ESPN spent the vast majority of the 11 a.m. edition of its flagship program SportsCenter taking a look at Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow from a number of different angles on Thursday. The network spoke about Tebow for approximately 50 minutes while covering the some other news of the day in between his segments.

The show began with a highlight package of clips from Denver’s victory over Pittsburgh in the wild card round of the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs, capped by Tebow’s 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime to ice the game.

Read the rest of this TebowCenter post…after the break!

Then the network went live to Denver, CO and spoke with reporter George Smith, who addressed a number of topics including the Broncos’ practice schedule and how Tebow is handling “Tebowmania.”

After a quick look at Denver’s failings against New England in week 15, ESPN explained how Tebow was burned by the blitz a few weeks ago, something his team will likely try to adjust for during Saturday’s game.

NFL analyst Herm Edwards joined the set in the following segment and discussed what adjustments the Broncos will have to make offensively, whether or not he’s ever seen so much hype and scrutiny for one player and a number of other topics.

“I like the way he handles himself,” Edwards said. “He handles the criticism with a smile, and he handles success with humility. He drives down the road of humility when you think about this guy. And the last time I checked, this road he’s driving on – [there’s] not a lot of traffic.” Edwards continued, “He doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s a football player. He’s not the best quarterback; he’s just a football player. People respect that. They respect how he handles his life. At the pro level anymore, we put these guys on a pedestal and we want to see how they handle it. He’s handled both situations – criticism and success – with a lot of class.”

ESPN then aired comments from Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, both of whom commented on their concerns about Tebow after leaving Florida. “Tim can’t play quarterback in a tradiational setting,” Meyer said. “Tim’s not the lone solider there. There’s very few quarterbacks that are really any good in those traditional systems. To try and force a guy like that, with his skill level, to play in a traditional pro offense, I was very much worried about that. And then is aw the evolution of the offense at Denver, utilizing his school. I was not worried if he would be successful but if he would [have] a system that would allow him to play.” Mullen agreed by adding, “The belief that I had was if he ever went to a system that would try to build around his strengths, they would get themselves a winner. But if you tried to change who Tim is, he’s not going to be as successful. Certianly I never had a concern about his competativeness, his intensity, his willingness to learn and his effort. Those were always the things – the mental, physical toughness that he has – that you never dobuted. You buid around the strengths of your players, and if you build around the strengths of Tim Tebow, you’re going to have a winner at any level.”

For a slant on Tebow’s future with Denver, ESPN turned to insider Adam Schefter, who said it would be “hard to believe” that he will not return as the incumbent starter with the Broncos in 2012. “At this point in time, with all that he’s done, he has to be the starter in 2012,” he quipped, adding that executive vice president of football operations John Elway obviously has a “new respect” for Tebow, who has made the team relevant for the first time in a while.

After the commercial break, Tebowmania was put up against other national phenomenons like Beatlemania, Fernandomania and Hulkamania. ESPN MLB insider Tim Kirkjian joined the program to compare Tebow’s sudden rise with that of Fernando Valenzuela’s in the 1980s. “The biggest difference is how great Fernando Valenzuela was. In football terms, his first eight starts he through for 300 yards and four touchdowns in every game. His first eight starts in 1981, he won them all, he completed them all, he threw five shutouts, he allowed four runs in 72 innings,” Kirkjian explained.. “He wasn’t just some novelty act. He wasn’t just some colorful character that won games. He shut people out every single game. To me, that’s the difference between Fernando and Tim Tebow. People are wondering can Tim Tebow play in this league? If you saw Fernando Valenzuela pitch, you said, ‘This is one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen already.’”

ESPN then ran an encore presentation of Tebow’s journey throughout the 2011-12 season beginning with his detractors coming down on him and moving on to Tebow taking over for Kyle Orton, Elway saying after four wins that he was no closer to knowing Tebow was “the guy” going forward, him continuing to play solid before struggling in the last three games of the regular season, and Tebow throwing the game-winning touchdown last week.

Next up was a look at the business side of Tebow with sports business analyst Rick Horrow, who discussed television ratings, tweets, Google hits and how big of a mistake it would be (from a financial perspective) for the team to go with a different quarterback.

ESPN then aired their favorite clip – Tebow pumping up the College Basketball GameDay crew with a pre-game speech back in 2008 – before showing other athletes Tebowing. One was Cincinnati Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, who performed the move after grabbing an interception against Arizona in week 16 action. There were also audio clips of former NBA player turned analyst Charles Barkley saying he has had enough of the “national nightmare” of Tebow hype and was just interested to see if he could continue to be productive long-term.

Then the network transitioned into a roundtable discussion hosted by Mike Greenberg with panelists Hugh Douglas, Trevor Matich and Herm Edwards. The foursome talked about why Tebow is so polarizing, the hype surrounding him and whether or not he can succeed long-term (all three panelists said ‘yes’ to the final question). “I think for people who dislike him as a person, they ought to check themselves a little bit. Why do they dislike him as a person? Because he doesn’t wear it on his sleeve from a standpoint of making speeches about his lord and savior every three minutes,” Matich said. “He’ll say, ‘I thank the lord,’ and then he’ll move on. He’ll do a quick ‘Tebow’ and then he’ll move on. But he doesn’t make lengthy demonstrations about it. I think that people who find that to be offensive need to ask themselves why is it that’s offensive. Is it something about Tebow that they wish maybe that they were more like or makes them look bad by comparison? I’m not saying it does; I’m just saying they should ask.”

Edwards continued to be outspoken about Tebow just as he was earlier in the show. “If you don’t like Tim Tebow, what you’re really saying is you don’t respect people with integrity,” he said. “The one thing I know about this young man, and I’ve been around him, his words and his life match up every day. So if you don’t like that something’s wrong with you, because this guy lives a life of integrity. Whether or not you like him as a football player or anything else, as a person – as a human being – he has integrity.”

