Alligator Army

The Xavier Game Just Got Real, Son

2010-02-08T20:36:33Z

A quick look at Joe Lunardi's Bracketology and you will find the SEC getting five teams, with the fifth your Florida Gators. To me, it seems Lunardi is very favorable to the Gators, putting them in the Jacksonville pod as a 10 seed. Lunardi, who is like a savant on these things, has the Gators facing a seventh seeded Xavier.

With a month remaining in the regular season, now is the right time to seriously start assessing the Gators' chances to dance. At 17-6, and 6-3 in a decent league, the next eight games will have a huge swing on what happens for UF. Defeating a frisky South Carolina on the road Wednesday will be big. But defeating Xavier, who has a better RPI than UF but is 3-5 in road games, will be just as big.

The selection committee will not judge UF's regular season finish as much as their SEC Tournament finish, since UF has to prove they can play in tournament mode. The out-of-conference games though will provide tiebreakers, especially if usual heavyweights like UConn and UNC make conference tourney runs. The Gators also have to worry about the monster Big East getting eight of 16 teams in, including the suddenly good USF Bulls.

Florida has been moving up lately, but it can still go either way. After this week, UF finishes with four of six games against likely tournament teams (at Ole Miss and UK; home vs. UT and Vandy). Losing all four of those games could kill the Gators. Winning them might clinch a dance spot. But they have to start winning now to prevent any Selection Day surprises.

Alligator Army Off-Topic: The Return Of The Peyton Manning Face!

2010-02-08T05:37:46Z

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The Peyton Manning Face became famous thanks to Bill Simmons, but Florida Gator fans knew much earlier about the half shocked/half trying to take a dump face that Pey-Pey would use in high pressure moments. The face made its triumphant return Sunday night as Tracy Porter's pick six put the New Orleans Saints up for good, winning Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 against the Indianapolis Colts. (Note: I accurately picked the score, but had the teams wrong. Also, Timmy C won a lovely sum of money in his Super Bowl boxes pool.)

In my preview, I neglected to mention another reason why Gators fans should root for the Saints; Danny Wuerffel was a Saint and is one of many saving New Orleans. (Instead of becoming the public face of a right wing political organization trying to become mainstream.) It was absolutely hilarious watching Porter take it to the house and thinking that somewhere Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier were probably smiling. Almost as nice was Da U's Reggie Wayne becoming scared of contact and turning into a bum. Wayne was targeted 11 times and only caught five passes for 46 yards.

The finale was just as hilarious; Manning running off the field, not shaking Drew Brees' or Sean Payton's hand, and showing that once you are a classless Tennessee Vol, you are always a classless Tennessee Vol. I hope Manning and Phil Fulmer can get over another loss with a few doughnuts while watching Citrus Bowl highlights. Oh, and FSU is officially giving up 12 football wins and a track National Championship. HOORAY!

Alligator Army Off-Topic: Super Bowl Pick And What I Want To See

2010-02-07T14:00:20Z

I think I am like a lot of football fans in that I think the Colts will defeat the Saints easily, but I will be rooting hard for the Saints.

The Colts did not lose a game this season in which they tried. The Saints lost to my beloved 3-13 Buccaneers and no team that has lost to the Bucs has won a Super Bowl in that same season. The Colts have Peyton Manning, who'd take a sack over throwing into traffic. The Saints are here because of Brett Favre, who thinks it is no big deal to roll right and throw across the middle. (I love Percy Harvin, but I was ecstatic when Favre threw that pick. My hatred for Favre runs deep.)

As much as I like Manning as a quarterback, he is still in orange and white in my mind. The Sports Illustrated cover of him wrestling an alligator, in addition to the covers of Danny Wuerffel after defeating Manning and this season preview cover, made him Public Enemy Number One for this young Gator fan. Looking at Sunday, Manning faces Bobby McCray, whose years in Gainesville overlapped with mine. Plus, how can I root against the guy who made it his personal mission to take out Favre? (Favre will always be a Packer to me. I never understood how a Bucs fan could root for him. I justify rooting for the Saints because division rivals Falcons and Panthers are so trashy they make Saints fans look like the Kennedys.)

