Hey Tennessee, Your Loss Our Gain!

Already one of the decommitted players from the Vols has chosen Florida to play for after the disarray that has been unleashed on UT with Lane Kiffin leaving. Michael Taylor, a 4 star LB, will commit to Florida and add on to what is already being seen as a historic recruiting class.

Taylor’s high school teammate, Tony Jacobs, told the Orlando Sentinel that Taylor had already decided to sign with the Gators. In a text message to the Sentinel, Taylor seemed upset that the news had leaked but did not deny the report.

Rocky Top is more like Rocky Bottom right now.

Tennessee, You Deserve This

14 months. All this carnage in 14 months. Hurricane Lane blew through Knoxville and left the Tennessee football program in ruins. How did it happen? Good question. You would think a school with the tradition and prestige of a Tennessee would hire a football coach to lead its program. Instead they hired a rock star wannabe. Why?

When Phil Fulmer was kicked to the curb at UT, his record was somewhere around the 150-50 mark. But winning 3 out of every 4 games for two decades were not enough for the Vols. They weren’t winning the right games anymore. They weren’t beating the Gators, and now it looked like the Tide was an automatic L for the near future too. Something had to be done. But what?

Apparently, somebody had the idea to go out and hire the “anti-Fulmer”. Fulmer was a class act. He was a Vol. He played for the Vols. He bleeds UT orange. He’s getting a bit older and out of shape. He gives the impression that he does not want to make waves, never wanting to mix it up anymore with Urban Meyers or Nick Sabans. He shrugs off losses with his standard “we will work like heck”. But he can never be accused of embarrassing the school.

“So who do we get? How about the kid who the Raiders just fired? He’s young. He’s good looking. He’s in shape. He’s got the balls to get in Meyer’s face. He is a guy who can come in and light a fire. Never mind he has a 5-15 record. Never mind he has never heard of Knoxville. Who cares if he wants to scrap everything UT and replace it with USC? As long as it wins games right?”

Well now you know. You went out and hired the anti-Fulmer only to realize that Fulmer was more good than bad. And now look at you. And you fans who have been swallowing his crap for 14 months, how do you like him now? Oh you loved it when he took pot shots at other coaches. You just laughed it up. You thought it was great when he made UT the butt of jokes around the SEC. It was just jealousy right? Or maybe we were scared? Maybe we were worried because we didn’t have Fat Phil to kick around anymore? No actually, we were really laughing at you.

Now look at you. You’re making youtube videos peeing on t-shirts and cussing his name. You’re burning mattresses and spray painting F-Bombs on rocks. You were SOOO cocky. What are you now? You’re getting what you deserve, that’s what.

SEC Championship Game Preview: Florida vs Alabama

The game this Saturday for the SEC Championship might as well be for the National Championship. That’s right I said it! The #1 Florida Gators are set to take on the #3 Alabama Crimson Tide this Saturday at 4:00 PM on CBS.  The second time (happened last year as well) these two will meet in Atlanta with undefeated records and a National Championship on the line.

Who will be victorious?  Who will march on for a shot?  Well the Florida Gators of course.  Lane Kiffin wouldn’t have you think so though:

“It’s kind of hard to call,” Kiffin said Tuesday in an interview on WNML-AM in Knoxville. “There’s a bunch of great players on both teams. Florida has so much speed. I think you’ll see Alabama will outscheme Florida, and Florida has given up 28 sacks this year when a bunch of guys come free. But the problem is Superman (quarterback Tim Tebow) is back there. It comes down to can you tackle him.

“It will be a real interesting matchup. Florida has better players, and Alabama has better coaches, so we’ll see.”

Better coaches eh? Some big ‘ole balls on ya boy to be talking about better coaching.  Since when did you become an expert on who a better coach is? Lane, you should take some notes from your dad and coach with class. But I digress…

Florida has a rare opportunity to go wire to wire and this streak will be put on the line this Saturday against Bama.  Last year the game started in Bama’s favor but with some halftime adjustments from Meyer, the Gators went on to win the SEC Championship game as well as the National Championship.

Even with Carlos Dunlap suspended, the Florida Gator defense is going to be tough to score points on. With our lack of offensive production as a whole this year, 24 points would probably beat us… lucky for us that hasn’t been accomplished this year. Alabama will look to bring a heavy rush as I’m sure they’ve seen our issues with our offensive line this year and look to continue the high sack average that the Gators have allowed.  The keys to the game will be getting protection when passing, being able to run the ball to control the tempo and having our defensive make Mark Ingram and Julio Jones non factors.

