AP Photo - Steve Addazio

After a drama filled weekend that saw Coach Meyer retire then have a change of heart the next day, Gator fans were glad to see Monday roll around and the back to business mentality re-established. Good thing Jeremy Foley is the best AD in college sports and has had practice handling this situation with Billy Donovan. Jeff Greer of US New & World Report says, “It wouldn’t be Florida without drama.”

While Coach Meyer is away from the program, Steve Addazio will take over as the interim coach. The current players are very satisfied with the promotion of Coach Addazio.

As Coach Addazio tried to get ready for his new role as interim coach, former Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is trying to juggle both the Florida and Louisville jobs. When asked if he would have been given a shot to coach the Gators when Meyer left Strong replied, “You never know if I stayed here what would have happened,” he said. “So I just don’t look at it like that.”

Ted Lewis of  The Times-Picayune has put looks for Tebow to pull off one more miracle to end Coach Meyer’s job related stress. Maybe that won’t happen,  but he does look at how Tebow has moved mountains during his distinguished career. During his interview he does procure this great quote from Tebow: “Good for them,” Tebow said in a rare public moment of spite. “If they enjoy seeing me cry, then I have bigger things to worry about.”

Fox 8 out of New Orleans is reporting business is down for the Sugar Bowl this year. There are still a 1000 general admission tickets left for the game.

For a little humor,  the fake Lane Kiffin Show discusses the Urban Meyer resignation with new Florida head football coach, Phillip Fulmer.

Did Coach Mullen Take the O with him to Miss St.

Seven games into the 2009 season and the sputtering offense is the hot topic. It seems to be the question that Coach Meyer is asked week in and week out now. Last week leading into the Mississippi State game he had this to say about the offense:

“I remember one time, someone said, ‘Coach Mullen is going to catch a lot of heat’ or something like that and I responded, ‘The only person he would get heat from is me’ and no he is fine.  We are just maneuvering through a difficult part of the schedule and trying to get some things worked out.  Anytime there is transition and changes in staff, I’m very pleased with the job Coach Addazio has done.  The wrist above the elbow was a problem.  Chris Rainey probably scores after the unbelievable move he put on the guy.  It wasn’t a freak fumble, it was a great play.  We’re going to be nuts about taking care of the football in practice this week.  We made a film for the guys to watch.  It wasn’t just the balls on the ground.  The catch Deonte Thompson made was holding the ball like this [extends arms and holds them out].  Old habits tend to show up.  That’s coaching.  That was the number one thing we will work on; and red zone production.  We didn’t get stopped, we fumbled the ball.  Over the past few years, we have been very good in those two areas and it did not look that way.  I think we’re leading the SEC in offense; total yards, pass efficiency, third down and all that stuff.  Turnovers in the red zone are critical.”

After the Mississippi State game Coach Meyer continued his message, “I know people are going to take shots,” Meyer said. “I think we’re pressing like crazy. I think the head coach wants to score so #@$% bad. We’re not used to this.”

The Gators problems on offense has even fueled hope for Georgia. UGA has three wins since 1990 in this match up, but them Dawgs could be one of the last major test before the SEC Championship game. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party could still play a role in deciding the SEC East. Coach Meyer addressed the upcoming game at his Monday press conference:

“Georgia has great receivers, including one of the best in the nation.  He has the ability to go up and over us, like he did last year.  We have to find a way defend him and not be so concerned about him [that] they can run the ball.  Offensively, we will need to do a better job in some areas.  We were not good on third downs and red zone production.  We will spend time on those things early this week.”

Also on the mind of SEC Football fans has been the role of the refs in games this year. There is a good chance Coach Dan Mullen is going to get a letter from the SEC regarding his criticism of the refs. “I don’t even know why we have replay right now in the Southeastern Conference if they’re not going to utilize it,” Mullen said Sunday.

Does he have a point? You be the judge.

Coach Mullen is not the only SEC coach in trouble for his comments on the refs. Lane Kiffin once again gets on the bad side of Mike Slive. Slive said “further violations of SEC policies by Kiffin will subject the coach to additional penalties, including suspension.”

Tim Tebow was able to tie Herschel Walker’s SEC rushing TD record of 49 against Mississippi State. The first thing that many were to point out is Herschel Walker set the record in three years. Tebow tied the record in three and a half years, and oh by the way he is a Quarterback. Mark Bradley over at the AJC still says that Herschel Walker is the best ever (he makes some great points) , but in pointing out “Tebow has demonstrably more talent around him” there is no mention of the “demonstrably” better defense Tebow or any player in the SEC faces now verses the early 80’s.

