A terrific Kansas-Missouri game on Saturday night provided a springboard into “Rivalry Week,” which features a number of intriguing matchups.

Before that tips off though, here are this week’s power rankings.

College Basketball Power Rankings

1. Kentucky (23-1, Previous Ranking: 1)

Freshman sensation Anthony Davis had a phenomenal week with 40 points (on 15-of-17 shooting from the field), 16 rebounds, and 15 blocks in wins over Tennessee and South Carolina, as the Wildcats won by a combined 59 points.

Kentucky’s schedule finally starts to get challenging this week as they host Florida on Tuesday and head to Vanderbilt on Saturday.

2. Ohio State (20-3, Previous Ranking: 2)

The Buckeyes got just seven points from players not named Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, or William Buford against Wisconsin, but that trio combined for 51 points and led OSU to a terrific road win at the Kohl Center.  Sullinger scored 24 points and grabbed 10 boards, including five on the offensive glass, to pace the Buckeyes, who are now alone in first place in the Big Ten.

They welcome Purdue and second-place Michigan State to Columbus this week.

3. Syracuse (23-1, Previous Ranking: 3)

So maybe Fab Melo was more important to this team than everyone realized.  After a loss and two other close games, Melo returned from his academic issues to score 14 points in a 25-point route of St. John’s.

The Orange face Georgetown and UConn at home this week, and the matchup with the Hoyas will be their first game against a ranked team in over a month.

4. Missouri (21-2, Previous Ranking: 6)

With the Tigers down eight points with just over two minutes left against Kansas, senior guard Marcus Denmon put the team on his back.  He scored nine of his 29 points during an 11-0 run to finish the game, which gave Mizzou the three-point victory.  Earlier in the week, Michael Dixon hit the game-winner with 30 seconds left to win at Texas.

The Tigers are now in a three-way tie for first place in the Big 12, and Monday they head to Oklahoma before a home date with Baylor next Saturday.

5. North Carolina (20-3, Previous Ranking: 4)

The Heels picked up a pair of road wins this week, although they trailed for a while against Maryland.  Tyler Zeller continued his solid play with 40 points and 25 rebounds in the two victories, while Kendall Marshall dished out 16 assists against the Terps.

UNC has a pair of huge home games this week with arch rival Duke visiting the Dean Dome on Wednesday and Virginia coming to town on Saturday.

6. Baylor (21-2, Previous Ranking: 7)

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Bears picked up road wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma State by a total of just seven points.  Perry Jones III had 31 points and 16 rebounds during the week, while Pierre Jackson tallied 30 points.

This week Baylor gets a chance to avenge both of their losses when they host Kansas on Wednesday before traveling to Missouri on Saturday.

7. Kansas (18-5, Previous Ranking: 5)

The Jayhawks were mere minutes away from picking up a huge road win against Missouri, and many will cite a pair of questionable charging calls down the stretch as one of the reasons their lead slipped away.  Thomas Robinson was phenomenal in the second half and finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds against the Tigers after posting 20 points and 17 boards earlier in the week against Oklahoma.

Kansas heads to Baylor on Wednesday before a winnable home game against Oklahoma State next weekend.

8. Michigan State (18-5, Previous Ranking: 9)

Sparty lost an ugly game against Illinois early in the week, and they also feared they had lost Draymond Green who suffered a knee injury in the second half.  Green returned Sunday against Michigan and posted 14 points, 16 boards, and four assists in a 10-point victory.

Michigan State is a game behind Ohio State in the Big Ten race, but they get their first shot at the Buckeyes in Columbus next weekend after they host Penn State on Wednesday.

9. Georgetown (18-4, Previous Ranking: 12)

The Hoyas won home games against Connecticut and South Florida by a combined 44 points to get back on track.  Henry Sims scored 13 points in each game and had a strong all-around game against USF with nine rebounds and five assists.

Georgetown hits the road for three of their next four games, starting in Syracuse on Wednesday.

10. Florida (19-4, Previous Ranking: 17)

Saturday’s home win over Vanderbilt was Florida’s seventh straight victory, and the Gators are finally looking like the team many people ranked in the Top 10 before the season.  Freshman Brad Beal continued his solid play with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and one massive dunk over the course of the week.

Tuesday’s road trip to Rupp Arena will be Florida’s biggest test of the season, while Saturday gives them a chance for revenge against Tennessee.

11. Duke (19-4, Previous Ranking: 8)

The Blue Devils won at Virginia Tech early in the week behind 18 points from Austin Rivers, but they were outplayed at home by Miami on Sunday when they lost in overtime after coming back from a large second half deficit.

Getting back on track won’t be easy with their next game coming on Wednesday at North Carolina.  Duke follows up that rivalry game by hosting Maryland next weekend.

12. Murray State (23-0, Previous Ranking: 14)

Isaiah Canaan went off for six threes and 32 points in a comeback win over Southeast Missouri State, and the Racers followed that up with a seven-point victory against Tennessee-Martin.

Home games against Austin Peay and Tennessee State await this week, but the big one for Murray State comes on February 18th when Saint Mary’s comes to town as part of the BracketBusters.

13. Creighton (21-3, Previous Ranking: 11)

The Bluejays saw their 11-game win streak snapped when Northern Iowa’s Anthony James hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win it for the Panthers. Earlier in the week, Creighton hung 102 points on Illinois State behind 25 from Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott.

They head to Evansville on Tuesday before hosting MVC co-leader Wichita State on Saturday, which should be an outstanding matchup.

14. San Diego State (20-3, Previous Ranking: 16)

Wins over Boise State and TCU have the Aztecs at 6-1 through the first half of the Mountain West season.  Guard Jamaal Franklin led the way in both games with a total of 40 points and 19 rebounds during the week.

San Diego State’s only game this week comes Saturday at UNLV with first place in the MWC on the line.

15. UNLV (21-4, Previous Ranking: 10)

The Rebels made just 3-of-14 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s loss at Wyoming, but they blew out Colorado State by 19 points earlier in the week.  Chace Stanback has been up and down of late, and that continued this week with 16 points against the Rams but just two versus the Cowboys.

Like SDSU, the Rebels have the week off before they welcome the Aztecs in a revenge game for first place in the league.

16. Florida State (16-6, Previous Ranking: 18)

Things keep on rolling for the Noles, who knocked off Georgia Tech and Virginia at home this week.  They have now won seven straight games and are tied atop the ACC with North Carolina.  Michael Snaer continued his strong play with five three-pointers and 21 points against the Jackets, while the team relied on a more balanced attack versus UVA.

This week, the Noles head to Boston College before hosting an improving Miami squad next weekend.

17. Michigan (17-7, Previous Ranking: 15)

The Wolverines have now alternated wins and losses over their last eight games after beating Indiana at home during the week before falling at Michigan State on Sunday.  Tim Hardaway Jr. went just 5-of-25 during the week, while senior Zack Novak stepped up with 27 points and six threes.

Michigan heads to Nebraska this week before welcoming Illinois to Ann Arbor on Sunday.

18. Marquette (19-5, Previous Ranking: 13)

Marquette ran into a buzzsaw when they lost to Notre Dame on Saturday, which snapped their seven-game winning streak.  It was an up and down week for Jae Crowder, who had 20 points and 12 boards against Seton Hall but managed just four against the Irish.

The Golden Eagles travel to DePaul on Monday for a winnable road game, and then Cincinnati comes to Milwaukee next weekend.

19. Wisconsin (18-6, Previous Ranking: 19)

After winning at Penn State and losing at home to Ohio State, there’s no change for the Badgers this week.  Wisconsin’s struggles from long range crept up again versus OSU, as they hit just 5-of-27 from deep.

With their six-game win streak snapped, the Badgers hit the road for four of their next five games, starting with this week’s trip to Minnesota.

20. Saint Mary’s (22-2, Previous Ranking: 22)

The Gaels extended their winning streak to 12 games by beating San Diego, but their biggest headline came when they were announced as Murray State’s opponent in the BracketBusters.  Rob Jones went off for 28 points against the Toreros, and Stephen Holt chipped in with 23 of his own.

Saint Mary’s has a challenging road date with Gonzaga on Thursday as part of Rivalry Week, which gives us yet another “mid-major” game to look forward to this week.

21. Mississippi State (18-5, Previous Ranking: 23)

In their only game of the week, the Bulldogs won by just three against Auburn.  Forwards Arnett Moultrie and Renardo Sidney led the way with a combined 38 points, while Dee Bost and Brian Bryant combined for 16 assists.