For me, it goes beyond a Florida-Tennessee connection, or even rooting for the NFC over the AFC. I am a huge sucker for New Orleans. An ex-girlfriend's family was from New Orleans and when I visited in 2006, I fell in love with the town. I own a New Orleans Breakers USFL shirt and my primary fantasy football team has been the New Orleans "blank" since 2005. (The name is always a connection to post-Katrina; Refugees, Revival, Rebirths, Renewal, Recovery.) New Orleans is not for everyone. If you're one of those people who constantly worries about dark shadows or does not drink in dingy bars, it's not for you.

New Orleans is also one of the most important cities in American history. Its place on the Mississippi River made it the crown jewel of the Louisiana Purchase and one of the most important cities of the new United States. When the British tried to invade New Orleans at the close of the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson rallied the city's whites and blacks to join the outnumbered US Army and repel the British. It was a base for the slave trade, but was not destroyed by the Union Army in the Civil War, unlike other major Southern cities. It has always struggled with race relations and they only killed Jim Crow so they could get the NFL. It was the birthplace of Louis Armstrong's jazz and Tennessee Williams' writing. The music inspired by New Orleans, in every decade, has been fantastic.

New Orleans, for good and bad, moves at its own pace. That's the reason for their corruption and terrible roads and schools. But that pace is what inspired their culture and forged the personalities of the natives. A lot of Southern cities have had their heritage ruined by Sun Belt growth and cookie cutter homes like in Atlanta, Houston and Tampa. New Orleans remains in a water surrounded bubble, with the River, the Lake and the Gulf keeping in the culture and keeping out a whitewash.

All that history, triumph, tragedy, and not one athletic championship of worth. It was only Saturday when they got their first Hall of Famer. Maybe that all changes today, and sometimes the Super Bowl gives us incredible upsets. But, more often, it gives us blowouts.

The pick: Indianapolis Colts 31 - New Orleans Saints 17

What I want to see: New Orleans Saints 30 - Indianapolis Colts 24 (overtime)

As for our boy Timothy, he will be in your television a few times Sunday. I just hope his advocacy work helps his draft stock. He's going to need a big NFL salary to fund his foundation.

Vernon Macklin Becomes A Gator; Florida Defeats Mississippi St. 69-62

2010-02-06T21:40:19Z

The Florida Gators defeated Mississippi State Saturday afternoon, 69-62. After starting the second half down two points, Vernon Macklin took over, scoring the next ten Gator points, finishing with 20 and six rebounds. It was probably Macklin's best game as a Gator.

Macklin was also active on defense. While Miss State's Jarvis Varnado got 16 points, it was on 6-16 shooting, as Macklin did a very good job of harassing Varnado into poor shots. Varnado could have made the difference for the Bulldogs (16-7, 4-4 SEC), but he got no help outside of guards Ravern Johnson (20pts) and Barry Stewart (12pts). The rest of State scored a combined 14 points.

The Gators (17-6, 6-3) once again outrebounded their opponents, as they have done in all of their SEC victories. Chandler Parsons again showed he is the most reliable player for the Gators, pulling a double-double (18pts, 12reb, 6ast). Macklin and Parsons were desperately needed as Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker and Alex Tyus shot a combined 7-35 from the field. The 10 bench points were a huge help and might have provided the difference. Both teams looked fatigued, especially near the end of each half.

Florida's next game is Wednesday at South Carolina.

Gator Basketball vs. Mississippi State

2010-02-06T06:42:33Z

Mark Humphrey - AP

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Florida has to win the games they are supposed to win. Their nail biter Thursday at Alabama was one of those, even if it took more last second heroics. Saturday is another game the Gators (16-6, 5-3 SEC) are supposed to win, as Mississippi State (16-6, 4-3) comes to Gainesville.

Miss State has been exactly that lately, missing shots. In seven SEC games, the Bulldogs are shooting 38%. In their 75-72 loss at Vandy on Wednesday, they shot an incredible 9-34 from three-point range. Miss State gets credit for a late second half surge to make it a game, but it followed a six minute stretch with only two buckets. The Bulldogs are still led by Jarvis Varnado (13ppg, 11rpg), but this is not the team that was ranked to start the season. They have also lost their last three road games.

The Gators have won five of six games after starting the SEC season. Chandler Parsons and the backcourt of Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker have been impressive over this stretch. But Alex Tyus has also been playing well, averaging 16 points in the last six games. Tyus rebounding has gotten better in SEC play, despite the presence of Vernon Macklin. If there is one huge disappointment this season, it has been the stagnation of Macklin's growth. 22 games is enough time to shake off the rust of missing a year. But Tyus still benefits, because Macklin's presence means Tyus can step out for a jumper or rebound against the opponent's power forward, not center.