The second edition of TebowCenter concluded with a ‘You Don’t Know Tebow!’ game show with guests Douglas and NBA insider Ric Bucher answering questions about the former Heisman Trophy winner. After some more Tebow statistics and tweets and a video of Phoenix head coach Alan Gentry spending his entire post-game press conference talking about Tebow, the show was over.

OGGOA will update this post with footage from the ESPN program if the network releases individual clips on its own website later in the day.

Urban Meyer is off to Ohio State to coach the Buckeyes, fulfilling a lifelong dream and continuing his storied career just 10 months after choosing to leave Florida because it was “time to put my focus on my family and life away from the field.”

Gator Nation was rocked when the more-solid-than-ever rumors began a week ago and continued its uproar Monday when it was confirmed and later officially announced that Meyer would indeed be heading to Ohio State.

Plenty is being said in regards to whether or not Gators fans have a right to be upset at Meyer for taking a job just months after declaring that he needed to reevaluate his health and relationship with his family but there is not one correct answer as to how Florida fans should feel about Meyer’s decision and the way in which this situation unfolded.

Whether the perception is that Meyer was dishonest when communicating his intentions for leaving Florida, a culprit of circumstance with his dream job suddenly becoming available years sooner than expected, or a college football addict unable to satisfy his fix while sitting behind a desk working for a major network, each observation has its own legitimate merits to be considered for evaluation.

Let’s take a more complete look at the situation by examining each angle of the story.

HEALTH

The first of two reasons he noted as reasons for choosing to step down from his position with the Gators, Meyer said in 2009 that he had been ignoring his health for years, but a recent scare prompted him to “reevaluate my priorities of faith and family.” He wound up returning to Florida for 2010 but stepped away after the season for the same reasons he mentioned a year earlier.

In this day of harsh criticism for coaches, leaving a job to concentrate on your health is one of two ways in which a person will receive a pass (the other is family, which will be covered next), and rightfully so.

Meyer’s announcement was met with immense disappointment but a wealth understanding and well wishes from Gators fans, which appreciated his hard work and hoped that their future hall of fame coach would be around long enough to share in the glory they would impart upon him.

Though Meyer has said previously that his health issues are under control, one of the main reasons they were brought forth in the first place was the high level of stress he was under from managing one of the greatest college football programs in the country.

Ten months removed from his decision to leave Florida, Meyer has explained that his health is no longer a day-to-day issue but instead something he must monitor and control by doing the right things on a daily basis.

Meyer’s health issues originated from his inability to take care of himself. He ate at infrequent intervals, did not exercise regularly and had other poor habits that led to his health deteriorating. He made great strides in the area of self-improvement in 2010 and has done even better with a year off in 2011.

That is not to say Meyer can revert back to his old ways. He cannot. But the time he spent learning to take care of himself over the last two years has improved his health beyond his family’s expectations and provided him with the ability to take a new job.

FAMILY

The second part the statement Meyer made when deciding to resign focused on his inability to spend time with his family and watch his children grow up because of the time commitment forced on him by being a head football coach.

Florida fans, which embraced the entire Meyer clan from day one, equally understood this desire and supported Meyer to this end, even after he decided to spend a portion of his week working as an analyst for ESPN rather than at home with his family or on the road to watch his two daughters play volleyball.

The argument from the Gators faithful was that Meyer spending a few hours around college football each week was nowhere near the time commitment or stress level he was experiencing as a head coach at Florida.

Fans supported him with the same empathy they gave him in regards to his health. Despite others saying he was disingenuous, Meyer had the support of the Gators, something he may not have necessarily always felt in his final two seasons at the helm.

From his family’s perspective, Meyer spent more time with them than he ever had to his children’s memory. In fact, according to those who can speak to it, it was undeniably the best year the Meyer family had ever experienced together.

FLORIDA FAN BASE

Fans can be your greatest asset or your worst nightmare. The same ones that cheer and laud you one day can be fickle and petty the next…even if they don’t realize how much their nature might bother a person.

Following Meyer’s second national championship in three seasons (with the year in between resulting in the school’s third Heisman Trophy), he was questioned to no end about the decision to install Steve Addazio as offensive coordinator over Billy Gonzales (or anyone else for that matter).

Florida’s offense had become less electric and awe inspiring, leading fans to take for granted the fact that the Gators finished the regular season undefeated and had an opportunity to compete for their third national title in four years. Instead they focused on why UF was not more perfect heading into its tilt with Alabama for the SEC title.

When Florida lost that game by a margin wider than anyone could have imagined, the spoiled fan base exploded with criticism. Addazio may have been the target but Meyer felt each shot and took them personally. Losing hurts him deep down in his core, as he’s explained, but persistent attacks against his coaches and friends pain him just as much.

Things got even worse the following year when he put Addazio in charge of the entire program while he took a leave of absence. The offensive coordinator rounded up a bit of goodwill in the offseason due to his ability to keep the recruiting class together and win over fans in public speeches. However, he again became the brunt of criticism soon after the season got off to a slow start.

Meyer would never have fired Addazio despite cries from the Gators pleading with him to do so. He did not fault him for Florida’s woes and refused to place blame for the team’s struggles on his friend’s shoulders.

Yet Meyer felt the fans’ displeasure deep down inside. He knew they appreciated the victories and the championships but was also slightly perturbed at how vicious they could be after a 13-1 season (2009) and during a rebuilding year (2010).

He did not in any way leave the Gators because of the fans but there should be no question that he was frustrated with the fact that he had not garnered more trust and goodwill during his previous five years.

MEDIA SCRUTINY

After Florida found success again in a second BCS title, Meyer’s legacy with the Gators slowly started becoming less about victories and more about how often his players were getting in trouble with the law.

The count was on and it was just a matter of time before Florida’s “30 arrests” became a national punch line to some but both a burden and sign of disrespect to the coach.

Every arrest brought new accusations and assumptions about Meyer, that he had no control over his players, did not care what they did in their personal lives as long as they produced on the football field, and held winning as a priority above everything else.

