“To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation: I’m sorry. I’m extremely sorry. I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God bless.”
— Tim Tebow,
Sept. 27, 2008
TIM Tebow and I don’t draw many comparisons these days. About the only thing we have in common is our first name.
But in light of the worst effort in our five-year history here at The Post, we figured it’d be a good idea to dust off the famous Tebow “Promise,” and give it a shot. It worked for him, right?
For those of you who need a refresher, “The Promise” was an emotional, bordering on sappy, press-conference pledge he penned after Florida lost to Ole Miss, 31-30, last year, ruining the Gators’ bid for a perfect season.
Of course, the ensuing events are legendary now. Long story, short? It worked. Despite the setback, Tebow-fueled Florida rallied to win the SEC, and then the national title. And forever more, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner’s words are branded on a plaque outside of Florida Field.
We’re not looking for perfection. Heck, we’re not even looking for a plaque. But we figured taking a lighthearted, yet similar approach to our campaign, can only help. Because after last week, it can’t get much worse.
So, we’re sorry. We promise . . . oh, you get the idea. Let’s just start with the aforementioned Gators.
Florida’s two-game exhibition season — wins over Charleston Southern and Troy — is over, and what better way to truly begin the quest for perfection with a win over one of its most hated rivals?
Tennessee tripped up at home last week vs. UCLA, which hurts this line. It’s a ton of points. But beware of all that goes with those scores:
* The Volunteers threw for just 93 yards in the 19-15 loss to the Bruins. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was picked off three times. And that was at home.
* The Gators have covered 10 straight games, dating back to Oct. 4, 2008. The only two in that stretch they didn’t cover, they couldn’t cover because there was no line. In fact, the last non-cover? The loss to the Rebels that ignited “The Promise.”
* Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, after getting the job in Knoxville Dec. 1, 2008, said he was looking forward to “singing Rocky Top all night long” after defeating the Gators.
So, if you want all that, plus the points, by all means. We’ll take the home team. Florida (-29½) is the pick. Some guy named Tim made a promise. We’ll take his word on it.
TONIGHT
MIAMI (-5) over Georgia Tech: When a higher-ranked team (14) is getting points from a lower team (20) on a Thursday night, run far away.
TOMORROW
Boise State (-7½) over FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs’ near-win at Wisconsin helps us here, line-wise. The Badgers, one, aren’t that good. And two, Wisconsin was coping with a flu outbreak during the game. In other words, we’re not sold on the home team.
SATURDAY
CLEMSON (-6½) over Boston College: The Eagles are a misleading 2-0 and take a busload of inexperience down to South Carolina.
Cal (-14) over MINNESOTA: Speaking of misleading, the 2-0 Gophers scraped by Air Force and Syracuse. The Bears have a little more than both.
VIRGINIA TECH (-4½) over Nebraska: The 2-0 Cornhuskers have mastered the Sun Belt portion of the schedule. At 1-1 already, it’s tough to see the Hokies with two losses before October.
NOTRE DAME (-10½) over Michigan State: Both teams are coming off deflating losses. Both have underperformed. Yet the line is double digits? Trap City.
WASHINGTON (+19½) over Southern Cal: We weren’t sold on USC before the Ohio State game — we got that one, at least — and it did nothing to change that opinion.
BAYLOR (-10½) over UConn: Long way for the Huskies to go. Bears quarterback Robert Griffin should give them fits.
OREGON STATE (pick) over Cincinnati: Definitive line value due to Cincinnati’s hot start. But there’s a lot of travel involved, and the Beavers tend to make the most of their home crowds.
BYU (-7½) over Florida State: It’s a late home opener for the Cougars. A lot’s happened since they left town. The home fans have been waiting to see some of it up close.
SYRACUSE (+3) over Northwestern: The Orange have played nothing but Big Ten teams, and continue to hang around. Perhaps they get a “W” for their trouble.
AUBURN (-7) over West Virginia: “Pure” revenge for the suddenly electric Tigers, after losing in Morgantown last season.
ARKANSAS (-1) over Georgia: After losing to Oklahoma State, and almost losing to South Carolina, perhaps the word’s out on the Bulldogs. The Razorbacks have a national, primetime audience to impress.
TEXAS (-17½) over Texas Tech: “Pure” revenge, Part 2. How many times have the Longhorns seen the Graham Harrell-to-Michael Crabtree winner from last year on TV? Well, both of those guys are gone, and a Big 12 title awaits.
OFF THE GRID
Arizona (+5½) over IOWA: We believe in the Pac-10, and the Wildcats catch a Hawkeyes team fresh off an easy win over rival Iowa State.
KANSAS (-22) over Duke: A great basketball game. An ugly football game.
OKLAHOMA (-17) over Tulsa: Not often the Sooners land on “OTG” turf. Take advantage.
UNLV (-7) over Hawaii: Let me get this straight. The Warriors win at Washington State, and then spend time in Sin City? You taking that?
Records: Last week: 3-12 Overall; 0-3 Best Bets; 2-1 Off The Grid; Season: 12-18; 1-5; 3-3.