Game Thread BCS Championship Game, tOSU vs. Florida - Jan 8th

[buxfan4life]

I could make an arguement against each one of these points, but I just picked the two that really burn me:

7. The Florida run defense
Yeah, Michigan?s run defense was supposed to be a rock and Ohio State ran through it, but Florida?s is better and more talented. Only four teams ran for over 100 yards on a Gator run defense that allowed just 2.8 yards per carry. The defensive front is physical enough to hold up against the fantastic Ohio State O line, while the back seven is fast enough to keep Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells from busting off any backbreakers (just ask Darren McFadden and Felix Jones). Texas held the Buckeyes to 79 rushing yards.

Texas. OK. Second game of the year, and on the road. Our Oline had not gelled yet, and they were throwing new guys in there every few plays to keep them all fresh throughout the game. Also, the gameplan was to abuse the young secondary of the Longhorns. So, that statement means nothing.

There is no mention that this vaunted Florida Dline has never faced such a physical Oline this season, not even close. So, that statement means nothing.

I will concede that the Florida secondary is good, although, in a 3 reciever set, they will be focused on the WRs and that is when Pittman and Wells could bust one. Oh, and if Wells gets a head of steam, watch out.


5. Chris Leak
50 games, 11,000 passing yards, 87 touchdown passes, 13 rushing touchdowns, one SEC championship. Leak has seen it all, and after beating Arkansas, done it all while surviving the Ron Zook era to become a steady, yet mellow, leader of the Gators. Troy Smith might be unflappable, but Leak is the textbook definition always maintaining an even keel if he throws a pick, throws a touchdown pass, or gets replaced by Tim Tebow. He?s not going to be rattled.

Leak? C'mon!! The guy gets rattled, makes stupid decisions. Enough said. Tebow?? Jump passes will not be a factor, and "TT run left" will get stuffed at the line.

Does this guy actually think that Tress and Co. have not watched and analyzed all the game tapes of Florida? I have watched 7 of their games this year, and in my humble, unproffessional opinion, they are not a great team but merely a very good team that got a few breaks their way this season. I think the game is going to be a good one, as Florida never gives up, but don't make them sound like some almighty team with destiny on their side.

 

[VprHis]

actually this is in itself a sexist statement;

My most sincere apologies, BestBuck... I didn't mean to give offense. I'm just a big, dumb animal, after all. :)

 

[SanAntonioBuck]

The Swamp is ours!

 

[fourteenandoh]

The Swamp is ours!