There is no question that Florida is one of the most scrutinized programs in the country. In addition to the pressure from the fans, Meyer felt that he always had to answer for things he had less control over than people chose to believe.

THE TENNANT

The state in which Meyer left the Gators may lead one to believe that he would be a landlord’s worst nightmare.

At the crux of Gator Nation’s frustrations over Meyer agreeing to become the next head coach of the Buckeyes is one simple fact: He left Florida’s roster worse off than he found it following Ron Zook‘s tenure.

UF looked weak and inept for the second-straight season, finishing 6-6 (their worst record since 1979) one year after Meyer took a similar unit to an 8-4 record and bowl victory against Penn State.

He may have been the best coach in school history between the days he dropped off his security deposit and moved out for good, but Meyer left the cupboard bare, the carpet dirty and the walls in need of a new paint job.

The Gators were a fractured team when Meyer took over. Ron Zook was a great recruiter and filled the team with talent but was unable to coach the players up and failed when it came to leadership and forcing the student-athletes to take responsibility.

Meyer did great things both on and off the field while wearing orange and blue. In addition to the victories and championships, he rebuilt the program from the inside-out, began and continued a number of traditions, and made fans once again proud to be a part of the Gator Nation.

But Meyer lost a lot over the last two years. The vast majority of his coaching staff (truly beginning with Dan Mullen leaving for Mississippi State at the end of the 2008 season) was gone by the time 2010 rolled around.

He had handfuls of players being selected early in the NFL Draft and was even forced to dismiss the heir apparent to Tim Tebow in Cam Newton (who only went on to win a Heisman Trophy and national title for Auburn).

Recruits did not pan out the way he expected, losses began mounting and the excellent team chemistry Florida had been building for years suddenly disappeared.

Meyer even admitted it himself, telling new head coach Will Muschamp on several occasions that “this program is broken,” according to a recent column by The Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley.

He expressed a similar sentiment after losing to Florida State in 2010, but his resolve was different at that time.

“I can assure you we’re going to rebuild this thing and build it up the right way and do it right,” he said. “Obviously we’re down a little bit. I didn’t believe we’d be that far down, but we are. So how do you build up a program? I’ve done it a few times and you build it up with tough players and tough coaches.”

The truth is that Meyer faced issues heading into 2010 and may have been confronted with even bigger ones if he had stuck around in 2011. Whether his decision to leave had anything to do with a potential lack of desire to rebuild a broken Gators team will remain an unknown but is no doubt a valid point for those landlords out there who do not appreciate the condition he left the home in.

BACK SO SOON?

Florida’s recent struggles are certainly on the minds of fans when they question why Meyer has decided to return to coaching, but his choice to do so less than a year after stepping down from the Gators is equally as disturbing to them.

When Meyer resigned, the expectation was that he would be out of the game for at least a few years. Some expected three or four, others believed he would need two years away from the action, but everyone (including his family) knew he would eventually return to coaching sooner than later.

No one could have legitimately predicted it would happen this quickly.

If this occurred on Nov. 28, 2012, the uproar would be minor. Meyer would have been off the sideline for nearly two years, watched one daughter graduate, seen another into her junior year of college, and been there while his son matured into a young man.

Instead it appears as if Meyer took a break rather than a sabbatical and just wanted a bit of space to regroup. That is not the case because, as you will soon read, the unique opportunity he was presented with was the primary reason for his return.

THIS IS FLORIDA

Many have been comparing Meyer’s departure from Florida and rebirth at Ohio State to a romantic relationship and truth be told the situation is not that far off. However, there is an important difference.

Usually when one partner leaves another it is to move on to a younger, more attractive and more appealing partner, one that provides benefits (whether mental, emotional or physical) or displays characteristics the other cannot and enables them to be a better person in the long run.

Gators fans refuse to believe (and rightly so) that they are the older, less attractive and less appealing partner. Florida is one of the premier football programs in the country, a fact that was true before Meyer arrived and has remained such since his departure.

Meyer himself said that he could not think of a better program – in terms of academic support, recruiting base, funding, etc. – to lead as a head football coach and was sure to say all the sweet nothings to make the Gators swoon at the sound of his voice.

“This is the premiere coaching position in the country,” he said at his introductory press conference.

He also indicated that his coaching mindset was “UF or nowhere” just one year earlier when he decided to return rather than ride off into the sunset.

“What I didn’t want to have happen, and I made this clear to Jeremy [Foley], if I am able to go coach, I want to coach at one place, the University of Florida,” Meyer said. “It would be a travesty, it would be ridiculous to all of a sudden come back and get the feeling back, get the health back, feel good again and then all of a sudden go throw some other colors on my shirt and go coach. I don’t want to do that. I have too much love for this university and these players and for what we’ve built.”

Florida fell hard for Meyer and was rewarded with victories and national titles. The Gator Nation stood by him in his darkest hour, praying for his health and a happy home life even after a rough season.

And he rewards them by moving in with someone new less than a year after being apart?

DREAM JOB II

There have been some inane conspiracy theories floated recently, but the truth is that Meyer did not have had any idea that there would be two premiere coaching vacancies just months after he resigned from Florida.

Even while with the Gators, there were murmurs that Meyer might leave the team at some point should the Notre Dame gig became available. It did, and he stuck around.

When announcing his decision to leave, Meyer probably took a long look at the coaching landscape and realized that he would eventually have an opportunity to step into a top job a few years down the line.

Jim Tressel was winning at Ohio State but not coming through in the big game, Joe Paterno was holding steady at Penn State but nearing retirement, and no coach at Notre Dame had seen true success since Lou Holtz (1986-96).

Meyer’s lone promise was that no matter where his career took him or how long he remained a head coach, he could never imagine himself coaching another SEC school.

So when the Ohio State scandal broke and Tressel stepped down, Meyer realized that he was faced with a legitimate once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Despite Florida being Florida, Ohio State was and still is home for Meyer.

