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</TD> <TD class=datacell>Larry's 25-Club Play-BCS Title Game )</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The BCS title game is a tale of two teams but also two QBs. First to the QBs. The Gators suffered what looked to be a devastating 31-30 loss at home to Ole Miss (Florida missed an extra-point) on September 27. Devastating in terms of Florida's national title hopes and to Tebow's chances of joining Archie Griffin as just the Heisman's second repeat-winner. While Tebow had a season-high 319 yards passing in the Ole Miss game plus two rushing TDs, he had thrown for just six TDs and rushed for only 125 yards (2.6 YPC) over Florida's first four games. Tebow guaranteed after that loss that no team and in fact no player, would work harder the rest of the year than he and his Gator teammates. Tebow was a prophet. The Gators enter their second national championship game in three seasons on a nine-game winning streak (8-0 ATS), winning by the combined scores of 445-117. The most recent win in that nine-game streak came in Florida's 31-20 win over then-No. 1 Alabama in the SEC championship game. Tebow completed 14-of-22 passes for 216 yards with three TDs and no INTs, while adding 57 yards rushing on 17 carries. Tebow had 22 TD passes (just two INTs) plus added 10 rushing TDs in Florida's nine-game winning streak. As for Bradford, he capped a memorable regular season by completing 34-of-49 passes for 384 yards with two TDs and no INTs, as Oklahoma cruised to a 62-21 win over Missouri in the Big 12 championship game. Much has been made of Florida's nine-game winning streak since the Ole Miss loss, but how about Oklahoma's seven-game winning streak since the Texas loss? Bradford topped 300 yards in six of those seven games, throwing 25 TD passes against just one INT, plus added three rushing TDs. The Sooners averaged 59.9 PPG during those seven games, becoming the first team in CFB history to top 60 points in five straight games, over the team's final five games of that streak). The Sooners have scored 702 points (54.0 per), the first team in modern history to crack the 700-point plateau. Bradford had a terrific freshman year in 2007, throwing for 3,121 yards (69.5 percent completions) with 36 TDs and eight INTs. His 36 TD passes were a new NCAA freshman single-season record and his QB rating of 176.52 led the nation. His current QB rating of 186.3 again leads the nation and he's already easily surpassed last year's TD pass (48) and passing yards (4,464) totals, with his BCS title game showdown against Tebow and Florida still left to be played. Bradford has 11, 300-yard passing games this season, breaking the single-season school record set by Josh Heupel (eight) in 1999 and 13 in his career (two have been 400-plus games). His 48 TD passes for the year extends the school record he already owns, surpassing the 40 Jason White threw in his 2003 Heisman season. How dominant have Bradford's first two seasons really been? His two TD passes against Missouri extends his total to 84 through his sophomore season, which is the all-time record for any QB through his first two seasons (freshman and sophomore years). Who is second on that list? Try Rex Grossman, who had 55 TD passes in his first two years with the Gators. So does this come down to just Tebow vs Bradford? Not at all. Let's call the QB battle even (for the sake of argument) and let's give the Gators an edge with Percy Harvin (35 catches / 17.0 YPC / 7 TDs plus 538 yards rushing / 8.8 YPC / 9 TDs) at 90 percent for this game while DeMarco Murray (1,000 YR / 5.6 YPC / 14 TDs plus 31 catches) is listed as out. Also, it's hard to not argue in favor of Florida owning the besrt defense, as teh Gators have allowes about 80 YPG less this year than the Sooners, while allowing 12.8 PPG to Oklahoma's 24.5. However, here's why I really think this is a two-TD win for the Gators. Reason No. 1 is that the Big 12 South has been 'exposed' in this year's bowl season. Oklahoma St led Oregon 17-7 in the Holiday Bowl only to lose 42-31, allowing 565 yards. Texas Tech jumped out 14-0 (in the semi-home field environment of the Cotton Bowl) on Ole Miss, only to lose 47-34 (allowed 515 yards). Then there is Texas, which led the "BCs title-game whipping boys" frnm Ohio St 17-6 in the 4th quarter of Monday's Fiesta Bowl, only to almost lose. Texas watched helplessly as the Buckeyes (representing the Big 10, which concluded TY's bowl season 1-6!) drove 80 and 73 yards om consecutive possessions, to grab a 21-17 lead. While the terrific Colt McCoy saved the Longhorns' 'bacon' with a game-winning 11-play, 78-yard drive of his own, the fact is, the Big 12 South teams have looked anything but dominate this bowl season. Then there are the two head coaches. Urban Meyer's legend began at Bowling Green, going 17-6 in 2001-02, including 5-0 vs schools from BCS conferences. He then when to Utah for the next two seasons, winning 22 of 24 games, including leading the Utes to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pitt in 2004, as Utah became the first non-BCS school to play in a BCS Bowl. He's 43-9 at Florida since 2005 and on the verge of his 2nd national championship on Thursday (beat Ohio St 41-14 in 2006, as 7.5-point underdogs!). Oklahoma's Bob Stoops became known as "Big Game Bob" for winning a national title at Oklahoma in his second year (2000) and owning a terrific record against top-10 teams in his first few seasons. However, things began to unravel for that "Big Game Bob" label with a 35-7 loss to Kansas St in the 2003 Big 12 championship game (Sooners were favored by two-TDs) and a subsequent loss to LSU in that year's BCS title game (lost 21-14 as a seven-point favorite). Oklahoma lost the following year in the BCS title game to USC (55-19) and the last two seasons, has lost Fiesta Bowl games to Boise St (you all remember that one!) and West Va, each time as seven-point favorites! Let's not forget that Oklahoma led Texas 28-20 in the 3rd quarter back on October 11, before McCoy led the Longhorns on four straight second-half scoring drives (three TDs and one FG) and to a 45-35 win. Oklahoma won seven straight after that but after this bowl season, is anyone impressed with closing wins over Texas Tech, Okla St and Missouri? Case closed!
25-Club on Florida
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