Eric Corbett

My crew (conspicuously absent Mark P. who chose instead to participate in the local triathalon last week) headed out to Fayetteville once again for last week’s game. Their fans have become some of our favorites in the SEC, so even though Arkansas is having a tough year under first-year coach Bobby Petrino, we decided to make what is easily the longest trip in the SEC and head out to Arkansas. The Arkansas fans gave us rock-star status several years ago when we went to Fayetteville and though we ran into a little more resistance this time from a few rowdy Razorbacks, we still had a good time mixing it up with the locals on Dickson Street until the wee hours on Oct. 3.

The Gators jumped on Tennessee early and often last Saturday then cruised to a 30-6 win in front of 106,000 plus (at least at kickoff) in Neyland Stadium. The Gators were given a short field after a spectacular Brandon James kickoff return to start the game. Tim Tebow led the Gators down the field and then threw a way-too-easy jump pass to Aaron Hernandez to cap the touchdown drive. Gators over pumpkins, 7-0.

Tennessee fumbled on their third play from scrimmage and after a penalty and an ill-conceived wide receiver screen, the Gators faced third and 18. Doing his best impersonation of Brett Favre, Tebow completed a desperation pass to Kestahn Moore setting up a legitimate field goal try for Jonathan Phillips of 39 yards which he easily made — thanks I am sure in no small part to his very valuable experience gained late against Miami. Gators, 10-0.

The Gators enjoyed an early bye last weekend to prepare for the Volunteers of Tennessee and for the long grind of the conference schedule. After watching Tennessee play Alabama at Birmingham this weekend, I hope the Gators are up for the challenge.

Tennessee took a while to get going against UAB, and were even booed by the home fans as they went in to the locker room up 14-0 at the half. But in the second half, they easily pulled away and satisfied the fans with a 35-3 win. Somehow, I think the fans will be back behind their team this week as the hated Gators come into town.

Minutes after the game ended Sept. 6, my wife squealed “Even Hawaii scored 10 on us!” I think that pretty well sums it up. Our defense could do no wrong, so the Gators defeated Miami 26-3 at home in front of a record crowd in The Swamp.

The game was considerably closer than the score would indicate, though, for most of the game. It took three quarters to get the offense in gear, but fortunately the defense came to play and they were able to shut Miami down by limiting them to just 140 yards of total offense. I didn’t do any research per se, but I can’t immediately recall a more complete defensive ball game since the Ohio State game to cap the 2006 national championship season. In fact, the defense is drawing some comparisons to that 2006 squad, though I believe those comparisons are a bit premature.

The Gators took on Hawaii and for the second game in a row, the Warriors were sent paddling back with another good, old-fashioned SEC butt-whipping. The team we faced was nothing like the one last seen being so easily dispatched by Trey’s Dawgs in the Sugar Bowl.

Hawaii may have lost their coach and their quarterback, but they did not lose their swagger as they came calling with every intention of pulling off the upset. In fact, Hawaii reminded me a lot of tonight’s opponent — Miami — in their trash-talking ways, their propensity to hold their blocks just a few seconds beyond the whistle, and their premature celebrations after “big” plays.

It’s been a long eight months, but the college football season is finally upon us once again. Is it just me or does each off-season seem to last longer and longer and each season shorter and shorter?

I will say, though, that the Olympics helped me through the toughest period of the off-season by providing a much-needed and warmly welcomed diversion these past two weeks. But as with everything else in life, I can’t help but wear my orange-and blue-tinted glasses. If UF were its own country, our 34 Olympians and coaches would have earned a medal count of 14, which would have placed UF in 18th place, one medal behind Brazil and tied with Kenya.

The Gators ended the season on a sour note for the first time in Urban Meyer's tenure as a head coach, losing to Michigan 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. My hat is off to Michigan for playing their hearts out for the retiring Lloyd Carr. In the process, Michigan played unquestionably their best game of the season and delivered by far their most significant win of the season.

Michigan did it by dominating both lines of scrimmage the way the Big 10 Conference teams have always done it, but also by showing some surprising speed, especially in their wide receivers. We all knew that WR Mario Manningham was the real deal, but where did Adrian Arrington come from?

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.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about leftovers in my entire life. Not Thanksgiving leftovers mind you, but the leftovers from W.D.’s column from last week that I am about to spend the next 600 words or so carving up. Like you, I was absolutely floored when I read his pathetic little piece of writing last week, but knew it would only make it sweeter when he had to follow up Thanksgiving with his 4-year-old Seminole tradition of eating first turkey, then crow on the last weekend in November.

Let’s start with his comment about Meyer winning last year with Zook’s players and then not following it up with his own players this year. It is true we had a better year last year, but how could he tell the difference between Zook’s and Meyer’s players? At this point, Meyer has beaten FSU soundly with ANY players he has used. In addition, we are a top 10 team right now playing 75 percent freshmen and sophomores — kids all recruited by Meyer.

The Gators had a date with the Ole Ball Coach this weekend to wrap up their conference schedule for 2007. The fall weather is officially here, and the weather couldn’t have been any better for football Saturday afternoon in Columbia. The problem, however, was that we played at night. By the time toe met leather, the temperatures had dropped to the low 50s, and I had been sent scrambling to the trunk of my car to find a sweatshirt I forgot I owned and a towel for my dad to wrap around his legs at the game.

South Carolina provided the Gator fans with the usual seats you’d expect for any away game, but Section 906? Has anyone ever even heard of a Section 906 in a stadium? Turns out they were located up in the breeze of the south end zone. What a great way to break my dad in on his first UF road trip, or his first UF road trip with me, at least. Dad pointed out to me on the drive up to South Carolina that he also attended the only Gator game played in Athens in recent memory. Trey, do you remember that day? (Hint: 52)