He may not have planned to be coaching OSU in 2012, but how could he turn down such an opportunity when it presents itself? A football nut like him? He couldn’t.

With the Penn State job toxic and Notre Dame under new management with Brian Kelly at the helm, Ohio State was likely the only school that could sway Meyer back to the circus that is college football.

And it just so happened that the job became open while he was unemployed and has a president so desperate to put his school’s rash of NCAA violations behind him that he will do anything in his power to make sure Meyer’s return to OSU is as perfect as can be.

The fact is that he is not Nick Saban going from LSU to Alabama or even Steve Spurrier heading to South Carolina following respective stints in the NFL. Meyer will not be competing against the Gators on an annual basis or trying to beat them and knock them out of the SEC race.

He would have been crazy to pass on this opportunity and walk away. Meyer declining the job he has always wanted would have eaten at him for the remainder of his career. The regret he would have felt would’ve been significantly worse and lasted much longer than any backlash he was prepared to incur and brush off his shoulders.

IN THE FACE OF SCANDAL

Meyer wanted to coach Ohio State so bad that he is willing to overlook the fact that the Buckeyes are about to be hit with penalties from the NCAA likely reinforcing the loss of scholarships and potentially adding bowl bans.

He has wanted to don the scarlet and grey so long that he has chosen to ignore the fact that his two current bosses possess neither integrity nor trustworthiness – two things he often praised about Jeremy Foley and Bernie Machen.

Meyer’s desire to coach Ohio State is so strong that, despite being disgusted with the “state of college football” just one year ago, he will be returning to the game at the helm of a school that could have been on the cover of his manifesto if he released one.

Some might label this has hypocrisy. The truth is that Meyer is simply looking out for his best interests. He has worked every day of his life to become a coach capable of running a top-ranked national program and was not going to let his opportunity to return home go by the wayside because of timing or penalties.

TIMING

There is no worse time to deliver bad news than immediately following other bad news.

If Muschamp had immediately reinvigorated the program and brought home another SEC East title (or at least a winning record against Florida’s rivals), some Gators fans would still be upset at Meyer but many others would take the mentality of, “Well, at least we’re all set with his replacement.”

Instead, Florida has just finished its worst regular season since 1979, did not defeat a single ranked opponent, lost to both Georgia and Florida State, and barely became bowl eligible after struggling to defeat Furman two weeks ago.

Their reward?

The two-time national champion coach that left just 10 months ago accepting a new job at Ohio State and…wait for it…a likely bowl game against his new employer.

Gators fans feel like they’re being kicked while their down, whether or not they want to admit it. It is tough to blame a fan base used to immense success for feeling that way or to criticize them for having that reaction.

Meyer proved one thing about himself in leaving the Gators and signing with the Buckeyes 10 months later.

No, he is not a “liar” – though some believe he may have lied.

No, he is not a “hypocrite” – though some of his actions may give one legitimate reasons to question his rationale even if he is being forthright and honest.

From what I have been told directly from people who would know better than anyone, Meyer’s motives were pure and his reasoning sound.

Despite what Meyer said upon stepping down, his actions compounded over the last year prove he just can’t quit college football. And in many respects, if you paid attention to the coverage yesterday, you would know that college football can’t quit him either.

Therefore, only one relevant and obvious conclusion stands above the rest.

Urban Meyer, like the rest of us, is imperfect.

And like the rest of us, that just makes him human.

The purpose of the above column was not to tell you how to feel but rather provide you with the necessary perspective to formulate your own opinion. Feel free to sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below.

In part one of our interview with Carter (published on Friday), he discussed deciding to attend Florida, his immense success playing for the Gators, being a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft and winning a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams.

ADAM SILVERSTEIN: You spent six years with St. Louis before being traded to the team that you beat in the Super Bowl, Tennessee, after three-straight seasons of at least 10 sacks. Was a change of scenery something you were looking forward to?
KEVIN CARTER: “I was looking forward to a change at that point. The year where we won the Super Bowl, we were at the Pro Bowl and I got a call from Coach [Dick] Vermeil and he was stepping down as the coach. There was a little bit of controversy over him leaving and the timing with Mike Martz taking over the head coach, and there was a little bit of pressure there. Looking back on it, I wish that it had been handled a little bit classier in a better way just for respect for Coach Vermeil. He walked in, in his opening press conference, and told us, ‘In three years, we’ll be world champs.’ And we were. Call it what you will, the man is wonderful and one of the best coaches I’ve ever had the honor and privilege of playing for. Things kind of changed at that point. The next year we lost in the first round of the playoffs and things were a little rocky with my status with the team. At the time I was going through contract negotiations, and I had played six years for the same team and kind of outplayed my contract. The team you’re on usually isn’t going to give you that kind of free agent money, love. I was thankful and glad to get out of there and get to Tennessee. Tennessee gave up a first-round pick to get me there. It was a match made in heaven. Coach [Jeff] Fisher was awesome. At that point I needed a change, wanted a change, and was grateful to go to Tennessee.”

AS: Let’s skip ahead a bit and talk about when you moved over to the Miami Dolphins for two years and got to play on a pretty dominant defense with guys like Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Vonnie Holliday, Junior Seau, Sam Madison, Keith Traylor and David Bowens. What was that experience like?
KC: “It was actually amazing. It was a great team; it was a great defense to be a part of. It was a lot of fun. We didn’t have, I guess, the balance and the tools offensively or the experience, but on defense… Our defense was, like you said, it was an all-star defense. It was so awesome. And we killed people. We had a great defense those couple of years that I was there. We didn’t have quite the balance [on offense]; Miami’s is forever trying to find another quarterback that can be half the man Dan Marino was…still an on-going search for a quarterback. It was a really cool experience. For me, I grew up in Tallahassee [and thought] the Dolphins had the sweetest uniforms. I was like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to wear all white.’ It was so cool. I had a great time just, as I look back in my football chronological history, being a part of the Miami Dolphins organization – such a historically great organization. Don Shula was and still is the man. I had an opportunity to meet him a couple times. It was cool paying down there. I wish timing had dictated differently the circumstances, especially getting our offense and from a head coaching standpoint. Nick Saban is probably one of the best college coaches to ever live. But in those two years, you know, he obviously decided to make the adjustment and go back to college and not make the adjustment to stay there in the NFL. Timing was bad.”

