Are my gutty little Bruins back? I love our defense but suspect my offense still lags behind. We'll see what our season will truly be like after the Stanford game. Ay Dios mio... EL Feo Zarate

So the Trojans lost - the sky has not fallen

Did I actually just join the highly esteemed Coast to Coast Sports Chat? Did I log in without 20 emails to Joaquin asking for help, or having a personal 1-hour consultation with Vic and Nora? But I won't get too excited, because next week I will forget my login or password and you won't hear from me until next year.......So the Trojans lost, big deal. The Detroit Lions lose every week and I haven't shed a tear for them since Errol Mann missed a 23-yd field goal against the arch-enemy Minnesoata Vikings in 1971. The Trojans new win streak begins Saturday @ the Coliseum against Washington State, and we begin our climb back into the top 5. The Gators still rule the College Football landscape, for the moment............ Johnny Cueto

Are the Aggies back? Don't know, but I am!

Well sports fans, it has been a helluva summer in Texas. No hurricanes yet, but at least FSU felt one last night! But c'mon, does anyone really care about FL football? Well, anyone but Joaq?And what does Joaq say, "if you aint a Gator, you aint s**t!" Well, here in Aggieland we have a similar saying and it goes like this "We are the Aggies and the Aggies are we and we are damn tired hearing about Colt McCoy, his heisman dreams and tu being a possible #1!" Well, somewhat similar but y'all get the gist! So I attended the Aggie game last Saturday night with my family and it was good to see us not give up a TD! Whoop! We looked fast on both sides of the ball as we are starting four of our true freshman "athletes". Three on D alone! Now I realize it was only the Lobos of UNM, but still, it was see us get a big win and a good win over a Mountain West team (right OU?). But it was very good to see us cover the spread....and another team's receivers...finally! Whoop! We are off this week, but have Utah State and UAB (who beat the hell outta Rice) coming to town. Then, a big showdown with the Hogs of UA in Big D on October 3! Hopefully, we will be undefeated going into that game! So set your Tivo's, it will be one for your grandchildren to watch! I'm out until more Aggie info to report, but until then, it is good to be back in the blog and it will be even better to have the Ags back in the Top 25! Whoop! Gig 'em!

The Swamp is a Dangerous Place!

This is Rhonda and JoaqGator this Saturday in the tunnel on the way to our seats (Don's seats) @ The Swamp. We went with our dear friend and my old UF Law School professor, Don Peters, [picture at right] who just joined our mediation firm. We had an absolute blast. It was an evening game and the weather was terrific. OK, it was a little humid (about 185% humidity) but there was a nice breeze and the temp was in the high 70's. We got to see the Gator veterans briefly put on a heck of a scoring show and then we got to see a lot of young and extremely talented true freshmen show their stuff. Everyone played, including the scout team. The speed was blinding and with the exception of a minor injury to one of our offensive linemen nobody on either team was hurt. It was a very fun time. We got to enjoy our new HD super huge stadium jumbotron screens which featured a close up of my son John Fraxedas flanked by two beautiful young women, Jason's wife, Ashley Fraxedas, and her sister, Amanda Knaus. Jason was left out of the frame... maybe next game, Jason. I'll talk with the producer. The flyby was impressive but for some reason, after a gazillion years of doing flybys south to north, this one came from the north and caught everyone looking the wrong way. All in all a wonderful opening. I'll post more pictures on the right. I understand Johnny Cueto was at the Coliseum for the Trojans first scrimmage with "Do You Know the Way to San Jose State?" and he promised to publish a post here with his experiences soon. College football is here! Let's fire up this blog!!! P.S. If you click on the title to this post "The Swamp is..." there is a link to an article in the Gainesville Sun which includes a heartwarming story about Tebow spending time with a disabled kid in a wheelchair which he had invited to the opening game with his family and taking him around the locker room to have the team sign autographs for him just before game time. I don't care if some of you out there may be tired of hearing about Tebow, but he is a super-special kid in every way with a true heart of gold and we'll only have him for a few more weeks. I wish him a healthy and fabulous season, Heisman or no Heisman, Nt'l Title or no Nt'l Title!

College Footbal OMG

Here we are again and not a moment too soon what with Afghanistan, health care, and all the rest. I must confess that I did not watch the Florida game against Charleston Heston (as Victor calls it) but the USC game was loads of fun. Nice to see a Mater Dei alum (where Nicholas and Natalie went to H.S.) do so well. Hopefully his talent will take USC past the almost-lost-to-Navy Ohio State football team. Away we go!