Saturday's game sets up an interesting week for the Gators. Mississippi State is no slouch, but they are 3-4 in road games this season. On Wednesday, UF faces South Carolina in Columbia, where the mighty John Walls lost. After that, it's home for Xavier. Miss State is a game UF is supposed to win and the other two are games that NCAA tournament teams win.

Dominique Easley On Tape

2010-02-05T21:10:44Z

First, a highlight package courtesy of the Under Armour All-America Game. However, no clip of him saying, "In ninth grade I realized I liked hitting people."

From National Signing Day, a very good interview with Easley from SNY.

Gators Escape From Tuscaloosa

2010-02-05T05:02:27Z

Thursday, Chandler Parsons got the night off as Erving Walker was the hero in Florida's 66-65 victory over Alabama. The Gators (16-6, 5-3 SEC) fought back a very game Alabama (13-9, 3-5) and took a four point lead into the final two minutes of the game. Alabama rallied with five straight points to take a 65-64 lead. Walker missed his first chance to take the lead, but Kenny Boynton saved him with a huge rebound. Walker made his second shot and Florida's defense held back Bama's last gasp.

Walker finished with 16 points and four rebounds, Boynton had 15 points and six rebounds, while Alex Tyus led UF with 19 points and seven boards. The Gators shot 50% as a team and had 21 second chance points. As well as UF as played since starting SEC play 0-2, they do have one huge problem; no bench. The un-holy trinity of Ray Shipman, Erik Murphy and Dan Werner combined for two points.

Florida plays Mississippi State Saturday in Gainesville.

Gator Basketball @ Alabama

2010-02-04T21:48:49Z

The Gators challenge tonight is more than just winning on the road. But the Gators (15-6, 4-3 SEC) have to figh off the hangover of losing by one point at Tennessee.

Alabama (13-8, 3-4) plays stout defense but does not have the offense to match the Gators. Rebuilding with former UF assistant Anthony Grant, Bama is recovering after their own one point loss to Auburn. JaMychal Green is averaging 15 points and 7 boards, and will cause problems for Vernon "I can't rebound" Macklin and Alex Tyus. Mikhail Torrance is a bigger guard (6-foot-5), but Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton can still get their points.

Co-Defensive Coordinator George Edwards To Buffalo

2010-02-04T19:05:11Z

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that recently hired co-defensive coordinator George Edwards will go to the Buffalo Bills. Edwards did not even last a month in Gainesville. ~~Urban Meyer will have to push back his vacation~~ Steve Addazio will begin the charge to hire at least a new linebackers coach. UF could promote co-defensive coordinator Chuck Heater to full coordinator.

Tim Tebow The Preacher

2010-02-04T17:15:40Z

Tim Tebow's father asked for a preacher and now he has one.

Today, Tebow appeared with President Barack Obama, Uncle Joe Biden, Secretary Hillary Clinton and BCS-buster Senator Orrin Hatch, among others at the National Prayer Breakfast. The President did not mention Tebow in his remarks, but Tebow did give the closing prayer. It also made at least a few Redskins fans wonder if Tebow would like playing in the District.

That was the second such event for Tebow this week. Following Tebow's Senior Bowl appearance, he was in West Virginia, speaking at the Big Atlantic Classic Tip-Off Banquet. There he spoke about the need for students to continue to follow their dreams and take action on them. He also snuck in some sarcastic comments about what NFL scouts have been saying about him.

Of course Tebow's big day will be Sunday, when his Focus On The Family airs during the Super Bowl. Not only has it introduced Tebow to a whole segment of the population, but that segment doesn't exactly like him either. First, there was the expected backlash from women's and gay groups (since Focus On The Family's favorite target after legalized abortion supporters are teh gheys). Then, Sarah Palin inserts herself into the crap storm. That was followed by people accusing Tebow's mother of lying. (The heavily Catholic Philippines has always banned abortion, in any form. The accusation is that Tebow's mother would not have been offered an abortion, making the commercial a sham. This ignores the fact that abortions are always accessible in the Philippines, especially to rich people.) Planned Parenthood followed by creating an ad to counter Tebow's, but will never get near your television. Tebow's ad even got a mention at media day, as Saints LB Scott Fujita (who came out in favor of gay marriage), was asked about the commercial. (If you're worried about catching teh ghey, don't click that link. It goes to The Advocate.)

