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http://www.ajc.com/news/content/sports/stories/2009/01/09/best_worst_college_football.htmlTHE FIVE BEST MOMENTS OF 2008
1. Tim Tebow’s Speech, Sept. 27: The Heisman Trophy winner was obviously distraught when he took the podium after Florida’s 31-30 upset to Ole Miss in The Swamp. But Tebow knew exactly what he wanted to say:
“To the fans, the Gator Nation, I’m sorry. Extremely sorry. But I promise you one thing: a lot of good will come from this. You will never see a player, in the entire country, play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. And you will never see a team play harder than we will play the rest of the season. God Bless.”
Florida did not lose again.
2. Michael Crabtree’s catch, Nov. 1: Texas had rallied from a 19-point deficit to take the lead at Texas Tech, 33-32, with 1:29 left. But quarterback Graham Harrell drove the Red Raiders down the field and, with time running out, hit Crabtree, who shook away from two Texas defenders and scored with one second left. The loss cost Texas a chance at the Big 12 championship and national championship.
3. Myron Rolle wins the Rhodes Scholarship, Nov. 22: With the blessing of coach Bobby Bowden, Florida State defensive back Myron Rolle did not make the start of the Seminoles’ game at Maryland. That’s because he was in Birmingham interviewing for the Rhodes Scholarship. Thanks to a private plane donated by an FSU alumnus, Rolle flew to College Park, put on his uniform, and entered Byrd Stadium right before halftime. By then he and the rest of the world knew that he had won the prestigious academic scholarship. Rolle received a standing ovation when he took the field.
4. An SEC championship game for the ages, Dec. 6: For the first time a conference championship game matched the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the AP poll. Not only would the winner become the SEC champion, but it would earn a spot in the BCS championship game. Alabama took control of the game, 20-17, with two long scoring drives that ate up the entire third quarter. But Tebow directed the Gators to pair of clutch touchdown drives to win, 31-20. It was the best of the 17 previous SEC championship games.
5. Joe Pa fools them all, Nov. 22: Penn State defeated Michigan State 49-18 in Happy Valley to give Joe Paterno his second Big Ten title in four years. Just when the experts were predicting that the Rose Bowl game would be his last, the 82-year-old Paterno got a brand new hip and a three-year commitment to continue coaching. He will begin the 2009 season, his 44th as the Nitanny Lions’ head coach, with 383 victories, one more than Florida State’s Bobby Bowden.
THE FIVE WORST MOMENTS OF 2008
When Clemson coach Tommy Bowden resigned suddenly at midseason, college football fans were haunted by the tear-streaked face of the Tiger running back from Atlanta. He had returned for his senior season hoping to win a championship for a coach he respected. The story had a happy ending because Clemson rebounded under Dabo Swinney to play in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day.
2. BCS tiebreaker decides the Big 12 South, Nov. 30: Because Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma all finished 7-1 in conference play, the BCS standings were used to break the tie and put Oklahoma into the Big 12 championship game. Texas had beaten Oklahoma head to head (45-35) on Oct. 11 but the BCS standings gave the Sooners an edge of .0128 points. If the Big 12 had used the SEC tiebreaking system, Texas would have played for the Big 12 championship and very likely the national championship.
3. Auburn 3, Miss. State 2, Sept. 13: It was, by any measure, one of the ugliest football games ever played. At the end of the year both coaches, Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville and Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom, were out. Auburn committed three turnovers, missed two field goals, and gave Mississippi State their only two points with a safety. Mississippi State was 0-for-17 on third and fourth down conversions.
4. Washington loses on excessive celebration call, Sept. 6: Washington quarterback Jake Locker thought he had tied the game with BYU when he scored a touchdown with eight seconds left. But when Locker jumped up in the end zone he flung the ball behind his head and was called for excessive celebration. The Washington extra point came from 15 yards further back and was blocked, giving BYU a 28-27 win. It would have been the worst call in officiating history, but that distinction belonged to another Pac-10 crew, the one which hosed Oklahoma the year before in a game with Oregon.
5. Barkley calls out Auburn: The search to replace Tommy Tuberville as Auburn’s head coach appeared disjointed at times. But it turned ugly for Auburn when one of their own, Charles Barkley, said that race was the determining factor in the decision to hire Gene Chizik, who is white, over Turner Gill, who is black. It created a ton of bad press for the school.
FIVE PREDICTIONS FOR 2009
In year two under Paul Johnson Georgia Tech’s offense will be even better. Georgia will be rebuilding after the loss of quarterback Matthew Stafford to the NFL and will have trouble scoring points. This time Georgia has to play at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Georgia Tech will get a late field goal and prevail, 27-24.
2. Alabama, Florida, will play for the SEC championship again: Both programs are young and have separated themselves from the rest of the league. Both will be ranked in the top five when they meet next December in the Georgia Dome for the SEC title. Florida will win the game and play Texas for the BCS national championship.
3. Colt McCoy will win the Heisman Trophy: In any other year McCoy’s numbers (3,859 passing, 34 TD) this season would have blown people away. But not with all of those great quarterbacks in the Big 12. If Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford turns pro, McCoy will get a lot more attention next season. Florida’s Tim Tebow will compete with McCoy for the award. For the second consecutive year two Heisman Trophy winners will meet in the BCS national championship game.
4. Notre Dame will make a run at Florida’s Urban Meyer: Charlie Weis will be out as the Irish coach by the end of the year and the school will back up the Brinks Truck in an effort to bring Meyer, a former Notre Dame assistant, back to South Bend. They will flatter Meyer and appeal to his ego, saying that he is the only man who can restore Notre Dame’s football glory. But at the end of the day Meyer will stay at Florida as the highest paid coach in the history of college athletics.
5. Bobby Bowden will call it a career: Florida State will win the 2009 ACC championship, giving legendary coach Bobby Bowden the opportunity to go out on top. He will move ahead of Penn State’s Joe Paterno on the all-time victory list.