MSU needs to take care of business at home this week against Mississippi and Georgia before playing four of their final six games on the road.

22. Indiana (18-6, Previous Ranking: 20)

The Hoosiers dug themselves a 20-point hole early against Michigan as their road woes continued, but they bounced back to win by 17 points at Mackey Arena against arch rival Purdue.  Victor Oladipo and Remy Abell keyed the victory against the Boilers thanks to their aggressiveness, and they will look to build on those performances against Illinois this week.

IU plays five of their final seven games at home to close out the regular season.

23. Virginia (18-4, Previous Ranking: 21)

A late rally against Florida State came up just short on Saturday, but Mike Scott had another fantastic week for the Cavaliers.  He had a pair of double-doubles and finished with 39 points and 21 boards while hitting 14-of-19 from the field.  Still, Virginia has just one Top 50 win and that came back in November.

After hosting Wake on Wednesday, the Cavs will get a chance to pick up another one when they travel to North Carolina next weekend.

24. Notre Dame (15-8, Previous Ranking: N/A)

I’m not sure if there is a hotter team in the country right how, as the Irish have ripped off four straight wins, three of which have come against ranked opponents and all of which have come against tournament teams.

Without Tim Abromaitis, the Irish have been getting contributions from a number of different players.  Eric Atkins combined for 31 points in last week’s wins, while Pat Connaughton came through with 23 points and 11 boards versus Marquette on Sunday.

Notre Dame heads to West Virginia in search of their fourth Big East road win before hosting DePaul on Saturday.

25. Southern Mississippi (20-3, Previous Ranking: N/A)

The Golden Eagles are overrated as a Top 10 team in the RPI, but this is a solid basketball teamwithout a doubt.  They beat Memphis at home this week to break a lengthy losing streak against the Tigers and take sole possession of first place in Conference USA.  Kentucky transfer Darnell Dodson is playing really well right now, and Larry Eustachy has seven players averaging at least 7.0 points.

This week USM has a road trip to UAB followed by a home date against a solid Central Florida team.

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

Ohio State Buckeyes (6-6) v. Florida Gators (6-6)

• Arbitrary Sponsor: TaxSlayer.com (previously Progressive Insurance)
• Time: Monday 1:00pm EST January 2nd, 2012.
• Location: Jacksonville, FL
• TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
• Announcers: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Jeannine Edwards
• Jerseys: Ohio State visitor White on Gray, Florida home Blue on Blue
• Line: Florida -2
• Over/Under: 44

The last time the Buckeyes and the Gators played it was the 2007 BCS National Championship game. Urban Meyer’s Florida team put the smack down on the undefeated Buckeyes 41-14, where everybody who watched it saw the SEC speed was the difference, turning “SEC Speed” into a cliche. Heisman winner Troy Smith did not have to time throw or escape the Florida pass rush and Ohio State looked awfully slow on both sides of the ball.

Now we have Luke Fickell head coaching his final game for Ohio State as their fans salivate the approaching Urban Meyer era in Columbus. Fickell will be kept as an assistant, but Urban will not be on the sidelines for the bowl game.

After decades of three yards and a cloud dust, Buckeye fans are dreaming of a glimpse into the future on offense in Jacksonville. But it is seriously a coin flip if offensive coordinator Jim Bollman calls an aggressive game plan like they had against Michigan or if they attempt FOUR passes and run every other down like they did against Illinois, especially considering Urban is claiming he is focused on recruiting, not the Gator Bowl game plan. The fact that they are ineligible for a postseason next year leads me to believe they will go the aggressive, more entertaining route on offense.

Florida has made their living by taking their SEC speed and running a horribly slow and drawn out pro style offense under Charlie Weis this year. They did so well that they achieved a 102nd rank in yards (334.2) per game in the FBS (Ohio State is nipping at their heels at 107).

Weis was hired by Kansas as their new head coach so they will turn to running back coach Brian White to call plays. This may lead to a strong emphasis on the run and expectations are an unwatchable game that should actually be played on a worthless December bowl date. The thing that will save fans from this is Florida and Ohio State hate each other in athletics and the SEC versus B1G pride makes this an important postseason game for two rebuilding programs.

This is a good match-up because Florida and Ohio State are very similar teams in strengths and weaknesses. Despite the low stakes, it could still be one of those very entertaining bowl games that we like to see as college football fans. The athleticism is there even if the wild Xs and Os may not.

I expect a very close one with this year’s winner of the Gator Bowl making a big game changing play in one of the last possessions of the 4th quarter. Chances are it will be one of the defenses since both Fickell and Muschamp emphasize that side of the ball.

Prediction: Ohio State 33 | Florida 28

For instance, this week I learned Marquette coach Buzz Williams’ fashion sense is questionable at best.

I also learned that sometimes big games can actually live up to the hype (yeah, I’m talking to you Alabama and LSU).

And I learned that whenever there’s a game I’m really excited to watch, somehow Jimmy Dykes always ends up on the call trying to ruin it for me.

I also learned about some teams and conferences, which I’ll share in this week’s stock watch.

Stock Up

Baylor

In terms of raw talent and athleticism, very few teams can match the Bears.  The question marks coming into this season were point guard play and Scott Drew’s coaching.  So far, I think we have an answer to one of those.

Juco transfer Pierre Jackson has played pretty well at the point, and his 39.2 assist rate ranks in the Top 20 nationally.  Even the much-maligned A.J. Walton has a solid assist rate, but his turnover rate is an absurd 40.2.  That said, Jackson’s turnover rate is still fairly high as well, and that’s the one area where the Bears struggle offensively.  Their outside shooting has been solid, and they’ve done a nice job attacking the offensive glass and getting to the line.

On defense, the Bears’ dynamic front line is blocking a lot of shots, which they have parlayed into the country’s top two-point defense.  Freshman Quincy Miller has been terrific early on, averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting over 46 percent from beyond the arc.  Perry Jones sat out the first five games due to a suspension, but his return adds yet another talented frontcourt option for the Bears.

Baylor’s two biggest wins are over San Diego State and Northwestern, but they have additional non-conference tests remaining against BYU, Saint Mary’s, West Virginia, and Mississippi State.   Those should help answer the questions around Drew’s coaching, but if ever there was a time for Baylor to win the Big 12, it’s now.

Georgetown

The Hoyas have been one of the season’s biggest early surprises.  They gained confidence in Maui by giving Kansas all they could handle in the opener and later knocked off Memphis in overtime, but last week’s win at Alabama was their best performance of the season.  Hollis Thompson, who hit the game winner to beat Bama, has had the breakout season many expected with 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while hitting 20-of-34 (58.8%) from deep.

Senior Jason Clark has provided stability in the backcourt with terrific shooting and leadership, but the real surprise has been big man Henry Sims.  After scoring just 3.6 points per game last season,  Sims has come out of nowhere to put up 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks.

With many middle of the pack Big East teams struggling, the Hoyas are positioning themselves for a finish in the upper half of the league and should be 9-1 heading into late-December games against Memphis and Louisville.

Marquette

Since I’ve both written and podcasted about my love for the Golden Eagles this week, I’ll try to keep this brief.  They picked up a huge road win at Wisconsin last weekend and followed that up with a last-second win over Washington at Madison Square Garden.

The duo of Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder is as tough as they come, and the overall depth is the best of the Buzz Williams era.  That depth will be tested after big man Chris Otule injured his knee against the Huskies, but the team has received contributions from virtually everyone on the roster already this season.

While the calling card for this team will continue to be aggressiveness and toughness on both ends of the floor, there is plenty of talent as well.  Marquette looks like a Top Three team in the Big East and should be 12-0 when they take on Vanderbilt later this month.

Murray State

The Racers are the least-heralded of the remaining undefeated teams, and their biggest test awaits when they travel to Memphis on Sunday.  In their last game, Murray State beat Dayton by 17 points, a win that looks even better after the Flyers just knocked off Alabama.

Guard Isaiah Canaan is leading the offensive attack with 20.3 points per game and is hitting over 50.8 percent from three-point range.  Donte Poole and Ivan Aska are also scoring at least 12 points per game, and as a team, the Racers are shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Defensively, they’ve done a nice job of forcing turnovers, but their other numbers aren’t particularly impressive.  Still, they are clearly the class of the Ohio Valley, and we’ll get a much better idea of how good this team really is once we see how they play against the Tigers this weekend.