Oh yeah, and Tebow's still preparing for the NFL Draft. No big deal.

Split Decisions

2010-02-04T15:33:32Z

It was not a clean sweep, as Rivals gave USC the top class, with Florida getting ESPN and Scout's top classes. If you take the average of each player, USC wins, as they had less scholarships to give out. (But if that was the case, why isn't Texas and their 25 signees higher than UF?) However, their big prize is not yet a notch on Lane Kiffin's bed post;

Seantrel Henderson, the highly recruited offensive lineman who announced Wednesday that he was going to Southern California, has not signed a letter of intent to play for the Trojans.

According to Henderson’s father, Sean, he will wait until U.S.C. appears before an N.C.A.A. infractions committee from Feb. 19-21 to hear about possible sanctions for the program before deciding whether to sign the letter. Though the Trojans are not likely to hear about any possible sanctions at that time, Sean Henderson said the hearing would give the family a sense of where the process was headed.

Henderson's decision is just another pile of crap thrown at USC. With Ed Orgeron calling Tennessee recruits who had registered for classes, Monte Kiffin harassing Georgia commitments and USC basketball under sanctions (remember, football was supposed to be penalized but USC did not do that), Henderson would be walking into a crap storm.

You could make the case that Texas and Tennessee had better classes than UF. Texas was coolly efficient, pulling in all 25 of their targets, including DE Jackson Jeffcoat and LB Jordan Hicks. They also have two QBs in their class, one of whom is Colt McCoy's brother.

[Tangent: Why do people freak out over Meyer's leave of absence, but not about Mack Brown anointing Will Muschamp coach in waiting? And what about Joker Phillips following Rich Brooks at Kentucky? I'm not saying anything like Brown will retire tomorrow, but this isn't like a lame duck President and the VP running for President. Brown could leave whenever he wants. Of course, Texas' success is a sign of how stable Brown is. As well as Texas has handled their eventual transition of power, there's the opposite of FSU trustees kneecapping Bobby Bowden and starting Jimbo's Flying Circus.]

Tennessee's well rounded day was more impressive when you realize that head coach Derek Dooley just hired his defensive coordinator. With a short staff, Tennessee went for quanity, pulling in zero 5-stars, but 10 ESPN 4-stars and four JuCo players. One of those JuCo's, Phil Simms' son Matt, could start for the Vols next season. With Simms and 4-star QB Tyler Bray, Dooley fills the Vols most urgent need.

Gators' Signing Day: The Rich Get Richer

2010-02-03T22:30:17Z

More photos » Dave Martin - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Florida finished their signing day with the max of 28 players, with the overwhelming majority of their consensus Number One class coming before today. The pickups of WR Adrian Coxson, OL Chaz Green and LB Darrin Kitchens was just as huge as not losing any of their previous 25 verbal declarations. Demar Dorsey was lost previously, but that was due to Florida's deep secondary as much as it was Dorsey's own decision.

On ESPNU this afternoon, Urban Meyer said that he will "step away" starting tomorrow, but he will be with the team next season. Think about that when you consider how good this class could be in the future. Meyer sold himself as all coaches do. But he had to sell the university, in case he has a serious health issue during that player's career at UF. The Class of 2010 could be a dud, as is the risk of all classes, but they came for The Glory of The Florida Gators, not Urban. If a kid only wanted to go to Florida because of the coach, or because they wanted a pretty weight room, Meyer did not want them. Give Meyer credit for knowing this. He had to sell the program, more so than himself. The concern of Meyer staying at UF for more than the next five years is legitimate. But, if that happens, he will leave athletes who came to Florida for the program, not the guy in charge.

Meyer is very excited (well, as excited as he gets) about UF's defensive recruits. UF's top six guys are all on defense. With Ronald Powell, Dominique "I realized in 9th grade I like hitting people" Easley, Sharrif Floyd, Leon "Hurricane" Orr, Michael Taylor (who it sounds like recruited UF, not the other way around), and Lynden Trail, the Gators have a brand new defensive front. And that's not including DBs like Jordan Haden (is "lock down corner" a genetic trait?) and Matt Elam. Defense wins championships and with Johnny Brantley slinging it, Florida can compete for a National Championship starting in 2011.

