Gator Country

Photo by Tim Casey

FORT LAUDERDALE – Over and over and over, Urban Meyer has repeated that mantra learned from Dr. Lou. As he prepped his 2006 team for the BCS title game, the Florida coach sought sage advice from those he respects in the profession.

“Don’t play that game until Jan. 8,” Lou Holtz told his former Notre Dame assistant. This time, the ESPN moniker of “Dr. Lou” which Holtz has adopted for entertainment purposes was actually merited.

Subsequently, Meyer scheduled his workouts for Ohio State at a definite pattern, with a four-quarter pace over the 31 days of workouts.

Dr. Lou’s old advice took on new meaning this week for the Gators as they wound down drills for Thursday night’s championship game with Oklahoma. The fact is, Florida wouldn’t have much of a chance of beating the Sooners if this BCS showdown had been played any earlier.

When I asked Meyer about the physicality of the last two opponents, Florida State and Alabama, and what kind of toll it took on his team, he flatly stated that the Gators would have been too beat up a week ago to have any shot of winning. As it is, they just moved from a 3-point to a 4-point favorite in Las Vegas, most likely because of a healthy injury report.

“The good thing is, Jan. 8 we should be fairly healthy,” said Meyer. “I like the way Percy Harvin had limited practice yesterday (Tuesday), went full practice the day before. Today he’ll do some stuff, but we are expecting him to go full speed, and Carl Johnson is going to be ready to go. Louis Murphy and Kestahn Moore, who actually had cartilage surgery right after the Alabama, will be ready to go as well.”

Yes, of course, the 31-day layoff also helped Oklahoma, but Meyer feels certain it helped his team more.

There are some injuries we never hear about. Somebody close to the team told me, “(Tim) Tebow breaks something or other in most of these physical games.” But nothing, apparently that hasn’t healed.

The point about the calendar for the championship also sheds some light as to whether a playoff system is all that good an idea.

Such a playoff could, in fact, severely constrict the more physical teams with tough games at season’s end, or with a conference playoff. This might also factor in future schedule-making by athletic directors and playing archrivals in the final regular-season game of the year.

I asked Meyer about the toll that FSU and Alabama took on Florida. “With it comes a risk,” he said. “And the risk is if we had to play this game any earlier than Jan. 8, I don’t think we would have a chance to win it just because of our injury situation.”

Not only would Harvin not play, but neither would have the four or five others.
Yet, despite this, Meyer remains in favor of a playoff and says there is a growing sentiment for it.

“I think some time it might happen,” he said. “I didn’t believe that a few years ago. But I feel the discussion now is out of control. I can’t imagine any guy who loves football not discussing that … so I imagine at some point it will happen.”

If it does, the NCAA will be forced to level the playing field by either eliminating all conference championships or forcing all the leagues to have one. Frankly, I prefer the latter.

Of course there are people in Salt Lake City and Austin who are screaming for a playoff these days. But I like what Bob Griese said on ESPN about the current BCS system: “When the season started, everybody knew the rules and agreed on this system.”

In recent years, I have done a 180-degree turnaround on supporting any playoff.

Until somebody can show me how college football would be a better game with it, prove to me some of the regular-season games wouldn’t be devalued, produce a fair and equitable system for distribution of the funds, and provide the perfect number for team selection, I remain adamantly against it.

Naturally, I know I’m considered a dinosaur. But after nearly 30 years of writing and broadcasting commentary in favor of it, I now realize that the game of college football has never been better. And if it’s true that the Southeastern Conference is the best league in America and the Gators win over Oklahoma – marking it the third straight SEC champion – doesn’t that sound like they got it right?

No matter, the game that will decide the 2008 national championship will be played Thursday night at Dolphin Stadium. Just in time, apparently, for Urban Meyer’s banged up brigade to take off the bandages, suit up and go after Florida’s second national championship in three years.

I think the Gators will get that title. The challenge, of course, will be getting the heat on Sam Bradford and not allowing the 2008 Heisman winner to set his feet and pick apart the UF secondary. To do that, Charlie Strong has to get the right personnel on the field, which is going to be difficult against the Sooner Express and that Fast-Break, No-Huddle offense.

Meyer thinks the field position after the opening drives might well decide the game, but that sounds a little premature when I stop to remember Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown in 2006. It was all Florida after that.

This game, though, may well be decided in the trenches. Meyer said Wednesday this offensive line was the “best I’ve ever been around.” Quietly, the Gators think they can run the ball between the tackles with their Baby Backs and with Tebow as a battering ram.

At the same time, Oklahoma insiders says the Sooners feel their running game, with tailback Chris Brown, can be a weapon for them, too.

Everybody talks about Bradford’s clean uniform and his pinpoint passing, but they forget that if Tebow didn’t carry the ball so many times he’d have a clean uni, too. Tebow doesn’t get sacked much either (15 times in 13 games).

The X-factor here in all of this is the will of Tim Tebow, which is what fueled the Gators down the stretch and, most especially, in a remarkable fourth quarter against Alabama. Once again, Tebow’s will makes the difference.

I like Florida to win, 45-35.

About the author

BuddyShow

Buddy Martin is the author of seven books, including Urban Meyer's authorized biography, and was a recipient of an Emmy while working for CBS Sports on "The NFL Today." The native son of Ocala and Florida-educated journalist is the former sports editor of the New York Daily News, Denver Post, St. Petersburg Times and Florida Today. He has won more than 165 state and national awards for writing and editing. "Urban's Way" (St. Martin's Press) is now out in paperback. It can be purchased at all major book stores or by writing Buddy at buddyshow@aol.com.

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