A Call to Arms. All Hands on Deck. The Season is Here!

Joaq, A blog call out to Hoya Willie, Hawkeye Ted, Aggie Pete, and your Crimson Tide/Elephant people. The Season is upon us. We need full participation for the blog reach its true potential. Invite these people again and bring them into the fold of our little slice of blog heaven. The CFA season is here. Lets rock!! Victor

College Football Starts Tomorrow Night - Thursday 9-3-09!!!

Thursday's Games of Interest: So. Carolina @ North Carolina State 7:00 PM Eastern - ESPN Oregon @ Boise State 10:15 PM Eastern - ESPN

To Hold Back or Not to Hold Back: USC & UF Week One

The Trojans and the Gators are both playing powder puff teams for their openers this Saturday. USC is playing San Jose State and Florida is playing Charleston Southern. The question is do they open up the offense or just put in their first teams for a brief warm up and then put in the backups and not open up the play book. My call is that Florida just puts in their backups and barely opens up the playbook, which will remain closed until we face Tennessee on Sept. 19. An article for the LA Times is urging the Trojans to go for broke and put in their full offensive package. Link to LA Times article is here: LA Times . What do you guys think?

How 'bout this for a Stat! - UF Football Graduation Rates

Urban Meyer has dramatically increased the UF Football team graduation rates since taking the helm at Florida. Here's some stats from UF Athletics website. Pretty impressive. 2008 UF Football Graduation Success Rates: Florida 89% Miami 81% Florida St 80% Mississippi St 78% Auburn 77% Alabama 77% South Carolina 76% Georgia 70% Arkansas 68% Tennessee 52% LSU 51% Oklahoma 44% Texas 42% * The Gators own the highest graduation percentage of BCS National Championship Teams since 1997.

Gator Sightings

A Gator sighting in the Galapagos Islands. (See the shirt in the center.)

Survival of the fittest?

Head Count

OK gang, ~10 days till the college football season begins! Are we returning all our starters? Have we lost anyone to free agency? Plug in a "hand-raise" if you get a chance. Hope to see some thoughts soon!

Lee Corso

For the last few years I have had the privilege of attending a relatively intimate small-group dinner with ESPN College Game Day's Lee Corso a couple of weeks before the start of the college football season. The dinner is put on by the Central Florida Chapter of The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an association of which I have been a charter member since 1989. It's a real fun group of trial lawyers, mostly Gators, 'Noles and 'Canes with a scattering of 'Dawgs, Vols, Tigers, Cocks, Ivy Leaguers and other oddballs --about fifty members all together. One of the members of our group, David Corso (Longhorn), a good friend and colleague, is Lee Corso's son and he is obviously the reason why we have been able to convince Lee to attend our dinners just as the excitement of the upcoming season begins to heat up. Another member is Stumpy Harris --the legendary Bull Gator of all Bull Gators-- who was featured in an article in Fortune Magazine a couple of years ago because he has personally donated millions --and raised hundreds of millions more over the years-- to the UF Athletic Association. Lee Corso actually played football for FSU (QB) back in the fifties and was a room mate of Burt Reynolds who also played for FSU before heading west to Hollywood. So Corso, naturally, is a BIG 'Nole. The repartee and jibes and general fun between Lee Corso and Stumpy Harris and the rest of the Gators (including yours truly) are worth the price of admission, which, come to think of it, is free to charter members. This year, Lee Corso was scheduled to join us again at our annual pre-season dinner which is going be held tomorrow in downtown Orlando. Unfortunately he won't be able to make it this year because he suffered a stroke in May and is still recovering from it. He plans to be ready to go on national television September 5 for this season's opener of "College Gameday" in Atlanta for the Alabama - Virginia Tech game. He will not make any public appearance before then because he is furiously rehabbing for "The Big One." National Television. Live. No safety net. Over the past few years I have really come to respect and admire Lee Corso. He is one of the great and wonderful human beings in this world. In person he is every bit as funny and engaging as he is on t.v. He is also remarkably warm and kind --and opinionated as all get out! A couple of years ago (August of 07 to be exact), I went up to him after the dinner and asked him how he thought the Gators were going to do in the upcoming season. He told me they were going to go 9-3 and would not make it to the S.E.C. title game. He thought our offense was championship grade but our defense was decimated by departures to the NFL and would not be able to hold the line during our gauntlet through the S.E.C. He told me we would lose to Georgia and LSU and maybe even to Auburn. I didn't agree with him then but he turned out to be right on all counts, which probably explains why I am mediating in Orlando and not doing College Gameday on national television. I am going to miss him at this year's dinner. I am praying for his recovery and will be watching College Gameday on the morning of Sept. 5 (the Gator opening game that day is a night game at The Swamp --I'll be there too!). I also plan on sending him a letter, via his son David, wishing him well and telling him how much I appreciate him. Attached is a link to a really good article in the Orlando Sentinel about Lee Corso's struggle to recover after his stroke which is worth the read by Sentinel sports writer George Diaz (another Cubano): Lee Corso - Stroke- Orlando Sentinel

Trojans - Number Three is a Good Place to Be!