With his sub-Tebow preferences since the UK game, Tim has now dropped behind  Mark Ingram in ESPN’s latest Heisman watch. Everyone has seen that Tim has held onto the ball longer than he should have when there is no one open, but it seems to me that Tebow’s throwing motion has gotten longer and at times slower than in years past. Two of his fumbles this year have come from defenders knocking the ball out when the ball is as the back of his throwing motion. (looking for photos)

Also a big thanks for the RTs, comments, and general discussion during the game goes to @Pattric, @HankatMarlows, @whitegatorz, @osgators, @LisaHorne, @ThatGuyBama, @deann16, @SirGQHollyWood, @ fuddmain, @DJBobbyV32, @kjhurst15, @AndyR24, @EricMcDonald, @thechodog, @edsbs, @Matti09, @ObiSun, @JrCoram, @Gatrbate, @SwamiG8R, @Sara6590, @guiltyofcraving, @theNFLguy, @GulfCoastGold, @gatormiami, @pixie1212, @1996Gator, @KyleHagler, @wealthdocintl, @rickydee1955, @donwb, @_karthik, @brianjsmith, @Umlat, @_CReX_, @CTiffany24, @dreamscometrue_, @Bgator13, @GOPMichael, @DALLASHALL. Sorry to anyone I missed.

Mr. 2 Bits Will Be Missed

Two Bits! Four Bits! Six Bits! A Dollar! – All for the Gators Stand up and holler! It is time to hear this echo throughout The Swamp, but this will be first time in a long time that Mr. 2 Bits is not leading the cheer. Will this give Charleston Southern what they need to bet the Gators? Well Pine Riders Anonymous found four Ways Charleston Southern Can Beat Florida. If you buy into this I’ve got some ocean front property in Arizona up for sale.

Florida voted for its 2009 team captains this week. Brandon James, Joey Sorrentino, Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper, and Tim Tebow will be this year’s captains. Spikes, Stamper, and Tebow are returning captains from last season.

Dan Shanoff over at TimTeblog.com looks deeper into the question of Tebow making it at the next level. He comes to the conclusion that it will depend on the NFL coach for whom Tebow plays. No matter what Tebow does at the next level, a ton of people have already labeled him the greatest college football player (or at least used Tebow and greatest in the title to get readers to read more). Let’s take a look at this long list of such articles:

• MSNBC Sports - Tebow greatest college athlete of all-time
• NCAA Fanhouse - Tebow May Be Greatest of All Time, but Not of Any Time
• The Biglead - The greatest player in college football history, Tim Tebow
• ESPN - Needs to be Discussed: Tim Tebow, All-Time Evaluation?
• CBS Sports - The best? Surely you jest — but Tebow just might be the greatest
• The Sporting News - Shanoff’s WUC: Why Tebow Will Be Best Ever
• B/R - Confessions of a Seminoles Fan: Tim Tebow Is the Greatest of All Time
• St. Pete Times - Is Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow the best college football player ever?
• SI.com - Tim Tebow poised to pass Vince Young as all-time greatest player
• B/R - Tim Tebow: The Greatest College Football Player Ever?
• WJHG - Is Tebow the best college player ever?
• PlayingField - Is Tim Tebow The Greatest College Player Ever?
• Sun Sentinel - Tim Tebow the best ever? Bobby Bowden doesn’t think he’s better than Charlie Ward
• Jacksonville.com - Is Tebow the best college player ever?
• Washington Times - Is Tebow the best ever? Maybe
• YardBarker - The Greatest of All Time

Jarred Fayson would have been a top candidate for Tebow’s go to receiver this year. Adam West (not Batman) takes a look at what could have been in his blog post - SEC blog: Fayson would have been UF go-to guy? I’m in agreement that Fayson would have been able to put up big numbers this year in the Gators’ spread offense, but he should still have a great year at Illinois, puting up big numbers agaist Big 10 defenses.

Gator fans–it is only one more week till the 2009 Gators Football season kicks off. During the past week the Gators have dominated the college football news. It all started with the Gators making AP poll history. The Gators were able to get 58 out of the 60 votes and received the most first-place votes ever. Lou Holtz also shocked everyone when he said that Notre Dame would meet Florida in the BCS National Championship this season. I’ve heard everything from rumors that Lou has completely fallen off his rocker to rumors that he is putting pressure on Charlie Weis because he would like to see his son Skip Holtz take the Notre Dame job. Either way one of the teams he picked was right.

What more can Tebow do?

The NY Daily News says Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow is living life of superhero in city of Gainesville. This superhero has not gone with out his battle wounds. Tebow had never missed a start after taking over from Chris Leak, but all that physical play has taken its toll. The Orlando Sentinel took a look at Tim Tebow’s medical history. Tim right shoulder has taken at lot of the brunt from plowing over opponents.

SI’s Stewart Mandel has Tebow well positioned to become all-time best. Mandel looks back over the last 25 years and ranks some of college football’s best QB. If the Gators, led by Tim Tebow,  are able to win another National Championship, it would be hard not to have Tebow at the top of that list.

