coaches to turn unpolished passers with big size and mobility into NFL starters. As always, it will totally depend on the context he is drafted into -- coach, team around him, etc.

I stand by my prediction that Bill Belichick will draft Tebow, then unleash him. (I wouldn't be surprised if Belichick made it clear through back-channels -- perhaps Beli BFF Urban Meyer -- that the Pats won't let Tebow slide past them in the 1st round.)

BTW: I find Kiper's gold standard of "pure NFL pocket passer" as Matt Stafford to be laughable. Two words: Rex Grossman. I spent all weekend in Atlanta and Stafford came up a lot. Someone tell me how Stafford isn't the next Grossman -- a strong-armed dummy.

Instead of calling Tebow "the next Eric Crouch" (or "next Frank Wycheck" -- where the "W" stands for "WTF?!"), why not call him the next Donovan McNabb?

-- D.S.

UPDATE: WSJ's Allen Barra on Tebow's bonafides -- if not as an NFL player than as arguably the greatest college football player of all time. BTW, for the commenter who said Tebow didn't stack up to Donovan McNabb statistically, you were right: Tebow is actually superior in all the stats you cited -- yards per attempt, passer rating... let's not even count TDs, TD/INT ratio, yards-per-carry, rushing TDs, etc. As good as McNabb was in college, Tebow is -- statistically -- much better.

On Heismans, Vince Young, Tebow AndElements of College Football Immortality

For all the Tebow slobbering I do, it's widely overlooked that I put Vince Young at or very very near the top of my "best CFB player of the last 25 years" list.

(Yes, even ahead of Tommie Frazier, who -- make no mistake -- was awesome. But just about as one-dimensional as you get. And while that '95 Nebraska team was arguably the Greatest Team Ever, it wasn't all because of Frazier. But if you're wondering, yes, I put Frazier in the Top 5.)

But, to reiterate: "Best ever" is derived, more than any other single factor, from mythology. But mythology itself is fairly complex.

The lesson of VY is that mythology isn't made from merely winning the Heisman. The Heisman is a resume item, which folks can break out to make the argument that so-and-so is among the best ever.

But championships matter. Playing big in big games matters. Stats matter... sort of. (You don't remember how many total yards VY had; you do remember that he had 500 yards of offense against USC. You don't remember Tebow's precise totals from last year; you know he was the first-ever to be a "20/20" player.) Which supports the following:

The transcendent talent you can see with your own eyes matters (like VY scoring against USC in the NCG). "Storyline" matters (Tebow's "Promise"; Tebow's handy circumcision work, representative of his larger philanthropical angle; he just won that "most inspirational" award).

Is it fair to credit Tebow with "well, he's already won one national title" in the same way Young has? Hardly. Young carried that UT team in a uniquely spectacular way; to his credit, Tebow was the offensive MVP of that Florida title team, even in limited action. But it's not the same.

I think everyone -- including Tebow -- knows that Tebow needs to be THE guy on a national-title team to truly rise to the top, or even the top tier. Consider how much he has been elevated simply by leading Florida to that comeback win over Bama in the SECCG.

Winning a national title as a freshman (and having a powerful role in it) and becoming the first player ever to win the Heisman as a sophomore opened up never-before-seen possibilities for Tebow this year, especially with a better team around him. From the debacle against Ole Miss to the Promise to the performance after that, the myth is elevated.

If he does win the Heisman -- or, more accurately, if he does win the national title (see the VY Corollary that you don't need to win the Heisman to be immortalized) -- the resume -- no, the mythology -- is stuffed so ridiculously that he elevates into that "Best Ever" conversation almost by default.

Where it gets more intriguing is whether -- realizing that he won't be a first-round NFL pick -- he comes back to Florida for his senior year.

(The NFL, amusingly, doesn't give a crap about college mythology, and the NFL teams that do -- see Vince Young -- usually make a terrible pick; there are exceptions, obviously -- see Barry Sanders -- but among QBs, mythology is almost always a terrible indicator of future NFL success.)