Here is an overview of this year's Trojans from Rivals.com. Check it out:

No. 3 USC

Coach: Pete Carroll (88-15 in eight seasons). | Staff In 2008: 12-1 overall, 8-1 in Pac-10 (first in league). Beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Returning starters: Offense: 9. Defense: 3. Special teams: 0. | Depth Chart Final 2008 Rivals.com ranking: 2nd. | Complete Final 2008 Rankings Past four Rivals.com national recruiting rankings: 4th in 2009, 8th in '08, 2nd in '07, 1st in '06.

2009 Breakdown: Offense | Defense | Special teams | Coaching | Schedule | Depth Chart

OFFENSE

THE SCHEME: Coach Pete Carroll has lost his past two coordinators to head-coaching jobs: Steve Sarkisian (to Washington) after last season and Lane Kiffin (to the NFL, but now at Tennessee) after the 2006 season. John Morton was promoted to offensive coordinator from receivers coach, but former NFL assistant Jeremy Bates will call the plays. He comes from the Denver Broncos, and his dad, James, is a longtime NFL defensive coordinator now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Trojans still will run a pro-style offense, but expect Bates to be more creative when it comes to getting the ball into the hands of his talented running backs.

Associated Press
Damian Williams is carrying on the USC tradition of big-play receivers.

STAR POWER: USC's tradition of producing big-play wide receivers continues with junior Damian Williams. In his first season since transferring from Arkansas, Williams caught 58 passes for 869 yards and nine touchdowns last season. With the departure of Patrick Turner, Williams will be the unquestioned No. 1 receiver. Coaches hope his 10-catch, 162-yard performance in the Rose Bowl against Penn State is a springboard to a big season.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: USC has veterans all over the offense except for one spot - quarterback. Sophomore Aaron Corp won the starting job during spring practice. Corp has more mobility than most recent USC quarterbacks and also possesses a nice arm. True freshman Matt Barkley, the top quarterback in the 2009 class, enrolled for the spring and impressed coaches with his maturity in spring drills; he enters fall camp second on the depth chart. And at running back, 5-foot-8 redshirt freshman Curtis McNeal could work his way into the mix despite a deep group of veterans ahead of him at the position.

WATCH FOR HIM TO EMERGE: RB Joe McKnight has been serviceable in his first two seasons on campus, but USC would like him to be more than that. McKnight was the No. 2 prospect in the 2007 class, but he has scored just seven touchdowns in two seasons. In his defense, he was hampered by injuries last season and USC likes to spread the ball among a deep group of running backs. Now healthy and playing for a new coordinator, McKnight could develop into the Reggie Bush-like threat the Trojans envisioned he would become when he arrived on campus.

STRONGEST AREA: The Trojans return five starters on a line that allowed the fewest sacks in the Pac-10, though not all five returnees are scheduled to start. LT Charles Brown, LG Jeff Byers and C Kristofer O'Dowd started every game last season and should return to those same spots this season. At right tackle, sophomore Tyron Smith could beat out Butch Lewis, who has started nine games in the past two seasons. Besides the experience on the line, USC returns starting TE Anthony McCoy and FB Stanley Havili. Blocking for the run and protecting the passer shouldn't be problematic.

BIGGEST PROBLEM: All the tools - running backs, receivers and linemen - are in place for a monster offensive season. The only thing that could hold the Trojans back is instability at quarterback. Three Rivals100 quarterbacks (Corp, Barkley and third-stringer Mitch Mustain) are competing at the position. Skill isn't the issue; it's experience. Carroll and his staff are looking for a guy with big-play potential who won't turn it over.

GRADE: A-minus

DEFENSE

THE SCHEME: Coordinator Nick Holt joined Sarkisian at Washington, but this remains Carroll's defense. He calls the defenses, though Rocky Seto, 33, was promoted from secondary coach to coordinator. The Trojans run a 4-3 defense, but Carroll may have less flexibility than usual given USC's inexperience at linebacker.

