We Have Seen The Future, And It Is Bleak If The Great One Falls
It’s become clear that if Tim Tebow misses time this season to injury, then everything you think you know about the 2009 college football season will change.
Tebow was held out of practices last week with some back soreness. No big deal. But he’s still ailing from the 2008 season, where he dealt with shoulder issues and a broken hand against Florida State.
Superman could in fact be dealing with injuries this season. But after playing 41 games in three seasons, there has to be some wear on those tires. It’s weird to think about, because everyone assumes he is virtually indestructible on the field.
But for a minute, let’s say Tebow misses significant time with an injury this season. In a Gator fan’s worst nightmare, let’s say he misses the month of October because of a shoulder injury. That means the Gators will take on LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Georgia without their best player.
Backup QB John Brantley is no slouch, but even with Florida’s ferocious defense, it’s hard to see the Gators walking away from LSU’s Death Valley without a loss.
And naturally, the Gators’ loss to LSU will reverberate around the country. Texas-Oklahoma the following week would become a virtual playoff game as the two teams jump to No. 1 and 2 in the standings. The winner of that contest – let’s say it’s Texas – now has the inside track to the title.
Florida could conceivably beat Arkansas in a shootout and earn an easy victory over Mississippi State. However, the Gators won’t likely beat Georgia without Tebow.
After a Tebow-less October, the Gators would be 6-2 going into the final month of the season. Tebow returns and they’d beat Vandy, South Carolina, Florida International and Florida State in easy fashion. The Gators tie Georgia for the lead in the SEC East, but the Bulldogs go to the conference championship game based on head-to-head wins.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo! via AP
So thanks to Tebow’s one-month absence, we’re treated to a Texas-Ohio State national championship. It’s pretty much the exact same game as the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, only this time Quan Cosby isn’t around to catch the game winner. Oh, and Terrelle Pryor does a circa-2004 Vince Young impression and leads the Buckeyes to the title.
By virtue of missing four games, Tebow’s absence torpedoed the Gators, altered the entire college football season and made it no longer acceptable to make fun of Ohio State for losing all those national title games. And to top it off, Tebow then begins a very uncertain NFL future and one of college football’s greatest players goes out with a whimper.
It doesn’t have to be this way. A Tebow-less October is the worst case scenario.
If Tebow misses the start of the season, the Gators could easily roll over Charleston Southern and Troy with Brantley under center. Tennessee and Kentucky aren’t great, but there could be a loss in either of those games sans-Tebow. That wouldn’t effectively exclude the Gators from the national title. Neither would two losses under the right circumstances, as the 2007 LSU champs proved.
However let’s hope that neither of these alternate realities come to life. College football needs Tim-bo to stay healthy this year … or we’re all doomed this season.
Leave a Reply
