Like it or not, Tebow is on top
TIM Tebow might have fallen short in his quest to become just the second two-time Heisman Trophy winner, but it was apparent Thursday night who the best player in college football is.
I'm as skeptical as the next guy when praise and adulation are heaped on an athlete by the bushel.
But watching Tebow carry his teammates to Florida's second national championship in three years made me a believer.
I believe Tebow should have won another Heisman Trophy. I believe he is one of the top-three college players ever to play the game.
And I hope he comes back for more.
Before the moaning and groaning from Buckeye Nation gets too loud - 41-14, after all, still is a fresh wound - be honest: Florida's offense is fun to watch.
The Gators are a perfect blend of old- and new-school. They run a resurrected single-wing offense but have the speed and athleticism to make it look anything but antiquated. In fact, it's sheik.
Florida befuddled the Sooners on Thursday night with a play so simple that offensive coordinators around the country can be heard asking "Why didn't we think of that?"
The answer is that there's only one player who can execute it with surgeon-like precision. And that's Tebow.
The play, an option/shovel pass hybrid, attacked Oklahoma's defense on three fronts. The Sooners had to defend tailback Jeff Demps on option pitches and then Tebow on the keeper.
But the genius of offensive coordinator Dan Mullen and the hair-trigger reactions of Tebow were most evident on the third prong of Florida's modified triple option.
Instead of sticking the ball into the belly of a rumbling fullback, Tebow's first option on the play was a shovel pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez.
Florida's speed in the backfield and Tebow's tenacious running style all but rendered Hernandez invisible to Oklahoma defenders.
It was fun to watch, and a treat for college football fans who appreciate flawless execution and creative play-calling. But the play was just one brushstroke in an otherwise national championship masterpiece.
Florida's defense was unlike anything the Sooners had seen all year. The Gators' goal-line stand in the second quarter was proof of that.
Oklahoma netted six yards on four plays, and Chris Brown was stuffed for a two-yard loss on a fourth-and-goal at the Gators' 3-yard line.
The most memorable image to emerge from Miami on Thursday night wasn't the jump-pass from Tebow to receiver David Nelson that clinched the 24-14 win. It was of a chest-thumping Tebow cajoling the pro-Gator crowd to make even more noise following the touchdown.
Tebow's performance forced the Sooners' defense to take notice of his place among the sport's all-time elite.
Selfishly, I hope the rest of us get a chance to do the same next season.
Copyright (c)2009 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
Spikes: The best athletes in the Big 12 don't play defense
Once again, the overriding theme of this BCS Championship Game: Are the Big 12 offenses that good? Or are the Big 12 defenses that bad?
It was a popular question at Saturday morning's press conferences, which was conducted with players and coaches from Oklahoma's offense and Florida's defense.
Florida middle linebacker Brandon Spikes has a theory about Oklahoma becoming the first team since 1904 to score 700 points in a season:
In the Big 12, all of the best athletes play on offense, he said. The defenses are a bit, um, lacking.
"I ain't want to say nothing crazy, but I notice that they're kind of a step slower," Spikes said. "The more athletic player, he's mostly on offense in the Big 12. That's the way I look at it."
But in the SEC, Spikes said, the best athletes are split between offense and defense.
"They could probably go over to the offense, play a little slot, play a little tight end," Spikes said, referring to players like DE Jermaine Cunningham or any of the speedy cornerbacks. "It will be different for (Oklahoma) when they see the speed of our defense and our athletic abilities."
The statistics say Spikes has a point.
Big 12's offenses were fantastic, with seven of them ranked in the top 20 in the nation in points scored.
And the defenses were fairly horrendous - from a pure numbers standpoint - with 11 of the teams ranked between Nos. 57-114 in points allowed.
No. 7 Texas Tech certainly supported Spikes' theory. The Red Raiders were undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country until the end of November, with quarterback Graham Harrell a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
But they were put in their place yesterday by No. 25 Ole Miss (9-4) in the Cotton Bowl. Harrell had the big stats - 364 yards, four touchdowns - but the Rebs still dominated, 47-34.
Ole Miss' win in Tech's backyard certainly bumps the SEC's stock, and eases a bit of the sting from Florida's 31-30 loss back to the Rebs in September. And Oklahoma State's (9-4) loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl didn't help matters for the Big 12.
At the end of Saturday morning's media conference, Spikes was asked what will the BCS game come down to at the end?
"I feel like whoever has the better defense will win this game," he said.
Then the obvious follow-up: Who has the better defense?
"Florida."
Copyright 2009 The Palm Beach Post
Holt puts a jolt in USC's defense
LOS ANGELES -- Nick Holt says, yes, he wants to be a head coach again someday.