	Taylor Mays likely would have been a first-round pick in the NFL draft had he left after last season.

STAR POWER: Senior FS Taylor Mays will leave USC as one of the most accomplished safeties in recent history. He could have joined some of his teammates as a first-round pick in the NFL draft, but he elected to stay in school to oversee a rebuilt defense. At 6-3 and 235 pounds, Mays is built like a linebacker but runs like a safety.

IMPACT NEWCOMER: Though the linebacker position appears to be in good hands with sophomore Chris Galippo and junior Malcolm Smith, a number of freshmen should still see time at the position. The leading candidates are Marquis Simmons and Kevin Greene. The Trojans don't often take junior college transfers, but tackle Hebron Fangupo could be a factor in the middle.

WATCH FOR HIM TO EMERGE: Pick a linebacker, as the Trojans are looking to replace all three starters from last season. Galippo was the highest-ranked linebacker nationally in the 2007 recruiting class. In his two years on campus, he has redshirted, then backed up Rey Maualuga in the middle. Now the starter, Galippo had a good spring and should emerge as a leader on defense. Smith and junior Michael Morgan locked down the starting spots on the outside during the spring.

STRONGEST AREA: Led by Mays, the secondary should anchor the defense. The Trojans return plenty of experience from a secondary that led the nation in pass defense and pass efficiency defense. If everyone stays healthy, this could be one of the best units in the nation. That's easier said than done, though. Safeties Josh Pinkard and Will Harris and CBs Shareece Wright and Kevin Thomas have injury histories.

BIGGEST PROBLEM: "Problem" is a relative term. The front seven lacks starting experience, but at least the three new starting linebackers appear settled. Jurrell Casey is battling Christian Tupou, a starter last season, for one of the tackle spots. Averell Spicer is penciled in at the other tackle, but he struggled early last season. E Everson Griffen was a freshman All-American but slipped as a sophomore. He appeared to be rejuvenated in the spring.

GRADE: B-plus

SPECIAL TEAMS

USC will look to walk-ons at kicker and punter. Billy O'Malley is set to take over at punter, and Joe Houston is the leader for the kicking job. The glut of talent at the offensive skill positions helps on special teams, where RBs C.J. Gable, Stafon Johnson and McKnight and WR Ronald Johnson see regular duty in the return game. While the Trojans allowed the fewest punt returns (12) in the Pac-10 last season, they did a poor job covering those kicks, allowing foes to average 10.2 yards per return. The kick-coverage unit, on the other hand, was a good one.

GRADE: B

COACHING

USC has won at least a share of seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, and the Trojans haven't lost a game by more than a touchdown since Carroll's first season in 2001. USC shows little signs of slowing down as far as the Pac-10 and top-five finishes are concerned. But USC has kept itself out of national championship games by losing to teams such as Oregon State (in '08 and '06), Stanford ('07) and UCLA ('06). The offense could have some new wrinkles with Morton and Bates taking over this season. Changes on defense might be more subtle. Defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, back after spending three seasons in the NFL, has earned rave reviews from Griffen and others.

GRADE: A

DATE	OPPONENT
Sept. 5	San Jose State
Sept. 12	at Ohio State
Sept. 19	at Washington
Sept. 26	Washington State
Oct. 3	at California
Oct. 17	at Notre Dame
Oct. 24	Oregon State
Oct. 31	at Oregon
Nov. 7	at Arizona State
Nov. 14	Stanford
Nov. 28	UCLA
Dec. 5	Arizona

SCHEDULE

USC could have the most challenging non-conference schedule of any national title contender. The opener against San Jose State is by far the easiest non-conference game. A road trip to Ohio State on Sept. 12 could be a national-title elimination game. That's not the end of USC's challenging road schedule. Games against Pac-10 contenders Cal and Oregon come on the road, in addition to the annual rivalry game against Notre Dame. For the first time since 2003, USC's regular season will not end against rival UCLA. The Trojans finish with Arizona on Dec. 5.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

USC enjoyed one of the best defensive seasons in recent history last season on the way to another Rose Bowl rout. The roles will change this season; the offense will be expected to carry the team while the new starters in the defensive front seven find their footing. An explosive offense, though, is no given because of the new quarterback. Another Pac-10 title and top-four finish is possible, but the Trojans need to prove they can avoid upsets in conference play before returning to the national championship game.

