College Football

As an avid football fan (and former high school player) I have to say that I am a bit disturbed by what is happening currently with the NCAA. For those of you who may have been living under a rock for some time now, the Pac 10 is on the verge of becoming the Pac 16, the big 10 has 12 teams, the big 12 has 10 teams, and their is chaos every where in between. Once the dust settles it will be easier to see what exactly happened, but in the mean time I can only speculate as to the problems that will arise after its all said and done.

Let me start by saying that I am all for teams moving around conferences under the right circumstances. To me the right circumstance in this situation would only be if the reason for the switch was to incorporate Boise State, TCU and Utah into big time conferences. Though it seems that those schools are going to be staying put through all of this, so in reality whats the point? I mean I could understand if Nebraska got paid to leave, to make room for Utah, or something along those lines, but that did not happen, they are moving for the sake of movement. Thats my first gripe and im sure many would agree that this does nothing to fix whats wrong with college football, and in some ways makes it worse.

Now assuming someone could explain to me why Boise, TCU, and Utah are not coming into bcs conferences what about the Texas schools? Texas and Texas Tech want to move to the pac 10, and Texas A&M wants to pitch their tent in the SEC? I mean do these conference names mean nothing? South Eastern Conference, if you can show me on a map that Texas is considered a south east state then I suppose we can talk, but barring any major shake up in world geography I think im right. Whats next, the University of Southern California is going to travel to the Big East? Its absurd!

Now putting my capitalist hat on for a second, I understand at the core why this is happening, and anyone who understands money should as well. Texas A&M can bring in a lot more money if its playing its games against opponents people actually care about. Aggies vs. the Gators is going to draw a lot more fans than Aggies vs. Wildcats. Considering that its just a capitalist ploy for more profits, it still makes me sick that a guy (or girl) student athlete can lose a year of eligibility if someone wants to buy them a free happy meal. A&M will make more money off its athletes than ever before, and most of them will still struggle for four years trying to feed themselves after the dining halls close.

There is certainly a lot to be debated here, so lets get those comments rolling and see whats what.

Tim Tebow has dominated college football both on and off the field like no other player in recent memory. Tebow was the recipient of the 2007 Heisman trophy, and collected two national championships during his tenure at the University of Florida. Those accomplishments are far greater than any award or championship I’ve ever dreamed of winning, but for some reason has yet to influence my opinion of Tim Tebow as a player. I consider Tebow one of the greatest leaders and human beings college football has ever seen, but as a player, I have never been sold on his talent.
Before you call me crazy or just another Tebow hater, give me a chance to elaborate. Tebow was good, but to consider him one of the greatest “players” of all time, I have a difficult time coping with that. To me Tebow’s success on the field was a direct correlation with the system he was in, surrounded by some of the best athletes in college football. His system at Florida, the players around him, and one halftime speech have given some Tebow fans a false indication of his talent. My thoughts were confirmed last week at the Senior Bowl as Tebow struggled with the simplicity of taking a hand off under center. It was also noted that many passes were wobbly, and that it was difficult for Tebow to through tight accurate passes. All three things he struggled with last week are key to a successful career in the NFL, at least at the quarterback position. Do I think Tebow will have a semi successful career in the NFL? Yes, but not quarterbacking any of the current 32 NFL franchises.
Tebow was great for the game, and had an extremely successful career in college football. That success however will not correlate to continued success at the next level. Great leader, great motivator, great teammate; no doubt about it! My argument has and always will be about Tim Tebow’s talent as a football player. Good player for sure, but the system at Florida along with his teammates have given Tebow supporters a false sense of greatness. For four years Tim Tebow has taken over the landscape of college football, being considered by many as the greatest player in college football history. I support what Tebow has done on and off the field during his career at Florida, but sympathize with the long journey he has ahead of him. He may shock all those who criticize his game including myself next season, however until he proves me wrong Tim Tebow will be nothing more than a “good” football player.