Florida coach Urban Meyer resigns; Stoops among the candidates: Urban Meyer said in a telephone interview late Saturday that the hospital trip prompted weeks of soul searching that ended on Christmas night, when he told his family he would be leaving his job at Florida. He said that his 18-year-old daughter, Nicki, hugged him and said, "I get my daddy back." Meyer led the Gators to two of the past three national titles and posted a career record of 95-18, including a 56-10 mark at Florida entering the Sugar Bowl. The news sent shockwaves through the sport and raised a fascinating question: Who will replace Meyer in what some consider the best job in college football? The two top candidates will be Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops and Mullen. Both are former Florida assistant coaches: Stoops was the defensive coordinator during Steve Spurrier’s tenure, and Mullen left after last season to take over at Mississippi State. (More at NY Times) UPDATE: Oklahoma fans can rest a little bit easier after Florida coach Urban Meyer was offered and accepted an indefinite leave of absence to reclaim his old job. (ESPN.com)
CBSSports.com announces preseason All-America Team: CBSSport.com announced their annual preseason first and second team All-Americans today with the glaring absence of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. Florida's Tim Tebow was named first-team All-American quarterback and Texas' QB Colt McCoy was named second-team All-American. The only Sooner named to first-team All-American was senior tight end Jermaine Gresham. Gerald McCoy was the lone Sooner named second-team All-American by CBSSports.com.
Preseason All-America Team - First Team
Offense Pos Player, School QB Tim Tebow, Florida RB Jahvid Best, California RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State OT Ciron Black, LSU OG Mike Johnson, Alabama OG Jeff Byers, Southern California C Kris O'Dowd, Southern California
Defense DE Jerry Hughes, TCU DE George Selvie, South Florida DT Terrence Cody, Alabama DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska LB Brandon Spikes, Florida LB Sergio Kindle, Texas LB Rolando McClain, Alabama CB Syd'Quan, California CB Joe Haden, Florida S Eric Berry, Tennessee S Taylor Mays, Southern California
Special Teams P Derek Epperson, Baylor K Kai Forbath, UCLA KR Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State PR Brandon James, Florida
Florida ranked No. 1 in AP preseason poll: As Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators prepare to make a run at their third national title in the last four seasons, the defending champions have already made some history. Florida is No. 1 in The Associated Press' preseason Top 25 released Saturday, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Southern California and Alabama. But the Gators are in a class by themselves, the most overwhelming preseason No. 1 in the history of the media poll. Florida received 58 of the 60 first-place votes, or 96.7 percent. Texas got the other first-place votes. (AP/Yahoo! Sports)
AP Top 25 (1st place votes) total points 1. Florida (58) 1498 2. Texas (2) 1424 3. Oklahoma 1370 4. USC 1313 5. Alabama 1156 6. Ohio State 1113 7. Virginia Tech 1054 8. Mississippi 1047 9. Oklahoma State 989 9. Penn State 989 20. Brigham Young 267 24. Nebraska 207 25. Kansas 134
Florida Gator LB Spikes claims OU is a dirty team: Seven months after the national title game, LB Brandon Spikes is still thinking about Oklahoma. When asked about the dirtiest players on the team, Spikes segued straight to Florida's opponent in last season’s Bowl Championship Series national title game. "Compared to Oklahoma, you won't find anyone (as dirty)," Spikes said. With Florida's expectations as a national title favorite, the Gators and Sooners could meet in Pasadena for a second straight title game. "That's going to be fun if we play them," DE Carlos Dunlap said. (Orlando Sentinel)
Coker visits Sooners practice: Former Miami coach Larry Coker, now head coach at Texas-San Antonio, attended Monday’s practice. "I'm trying to learn some football from the best," said Coker, a native of Okemah who was the offensive coordinator at OU in the early 1990s. (The Oklahoman)
Way steps up at practice: Tress Way Oklahoma's competition at punter, if there ever was one, appears to be over. Tress Way, a redshirt freshman from Union, put on a kicking exhibition during an hour-long open session of practice at the OU rugby fields. Way has been competing with junior college transfer Cameron Kenney, who also plays wide receiver. Way's time spent working solely at punter and placekicker may have allowed him to pull away from Kenney. With a slight breeze at their backs and some 700 fans watching from just beyond the sideline, Way averaged 49 yards on his first seven punts, while Kenney averaged 43. (Tulsa World)
Obama congratulations Florida; still pushing for a playoff: Obama, asked what he thought about Florida's 24-14 victory Thursday night over Oklahoma in the BCS championship game, congratulated the Gators and said he'd sent a message to a friend whose son plays for the team.At the same time, he said, "If I'm Utah, or if I'm USC or if I'm Texas, I might still have some quibbles."Obama said, "That's why we need a playoff." (Associated Press)
Gators take BCS Crown: On college football's grandest stage Thursday night, Tebow put an exclamation on his original subtle point by outdueling Bradford in the Gators' 24-14 victory, their second national championship of his three-year career. He was named the game's most outstanding player."This is an unbelievable night," Tebow said. (New York Times)
