girvan report - 10/10/07
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:26 pm
Need a reason to smile after Florida's second-straight loss? Joe Girvan is here to talk you down off the ledge. This week Joe wonders, if Superman wears Tim Tebow Underoos, why do so many people think the Gators' super sophomore is carrying footballs made of Kryptonite? He'll also look back at the LSU game, remind you why Florida should bounce back after the bye and update the Heisman race. Earnest Graham is carrying the mail and, baseball fans, we're handing out hardware in this edition of The Girvan Report.
The Girvan Report X
Writing and watching Florida become the best 4-2 team in the country…
Rare Breed
I'm hearing Gator fans and national media members alike say Tim Tebow can't continue to run the ball like we've seen so far this season. Sorry kids, get used to it, because this is the spread option. What you saw the last two years was an offense built around Chris Leak's abilities. Tebow is the first quarterback brought to Gainesville by Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen to run their offense. Tebow is 6'3", 235 lbs. Cameron Newton is 6'5", 243 lbs. They are dual-threat quarterbacks who are built to withstand the pounding that comes with running the football. Before the LSU game, CBS studio analyst Spencer Tillman said of Tebow, "If he runs the ball 15-20 times like he did a couple weeks ago, he'll be knocked out of this game by halftime." Give me a break. LSU's defense is great, but Tebow is bigger than 7 of the Tigers' starting 11! For the record, he ran 13 times for 44 yards and a touchdown by halftime, and came back for more. In the words of CBS analyst Gary Danielson, "modern football, boy, have things changed."
Lasting Impressions
Leftover thoughts from Florida's near miss at LSU
*LSU converted all five of its 4th down conversions. Hats off to Les Miles for having the stones to keep those drives alive.
*I wish Urban Meyer had called timeout at the end of the Tigers' last drive.
*17 tackles for a defensive end is ridiculous. Jermaine Cunningham was all over the field.
*I've been nervously expecting Kestahn Moore's first fumble of the season. Shame it happened at end of the third quarter…he was really doing a nice job.
*In a world without a playoff, Florida's chances of repeating as national champs are gone. The Gators could have withstood a four-point loss at #1 LSU by itself, but Auburn already had Florida's title hopes on the ropes, and the Bayou Bengals delivered the knockout blow.
Heisman Hopefuls
This week's look at the top of my Heisman Trophy ballot, and two other guys moving up the charts
1) Darren McFadden, Arkansas. Ho hum. Another 25 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. McFadden has scored in every game this season. Imagine if Felix Jones wasn't stealing 15 carries a game.
2) Matt Ryan, Boston College. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns in BC's rout of Bowling Green. The Eagles are now 6-0 and ranked 4th in the nation.
3) Chase Daniel, Missouri. The Tigers are 5-0 and ranked 11th, thanks in large part to their junior signal caller. Daniel torched Nebraska for 401 yards and two touchdowns on 33 of 47 passing.
Mr. August
Former Gator Earnest Graham is now the Buccaneers' starting running back. Think about that for a second. Not mop-up duty, not splitting carries, not a goal line touchdown vulture…Tampa Bay's one and only tailback, a true feature back. Earnest Graham. Here's a guy who wasn't drafted, who's been signed and released five different times and wasn't a sure bet to make this year's roster out of training camp. Injuries have devastated the Bucs' backfield. Cadillac Williams is out for the season with a career-threatening knee injury. Now Michael Pittman is out 6-8 weeks with what the team is calling a "severe ankle sprain." Suddenly Graham, as humble as he ever was, is the hot commodity on fantasy waiver wires around the country. A former special teams specialist, he could see 20 carries this Sunday against Tennessee. A guy known as "Mr. August" for his preseason prowess is now pounding the rock in October for the NFC South's first-place team. Remarkable. Fellow former Gator Ciatrick Fason is one of four free agents who worked out for Tampa Bay this week, and ex-Alabama star Kenneth Darby has been promoted from the practice squad, but right now, it's E.G.'s world and the rest of us just live here.
Handing Out Hardware Part II
Last week we took a look at the candidates for individual awards in the American League, now it's time for the Senior Circuit. The National League Most Valuable Player is a two-horse race. Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins is certainly deserving, but I'm taking Colorado's Matt Holliday. He led the league in hitting with a .340 average, finished fourth with 36 HR and, most importantly, knocked in a National League-best 137 runs. Take J-Roll out of the Phillies' line-up, and you still have to deal with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Take Holliday out of the Rockies' order, and it falls apart at the seams. I don't mean to pile on, Philly fans, but I'm also going with the Rockies' Clint Hurdle for NL Manager of the Year over Charlie Manuel. The Rookie of the Year might also reside in Colorado. Troy Tulowitzki has been tremendous offensively and defensively all year long. He gets the nod, but just barely, because Ryan Braun put up monster numbers in Milwauke. San Diego's Jake Peavy is a no-brainer for the Cy Young Award.
Hot Routes
# Major League Baseball umpire supervisor Jim McKeon told me we're "one call away" from instant replay in the sport. We can only hope Tim McClelland's mistake at the end of the Padres/Rockies one-game playoff was it.
# Who is Jose Mota and why did TBS pick the ALDS to spring him on us?
# Is anyone else sick of play-by-play folks describing end-arounds as reverses? Memo to all announcers: a reverse requires the ball carrier to go in one direction, until a teammate takes the ball in the opposite direction...you know, reverse the field. Jeesh, it's not rocket science, people.