Read the rest of part two of our interview with Kevin Carter…after the break!

AS: During your time there you were coached by Will Muschamp, who was Saban’s defensive coordinator. Talk about him a little bit from your time in Miami as well as your thoughts on how he will do leading Florida as head coach.
KC: “I love his coaching style. I think people will speak to the amount of energy that he brings to the table. He’s a recruiter, he speaks well, and his energy is youthful – the players can relate to that kind of thing. I’m more excited about who Will Muschamp is from a process-oriented, very intelligent coach standpoint. I was really impressed with his overall football IQ. People who come from the school of Saban or [Bill] Belichick – when you start naming these coaches and their pedigrees – you really can tell a lot about their track record and what their basic coaching philosophy is made up of.

“Will Muschamp – in those two years – he impressed me just with how much he knew, his ability to assemble and put things together. I’m excited for what it means for the Gator Nation. I tell people, ‘It might take a year, it might take two, but no one is going to want to play the Gators in two years.’ We’re going to be a tough, hard-nosed, smart, purpose-driven, process-oriented bunch that is fundamentally sound [with] gap-integrity – the key things – [a] bend-but-don’t-break-type organization that is going to last for a long, long time. I’m excited.

“Coach Urban Meyer, what he was able to accomplish in the last six years is…sick, incredible. Two national championships in six years is pretty unheard of, unmatched. But when you lose coaches like Coach [Dan] Mullen and Coach Charlie Strong – when you lose quality coaches in your organization – it kind of weakens you and you have to replace them with another coach and get them up-to-speed philosophy-wise in what you want to do. Sometimes a little bit of communication kind of gets lost in translation. Whenever you bring a new coach into the mix, it changes the dynamic – whether it is good or bad. I’m not blaming the coaches or anything, but when you watch our defense, particularly our defense but our [whole] team last year, we just didn’t seem like our football IQ, basic fundamental football, was very high. Defensively, I mentioned gap integrity, we were getting beat with a lot of basic football. People weren’t overpowering us or running over us or through us as much as we just weren’t sound in what we were doing.

“I know that obviously given the chance, if Urban had stayed on, I’m sure that would have been fixed. Being that Will Muschamp is taking over, and the quality of coaches he’s surrounded himself with, I know his philosophy and I know that won’t be a problem.

“I know the defensive coordinator personally. Dan Quinn was my D-line coach down in Miami. Those guys are going to be so well-taught, so well-trained, and [this is] exactly what this Gator team needs. It is filled with talent and ability; it just needs direction.”

AS: I know Jason Taylor said that Quinn was the best defensive line coach he ever played under. Do you feel the same way?
KC: “The biggest compliment that I can pay to Dan Quinn is that he is probably better suited as a coordinator than D-line coach. He was so knowledgeable. The thing about D-line coaches, what makes a great D-line coach is all they want to do is coach D-line. For Dan Quinn, his knowledge far extended past just defensive line. He was so smart, knew how to basically coordinate, and that’s what I think he is better suited to do. He’s definitely one of the better coaches I’ve been around and have got the opportunity to play for. He’s really going to have a great opportunity to just be a great coordinator there under Muschamp for the Gators.”

AS: You spent your final few years in the league with Tampa Bay before hanging up the cleats. Knowing you still had the ability to play and had offers on the table after your time in Tampa, how tough was it for you to ultimately decide to retire?
KC: “As much as I loved the game, the one thing I never wanted to do was go out there and not have the same passion or fire. I thought I would be cheating myself or cheating the game if I went into it with half-hearted effort or intent. I always thought I would know when it is time for me to leave the game. I’ll know because I won’t have the same fire or same desire. After 14 years, I had offers. I took a visit to Carolina and one to New England. I had opportunities to play and make great money and do what I’ve always done – starting and everything – but I didn’t have the same passion anymore. For me, personally, that’s when you go out there and it’s not quite the same. You’re cheating the experience. I wasn’t going to do that. I walked away on my own terms. That’s what you want to do theoretically, but it didn’t make it any easier.”

AS: You never missed a NFL game due to injury or otherwise. How is that even possible as a defensive lineman, and how are you feeling now?
KC: “I feel great now. I came out of the game relatively unscathed long-term. I got a few nicks and bumps and bruises. I really can’t complain about how I feel. That was a big, determining factor as well. You want to be healthy, feel good and have a quality of life that allows you to go on and be a normal human being. I’m healthy as a horse.”

AS: Something that usually goes under the radar are the charitable efforts of players. You have been very active both with your own charity and in whatever community you’ve played in. It seems to have started back in high school for you but your foundation has been doing great work for the last decade, too. Where did that passion for helping others come from, and please talk a little bit about what the foundation does?
KC: “That kind of came from my parents, seeing my parents perform benevolent acts. Our church that I grew up in – we were always either feeding people or working at holiday time gathering gifts and delivering them to shelters. We were always doing something for somebody else. My parents were great examples of people who aren’t rich but really gave up themselves and gave up resources they had to help others. I felt very strongly about the obligation of people, especially if they are gifted with certain abilities or are given platforms in life to do well with. I feel strongly about that. Forming my foundation, my wife and I felt it was a way for us to really make a difference and make more of an impact. We started the Kevin Carter Foundation back in 2001 and there still are, I’m proud to say, events that bear the foundation name that are still running today even though I’m not playing anymore. It’s something that I feel strongly about and am very, very proud of.”