In either case, whether Florida comes out the victor or not, the winner of this game will be the favorite in the National Championship game and rightfully so.  Thus why I say that this game might as well be for the National Championship.  I wish there was a betting line on that.  Winner of SEC Championship Game – 240 Money Line.

Where Have All the Rivals Gone?

Everyone has a rivalry game that means a little more to them than all the others. Most old timers will tell you its Georgia. Lose every game on the schedule but beat the Bulldogs, and they’re happy.

Georgia has been taken out behind the woodshed so many times as of late, it’s simply become routine to come back from Jacksonville with a win. Once in a while the Bulldogs pull out a win, but the last 20 years have been dominated by Florida.

Tennessee could be on its way back as a revived rivalry, thanks to all the trash talking by Lane Kiffin. Games against the Vols and Phil Fulmer were fun to watch, but the fact that the Gators played them so early in the season kind of softened the intensity. The fact is, you can stumble early against Tennessee and still salvage the season and play for a National Championship.

For me, Florida State is that game each season that gets the hatred stirring in my stomach. Despite FSU being down for quite some time, it’s also the game I’m always most worried about the Gators losing.

The Seminoles are in desperation mode. For a historically “dirty-playing” team, I have no doubts they will go to any lengths to injure players and win at any cost. You do remember all the late hits on Danny Wuerffel? How about Darnell Dockett at the bottom of a pile twisting Earnest Graham’s knee?

You will see late hits on Tebow. Plenty of taunting and trash talking will take place (from both teams) and if there isn’t a fight before, during or after, I’d be surprised.

Florida has to be careful. They are the team with everything to lose here. One out-of-control fight against FSU means potential suspensions for their match-up against Alabama the following week. Players must remember to keep their cool.

On paper, FSU has no chance to beat the Gators, but with a long history of meaningful rivalry games, you can throw out team records and rankings. For all the reasons FSU has to get up for this game (rivalry game, beating Tebow in his last game at The Swamp, ruining the Gator’s perfect season, throwing a BIG monkey wrench into the BCS system, winning for their once-relevant coach), Florida will use those same reasons to take care of business.

Urban Meyer is the best in preparing his players for big games. Let’s just hope they remember playing FSU is still a big game.   

Three Tennessee Football Players Arrested

Lane Kiffin can never talk about the Florida Gators and their arrest history ever again after this incident.

Three freshman Tennessee football players are charged with an attempted armed robbery.

According to Knoxville police, wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson and defensive back Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards were arrested after the early Thursday morning incident.

The victims told police they were sitting in their parked vehicle at a gas station near Tennessee’s campus when two males, one brandishing a handgun, approached.

Full story on Gainesville Sun

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton says he is evaluating the incident.  Evaluating?  By evaluating I hope he means finding out how quickly the kids can be kicked off the team and removed from campus.  Here’s an animated image that sums up the story:

Kiffin says Bama is a better team than Florida

Coach Lane Kiffin is at it again… says the AP poll has it right that Alabama is #1 team not the Florida Gators.

“I think one poll got it right,” Kiffin said. “If you watch football and pay attention, I don’t think there’s any doubt who the No. 1 team is. Alabama has a great team — very well-coached, extremely talented, great special teams, great on offense, great on defense.”

“While they’re both great teams, one team kind of beats you in all three phases: Alabama,” Kiffin said. “The other team will beat you at times but then a lot of times nobody’s open and the quarterback runs around, makes the play. These guys are much more balanced.”

“We let one slip by against Florida, but we’ve put that behind us now, because we have another opportunity,” guard Vladimir Richard said. “If we would have just corrected a few things, we’d have won the game. So now we’re like, ’Let’s not come in Sunday … and say the same thing.”

Quotes from Gainesville Sun

So what you’re saying Lane is that Bama and UF would both beat you?  The funny thing is we’ll have the chance to prove we’re better than them in the SEC Championship Game.  I think it’s just sour grapes talking.

A Tale of two 5-7 Teams

SEC East Team

A team of tradition, but an over-inflated opinion of that tradition, is sick of its underachieving team of the last ten years. They decide to fire the winningest coach in their school’s history, or at least in their lifetimes, a year after patting him on the back and giving him a contract extension. Someone with deep pockets decides, and perhaps understandably, that what the school needs is the exact opposite of what they just got rid of.  So instead of an older, experienced, former star player of the school, who’s standard answer to all shortcomings was ‘we will work like heck” to correct whatever, the school decides to go with the opposite. They hire a novice. They hire a guy with no college experience as a head coach.