Thanks for reading. Keep smiling, and remember: 'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. At least that's what people who just got dumped say.
The Girvan Report X
Writing and watching Florida become the best 4-2 team in the country…
Rare Breed
I'm hearing Gator fans and national media members alike say Tim Tebow can't continue to run the ball like we've seen so far this season. Sorry kids, get used to it, because this is the spread option. What you saw the last two years was an offense built around Chris Leak's abilities. Tebow is the first quarterback brought to Gainesville by Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen to run their offense. Tebow is 6'3", 235 lbs. Cameron Newton is 6'5", 243 lbs. They are dual-threat quarterbacks who are built to withstand the pounding that comes with running the football. Before the LSU game, CBS studio analyst Spencer Tillman said of Tebow, "If he runs the ball 15-20 times like he did a couple weeks ago, he'll be knocked out of this game by halftime." Give me a break. LSU's defense is great, but Tebow is bigger than 7 of the Tigers' starting 11! For the record, he ran 13 times for 44 yards and a touchdown by halftime, and came back for more. In the words of CBS analyst Gary Danielson, "modern football, boy, have things changed."
Lasting Impressions
Leftover thoughts from Florida's near miss at LSU
*LSU converted all five of its 4th down conversions. Hats off to Les Miles for having the stones to keep those drives alive.
*I wish Urban Meyer had called timeout at the end of the Tigers' last drive.
*17 tackles for a defensive end is ridiculous. Jermaine Cunningham was all over the field.
*I've been nervously expecting Kestahn Moore's first fumble of the season. Shame it happened at end of the third quarter…he was really doing a nice job.
*In a world without a playoff, Florida's chances of repeating as national champs are gone. The Gators could have withstood a four-point loss at #1 LSU by itself, but Auburn already had Florida's title hopes on the ropes, and the Bayou Bengals delivered the knockout blow.
Heisman Hopefuls
This week's look at the top of my Heisman Trophy ballot, and two other guys moving up the charts
1) Darren McFadden, Arkansas. Ho hum. Another 25 carries for 122 yards and a touchdown. McFadden has scored in every game this season. Imagine if Felix Jones wasn't stealing 15 carries a game.
2) Matt Ryan, Boston College. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns in BC's rout of Bowling Green. The Eagles are now 6-0 and ranked 4th in the nation.
3) Chase Daniel, Missouri. The Tigers are 5-0 and ranked 11th, thanks in large part to their junior signal caller. Daniel torched Nebraska for 401 yards and two touchdowns on 33 of 47 passing.
Mr. August
Former Gator Earnest Graham is now the Buccaneers' starting running back. Think about that for a second. Not mop-up duty, not splitting carries, not a goal line touchdown vulture…Tampa Bay's one and only tailback, a true feature back. Earnest Graham. Here's a guy who wasn't drafted, who's been signed and released five different times and wasn't a sure bet to make this year's roster out of training camp. Injuries have devastated the Bucs' backfield. Cadillac Williams is out for the season with a career-threatening knee injury. Now Michael Pittman is out 6-8 weeks with what the team is calling a "severe ankle sprain." Suddenly Graham, as humble as he ever was, is the hot commodity on fantasy waiver wires around the country. A former special teams specialist, he could see 20 carries this Sunday against Tennessee. A guy known as "Mr. August" for his preseason prowess is now pounding the rock in October for the NFC South's first-place team. Remarkable. Fellow former Gator Ciatrick Fason is one of four free agents who worked out for Tampa Bay this week, and ex-Alabama star Kenneth Darby has been promoted from the practice squad, but right now, it's E.G.'s world and the rest of us just live here.
Handing Out Hardware Part II
Last week we took a look at the candidates for individual awards in the American League, now it's time for the Senior Circuit. The National League Most Valuable Player is a two-horse race. Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins is certainly deserving, but I'm taking Colorado's Matt Holliday. He led the league in hitting with a .340 average, finished fourth with 36 HR and, most importantly, knocked in a National League-best 137 runs. Take J-Roll out of the Phillies' line-up, and you still have to deal with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Take Holliday out of the Rockies' order, and it falls apart at the seams. I don't mean to pile on, Philly fans, but I'm also going with the Rockies' Clint Hurdle for NL Manager of the Year over Charlie Manuel. The Rookie of the Year might also reside in Colorado. Troy Tulowitzki has been tremendous offensively and defensively all year long. He gets the nod, but just barely, because Ryan Braun put up monster numbers in Milwauke. San Diego's Jake Peavy is a no-brainer for the Cy Young Award.
Hot Routes
# Major League Baseball umpire supervisor Jim McKeon told me we're "one call away" from instant replay in the sport. We can only hope Tim McClelland's mistake at the end of the Padres/Rockies one-game playoff was it.
# Who is Jose Mota and why did TBS pick the ALDS to spring him on us?
# Is anyone else sick of play-by-play folks describing end-arounds as reverses? Memo to all announcers: a reverse requires the ball carrier to go in one direction, until a teammate takes the ball in the opposite direction...you know, reverse the field. Jeesh, it's not rocket science, people.
Thanks for reading. Keep smiling, and remember: 'tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. At least that's what people who just got dumped say.