Yes, while the rich got richer today, no class is good enough to win immediately. Billy Donovan's Oh Fours needed two seasons and Urban's Class of 06 needed three and got an assist as freshmen. But the epicness of this class puts the 2010 SEC East in play. Tennessee did a very good job today, while Georgia got screwed on some battles with FSU. Maybe this is the homer in me, but Florida has to be the division favorite in 2010. And if you get to Atlanta, anything can happen. One of these years, UF will lose again to FSU, Georgia, Kentucky or Tennessee. But this class might just push that day further into the future. It's sort of like making a long term investment. You know the cycle goes up and down and you just hope it finishes up.

Urban Meyer Press Conference Live Blog

2010-02-03T21:10:43Z

[Update] Fin. Urban spoke for about 30 minutes.

[Update] Jordan Reed moves to tight end, making Johnny Brantley and Tyler Murphy as the two QBs. Says kids will pick the schools with the greenest grass, prettiest girls and biggest stadium, but Florida doesn't want those guys. (Wait, that's why I went to UF.) Wants kids who come to UF for whole package.

[Update] Urban is still vague on his leave of absence/vacation, but says Steve Addazio will run day-to-day operations, at some point. It sounds like when the President has to get elective surgery and allows the Vice President to man the wheel.

[Update] Says they got Chaz Green because they had a need at OL. I TOLD YOU!

[Update] Urban talking about Florida's academics makes my cold heart warm.

[Update] Jeremy Fowler points out there are zero Orlando area kids in this class. But four Tampa market kids! TAMPAAAAA!!!!! BAYYYYY!!!!! Also, UF got nine from South Florida.

[Update] Calls Florida a "brand name", in part to the reach of UF's coaches, relationship wise. With Meyer's leave/vacation, the idea of Florida Football was a big deal to get in this class.

[Update] Says Matt Elam's future is a safety, but could be a Wildcat back. Reporter asks Urban about Todd McShay's douche show on ESPNU and Meyer responds by talking about Elam and saying that matters, not "that other stuff."

[Update] Urban calling Powell, "Ron" sounds like the best ATH in the nation is an insurance salesman. We need a nickname for him.

[Update] Urban references the 2006 class when talking about the togetherness of this class. Powell and Easley also talked about doing something special at UF.

[Update] Urban cites background checks and working with smart families as to how they ke pt class together, despite Meyer health issues.

[Update] And we're back to the audio feed (which is about 2 mins behind. Hooray.), Urban says Powell is one of the best he has seen and the defense is one of the best.

[Update] Urban on negative recruiting, "There were fires being put out ."

[Update] Urban says Ronald Powell will catch passes. And yes, AM850 had to cut off the audio. Apparently Gatorzone has the same media ownership rights as the NFL.

WOOOOO!!!!! Live blog baby! We are listening in to the Urban Meyer signing day press conference because we are too cheap to pay for Gatorzone TV. Stick with us for sarcastic comments.

Alligator Army Recruiting Big Board

2010-02-03T05:17:10Z

[Update] Ronald Powell says on ESPNU he could play redzone TE and DE. Powell has a chance to be the best athlete at UF ever. In my time, my top-5 UF athletes would be Harvin, Cornelius Ingram, Tebow, Gavin Dickey, Al Horford.

[Update] OL Chaz Green of Tampa Catholic picks the Gators. THE RICH GET RICHER!

[Update] Demar Dorsey to Michigan, not Jimbo's Flying Circus. The Sun's Aschoff is surprised with Dorsey picking Michigan over FSU. The Sentinel's Fowler says Dorsey did not want to compete with UF's stable of safeties.

[Update] Adrian Coxson is in.

[Update] FSU just picked up someone named Bjoern Werner, a DE from Germany. Oh my God, the jokes are writing themselves for Jimbo's Flying Circus. His ESPNU interview and comments about Tallahassee are epic, considering Tallahassee is fairly similar to the Eastern Bloc countries. (Werner is from Berlin, so we're just going to assume East Berlin. Hooray for Cold War jokes!)

[Update] We trust the Palm Beach Post's Ben Volin and he has Adrian Coxson and Chaz Green with letters into the UF football offices. That's 28 of 28.

[Update] Todd McShay officially makes the list of Gator Haters with his ESPNU performance today. He is stunned UF has a top class, going as far as to say there is a strong chance that Urban Meyer won't coach in the fall. There might be a slim chance Urban has another episode and doesn't return. But clearly these players are committing because of more than Urban. Florida offers great facilities, a great stadium, a rabid fanbase and a great school. God forbid some of these players pick a school based on more than who is driving the train. I'd rather have a kid come to Florida because of the total package, not because he likes Urban.