There has been some talk -- wishful thinking, more like it -- on Florida message boards about Tebow, Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes all wanting to come back next year to make a run at real immortality: An unbeaten season (the first in Florida football history) and status as one of the greatest teams of all time. (Hey, it worked for the basketball team.)

If that happens, we're in truly uncharted territory and Tebow has a shot at permanent placement above all the other college football immortals. I don't think it will happen: Spikes is a 1st-rounder, and you don't waste that in football. Harvin is a likely 1st-rounder AND has a history of injuries; he better get into the pros now. Tebow could work his way into the 1st round (I'm convinced Bill Belichick schemes to take him) AND he just lost his mentor, Dan Mullen, AND if he wins the national title, what more can he do? (I think there's a part of him that thinks that leading Florida to an SEC title is already enough.)

Obviously, the notion that Tebow is, already, the greatest college football player ever is premature, at best. (And I'm obviously so biased as to disqualify the entire argument an irrational one.) In fact, it's fairly stupid to discuss it before Jan. 9. But he's already in the discussion -- with your Vince and Tommie and Herschel and Barry and Bush -- as being among the greatest ever. That's a hell of a thing before you've completed 3 full seasons.

It's all about the mythology.

First published here.

Thamel On Tebow: The Definitive Article

The New York Times' Pete Thamel is the best reporter in college football. He was very early on recognizing Urban Meyer's greatness at Utah and has been ahead of the pack with Meyer, Florida and Tebow ever since. This was a tremendous piece on Tebow's preparation. (And the accompanying Q&A is a must-read for all Tebowphiles.)

My Tebow Kid-Naming Existential Crisis Makes It To The New York Times

Did you catch my essay in last week's New York Times' PLAY magazine weekly online edition about the decision-making that goes into weighing whether to name your kid after an athlete?

Call it "Project: Tebow." In addition to your compliments, many of you emailed to wonder why it was so short.

The fact is: They wanted 300 words; I gave them something closer to 500. This was, of course, my own fault -- I should have constructed it for 300 words. Believe me: I always appreciate a good edit, and -- if you look at my essays with them listed on the right -- they give them to me.

That said, I wanted to publish the original, longer version in full, for those of you who wanted to read more on it. Mind you, it's not better; it's just longer. Here you go:

"Timothy Tebow Shanoff" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

In the lead-up to the birth of my son last week, baby names were on the brain – and on the table.

Sports fans are willing to do a lot of irrational things – scream helplessly at the TV, play dress-up in player jerseys. But maybe nothing about this irrationality hits closer to home than the pressure produced when we're naming our children.

It is not like my wife and I were actually going to name our kid after Tim Tebow, our favorite athlete. That would be as ludicrous as naming your kid after, say, Brett Favre. (What was Eric Mangini thinking?)

But for every name put on the table, my instant reaction was usually, "Hmm: Yes, but what athlete will my fellow fans think of first?"

Eli? Great name. But, after this past Super Bowl, I think it will be a wee bit overdone in the greater New York area.

Isiah? If the first thing you thought of was "Isiah Thomas," you will understand why I rejected that name in about 2 seconds.

Nate? Um, you mean like "Newton?"

Noah was a strong contender, though ultimately discarded because my Florida fandom would inevitably lead folks to believe I named him after Gator great Joakim Noah.

So what about Tim? We could do worse. It's a nice name. Tebow is a talented player and, from all accounts, saintly as a person. (I mean, it's not like saddling your kid with an ungainly name like "Peyton," as so many Tennessee fans did back in the 90s.)

For perspective, our first kid is named Gabe. Though it was just a coincidence, it is not without a little pride I connect him to Gabe Kapler. (Could my own son be that rare Jewish Major Leaguer? Probably not: But he can share a name with one!)

Nevertheless, last week, with my wife in labor, we settled on "Jonah." And I think part of that name's appeal for me was that my sports-fan baby-name radar couldn't immediately summon an athlete who shared his name.

(We gave him the middle name Ryan – I couldn't help but think approvingly of Ryan Braun. In the selection process, I will confess it wasn't problematic for me that each of my boys shares a name connection with a Jewish Major Leaguer.)