AS: And you also still provide the Kevin Carter Football Endowment at Florida. How did that come about?
KC: “My experience at the University of Florida was wonderful. It was one that helped me grow up and mature to the man that I am. It was a beloved experience for so many reasons. I think the college experience is awesome; they say it is the best time of your life anyway. In order to ensure that experience for the future, especially with the changes in the rules and how you can give scholarships and how things work… Title IX obviously affected things as far as the balance of male/female sports, which I think is a really good thing. Different things affect the life of the student-athlete, and I think it is a very valuable experience. To ensure that carries on, particularly at the University of Florida, is the reason I decided to make an endowment a long time ago and still keep it up today.”

AS: You also have something else going on now – a new job as a television analyst. What can fans can expect to see from you going forward?
KC: “I’m the newest member of the SEC Gridiron Live team. The show airs every Wednesday night on Fox Sports South, 10 p.m. live. We start August 31 and run until thought the first week of December, right until after the SEC Championship game. It’s kind of a dream come true for me for a lot of different reasons. I always pictured myself doing something in the broadcast field and thought it would be cool to do something on television. The fact that I get to be an analyst for a show that just focuses on Southeastern Conference football is pretty awesome. I’m retired from the game of football, so this kind of lets me continue to enjoy and re-live that experience of being an athlete in the SEC, being able to cover it.

“It just came about this year. I was looking for a job doing something SEC football-related or broadcasting-related and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. When this opportunity came along, it was really, really too good to pass up. I joked with Larry Vettel and Mick Hubert and Nat Moore and all those guys for years while I was playing, telling them, ‘Hey man, when I retire, I’m coming after your job. I’m coming to take your place.’ [Laughing] This was a great fit for me. It is a great, great show, and I’m really excited to be a member of that team.”

» OGGOA INTERVIEWS: DE Kevin Carter (Part I) | Delisha Milton-Jones | DL Joe Cohen | F Chandler Parsons | C Marreese Speights | LB Mike Peterson | PG Taurean Green | QB Tim Tebow | QB Danny Wuerffel | ESPN’s Erin Andrews | ESPN’s Erin Andrews II | DE Alex Brown | WR Percy Harvin | F/C Al Horford | WR David Nelson | QB Shane Matthews | TE Cornelius Ingram | DE Jermaine Cunningham | S Major Wright | LB Earl Everett | DE Justin Trattou | DT Terron Sanders | F/C Chris Richard | DE Lynden Trail

1 » As a defensive-minded coach with no former head coaching experience, new Florida Gators boss Will Muschamp has been compared to former Florida and current Illinois head coach Ron Zook on numerous occasions. Florida fans, obviously, hope the comparison ends there as Zook’s tenure with the Gators (while successful from a recruiting standpoint) was filled with underwhelming records (23-14 combined) and early eliminations from the title hunt each year.

Appearing on ESPN 1000′s GameNight out of Chicago, IL on Monday, Zook offered some advice for Muschamp on his new gig. “The thing is you got be yourself,” he said. “Don’t try to be anybody else. It’s one of those jobs all you can do is the best you can do. You can’t get tied up with all the other stuff. Believe me, there’s a lot of noise in the system down as there is at a lot of places. He’ll do fine. There’s a great state base there, and he’s a good football coach. There’s no doubt they’ll do fine.”

2 » With the NFL lockout nearing its conclusion, former Gators safety Ahmad Black is excited to finally play professional football for his favorite team growing up, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Selected by Tampa Bay with the No. 151 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the 2011 Outback Bowl Most Valuable Player has his sights set on a starting job but hopes to contribute in any way he can.

“I want to try to get a starting spot, but if not, then a significant role on the team,” he told the Pewter Report. “I really just can’t wait to get in there and do my thing.” In the meantime, he has been staying in shape and making sure he is ready to go when the season starts. “I’ve been pretty much training four or five times a week,” Black said. “I’ve been doing a lot of outside stuff, going to the beach and trying to relax a little bit. I know that once we start it is going to be crazy.”

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A source inside the Florida Gators football program confirmed to OGGOA Wednesday afternoon that offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has been hired by the Temple Owls to be the team’s next head coach.

Addazio, who interviewed for the position on Monday, struggled over the last two seasons as Florida’s offensive coordinator but is considered a terrific position coach, recruiter and motivator who always does his best to get maximum effort from his players.

He was named ESPNU’s recruiter of the year due to the major part he played in helping corral the Gators’ top-ranked 2010 recruiting class and served as interim head coach for Urban Meyer after he briefly stepped down and then during his recovery last year. Addazio replaced Meyer at numerous public speaking engagements and helped fill in the coaching staff with new hires after it was ravaged by departures when former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong accepted the Louisville head coaching position.

Addazio has coached in college since 1995. He served as offensive coordinator at Indiana from 2002-04 before being plucked away by Meyer to coach the offensive line and tight ends at Florida, a role he held for two years. Meyer promoted Addazio to assistant head coach from 2007-08 and then to offensive coordinator after Dan Mullen left to take the top job with Mississippi State before the 2009 season.

Much maligned by Gators fans for his tenure as the team’s playcaller, Addazio’s future with Florida appeared bleak with Meyer stepping down and new head coach Will Muschamp looking for an offensive coordinator with both college and NFL experience.

He is the ninth assistant coach under Meyer who has gone on to become a Division I head coach following in the footsteps of Gregg Brandon (Bowling Green), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Mike Sanford (UNLV), Tim Beckham (Toledo), Mullen, Doc Holliday (Marshall), Strong and Dan McCarney (North Texas).

Signing a five-year deal at Temple, he will replace head coach Al Golden, who recently left to accept the same job with the Miami Hurricanes.

A press conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday though Addazio is expected to coordinate the Gators’ offense in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

This story was first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Head coach Bob Stoops may leave the Oklahoma Sooners for the Florida Gators He also may not. Either way, Stoops explained to Tulsa World on Saturday that reports stating he is close to signing with Florida are false.

