Gator Clause

Find out what Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer is telling recruits ...

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida coach Urban Meyer has told at least one recruit that he will return in August.

Meyer told running back recruit Mack Brown of Lithonia, Ga., on Monday that he will return from his indefinite leave of in August. Brown relayed the news while being interviewed on ESPNU. Other recruits have not been contacted by Meyer. Demar Dorsey, a safety from Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson, said he has not been contacted by Meyer.

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Cody Riggs has not been in contact with Meyer but said on Wednesday that he hopes Meyer returns before the 2010 season.

Florida linebacker Ryan Stamper, a fifth-year senior, said on Wednesday that he expects Meyer to return to coaching by August.

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Chief cardiologist at Miami Jackson North speaks with The Herald about heart disease and how it might relate to Gators coach Urban Meyer

Dr. Ariel Soffer of Miami Jackson North Medical Center joined Gator Clause on Tuesday to answer questions about heart disease and how it might relate to Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer. Jackson North's chief cardiologist, Soffer is also an assistant clinical professor of FIU's School of Medicine. He's also a sports fan. Soffer was the Florida Panthers' official cardiologist for four years but no longer travels with the team because he "couldn't handle the losing anymore."

 

Sounds vaguely familiar. Florida coach Urban Meyer does not react very well to losing. After Florida's first loss in 23 games, Meyer resigned as head coach of the Gators only to return one day later. Is he simply burned out or is it something more severe? Meyer has declined to go into detail about his apparent medical condition. On Tuesday, Gator Clause gave the good folks at Miami Jackson North Medical Center a buzz to see if we could get some answers about what exactly might be wrong with Meyer. The most likely culprit? Heart disease.

GATOR CLAUSE: How does stress affect heart disease?
DR. SOFFER: It has been clearly shown in the literature in multiple different peer-reviewed publications that stress in and of itself can be an independent risk factor along with the more commonly known ones such as smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and family history. But stress in and of itself is being really evaluated and considered by most of us in the cardiologic community to be a risk factor along with them.

 

The problem with that is cholesterol is very nice because and you have a number and your number is either high or low. It’s a very simple matter to diagnose and to quantify. Stress is really something that is how a person perceives a particular situation. Unfortunately, one person can take one situation and it can be stressful to them and another person can take that same situation and it can be non-stressful. Unlike cholesterol or weight or sugar levels, it is not as quantifiable yet to be able to predict who’s having a certain amount of stress and how they might be affected by it. The long story short, stress is considered an independent risk factor. Quantifying the type of stress and how it affects a person has been pretty illusive to most of us. That being said, I have in my practice a clinical psychologist that often sees patients that I think have stress worsening their heart conditions and that’s shown to be very helpful across the country to a variety of cardiologists.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: Is 45 young to have heart problems that are related to stress or does age not matter?
DR. SOFFER: It’s pretty much not young anymore. We’re seeing in our society because of other risk factors—mostly cholesterol and weight-related issues—we’re seeing heart disease younger and younger. So, 45 used to be considered young for heart disease but I can tell you in my clinical practice we’re seeing it in folks in their 20s that come in when we really didn’t see it as much in the previous decade. I don’t know enough about his medical history to comment on his other risk factors—his family history, whether or not he smokes or has high cholesterol or diabetes—but certainly Urban has self proclaimed that he’s under a lot of stress.

 

We saw what happened to President Clinton, a person that had multiple risk factors, including probably a high fat diet and certainly under a lot of stress and ultimately ended up with a bypass at also a fairly young age. People under stress that particularly have other risk factors tend to compound it. That’s the big question with Urban. Does he have other risk factors? If it’s stress alone, I would say 45 is pretty young to have developed a form of heart disease. If it’s stress with other risk factors we find that it’s generally compounding, where one plus one doesn’t equal two but one plus one, say if you’re smoking and possibly high cholesterol and you have a high-stress situation, you are many more times more likely to have developed heart disease than you would be with any of those risk factors removed. It wouldn’t just be one-third less. It would be much, much less.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: How does stress manifest itself physically in the human body as it relates to the heart?
DR. SOFFER: Stress releases hormones and the hormones have a very interesting affect on blood vessels. They tend to tighten the blood vessels when they maybe don’t need to be tightened. In particular, we find that that tightening of blood vessels and the hormonal changes that it does within the entire circulation can bring out heart disease more quickly than if those stress hormones that are elicited, the fight or flight response if you will, that we’re normally suppose to have. If that happens too frequently, those stress hormones can cause circulation problems. Generally, for lack of a better term or for the lay public, a premature both hardening of the arteries as well as during a period where we have these plaques in hardened arteries and they’re more likely to rupture in stressful situations.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: Urban has also lost a considerable amount of weight. Can this be related to heart disease or perhaps something else?
DR. SOFFER: The times that you worry about it is when it’s not planned weight loss. That can be a manifestation of other underlying disease — oftentimes chronic diseases or cancer. If it’s weight loss because of diet and exercise, it’s generally good for the heart. If you’re losing weight because you have an underlying pathology or possibly a mental issue, such as depression, generalized anxiety disorder or anorexia — the list goes on — it’s not good.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: The ultimate question is can this be fatal? He's not walking away from a job that pays $4 million a year for nothing.

DR. SOFFER: If it’s heart disease in general, almost every type of heart disease can be fatal. The old saying serious as a heart attack prevails here. If it’s anything to do with the heart and he’s not responding to stress appropriately it can be fatal. It only takes one arrhythmia to kill a person. So, if he’s got any form of heat disease, stress can be very problematic.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: How do you treat heart disease?
DR. SOFFER: We understand the heart pretty well and we can fix most of what’s there. If you look at Phil Jackson, for instances, Phil Jackson had a closing of one of his arteries during a playoff game, had it opened with a balloon and a stent in the 90s and went back, I believe, to the next game two days later. We can fix a lot of these plumbing and mechanical related issues. What takes a long time to do is to teach a person to deal with stress in a better more healthful way.

 

GATOR CLAUSE: Please explain.
DR. SOFFER: It’s sort of like, you know, there are two ways of reacting to a pterodactyl flying at you. One is to become extremely concerned about it and frozen, if you will, and the other to sort of say, ‘OK, it’s a pterodactyl and I’m used to it flying towards me and I’m simply going to, you know, and dip into my little hole right here until it flies away and not allow the hormones that are released to really wreck havoc on my circulatory system.

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Florida Gators Major Wright expresses strong concerns and valuable insights about Urban Meyer's failing health

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida coach Urban Meyer says he's taking a leave of absence to improve his health but he won't say exactly what is wrong. On Tuesday, UF safety Major Wright said the problem has to do with Meyer's heart. Meyer has been experiencing severe chest pains over the past month and attributed it to stress, saying he has not had a heart attack.

"Don't look at things like, 'Oh, he just wants to leave us.' That's crazy," Wright said. "This man could literally die over football games and stuff like that, so that's why everyone is like, 'Oh my God." We can't really look at it like, 'Oh, Urb is leaving. Why is he doing this? Why is he doing that?' He has a family to take care of outside this football team. No one would be closer to him than his daughters and son. You can't get any closer than that."

Wright said sitting down with younger players at UF and explaining the gravity of the situation is important.