[Update] Darrin Kitchens is in. With Coxson and Green left, don't expect any upsets to go UF's favor as they have their max of 28.

[Update] Travon Van is reportedly in.

[Update] Travon Van is the only commit left to send in letter. Chaz Green will announce later but Lynden Trail saysUF has him.

Believe it or not, there are people who do not think National Signing Day is a National Holiday. While I spend the morning with some of those people, Timmy C and possibly a special guest will be jumping on and providing updates. Florida only has three spots left (of a max of 28), if you assume all current commitments stick with UF. In addition, there is no requirement that an athlete has to sign today. Here is the list of who UF has and is after. Times of signings taken from the Gainesville Sun's Edward Aschoff (Weimer Hall What!);

Undeclared with UF as a strong possibility:

WR Adrian Coxson (Baltimore City College High): Not highly ranked, but a big dude. He also ran a 4.45 forty. Expected signing at 11am. Picking between UF and Georgia. Previously dropped Penn State. IN.

OL Chaz Green (Tampa Catholic): Our top pick since UF only has one other offensive lineman in this class. Expected signing at 3:30pm on ESPN. Picking between UF, Tennessee, USC and Ohio State. However, fellow Crusader Christian Green is expected to pick between FSU and Georgia. IN

LB Darrin Kitchens (Homestead): Kitchens is a tough and smart kid. Expected signing at 9am. Picking between UF and Texas Tech. IN

Undeclared but unlikely UF:

LB Christian Jones (Lake Howell): For everyone hoping UF pulls the upset here; Jones' father went to FSU. Expected signing at 10:30am on ESPN from the Disney ESPN Club. Favors FSU, but UF, Tennessee and Notre Dame among the possibilities. OUT (Signed with FSU)

Committed but waiting on signature (times via Gville Sun; "IN" will be included next to player when they commit):

LB Gideon Ajagbe: IN

RB Mack Brown: Expected to sign at 10am. Jimbo's Flying Circus also sent a letter for Brown to sign, according to the Sun. If there was a Nu'keese in 2010, this would be it. IN

ATH Jonathan Dowling: IN

WR Quinton Dunbar: Expected to sign at 9am. IN

WR Chris Dunkley: Expected to sign at 8am. Pahokee gets those faxes in early, right Lane? IN

DT Dominique Easley: IN

DT Sharrif Floyd: Expected to sign at 12pm. IN

TE Michael McFarland: IN

QB Tyler Murphy: This kid hit the jackpot. He was going to Temple before UF offered. Expected to sign at 8am. IN

DE Ronald Powell: Expected to sign at 12:30pm. Remember, Powell is three hours behind in California. IN

DB Cody Riggs: IN

LB Michael Taylor: Expected to sign at 9am. IN

DE Lynden Trail: Expected to sign at 9am with Dunbar. IN

ATH Travon Van: IN

Enrolled:

DE Neiron Ball, QB Trey Burton, TE Gerald Christian, ATH Robert Clark, DB Matt Elam, DB Jordan Haden, DT Leon Orr, WR Solomon Patton, DB Joshua Shaw, OL Ian Silberman, DB Jaylen Watkins.

Also, Urban Meyer is expected to speak to the press at 4pm. At that time, Meyer will announce he is retiring/taking a vacation/will eat a baby as counter programming to Tebow's Super Bowl commercial/coaching in the NFL/Steve Addazio will watch the house for a few days. All of this depends on if you are on FSU/St. Pete Times/Huffington Post/Jaguars/UF message boards.

Did You Hear The One About Urban Coaching The Cowboys?

2010-02-02T18:37:37Z

This is what happens when coaches pull their talking points from message board BS. From the Orlando Sentinel's Jeremy Fowler;

Mack Brown heard that Meyer was leaving after National Signing Day and he’ s just trying to "save the recruiting class." Fair enough. Brown said didn’t believe it.
"They would say, he’s tricking ya’ll — he’s going to the NFL to coach the Dallas Cowboys," Brown said. "I was like ‘What?’ There’s no way."

Brown, a solid Gators commitment signing his letter of intent on Wednesday, wouldn’t say which coaches fed him the Cowboys talk. Tennessee and Florida State have recruited Brown extensively in the last month, Brown said.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED! that negative recruiting is going on around here. And I love that Jimbo's Flying Circus and Tennessee might be the two teams involved. Jimbo Fisher probably showed up to Mack Brown's house with a bright orange wig and red nose.