Wichita State

After a disappointing 1-2 trip to Puerto Rico, the Shockers have rebounded nicely with a 19-point home win over UNLV and a 10-point road victory against Tulsa.

Wichita State has six players scoring at least nine points per game, led by Toure’ Murry and Joe Ragland with 13.8 and 11.8 points, respectively.  Ragland went off against the Rebels, hitting 8-of-9 from three-point range, and juco All-American Carl Hall has stepped his game up with 47 points in the last three contests.

Throw in 7-footer Garrett Stutz and you have a solid nucleus for the Shockers, who have the potential to challenge Creighton for the Missouri Valley crown.  They should be 10-2 when they face off with the Bluejays on New Year’s Eve.

Stock Down

Alabama

The home loss to Georgetown is excusable, but the Tide trailing virtually the entire game against a Dayton team that had just been blown out by Buffalo is more than a little disconcerting.

Outside of the talented trio of JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell, and Trevor Releford, Alabama’s offense has been inconsistent at best.  Much of that has to do with a reliance on a quartet of freshmen who are going to experience the typical ups and downs, but if Alabama wants to go anywhere in March, they have to find a reliable outside shooter to bolster their dreadful 26.7 percent shooting from three-point range.

Anthony Grant’s teams have typically been known for their defense, but outside of a solid field goal percentage defense, their advanced metrics aren’t particularly impressive.  Next up for Alabama is a date with a Detroit squad who recently got big man Eli Holman back, followed by games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

Florida

I had questions about Florida’s guard-heavy attack coming into this season, and while there’s no shame in losing road games to Ohio State and Syracuse, the Gators haven’t done much to calm those fears.  Against Arizona, big man Patric Young was dominant inside, yet somehow guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton continued to jack up shots and finished 5-of-27 from the field and 2-of-15 from three-point range.

SI’s Andy Glockner also wrote an article this week detailing how unlikely it is that the Gators would be able to continue their early season shooting from outside, and Wednesday’s game against the Wildcats may well have signaled the start of that normalization.  With such a reliance on the three-point shot, Florida is rarely getting to the free throw line, and there are some reasons for concern on defense as well.

All that being said, the Gators are still a talented team who should finish toward the top of the SEC, but a shift in offensive philosophy and better shot selection could make this team even more dangerous as conference play approaches.

Gonzaga

The Zags failed their first road test of the season, losing by seven at Illinois last Saturday.  Point guard play was the team’s biggest question mark heading into the season, and Gonzaga posted 16 turnovers compared to just 10 assists against the Illini.

Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that they allowed Illinois big man Meyers Leonard to go off for 21 points while Robert Sacre was limited to just two rebounds before fouling out.  That simply can’t happen for a team so reliant on its experienced frontcourt.

Offensively, the Bulldogs have done a great job of getting to the free throw line, and freshman sniper Kevin Pangos has bolstered the team’s three-point shooting.  However, they have allowed their opponents to hit over 38 percent from beyond the arc and have struggled to clean the defensive glass.  With December games remaining against Michigan State, Arizona, and Xavier, the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Zags.

Pac-12

At some point it feels like piling on, but this conference is an absolute train wreck.  You can hardly go one day without someone getting suspended or transferring, and things on the floor aren’t much better.  To name just a few, Cal got destroyed by Missouri, Washington fell to struggling Nevada, Washington State lost to UC Riverside, Arizona state has been beaten by Pepperdine and DePaul, USC lost to Cal Poly, and Utah has yet to beat a Division One opponent and just got dumptrucked by Cal State Fullerton.

As a league, they have just seven wins against teams in the Top 100 of the Pomeroy Ratings, with the “best” win being Oregon State’s victory over a Texas team that might not even make the tournament.  Other than that though, things are looking good out west.

Purdue

I was worried when the Boilers struggled with High Point earlier this season, but they bounced back to beat Iona and Temple in Puerto Rico to ease those fears.  Then they forced 18 first half turnovers against Xavier and built a 19-point second half lead, but Tu Holloway led the Musketeers to an improbable come from behind victory.  On Wednesday, the Boilers struggled against Western Carolina before eventually winning by five, which has me worried once again.

On offense, Purdue is doing a terrific job of taking care of the basketball with an extremely low turnover rate.  Outside of that, they have been heavily reliant on three-pointers thanks to the shooting of Robbie Hummel and Ryne Smith.  Lewis Jackson has been solid at the point, but the team has yet to find an inside presence that even comes close to replacing JaJuan Johnson.

Uncharacteristically, Purdue’s biggest struggles have been on the defensive end.  They are allowing opponents to shoot 35 percent from beyond the arc, and their lack of proven frontcourt options has a lot to do with their propensity to allow offensive rebounds.  Purdue is also putting their opponents on the free throw line more often.  Even so, their final three non-conference games are winnable, so we’ll have to wait until Big Ten play to get a better feel for just how good the Boilers are.

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

Tebow causes hysteria among football traditionalists because of his unorthodox (read: bad) throwing mechanics and the Broncos’ need to create a simplified option offense for him to be successful.  Conversely, his uncanny leadership abilities and penchant for performing at his absolute best in the most important moments has convinced many that he will be a success simply through hard work, will power, and a positive attitude.

By virtue of his devout Christianity, Tebow inspires intense conversations about the role of faith in sports, and that is a dividing factor amongst many fans. Right or wrong, many people’s judgements of Tim Tebow the football player, are forged from their opinions of Tim Tebow the person.

Plus, let’s face it – there are legions of people who want to dislike Tebow simply for the success he had experienced and his seemingly perfect life.  And then there are people (me included, at times) who just like to go against the grain for the sake of staying off the bandwagons of the sports world.

Though we can argue for days about Tebow’s long-term prospects as an NFL quarterback and whether his overt displays of his faith should have a place in our sports experience, there is no doubt that Tebow is a very talented, very charismatic guy.  He seems like a truly nice person who does his best to lead the best personal life he can.  With that in mind, I decided to simultaneously poke a little fun and honor the character and football acumen of one Timothy Richard Tebow.

Here are the Top 10 Tebowest Moments of Tim Tebow:

10. Florida Pulls Tebow From Consideration for Playboy’s All-American Team

Prior to the 2008 season, Tebow had already won a national championship and a Heisman trophy.  Naturally, he was a part of almost every preseason awards list, and when Playboy magazine solicited the University of Florida to include Tebow on their own preseason All-American list, the school informed the infamous nude magazine that Tebow would not accept the honor and the corresponding function in Phoenix that all team nominees are invited to.

Florida didn’t even ask Tebow about whether he wanted on the ballot; they simply knew that his Christian beliefs were in conflict with an affiliation with Playboy.  He later said that he agreed with their choice.

That Florida was so certain that Tebow would not want his name associated with Playboy and that he wouldn’t attend the gathering in Phoenix is a testament to Tebow making his beliefs very clear.  I’m sure many other athletes who consider themselves Christians still attended the event, but Tebow remained steadfast and made the public realize that he was completely genuine about his faith.

I mean, what 21-year old dude is willing to pass up a chance to be invited to a Playboy function?

9. “Tebow Bill” Gains Traction in Multiple States

As a homeschooled high school student, Tebow ignited debate about whether homeschooled children should have the opportunities to participate in sports for their local public school teams.  In 1996, the state of Florida passed a law allowing this, provided players played for the team in the district in which they live.

Since 2007, when Tebow’s story of his own homeschooling (and his moving into an apartment with his mother in order to play for a different school than the one nearest his home) was broadcast to the masses on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” the states of Alabama and Kentucky have began similar legislation, in both cases nicknamed the “Tebow Bill.”

Tim Tebow even changes laws.  Not too many quarterbacks can say that (at least for positive law changes).

8. Tebow and the Broncos’ Futility vs. the Detroit Lions

It seems like quite a while ago that Tebow’s future as an NFL starting quarterback was being declared over by all the naysaying experts in the media. Given the magnitude of Tebow’s failures against the Lions this season, it’s understandable why those concerns were voiced.

Back on October 30, Tebow was sacked 7 times, threw and interception that was returned for a touchdown and fumbled for another Detroit defensive score in a 45-10 home loss to Detroit.  Completing just 18 of 39 passes, Tebow’s critics had a field day decrying his inability to lead a pro offense.  The day’s embarrassment was capped off by Detroit’s Stephen Tulloch “Tebowing” – more on that later – in celebration after one of the sacks.

That day encapsulated the conundrum that is Tim Tebow.