"We have to talk to them and tell them, 'Look, this man's life is at risk,'" Wright said. "We have to let them know that, hey, this is football and it's not as important as his life."

Just to clarify Wright's strong comments a bit, he said he didn't know the severity of Meyer's health but said he was told it was a heart issue "so I'm going to take it serious. I'm looking at it like this football thing is not more important than your life because he's a great guy, a great coach and a great parent. You don't want to lose a guy like that over football."

On a different topic, Wright told me on Tuesday that he doesn't know just yet if he's going to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Wright said he believes he's ready to take his game to pro football but said his mother, father, uncle and sister will have a lot of input on whether or not Wright returns. Wright has not received his paperwork from the NFL Draft advisory committee, which projects draft statuses for players.

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And now for the Gators' official message to recruits...

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida assistant head coach Dan McCarney addressed recruiting with Gator Clause on Monday.

GATOR CLAUSE: Dan, how do you sell stability to this recruiting class when you're going to have all of your rivals bombarding the players?

DAN MCCARNEY: "That's a real good question and we've already had to do that. All we can say is we have great faith in the direction of the program. All of us believe Coach Meyer will be back. We can't tell you how long it will be, but all the things that our in this program -- why you chose Florida or you're considering us -- to a great degree, those things are still here and they're all still in place. We're going to have great fans. We're going to have tremendous facilities, tremendous success, great leadership. Coaches have proven ... When you go 22 wins in a row in this lifetime or the next, we know what we're doing. We've got a good plan. We've got good coaches that execute it. We've got real good players and come be a part of that.

"We address it. We're honest. We're upfront about it and yet we can't put a certain timetable on when we think Coach Meyer will be back."

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Gators assistant Chuck Heater wants a 'leadership position' while Dan McCarney isn't interested in DC position

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida Gators assistant coach Chuck Heater said on Monday afternoon that he would like a "leadership position" next season, a strong indication that he is hoping to be promoted to defensive coordinator.

"I'm interested in having a leadership role, whatever it might be," Heater said. "I don't have to be a title or anything. I just want to be in a good room with a good exchange of ideas and good guys and that's what we've had since I've been here."

The Gators' safeties coach, Heater said after Florida's practice on Monday at the Louisiana Superdome that "chemistry ... is probably the most important part" of building a successful defensive staff. He also said "new ideas and perspective can be a good thing."

Heater said the possibility of co-defensive coordinators is an option. Florida assistant head coach Dan McCarney, the Gators' defensive line coach, said on Monday that he does not want to be UF's new defensive coordinator.

"We've been trying to find the right pieces to the defensive situation since Charlie has left and I've been involved with that in terms of that and the decision making, but we're just trying to get the best people because we can," Heater said. "We've done some really good things here but we're real anxious to bring in some other thoughts as well and we're not quite sure how it's going to all come together."

Florida safety Will Hill said on Monday that he hopes a current assistant coach, most likely Heater, is promoted to defensive coordinator.

"I would like to see someone from the team take over because he already knows the concepts and everything, so I wouldn't want to change up everything and shake things around," Hill said. "Coach Heater calls the plays up in the box, so you could say he's been running it for awhile. It would just be an easy transition."

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And now for a realistic perspective from Florida Gators receiver Riley Cooper...

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida's administrators have gone through a lot of trouble in attempting to project an image of stability amid a tornado of bad news/worse news/simply unbelievable news. A bleary-eyed Riley Cooper spoke with Gator Clause on Monday morning and gave a more realistic perspective of the atmosphere currently surrounding the team.

"Luckily I'm a senior," Cooper said. "I'm out of here, but hopefully [Urban Meyer] gets better."

Cooper is playing in the upcoming Senior Bowl. He told me that he's going to give pro football a shot and attempt to get drafted. If it doesn't work out, Cooper will fall back on baseball.

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Like it or not, Addazio is the best fit

By Mike McCall

Say what you want about Steve Addazio, but Florida made the right move by making him the Gators' interim head coach during Urban Meyer's leave of absence. Addazio took a lot of heat this year (probably too much) from fans and reporters for the Gators' perceived offensive struggles and some of his dubious quotes in press conferences, but when it comes to holding the UF program together, he was the best choice.

Regardless of what anyone things of Addazio, we can all agree that at a time like this, the most important opinions are those of the players. They're the ones who have to play for whomever the coach is, and they're the ones who have to win the games. And for some of them, keeping Addazio around may be the tipping point for decisions on their future.

Take offensive lineman Mike Pouncey, who'll be choosing between the NFL and another year at UF in the coming months: “It was really uncertain. I felt like if we didn’t keep someone on this staff who was already here as a coach, it was going to be really tough on my decision of whether or not to come back for next year. I think keeping Addazio will play a big part in that, and I’m just glad he’s going to be here.”

Senior receiver Riley Cooper won't face the same decision as Pouncey, but he echoed his teammate's sentiments: “The good thing is they’re keeping the coaching within the family. Addazio had a big part in our offense this year, it wasn’t just coach Meyer, so luckily he’s going to step into that role and it won’t change a whole lot.”

Running back Jeffery Demps said Meyer told the team he would "bring in the best coaching staff or the best coach" when he resigned, so he wasn't too worried about the future, but Addazio will have a calming influence on a hectic situation.

That's why Addazio is the right man for the job, something he highlighted today during his press conference.

"Continuity is the issue here," Addazio said. "That's my role. My role is to come in here and keep a great program on a great course. It's about the program, that's what it is at Florida: the University of Florida football program. That's the beautiful thing about what's happening here, it's a statement to that effect. This has become the premier program in college football and in the history of UF, and it is built on a great program foundation. We have great players, great coaches, great administrative support and the greatest AD in America. All of that is right there, so now we have to keep that at the same level and run this great program. That's what we're going to do."

Addazio may not even still be the head coach come next season, but right now, his players needed a return to normalcy. Short of dragging Dan Mullen or Charlie Strong back to Gainesville for what would eventually amount to a demotion, Addazio was the best option.

Ten highlights and thoughts from today's fascinating press conference with Urban Meyer

NEW ORLEANS -- OK, big story coming in tomorrow's paper but I'll touch on some highlights of today's press conference now and give some general thoughts about the most fascinating stories I've ever covered.

1. I've been getting plenty of emails from Gators' fans and fans of UF's rivals about today's press conference. It was a surreal experience, to say the least. Meyer didn't exactly explain what is wrong with his heart/chest/head/brain/whatever, but he did say that he has not had a heart attack. That's good news. Hopefully for Meyer, he can get some much needed rest, learn how to deal with stress and return to UF's sidelines a healthy man.

2. I'm no doctor, but I have had family members hospitalized by stress and anxiety. It's not an easy thing to overcome. Meyer needs to sit down with a health care professional and work through his problems and figure out a way to manage his stress, if indeed that is the problem. Maybe take yoga and go fishing. Steve Spurrier told Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun on Sunday that Meyer needs to find a hobby. Meyer laughed at the suggestion but did say that he's going to give Spurrier a call and speak with him about how to stress management. More laughter; less anxiety. 

