Behind The Box Score

As the Florida Gators head to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game to face #2 Alabama, this will be Tim Tebow’s final game in the almighty conference which everyone fears. With a victory, Tebow could truly go down as one of the greatest college football players of all time. A second straight win against Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide would give Tebow his third conference title, a spot in his third national championship game and presumably his second Heisman Trophy.

Accolades such as these are hard to come by nowadays for college football players and success has been Tebow’s mantra.  Although many would like to argue that he is overrated and not fit for the quarterback position, the numbers bear to differ. Playing in college football’s toughest conference, Tebow has done it all. Passing, rushing, bull dozing over defenders and most importantly, winning, the overly soft spoken quarterback is history right in front of our eyes. Hated most by America, Tim is football’s version of Derek Jeter. Going out and doing his job year after year, both players are scrutinized all across the country. As Jeter won his staggering fifth World Series title early last month, Tebow has a chance to make the same impact Saturday in Atlanta.

So far in his career, #15 has accounted for 8,556 yards and 84 touchdowns just throwing the ball! On the ground, where Tebow makes more of an impact, the quarterback has ran for 2,833 yards and 56 touchdowns respectively. Throughout four years, this young man has went out and done the job right and effectively. In an era that is marked with player arrests, failure to graduate and dirty play, Tebow is the alter ego. Many people will argue that he is not fit for the NFL and that his personality is everything but real, but when it comes to football, this man is a college football god. Playing against the tough defenses of LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia and South Carolina year after year, Tim has been extremely efficient and is a key reason the Gators are 47-6 when he has been on the field.

After analyzing Tebow’s success and the path of his career, I have come to a distinct conclusion. If this young man didn’t have the media hype and love he gets throughout the nation, I truly think he would be a celebrated star in the United States, similar to what Matt Lienart and Vince  Young experienced during their college careers. With all this said, there really isn’t a reason to hate on the young man other than jealousy for the fact that your team doesn’t have him. As an Ohio State fan, it has been hard at times watching Terrelle Pryor under center. Inconsistent performance game after game and a lack of a true passing game has made many Buckeye fans want another option at the position. But with Florida, this has never gone into question. In Tebow’s first full year as  a starter, the sophomore then in 2007 only racked up 3,286 yards and 32 TD’s through the air to go along with a staggering 895 yards and 23 TD’s on the ground which complemented his Heisman Trophy honor. This season, the stats aren’t nearly up to par as two years ago but due in part is the stellar rushing game Tebow has behind him and the loss of Percy Harvin, the do it all wide receiver who is currently starring with the Minnesota Vikings. But back to Saturday, the widely hyped matchup against Alabama will be a game for the ages and with Tebow calmly leading a Florida team that has looked unstoppable this season when it matters most, it seems impossible that any team can break the trend that Tebow helped create, winning.