In the end, "Tim Shanoff" or "Tebow Shanoff" are as fantastical as the idea of my son suiting up for the Gators and winning a Heisman himself. I settled for paying homage by wearing a Tebow T-shirt in the delivery room.

The advice is this: You won't be able to escape the superficial connections between your baby's name and those of star athletes. You can only play your own game – and hope your children make their own name.

Still: During the long nights of Jonah's first week, my sleep-deprived brain couldn't help but hallucinate that "Jonah" is actually an anagram for "J. Noah."

Tim Tebow, Professional Mohel

Yes, I publicly extended an invitation to Tim to perform the circumcision at my son's bris. (And why not?) Deadspin had some fun with that.

Can I REALLY Name My Kid Tim?

Exciting news: Tomorrow Today is Mrs. Quickie's due date to have our second child, another boy.

Rewind to roughly 9 months ago, when the doctor pegged the due date on October 11. Me: "But that's the Florida-LSU game!*"

(* - NOT my reaction. My immediate reaction.)

While there is no guarantee it will happen tomorrow, I am holding on to what I feel is a very medically sound theory that we will be in the delivery room precisely at the start of the 4th quarter of a close game.*

(* - NOT that I will care about the game at that point. Or, let's be honest here: I'll have the game on TiVo and will merely remind the nurses and doctors and various family members not to mention the result until I'm able to get home and watch. And the one upside of labor on a Saturday is plenty of college football to keep both my wife -- and me -- occupied**.)

(** - NOT trying to insinuate that watching college football somehow reduces the pains of labor. But it just might make it go by a little faster and more distractedly. OK: At least for me.)

No, we don't have a name picked out yet. Even now.

Back in the spring of 2006, before the birth of Kid No. 1, there was a running meme in my daily chat on ESPN.com, the Morning Quickie. There was some early discussion that I would name him "Joakim," which -- while awesome -- would make for an awkward bar mitzvah invitation.

Then, there was some discussion that I would pick "Noah" -- same homage to the Gators basketball team, less polarizing. And, in fact, Noah is a fantastic name. It actually made one iteration of our "baby-name short list," until I disqualified it precisely because I didn't want the kid going through life with people THINKING I named him after Joakim Noah.

For Kid No. 1, "Gabe" worked out fine -- and, as an added bonus, there was a modest connection to a notable sports name -- Gabe Kapler (my son Gabe's middle name starts with a "K," so it works out even better). How could I not appreciate the connection to that rarest of men, the major-sport Jewish pro athlete? (And I don't remember the MQ chatters ever guessing it.)

But it's true for this kid, too: Ideas for names came up -- and were discounted (and perhaps even reassured) -- because of a connection to an athlete or name from sports who I happen to dislike (or like). You simply can't help it.

And then there is the mother of all relevant baby-name questions:

Did "Tim" or "Timothy" make the short list?

I cannot possibly name my kid after Tim Tebow, can I? There's no question, as my Deadspin fans like to celebrate: He is my favorite athlete ever. He is a model person. It certainly wouldn't be a terrible choice, and it's actually a fine, normal name (unlike, say, naming your kid "Peyton," as so many in Tennessee did in the mid-1990s.)

But, no, while I won't reveal the top contenders -- though I have received some great suggestions over the past 36 hours, including more than a few guesses it would be "Tim" -- I will reveal that "Timothy" did not make the final cut, either as a first name or a middle name.

(No, "Tebow" did not make the cut for middle name, either. Though I appreciate you thinking it might... and though I'm not quite sure what that says.)

I will, however, offer an open invitation to Tim Tebow to come up for the bris, 8 days after the birth date. (Oh, you know why I want him there: Sure, you could NAME your kid after Tim Tebow, but it's a much better story to have him join the mohel for the circumcision. Tebow might even learn some new tips. Zing!)

Believe me: The Tebow/Shanoff-bris meme will be worked over on the blog between now and the bris itself. I cannot help it. As soon as I heard about Tebow's turn as the missionary mohel (after I knew my wife was pregnant), I knew I was on a collision course with this topic.

