2 » On Aug. 5, Meyer announced that redshirt sophomore wide receiver T.J. Lawrence had requested and received a release from his University of Florida scholarship. Wednesday, Lawrence told The Lakeland Ledger that he has decided to transfer to the Florida A&M Rattlers. “It’s a big shocker because a lot of people wouldn’t expect Florida A&M University, but I’m going there to be a two-sport athlete,” Lawrence said. His main motivation for leaving UF was a lack of playing time.

3 » Interesting video from The Gainesville Sun of redshirt senior guard Carl Johnson interviewing freshman running back Mack Brown at Florida Media Day.

4 » Focus on the Family, the anti-abortion group that purchased a Super Bowl ad featuring former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother Pam Tebow, has decided to purchase statewide television advertisements during every Denver Broncos game for the upcoming season. Though the new ads will not feature or mention Tebow, the fact that the company is based in Colorado and already has the recognition of having previously worked with Tebow certainly served as a motivating factor in this decision.

2 » Shout out to Deadspin for this one. “Ten years ago, Darrin Henson was the Tom Emanski of instructional dance videos. He had one enthusiastic pupil, though,” and her name was Erin Andrews. The former Gators dazzler and current ESPN sideline reporter appears at the 0:45 mark of this pretty damn funny video.

Focus on the Family Super Bowl commercial featuring Tim and Pam Tebow:

Focus on the Family pre-game commercial featuring Tim and Pam Tebow:

Jimmy Kimmel Live:

TAUNTR.com:

2 » While many sports writers have spent the last week criticizing Tebow, Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel took a look at the situation from another angle. Former Purdue Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller, who coached Drew Brees, Curtis Painter and Kyle Orton (among others), laughed at all of Tebow’s doubters. “I can remember NFL critics saying the same thing when Drew was a senior,” Tiller told Mandel. “‘He’s in that Purdue offense all the time. He lines up in the shotgun all the time, and our guys line up under center. It’s not like college football has a monopoly on the shotgun formation. Now that I’m out of coaching, I’ve watched more NFL football this year than I have the last 10 years combined. There’s hardly any team in the league that doesn’t have their quarterback in the shotgun anymore. [...] The entire league is doing what Drew Brees was criticized for coming out of college. [...] Actually, I think a guy coming out in the shotgun is better equipped than a guy coming out of center.”

3 » Fifty-one University of Florida student athletes were named to the 2009-10 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for the fall semester. Football led the way with 23 honorees, followed by soccer (18) and volleyball (10). Prominent names on the list include Tebow, sophomore RB Jeff Demps, junior punter Chas Henry, senior kicker Jonathan Phillips and junior kicker Caleb Sturgis.

4 » Florida track and field was responsible eight provisional-qualifying marks/times, three event wins and two NCAA automatic-qualifying marks/times during the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, TX, on Saturday. The second half of the event was highlighted by thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili and jumper Shara Proctor, who earned the NCAA automatic-qualifying bids. For more information on the Gators’ performances over the weekend, click here (day one) or here (day two).

“I feel like it was good. Kind of back to the basics,” Tebow said after practice. “Gotta get the timing down, gotta get the snaps down, everything, so it’s like you’re back in junior high.” He also explained some of his early struggles. “I think it has to do with getting used to a new [center]. They are rotating in three quarterbacks, rotating in three centers, so that’s something you have to get used to and it takes a little time.”

Five more BITS including Tebow’s Super Bowl ad, a TMZ piece, Cooper’s agent, Harvin’s Pro Bowl, Parsons’ Facebook friends and Tebow on ESPN…after the jump!

2 » As OGGOA reported last week, CBS has been expecting some backlash about their decision to air the Focus on the Family advertisement featuring Tebow and his mother Pam. Numerous women’s groups including the Women’s Media Center, National Organization for Women and Feminist Majority (among others) are hoping to convince the network to shelve the ad on Super Bowl Sunday. “An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year,” said Jemhu Greene of the WMC. During a press conference Sunday, Tebow spoke about his convictions. “I know some people won’t agree with [the ad], but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe,” he said.

3 » For an athlete shrouded by almost zero controversy, Tebow is strangely covered extensively by TMZ and its new sports division. So much so, in fact, that they bothered to make a entire post out of a shirt-less picture of him from the first day of Senior Bowl practices. OGGOA‘s female readers can rejoice.