Just a week removed from a terrific comeback victory in his first start of the season (more on that later, too), Tebow had exhibited the attitude and leadership necessary to be a winner in the NFL, and had also proven that his unique dual-threat style can work.  Against Detroit though, it looked as if he was entirely incapable of playing in the NFL.

7. “Tebow Rule” – Messages on Players’ Eye Black Outlawed in NCAA Football  

Not that Tebow was the only to do this, but last year players wearing messages painted on their eye paint were told to discontinue the practice.  Tebow was the most notable to do this, often painting “John 3:16″ under his eyes, including during the 2009 national championship game, so the rule was nicknamed the “Tebow Rule,” despite the NCAA’s insistence that it was not enacted solely because of Tebow.

So far we’ve had a law changed and a NCAA uniform rule implemented, plus a stance against a major adult magazine.  I told you this Tebow fella inspires strong discourse on a variety of subjects off the football field.

6. Tebow Acknowledges the “Tebowing” Phenomenon via Twitter

When “planking” and “owling” ran their mercifully short courses as trends, “Tebowing” was next.  T

ebowing became an  internet sensation after Denver’s improbable, Tebow-led victory over Miami October 23.  The practice involves fans taking pictures kneeling in prayer a la Tebow at the end of games.

A few days into the craze, Tebow acknowledged the gestures on Twitter, including a picture of a young child who had undergone chemotherapy Tebowing.  Usually, the subjects of Internet trends don’t get too involved with them, but Tebow, being the sincere person he is, took it in stride and even made his detractors admit that his positive influence on people is something special.

Here is the picture and the tweet:

5. Tebow’s First Comeback Win in the NFL

The day after Christmas last year, the legend of Tim Tebow as a pro quarterback began in earnest.  Against the Houston Texans, the 3-11 Broncos trailed 17-0 at halftime.  Tebow’s first home start in the NFL wasn’t exactly going well.

But in a narrative that has become very familiar to NFL fans today, Tebow rallied his team, and Denver outscored Houston 24-6 in the second half, capped by Tebow’s 6-yard touchdown run with 3 minutes left to put the Broncos ahead.

4. Tebow Wins Despite Completing Only 2 Passes

Tebow’s Broncos (yes, by this point the team was Tebow’s, at least in spirit and attitude, whether John Elway wanted to admit it publicly or not) beat the Kansas City Chiefs November 13, despite Tebow throwing only 8 times and completing only 2.  One of those, though, was a 56-yard touchdown throw to Eric Decker, which would prove the difference in the 17-10 win.

I know the Chiefs are a pretty terrible team, but to allow a team to beat you when you know pretty much exactly what they are going to on every play is inconceivable.

Then again, when you’re dealing with Tim Tebow, a lot of things seem inconceivable, but they happen anyway.

3. Super Bowl Pro-Life Commercial Featuring Tebow

During Super Bowl XLIV, Tebow appeared in two ads for a group called Focus on the Family that featured himself and his mother and touched on the struggles Mrs. Tebow went through in carrying and delivering Tim.  The back story is that her doctor advised her to have an abortion while she was pregnant with Tim, and obviously she refused.

2. The Onslaught of 2011 Comeback Wins

Ok, so this isn’t really one moment, but it was hard to choose just one of these games.  In 2011, Tebow has rallied the 6-5 Broncos to within a game of the AFC West lead, and he has done it largely by executing late game comebacks to win games.  Sometimes slow starters, the Broncos, and Tebow specifically, have shown an uncanny ability to keep their hopes alive and make big plays when needed.

In contrast to the Detroit shellacking, Tebow has engineered 4th quarter comebacks against Miami, Oakland, the New York Jets, and San Diego.  None of the games featured especially spectacular stat lines (although he did run for 117 yards against Oakland), but they all resulted in wins for Denver.

1. Tebow’s Speech After Losing to Ole Miss in 2008

To me, this is the definitive Tim Tebow moment.

This captures his leadership qualities, his attitude, and his sheer desire to win.

A visibly shaken Tebow delivered this speech following the Gators’ loss to Ole Miss, and you can’t mistake his passion and will to make good on the promises he made.

Of course, we know what happened next; the Gators won their final 10 games and beat Oklahoma in the national championship game, giving Tebow his second national title and making him arguably the most decorated college football player ever (1 Heisman, 2 championships).  Even if you dislike Tebow, it’s tough to watch this video and not wish that players on your favorite team shared his passion for winning.

There are the top 10 “Tebowest” moments of Tim Tebow, at least according to me. But Tebow has plenty more than just 10, and I’m sure you all have others that are worthy of inclusion.

Use the comment section to post stories, pics, and videos, and let’s make this the Tebowest blog post ever about Tim Tebow.

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Follow me on Twitter @keithmullett

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Image credits: awfulannouncing.com, the majors.net, wnd.com, twitter.com/timtebow, 6magazineonline.com

I’m too old to stay up for the whole thing, but for those of you wishing to check it out, I can offer you two things: 1) a link to the complete schedule of the games and commentators and 2) my thoughts and predictions for each contest.

Washington State at #23 Gonzaga – 12:00 AM EST (ESPN)

The Zags had to come back from a second-half deficit to beat Eastern Washington in their opener.  Gonzaga’s big men were the difference with Robert Sacre and Elias Harris combining for 38 points and 18 rebounds, and both should give the Cougars fits inside.

Gonzaga still needs someone to emerge at the point (see 11 assists and 17 turnovers in the opener), while the backcourt duo of Reggie Moore and Faisal Aden forms the strength of Wazzu. Both players are a little banged up already, so it’s difficult to predict how effective they might be.  The Cougars are picked to finish toward the bottom of the Pac-12, and it’s going to take time for them to find their stride without Klay Thompson around to pace the offense.

• Gonzaga-Washington State Pick: Gonzaga

Northern Iowa at Saint Mary’s – 2:00 AM EST (ESPN)

Both teams come in 1-0, and Northern Iowa’s win at Old Dominion was an impressive way to get their season started.  In fact, the MVC had a few solid performances over the weekend, with Missouri State winning by 23 at Nevada and Evansville knocking off Butler in OT.  The Panthers hit nearly 40 percent from deep but got to the free throw line just seven times.

Meanwhile, the Gaels beat Fresno Pacific by 40, led by a career-high 25 from Rob Jones.  Eight players scored at least six points, and the team tallied 25 assists on 35 made field goals.  Jones will likely lead the team in scoring, but the player to watch is Matthew Dellavedova, one of the nation’s most underrated guards. 

• Northern Iowa-Saint Mary’s Pick: Saint Mary’s

Cal State Northridge at Hawaii – 4:00 AM EST (ESPN)

Cal State Northridge lost their opener to USC and is expected to finish toward the bottom of the Big West, while Hawaii is breaking in a number of new players but is a potential sleeper team in the WAC.  The Rainbow Warriors have a solid frontcourt tandem with Vander Joaquim and Josten Thomas, but guard Zane Johnson should lead them in scoring after averaging nearly 16 points last year and knocking down over 40 percent from deep. 

• Cal State Northride-Hawaii Pick: Hawaii

Drexel at Rider – 6:00 AM EST (ESPN)

The Dragons are one of the preseason favorites to win the Colonial, while Rider got blown out by Robert Morris in their opener before surprisingly testing Pitt in their second contest.  But when the game starts at 6:00 AM, you can throw out the records.

It’s hard to believe this will be Bruiser Flint’s 11th year at the helm for Drexel, and it’s easily one of his most talented teams.  Forward Samme Givens averaged a double-double last season and is a monster on the offensive glass despite his 6-foot-5 frame.  Look for Givens, guard Chris Fouch, and a tenacious Drexel defense to be the difference here.

It’s also worth noting that Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb will be calling this game.  Here’s hoping Katz makes it through the marathon in a bit better shape than he did a couple years ago, when it looked and sounded like he had been drug behind a truck for its duration. 

• Drexel-Rider Pick: Drexel

Morehead State at College of Charleston – 8:00 AM EST (ESPN)

No offense to this year’s squads, but this game is a year too late now that Kenneth Faried and Andrew Goudelock are gone.  Morehead State got blown out by NC State on Sunday, which means a quick turnaround for this early morning tilt.  Charleston beat Holy Cross by nine in their opener and placed four guys in double figures, led by 18 points from Antwaine Wiggins and a double-double from Trent Wiedeman.