Anyway, as much as I would love to update the blog throughout the glorious event -- or via Twitter, or via updated Facebook status (can you imagine: "Dan is...coaching a birth!" Shortly after: "Dan is...facing divorce!"), if you don't see me on the blog in any given moment, that's why.

So: "Tim Shanoff" or "Tebow Shanoff." Ummm, no. But your name suggestions, guesses or advice, via the Comments, are always welcome.

More later (this time uttered with an epic degree of understatement).

UPDATE (Saturday a.m.): No baby yet. Here's another tip on naming your baby, inspired after one commenter suggested "Levi" -- not sure if he was serious or kidding. Here's the tip:

If a potential name is nominated and the first person you can think of who shares that name is a douchebag (ie, Levi Johnston), do NOT give your baby that name.

(Now, in 20 years, we may have forgotten all about Levi Johnston. But for these next few months -- which is the only real time people care about a kid's name, just after they're born -- it's a millstone.)

The Promise

To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, I’m sorry.

I’m extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida has never done here.

I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come out of this.

You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season.

You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.

God bless.

-- Tim Tebow, Sept. 27, 2008

Tebow-Patriots NFL Draft Theory

Among the many interlocking pieces to my conspiracy theory that Tim Tebow will be drafted by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots (Meyer-Belichick love, Kraft-Meyer love, my loathing of Boston sports and the reality that my favorite player going to Boston would be end-all-be-all irony in my lifetime of fandom), there is this original source material from Bill Belichick himself that inspired the whole theory, from an offhand mention in a blog post on November 21, 2007.

Dolphins, Wildcat And Tebow's NFL Future

Because all things have to come back to Tim Tebow...

I was pondering Ronnie Brown's performance on Sunday -- he scored 4 TDs (3 run, 1 pass) from 6 direct-snaps (then added another rushing TD from a standard formation).

(1) I'm wondering if we'll see this pop up as a mini-trend in the NFL. Certainly McFadden and LaDainian can pull it off, as can some other RBs. If it baffles Belichick, it makes sense to try.

(2) I'm wondering if this is suddenly Tim Tebow's place in the NFL. I think he can be an every-down QB, but I appreciate that many of you disagree with me. Let's stipulate to it then.

Isn't it possible that Tebow could be installed as a "red-zone specialist," able to either run it in himself (much like Brown, either between or around the tackles) or make the pass?

Now, I'm not sure how many QBs want to specialize in being a "Between-the-2os" QB, giving up the TDs and red-zone opportunities to another guy. (But Pennington sorta did, right?)

Tebow may not reinvent the QB position -- at least not the full-time QB position. But what if he reinvents the position by turning "Red-Zone QB" into a skill-position of its own? (And imagine his fantasy value...)

Let me throw this theory out there, then we can all laugh and file it away for later: I have long suspected that Bill Belichick wants to draft Tebow, (a) because he's tight with Urban Meyer and (b) because as the consummate Xs and Os guy, Belichick is intrigued by the potential described above. Maybe not every drive that lands inside the 20, but often enough to make a difference.

I suspect that after what Ronnie Brown did to his defense this weekend -- over and over and over again -- Belichick will be even more keen to make a move to somehow acquire Tebow.

(But, cripes, can you imagine if the Patriots drafted Tebow? Oh god: Then I'd have to become a Patriots fan. See: Now I'm sure this is going to happen, if only to provide the maximum schadenfreude for the rest of you.)

Tebow Will NOT Win Heisman in 2008

As promised, the shocking opinion, straight from my Sporting News column this morning:

I do NOT pick Tim Tebow to win the Heisman this season.

In the column, I lay out the reasons (briefly: Tebow Fatigue, Stat Drop-Off, Increased Comp). All together, I just don't see it happening.

HeismanPundit.com (now in partnership with the Orlando Sentinel, in a great move for both) did its preseason straw poll of influential voters -- Tebow won by a slim margin.

Again, I disagree. (I'm sure if we went back, Matt Leinart won the preseason straw poll the season after he won the Heisman. It's even more meaningless than a preseason Top 25.)

