I'm Picking Florida

Update: SEC BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update II: This clip just about made me a full fledged member of the Tim Tebow fan club.



In any other situation I root against the Gators because of my UT Vols background but in the National Championship Game I have to roll with the fellow SEC team. Here are my reasons.

1. Tim Tebow: as much as I hate the cat when we are playing him he is a winner. He has that rare combination of immense physical tools and an uncanny knack for leading his team to victory. I would say I see him as a perfect hybrid of former Texas QBs Major Applewhite and Vince Young. Besides that, he is as big or bigger than all of the Sooner's starting linebackers. Its just hard to bet against the guy.

2. Team speed: Many people misunderstand what it really means for one team to have more team speed than another. They will look and say "well we have recievers and running backs and defensive backs who run fast too". But team speed means TEAM speed. The Florida recievers and running backs are some of the fastest in the country but then again their tight ends are also in the top percentiles in speed at that position in the country. But the speed of the Florida defensive line and linebackers is where I see the key to this game. Many times Oklahoma has been able to use their tight ends effectively because they were bigger and faster than opposing linebackers but I think every one of the starting linebackers for Florida can run with any of Oklahoma's tight ends. The Florida defensive line is fast and emmensly talented. I am going to put my spotlight on #8 Carlos Dunlap defensive end for Florida. Dude is a straight up MONSTER and he hasn't even tapped into his full potential yet. If he has the kind of game I think he is capable of Sam Bradford might not last the whole night.

3. Special Teams. #25 Brandon James is as dangerous as a return man as you will find in the country. Couple that with Oklahoma's problems covering kicks all year and tonight that could spell trouble, trouble.

4. Conference Strength: I personally think that Florida has already played against tougher teams than Oklahoma with their in conference schedule and the SEC Championship Game against Alabama (excepting Alabama's EPIC FAIL in the Sugar Bowl). I think being in those kinds of games and facing that kind of competition week after week will give Florida an edge tonight that Oklahoma simply won't have.

Well thats my case for Florida. Hopefully they won't shit all over themselves like my NFL playoff picks did this past week.

Go Gators!

Screw USC

I am getting pretty sick and tired of people on Tee Vee trying to make the case that USC should be in the National Championship game. Both Oklahoma and Florida beat two teams in the top 15 of the final BCS ratings to get in to the game including wins over teams in the top 5 at the time. USC beat only one of the teams in the final BCS standings during the regular season. Florida's only loss was to a an Ole Miss team that is number 25 in the final standings and they beat the former number 1 team, Alabama, to end the season. Oklahoma's only loss came at the hands of Texas which is then number 3 team in the final rankings. USC lost to Oregon State which isn't even ranked in the top 25 of the final rankings.

Give. Me. A. Break.

Look they had a great season and they won a Rose Bowl game yesterday where Penn State decided to turn the ball over repeatedly. Good for them. But trying to argue that they should be one of the two highest ranked teams in the nation is patently ridiculous. The SEC has 8 teams in bowl games and the Big 12 has 7. The mighty PAC 10 could only manage 5. Next time maybe they should schedule better competition out of conference since the Pac 10 is so weak but other than that they should just STFU and stop trying to detract from the Championship game. Period.

I am as big of a proponent of a playoff system in College Football as anybody but honestly I would give Texas a shot to play the winner of the Orange Bowl before I would USC. And thats real.

Sam Bradford Snags the Trophy

Congratulations to Sam Bradford in winning the Heisman Trophy tonight. But does that spell doom for Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game? Memories of Vince Young's Longhorns upsetting Matt Leinart's Trojans come to mind. But hey thats why they play the game right?


In the interests of full disclosure if I had a vote I personally would have voted for Tim Tebow me being an SEC guy and all. January 8th can't get here fast enough for me!