One guy to watch here is freshman Adjehi Baru, who posted 11 points and eight boards in his debut, but 17 turnovers compared to nine assists is a potential red flag.  Perhaps most importantly this is a rare opportunity to inject some Stephen Bardo into your morning routine.  I’ll let you decide whether that is a good thing or not. 

• Morehead State-College of Charleston Pick: College of Charleston

Kent State at West Virginia – 10:00 AM EST (ESPN)

West Virginia held off a tough Oral Roberts team in their opener, but they were thoroughly outrebounded and had 21 turnovers in the process.  Kevin Jones got his senior year off to a good start with 20 points and eight boards, and the Mountaineers got some nice contributions from their freshmen with Aaron Brown, Gary Browne, and Jabarie Hinds combining for 28 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and six steals.

Kent State watched rival Akron knock off Mississippi State in the opening week but has yet to play a game of their own.  The Zips bring back four starters from a team that won 25 games last season, led by MAC Player of the Year Justin Greene.  They also boast the reigning Defensive POY and Sixth Man and add Juco All-American Chris Evans to the mix.  The Flashes have players who can pressure the ball and give West Virginia fits on the glass, which makes this my upset special.

Bill Raftery is calling this one, so it’s a great chance for some “early onions!”

• Kent State-West Virginia Pick: Kent State

Belmont at #9 Memphis – 12:00 PM EST (ESPN)

The Bruins nearly pulled off a road win at Duke, but in the process they showed why so many people (including yours truly) are high on them this year.  Their second road trip is a shorter one and gives them another shot to pick up a signature win.

This will be Memphis’ first game of the season, and it will be interesting to see the strides their heralded sophomore class made in the offseason as well as highly-touted freshman Adonis Thomas.  Among a number of matchups to watch here is a point guard showdown between Belmont’s Kerron Johnson and Memphis’ Joe Jackson and a battle inside featuring BU’s Mick Hedgepeth and Scott Saunders and Memphis soph Tarik Black.

Belmont clearly isn’t intimidated to play major programs away from home, and just to show I am firmly on the bandwagon, they’re upset number two.

In other good news, it’s way too early for Jimmy Dykes to pull out any kind of Jimmy’s Jet graphic while calling the game.  Thank God. 

• Belmont-Memphis Pick: Belmont

San Diego State at #12 Baylor – 2:00 PM EST (ESPN)

The Aztecs are in rebuilding mode after losing a ton from last year’s Top Five squad, but they are off to a 3-0 start.  They are led by guards Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin, who scored a career-high 31 points off the bench on Sunday.

Baylor is without top returnee Perry Jones as he serves a suspension for improper benefits, but freshman Quincy Miller has stepped up in his absence with 17 points in each of his first two games.  The Bears are absolutely loaded up front, while they are continuing to sort out their backcourt rotation before they get into the meat of their schedule.  Expect at least a couple highlight reel dunks from athletic forward Quincy Acy. 

• San Diego State-Baylor Pick: Baylor

Rhode Island at Texas – 4:00 PM EST (ESPN)

The Rams lost their opener in an overtime shootout with George Mason and are picked to finish in the lower half of the Atlantic 10.  Guard Jamal Wilson went off for 38 points in 41 minutes after scoring just 172 points over his first three seasons at URI, but what will he do for an encore?

The Longhorns blew out Boston in their first game, led by 28 points and eight assists from J’Covan Brown, one of the team’s only returning players.  A couple Texas freshmen to watch are point guard Myck Kabongo, who had seven dimes in his debut, and backcourt mate Julien Lewis, who poured in 18 points in the season-opening victory. 

• Rhode Island-Texas Pick: Texas

Florida International/George Mason at Virginia Tech – 6:00 PM EST (ESPNU)

GMU will be the likely opponent in this matchup and should provide a great test for the Hokies as part of the preseason NIT.  The Patriots have a terrific player in Ryan Pearson, who totaled 28 points and 12 boards in the opener, as well as guards Vertrail Vaughns and Sherrod Wright, both of whom scored 17 points.

Virginia Tech beat ETSU by 11 in their first game, although they played without top guard Errick Green, who sat out with an Achilles injury.  He said he hoped to miss only one game, and the Hokies will need him in this one.  Freshman Dorian Finney-Smith had an impressive debut for the VT with 10 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, so keep an eye on him.  Injuries have limited depth on a team that lost a lot from last season, and Va Tech shot poorly in the opener.  This should be one of the better games of the day.

• FIU/George Mason-Virginia Tech Pick: George Mason

#6 Duke vs. Michigan State – 7:00 PM EST (ESPN)

After facing North Carolina and Duke in their first two games, Michigan State might be looking for a new approach to scheduling.

It’s hard to know how many conclusions can be drawn from Sparty’s opener given the uniqueness of the venue, but I was certainly impressed with their effort on the glass, a staple of some of Tom Izzo’s best teams over the years.  While Draymond Green grabbed 18 rebounds, he also missed 13 shots and had five turnovers, so the Spartans need more from him offensively.  The same can be said of their backcourt tandem of Keith Appling and Brandon Wood, who combined for just 12 points and one assist.

Duke got quite a scare from Belmont before boatracing Presbyterian, which enabled Coach K to tie Bob Knight for the most all-time wins.  Through two games, the signs point toward Mason Plumlee becoming a reliable contributor, and freshman phenom Austin Rivers is already leading the team in scoring.  Seth Curry has been decent at the point, and Ryan Kelly has turned in a couple double-digit scoring efforts.  I’m still not sold on Duke from a defensive standpoint on the outside, but I’m also not sure Michigan State will be able to take full advantage of that.

I think the Spartans can keep it close with toughness and rebounding, but I just don’t see enough reliable scorers from them at this stage of the season. 

• Duke-Michigan State Pick: Duke

Albany/Brown at Syracuse – 7:00 PM EST (ESPN3)

In the interest of space, I’m going to breeze through some of these ESPN3 tilts.  The Orange played nine guys at least 16 minutes in the opener and should win handily over either opponent.  I’m interested to see if soph Dion Waiters can keep up his hot streak after pouring in 14 in the opener.

• Albany/Brown-Syracuse Pick: Syracuse

Rutgers at Miami (FL) – 7:00 PM EST (ESPN3)

I love the intensity of Rutgers coach Mike Rice, but they are relying heavily on younger players, particularly in the backcourt.  The Hurricanes are essentially the exact opposite with a number of talented guards but virtually no one inside thanks in large part to injury.  Consequently, I think Rutgers soph Gilvydas Biruta could give them some trouble inside, but the veteran backcourt of Miami should be the difference. 

• Rutgers-Miami Pick: Miami (FL)

LaSalle at Villanova – 7:00 PM EST (ESPN3)

After going off for 27 points in the opener, I want to see what guard Dominic Cheek does for an encore.  Look for another big game from big man Mouphtaou Yarou as Nova rolls.

• LaSalle-Villanova Pick: Villanova

#10 Florida at #3 Ohio State – 8:00 PM EST (ESPN2)

These two teams won by a combined 71 points in their openers, but there were a few things to take away from those blowouts.

Florida’s quartet of guards was as advertised, scoring 62 points (including 11 made three-pointers) with 12 assists and just one turnover.  Patric Young logged a double-double inside to complement their strong outside game, but he will obviously have his hands full with Jared Sullinger.

Sullinger picked up right where he left off with 19 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.  He made 10 free throws and even knocked down a three-pointer.  William Buford, Aaron Craft, and DeShaun Thomas were solid as expected, but Lenzelle Smith also played well.  He posted eight points, seven rebounds, and two steals in just 20 minutes, so I am interested to see if he can replicate that against tougher competition.

This should be one of the day’s most competitive games and your first chance to catch Dan Dakich on the mic this season. 

• Florida-Ohio State Pick: Ohio State

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Oklahoma State – 8:00 PM EST (ESPN3)

Let’s be honest, with the other games here you probably aren’t tuning in to this one.  But if you do, be sure to check out Oklahoma State’s LeBryan Nash, who scored 13 points in his debut and should be one of the nation’s top freshmen. 

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff-Oklahoma State Pick: Oklahoma State

#2 Kentucky vs. #13 Kansas – 9:00 PM EST (ESPN)

This will be the first chance to get a look at this year’s crop of Kentucky freshmen on national TV.

The Cats beat Marist by 50 in their first game, and first-year phenom Anthony Davis got his college career off to an impressive start with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks.  The other three UK freshmen all scored at least 14 points, and soph Doron Lamb dished out eight assists.  I didn’t even mention preseason SEC Player of the Year Terrence Jones, who along with Davis will be charged with defending Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, who posted a double-double in KU’s opener.