Stoops not a candidate in Denver: Bob Stoops can coach the Bowl Championship Series title game tonight in peace. The Oklahoma coach was telling the truth this week when he said he's not a candidate for the Broncos' head coaching position. An NFL source with knowledge of the Broncos' search confirmed Wednesday night Stoops is not under consideration. (Denver Post) via ProFootballTalk.com
Davis at 100 percent: Sooner defensive end Alan Davis said he feels 100 percent and is ready to go Thursday. Davis suffered a knee sprain at Texas A&M and missed OU's last three games. "I feel good," Davis said. "Knee's not sore or anything. Just a matter of getting back my conditioning, getting back to game speed." (The Oklahoman)
Charlie Strong's (Florida) unit has been stellar at times this year and I expect a big game from their go-to guys up front... Florida 28, Oklahoma 20
Mike Rose, Campus Confidential:
The Sooners haven't played a defense like they'll see come Thursday night. Tim Tebow is great player, and he's the most valuable player on the field. Florida's defense will step up and Tebow will again lead the Gators to a big win... Florida 31, Oklahoma 23
OU's six opponents are ranked #3, #7, #11, #12, #13, #21. FL's three opponents are ranked #4, #15 and #25. Not only has OU been tested more often against stronger competition, but they have fared better... Oklahoma 38, Florida 35
Ask the Tennessee fans how Tim Tebow responds in a big game. Ask the Georgia fans, LSU, Florida State and Miami fans, too. Tebow's Gators beat those opponents, 201-55. Don't forget about the 31-20 comeback against Alabama. Forget the stats for this game, because Tebow will use the Heisman snub to lead the Gators to victory... Florida 41, Oklahoma 27
Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post
It really comes down to a belief that the best teams Oklahoma has beaten are better than the best teams Florida has beaten. Neither defense will consistently stop the opponent's offense. Oklahoma 37, Florida 31
Nothing stops me from telling you who will win. And it won't be "Wow" as much as "Whoa" when Oklahoma ignores regular-season stats to find those key stops and critical takeaways.... Oklahoma 42, Florida 21.
Expect a repeat of what Ohio State did against Colt McCoy in the Fiesta, up until the game-deciding play, by letting Bradford make his throws before blasting the receivers to force several third-down chances. Florida will find a decent enough balance offensively, and will dominate on special teams, to make it three in a row for the SEC... Florida 38, Oklahoma 27
Obama on BCS teams, CFB playoff: "I think Utah has a pretty good claim. They're undefeated," he said. "I think USC, which had a great Rose Bowl, beat Penn State pretty badly. They've got a pretty good claim to being number one. Florida and Oklahoma, I think, both have a claim. Texas, at this point, has got to feel like, 'Well, we did OK, too.' I think--I think a football playoff system makes sense. I've spoken about this quite a bit, and I think if you look at knowledgeable sports fans, they agree with me." Obama's Prediction: Florida over Oklahoma
Stoops calls for extra help: Florida figures to have a crowd edge tonight, but Stoops is ready to recruit any neutral ticket-holders to his side. "There's a whole lot of 'Cane fans (Miami U.), and I'm calling on all the Hurricane and Seminole (Florida State) fans that are down here to root for us," Stoops said. "That won't be hard, I don't think." Said Lewis, "Whatever people we've got screaming for OU, they're a fan of mine." (The Oklahoman)
Governors' wager: University of Oklahoma football fans should be hoping Gov. Brad Henry will be getting a shipment of Florida oranges. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made a friendly, handshake wager on Wednesday to send Henry some Florida oranges if the Sooners defeat the University of Florida in tonight's college football national title game, said Henry's spokesman, Paul Sund. Henry agreed to send Crist some Oklahoma beef if the Gators win, Sund said. (The Oklahoman)
Nothing to Lewis absence: Brent Venables said All-Big 12 linebacker Travis Lewis "missed a little bit" of practice Sunday, but said there was nothing physically wrong. "Aw, he had an issue," Venables said. "No big deal." (Tulsa World)
Williams recovering from flu-like symptoms: Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said right tackle Trent Williams missed Monday's media day trip to Dolphin Stadium because of flu-like symptoms. Williams rested at the team hotel and Wilson said he'd play Thursday. (Tulsa World)
Linebacker Brandon Spikes says OU will face toughest defense yet: Brandon Spikes fired back at the Sooners on Monday as the bulletin-board material for both teams continued to pile up heading into Thursday's BCS National Championship. "If they can stop our offense, hey, my hat goes off to them," Spikes told reporters during media day. "But I really don't think they can. As long as we play well on defense, give the ball back to Tim and the rest of those guys, we should roll. "You keep hearing they've done this and scored all these points in the last five games. But I really feel like they haven't faced a defense like ours, and Big 12 defenses are a joke. It's always like a bunch of basketball scores when I watch SportsCenter. So we'll see." (The Oklahoman)
