MIAMI GARDENS – So maybe it was good that Tim Tebow didn’t win his second straight Heisman Trophy.
After all, the way Heisman Trophy winners have been falling in the BCS National Championship Game over the past decade, you’re better off finishing second or even third, as Tebow the 2007 Heisman winner, did last month to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford while trying to become only the second player to win Heismans back-to-back (Archie Griffin did it back in 1974-75 for the Ohio State Buckeyes).
With Tebow throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 109 more, the Florida Gators won their second national title in three seasons by outfighting Oklahoma and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, 24-14, before a Dolphin Stadium football-record crowd of 78.468.
Bradford, who threw for 48 touchdowns and more than 4,400 yards during the regular season, was 26-of-41 passing for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to 6-foot-6 tight end Jermaine Gresham. But the 6-4, 218-pound Bradford, a redshirt sophomore, was sacked twice by the Gators and also gave up two interceptions.
Since Bob Stoops took Oklahoma to the national championship following the 2000 season with a 13-2 victory over Florida State and Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, only one Heisman Trophy winner has prevailed in the BCS National Championship Game. Quarterback Matt Leinart of Southern California was the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner and he led the Trojans to a 55-19 victory over Oklahoma and 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White in the Orange Bowl.
White also failed to win the BCS national title game in the Sugar Bowl game against Louisiana State following the 2003 season. The Bayou Bengals won 21-14 for coach Nick Saban.
The year following Leinart and USC’s victory over the Sooners, they made the BCS title game in the Rose Bowl against Texas. But Leinart was replaced as Heisman winner by teammate Reggie Bush. It didn’t matter to Texas and Vince Young, which ended the Trojans’ hopes of a repeat with a 41-38 triumph.
Tebow’s impressive performance certainly is going to raise some eyebrows among scouts and general managers in the National Football League. The so-called experts don’t believe Tebow’s skills running Urban Meyer’s spread offense will translate to the NFL, but there’s no doubting his leadership abilities as he made good on his vow following the 31-30 home loss to Mississippi that ruined Florida’s chances at an unbeaten season.
Tebow fought his emotions and told the media that day that no one would play harder than him nor push his teammates harder than him and that Florida would not lose again. The Gators didn’t, running off 10 straight victories to win the second Southeastern Conference championship and second national title in three seasons.
And if Tebow comes back, who’s to say he won’t be the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman and to take the Gators to another BCS National Championship Game, which would be the Rose Bowl.
Tebow as Grand Marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade? Why not!
The third Gators national championship in football also is the fourth national title Florida has captured since the men’s basketball team won the 2004 NCAA title for Billy Donovan. His neighbor Meyer won the following January in Glendale, Ariz., as the Gators pummeled Ohio State, 41-14. Donovan’s Gators won the NCAA title the following April in Atlanta.
Florida’s first national title came after the 1996 season – on Jan. 2, 1997, to be exact – when Florida knocked off No. 1 Florida State 52-20 in the Superdome for coach Steve Spurrier, whose defensive coordinator was one Bob Stoops, the losing coach last night. The Gators’ quarterback that night was Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel, who happens to be the boyhood idol of Tebow. When the Gators won the 2006 title, Wuerffel returned for the celebration and told Tebow that now that he and Chris Leak had national titles, Tebow needed to go out and get one. Wuerffel, by the way, was Florida’s honorary captain at the coin toss.
Tebow is the first player in history to have been a part of two national championship teams and also have won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Trophy and the Davey O’Brien Award. Tebow, who had 55 touchdowns running and passing last year, moved ahead of Wuerffel with his two touchdown passes giving him 42 this season (30 passing, 12 running). He now has the fourth best single-season total offense mark of 3,419 yards and also stands fifth in the single-season touchdown passes list with 30, passing Chris Leak.
Florida finished 13-1 for the second time in its history. In 2006 after beating Ohio State, the Gators also finished 13-1. The Gators are now 4-1 all-time in BCS bowl games. In 1999 at the Orange Bowl, No. 8 Florida beat No. 15 Syracuse 31-10. In the 2001 Sugar Bowl, the Gators, then No. 7, lost to No. 3 Miami, Fla., 37-20. But Florida came back the following year and won the 2002 Orange Bowl as the fifth-ranked team, besting No. 10 Maryland 56-23 in Spurrier’s last game as the Florida coach. Now the Gators have won two BCS National Championship Games – 41-14 over No. 1 Ohio State in 2006 at Glendale, Ariz., and last night’s 24-14 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma at Dolphin Stadium.
Overall in 36 bowl appearances, Florida is now 17-19 and 3-1 under Meyer, who became the first coach to direct his school to two national championship victories. Meyer is the fifth youngest coach to win two national titles since 1950. Barry Switzer was 38 years, 27 days old when Oklahoma won its second national title in 1976. Bud Wilkinson was 39 years and 75 days old when his Sooners won their second national title in 1956. Maryland’s Jim Tatum was 40 years and 47 days old when the Terps won their second national title for him in 1954. John McKay won his second national title at USC in 1968 at 44 years and 52 days, one day less than Meyer, who is 38 days younger than Woody Hayes was when he won his second national title at Ohio State in 1958.
Meanwhile, Florida became the fourth school in the modern era of the game to win two national titles in three years. The Gators join Oklahoma (1955-56), Miami (1987, 1989) and Nebraska (1994-95). This was Florida’s 18th straight appearance in a bowl game. That is the longest streak by an SEC team and second longest in the nation to Florida State.
Percy Harvin finished the day with 122 yards rushing on nine carries and had runs of 46 and 52 yards. Together with Tebow’s 109 rushing yards, Florida had a player rush for 100 yards seven times this season. The previous school record was five set last year. Harvin’s 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was his 15th touchdown in the last 15 games he has played in, the longest current streak in the nation.
Placekicker Jonathan Phillips was perfect on a 27-yard field goal and all three of Florida’s PATs. He finished the season 12-of-13 in field-goal attempts and was 6-for-6 inside the 30.
Other notes: Ahmad Black’s interception in the fourth quarter was his seventh this season, tying the sophomore for the third best in Florida history. … Major Wright’s interception near the end of the first half was his fourth of the season. … Carlos Dunlap blocked the 49-yard field-goal effort of Jimmy Stevens, his third of the season and Florida’s ninth this season, tying the school record set in 1995. The Gators are now 19-1 in games they block a kick and 6-0 when that kick is a field goal. … Florida became the first team to hold Oklahoma scoreless in the first quarter. … Brandon Hicks and Dunlap recorded their second and team-leading 10th sacks, respectively, against an Oklahoma line which had allowed just 11 sacks in its previous 13 games.