1 » Saturday night’s game between No. 1 Florida Gators and No. 4 LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, LA, will pit the last three National Champions head-to-head. In fact, the winner of this game the last three years has gone on to win the title, and Florida and LSU are the only two schools in the country with multiple BCS championships. While greatness is standard for both schools who also happen to play each other every season out of the regular East/West rotation, there is a mutual respect that neither seems to share with its other rivals. As Tigers running back Charles Scott put it, “There’s no hatred…just a lot of pride.”

2 » LSU goes into Saturday night’s game at Tiger Stadium as underdogs for only the fourth time in the last nine seasons. That is how huge of a home field advantage they have. Nevertheless, the Tigers were winless in their last three meetings at home as underdogs, losing 27-21 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2008, 31-0 to them again in 2002 and 44-15 to the Gators in 2001.

3 » When ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the Florida Gators are 18-4 all-time. All four losses have come in the middle of a season, sometimes ending the team’s title hopes but often happening early enough to keep them alive. If Florida wants to end 2009 with its first undefeated season, the Gators will have to go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the polls and must avoid a heartbreaking loss like in the past.

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Charles Scott, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Pegeen Hanrahan, Tiger Stadium, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

No. 1 Florida Gators are on their way to Baton Rouge, LA, to face No. 4 LSU Tigers. An ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive EXCLUSIVE, the following is the flight information for the Gators, who are flying over on an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 twin-jet. You can also track the flight live while it is in the air!

ORIGIN: Gainesville Regional Airport (KGNV)
DESTINATION: Baton Rouge Metro (KBTR)

DURATION: 1 hour 22 minutes

DEPARTURE: 3:47 p.m. EDT [scheduled 4:09 p.m. EDT]
ARRIVAL: 4:09 p.m. CDT [scheduled 4:27 p.m. CDT]

Tags: flight, LSU Tigers

No. 1 Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer noted Thursday that team doctors are still deciding whether or not to clear quarterback Tim Tebow to play Saturday night against No. 4 LSU Tigers. According to Meyer, the specialists want to see how Tebow reacts to the team’s flight from Gainesville, FL to Baton Rouge, LA, on Friday.

In addition to surveying his reaction to the flight, doctors will have Tebow undergo numerous other tests after touch down in Louisiana. They will compare those test results to Tebow’s pre-concussion benchmarks for balance, equilibrium and memory. Should he pass every test (and most experts believe he will), Tebow will be medically cleared to play Saturday with the decision of whether or not he plays being left up up to Meyer.

Should Tebow play, it is suggested he “not forsake his wrecking-ball running style for fear of concussions,” according to Pat Forde of ESPN who spoke with both ESPN analyst Merill Hoge and Bob Tebow, Tim’s father. “Being aggressive is safer than being passive,” Hoge said. “You’re more likely to get injured when you’re passive.”

“As the doctor explained to me, if he’s running and he braces for a hit, there’s less chance of being injured because he knows it’s coming and he’s braced for it,” Bob Tebow said. “It’s when you don’t see it and you’re not braced for it, that’s when you can get a concussion.”

OGGOA will have further updates on the status of Tim Tebow as information is released.

Tags: Bob Tebow, LSU Tigers, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

ESPN has a habit of going overboard with coverage of whatever game they decide to feature on College GameDay for any given week. This week, that promotion is justified as No. 1 Florida Gators head into Baton Rouge, LA, at night to take on No. 4 LSU Tigers. Add to that Florida quarterback Tim Tebow‘s questionable status following a concussion and a media freak-out fest over whether or not he will/should play, and Saturday night’s game will easily be the most hyped of the season.

Pat Forde begins with what seems to be the standard catch-phrase from the media this week: “Whether Tebow plays or sits, whether Florida wins or loses, the Gators are still in the title hunt.” Forde goes on to say that if Tebow has a 100% clean bill of health, he should play, but with “even a hint of doubt, hide the guy’s helmet and hold him out.” Forde believes the risk is not worth the reward for the Gators. I don’t see how anyone can, or where anyone has, disagreed with that sentiment.

Next up is Mark Schlabach, who easily has the hardest name to say next to Gene Wojciechowski for ESPN. Schlabach keys in on LSU head coach Les Miles and his aggressive style, citing that it is fueled by confidence. Well, that and testicular fortitude. The Gators know all about this, watching as Miles had his team attempt five fourth down conversions (and converted four) against them in 2007 – two for touchdowns, another on a fake field goal and two on its game-winning drive.

SEC blogger Chris Low weighs in on Tebow’s recovery, taking off where Forde left off. He believes there is a possibility head coach Urban Meyer sits Tebow whether or not he is fully cleared and even speculates about a potential Superman moment. “Could you imagine Tebow coming off the bench and leading the Gators to a win? His legend is only going to grow if he plays in this game and the Gators win.”

Finally, Scouts Inc. wraps it all up on ESPN Insider where they give the Gators the edge at QB, RB, OL, DL, LB, DB and Coach, leaving only WR and ST in the Tigers’ possession. With a prediction of Florida defeating LSU 31-21 (quite close to my predicted 30-17 score on Newsday), they give LSU a touchdown for the nighttime homefield advantage at Tiger Stadium. “Look for Chavis’ defense to build off the momentum of last week’s strong showing at Georgia and play an emotionally charged four quarters in front of the home crowd. Florida’s noticeable speed and depth advantages will eventually kick in though, and the Gators’ defense will prey on a young quarterback (Jefferson) and a subpar offensive line by LSU’s standards.”