That's not to say that I don't think Tebow isn't the best player in college football. Absolutely, I do. But there's a huge difference between that and winning the Heisman.

So, who WILL win the Heisman? I think it will be Ohio State RB Chris "Beanie" Wells. He will be a candidate for 2,000 yards, two dozen TDs and the anchor of an OSU team that will likely end up in the national title game.

(Hmm: What's more shocking -- that I pick against Tebow to win the Heisman in '08? Or that I pick an Ohio State player to win the award?)

The other players I think will end up as finalists in New York will also see their teams spend time up near the top of the polls: Tebow; Chase Daniel, Pat White, Knowshon Moreno -- in that order of finish.

(If Percy Harvin stays healthy, I think he could be Reggie Bush to Tebow's Matt Leinart. But that's a huge "if.")

Regardless, I think Tebow won't repeat. It's fun to consider. He is a one-of-a-kind player -- probably my favorite college football player of all time (not that THAT is a consideration for Heisman-worthiness). He will be in the Heisman mix all season long -- if he can win the Heisman with the Gators going 9-3 in the regular season, what will happen if they go 11-1 or 12-0?

If Tebow didn't win last year, he would be the heavy favorite this year. But he DID win last year -- and that's a big reason why he won't win this year.

"Beanie for Heisman" -- that's a pretty catchy marketing slogan.

Tebow at SEC Media Day: Press Conference

Here is the full transcript. (Scroll down past Urban Meyer for the full version.)

Here was the quote from Tebow I liked the most:

"You know, there's a lot of leaders out there. But, unfortunately, there aren't a lot of good ones. So that's always been my dream and my goal, is to be someone like Danny Wuerful was to me, to be someone that a parent can say, Hey, this kid did it the right way. They can say to their kid, I want you to be like them. That's always been my dream and my goal more so than winning a trophy or winning a championship.

"So if it's cynical or whatnot, that's fine. If people don't believe it, that's fine. There's always going to be naysayers, people that are going to say it's fake. But that's fine because you can't control everybody. But I can control what I do, my attitude, how I approach the situation. So how I approach the situation is I want to do everything in my power that football gives me to influence as many people as I can for the good because that's gonna mean so much more when it's all said and done than just playing football and winning championships."

As great as Tebow is on the field, by all accounts he seems to be an infinitely better and more grounded person off the field, which is remarkable, given the spotlight he is under.

And, I should point out, he only directly mentioned "God" once in a couple thousand words worth of quotes.

This is one of the most fascinating things about Tebow: He is fervently religious. However, either by disposition or design, he does not overwhelm you with it. In fact, when he does mention it -- as he briefly did during the Heisman acceptance speech -- it feels strange.

Pat Dooley on Tebow at SEC Media Day

The column. The money quote:

"From one room to the next went Tebow — a generic TV room, then to the Raycom room, then to an SEC Sports room, then to the print media room. So many stops, so many questions. But after an offseason that saw him travel to the Philippines, Croatia and Thailand, not to mention New York, Fort Worth, Atlantic City and two prisons, he's used to it."

Tim Tebow on Dan Patrick Show

Talking Playboy, SEC Media Day, etc.

"Greatest Player" Debate Continues

The New York Times Quad blog weighs in:

"[It] raises an interesting question: Is Tebow even the best quarterback in the nation – let alone the best player? Can one say that Tebow is the best quarterback in the SEC?"

Yes. And yes. Statistical evidence available shortly.

Meyer: Tebow "Greatest Player of Our Era"

Urban Meyer can be forgiven for saying Tim Tebow is:

"the greatest player of our era."

Sure to provoke argument.

Obviously, I agree, with apologies to Vince Young and Reggie Bush.

Let me put it this way: Tebow eventually will be considered the greatest player of our era. I would put both VY and Bush ahead of him, for now.

(Although if ethics count, Bush falls way behind the pack.)

Tebow Turns Down Playboy A-A Team

Totally consistent with his moral compass -- plus Danny Wuerffel did it, too.