4 » Speaking of Cooper, he has hired Joel Segal of BEST as his agent. Segal represents other former Gators including WR Percy Harvin, linebacker Channing Crowder, running back Ciatrick Fason and tight end Ben Troupe. Other NFL stars on his client roster include RB Chris Johnson, QB Michael Vick, WR Santonio Holmes and WR Marques Colston as well as a host of other big-name receivers. To that end, Cooper has quit baseball and returned his $250,000 signing bonus to MLB‘s Texas Rangers.

5 » Harvin, the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year, was selected as the NFC’s return man for the 2010 Pro Bowl. However, Harvin has decided to forego his chance to play in Miami, FL, next week; Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox will replace him.

6 » Junior forward Chandler Parsons‘ two game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointers may prove to be the difference between a NCAA Tournament appearance for Florida or a third straight trip to the NIT. “It definitely feels good,” Parsons said Monday. “Just to make those shots and get the win for my team is really important to me. The recognition, the fans and stuff, that’s great. But the win to me is bigger.” Even so, Parsons is staying humble, though his Facebook friend count may indicate otherwise. “It was out of control,” he said. “It’s just crazy. If that ball rolls out, everyone might be calling you a choke and de-friending you on Facebook. You can’t really take it to heart.”

Extra Bit » ESPN‘s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic discuss Tebow’s future in the NFL.

1 » Florida Gators basketball (11-5, 0-2 SEC) is looking to rebound from losing five of its last eight games as it takes on the LSU Tigers (9-7, 0-2 SEC) Saturday at 8 p.m. at home in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will air live on FSN. Both teams are winless in Southeastern Conference action this season, and the Gators have not defeated the Tigers since March 11, 2006. Florida trails the all-time series 60-37.

2 » Two things must happen for the Gators to get back to prominence, the team must regain its swagger and redshirt junior center Vernon Macklin needs to stay out of foul trouble. If this was not obvious enough from watching the team play its last two games, both The Gainesville Sun and The Florida Times-Union are happy to break it down for you. “He’s just got to be smarter with what plays he puts himself into and what plays he doesn’t,” head coach Billy Donovan said. The Florida coach also expanded on some of the team’s recent difficulties to the Miami Herald‘s Joseph Goodman. “The loss of eight really, really good players over the last three years has probably been more of an impact on us,” Donovan said. “I think our team would look a little bit different with Nick out there right now; our team last year would have looked a little bit different even with Maurice out there.” Even so, Donovan is not opposed to bringing in one-and-done players in the future to give the team enough talent to make the March Madness run it so desperately has been waiting for since back-to-back National Championships. Donovan is also trying to give the team a much-needed wake-up call.

Four BITS on gymnastics, Tim Tebow and other Gators sports after the jump!

3 » No. 8 Gators gymnastics (1-1, 1-0 SEC) is not a team used to losing, so falling 196.25-195.275 to the then-No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners in its first match of the season in Norman, OK, was a surprise. Though the team is young, it rebounded quickly in its home opener, squeaking by the No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks (1-1, 0-1 SEC) 196.575-195.925 Friday night in the O’Connell Center. Though Florida fell four spots in the rankings after its loss to Oklahoma, this is going to be a team to watch all spring.

4 » Former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and golfer Deb Richard took home awards at the 2010 NCAA Honors Celebration held on Friday. Tebow was named a NCAA Top VIII Award winner, an honor bestowed to only eight senior student-athletes in the nation regardless of gender or sport. The NCAA Silver Anniversary Award was given to Richard, one of six former NCAA student-athletes who were honored for their successful collegiate careers and ability to excel in their chosen profession after graduation. Richard was a member of a the team that led Florida to its first NCAA women’s golf National Championship in 1985.

5 » Speaking of Tebow, he and his mother Pam will be featured in an advertisement during Super Bowl XLIV paid for by the global non-profit Christian organization Focus on the Family. The ad’s theme is “Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” and it will be promoting a pro-life message by focusing on the Tebows’ personal story. Focus on the Family’s published mission is to “strengthen, defend and celebrate the institution of the traditional family and to highlight the unique and irreplaceable role that it plays in God’s larger story of redemption.”

6 » Florida’s club hockey team is about to compete for its first Thrasher Cup in 12 years of the tournament at the Savannah Civic Center this weekend. They will square-off in the tournament against Florida State, Georgia and Georgia Tech for the title. Check out this article from the Savannah Morning News for more information. Gators swimming & diving, men’s and women’s tennis and track & field are all in action this weekend competing in a variety of different events. OGGOA will have a recap of each team’s performance once their competitions are complete.