In other recruiting news, DT recruit Leon Orr continues to jump through NCAA hoops in order to remain enrolled at Florida. Orr is from Pasco County, but I will refrain from insulting the fine, fine people of that lovely county.

Tomorrow looks to be a quiet day for UF, unless they pull off upsets and gain LB Christian Jones from FSU or lose OL Chaz Green. ESPN's Joe Schad has Green in Gainesville with Baltimore WR Adrian Coxson. Schad also has the Bama Banged John Brantley, circa 2006, as his twitter wallpaper.

SEC Basketball Power Poll January 24-30

2010-02-02T10:00:33Z

Our SEC Basketball Power Poll. Final results at Garnet and Black Attack.

1. Kentucky: John Wall is apparently unhappy. Selective editing makes it seem like Wall is being immature. But if you follow all of Wall's statements last week, it's a kid trying to deal with the pressures of winning.

2. Tennessee: This team just won't die. They were a bank jump shot away from losing to Florida, but don't forget their rally late in the first half that gave them second half momentum and the win.

3. Vanderbilt: Vandy is 8th nationally in FG percentage (49.7) and 25th in scoring (79.1ppg). Led by the three-headed scoring of Jermaine Beal (14ppg), Jeffery Taylor (13.9ppg) and A.J. Ogilvy (13.8ppg), they are looking good with only four road games remaining.

4. South Carolina: They almost gave away all their goodwill when they defeated Georgia by 1 after defeating UK. Devan Downey is averaging 22.9ppg, 4th in the nation.

5. Mississippi: Knocked backwards because of their loss to Arkansas. Tonight's game at UK will be a good assessment of how good they really are.

6. Florida: Chandler Parsons has proven that he is the best player on the Gators. And if Alex Tyus had made his jumper to beat Tennessee, UF would have been a half game back of 1st with UT in a world of hurt.

7. Mississippi State: Road trips to Vandy and Florida this week could sink the Bulldogs. They lost their first two SEC road games at Alabama and Arkansas.

8. Arkansas: They impressively dusted themselves after getting destroyed at UK by defeating Miss State and Ole Miss.

9. Alabama: The Tide play great defense, allowing 62.2ppg, which is 48th nationally. The problem is that they only score 68ppg.

10. Georgia: The Dogs were one shot away from defeating Miss State and South Carolina, played with UK and Ole Miss for about 30 minutes, and defeated UT. They have the heart, but not the talent.

11. Auburn: Defeating Alabama was nice, but they will need to win more games if they want to fill their pretty new building next season.

12. LSU: It is a shame that Tasmin Mitchell (17.9ppg) has to spend his final season on such an awful team (dead ass last in the SEC for scoring).

Get Chaz Green

2010-02-01T17:04:46Z

Two days until National Signing Day, Florida only has a few spots remaining for scholarships. One of them needs to be filled by Tampa Catholic offensive lineman Chaz Green.

Defensive players Jeremy Deering (Tampa Leto) and Christian Jones (Lake Howell) might be higher on the wish list, but offensive linemen don't grow on trees. (Deering and Jones favor Jimbo's Flying Circus.) Especially a 6-foot-6, 290 offensive lineman. Green isn't going to make of break this class, but Florida has only one other OL signee. Teams only go as far as their line takes them. While Florida has four linemen returning, and had five OL signees last year, you can never have too many linemen.

Green was formerly favoring Tennessee, but Lane Kiffin's defection brought Florida back to the top. Kiffin is putting on the press from USC and Green's pick is still up in the air. It looks like it will come down to Wednesday.

Gators One Point Short At Tennessee

2010-01-31T20:37:44Z

The Tennessee Volunteers and Bruce Pearl's sweat glands continue their dominance of the Florida Gators. With a chance to win on Alex Tyus' open bank shot, the Gators (15-6, 4-3 SEC) lost 61-60 to the Vols (16-4, 4-2). Pearl is now 8-1 against Donovan. (Just writing that sentence made me gag.)

UF was three points down with 1:39 remaining when Chandler Parsons was fouled on a three-point attempt, but missed 2 of 3 free throws. UF then forced a turnover and Parsons tied it 57-57 on the other end. After two made Wayne Chism free throws, Parsons hit a three, giving UF a 60-59 lead. Scotty Hopson then sunk a fall away jumper with 17 seconds left, giving UF a chance to win.

