Look for a fired-up Michigan to turn up, but no matter

This might be the most conflicted I have ever been as a Smackdown writer - so much to say, yet so little room.

Do I talk about the upcoming game with Michigan? I have to. What about the Heisman that Tebow won? I have to talk about that as well. And what about that early Christmas present that Santa left me just this morning on the front page of Yahoo.com? That's right. I am talking about the academic scandal that is rocking FSU right now. Do I talk about that too? You betcha!

I'll talk first about Michigan. We are playing a team that lost to Appalachian State to open the season, followed it with a loss to Oregon, but then got pretty good the rest of the way only losing to a couple of respectable opponents (Wisconsin and Ohio State) late in the season. Still, they are a Big 10 team so I think they'll have trouble with our team's speed. Their players will be playing their last game for Lloyd Carr who is retiring though, so they could be fired up.

Won't matter. UF in a romp - 45 to 14. Side note: my good friend Jeremy (a Michigan law school grad) sent me the following text after the bowl was announced: "to be fair, your guys should have to wear ankle weights."

I can't wait.

Next topic: the Heisman. Tebow won the award that he so richly deserved in New York City on Dec. 8. In fact, that was just one of the post-season awards he took home. He also won The Associated Press Player of the Year; AP First Team All-American, Maxwell Award (College Football Player of the Year), Davey O'Brien Award (Nation's Outstanding Quarterback), and Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He also became the first member of the 20-20 club for scoring 22 touchdowns rushing and 29 touchdowns passing in one year. Not bad for a no-talent hack, right?

Seriously, the kid is just hard not to like. I have had so many people say to me that even though they hate the Gators, they love Timmy Touchdown. How about his acceptance speech? He thanked the Lord first, then every coach (past and present) that he had, every teammate, his parents, the university for the opportunity, and just about everyone else that had anything to do with his success. After the ceremony he was asked about his priorities and he answered that his priorities were (in order) faith, family, academics and football - wisdom that truly belies his age. He said he was going to next take over the role as campaign chairman for teammate Percy Harvin's bid to win a Heisman next year. Unbelievable.

I hear this morning that up to 25 Florida State players may miss the bowl game against Kentucky due to involvement in a cheating scandal. Has Saint Bobby just lost all control of that program?

Honestly, I don't blame the kids here, I blame the program (or what's left of it). If I were a teenage D-1 football player, I'd probably take any advantage offered me, too. Everyone grows up hearing about how athletes are ushered through college and I'd just assume that it was just the way it is. But the problem is the program. How could you possibly let tutors take tests for students?

Maybe I should withhold judgment, but by virtue of the suspensions it appears the school has already convicted these kids of cheating. With every faltering step that this program makes, the gap between our program, which is soaring, and theirs, which is in a veritable tailspin, becomes greater and greater. Happy Holidays, indeed.