My sig modified! I may have to change my sig now

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Gators' QB plan works

Senior Leak steps aside at times so freshman Tebow can step in

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

Imagine telling a four-year starting quarterback he's going to give up some snaps to a true freshman.
That unusual premise brings two more even harder to believe. One, the senior would go along with it. Two, it would work, especially when the youngster excels mainly as a runner.
But that's been the case with Florida senior Chris Leak and freshman Tim Tebow. The Gators have used the plan to go 12-1 and earn a spot against undefeated Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
Buckeye fans will harken back to the days of Joe Germaine and Stanley Jackson and roll their eyes. But with tailbacks DeShawn Wynn and Kestahn Moore missing time with injuries, Florida coach Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen called on Tebow. He became the Gators' second-leading ground-gainer with 430 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and a team-high seven rushing touchdowns.
Tebow was credited with one of the five biggest plays of Florida's season in a 21-20 victory Sept. 16 at then-No. 13 Tennessee. Trailing 20-14 with eight minutes to go and facing fourth-and-1 at the Tennessee 28, Tebow came in for his first moment in the spotlight and ran off the left side for 2 yards. Two plays later, Leak found Dallas Baker for the game-winning touchdown pass.
``Chris understands to win at the championship level it's not how many yards you throw for; we need to get first downs,'' Meyer said via conference call. ``The perfect example was fourth-down-and-1 at Tennessee, we pull off a four-year starter and jog in a freshman and there's a lot of reasons for that. We thought Tim Tebow would be the best opportunity to get the first down. And Chris would be the first one to agree with that.
``If you took anybody other than Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, you'd have an issue with it. But you've got two high-character guys, two guys who want to win in the worst way and two unselfish players. That's why it worked.''
Asked Wednesday how he accepted the situation, Leak was evasive and said he made sure when he was out of the game that he concentrated on what the defense was doing.
``That was my main concern, that I was able to stay in rhythm and have a great connection with the guys,'' Leak said on a teleconference.
But he showed nothing but respect for his likely successor.
``That was coach Meyer and coach Mullen's decision and to their credit they did a great job assessing Tim's talents,'' Leak said. ``He's like having an extra running back in there. It's hard for a defense to account for an extra blocker and get the right amount of guys in the box. We're using his talents to our advantage.''
Mullen, who has worked with Meyer since 1999 at Notre Dame, said there was never an issue who was No. 1.
Leak has started 46 career games for the Gators and gone 34-12. Counting high school, when he led Independence in Charlotte, N.C., to three consecutive state titles, he's 80-12 in his last 92 games. In his career, he's set Florida records for passing yards (11,000), 200-yard passing games (32), consecutive completions (17 vs. Wyoming, 2005) and lowest interception percentage (2.95) and stands second in completion percentage (61.2). This season he completed 62.9 percent for 2,729 yards and 22 touchdowns.
``A lot of teams say, `Wow, they have a two-quarterback system' or `They're a team that's rotating guys,' '' Mullen said. ``That really wasn't the case. Chris knew he was the starting quarterback and knew that Tim was just coming in as a change of pace.
``They've really embraced it and saw the success we were having and the issues that it caused a defense. They never even thought about it or even batted an eye. It was a much bigger deal outside the football program than within the football program, especially within the quarterback position.''
At Nease High School in Jacksonville, Tebow threw for 9,940 yards and 95 touchdowns and rushed for 3,169 yards and 63 touchdowns. While Mullen said Florida's opponents know Tebow's likely to run, Mullen points out that Tebow has thrown four touchdown passes.
``It gives us a big advantage to open up play-action,'' Mullen said. ``The majority of the time we are going to run, but with the big-play potential he has to throw the ball it still kind of keeps everybody a little honest.''
Some suggest the Gators wouldn't have reached the title game without Tebow. Leak agrees, to a point.
``The things Tim's done helping us sustain drives on third-and-short or fourth-and-short... we've scored on many drives he's gotten first downs,'' Leak said. ``It's something he can look back and be proud of.''

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Fifth-year seniors at heart of Buckeyes
[FONT=verdana,Times New Roman,Times,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By JASON LLOYD[/FONT] [FONT=verdana,Times New Roman,Times,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Special to The Inde[/FONT]


They were grinders. Heavyweight prize fighters that would lean on opponents for 11 rounds, then outslug them in the 12th. They were mashers and masters of the ugly win.
And it led to a national championship.
The 16 fifth-year seniors on Ohio State?s roster this year were all redshirting freshmen on the 2002 team that won a national championship, Ohio State?s first in 34 years. Now just a few short years later, the Buckeyes are in a position to do it again, and the fifth-year seniors are a large reason for it.
Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith is one of six starters who are fifth-year seniors. That list, which includes center Doug Datish, right guard T.J. Downing and defensive players Antonio Smith, Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson and Brandon Mitchell, doesn?t count key reserves like Joel Penton and Roy Hall. They were all unknowns in 2002, running the scout team and getting pounded on in practice every day.
But all along, they were watching the older players and learning how to win.
?In ?02, everything wasn?t always pretty,? Richardson said. ?This year has been a lot prettier than ?02. In ?02, we had to grind out some tough wins. But those guys knew how to win, those guys sacrificed a lot and those guys had a passion. Looking at them, we knew we had that same passion.?
Despite replacing nine starters on defense, coach Jim Tressel felt good about this team entering the season because of the high number of fifth-year seniors. Those players, he said, lived the highs of the national championship season and the lows of the 3-3 start to the 2004 season.
?All those lessons they learned, they worked hard to put those to good use this entire year,? Tressel said. ?So far they?ve progressed each week. If that continues, maybe the goals they have in mind, they have a chance to reach.?
Similarly, one of the reasons Tressel thought the ?02 team won the national title was because of the 10 fifth-year seniors, which included leaders like Cie Grant, Donnie Nickey and Kenny Peterson. Players who have been around five years tend not to get rattled as easy as younger players and most have the poise to maintain through difficult times.
So it was this year during the Michigan game, when the Wolverines were beginning to rally in the second half and Richardson saw some scared eyes on the sideline that belonged to key underclassmen.
That?s when the role of the fifth-year seniors becomes critical. Richardson and other veterans went over and assured the younger players not to get nervous, that it was just part of the game. Sure enough, Ohio State squelched Michigan?s momentum on a big second-half touchdown run from Antonio Pittman and held on for the win and the berth in the national championship game.
?A lot of players don?t get the opportunity to play in one national championship or even go to one,? said Pittman, who was still in high school during the last national championship season. ?They first came in here and were lucky enough to be on a team that won a national championship. Now on they?re way out, they get a chance to (win another).?
Smith remembers not fully appreciating Ohio State?s national championship five years ago because he hadn?t experienced enough to understand the work and fortune it takes to succeed.
?Guys like Ray Small, Rob Rose, Thaddeus Gibson and Antonio Henton, they are all freshmen,? Smith said. ?They are all walking around here with their heads in the clouds, not really understanding and knowing what it is about.
?Right after we won the game (against Miami in ?02), I sat in my chair at my locker for about 15 minutes daydreaming, because the year before I watched Miami beat Nebraska. This was the national championship and a year later, I?m celebrating a national championship and I couldn?t understand it as a young guy.?
These seniors have endured close calls in the past, like 2003, when a loss to Michigan prevented the Buckeyes from playing for a second straight national championship. And last year, when early losses to Texas and Penn State again eliminated Ohio State from title contention, even though the Buckeyes were arguably playing better than anyone at the end of the year.
This year there were no excuses. In truth, there weren?t even many close calls. The Penn State game was in doubt until a pair of late interception returns for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Illinois game wasn?t over until Brian Robiskie recovered an onside kick and the Buckeyes slipped past Michigan by a field goal.
Otherwise, the fifth-year seniors, and in general the senior class, has done its job leading a perfect 12-0 regular season. Now they have the rare chance of entering and exiting college as national champions.
?It would be amazing to come in on top like we did in 2002,? Richardson said. ?Just to be able to come in and win the championship and be a part of that team, then to be able to get one going out would be the greatest accomplishment any college football player could say they had.?