Tim Tebow responds to Dominique Franks' comment: Dominique Franks raised eyebrows Sunday when he said Tebow ranks behind Oklahoma teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, Texas' Colt McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. Tim Tebow first heard about the comments during a quarterbacks meeting. He chuckled at the time, then spent the better part of an hour doing the same Monday when asked repeatedly about the critique."Who knows? Maybe," Tebow said. "That might have been a compliment. We'll see." When the subject came up again, Tebow responded, "I'm thankful for being fourth. There's a lot of good quarterbacks in the Big 12." (FOXSports.com)
Coach Stoops offers praise for Tim Tebow: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops attempted Sunday to play down inflammatory comments made by Oklahoma cornerback Dominque Franks about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. "We know he's a great player," Stoops said. "We have great respect for him. There's not a lot of Heisman Trophy players running around. That speaks for himself. He's an exceptional guy and we know that." (ESPN.com)
Desmond Jackson out: The Sooners are without defensive back Desmond Jackson, a redshirt freshman from Seguin, Texas, whom coach Bob Stoops said "we left home for disciplinary reasons." (Tulsa World)
Oklahoma, Florida set to arrive in Miami: Oklahoma and Florida will arrive in South Florida on Friday afternoon to begin preparing for next week's BCS national title game at Dolphin Stadium, which was just beginning to peel off the team colors and logos of Cincinnati and Virginia Tech after Thursday night's Orange Bowl.Heisman winner Sam Bradford and the No. 1 Sooners will walk off their plane first, which is expected to land at Miami International Airport about 3 p.m. The Gators and Tim Tebow are expected a half our later in Fort Lauderdale.The Big 12 champion Sooners (12-1) will spend the week practicing in Miami Shores at Barry University. (Miami Herald)
Bob Stoops on his time as Defensive Coordinator at Florida:
"They're great memories and relationships. There's lots of great friendships. I learned a lot in handling situations. It makes a big difference in my career."
"I had great feelings and memories there. But I also felt great about Oklahoma. I love the path I was on there. We were building something there that was very specific and I wanted to continue it."
Urban Meyer on facing the best offense in the country:
"It's a lot of pressure on an offense when you face a team that scores a lot. This year, we've improved. When you force a team to punt the ball, it's not as much of a concern. Not one time this fall have we felt like we were over-matched. Last year was different."
Gators hope for home-field advantage: Bob Stoops has recruited South Florida heavily before, although his current team has only one player from the Sunshine State. Meanwhile, Florida has 13 players from the greater Miami area alone, and Meyer said the same number were part of high school state championship victories at Dolphin Stadium, where the BCS title will be decided this year. "I hope it's a home-field advantage," Meyer said. "I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a tremendous showing, but I know Oklahoma has a great tradition of traveling fans as well. In the back of our minds, even in the front of some of our minds, this was our target to get to Miami -- because it's our home state, because of recruiting, because of all of the above."(Sun-Sentinel)
Leach unhappy Harrell didn't receive Heisman invite: Texas Tech coach Mike Leach had this to say.. "If Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award," Leach said in a statement released by the school. "It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance. The other guys are deserving, but he has earned a place alongside them." (Dallas Morning News)
Oklahoma, Florida to play in National Championship in Miami: 1. Oklahoma .976 2. Florida .948 3. Texas .930 4. Alabama .844 5. USC .821 6. Utah .785 7. Texas Tech .784 8. Penn State .739 9. Boise State .698 10. Ohio State .635
Stoops lets Michigan know not playing Conference Championship hurts: Coach Bob Stoops on voting Florida number two in the Coaches poll over Michigan... From NewsOK.com
"It was simple for me," Stoops said. "I voted Florida two, Michigan three, for the reasons that I felt their strength of schedule -- which I have always believed should be a major factor -- I believe was more difficult. "And they played an extra game in the SEC Championship against another really good football team, on top of their schedule. I'd like to see everyone have to play a championship game. In the end, I thought the extra game is another proving ground and that along with their strength of schedule, I thought they deserved it."
Stoops featured on ABC 's Coach of the Year show: Stoops will be featured Saturday on the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Finalists Show, to be aired at 1 p.m. on ABC. Stoops is among 10 finalists who will be profiled. The other candidates: Mack Brown of Texas, Lloyd Carr of Michigan, Jeff Tedford of California, Jim Tressel of Ohio State, Tommy Tuberville of Auburn, Danny Hale of Bloomsburg, Bobby Petrino of Louisville, Greg Schiano of Rutgers and Mel Tjeerdsma of Northwest Missouri State. The winner will be featured on the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Presentation Show at 1 p.m Dec. 16. (NewsOK.com)