“Not true, whatsoever,” Stoops told the paper‘s Dave Sittler via text message. “I’m out recruiting [for Oklahoma] as we text.”

A seven-time Big 12 champion who also captured a national title after serving as the Gators’ defensive coordinator under head coach Steve Spurrier, Stoops has been the object of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley‘s affection for years.

Foley has tried to hire Stoops on two other occasions but was rebuffed both times.

Though Stoops is widely believed to be the University of Florida‘s number one choice, word out of Gainesville, FL, is that Boise State Broncos head coach Chris Petersen not far behind in Foley’s pecking order.

Petersen, who has led Boise State since 2006, has never won fewer than 10 games in a season, is 2-0 in BCS bowl games (0-2 in non-BCS bowls), and has won four Western Athletic Conference titles in five seasons. He is also a two-time Paul “Bear” Bryant Award winner as Coach of the Year (2006, 2009).

Other current head coaches rumored to be up for the Florida job – in no particular order – include Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, Connecticut’s Randy Edsall, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, Louisville’s Charlie Strong, Southern Mississippi’s Larry Fedora and Houston’s Kevin Sumlin. Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, in line to succeed Mack Brown, is also believed to be an option.

Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino was thought to be a top candidate for UF, but he reportedly agreed to seven-year contract extension on Friday. Petrino was supposedly Foley’s number two choice when he hired current/former head coach Urban Meyer.

One week after ESPN reported that Cecil Newton, father of Auburn Tigers quarterback Cameron Newton, allegedly requested money for his son’s college commitment through a third party and one day after FOX Sports reported that the son was caught cheating three times while attending the University of Florida, sources told ESPN’s Joe Schad that the Newtons each “admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year.”

According to Schad’s sources, a Mississippi State Bulldogs recruiter was told by Cecil Newton that his son would only join the program if he received “more than a scholarship” for his services. The recruiter was then pointed to a third party who the father said could provide further details. The school failed to comply and Cameron Newton ended up at Auburn because, as the player supposedly explained another recruiter with great emotion, “the money was too much” for his dad to allow him to go to Mississippi State.

The alleged compliance offenses were related to the Southeastern Conference by Mississippi State in January, Schad reports.

The Newtons have previously denied all allegations of requesting or accepting money but refused to entertain the questions surrounding any cheating at Florida. “I’m not going to sit up here and say anything about it, whether I did or did not do it, because I don’t want to beat a dead horse talking about it,” Cameron Newton said in a press conference Tuesday. “It’s not going to affect me in any way, shape or fashion.”

The player has previously admitted that attending Auburn was his father’s choice as he had originally desired to play for former Florida Gators offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, now the Bulldogs’ head coach.

OGGOA RELATED: Meyer denies allegations of leaking Newton info | Report: Newton’s cheating at UF led to transfer

Photo Credit: Getty Images

When ESPN reported last week that a man claiming to represent Auburn Tigers quarterback Cameron Newton asked the Mississippi State Bulldogs for $180,000 for his signature on a letter of intent during his recruitment from Blinn College, some media members and college football fans found a way to finger Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer as the main reason for the information being leaked to the media.

A full week has passed and FOX Sports, in an unrelated report, claims Newton left Florida at least partially due to being caught cheating in class on three occasions. Similar to last week’s reaction, some members of the media and plenty of fans have once again pounced on Meyer, claiming he provided the information sourced in the story.

Early Tuesday, Meyer emphatically denied through a University of Florida statement having any involvement. “Our entire focus right now is on preparing for our biggest game of the year against South Carolina,” he said. “For anyone to think that I or anyone on our staff may have leaked information about private student records to the media doesn’t know us very well. It’s a ridiculous claim and simply not true.”

Meyer also spoke with Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun about the both allegations. “Obviously it’s a joke,” Meyer said. “I don’t know anything about anything. I heard they’ve got me meeting with the agent and all that. I never met with anybody. It’s ridiculous.”

Unconfirmed Internet reports stated Meyer was a part of a conference call with Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen and former MSU QB John Bond and advised both men to speak with the the media about the alleged illegal recruitment of Newton.

The contention from some media members is that Meyer is angered at the success Newton has achieved since leaving Florida and is looking to bring him down. The coach denies that philosophy as well.

“We had a great relationship right until the time he left,” Meyer told the Sun. “Cam and I and his family always had a great relationship. I don’t know where this is all coming from, but it didn’t come from me. I know nothing about nothing.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Gators possessed the ball on 10 occasions against the Bulldogs, giving it away organically four times on punts and once on a failed fourth-down conversion. On four of the other five possessions, a combination of turnovers, poor execution and inefficiency doomed the team. Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley was picked off on the Mississippi State 34 during a six-play, 38-yard drive; senior punter Chas Henry missed a 38-yard field goal to end a 15-play, 59-yard drive; junior running back Jeff Demps fumbled while trying to make a play on the MSU 17 to conclude a seven-play, 60-yard drive; and Henry missed a game-tying 42-yard field goal after UF drove the ball 71 yards from their own four on 14 plays.

Florida actually only touched the ball four times in the second half because its defense failed to get Mississippi State off the field. The Bulldogs posted rush-only drives of nine plays, eight plays and nine plays that took 5:20, 4:04 and 5:50 off the clock in that half alone. The Gators offense, which was anemic to start the game, put together three strong drives on four possessions that half but only came away with points once.

The offensive line played terribly in the first half, showing a consistent inability to pick up the blitz. Brantley was sacked three times before halftime but did receive significantly improved protection in the second half that allowed him to captain two of those three long drives (the other was all freshman QB Trey Burton). Florida’s offense also suffered with a significant lack of proven talent throughout the evening as Demps and sophomore RB Mike Gillislee were severely limited and playmaker redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose was injured early on a kickoff return.