Florida brought the ball up the floor and was looking to either free up Erving Walker or Chandler Parsons. But as Tennessee rotated and kept the ball outside of the arc, Tyus got free and rolled to the hoop. His left wing shot from about 10 feet appeared to go off the top of the box, rattling around on the rim before Hopson pulled in the rebound and dribbled out the clock.

Tyus led all scorers with 18 points (7-11 shooting) and added 7 rebounds. Parsons, aside from the two late missed free throws, continues to be Florida's best player. He had 14 points (5-6 shooting) and 8 rebounds. Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker missed too many shots and had too many turnovers, while Vernon Macklin had 7 points and 5 boards in 31 minutes.

UF had a very good first half, but could not slow the Vols in the second period. Chism had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. J.P. Prince had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Rebounding was UT's way of staying in the game when Florida looked like the better team. The Vols ended with a 37-31 rebounding edge, including a 15-6 offensive rebounding edge. This was in part to UT's guards who have a size advantage and could throw off Boynton and Walker. Florida's bench was no help as Ray Shipman and Erik Murphy are not ready for primetime, while Dan Werner has checked out, now he is no longer starting.

Florida's loss is not a killer, but it would have drastically changed the make up of the SEC and UF's NCAA chances. 10-6 in the SEC, plus defeating Xavier and a SEC Tournament win should get the Gators into the tournament. But with road games at Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and home dates with UT and Vandy, the margin of error is getting thin. Florida's next game is Thursday at Alabama.

Gator Basketball @ Tennessee

2010-01-31T15:44:40Z

Everyone is talking about the turn around John Calipari has made at Kentucky, forgetting the duct tape job Bruce Pearl has done at Tennessee. The Vols (15-4, 3-2 SEC) could have been destroyed by suspensions, but have kept their heads above water. However, they have lost their last two, and now the Gators (15-5, 4-2) come in with momentum.

In their last four games, the Vols are averaging 68 points, 10 points off their season average. In contrast, UF's is one point off their season average of 73ppg during the Gators four game winning streak. Playing in Knoxville, UF cannot get in foul trouble and need to keep their scoring touch. Like UF did at Vandy, they have to match each possession. But, they got in trouble with fouls, especially the bigs. Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin can match up with UT's Wayne Chism and freshman Kenny Hall (who had been promoted because of the suspensions). But the Vols' back line of Scotty Hopson, J.P. Prince (both 6-foot-7) and Bobby Maze will press Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker on both ends.

Tim Tebow At The Senior Bowl: Pass, Fail, Incomplete?

2010-01-31T00:41:37Z

More photos » Dave Martin - AP

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Tim Tebow was 8-12, for 50 yards in today's Senior Bowl, with Tebow's South losing 31-13 to the North. Tebow had two fumbles (one lost) and did lead his team to a first quarter field goal. His release on throws inside of five yards was quicker, an almost shot put like delivery compared to the long throw windup. Tebow also had to deal with a South offensive line that was not giving Tebow and fellow quarterbacks Jarrett Brown (West Virginia), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State) much time.

The question now is if Tebow's time in Mobile was good, bad or will have no impact on his draft stock. The Todd McShays of the world will grab a bigger shovel to bury Tebow. (If you watched the NFL Network telecast, you heard Tennessee apologist Charles Davis claiming Tebow's inability to make guys miss when he scrambles will hurt his NFL chances. If people are complaining that Tebow runs over people, rather than around them, they already hate the kid.) The more sophisticated viewer sees Tebow making an adjustment to a quicker release and improved footwork. Tebow was also noticeably thinner and it wasn't just the Under Armour. Tebow has been sick all week, and while that can't be an excuse, this was never going to be his best work.

I will take the argument that Tebow gets an incomplete for his time in Mobile with no real change in draft status. The pros that wanted to be convinced by four practices and exhibition game were never on board any way. [The other Gator, Riley Cooper, had two catches for 36 yards today . Cooper has most definitely increased his draft stock this week.] Tebow will have to wow the crowd at Gator Pro Day and the Combine. I agree with Tebow that he only needs 1 of 32 to think he is a quarterback. But if only 1 likes him, why would they draft him if they knew no one else wanted Tebow? No. 15 needs to impress 10-15 teams to increase his odds of getting into a good situation. And he can't wait until he is drafted to rebuild his mechanics. He has three months and the chances to impress are dwindling.