Why that day is not "today" is not particularly clear.
As college football devolves into a sprint-relay race, with quarterbacks throwing to any of five receivers against 11 defenders who are allergic to contact, Holt carries the torch for defense at USC.
His guys tackle on Saturday. That's because they also tackle on all other days ending in "y."
"It gets a little boring some days because we're doing the same drills, and he's saying the same things," linebacker Clay Matthews, an Agoura High graduate, said. "Square your shoulders. Wrap up. Drive. We do it every day.
And rightfully so. It makes a difference when we play."
"You better tackle every day if you want to be successful," said Holt, whose conversational style can only be described as hydroelectric. "I have to make sure I bring the same intensity to practice every day. If I'm dragging on a certain day, I have to tell myself, 'Hey, let's go, the guys out there are counting on me.'
"Do the guys moan about it? It doesn't matter. We're going to do it. I firmly believe fundamentals are the reason we've done what we've done."
What they have done on defense, considering the times in which they have done it, is fairly startling.
In a year when 10 major college teams averaged more than 300 yards passing, no one passed for more than 179 yards on the Trojans. Only Stanford managed an 80-yard touchdown drive. Just 15 times did USC allow a drive of 50 yards or more.
Just three opponents averaged more than 4 yards per play.
And USC's average of 7.8 points allowed is the best by anybody in 20 years (Auburn, 1988).
Holt's defense led the country in total defense, pass defense, scoring defense and pass efficiency defense.
But you don't see Holt interviewing for jobs, even though he was Idaho's coach for two years. He was 5-18 there, but Gene Chizik won five games in two years at Iowa State and used that as a springboard for the Auburn job.
One reason is USC's defense is so closely identified with coach Pete Carroll, who was the de facto coordinator until Holt came from Idaho in 2006. The theories might still be Carroll's, but the lead voice at Howard Jones Field is Holt's.
"Our philosophy is built on not letting anybody behind you," Holt said. "You're disciplined, and you don't miss tackles. And then you pressure the quarterback and force turnovers."
Sounds easy if you have 15 guys - or if your 11 consist of Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Fili Moala, Taylor Mays ...
It should be noted USC didn't face full-blown spreads on its schedule. Penn State, in the Rose Bowl, is a different deal.
Still, no one has yet devised a system that exempts an offense from blocking. And no one has yet blocked USC.
Holt readily admits he's a creature of networking, like all coaches. He was a linebacker at Pacific, and his position coach was Carroll, a UOP grad himself.
Wayne Nunnely was also on the UOP staff. When he became the coach at UNLV, he hired Holt as a grad assistant, and Holt spent three years there and then eight at Idaho, as an assistant.
While he was there he got married to the women's basketball coach. Julie Holt was already the winningest coach at Gonzaga when she got to Idaho.
"She was very big there," Holt said. "It's been good because we can relate to things, how to handle situations. I've learned a lot from her."
When John L. Smith took the head coaching job at Louisville and brought Nick along, Julie suspended her career, after lots of family reassessing.
Holt was there for three years. Carroll brought him to USC in 2001 for three more years, but then Idaho called.
"You don't get to be a head coach that often," Holt said. "We didn't have enough money to really get the academic program right. Our recruiting budget wasn't always competitive. Yeah, I had to devote a lot of time to stuff like that. Still, it was a great experience."
Holt returned to USC. Julie, who coached at L.A. Harbor College the first time they were here, now runs AAU teams.
"He's the same every day, and we mimic a lot of his sayings," Matthews said. "But, off the field, he's having several guys over to their house for Christmas. He cares about us."
Holt is a Type AAAA guy, not really prone to ambivalence or equivocation. In five seconds you would guess he's a football coach if you knew nothing else about him.
You just don't know why Holt isn't a head football coach. The Rose Bowl could be one more brick in the resume.
(c)2008 The E.W. Scripps Co
Florida State to wear track spikes in the Champs Sports Bowl?
I've remained somewhat apprehensive about this bowl game. Will Florida State be motivated? Will Chuck Amato watch enough film? Will Wisconsin pound the 'Noles on the ground? I'm not sure about those, but I've found something that leads me to believe that the Noles will run for 300 yards on Wisconsin.
Also, we came close to beating Pitt last night. TrueCubbie did an amazing job with the game thread.
Inside, I will discuss my findings.
To get where I am going with this, you need to first understand a few things. First, our offensive line isn't good enough to consistently run against 8 man fronts-- yet. Second, the bubble screen is not a base play in our offense. Rather, it is a constraint play. SmartFootball.blogspot has an excellent piece on this. Essentially, it is a tool to make sure that the offense plays 7 in the box and not 8. If the defense cheats, we throw the bubble to keep them honest.