The Gators ended up having to rely on the stone hands of redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson (four drops), Burton, redshirt sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. and sophomore WR Omarius Hines to make whatever plays they could. With such a severe lack of starters available due to injuries, limited second half opportunities and miscues from the kicking game on otherwise solid drives, it is tough to grade this unit below a “D.”

DEFENSE: D+
For the third straight week the defense got off to a rough start giving up a seven-play, 54-yard field goal drive and 11-play, 64-yard touchdown drive before the first quarter concluded. Spotting Mississippi State 10 points, the unit was stout the rest of the way from a scoring perspective, though the Bulldogs did miss a 39-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.

The problem when it comes to the defense’s performance was its sheer inability to get MSU off of the field when it mattered. Mississippi State ran the ball on 27 of 28 second half plays and gained positive yardage all but once. With Florida’s offense down three to start the fourth quarter, the defense allowed its opponent to complete an eight-play, 28-yard drive and nine-play, 31-yard drive that took a total of 10 minutes off the clock. Subsequently, the Gators received the ball on their own four with two minutes to drive it down the field and attempt a tying field goal or game-winning touchdown. Unacceptable.

MSU’s insistence on running the ball negated the effectiveness of UF’s strongest defensive unit – the secondary – while it simultaneously attacked its weakest – the defensive line. Smart game planning on the part of Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D+
A future NFL punter, Henry seemed to be able to do anything as far as the kicking game was concerned after nailing two field goals against Alabama. Ever since that sterling performance he has missed all four of his attempts (one negated by penalty) including two against Mississippi State. Henry’s punting (four attempts for 188 yards with a long of 67 and average of 47) continues to be stellar, but as a field goal kicker he just doesn’t make the grade. Coverage-wise Florida got back to its bread and butter by not allowing a single punt return yard. And while the field goal kicking job is junior starter Caleb Sturgis’ and Henry is doing the best he can, performance has to be taken into account.

The No. 22/22 Florida Gators (4-3, 2-3 SEC) missed a game-tying 42-yard field goal with only seconds remaining to lose their third straight game for the first time since 1999 as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2, 2-2 SEC) defeated them 10-7 Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

Florida’s loss was its first to Mississippi State at home since 1965 and its first defeat on homecoming in 22 years. It also marked the first time the Gators lost three regular season games since 1988. UF will be unranked when the new top 25 polls are released on Sunday for the first time under head coach Urban Meyer.

The Bulldogs’ win Saturday was a marquee victory for head coach Dan Mullen; it also gave Mississippi State its first four-game winning streak since 1999 (8-0).

After three consecutive three-and-outs to start the game, MSU took over from their own 32. They brought the ball downfield with a 30-yard pass completion from quarterback Chris Relf to wide receiver Chad Bumphis and a subsequent 16-yard gain up the middle on a keeper by Relf. Four plays later, the Bulldogs put the first points on the board with a 31-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

The Gators responded by moving the ball down the field with a few short passes and a 14-yard run by sophomore running back Mike Gillislee. Faced with 4th and 5 on Mississippi State’s 34, redshirt junior QB John Brantley threw an interception to cornerback Jonathan Banks, turning the ball over in what would have been a punt situation anyway.

It did not take long for the Bulldogs to capitalize as Mullen’s offense put together an 11-play, 64-yard drive that ended in a rushing touchdown for Relf from six yards out to go up 10-0 in the first quarter.

Florida looked anemic starting the second quarter, failing to convert a 4th and 1 from their own 39; freshman WR Robert Clark was dropped behind the line for a two-yard loss. Mississippi State was unable to capitalize, handing UF the ball back with 13:20 left.

That is when the Gators offense showed signs of life as Brantley led them down to MSU’s 20 with a 15-play, 59-yard drive that took 6:20 off the clock. UF was unable to capitalize, however, as senior punter Chas Henry missed a 38-yard field goal.

Going into the half, Florida was without redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose (ankle), redshirt freshman linebacker Jelani Jenkins (head) and redshirt junior defensive tackle Jaye Howard (ankle), all of whom went down with injuries early.

The Gators finally got on the board with their first possession in the third quarter by utilizing freshman QB Trey Burton extensively on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that drew the Bulldogs’ lead closer at 10-7.

Hope was raised momentarily later in the third quarter when it appeared MSU had fumbled on UF’s side of the field. After a review the play was overturned, Mississippi State missed a 40-yard field goal to give the ball back to Florida once again.

Taking over from their own 23, the Gators appeared to move the ball with ease, gaining positive yardage on their first six plays of the series including a 31-yard run by sophomore WR Omarius Hines. On 2nd and 4 from the Bulldogs’ 17, junior RB Jeff Demps coughed the ball up by fumbling while attempting to spin out of a tackle.

MSU succeeded in milking the clock by running the ball nine-straight times on their next possession, getting it to midfield while wasting almost six minutes before punting. As a whole, the Bulldogs ran the ball on 27 of 28 plays in the second half gaining positive yardage all but once.

UF took over with 2:09 remaining from their own four with an opportunity to tie or win.

With time running out, Brantley engineered a 13-play passing drive in which he completed nine passes for 76 yards, getting the ball to Mississippi State’s 25 with nine seconds left. Henry came on to attempt a 42-yard field goal but kicked the ball wide right, crushing the hopes of Florida fans in The Swamp.

Brantley finished the night 24-of-39 for 210 yards and an interception. Hines led the Gators with 58 yards rushing on six carries, though Burton also ran eight times for 43 yards. Redshirt sophomore WR Frankie Hammond led the way with five receptions for 69 yards, and Burton added five catches of his own for 37 yards. Relf and RB Vick Ballard were responsible for nearly all of Mississippi State’s offense, rushing a combined 22 times for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Florida will take a three-game losing streak into their bye before facing Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, FL, on Oct. 30. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will air live on CBS. Even though the Gators have lost three straight, they still control their destiny in the Southeastern Conference as Eastern Division foe No. 10/12 South Carolina also fell Saturday.

Photo Credit: Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun