The Girvan Report VI
Thoughts between naps while flying to and from Seattle for the start of what could be a loooong season for the Bucs…
The Game
Though it is both a blessing and a curse, Florida has the unique distinction of playing three legitimate "rivalry games" these days. For many, especially older fans, Georgia is, was, and always will be, the Gators' most bitter rival. Of course, how could you argue with anyone who believes Florida St. wins that prize? Some might even say Miami, but that one has faded in recent years. For much of the last generation of Florida fans – I'm talking the ones who know Steve Spurrier as a coach, not a player --Tennessee takes the cake. Since 1990, the Gators and Volunteers have battled every season. In 1992, the SEC went to two divisions, meaning the third Saturday in September was for the driver's seat in the SEC East. It's Rocky Top, Fat Phil and Ugly Orange. In the words of the Head Gator himself, "the food tastes a little different, the skies a little bluer, the grass is a little greener. It's SEC time. It's Tennessee time." Amen, Urban.
Lasting Impressions
Leftover thoughts from Florida's 59-31 rout of Troy.
*Dustin Doe flies to the football. He's not as big as Earl Everett, but is off to a nice start filling his shoes.
*Tim Tebow's maturation is obvious in one very important way: he's done a great job getting out of bounds and avoiding big hits.
*Brandon James is a game breaker. He seems sent from central casting, and embraces his role as the Gators' kick and punt returner.
*Cornelius Ingram is a match-up nightmare. Tennessee has some good linebackers, but no one that can run with the pride of Hawthorne.
*Justin Trattou and Carlos Dunlap are incredible athletes. Florida's future is very bright at defensive end.
Heisman Hopefuls
This week's look at three players moving up my Heisman Trophy ballot.
1.Ray Rice, Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights' all-time leading rusher has helped Greg Schiano's program execute one of the more improbable turnarounds in recent college football history. This isn't a lifetime achievement award though, so it's important to note Rice leads the NCAA in rushing this year.
2.Brian Brohm, Louisville. He's completed more than 68 percent of his passes for 776 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions so far this season.
3.Pat White, West Virginia. The only dual-threat quarterback who compares to Tim Tebow. White completed 13 of his 18 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 125 yards and another score, in the Mountaineers' win over Marshall.
Raging Bulls
Hats off to the USF Bulls for their overtime win on the Plains. Gator fans know all too well how difficult it is to play at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Jim Leavitt's team didn't score a single point off five Tiger turnovers, and missed four field goals, but still pulled out a 26-23 victory. Oh, by the way, the Bulls collected a reported $650,000 for the trip. How's that for insult to injury, Auburn? Leavitt grew up in St. Petersburg, and came back to Tampa Bay to build USF from the ground up. He's the only coach the school has ever had, and he has no intentions of leaving. With FSU and Miami struggling, the Bulls should be able to capitalize in recruiting. More than 44,000 students attend USF, making it the ninth-largest university in the nation, and that means a big fan base. An on-campus stadium would be nice, but there's nothing wrong with playing in an NFL facility. Bottom line – this is a program on the rise. Even though polls are hardly meaningful at this point in the season, the Bulls should have been ranked in the top 25. They come to the Swamp in September of 2010, and it's no longer looking like a gimme.
Play to Win the Game!
One more thing about that Auburn loss – I will never understand why coaches who have the ball at the end of a game headed for overtime choose to run out the clock. Remember when John Madden said the Patriots should take a knee with 1:21 to play against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI? Thank goodness for New England Bill Belichick had the intestinal fortitude, and faith in his offense, to give his kicker a chance. Auburn had the ball at its own 36, with :55 to play, three timeouts, and a kicker who had just hit a 46 yarder. Come on, Tommy Tuberville, take the Bulls by the horns! (too easy to pass up)
I mean, if we've learned anything from former Jets (and now Chiefs) head coach Herm Edwards, it's that "you play to win the game!"
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Simeon Rice is one of the most colorful characters in the NFL, and his personality did not mesh well with Bucs head coach Jon Gruden. Tampa Bay cut Rice loose after he failed a physical at the start of training camp. More to the point, the injured defensive end refused to take a pay cut of approximately $2.5 million; a deal that would have paid just under $5 million this season. Rice said the Bucs didn't "respect" him, and reportedly made some less-than-flattering comments about Gruden. He's now settled for $3 million (with another $1 million in incentives) from the Broncos. If money equals respect, and it sure seems to in this case, apparently the Bucs respected you more than you thought, Simeon.
The Big Kahuna
Commissioner Roger Goodell isn't happy he's known as the "heavy hand" of the National Football League, but most fans of the sport do appreciate the way he's dealt with Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, etc. Now Goodell is talking about another significant move that sounds like a pretty good idea to me. As soon as 2009, we could see the Pro Bowl move to the week before the Super Bowl. Sure, you'd lose the guys who are playing for all the marbles a week later, but it certainly would help kill the two weeks before the big game. Besides, anything to make the Pro Bowl more relevant is worth trying…and the Super Bowl should be a climactic end to the season. Here's to Goodell for shaking things up. Of course, no matter what he does, he'll always look like a genius next to Bud Selig.
Hot Routes
# Broadcasters ought to be fined $1 every time they say a wide receiver is "wide open" when there's a defensive back within a yard. Brent Musberger, you owe us $713.
# Ray Buchanan was a pretty fair cornerback in his day, but he has no business on Fox Sports Radio. What a train wreck.
# With his impending move to Hendrick Motorsports, I suspect it'll be some time before we see Dale Earnhardt, Jr. miss the Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship again.
Thanks for reading. Keep smiling, and remember: absence makes the heart grow fonder. (Those of you who missed the first two games of the season, but are heading to the Swamp on Saturday will understand.)