The problem then is when a team could stop the 'Noles run with only 7 in the box. Yes, I am beginning to think our OLine is not as good as some believed (including myself). Who could do that? Teams with big front 7's (the defensive line and linebackers).
Boston College 1918lbs, 23 rushes, 82 yards. This one is obvious. Our receiving tight end- sized line couldn't muster any push against these guys. The bubble was useless as BC did not need to cheat to stop the run. They are huge and thankfully their two all-world tackles are graduating.
Wake 1838lbs, 27 rushes for 103 yards. Wake surprised me. They are pretty big. They were able to play the bubble straight up, which worked very well.
Florida 1835lbs, 29 rushes for 137 Big and supremely talented, our rushing success came primarily in garbage time.
Miami 1785lbs, 54 rushes, 281 yards. There is a pretty big drop off from UF to Miami (55lbs). Remember here that our rushing success came primarily on reverses and Ponder running, most of which was a result of Miami's idiotic plan to defense our attack. We bubbled them to death when they went 8 or 9 in the box.
Georgia Tech 1772lbs (I think they were lighter because of major injuries, correct?). 31 rushes, 228 yards. Remember that GTech was missing 2 key linebackers and a safety. Still, this is a big drop in weight from the 3 schools over 1835lbs.
Virginia Tech 1766lbs, 34 rushes, 123 yards. Poor numbers. Explanation? Yes. VT played 8 in the box and manned up on our wide receivers. If you're puzzled, remember what happened: the only thing open was the deep ball. They saturated the running lanes and pressed out men.
Clemson 1760lbs, 34 rushes, 281 yards Light front 7? Check. Depending solely on speed to stop the run? Check. Cutbacks? Check.
NC State 1757lbs, 42 rushes, 162 yards These numbers aren't amazing, but much of this game was us trying to control the clock while battling holding penalties. Light front 7? Check. Depending solely on speed to stop the run? Check. Cutbacks? Check.
Maryland 1755lbs, 41 rushes, 172 yards Maryland struggled all game in choosing to defend the bubble or the run.
Colorado 1755lbs, 45 rushes, 259 yards The smallest front we played AND they decided to stop the bubble. Running wild was the obvious result.
There are actually two ways to stop FSU's running game and not get burned by the bubble:
The first is to have a big, disciplined front 7, that is difficult to cut block. One that takes good angles and doesn't allow cutbacks. This allows teams to play straight upon the receivers.
Play 8 in the box and play zero coverage-press man against each receiver. Virginia Tech did this and they were eventually burned deep. This requires excellent athletes and a lot of guys. Our offense really performs well when the opposing team is based on speed and has to beat blockers based on speed and not power. Our agile linemen handle them fine (in run blocking) and reroute them out of the running lane. Our OLine really lacks strength right now, however, and they struggle against big front 7's.
So, does Wisconsin have the ability to do either? Uh... You decide.
Wisconsin had the 2nd worst rushing defense in the Big 10.
Wisconsin just lost their best linebacker (yesterday), Senior middle linebacker Casillas.
Their front 7's combined weight?
1710lbs. Their linebackers? Undisciplined.
Seminoles take your marks...
Copyright 2008 Sportsblogs, Inc
Andrews was more than impressive replacing Croft
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Replacing a seasoned quarterback is never an easy task. The pressure is immense, the expectations to match or surpass the predecessor is always present.
There's no hiding from the scrutiny or comparisons.
And the pressure is multiplied when it comes to replacing the quarterback of a state championship team.
C.J. Croft was a seasoned veteran who possessed an accurate arm and an ability to pick apart a secondary. For three years, Croft directed a Fort Campbell offense blessed with quick and agile playmakers, and he was an expert when it came to putting the ball in their hands.
His unofficial motto: Find a receiver and watch them work.
Croft's experience in last year's 2A state championship game against Newport Central Catholic was the ultimate payoff for someone who believed in Fort Campbell's offensive thought process.
Replacing Croft wouldn't be easy. At least that's what most thought.
Croft took his rocket arm to Hanover College, forcing the Falcons to scramble for the heir replacement.
Exit Croft, enter Antonio Andrews.
The 6-foot, 175-pound junior didn't disappoint.
Andrews is compiling numbers on a record pace. Heading into Saturday's Kentucky Class 2A state championship, Andrews had 3,160 total yards and 46 touchdowns.
Add four touchdowns to that total. Add 368 additional yards to his total yards.