He has no experience in the SEC. They hire a guy who got where he is through nepotism. A guy with little head coaching experience, and what little he had was awful. They hire a guy who lacks professionalism at every turn. They hire a guy who runs his mouth about opposing teams, their fans, their communities, and their high school coaches. They hire a guy who makes bold predictions, without regard for the players who will answer for them. They hire a guy who now stands at 2-3. One who has beaten only Western Kentucky and Ohio.

SEC West Team

A team of tradition, but a team that is not over the top about exaggerating its records. But a team that expects to win, nonetheless. They also raise some eyebrows by firing a coach who has had great success at the school. They however hire a guy with college head coaching experience.

They hire a coach who was a defensive coordinator at the school. He was there the last time the school won the conference. It was a year they went undefeated. He knows the SEC. He knows enough not to come in running his mouth. He knows not to accuse other teams of breaking rules (rules that he makes up, I guess). He goes about his job as a professional. He hires assistant coaches who can not only recruit, but can actually coach. He is now 5-0. His latest victim? The East team. He also has me doing something I never thought I would do. I’m rooting for Auburn. WAR EAGLE!

Tim Tebow Defends Urban Meyer from Lane Kiffin

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Keep at it Lame Kitten, just add fuel to the fire!

From ESPN:

Tim Tebow has found all sorts of extra motivation at Florida.

Florida State and LSU defenders vowed to take him down. Georgia players rushed the field to celebrate an early touchdown. An Oklahoma cornerback said he would be the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12.

Tebow brushed aside their comments, then did the same to them.

Think Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has Tebow’s attention?

“I don’t like anyone talking about coach [Urban] Meyer,” Tebow said Monday. “I try to not let it affect me, although I always have coach Meyer’s back in anything because I know what type of person he is and I know what he believes in, I know what he stands for.

“But I don’t think coach Meyer worried about it too much. I think we kind of dropped it or moved past it.”

Not quite.

Guard James Wilson said Sunday that Kiffin’s comments were the talk of the team, and offensive tackle Matt Patchan called Kiffin a “bozo” at the team’s media day last month.

Tebow defended Meyer, too, although he was more politically correct.

“That’s not going to add anything or detract anything from our rivalry, how intense the game is or how big of a game it will be for me,” said Tebow, picked as the Southeastern Conference’s offensive player of the week after accounting for five touchdowns against Troy.

Tebow has played some of his best games with added motivation. He burned Florida State, LSU, Georgia and Oklahoma after players from those schools made incendiary remarks.

He insisted Monday that Kiffin’s comments were different.

“I’m not going to harp on that and don’t even really want to talk about it much because it’s not a big deal,” Tebow said. “It’s just someone talking. It hasn’t been a big deal to me and I’m not going to let it worry me.”

Tebow said the same thing before facing Florida State’s Geno Hayes, LSU’s Ricky Jean-Francois, Oklahoma’s Dominique Franks and the Bulldogs.

Kiffin raised eyebrows in Gainesville at his introductory news conference in December. He vowed to end the program’s four-game losing streak against Florida and sing “Rocky Top” all night long.

The Gators blew the quote up and plastered it around the team’s training facility during this summer. The signs have since been taken down.

Kiffin also drew Florida’s ire the day after national signing day in February. He falsely accused Meyer of a recruiting violation. Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley rushed to Meyer’s defense and called for an apology. SEC commissioner Mike Slive reprimanded Kiffin, who then issued an apology.

Did the Gators forgive Kiffin?

They certainly didn’t forget.

Meyer even hinted Monday that Kiffin’s comments could be used later this week.

“We’ll do whatever we’ve got to do to get 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds [motivated],” Meyer said. “The good thing is I’ve got a mature team. Two years ago, you had to be careful. What you don’t want things to do is become silly. The last time I checked, there’s never been a coach to go put on a helmet and go step on a field, so that really has nothing to do with it.

“We’ve done a lot of things around here. The whole intent is to make sure that you gauge your team. What kind of team have you got? Do I really need to motivate Brandon Spikes to go hard against Tennessee? I think we’ll be OK there. Same thing with our quarterback. I imagine he’s fine. However, there’s some other players that you might [need to motivate]. That’s what we’re going to gauge here. We’ll do what we have to do. If it’s nothing, it’s nothing. If it’s something, we’ll do what we have to do in our opinions.”