The Jayhawks assisted on 30 of 41 made baskets, and deft passing will be critical if Kansas wants to bridge the talent and depth gap between these teams.  I’ll also be watching the leadership of Tyshawn Taylor and whether Travis Releford can continue his emergence after spending his first few seasons on the bench.

Brace yourself for Dickie V in this one, although is anyone else surprised he isn’t calling the game in which Coach K can earn his record-breaking win? 

• Kentucky-Kansas Pick: Kentucky

Austin Peay at #24 California – 10:00 PM EST (ESPN2)

The Governors come in 0-1 after losing by nine to Middle Tennessee State.  The guy to watch for them is TyShwan Edmondson who went for 20 points in the opener and averaged over 17 points a year ago.

The Bears feature a terrific backcourt duo in Allen Crabbe and Jorge Gutierrez.  Through two games, Crabbe has 45 points and has drained 9-of-17 from deep.  He’s one of the nation’s best emerging scorers, and he may well battle it out with Gutierrez for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors.  Gutierrez is one of my favorite players to watch and does a little of everything for this team, as evidenced by his 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in the two Cal victories.  The combination of Crabbe and Gutierrez might be enough in this game, but the Bears really need other players to step up and be consistent contributors if they intend to challenge for the Pac-12 title.

Dave Flemming and Shawn Farnham will be calling their second game of the marathon after having called the Northern Iowa-Saint Mary’s tilt earlier in the day. 

• Austin Peay-California Pick: Cal

Colorado State/SMU at Stanford – 11:00 PM EST (ESPNU)

The Cardinal blew out Central Arkansas in their opener and should win handily over Fresno State on Monday.  Freshman Chasson Randle got his career off to a good start with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while fellow guard Aaron Bright hit four out of five from deep.  Stanford also has Josh Owens inside, which should be enough to get past either potential opponent.  If SMU can beat Colorado State though, Owens may have his hands full inside with Robert Nyakundi.

• Colorado State/SMU-Stanford Pick: Stanford

Enjoy the games everyone.  College hoops is officially back!

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

The Crimson Tide has a defense that could carry them all the way the national title game and they will be tested in this game by the Gators’ high-powered offense.  Florida’s defense is no slouch and they are going to have to stop the run if they want to pull off the upset.

Here is what to expect from this game.

WHEN ALABAMA IS ON OFFENSE

It is no secret what Alabama wants to do on offense and that is run the ball with their power running backs.  Running backs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy have been outstanding this year as the Tide are averaging 230 yards a game on the ground.

Freshman QB A.J. McCarron has been asked to manage games and he has done that by not throwing an interception since week 1.

WHEN FLORIDA IS ON OFFENSE

The Gators have big-play running backs that can take it to the house at any given time.  Running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey have been very explosive this season and will need to continue to make big plays if Florida wants to win.

Last week against Kentucky Jeff Demps had an 84 yard touchdown run and had 157 yards on only 10 carries.  Chris Rainey has been very consistent this season and is leading the SEC in rushing this season with 411 yards.

Quarterback John Brantley is your prototypical pocket passer and has done very well this season completing 64 percent of his passes for 752 yards.

WHEN ALABAMA IS ON DEFENSE

Alabama has the second ranked defense in college football and is only giving up a total of 184 yards-per-game.  Last week the Tide only gave up 226 yards to a very good Arkansas offense and held them to 17 yards rushing.

As a good as they have been at stopping the run, they have been equally effective at stopping the pass, holding teams to an average of 138.2 yards-per-game.

WHEN FLORIDA IS ON DEFENSE  

Florida has a solid a defense this year and has arguably the best defensive line in college football.  Florida’s defensive line has seven sacks in their last two games and Alabama’s offensive line is their biggest weakness this season.

ALABAMA KEY TO VICTORY

For Alabama to keep their national championship dreams alive they are going to have protect the quarterback and stop Florida’s pass rush from getting to A.J. McCarron in the passing game.

FLORIDA KEY TO VICTORY

Florida is going to have to get a big game from John Brantley because Alabama is going to be able to stop their big-play running backs.

PREDICTION

Florida’s offensive coordinator Charlie Weis is going to have his hands full when he goes up against Nick Saban’s defense.  I think this game will be close for awhile but Alabama’s defense will be able to create some turnovers, proving to be too much for the Florida offense.

I like Alabama to win this one 28-14 in a game where both offenses struggle at times.

Alabama-Florida Game Info:

• Alabama-Florida Date: Saturday, October 1st
• Alabama-Florida Kickoff Time: 8:00 ET
• Alabama-Florida TV: CBS
• Alabama-Florida Point Spread: Alabama -3.5

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* – Alabama v. Florida photo credit: The Crimson White

Update: Prediction posted.

Way back when, in the year 2000, Butler announced itself on the national scene by coming within one shot of sending 5th seeded Florida home early. Only a Mike Miller buzzer-beater kept the Gators alive.

Seven years later, in 2007, the superb back-to-back title winning Gators had to go through Butler on their way to a title. Florida beat those AJ Graves-led Bulldogs 65-57.

And now here are in 2011, with Butler and Florida meeting up again, this time with a Final Four spot on the line. Will the third time be a charm for the ‘Dawgs? Or will Florida continue its tournament stranglehold on Butler? Let’s discuss.

Elite 8: Butler-Florida Game Info

• Butler-Florida Date: Saturday, March 26th
• Butler-Florida Tip Time: 4:37 ET
• Butler-Florida TV: CBS
• Butler-Florida Announcers: Gus Johnson, Len Elmore, and Reggie Miller
• Butler-Florida Location: New Orleans Arena
• Butler-Florida Point Spread: Florida -3
• Butler-Florida Over-Under: 132

Butler-Florida Statistical Analysis

Via the ESPN.com Bracket Predictor, here is a breakdown of Butler-Florida via some relevant, predictive metrics:

A couple key statistical notes, plus a fun picture of Brad Stevens and Billy Donovan from their dorky college days:

• Butler’s 25.8% Opp Off Rebound % number is outstanding. Keeping the Gators off the glass will be key for the Bulldogs. Will Andrew Smith play? How effective will he be? Butler has got to protect the boards against the likes of Alex Tyus.
• Florida can be harassed into turnovers (15.8%), and obviously Butler can force turnovers; Wisconsin was averaged just over 7 per game and Butler forced them into 8 just in the first half! Kenny Boynton and Co need to protect the ball.
• Both offenses have been efficient throughout the year. If one is appreciably better or worse than it’s been during the season, it could tip the scales. Again, Andrew Smith is a huge factor here. Florida’s offense functioned much better last night against BYU when it played inside-out.

Butler-Florida Prediction

One our college basketball-obsessed writers will have a more complete analysis and prediction for this game later today or tomorrow morning (at the latest). Until then, we want to know what you think:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Jon Washburn, aka Twitch, wrote our Butler-Wisconsin preview before last night’s game. He predicted that Butler would win by 9, saying “it’s not that close.” And if Wisconsin hadn’t gone on their furious rally late to make the score look a lot closer than most of the game was, the score would have really not been close.

Below are his thoughts on Butler-Florida, sent to me via email:

My biggest thought on the games is this:  Beware of the flashy game.

This can work both ways.

For instance, when I wrote my Butler/Wisconsin preview, a Wisconsin fan commented that Wisconsin would win because their scoring was much more balanced than Butler’s.  He said, “Wisconsin can still put points on the board if Jordan Taylor isn’t scoring.  If Mack doesn’t score 30, Butler has no chance.”

Of course, this was almost laughable because if you’ve watched Butler at all the past two years, you know that Mack could be a great scorer, but he hardly ever scores thirty.  Balance is actually Butler’s biggest strength on offense because they can get points from Howard, Mack, and Vanzant, solid post play from Smith, hustle points from Marshall, and shooting from everyone else.

The fans and analysts were too focused on the previous game where Mack lit it up.  They assumed that was what Butler needed to win games, when it was really an aberration.

In the same tone, the Florida/BYU game was much more exciting to watch than the Butler/Wisconsin game.  While we watched the Florida game thinking thoughts like, “Wow, Chandler Parsons sucks.” and “BYU is not that good, Jimmer is playing terribly, and they STILL got the game to OT.” the analysts were picking Florida today because Tyus pulled down 19 boards in a game littered with missed three pointers.

