One dynasty crumbles, another being rebuilt

Thank you, college football. While your bowl system may be as flawed as can be, at least you remain consistent. The be all, end all reason to love this game? Nobody stays on top forever.

College football is cyclical. No program continues to dominate. You build, you reach the pinnacle, you backslide and you attempt to do it all over again. Not everyone gets to the top of that hill, but those who do – they don’t stay there forever.

If you’re a Miami Hurricanes fan, this year’s SEC Championship was as good as it gets. You couldn’t have scripted it any better. Alabama came to play and took it to Florida all night long. As if the beat down wasn’t enough, Tim Tebow’s tears were the exclamation point.

The Heisman-winning quarterback was harassed all night, attempted to rally the troops with a chest-thumping speech and with an early fourth quarter shot at making a game of it, crapped the bed on the grandest of grand stages.

Tebow drove the Gators fifty-nine yards in under two minutes. A touchdown would’ve pulled Florida within twelve, but Tebow’s errant pass on 1st and goal from the six-yard line was picked off by Javier Arenas. Instead of floating it to the back of the end zone to a streaking Aaron Hernandez, #15 lasered it to the defensive back, further proving the glorified fullback doesn’t have a NFL caliber arm.

The Crimson Tide, in run-out-the-clock mode quickly went three-and-out. Tebow went fifty-six yards on eight plays, but when faced with a 4th-and-3, fired the ball behind David Nelson. Turnover on downs. Ballgame. Cue the tears.

There’s a reason you don’t see too many back-to-back champions in college football. It’s hard.

The last legit run came in the mid-nineties when Nebraska brought home the 1994 and 1995 titles. Miami was snubbed of a shot in 2000, won it all in 2001 and was a bogus penalty flag away in 2002 from being the first team in the BCS era to accomplish the feat.

USC brought home the 2003 AP title, but LSU earned the BCS crown. A year later, the Trojans won the BCS and in 2005 went for their repeat (“Threepeat” according the media), but fell to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

Florida won it all in 2006, the final year of the Chris Leak era and Tebow’s freshman season. The following season, Tebow went 9-4 in his first year as a starter, winning the Heisman as a sophomore thanks to some gaudy numbers. He followed it up with a national championship and impressive run in 2008. So impressive, arrogant Gator fans were already booking tickets to Pasadena as soon as the clock his 0:00 in last year’s win over Oklahoma.

ESPN went on record in August, stating that Florida should just get the SEC East crown handed to them without playing a game. As for the Rose Bowl, fait accompli. The Gators were head and shoulders above the rest and were a shoo in to repeat as champs.

Thankfully Alabama had their chance to challenge all that hype.

The Gators were outworked, outhustled and exposed Saturday night in Atlanta. The one-dimensional offense all non-Gators were shredding, it was on display for the world to see. The lack of legitimate ground game did them in. Fullback dives and shovel passes to tight ends weren’t going to get the job done against a stout Bama defense.

As for Florida’s supposed top flight defense; steamrolled by Mark Ingram and the Tide. Bama amassed 251 total yards on the ground, with future Heisman winner Ingram racking up 113 on the ground, three touchdowns and hauling in two passes for seventy-six yards.

All that chatter from Florida fans that the Gators could absorb the losses of Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy? Maybe against Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International, Florida State and a slew of weaker SEC East opponents – but not against a legit foe like Alabama.

The arrogance of Florida was sucked out of the Georgia Dome the moment Tebow’s 4th and 3 pass fell incomplete. With just over seven minutes to play, the Gators felt like they were still in it had the lead been cut to 32-20. Sadly, Timmy Heisman let them down with back-to-back turnovers in the red zone.

Every time CBS cameras cut to a disgusted Gator in the crowd, the nation rejoiced. The wicked witch was finally dead. The Tebow and Urban Meyer love affair shoved down everyone’s throats these past two years, done. Instead, Mr. Heisman crying on the sidelines like a high school girl dumped the night before prom, while Meyer was tossing his headphones in disgust.

Florida’s top dog must’ve left his Gatorade at home, too as Meyer checked into Shands Hospital and was treated for dehydration hours after the loss.

Soak it up Gator haters. Shakespeare could’ve have scripted it any better. Somewhere Nero was fiddling away.

Credit to Tebow for his run, but perception became reality as Florida racked up 23 wins in a row. His 2009 numbers couldn’t hold a candle to his 2007 Heisman run. 2,413 passing yards this year in comparison to 3,286 two years ago. 18 passing touchdowns to 32. Tebow was sacked 13 times in ’09 and 25 times in ’09… yet was still the Heisman front runner before his SEC title game collapse.