One of Tebow’s top targets this season will be Aaron Hernandez. Hard Knox Sports says Aaron Hernandez is Not The Best SEC Tight End. Hernandez is a pre-season All SEC 2nd team selection behind D.J. Williams of  Arkansas. Both of the players are great talents, but I think that we are going to see Aaron used in a ton of different ways this year for the Gators. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to build on his stats and will have a great shot at the end of the year to claim the title of Best TE in the SEC.

No shaving eyebrows in the locker room

This week the Zooker took some heat from Coach Meyer about the hijinks under the previous coaching staff. Meyer told Jeremy Fowler:

“When we first got here five years ago they had freshmen in a separate locker room and it was a bunch of tin lockers over there and they weren’t allowed to walk [into the regular locker room],” Meyer told reporters Friday. “Think about this for a minute: this is a big-time college football program and we had some fights because they treat their freshman like they were non-people.

“‘Don’t walk through here, we’ll kick your tail, we’ll shave your eyebrows.’ It took us awhile to break that great culture we had here. That was tremendous. You don’t win many games, but you beat up freshman and shave eyebrows. Absolutely unbelievable.”

Zook issued the following statement Friday night in response to Meyer’s comments.

“I was surprised to see that, once again, five years later, we’re blamed for something else at Florida. But by now I guess I shouldn’t be. This one was most disappointing because it implies we didn’t look out for our players. From someone who wasn’t there at the time. I can assure you I’ve never, ever been accused of that. I thought I was too much of a players’ coach.

“The implication is incorrect — there is no place for hazing in college football and we’ve put a stop to that if we’ve ever seen it. I applaud Florida for fostering what they say is a wonderful family atmosphere. I
would invite anyone to talk to any of our players here at Illinois and, although we don’t look for media opportunities to brag about it, it is a wonderful family atmosphere.”

Meyer claims he didn’t intend to criticize Zook. “I made a comment about the previous locker room arrangement and how that can lead to issues such as separating freshmen. There was no intent to criticize the previous staff or coach Zook. Obviously the locker room arrangement was that way for a while.”

After all that, the teams just need to put on some pads and play it out on the field.

The Gators and recruit Victor Hampton have parted ways. Word came out that Hampton is no longer on the Gators’ commitment list for the class of 2010. Victor was kicked off his Independence High football team, and after Friday Night Lights,  the Gators backed off him. Cody Riggs is the name that is popping up as the replacement in this class for Hampton. Riggs is 5′ 8″, 160-pound and runs a 4.3 40-yard dash. He is also being recruited by FSU and Tennessee.

He told NoleInsider.com: “I would say Florida is my leader right now because I’ve been there more recent so I have a better feeling for Florida. I also went there twice this summer.”

With only 23 days till the home opener the Gators have now put on the pads and are ready to get down to business. It should be a great fall practice as guys try to crack the starting line-up. On defense there is going to be competition at every position. Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong summed it up like this at the Gators Media Day:

“What is great is that the players understand that if they don’t prepare well, they don’t practice well, then they aren’t going to play. We have recruited well over the last few years and have managed to get some really good football players. Our staff has done a really good job at developing these players as well. If you look at our team a year ago, we got ridiculed for our game against Michigan. Then, at the start of last year we had Terron Sanders show up, Lawrence Marsh show up and Ahmad Black show up. All of those guys were developed and they became really good football players and key members of our improved defense last season. What we can’t allow happen is to look back to last season and not fully coach up our players just because they have made plays in games in the past. It is our duty as coaches to make sure that each day our players are getting better.”

Debose Working On Ball Security

ESPN.com’s BSC Guru Brad Edwards believes the Gators have schedule advantage in 2009. The Gators have a good looking schedule on paper, but any time you have LSU, UGA, Tennessee, and FSU on your schedule you don’t have any easy road to the BCS game.

University of Florida coach Urban Meyer begins his fifth season in Gainesville with a team constructed entirely of players he recruited. You can tell in recent interviews that Coach Meyer is happy with the state of his team, and proud of the talented staff and players he has around him. If you missed it, here is the must read from Pat Dooley on the comfort level Urban Meyer now has in Gainesville.

As we reported last night Kadron Boone picked Texas Tech over Flordia. “I’ll tell you what,” Trinity head coach John Brantley III said, “I’d be excited if I was a receiver and you’ve got the potential to catch 70 to 100 balls a year. I think that’s what Kadron was looking at.” Yes that is Gators QB John Brantley’s Dad quoted there. Not even having a Gator for a coach in high school was able to swing him to the Gators. Andy Marks gets more in-depth with his interview with Kedron.

Still none of the Freshman players have lost their stripe yet, but Jelani Jenkins, Xavier Nixon,  Mike Gillislee, and Jon Bostic have impressed so far. Also Jordan Reed and Andre Debose are improving over each practice.  The first one to lose their black stripe will join Jeff Demps from last year and Major Wright from the 2007 class as the first to be welcomed to the team.

And just a little something to get you fired up…