• Butler-Florida Prediction: Butler 68, Florida 61.
• Butler-Florida Spread Pick: Butler +3
• Butler Florida Over-Under: Under

Update: Jon just amended his thoughts in another email. I decided to post it:

Ok really. Can someone please explain to me why Florida is so scary? They just beat a team that relies entirely on one player, a team that many experts picked to lose because they had done nothing since losing Brandon Davies, a team whose best player played terribly…IN OVERTIME? What is so impressive about this? Wouldn’t u say that beating the best team in the Big East and then out-executing one of the most well-coached teams in recent college history is infinitely more impressive?

Keep it coming talking heads…keep it coming.

I can’t wait for Butler to be double-digit underdogs against Kansas. I literally am excited to think about this.

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Usually, I love questions like this because it opens up the door for lots of argumentation and debate. Unfortunately, this one didn’t. Why? Because of my answer.

“It’s already been done. The 2006 and 2007 Florida Gators.”

Now, if you are a fan of UNC, Duke, Kansas, Connecticut, or any of the other recent NCAA Champions, don’t get offended. Every team that wins a championship is built for success in one way or the other. But the fact is, only one team has repeated as champion in the past 20 years, and it had nothing to do with lack of competition and everything to do with how perfectly constructed the Gators were as a team.

For most of this season, Purdue fans thought that our Boilermakers we constructed in a way that made a national title a real possibility. And we were, before…

Well before something unfortunate happened that robbed us all of a chance to see just how good this team could be.

In this post, I analyze Purdue’s 2010-11 team within the context of recent past champions to see just how much of a title contender they really were – and if it’s possible for a team that finished in such a disappointing way to actually be celebrated for overachieving, not underachieving.

Florida Gators: the “perfect” college basketball team

First, let’s provide the context. To do so, we will quickly analyze the roster of the ’06 and ’07 Florida Gators, and I challenge you to look at their roster with me and point out any holes they had when we are done.

Point Guard – Taurean Green

Junior; lock-down defender; intelligent player that knew how to get his big men the ball; great at penetrating and finding a man in the corner, or working the pick and roll with a big man; able to knock down the open three.

In case you thought Taurean Green was just lucky to be the driver of a Ferrari that season, why don’t you take a minute and find out who was the leading scorer of that 2007 Florida team. Surprised? Green could really play

Shooting Guard – Lee Humphrey

Senior; one of the best outside shooters in the nation. No really, he actually holds the all time record for three-pointers in the NCAA Tournament ahead of Bobby Hurley and Tony Delk…and it’s really not that close.

Small Forward – Corey Brewer

Junior; lock-down defender, and at 6’9”, he could guard inside and out; able to knock down the corner three; super-athlete that could get to the basket as well as anyone in the nation.

You can’t talk enough about this guy’s defense. In fact, many scouts in the NBA will tell you he’s one of the best defenders right now in the League.

Power Forward – Al Horford

Junior; OUTSTANDING offensive player in the post; able to score with his back to the basket or the face-up game; able to knock down jump shots from up to 18 feet; extremely underrated defensive player; very good rebounder; unselfish big man.
Horford is one of the best offensive post players in the NBA right now. This needs no further explanation.

Center – Joakim Noah

Junior; the best “defense and rebounding energy guy” I have ever seen play in college; surprisingly effective on offense because of his athleticism and soft hands; unselfish big man who didn’t care about touches; not only did the dirty work, but did it well.

Past that, he’s one of the top five ugliest dudes in the game today. Sure, go ahead and tell me that YOU would enjoy playing against him
.

Key Reserves – Chris Richard, Walter Hodge, Marreese Speights, Dan Werner

A little bit of everything in this package, but mainly depth at both guard positions and down low. Foul trouble would not impact this team too greatly. Hodge and Werner both play professionally in Europe and Richard and Speights have both played in the NBA.

So there you have it, a team that had a staggering NINE guys that play or have played some level of professional basketball. They could go big or small depending on the situation. They could score outside. They could score inside. They could keep you from scoring. They were balanced (the best stat for this team…not a single starter averaged more than 13.3 or less than 10.3 ppg. FIVE guys averaging ten points or more. Crazy) AND THEY WERE ALL JUNIORS AND SENIORS.

I defy you to name a more perfect college basketball team.

A quick look at the other championship teams of the decade reveals that you need AT LEAST three of those five starting roles filled to win it all. Four gives you an incredible shot at a title. Having all five just doesn’t happen.

For example, the 2009 UNC Tar Heels had Ty Lawson at PG, Wayne Ellington at SG, and Tyler Hansbrough down low. If you called Danny Green a homeless man’s Corey Brewer (a huge stretch by any calculation) they barely fill four of the spots. But they were a fantastic team, and definitely deserved the championship that season.

The 2004 UCONN team had even more holes. They had Emeka Okafor down low, (Josh Boone and Charlie Villanueva were technically on the bench, but they were babies that year), Ben Gordon outside, and Rashad Anderson, Denham Brown, and Taliek Brown rounding out the team. They still filled the outside scoring, inside scoring/rebounding/defense, and shooting roles, but they weren’t well-rounded at all.

All of that to say, you need to fill four holes, or three and a half holes and have a great coach to be a contender.

Were the 2010-11 Purdue Boilermakers really title contenders?

Here is a statement that may surprise you given the results of the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend: the 2011 Purdue Boilermakers had what it took to win it all.

But that one italicized word is the catch. They had what it took to win it all…

Before Robbie Hummell’s ACL betrayed him.

As I watched the Boilermakers this past weekend choke away what I thought was a chance at a Final Four, I became more and more angry. It wasn’t so much that they were getting outplayed (which they were…and that’s an understatement) as much as I felt like they didn’t even care.

My wife even said, “I thought this was the tournament. Isn’t their season done if they lose? It doesn’t look like they are trying.”

As a guy, you know what when the woman is noticing things like this, it’s bad.

I was enraged. They were throwing away a shot at a Final Four. They were throwing away their season. JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore were going to leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouths about their otherwise stellar careers in the Black and Gold.

But as I have let the emotions settle down the last 48 hours, I have been able to look at the team through a new light.

One thing has become clear to me: the 2011 Purdue Boilermakers were simply not as good as we thought; and Johnson, Moore, and Coach Matt Painter deserve more respect than anyone, including myself, has given them for what they did accomplish this season.

It’s hard to be a fan sometimes. When 99% of teams in every sport end their season with a loss, you have to find things to be positive about. No matter how much your team may have over-achieved (just ask Butler fans), losing still leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

But sometimes you have to understand that the other guy just has more talent. The only thing you can really ask of your team is to maximize their potential. Even if they do, chances are they will not be National Champions – as there is only one of those. But a team that maximizes its potential is still one worth celebrating.

That team is a True Champion.

So let’s really compare this Purdue team to that Florida team and see if they had what it took to go all the way.

JaJuan Johnson was their only post presence, and really, that’s a stretch. I think Johnson can be a very solid NBA player. He will be a stretch-power forward that can shoot it from outside and beat a lot of guys with his quickness. He was a fantastic player for the Boilermakers this year, and in my opinion he definitely deserved to win the Big Ten Player of the Year award.

He could score inside and out, and was a monster on the boards. However, he was never really meant to be a banger. He filled the whole tremendously, but he would have definitely benefited from playing alongside a true center.

All in all, he fills one of the aforementioned holes down low, but we still have four to go.

E’Twaun Moore is one of my favorite Boilermakers of all time. He played with this sort of super-cool, laid back intensity. I know right…a LAID BACK INTENSITY? But it’s true. And anyone who has watched Purdue for the past four years knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Moore was a streak shooter who could get hot and carry the team for ten minutes at a time. He was also an outstanding penetrator and could post up smaller guards when the situation presented itself.

In all, Moore was kind of a combination of the Humphrey/Brewer slot. Only three holes left.

This is where we look at the team and say, “Wow. That’s really all they had, wasn’t it?”

Ryne Smith was a good but not great shooter. He’s the type of guy that you say “OK…we can’t leave him wide open.” He’s NOT the type of guy that you take extra time out of your practice to prepare for. He doesn’t SCARE you.

Lewis Jackson was an outstanding but undersized defender. He could hit the open three, but again he didn’t scare you. Because of his size, his penetrating skills were diminished. He was intelligent and could get his guys the ball in good spots, but he wasn’t a game changer.

After that, it’s an even bigger drop off.