Andrews left an impression on everyone at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium when he accounted for all of the Falcons' scores, and all but 33 of Fort Campbell's 401 total yards in a 26-23 win over Newport Central Catholic.
Andrews ran for touchdowns of 1 and 13 yards, he tossed an 81-yard TD pass and was on the receiving end of Fort Campbell's game-winning 59-yard touchdown pass.
"Antonio has exceeded all expectations this year," Falcons coach Shawn Berner said. "He's a wonderful kid on the field. You look at his numbers and you see what a first-year quarterback has done, and the leadership that he's brought to this team.
"You can't really put it into words what he's done for this football team."
It's even more difficult to adequately illustrate Andrews' poise. Working out of the shotgun, Andrews is a multi-threat quarterback capable of making a good defense look bad, and a bad defense wish they had never heard his name.
Andrews is humble, always quick to credit the offensive line. He rarely makes a mistake, but is quick to recover when he does.
Before the season began, few outside Fort Campbell's football program knew about Andrews.
Heading into next season, he will be a Mr. Football candidate.
Now that's an impressive debut.
Copyright (c)2008 The Leaf Chronicle
Jackson banking on fan support in SEC title game
The last time Kareem Jackson returned to his home state for a football game, his reception wasn't entirely warm.
The Macon native was a bit outnumbered by Georgia fans when his Alabama Crimson Tide arrived in Athens for a game in September and left with an impressive 41-30 win.
The sophomore defensive back makes his return trip to Georgia today when the Tide take on Florida with a trip to the BCS national championship game on the line. This time, the former Westside standout said he expects a few more cheers from the local fans.
"I would hope they would be pulling for me," Jackson said. "I know that Georgia game, they were all on me, but there's a few Alabama fans there."
Jackson and the Tide will need all the help they can get when they take the field against the red-hot Gators, who have been favored by as many as 10 points in the SEC championship game, despite Alabama's status as the No. 1 team in the country.
While Florida may be the favorite, the Tide have come a long way to get to this point.
Last season, Alabama began the year 6-2 but dropped its final four regular-season games and narrowly edged Colorado in its bowl game.
It was the first year under head coach Nick Saban, and Jackson said it took the team a full season to get acquainted with the new coaching staff's style.
"Everybody's kind of bought into the system," Jackson said. "We know what we have to do, and it makes us a lot easier to understand and focus on the little things. We've got a lot more leaders this year than last year, and that was a big difference."
Last season was Jackson's first at Alabama, too, and as the rest of his teammates have blossomed in their second year under Saban, Jackson said his game has grown by leaps and bounds.
Jackson has started all 12 games this season, finishing with 39 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception.
"I think my game has improved a lot, but I still have a lot to learn," Jackson said. "I'm just focusing on the little things, my technique and stuff. But from last year to this year, I think I've gotten a lot better."
Fundamentals will be key to stopping Florida's big-play attack, Jackson said.
The Gators have scored at least 30 points in all but one game this season and have averaged nearly 54 points during their past seven games.
Alabama's defense, on the other hand, is among the best in the nation, having held opponents scoreless in two of its past four games. The Tide rank third in the nation and lead the SEC in scoring defense, playing a tough, physical style designed to win battles at the line of scrimmage.
"Being physical is the main thing we do and one of those things that we strive on playing defense under Coach Saban," Jackson said. "We know that's going to play a big part in this game. We're going to have to come out and hit them in the mouth and try to score on defense, too."
That has been Alabama's formula for success all season, and Jackson said he thinks his defense is ready to slow down one of the nation's most dangerous offensive attacks. If it can, a trip to Miami and a chance at college football's ultimate prize awaits.
Jackson said he has thought about enormity of what's at stake in today's game, but he hasn't let the Tide's potential trip to the national championship game change his perspective.
"It's just another game on the schedule is how we're trying to look at it," Jackson said. "We just need to go out there and take care of business."
macon.com
Lane Kiffin Introduced as Tennessee's 21st Coach
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Lane Kiffin, the former coach of the NFL Oakland Raiders, is the new coach of Tennessee.
Kiffin becomes the school's 21st coach, but only the third in the last 32 years. His selection comes after "the first national search for a football coach in University of Tennessee history," athletic director Mike Hamilton said.
He takes over the Volunteers two days after Phillip Fulmer's 17-season tenure ended with a win over Kentucky. Kiffin will start at $2 million annually, plus bonuses, under a six-year contract.
Kiffin was the youngest coach in the NFL's modern history when hired to lead the Oakland Raiders in January 2007 at age 31 after spending two seasons as Southern California's recruiting and offensive coordinator.
Copyright (c)2008, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All rights reserved
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