The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Sports

JASON BUTT

Those jumping on the "Georgia for National Champions" bandwagon better hop off now.

If you didn't catch ESPN's coverage of the Florida Spring Game on Saturday, then you didn't notice the beast Gators' quarterback Tim Tebow is turning into.

Fresh off his Heisman Trophy, the first EVER for a college sophomore, Tebow - "the so humble, so down-to-earth quarterback," according to Kirk Herbstreit - is geared up to take Florida back to the SEC Championship.

Forget the fact Florida gave up 524 yards in a 41-35 loss to Michigan (who finished 10th out of 11 in yards per game in the Big Ten) in the Capital One Bowl to close the year. And definitely forget the fact Georgia put up 42 points in Jacksonville at will against the much more agile defensive presence the Gators bring.

Florida has team speed all over the place and a quarterback with the heart of not just a lion, but of a lion and dragon bred together that can breathe fire, cast spells and exorcise demons, while riding off into the sunset with a damsel in distress on a tamed stallion.

Not only is the Sunshine State's savior returning to this speedy Gators team, but Florida now has Cameron Newton in the fold - another quarterback who fits Urban Meyer's brilliantly spread offense.

Now Newton, who has attempted a whopping 10 passes in his career, can take some of the punishment off Tebow's golden shoulders as the runner Tebow was during his freshman year. Meyer said the chosen one will have more opportunities to showcase his abilities as a passer.

"No doubt, we will have more of a spread offense this season," Meyer told the Orlando Sentinel this spring. "But don't sleep on Tebow throwing deep, he's got a cannon that hasn't been used yet."

With Tebow throwing bombs, Newton will have the chance to show his Florida team speed.

Not to mention that Percy Harvin has Florida team speed.

Cornerback Joe Haden? Sure, Mohamed Massaquoi torched him in last year's Cocktail Party. He, too, has Florida team speed. Haden is so fast that his mediocre cover skills are hidden by his Florida team speed.

Think about it like this: If ESPN is going to spend money to send "analysts" Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso to Gainesville, then they obviously know something Athens is trying to deny.

ESPN wouldn't spend two hours covering a school's practice if the chosen team was not a favorite, would it? It would be out of its mind.

Did I mention Florida has team speed?

I know what you're thinking, as an enraged Bulldog fan who cannot fathom the idea that, even after last year, Florida is still the better team. But realistically, Urban Meyer is a genius. He takes the collective team speed of his quick playmakers and puts them in ideal situations where they can succeed. Even if those players can't cover in the secondary, pick-up blitzes or carry the ball more times than the quarterback.

But it doesn't matter. Tim Tebow and Florida's speed are not just better than Georgia, you or the rest of the country, they are better than any conceived object created in the universe.

Just ask ESPN.


- Jason Butt is a sportswriter for The Red & Black

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