If you really wanted to force guys into slots and stretch the mess out of things, MAYBE Jackson and Smith could have given you a third slot. But let’s face it: Johnson and Moore weren’t Okafor and Ben Gordon. You are going to need more to beat Ohio State, or Kansas, or Duke, or even Butler.

Robbie Hummel was that “more.”

He gave them outside shooting. He was a fantastic passer. He enabled them to play big or small. He did the little things. He was, for all practical purposes, the glue that held the team together.

Further than that, he was the real leader of the team.

He was not – like one of the idiot announces said – “a Larry Bird-Type.” That’s an insult to the Hick from French Lick. But Hummel absolutely was a “Mike Dunleavy Jr. on Duke-type.” He may have even had a little bit of Adam Morrison in him (remember…the college Adam Morrison was outstanding).

With a healthy Robbie Hummel, Purdue was good enough to win a title. Without him, they simply weren’t.

Don’t blame JaJuan and E’Twaun. Don’t blame Coach Painter. They did a magnificent job all year of masquerading Purdue as a championship-quality team. They deserve all the credit in the world for bringing Purdue to within a whisker of the Big Ten Title.

But give me four good reasons why Purdue deserved to go 28-8 this year. Past Painter, Johnson, and Moore, there really are none.

A quick look at their schedule is almost startling:

• Seven easy wins and a loss to Richmond.
• Beat Virginia Tech at home in OVERTIME.
• Nine more wins over teams they should have beaten and then a loss at Minnesota.
• Loss at West Virginia.
• Beat Penn State and Michigan State at home (First good win of the season).
• Get absolutely blown out by Ohio State.
• Beat Minnesota a home, then lose at Wisconsin.
• Beat IU (never an easy task).
• Beat Illinois.
• Beat Wisconsin and Ohio State at home (Their best two wins of the season).
• Then close out the season on a down note with losses to Iowa, Michigan St., and then VCU.

What does that tell you? It tells you that Purdue beat nearly everyone they should have beaten. It tells you that Johnson and Moore led their team to fantastic home victories over a few quality opponents during their senior year.

It also tells you that they weren’t as good as we thought.

And honestly, I think both JaJuan and E’Twaun realized that, but it’s still disappointing that they lost the way they did.  It kills me that the team had no life or energy for a game that would have sent them to the Sweet Sixteen.  It was incredibly depressing to watch Purdue get burnt so badly on defense – the place where they make their living.  It was a terrible way to end the career of two of the most important Boilermakers of the past 25 years.  (If you don’t think coming to school and reviving a program that was in danger of going under post-Gene Keady was important, you don’t know basketball.)

But you know what, that’s ok.

For the entire 2010-2011 basketball season, I was able to tell people that I cheered for Purdue, and I was proud of it. They were the perfect team to admire. They worked hard on both ends of the floor and reached a level of success that was, quite frankly, a little beyond them.

You know what? They were, honestly, a lot more like Butler than anyone would ever think.

At the end of the day, I love cheering for an underdog. And that’s what the 2011 Boilermakers were. An underdog that was masquerading as a favorite.

Sure, maybe they disappointed a lot of people this past Sunday, but not me.

They are what I know them to be: True Champions.

Image credit: JORDAN KARTHOLL / Lafayette Journal & Courier via IndyStar.com

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Now the two have been brought together, and the result is sheer greatness (hat tip to Hot Clicks).

Most prominent laugh out loud moments for me: 1:30 mark and 2:09 mark.

Enjoy:

Already feeling the effects of a “respiratory condition” than many were speculating might be the H1N1 virus (aka swine flu), Tebow was knocked out of tonight’s Florida-Kentucky game and taken to the hospital with a possible concussion.

The hit occurred with 12:41 left in the game and he obviously did not return. Before being injured, Tebow threw for 103 yards and a TD, and he also ran for 123 yards plus two scores.

Here is the painful video of the hit by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham that knocked Tebow out:

Video: Tim Tebow Hit, Knocked Out of Kentucky Game

While being transported to the locker room after he finally got up, ESPN’s cameras also caught Tebow vomiting profusely into a bucket. Clearly the rumors of his illness were more than just rumors.

Here is what Florida head coach Urban Meyer had to say after the game regarding Tebow’s injury, according to ESPN.com:

“We’re going to find out more about Tim. We believe it is a concussion. He got hit pretty good, but that’s one tough cat. Our team will pray for him and he’ll be fine.”

The most current injury update on Tebow as of me posting this is exactly what Meyer said: that he probably has a concussion. We probably won’t know more until tomorrow.

I’ve never really considered myself to be a huge Tebow fan, mainly because he quarterbacks Florida (extraordinarily well) and I root for Tennessee, but he has grown on me over the past few years. The guy is fun to watch and has been one of the most dominating college football players of my lifetime.

Plus, there really isn’t anything bad you can say about the guy from a personal standpoint. He’s pretty remarkable.

So hopefully Tebow is okay and won’t have to miss any time. As college football fans we only have the rest of this season to marvel as his collegiate greatness…and it’s not like the Vols are winning the SEC East this year anyway, right?

Even if they were, I’d still say get well soon Tim. And if we’ve learned anything about Tebow over the past few years it’s that he’ll be out there on the field next Saturday if it is all possible.

Update 9/27: ESPN just reported that Urban Meyer stayed overnight with Tebow and that, while doctors are still cautious, Tebow’s condition did improve last night and he was seen laughing and feeling a little better later in the evening.

My take on that is that I think both Florida and Oklahoma would defeat Utah if they played — but why in the hell aren’t they? I also thought that Alabama would beat Utah, and we saw how that turned out. To have two one-loss teams playing in the BCS championship game to determine the “national champion”, while the only undefeated team in college football is left on the sidelines with no chance at a title, well it stinks.

And while I don’t begrudge any coach for stating the case for his team, I think Pete Carroll and Mack Brown should shut up about their own teams’ national championship arguments and get behind Utah. Both USC and Texas have lost; Utah has not. A much more compelling case for a playoff can be made by arguing the case of Utah. If coaches with the stature of Pete Carroll and Mack Brown got behind the Utes’ cause and helped to fan the flames of outrage, perhaps mountains could be moved a few more inches closer to a playoff.

Our friends over at Flash Sports Tonight do a nice job of ripping Pete Carroll and Mack Brown a new one in the newest FST Flash Report:

(And if for some reason the video isn’t displaying, head on over to Flash Sports Tonight and watch it there.)

Unfortunately, the plight of Utah is simply indicative of the greed and myopic thinking that defines college football. And until the conference commissioners and school presidents start thinking more with their heads and their hearts than with their wallets, it will always be that way.

Anyway, enough soapbox stuff. It is not the fault of Florida and Oklahoma that whichever team wins this game will have to deal with a certain amount of taint on their trophy. And it certainly does not mean that the two best teams in America are not, in fact, playing tonight. It is hard to argue with either Florida or Oklahoma as worthy national championship contenders. As we preview tonight’s game, I’ll be giving you lots of links to get you ready for tonight.

First, let’s get the particulars out of the way. Here is the pertinent time, place, lines, and announcer information you need to know:

BCS National Championship Game: Florida Gators v Oklahoma Sooners

• When: Today, January 8th, 2009
• Where: Miami, FL
• TV Schedule: 8:00 ET on FOX
• Announcer Pairing: Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis
• Point Spread: Florida Gators -5
• Over-Under: 69 1/2

(Point spreads and over-unders provided by the College Football Handicapping experts at DocSports.)

The next link comes from ESPN, where they have put together an informative “Tale of the Tape” comparison between Florida and Oklahoma:

BCS Championship Game Tale of the Tape – (ESPN)

SI.com has some nice stories previewing a few of the key positions for each team:

Florida finally has a good ground game – (Stewart Mandel)

Oklahoma’s O-Line is pretty damn good – (Andy Staples)

Brandon Spikes may want to stop talking trash about Big 12 defenses until after the game – (Stewart Mandel)

Well, it took me a little longer to get this post together than I’d anticipated and I’m about to be late for a work meeting. So I’ll give my prediction real quick before getting out of here.

I am rooting for Oklahoma to win tonight, but I think Florida will get it done. I think there is some truth to the notion that Big 12 defenses have not been that good, and when you combine that with the potential bowl game Heisman jinx for Sam Bradford and the motivation that Tim Tebow is carrying into this game, I think the Gators will get it done. It will be high scoring and I think it will be close. Other than the announcers, it should be a very enjoyable and entertaining game.

Florida 45 | Oklahoma 38

Who do you think will win it?