The media loved to stroke Tebow off regarding his post-Ole Miss pledge as well as his title game halftime speech last season. The leadership. The intensity. The passion. He was labeled the second-coming. The best ever to play the position. Knute Rockne had nothing on this kid regarding motivational speeches.

The true test of character is how one reacts in difficult times. There’s an old quote, “The way a man plays a game shows some of his character. The way he loses shows all of it.”

Anyone can puff out their chest when rolling over lesser foes. Images of Tebow with garnet field paint streaming down his face last season were played ad nauseam in the 45-15 win at Florida State. The raised arms, the cries of “c’mon, c’mon” every time he barreled over a defender. The media ate it up as they were looking for the new face of college football in the post-Reggie Bush/Matt Leinart era.

For the first time in over a year, we finally saw Tebow backed into a corner and those true colors showed. After an attempt to rally his troops one last time early in the fourth quarter, the senior quarterback retreated to the sidelines in need of consolation. Instead of carrying his teammates, like he’s done countless times in victory, Tebow retreated, looking for a shoulder to cry on.

At game’s end, a few half-hearted handshakes, more tears and some cliche ‘coachspeak’ regarding being proud of Alabama and the Tide being the ‘better team’.

Florida’s current dynasty died in Atlanta this past weekend. Any Gator who wants to deny that, get your head out of the sand. John Brantley won’t replace Tebow the same way this year’s crop of wideouts didn’t replace Harvin and Murphy. Florida still lacks a power back and the spread offense is only as good as the guy behind center.

Word is that defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will finally get his head coaching opportunity after the bowl game. This on the heels of Florida losing offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to Mississippi State last year.

Wondy Pierre-Louis, gone. Carl Moore, gone. Riley Cooper, gone. Dorian Munroe, gone. Brandon James, gone. Dustin Doe, gone. Jermaine Cunningham, gone. Brandon Spikes, gone. David Nelson, gone. Most importantly, adios Tebow.

Any Gator who doesn’t buy it, look no further than mighty USC – the most dominant program this decade at 82-9 between ’02 and ’08. After dominating the Pac-10 for years on end and reaching seven straight BCS games, the Trojans were brought back down to earth with an 8-4 season.

Emerald Bowl-bound and still reeling from some conference smack downs — 47-20 at Oregon and 55-21 vs. Stanford — So Cal was brought back down to earth, feeling first-hand the cyclical nature of this game.

If it can happen to USC, it can happen to UF – proud owners of a 67-24 record over the same seven-year span.

This was Florida’s last shot at getting something done with this current squad and that window has now shut. A rebuilding year is on deck and based on expectations after two titles in three years, how patient will Florida faithful remain with Meyer? When you show your fans the promised land year two and four of your tenure, the natives will get restless.

As for the SEC, off its game this year but tougher in 2010. Tennessee, LSU, Georgia – all will get better while Florida backslides.

December 5th is an important date regarding Miami football. A changing of the guard, if you will. This year it marked the demise of Florida, though eleven years ago it was the day the Canes started their comeback.

After enduring half a decade of probation, Miami welcomed No. 2 UCLA to the Orange Bowl that first Saturday in December, back in 1998. The Canes were throttled 66-13 at Syracuse the week before and were given zero shot against the Bruins. Instead, a 49-45 upset that knocked UCLA from the national title game.

Miami finished the season 9-3 and opened 1999 with an upset of Ohio State in the kickoff classic. The Canes went on to lose to No. 2 Penn State, East Carolina, No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Virginia Tech, but proved that The U was just about “back”.

After a 9-3 campaign in 2009, Miami proved its on the right track. Randy Shannon and staff have been at it three years and continue to make progress. Another solid recruiting class is on deck, with over two dozen verbal commitments.

Florida will continue to recruit well, but the chemistry that fueled this current run is gone. Miami spent the past few years in repair, but is finally jelling and is a few key players away from making their run. Again, college football is cyclical. The Canes dominated the 80s and early 90s, reeling in four titles. The Gators made their run in the late 90s, earning their first championship.

Miami was hit with probation during Florida’s run, but responded with four straight BCS games, a national championship and a 34-game win streak between ’00 and ’03. A few years later, it was UF’s turn again, winning titles in ’06 and ’08. Many Gators penciled in a title in ’09, but it wasn’t to be. Come 2010, a level playing field again in the Sunshine State.

Welcome to the return of Miami and the beginning of Florida’s fall from grace.

The SEC title game loss… Tebow playing his way out of Heisman contention… more tears next Saturday night when Ingram brings home the hardware… and as soon as ESPN’s coverage of the Heisman ceremony ends, cut to Rakontur’s “30 for 30” documentary on “The U”.

A storm is brewing and the changing of the guard is about to take place, whether you want to accept it or not.

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