 

[OregonBuckeye]

If you , or the Buckeyes , forget for one moment that this is a championship caliber team who will show up for the game we could be in trouble.
They will be in shape both physically and mentally and have a will to win.
We probably are pretty equal on D and will have to beat them with the O.
Before the 2003 game I hung my hopes on the fact that "any team that can give up 28 points can be beat". Mich hung 39 on us.
That holds true for Fla . now too.

I'm not implying we can't be beat but if we come to play and are prepared(which Tressel always does) we'll win handily.

Just because it's a National Championship game doesn't mean it automatically has to be close. Remember '05 USC-OU, '02 NU-Cryami, '96 NU-UF, etc.?

 

[mooktarr]

I'm not implying we can't be beat but if we come to play and are prepared(which Tressel always does) we'll win handily.

Just because it's a National Championship game doesn't mean it automatically has to be close. Remember '05 USC-OU, '02 NU-Cryami, '96 NU-UF, etc.?

A blow out isn't in JT's repetoire is it?

 

[Jaxbuck]

A blow out isn't in JT's repetoire is it?

His teams covered the spread what 11 times in a row at one point? Look at some of our scores this year, he'll run his offense with the starters in for at least the first 3 quarters.

I don't neccessarily think we'll blow anyone out, but if they start turning it over and we have our A-game going it could very well happen.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

A blow out isn't in JT's repetoire is it?

Well, his last 2 bowl games were. Hell, even the '03 Fiesta Bowl was a blowout until KSU got a couple late cheap touchdowns.

 

[IronBuckI]

A blow out isn't in JT's repetoire is it?

His teams covered the spread what 11 times in a row at one point? Look at some of our scores this year, he'll run his offense with the starters in for at least the first 3 quarters.

I don't neccessarily think we'll blow anyone out, but if they start turning it over and we have our A-game going it could very well happen.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that the smiley he used indicated that he was mocking the regurgitation of the "JT won't blow people out" sentiment that so many incorrectly use.

 

[Smith/Ginn'06]

I am most looking forward to Justin Zwick throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It would be a great award for his loyalty and dedication to this team.

Troy's celebration would be awesome, can't wait to see it happen.

The same could be said for Kerr, I see him making a play!

Hello, lil animal will get another pick (pick six please)! Your thoughts....