3. UF athletics director Jeremy Foley is a true professional. He's the best in the business, folks.

4. Meyer called himself a Southerner on Sunday. That was pretty interesting.

5. The Meyer family was in attendance during the press conference. It added an extra level of intrigue to the story today.

6. Steve Addazio is the interim head coach but it seems like Meyer will still be calling all the shots. Meyer indicated that he will be hiring/promoting the new defensive coordinator. Meyer isn't allowed into his office, according to Foley, but that doesn't mean Meyer will stop recruiting. The recruiting dead period ends on Jan.3. Pretty sure Meyer will be recruiting in some form.

7. Meyer was plenty nervous on Sunday. He read from a prepared statement, which he never does. His uncomfortable body language was painful for me to watch at times. I felt bad for him.

8. Foley indicated that Meyer will still be paid his salary of about $4 million per year. UF's athletics director indicated that Addazio will receive a raise. Foley said that a buyout was never an option when Meyer informed him of his plan to resign.

9. Meyer told Ryan Stamper and Tim Tebow that he loved them during the practice before Meyer told the team he was resigning. Stamper said it meant a great deal to him. At that point, Meyer turned towards Stamper and appeared to fight back some tears.

10. UF sports information director Steve McClain deserves credit for performing his job brilliantly during one of the toughest months I'm sure he's ever had to deal with on the job.

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Urban Meyer now taking a leave of absence; Steve Addazio to be interim coach

NEW ORLEANS -- Change of plans. Florida coach Urban Meyer isn't going anywhere.

Meyer informed the UF football team on Sunday that he now plans on taking an indefinite leave of absence and that offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will be the Gators' interim head coach. Meyer informed the team before the Gators left Gainesville for New Orleans. The team is scheduled to arrive in New Orleans at 3:45 p.m. ET. A press conference is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.

More coming later.

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Sugar Bowl now an interesting game

NEW ORLEANS -- Just when you thought a week in New Orleans was going to be nice and quiet ... Urban Meyer is gone!

Do you remember where you were when Urban Meyer announced his resignation? I was sitting in my New Orleans hotel room in front of my laptop and nearly swallowed my tongue. Some of you guys might recall that I asked Meyer on Dec. 6 during a Sugar Bowl teleconference about his health entering the Sugar Bowl. The teleconference moderator (a Sugar Bowl guy) would not let Meyer answer the question because, according to the moderator, only questions could be asked about the Sugar Bowl. Looking back, that was a pretty important question.

Meyer's health since the Gators' loss to Alabama has been a major concern to the Meyer family. He has had chest pains, reportedly, and the cyst on his brain needs to addressed. If Meyer has brain surgery at Shands, he would be in recovery for several months. Here's hoping everything turns out OK with Meyer. I can't imagine what he's going through right now.

I've spoken with about a dozen people in the last three hours about the state of UF football. I'll have two stories in tomorrow's paper. One will be about Meyer sudden resignation and another story will be about recruits and the coaching search. Here's what I know right now...

1. UF's South Florida recruits told me on Saturday that they are still committed to Florida but will wait and see who athletics director Jeremy Foley hires before signing with Florida on Feb. 4. Miami Booker T. Washington receiver Quinton Dunbar said that he will probably de-commit if UF hires a run-oriented coach. Dunbar said if UF hires Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech then he's gone. That made me laugh.

2. UF quarterback recruit Trey Burton of Venice High is already text messaging UF commitments in the hopes of reassuring recruits. One UF commitment received a text from Burton that read, "Everything is going to be OK."

3. One source close to Foley told me that Charlie Strong might have been a candidate had he not left for Louisville. Another coach who would have been at the top of Foley's wish list had he not already been hired: Brian Kelly.

4. Dan Mullen's name has already surfaced as a possible replacement for Meyer but Mullen only has one year of head coaching experience.

5. Is Meyer basically taking extended sick leave? Does this mean UF is still on the hook for $4 million a year? This is an important question that needs answering on Sunday. UF officials would not return phone messages on Saturday.

6. Steve Spurrier? Not a chance.

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Florida coach Urban Meyer stepping down as head coach

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida coach Urban Meyer announced on Saturday that he is resigning as head coach of the Florida Gators football team.

Through a statement released by the University of Florida, Meyer indicated that his health is the reason for the decision.

"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer said. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family."

Meyer checked himself into Shands Hospital at the University of Florida a few hours after the Gators lost to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game. According to the university, Meyer was treated for dehydration but Meyer has lived with an arachnoid cyst in his brain for many years. The cyst was first discovered when Meyer was head coach at Utah, but Meyer has suffered from symptoms such as head aches and fatigue since his days as an assistant coach at Notre Dame.

According to UF, Meyer will be available at a Sugar Bowl press conference at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday when the Gators arrive in New Orleans.

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2009 Miami Herald All-Florida College Football Team released

GAINESVILLE -- Merry Christmas college football fans. The Miami Herald released its 3rd Annual College Football All-Florida Teams just in time for the holidays. See if your favorite players made first- or second-team All-Florida. Talk amongst yourselves.

2009 All-Florida Team Offense

2009 All-Florida Team Defense

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What happened to the Florida Gators basketball team?

My vacation is almost over, but I had to come out of my self-imposed cave to write a quick blog about the UF men's basketball team. South Alabama 67, Florida 66?

After a loss to Richmond in the Orange Bowl Classic, the Gators responded with a loss to South Alabama at O'Connell Center. Has anyone over the last three seasons been more unlucky than UF coach Billy Donovan? First he couldn't win with Marreese Speights, then he couldn't win with Nick Calathes, now Donovan just can't win in the final weeks of December 2009.

Dan Werner had two points and five fouls against the South Alabama Jaguars. Chandler Parsons, playing despite an injury that requires rest to heal, was 1 of 8 from the field. Point guard Erving Walker was 0-6 from three-point range. Meanwhile, former UF point guard Jai Lucas is on the cover of ESPN.com's college basketball page this morning. Lucas is a bit player for No.2 Texas but his team hasn't lost a game this season.

The Gators don't play another meaningful basketball game until Jan.3, when UF travels to Raleigh, N.C., for a key non-conference away game against N.C. State. In between now and then is a six-day break for Christmas and then a two-game stretch against American (Dec. 28) and Presbyterian (Dec.30). Finding a few scorers between now and Jan.3 should be Donovan's top priority. Consider this: South Alabama shot 28.1 percent from the field in the second half and still defeated Florida at O'Connell Center.

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Carlos Dunlap is back, but should he be?

GAINESVILLE -- Junior defensive Carlos Dunlap was recently reinstated to the football team and UF coach Urban Meyer said on Friday that Dunlap will likley be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl.

The decision came down from UF president Bernie Machen and UF athletics director Jeremy Foley. Considering UF's strick policy regarding students who are arrested for DUI, it seems a little odd that Dunlap is being allowed to play. After all, some UF students have been expelled after being convicted of DUI. Of course, Dunlap will be long gone after the Sugar Bowl and his status as a UF student will matter to no one.

Meyer said that Machen and Foley decided Dunlap could play in the BCS bowl because Dunlap's alleged DUI was his first mistake. Dunlap was found by Gainesville police at traffic light asleep behind the steering wheel of his car around 3:30 a.m. a few days before UF's biggest game of the season.

Should Dunlap be allowed to represent UF in the Sugar Bowl? If Dunlap had taken his foot of the brake while sleeping at the traffic light (the car was in drive), drifted into the intersection and killed a few people, would he still be allowed to play? Wonder what M.A.D.D. thinks? Maybe I'm just being an overly critical, self-righteous sports writer.

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Aaron Hernandez and Joe Haden named first-team AP All-Americans

GAINESVILLE -- Gators tight end Aaron Hernandez and cornerback Joe Haden were selected first-team All-Americans by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Four others Florida football players also received recognitions. Quarterback Tim Tebow earned second-team honors along with center Maurkice Pouncey, offensive guard Mike Pouncey and linebacker Brandon Spikes. Alabama was the only team other than Florida to land six players among the three teams.

Last week, Hernandez won the John Mackey Award, which is given to the national best tight end. Hernandez led UF in receiving with 59 receptions for 739 yards and four touchdowns. Haden was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the nation's top defensive back. Haden finished the season with 62 tackles, including 48 solo stops. He also had four interceptions, three sacks and broke up nine passes.

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Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow finishes fifth in Heisman voting

NEW YORK -- Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting on Saturday at Nokia Theatre Times Square. Alabama running back Mark Ingram won the award. Tebow prayed with Ingram backstage before the ceremony.

Here's the Heisman breakdown of the closest vote in the 75-year history of the award:

1. Mark Ingram, Alabama RB; 1,304 points
2. Toby Gerhart, Stanford RB; 1,276 points
3. Colt McCoy, Texas QB; 1,145 points
4. Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska DT; 815 points
5. Tim Tebow, Florida QB; 390 points
6. C.J. Spiller, Clemson RB; 223
7. Kellen Moore, Boise State QB; 100 points
8. Case Keenum, Houston QB; 37 points
9. Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati WR; 23 points
10. Golden Tate, Notre Dame WR; 21 points

Heisman Trophy voting is done by region. There are six regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Southwest, Midwest and Far West. Ingram carried the South, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast. Gerhart won the Far West. Surprisingly, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh carried the Southwest vote. He finished 38 points ahead of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

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Tim Tebow's Heisman ballot

NEW YORK -- Tim Tebow would not reveal his Heisman Trophy ballot on Friday but I've got a pretty good idea who was first on Tebow's list.

After hearing Tebow gush about Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, I'm pretty sure Tebow put the Cornhuskers' nose guard at the top of his ballot. Like everyone else in college football, Tebow seemed to be in awe of Suh's raw power and natural ability. Suh finished the season with 82 tackles, including 23 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Those are ridiculous numbers for a nose guard. Let's let Tebow explain it...

"I think [Suh] had a huge impact and, off the field, getting to know him, I think he's a really nice guy," Tebow said. "But on the field, he's a dominant player and he had a big impact on Nebraska's team. And the games they were in, even though they didn't win some of them, I think he had a huge impact. I think he's a great player."

In a nutshell, here's Tebow's thought process behind his Heisman ballot:

"I look at the season and impact they had on their teams, what they put up, who they played against and make a good educated vote on who the best players this year were," Tebow said. "The impact they had on the team and the impact they had on the game. Even if they didn't have the best stats. What was the impact those players had on the game?

"I think it should just be one year that you're judged on. I think some people could get biased and put that in there, [a player's] whole career, but, honestly, it should just be that one year. How did they do this year? What did they mean to their team? Did they play well in the big games? Did they help their team win? Obviously, a big question is if they weren't playing for their team, how would their team have done? That's something you've got to take into account, too."

Tebow explained to reporters on Friday at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square that Suh's impact on the game from the nose guard position can't be overstated. Tebow knows exactly the type of defense Nebraska coach Bo Pelini runs. Tebow faced Pelini's defenses when Pelini was the defensive coordinator at LSU and said that Pelini's defensive schemes are some of the best in the game. When Tebow played against Pelini's defenses at LSU, the Tigers had a pair of first-round picks on the defensive line, Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. Neither Dorsey nor Jackson can be compared to Suh, according to Tebow.

"Dorsey and Jackson, those guys didn't do [what Suh did] and that's really impressive, because when you're playing a two-gap defense, it's like what the [New England] Patriots do, the guys are not supposed to really make those plays because you're taking up two guys and letting (other) guys run side to side, and that's not a normal thing to do."

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Urban Meyer wastes little time in replacing Gators' receivers coach

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer hired Central Michigan receivers coach Zach Azzanni on Friday to replace former UF receivers coach Billy Gonzales.

Azzanni was an assistant head coach Central Michigan from 2007-2009. He was a graduate assistant on Meyer's first staff at Bowling Green.

"[Azzanni] is a tireless worker, relentless recruiter and a great teacher of fundamentals," Meyer said. "He is also familiar with our philosophy and will be a great fit with our players and staff."

Meyer hired Azzanni less than 24 hours after Gonzales left Florida for Louisiana State. One of Meyer's most loyal lieutenants, Gonzales was the Gators' recruiting coordinator and was assigned to talent-rich Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Azzanni inherits a talented but inexperienced receiving corps. Florida could lose its top three receivers after the Sugar Bowl. Riley Cooper and David Nelson are seniors and junior tight end Aaron Hernandez, who recently won the John Mackey Award, could leave early for the NFL Draft.

Zach Azzanni File
1999-2000 Wide Receivers Coach, Valparaiso
2001-02 Graduate Assistant (Offense), Bowling Green
2003-06 Wide Receivers Coach, Bowling Green
2007-09 Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers, Central Michigan

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Florida Gators lose another assistant coach

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators assistant coach Billy Gonzales has been hired as an assistant offensive coordinator at Louisiana State.

Gonzales accepted the position on Thursday. He was the receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for the Florida coach Urban Meyer. Meyer informed recruits on Thursday that Gonzales would no longer be recruiting for Florida.

This is a major blow for Florida. Gonzales, who recruited Broward and Palm Beach counties, has been with Meyer since his college days. Meyer was Gonzales' receiver's coach at Colorado State and Meyer later hired Gonzales on his first staff at Bowling Green. He followed Meyer to Utah and then to Florida.

On Wednesday, former Florida defensive coordinator was named head coach at Louisville.

-jo-

Florida Gators Maurkice Pouncey and Aaron Hernandez win national awards

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Here at wonderful Disney World for the ESPN college football awards show. Quarterback Tim Tebow left empty handed but Gators offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey and tight end Aaron Hernandez won awards.

Pouncey won the Rimington Trophy for the nation's best center and Hernandez won the John Mackey Award, given to the nation's top tight end. Afterwards, Pouncey said that UF's players are still having trouble getting over the loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship but added that they have already started breaking down film on Cincinnati. No.5 Florida (12-1) plays No.4 Cincinnati on Jan.1 in the Sugar Bowl.

-jo-

NCAA investigates Tennessee Volunteers football over use of recruiting hostesses

The NCAA has launched a "wide-ranging investigation" into the recruiting practices of Tennessee football, according to an article in The New York Times. LINK!

College football's governing body is concerned that Tennessee has been using the university's recruiting hostesses inappropriately to lure top high school football players to Tennessee. Tennessee Internet message boards, which credited Tennessee's hostesses for influencing some top recruits, helped fuel rumors that recruiting violations were possibly being committed. Three of Florida's top football prospects are among the high school recruits who have been contacted by the NCAA: Ted Meline of North Miami Beach, Chris Dunkley of Pahokee and Christian Jones of Winter Park Lake Howell.

Tennessee has self-reported six secondary recruiting violations since Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin was hired in December 2008. It is rare for the NCAA to investigate high school players before they even commit to a school. (Yes, a small part of me thinks the NCAA has it out for loudmouth Kiffin.)

One has to wonder whether or not Tennessee running backs/special teams coach Eddie Gran left Tennessee before things heated up with the NCAA. Gran was hired earlier this week by Florida State's Jimbo Fisher, who will officially take over for Bobby Bowden after the Gator Bowl. Gran was an assistant at Tennessee for one season before leaving the Vols for FSU for a similar position. Gran will coach running backs and special teams at FSU. He was an assistant at Auburn before leaving for Tennessee and built a strong reputation in South Florida as a recruiter while with the Tigers. Gran is the person who lured Pahokee receiver Nu'Keese Richardson away from the Gators.

-jo-

Tebow begins Award Week with Campbell Trophy

GAINESVILLE -- For the third consecutive postseason, the individual awards are rolling in for Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Earlier this week, he was named the the Southeastern Conference's all-conference quarterback. On Tuesday, he picked up one of the biggest awards of his career, the Campbell Trophy. 

The Campbell Trophy [PICTURED] is based on academics, performance on the field, leadership and citizenship. Known as the academic Heisman, the Campbell Trophy is given annually to college football's top scholar-athlete. Tebow has a 3.66 GPA in family, youth and community sciences. He has performed countless hours (over 700 this year) of community service during his college career in addition to being one of the most decorated college football players to ever play the game.

"Tim Tebow is a once in a lifetime student-athlete," said Steve J. Hatchell, the president and CEO of the National Football Foundation. "Tim's unparalleled accomplishments and charisma have transcended the playing field, capturing the imagination of both the young and old. We could not be prouder to have Tim as an ambassador of this award and our sport."

Tebow received the award on Tuesday night at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Tebow flies to Orlando on Wednesday for ESPN's college football awards ceremony. The ceremony is on Thursday night and will be televised. Tebow is a finalist for Davey O'Brien Award (best quarterback) and the Maxwell Award (best all-around player). Tebow won both awards last year.

After Thursday's college football awards, Tebow will back to New York on Friday for the Heisman Trophy presentation. Tebow is one of five finalists for the Heisman, which will be presented on Saturday night at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square.

Three other Gators will also be at the college football awards ceremony on Thursday. Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes is a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defender), cornerback Joe Haden is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and Chas Henry is a finalist for the Ray Guy Award (best punter).

-jo-

Longtime Gators assistant spending his final nights as Urban Meyer's defensive coordinator

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will be introduced as the new head coach of the Louisville Cardinals on either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning, the Miami Herald has learned.

According to a team source, Strong has accepted an offer and all that remains is a formal meeting of the Louisville Board of Trustees to approve the hire. According to ESPN.com, that meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Strong was Louisville's top choice to replace fired coach Steve Kragthorpe. 

Strong was the Gators' top recruiter and his familiarity with the region will be missed. It's unclear whether or not Strong will attempt to hire UF recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales as Louisville's offensive coordinator, as has been rumored on message boards. Gonzales is the Gators wide receiver coach and well respected throughout the industry. He recruits Palm Beach and Broward counties.

The loss of Strong is another blow to the stability of the Gators' coaching staff. Meyer lost his offensive coordinator last season as well as his tight ends coach. After the 2007 season, Meyer had to replace assistant Doc Holliday (West Virginia assistant head coach), a longtime recruiter of South Florida, and defensive line coach Greg Mattison, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.

-jo-

How will Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap be remembered?

GAINESVILLE -- The wounds are still fresh, so this question might sting: How will Florida Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap be remembered? 

Dunlap was named a first-team All-SEC defensive end on Monday, less than a week after being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Did Dunlap deserve the honor even though he was suspended for the SEC championship game?

Will Dunlap's arrest influence his decision to either return to school or go pro? I'm sure there are some strong opinions on this subject, so let's hear them.

My take on the matter: Everyone makes mistakes. How you deal with those mistakes and learn from them ultimately define your character. My opinion: Dunlap can still salvage his reputation as a Gator if he returns to school and sets a positive example from this point forward.

-jo-

Carlos Dunlap among six Gators to receive All-SEC first-team honors

GAINESVILLE -- Eleven Gators received All-SEC recognition from The Associated Press on Monday. Six players were named to the All-SEC first team. Right guard Mike Pouncey, center Maurkice Pouncey, tight end Aaron Hernandez and quarterback Tim Tebow were the All-SEC first-team offensive selections. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap and cornerback Joe Haden were the Gators' All-SEC first-team defensive selections.

Seven players from the University of Alabama were selected to All-SEC first-team offense and defense.

There were five unanimous first-team selections: Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody, Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain, Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry and South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood.

2009 AP All-SEC Team

(u-unanimous selection)

 

FIRST TEAM

Offense

WR       Shay Hodge, Ole Miss, 6-2, 207, Sr.

WR       A.J. Green, Georgia, 6-4, 207, So.

L          Mike Johnson, Alabama, 6-5, 303, Sr.

L          Ciron Black, LSU, 6-5, 322, Sr.

L          Mike Pouncey, Florida, 6-5, 315, Jr.

L          John Jerry, Ole Miss, 6-6, 335, Sr.

C          Maurkice Pouncey, Florida, 6-5, 310, Jr.

TE        Aaron Hernandez, Florida, 6-2, 250, Jr.

QB       Tim Tebow, Florida, 6-3, 240, Sr.

RB        u-Mark Ingram, Alabama, 5-10, 212, So.

RB        Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State, 6-1, 235, Sr.

K          Leigh Tiffin, Alabama, 6-2, 212, Sr.

 

All-Purpose, Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss, 5-9, 170, Sr.

All-Purpose, Randall Cobb, Kentucky, 5-11, 188, So.

 

Defense

E          Antonio Coleman, Auburn, 6-3, 261, Sr.

E          Carlos Dunlap, Florida, 6-6, 290, Jr.

T          u-Terrence Cody, Alabama, 6-5, 354, Sr.

T          Dan Williams, Tennessee, 6-3, 327, Sr.

LB        u-Rolando McClain, Alabama, 6-4, 258, Jr.

LB        u-Eric Norwood, South Carolina, 6-1, 252, Sr.

LB        Rennie Curran, Georgia, 5-11, 225, Jr.

CB        Javier Arenas, Alabama, 5-9, 195, Sr.

CB        Joe Haden, Florida, 5-11, 190, Jr.

S          u-Eric Berry, Tennessee, 5-11, 203, Jr.

S          Mark Barron, Alabama, 6-2, 214, So.

P          Drew Butler, Georgia, 6-2, 203, So.

 

SECOND TEAM

Offense

WR       Joe Adams, Arkansas, 5-10, 182, So.

WR      Riley Cooper, Florida, 6-3, 215, Sr.

WR       Brandon LaFell, LSU, 6-3, 206, Sr.

L          Clint Boling, Georgia, 6-5, 297, Jr.

L          Chris Scott, Tennessee, 6-5, 346, Sr.

L          James Carpenter, Alabama, 6-5, 300, Jr.

L          Mitch Petrus, Arkansas, 6-4, 315, Sr.

C          Ryan Pugh, Auburn, 6-4, 289, Jr.

TE        Colin Peek, Alabama, 6-6, 255, Sr.

QB        Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, 6-7, 238, So.

RB        Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss, 5-9, 170, Sr.

RB        Montario Hardesty, Tennessee, 6-0, 215, Sr.

RB        Ben Tate, Auburn, 5-11, 218, Sr.

K          Blair Walsh, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So.

 

All-Purpose, Derrick Locke, Kentucky, 5-9, 190, Jr.

All-Purpose, Javier Arenas, Alabama, 5-9, 195, Sr.

 

Defense

E          Jermaine Cunningham, Florida, 6-3, 257, Sr.

E          Justin Houston, Georgia, 6-3, 259, So.

E          Pernell McPhee, Mississippi State, 6-4, 275, Jr.

T          Geno Atkins, Georgia, 6-1, 290, Sr.

T          Corey Peters, Kentucky, 6-3, 295, Sr.

T          Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss, 6-2, 330, Jr.

T          Malcolm Sheppard, Arkansas, 6-2, 291, Sr.

LB        Brandon Spikes, Florida, 6-4, 255, Sr.

LB        Sam Maxwell, Kentucky, 6-3, 248, Sr.

LB        Rico McCoy, Tennessee, 6-1, 220, Sr.

CB        Patrick Peterson, LSU, 6-1, 211, So.

CB        Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 205, Sr.

CB        Walt McFadden, Auburn, 6-0, 175, Sr.

S          Chad Jones, LSU, 6-3, 231, Jr.

S          Chris Culliver, South Carolina, 6-0, 190, Jr.

P          Chas Henry, Florida, 6-4, 222, Jr.

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Offense

Zipp Duncan, T, Kentucky, 6-5, 291, Sr.; Trindon Holliday, All-Purpose, LSU, 5-5, 161, Sr.; Lee Ziemba, T, Auburn, 6-8, 308, Jr.

 

Defense

Ahmad Black, S, Florida, 5-9, 185, Jr.; Chris Marve, LB, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 230, So.; Cliff Matthews, E, South Carolina, 6-4, 249, Jr.

 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Mark Ingram, Alabama

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Rolando McClain, Alabama

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

Nick Saban, Alabama

 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Warren Norman, Vanderbilt

Tim Tebow a finalist for the Heisman Trophy; Will he win it?

GAINESVILLE -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday along with Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Nebraska defensive end Ndamukong Suh, Alabama running back Mark Ingram and Stanford running back Toby Gerhart.

Will Tebow win the award? His chances are better than you think.

-jo-

Maybe it's nothing, but check out this photo

 

GAINESVILLE -- In this photo of Urban Meyer during the SEC championship game, check out the guy to Meyer's right (your left). That's Florida's team doctor, Pete Indelicato.

How often is a team doctor next to a head coach during a football game? Not often, unless something is wrong. It's probably just a coincidence, but maybe Meyer was a bit under the weather on Saturday during the SEC championship game and Indelicato was shadowing Meyer. UF's coach didn't sound well during Sunday evening's Sugar Bowl teleconference. His voice was hoarse and Meyer sounded a little weak, as if he wasn't feeling well. I asked Meyer about his health on Sunday mainly because it's my job to ask questions but also because I was genuinely concerned. 

Meyer went to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida on early Sunday morning and was treated for dehydration, according to a UF team spokesman. Stress can cause dehydration but so can other things like the flu. Get some rest Urban and drink plenty of, you know, Gatorade.

-jo-

I've got two choice words for the moderator of the Sugar Bowl's coaches' teleconference

GAINESVILLE -- And those two words are "fine job!"

Whoever you are, nice work on Sunday night keeping everyone on topic and running a streamlined teleconference with Florida coach Urban Meyer and Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly. When three reporters strayed off topic and, you know, asked questions people actually care about, you were there to keep everyone focused on the meaningless Sugar Bowl match up of Florida vs. Cincinnati. If ever there was an award for teleconference moderators going beyond the call of duty, you would win it.

First, Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel tried to ask Meyer about his health and his hospital visit on Sunday morning. The teleconference moderator cut Fowler off before Meyer could answer, reminding Fowler that only questions pertaining to the Sugar Bowl could be asked. Before the teleconference began Mr. No Fun informed reporters they could only ask questions about the Sugar Bowl. Then it was the Miami Herald's turn to get shot down. I asked Meyer, "Going into the Sugar Bowl, how is your health?" Cheeky, I know. Again, no dice. The all-time MVP of teleconference tyranny spiked the question.

Later, another reporter asked Kelly how rumors regarding the open coaching position at Notre Dame might affect his team's preparation for the Sugar Bowl -- a valid question if there ever was one. Once again, the teleconference cop was on the case. Kelly didn't have an opportunity to answer the question.

Luckily for everyone involved, some important questions were allowed. Will Carlos Dunlap be available for the bowl game? Meyer said that a decision hasn't been made. He indicated that UF athletics director Jeremy Foley would have to make the final call. Foley will likely be under direct orders from UF president Bernie Machen, who has a strict no-tolerance policy for Florida students who are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. In many cases, Florida students are kicked out of school for a semester for a DUI.

Another important question: Will UF defensive coordinator Charlie Strong be around to coach the bowl game? Strong interviewed for the head coaching position at Louisville on Sunday evening, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. Meyer said that Strong will likely not coach in the bowl game if he is hired for the position. Reading between the lines, Strong was not offered the job on Sunday. If Louisville takes its time in hiring a coach, this could be a problem for the Gators. Some could argue that it already has been a major problem. Not me, of course. I think Alabama just got lucky.

-jo-

Florida Gators vs. Cincinnati: Thoughts, anyone? And what the heck is a Bearcat?

GAINESVILLE -- At first glance, this seems like a great match up for the New Year's Day Sugar Bowl. Urban Meyer vs. alma mater. Cincy coach Brian Kelly in possibly his final game with the Bearcats. The final game for Tim Tebow against a worthy undefeated opponent.

Thoughts on the Sugar Bowl? As a Gators fan, do you care? And, what the heck is a bearcat?

-jo-

News of Urban Meyer's hospital visit on Sunday adds a level of concern to upsetting week for Gators

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer spent time at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida early Sunday morning a few hours after Meyer's team lost to Alabama 32-13 in the SEC championship game.

According to the Associated Press, Meyer was was treated for dehydration and released. A Florida spokesman said that Meyer was "feeling fine." Meyer is scheduled to speak with reporters Sunday evening during an BCS bowl conference call. Florida (12-1) is likely headed to the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

The week started badly for the Gators when defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Saturday's loss to Alabama was Florida's first defeat in over a year. 

-jo-

Alabama 32, Florida 13: Give me your thoughts on the game!

ATLANTA -- OK, I'm taking any and all explanations for Florida's complete meltdown on Saturday at the Georgia Dome. Alabama gained 490 yards of offense against a defense that entered the game ranked No.1 in the country. Florida's running backs combined for three carries!

What happened and was this season a failure after Saturday's loss?

-jo-

Florida down 13 to begin the fourth quarter of SEC championship game

ATLANTA -- The Gators are trailing Alabama 32-13 with 13:49 left in SEC championship game. If there's any magic left in Tim Tebow's career, now is the time to use it.

Bama took a nine-point lead on a masterful drive that extended into the fourth quarter. Ingram rushed for his third touchdown of the game.

-jo-

Key Gators injured after impressive first half by Alabama

ATLANTA -- Brandon Spikes and Major Wright were injured in the first half and were not on the field for Alabama's final possession of the first half. Florida trails Alabama 19-13 at halftime.

The Gators should feel lucky to only be trailing by six points. Alabama pushed the Gators' defense around in the first half, scoring nearly as many points in one half than Florida had allowed in a game entering Saturday. Arkansas scored 20 on Florida.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram has showed no signs of an injured hip suffered against Auburn. Ingram has rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries. Ingram also had a 69-yard reception from UA quarterback Greg McElroy, who was solid in the first half. McElroy threw for 189 yards in the first half. Entering the game, Florida's passing defense was allowing an average of 143.17 yards a game through the air.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has rushed for 49 yards on six carries and completed 9 of 17 attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown.

-jo-

Heisman contenders swap blows at the Georgia Dome

ATLANTA -- UF quarterback Tim Tebow made quick work of Alabama's defense to answer the Crimson Tide's field goal, but Alabama running back Mark Ingram answered with a 69-yard play to set up Alabama's second touchdown of the first half. Ingram scored one play later from three yards.

Alabama leads Florida 19-10 with 3:32 left in the first half at Georgia Dome. Huge effort by Ingram after Tebow led the Gators on UF's first touchdown drive of the game. Tebow had back to back carries of 24 and 15 yards and then found receiver David Nelson for a 23-yard touchdown to cut Alabama's lead to 12-10 with 4:31 left in the half.

-jo-

Florida Gators safety Major Wright injured on long gain; Alabama regains momentum

ATLANTA -- Florida Gators safety Major Wright appeared to injure his right knee after making a tackle on Alabama receiver Marquis Maze with 9:34 left in the second quarter. Maze reached the Florida 29 after a missed tackle by UF cornerback Janoris Jenkins. The 34-yard gain set up Alabama's third score of the game, a 34-yard field goal by Tiffin to give Alabama a 12-3 lead.

Florida announced that Wright's injury is a "contusion." Wright is expected to return, according to UF. Sophomore Will Hill replaced Wright at free safety.

-jo-

Gators answer Alabama's strong start with a 48-yard field goal

ATLANTA -- It took them awhile, but the Gators finally got on the scoreboard with 28 seconds left in the first quarter when kicker Caleb Sturgis drilled a 48-yard field goal. Alabama leads Florida 9-3 with 13:26 left in the second quarter.

Florida has gained some much-needed momentum since Alabama's impressive start. The Gators forced Alabama to punt on the Crimson Tide's first offensive possession of the second quarter. Brandon Hicks made up for his defensive holding penalty with an excellent tackle of Mark Ingram on 3rd and 5.

-jo-

Florida Gators in shock; Crimson Tide rolling over Gators in first quarter

ATLANTA -- Alabama is dominating the Gators in the first quarter of the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide took a 9-0 lead on a touchdown run by Mark Ingram with 5:33 left in the quarter. Kicker Leigh Tiffin missed the extra point, pushed it right.

The missed extra point is all Alabama has done wrong in the game's first 10 minutes. Florida's offense has produced two yards and the Crimson Tide is playing well on offense. Excellent game so far by Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy and Alabama running back Mark Ingram.

A bizarre defensive holding penalty by UF linebacker Brandon Hicks hurt the Gators on Alabama's touchdown drive.

-jo-

Alabama fans outnumbering Gators fans in Georgia Dome

ATLANTA -- It's 20 minutes to kickoff here in the Georgia Dome. Alabama's Million Dollar Band is on the field. There seems to be more Alabama fans here than Florida fans. I'd say it's about 60-40 Alabama.

Alabama's crowd advantage is a function of the Southeastern Conferences ticket policy for the SEC championship game. The first SEC championship in 1992 was between Alabama and Florida at Birmingham's Legion Field. Naturally, more Alabama fans purchased tickets. Legion Field is only 45 minutes away from Tuscaloosa, Ala. Each year, the SEC allows the previous year's ticket holders to renew their tickets. Many Alabama fans have renewed their tickets every year since 1992.

-jo-

Florida Gators wearing white helmets; Proof Urban Meyer is superstitious

ATLANTA -- Want proof that UF coach Urban Meyer isn't above being one of those superstitious coaches? The Gators are wearing their white Nike helmets on Saturday for the SEC championship and not the traditional orange "Gators" helmets.

Florida wore the white helmets last week and defeated Florida State 37-10. The Gators' offense played so well, Meyer decided to stick with the new helmets.

-jo-

Gator Clause swaps questions with an Alabama beat writer ... and things get physical!

GAINESVILLE -- OK, things didn't physical, but I'm pretty sure there are a few Bammers out there today who would love nothing more than to tear my ears off. Oh, well. That's the price you pay when you work for The Miami Herald and someone asks you if people in South Florida still dislike Nick Saban. LINK! (No clue when my questions will be posted. Just keep checking, I guess.) 

Here are the five questions I posed to Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register. Gentry is Mobile's Alabama beat writer and does fine work, darn fine work. Full disclosure, Gentry and I went to the same high school in good ol' Irondale, Ala., but we didn't get to know each other until last season around this time. 

GATOR CLAUSE: Getting pressure on Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is the key to limiting Julio Jones. Little has change along Florida's defensive line since last season. (Suspended DE Carlos Dunlap has split time his entire career.) How does Alabama's offensive line this season compare to the one last year?

GENTRY ESTES: First off, last year's line was better. How could it not be with two NFL players on there and the Outland winner at left tackle? But Alabama assistant Joe Pendry deserves credit for taking a patchwork group of replacements and making a cohesive line good enough to produce a Heisman candidate running back. The Tide has played to this line's strengths. While last year's offense used more of direct running style, this year's line works more on the edges, pulling and trapping and using the fact that the current linemen -- while not as physical -- are a bit more athletic than the previous group.

Pass protection has been solid much of the season, but left tackle James Carpenter -- a JUCO transfer who committed to Iowa State out of high school -- is not Andre Smith over there. Auburn whipped him a time or two. And even without Dunlap, Florida certainly has the weapons to give him a hard time. Senior Mike Johnson is the best of the bunch at left guard, but he's been slowed recently by a few nagging injuries. This should definitely be a concern for Alabama, especially since the line struggled at Auburn. It's hard to see the Tide beating the Gators if that doesn't improve.

GATOR CLAUSE: Trent Richardson is a great back. Will Alabama lose anything if Mark Ingram is limited?

GENTRY ESTES: I don't think so. I've been saying all season that Ingram could win the Heisman and he might no be the most talented back on his own team. Richardson is a legitimate stud. He's fast enough to break one and strong enough to run through tackles. He has also improved over the course o the season in the little ares like pass protection. He's got fresher legs at this point in the season, and I think that was evident against Auburn. Florida will wind up seeing a lot of Richardson, whether Ingram is 100 percent or not.

GATOR CLAUSE: Will Nick Saban's head explode if he loses to Urban Meyer again?

GENTRY ESTES: Saban will explode if Alabama doesn't cover the opening kickoff properly, so that's guaranteed, win or lose. But there's no question that last year's SEC title game stung him and the team. It was different because, unlike the Utah game, Alabama couldn't really point to anything it did wrong to lose. The Tide did what it wanted to do in that game, which was force Tebow to beat them through the air. It's just that Tebow was good enough to do it anyway. A lot has been made about Alabama's inability to finish in the fourth quarter, but I'm not buying that. I think that was coaching rhetoric to get guys motivated this year. Truth of the matter is Alabama was beaten last year by one o the college game's all-time great quarterbacks, who made plays when they needed to be made.

GATOR CLAUSE: Alabama safety Mark Barron is one of my favorite players in the SEC. Is there something about him I don't know about that would make me like him even more?

GENTRY ESTES: Barron is a big-time athlete, who played about every position someone can play in high school. If he gets a pick, he's a very dangerous return guy. What you may not know is that he is extremely soft-spoken and shy of the field. He gave very few interviews as a recruit, and prep coaches predicted that he wouldn't talk at all when he got to Alabama. To his credit, Barron has met with the media on multiple occasions in Tuscaloosa and done well with it.

GATOR CLAUSE: Rolando McClain will be the best defender in the Georgia Dome on Saturday. Who wins in the open field, McClain or Tebow?

GENTRY ESTES: We'll find out soon enough, I guess. I know Tebow's the real deal, but so is McClain. Hes the throwback linebacker that's tough as nails and loves contact. But what separates McClain from most is his intelligence. In my opinion, he's the MVP of Alabama's team and it's really not that close.

-jo-

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin takes a shot at Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer

GAINESVILLE -- Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has a man crush on Urban Meyer. Seriously, every time Kiffin gets the opportunity, he tries his hardest to get the attention of Meyer. Here's the latest example.

Kiffin analyzed the SEC championship game during a radio interview on Tuesday. Here's what he had to say:

"It will be a real interesting match-up," Kiffin said. "Florida has better players, and Alabama has better coaches, so well see." [ZING!]

Watching Kiffin pester Meyer is like watching a second-grade boy tug on the pigtails of the cutest girl in class. Kiffin loves him some Urban Meyer.

As for Kiffin's prediction of the SEC championship game: "It's kind of hard to call," he said. "There's a bunch of great players on both teams. Florida has so much speed. I think you'll see Alabama will out-scheme Florida, and Florida has given up 28 sacks this year when a bunch of guys come free. [ZING!] But the problem is Superman (Tebow) is back there. It comes down to can you tackle him."

Tennessee lost to both Florida and Alabama this season. UT is one of seven teams to hold that honor.

-jo-

Alabama players react to news of Carlos Dunlap's arrest

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators might not have much to say about the arrest of star defensive end Carlos Dunlap but guys up in Alabama sure are speaking out. Several Crimson Tide defenders commented about Dunlap's arrest on Tuesday.

Alabama senior defensive end Lorenzo Washington: "It's crazy. I know I was in the bed at 3:30 in the morning."

More from Washington: "We've been getting lectures from that that. We act right."

And even more from Washington: "I know it's going to hurt their defense, but they still have a lot of great playmakers on their defense. I know their coaches will do a good job of plugging people in."

Alabama running back Roy Upchurh: "I believe everybody was in their beds. The boss, he's not down with all of that."

-jo-

Florida Gators put the kibosh on questions

GAINESVILLE -- Crazy days in Hogtown. The University of Florida's sports information department made one player available for media interviews on Tuesday evening after star defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Tuesday morning.

Florida coach Urban Meyer called Dunlap's arrest a distraction and "stunning" on Tuesday after practice and said that Dunlap will not play on Saturday against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game. 

To limit the potential distraction for Florida's players, only fifth-year senior Ryan Stamper was made available for interviews on Tuesday and Stamper was only allowed to answer two questions before being whisked away by a UF media relations official.

Before Stamper's interview, the media relations official directed reporters to not ask Stamper questions about Carlos Dunlap. The Miami Herald explained to Stamper that "I know it's a sore subject but it's my job to ask the question: How big of a distraction is the arrest of Carlos Dunlap?" 

Before Stamper could speak, Florida's sports information director ended the interview and later informed reporters that no other players would be available. Don't expect any more player interviews this week leading up to Saturday's game. No.1 Florida (12-0) plays No.2 Alabama (12-0) a 4 p.m. at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

Question for readers: How big of a loss is Dunlap for the Gators? Tom Luginbill of ESPN said that losing Dunlap is "almost the equivalent of Alabama losing Rolando McClain. It's that big of a deal. That's going to alter the game a little bit for Florida."

Now, we can debate all day the importance of Dunlap to the Gators' defense. My opinion: Losing Dunlap hurts but I think UF will be just fine with defensive ends Jermaine Cunningham and Justin Trattou. Trattou will be filling in for Dunlap and Trattou is probably better than Dunlap at stopping the run. Florida still has plenty of depth at defensive end. Duke Lemmens is a talented player and William Green has been waiting for his shot all season. It should be noted that Green, a Hoover, Ala., native, chose Florida over Alabama.

-jo-

Carlos Dunlap's DUI likely means extra work for Justin Trattou, Duke Lemmens and William Green

GAINESVILLE -- Florida star defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested for DUI early Tuesday morning. This is not a good way to begin championship week.

After reading the police report, Dunlap [PICTURED] is lucky to be alive. He was arrested while passed out at a red light around 3:30 a.m. at the 200 block of SW 34th Street in Gainesville, according to police. Police had to put the car in park and turn off the ignition. Dunlap was clearly impaired, according to police, and failed field sobriety tests. Gainesville police spokesman Keith Kameg said that Dunlap had trouble remaining awake while initially being questioned by police.

University of Florida sports information director Steve McClain released a statement on Tuesday morning indicating that Florida coach Urban Meyer is "aware of the incident and currently gathering more information."

An update from Meyer isn't expected until after Tuesday's practice, which is currently scheduled to end around 6 p.m.

Dunlap, a junior, was booked into the Alachua County Jail at 5:52 a.m. and, according to jail records, was still in jail around 11:50 a.m. Before Tuesday, Dunlap was projected as a top 15 pick in the NFL Draft. He has recorded 35 tackles, seven sacks and six pass defenses in 12 games. Dunlap was the most outstanding defensive player of the 2008 BCS national championship.

If Dunlap is unable to play in Saturday's game, then defensive ends Justin Trattou, Duke Lemmens and William Green will fill the void. All three players are quality defenders.

So, should Dunlap be suspended for the SEC championship game? Should he be checked into the Betty Ford Clinic? Where the heck were Dunlap's teammates last night when somebody needed to take away the keys?

-jo-