Tags: ESPN, Les Miles, LSU Tigers, Tiger Stadium, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » No. 1 Florida Gators have very much been a one-dimensional team so far this season, earning their keep with a running game that is part power, part finesse. Led by running back Jeff Demps, the Gators are averaging 307.5 rushing yards per game (leading the nation) but have only put up 124 passing yards, on average, in their first two SEC games. In 2008, Florida had a nearly perfect balance in this area, averaging 229.8 and 212.6 yards, respectively. The legitimate reason for this disparity? Injury and illness. Wide receiver Deonte Thompson has missed the last two games while rehabbing a sore hamstring while both WR Riley Cooper and TE Aaron Hernandez played through the Tennessee Volunteers game with the flu. As the schedule gets tougher and the Gators invade Tiger Stadium to face No. 4 LSU Tigers Saturday night, the offense must even out in order to keep the Bayou Bengals on their heels.

2 » South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier is often credited with bringing the University of Florida football program into national prominence. As a coach, he earned the Florida Gators their first National Championship, second Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Danny Wuerffel, 10 Associated Press Top 10 finishes and winning a whopping 86% of his SEC games in his UF career. He also never won fewer than nine games in a season while coaching the Orange & Blue. Yet while all that is true, Rick Bozich of the Louisville Courier-Journal brings up the question: Was it Florida that made Spurrier and not the other way around?

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Danny Wuerffel, Heisman Trophy, Jeff Demps, LSU Tigers, Riley Cooper, South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Spurrier

While Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer will stick to his guns and wait until “the foot hits the ball” Saturday night in Tiger Stadium to make his decision, the sentiment from the team is that quarterback Tim Tebow will be medically cleared to play vs. the LSU Tigers.

Two sources told Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday that Tebow is “on track to be available to play against LSU.” Even if that is the case, it is not cut-and-dry that Tebow will start or play in the game.

Based on the latest reports coming out of Florida, Tebow continues to be asymptomatic without any lingering effects from the concussion he received Sept. 26 in Lexington, KY, against the Kentucky Wildcats.

[UPDATE:] Tebow and back-up John Brantley once again split snaps in practice Thursday. Meyer repeated to the press that Tebow playing on Saturday night will probably be a game-time decision.

Tags: LSU Tigers, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » New England Patriots running back Fred Taylor is set to undergo surgery on his injured right ankle according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Taylor, a former Florida Gators standout, is in his first season with the Patriots after spending his entire career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and leads the team with 45 carries and 201 yards.

2 » Louisiana weathermen are expecting thunderstorms and plenty of rain around game time when No. 1 Florida Gators face off against No. 4 LSU Tigers. Jo Goodman of the Miami Herald said the LSU-PD expect around 300,000 football fans and visitors in and around the campus on Saturday.

3 » Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive coordinator John Chavis could not beat the Florida Gators once head coach Urban Meyer took over. So he was fired. Now, Chavis has a shot at redemption after being hired by head coach Les Miles to helm the LSU Tigers‘ defense. And unfortunately for Gators fans, Chavis knows where to start when trying to defend Florida’s explosive offense. “If you can’t stop their run, they’ll mix it up on you with their speed and kill you,” Chavis said. “You’ve got to keep them from running the football.”

4 » The University of Florida‘s Stephen C. O’Connell Center has revamped its concession stands. Gators fans will now be able to choose from new menu items including pulled pork and grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, turkey legs, hamburgers, jambalaya and much more.

Tags: Fred Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars, John Chavis, Les Miles, LSU Tigers, New England Patriots, NFL, O'Connell Center, Urban Meyer

1 » Prior to the season, one of the biggest stories was the Florida Gators potentially using cornerback Joe Haden at quarterback in a Wildcat-like formation. While UF’s ability and lack of fear to use the Wildcat with wide receiver Percy Harvin last season was well documented, I held (and hold) the opinion that Haden plays extensively enough on defense and special teams – that using him on offense as well would be overkill.

While talk about Haden’s role in the formation seems to have died down, usage of the Wildcat as a whole has not. Head coach Urban Meyer said Monday that tight end Aaron Hernandez, running back Jeff Demps and wide receiver Brandon James could all get direct snaps against No. 4 LSU Tigers. While an occasional direct snap may be called, I see this as more of a diversionary tactic to get LSU thinking about more than just “Tim Tebow or John Brantley” but rather “Tebow, Brantley or the Wildcat.”

2 » In an effort to gain prestige within the state of Florida, the USF Bulls have marketed themselves as one of the “Big 4″ along with the Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles. This new billboard, located at I-275 near I-4 has, to his credit, drawn the ire of Bulls head coach Jim Leavitt. “I had nothing to do with (the billboard), I don’t know how it got up, and I don’t know who put it up,” Leavitt said Tuesday. “We have not won national championships, and we have not won conference championships. What gives us the right to sit there all of a sudden like we’ve won all these championships and done all this stuff?” Looks like the USF marketing department should have checked with Leavitt first.

Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Will Wildcat be used? USF uses UF in ad. Tigers ready for QB. Recruiting update.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Booker T. Washington, Brandon James, Chris Dunkley, Christian Green, Florida State Seminoles, Ivan McCartney, Jeff Demps, Jim Leavitt, Joe Haden, John Brantley, John Chavis, Les Miles, LSU Tigers, Lynden Trail, Miami Hurricanes, Percy Harvin, Quinton Dunbar, Solomon Patton, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, USF Bulls