 

[osugrad21]

Link

December 14, 2006
Clock ticks as UF gets ready
By LOUIS ANASTASIS
Correspondent GAINESVILLE -- How many days does it take to make a national champion?
Thirty-seven if you're No. 2 Florida and a whopping 51 for No. 1 Ohio State.
While the Gators last played against Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Championship on Dec.2, the Buckeyes haven't hit the field since a Nov. 18 win against Michigan. The two teams will play for the Bowl Championship Series national title on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.
"The anticipation (is the hardest part)," Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. "You want to play it so bad, but you just have to be patient and keep working and preparing for it."
Honestly, the Gators don't mind. Defensive lineman Ray McDonald continues to nurse a partially torn ligament in his right elbow while safety Tony Joiner is still recovering from a high right ankle sprain. Both should play against the Buckeyes. McDonald recently discarded his sling and should be cleared to practice in a week and a half -- or whenever the swelling subsides.
"It does feel kind of strange that we don't have a game for a month, but we're enjoying the time off," McDonald said. "It couldn't have come at a better time because I got hurt and (the layoff) gives everybody on the team confidence."
This is exam week for the Gators, but coach Urban Meyer isn't easing up. Florida practiced in shorts Tuesday and will do the same today and Friday.
"I don't know if we bang them as much and do those types of things, but we have to go throw the ball around," Meyer said. "A lot of people give their players time off, but the research that we've done indicates that even with finals, you have to go out there, get some fresh air and run around. We're going to do everything possible to win this game."
Meyer has several concerns in preparing for the national championship, one of them being Reggie Nelson's celebrity status. The safety recently concluded a whirlwind tour away from campus as a Jim Thorpe Award finalist and a First Team All-American.
"When I was with (Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback) Alex Smith (at Utah), he was worn out that year," Meyer said Monday. "I have not seen Reggie. It's all well deserved though. There's nothing greater than seeing a young person get what they deserve."

 

[osugrad21]

Link

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Caldwell comes around[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Serif]Florida receiver feeling great for Ohio State game
[/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
BY DAVID JONES
FLORIDA TODAY [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] [/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman, serif]GAINESVILLE - It wasn't the broken leg Andre Caldwell suffered against Tennessee early in the 2005 season that slowed him down.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The big adjustment for Florida's junior receiver in his return this fall was more like standing at a bus stop and watching the traffic streak by.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]For so long, he felt he just couldn't catch up. The Tampa native caught 11 passes in the Gators' first four victories but started to come around in October with a pair of five-reception games against Auburn and LSU.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]As the season grew longer, Caldwell seemed to relax more and get into the flow of games. There were back-to-back outings of eight receptions against Georgia and Vanderbilt before an eight-catch, 124-yard game at Florida State.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Finally, Caldwell was all the way back to where he was a year ago as a threat running, catching and even passing the ball -- throwing a touchdown pass against Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game on an end-around play.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I felt 100 percent," said Caldwell, who has 55 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns heading into the Jan. 8 showdown with Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz., for the national title. "But I just had to get used to playing football again, being out there.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"The game moves a lot faster than practice. So it just took a little experience and actually being in a real game to get back to where I needed to be."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]While both teams have so much time off before playing the championship game, that's not necessarily a bad thing for some players. Caldwell is one of those. With each passing week, he seems to be stronger and more confident. The leg is completely recovered.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Caldwell ran a sub-4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash in August. With each passing week, he also becomes more and more comfortable with the flow of contact in practice.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I wasn't ever scared," he said of possibly re-injuring the leg. "I just wasn't used to the game speed and how fast everything was moving."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]In the early days after surgery to repair the injury, Caldwell's mother, Deborah, made it a point to drive from Tampa to Gainesville just to do Andre's laundry and keep an eye on him. Players teased their teammate. But they had a feeling his close-knit family would be a key to bringing him all the way back.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It was, in fact, a team project.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"The university was the greatest for him," Deborah Caldwell said. "From the coaches, to the coaches' wives, everybody kept telling Andre don't worry about it you're going to come back."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The game finally started slowing down for him about midway through the season.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"It was probably the Auburn game," he said. "I just got a lot more touches, got comfortable with myself and moving around out there to the game speed. That's when I felt I was ready to go do my thing."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He caught a couple of touchdown passes in UF's 27-17 defeat at Auburn, the Gators' only loss.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Another key moment came in the 28-13 win against Alabama a couple of weeks earlier when he caught a screen pass and streaked down the sideline, leaping into the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown that put the Gators ahead to stay.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"That was the play that really gave me the real confidence-booster, letting me know that I could still do it and for the world to see I've still got it," Caldwell said.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Since then, Caldwell's year has taken off.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He realizes Florida will be a heavy underdog against the Buckeyes in the national title game.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I can understand why people think Ohio State will beat us," he said. "They are a good team and we struggled at times this year. We need to be ready when we step out onto the field on the eighth. We want to step out onto the field to win. We are not satisfied with just being there."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Caldwell feels Florida has the team speed, however, to match up with Ohio State's defense.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Ohio State is a great team, but going through our schedule, we think that we can match up with any team in the country," he said. "We compete with the best teams in the country week after week."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The Buckeyes are only giving up 93.5 yards a game on the ground (the nation's 16th-best rush defense) so the Gators may have to find creative ways of using receivers on sweep and slash plays. That could mean Caldwell's rising confidence will become even more valuable.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ohio State's secondary is talented, and the defensive front is solid. But the Buckeyes have shown some holes in pass defense at times, giving up 179.5 yards a contest (No. 29 in the nation). Florida's team speed at the receiver spots could be an edge.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Florida may also have to find its points in unconventional ways -- the kind of ways Caldwell knows well.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]There's little doubt a trick play will be thrown in for Caldwell that, if it works at a vital time, could be the difference in the game. Caldwell's 5-yard pass on a reverse play to tight end Tate Casey with just over nine minutes to play gave Florida its final points in the 38-28 win against Arkansas in the SEC title game.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The play was a crushing blow to the Razorbacks' hopes and sealed their fate.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I love trick plays," said Caldwell, a former high school quarterback. "I joke all the time that I am a quarterback at heart and that I just play receiver. I love to throw the ball, so that I can talk a little bit of trash to my teammates about it and have a little fun with it."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He's actually having a lot more fun than he did back in September when the season started and things seemed like a blur.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The bus, it appears, finally has slowed down.[/FONT]

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
Buckeyes have lots of time on their hands
Ohio State has 51 days between Michigan and Florida
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Ohio State football team left its 2006 dock 26 days ago. It will be another 25 days before the Buckeyes reach the harbor of the national championship game.
With such a long layoff ? unprecedented in program history ? the danger is that the Buckeyes will lose their bearings and go adrift on this 51-day sea.
"It?s a long time, it almost feels like we?re getting ready for spring practice," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said.
Ohio State will play Florida on Jan. 8, and if the Buckeyes start spring ball as usual toward the end of March, that?s an 11-week layoff compared with the current seven-week hiatus. As Heacock said, not that different.
In contrast, Florida has 37 days off.
The big question is how will it affect Ohio State?
"I don?t think there?s any question that this is different, it?s uncharted waters for all of us," Heacock said. "I don?t think anybody really knows how it will come out or what the best plan is."
Of course, the Buckeyes have a plan. Coach Jim Tressel said the coaching staff talked over how best to handle this period, and he also consulted several veteran players.
The result is a mixture of time off, conditioning, lifting, practice, gameplanning and final preparations.
"With this length of time to prepare, we first need to begin to focus on ourselves and get better at some things, and then move onto a game plan and do that dissecting and all that kind of thing," Tressel said. "It?s exciting to have this long to do it."
Roughly, here?s how the schedule shapes up:
? Week of Nov. 20 ? Players off, home for Thanksgiving.
? Week of Nov. 27 ? Lifting and conditioning, a few light practices at end of week.
? Weeks of Dec. 4, 11? Fundamentalsoriented practices, coaches on the road recruiting.
? Week of Dec. 18 ? Coaches all back, practices start to focus on game plan for Florida, players off by the weekend for Christmas.
? Week of Dec. 25 ? Players off until the 29 th, travel to Arizona on the 30 th.
? Week of Jan. 1 ? Practices in Arizona.
Several players, including quarterback Troy Smith, have spent the past week or so on the awards circuit and are just now getting back to practice.
Also, Heacock said recruiting has a big impact on the plans. Different coaches have been on the road at different times, which is why the game plan will not be cooked up until the end of this week at the earliest.
But as Tressel points out, that?s not that much longer of a break than usual. Last year, Ohio State had 44 days off before the Fiesta Bowl. In 37 Buckeyes bowl trips (not all of them in January, of course) the average number of days off has been 40.
And Tressel?s teams have handled the break well. He is 4-1 in bowls, with a four-game win streak and an average score of 32-22.
"There?s a fine line; you don?t want to over-practice and get burned out, or under-practice and not be prepared," Heacock said.
"I think coach Tressel has a really good feel for those things and he does a great job of setting up a schedule."
Smith said the layoff gives Ohio State more time to heal up from bumps and bruises. Players such as left tackle Alex Boone, who missed two games late in the season with a knee injury, should benefit.
Defensive tackle David Patterson equated this layoff to an even longer break.
"Our coaches are working us hard and I think when the game comes, we?ll be ready," he said.
"We go a whole year without playing, and the first game, we?re ready to play."
He has a point. OSU is 101-12-4 in openers, and that might be what Jan. 8 feels like.
[email protected]