- DAVID FOX

OFFENSE QB Aaron Corp (6-3, 200, Soph.) Matt Barkley (6-2, 230, Fr.) TB Stafon Johnson (5-11, 210, Sr.) Joe McKnight (6-0, 190, Jr.) FB Stanley Havili* (6-0, 230, Jr.) D.J. Shoemate (6-0, 220, Soph.) WR Ronald Johnson (6-0, 190, Jr.) David Ausberry (6-4, 235, Jr.) WR Damian Williams* (6-1, 195, Jr.) Travon Patterson (5-10, 175, Jr.) TE Anthony McCoy* (6-5, 250, Sr.) Rhett Ellison (6-5, 255, Soph.) T Charles Brown* (6-6, 285, Sr.) Butch Lewis* (6-5, 285 Jr.) T Tyron Smith (6-6, 285, Soph.) Matt Kalil (6-6, 295, R-Fr.) G Jeff Byers* (6-3, 290, Sr.) Zack Heberer (6-5, 290, Jr.) G Nick Howell (6-5, 290, Sr.) Alex Parsons* (6-4, 300, Sr.) C Kristofer O'Dowd* (6-5, 300, Jr.) Jeff Byers (6-3, 290, Sr.) K Joe Houston (5-8, 175, Jr.) PR Damian Williams (6-1, 195, Jr.)	DEFENSE E Armond Armstead (6-5, 295, Soph.) Wes Horton (6-5, 255, R-Fr.) NT Jurrell Casey (6-1, 295, Soph.) Christian Tupou* (6-2, 285, Jr.) T Averell Spicer (6-2, 295, Sr.) Derek Simmons (6-4, 285, Jr.) E Everson Griffen (6-3, 280, Jr.) Malik Jackson (6-5, 245, Soph.) LB Chris Galippo (6-2, 250, Soph.) Uona Kaveinga (6-0, 245, Soph.) LB Michael Morgan (6-4, 220, Jr.) Luthur Brown (6-2, 235, Sr.) LB Malcolm Smith (6-1, 225, Jr.) Jordan Campbell (5-11, 230, Soph.) CB Kevin Thomas (6-1, 190, Sr.) Brian Baucham (5-11, 180, R-Fr.) CB Shareece Wright (6-0, 185, Jr.) T.J. Bryant (6-0, 180, Soph.) FS Taylor Mays* (6-3, 235, Sr.) Drew McAllister (6-1, 195, Sr.) SS Josh Pinkard% (6-1, 215, Sr.) Will Harris (6-1, 210, Sr.) P Billy O'Malley (6-1, 190, Jr.) KR C.J. Gable (6-0, 205, Jr.)
(NOTE: TB C.J. Gable is a returning starter on offense, but he is projected as the third-stringer. *--denotes returning starter; %--denotes returning starter who has changed positions.)

David Fox is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at dfox@rivals.com.

Gator Cornerback Joe Haden As Quarterback?!!!

Notebook: Haden a Wildcat QB?

Coach Urban Meyer is hinting that one of our favorite cornerbacks, Joe Haden, might be taking some snaps under center this season. Is the Urbinator kidding or is he trying to freak out his SEC colleagues???!!!. Joe Haden played quarterback in high school and was darn successful at it. But he's been a terrific All-SEC corner at Florida the last couple of seasons. Now Urban has our quaterbacks coach working with Haden and getting him ready to take snaps and drop back in the pocket. According to an article in today's Gainesville Sun:

Florida junior Joe Haden might be a preseason All-SEC cornerback, but with his athleticism he could see himself playing on both sides of the ball this fall.

“He was a high school quarterback and we thought about playing him at some receiver, but there’s a chance (he could lineup at quarterback),” UF coach Urban Meyer said after Friday’s practice.

“Let people think about it for a little bit. That’s good.”

Meyer said he’s always known of Haden’s interest to take a few snaps in the backfield, but never really looked into it until the two were together over the summer.

“He threw me a football and that damn thing came at me, tight spiral and hot,” Meyer said. “I said, ‘Do that again,’ and he did it again, and ever since then he’s been talking to me and now that we’re allowed (to work with players) he’s throwing with (quarterbacks coach) Scot (Loeffler) and that’s a possibility.”

Is the Urbonator our of control or what????!!!!

Can't wait for the fall to start!!!!

A Little Like Heaven

What Can I say gang?

The University of Florida at Gainesville is a sun kissed, blessed, marvelous corner of this world... "A Little Like Heaven". Paynes Prairie, The Devil's Millhopper, Mysterious remote Lake Santa Fe, Itcheetucknee Springs... The Swamp... Crescent Beach... on and on and on. It gets to you, deep in your soul. I've known it for over 40 years. Urban Meyer just figured it out. The cynical among you might say $4 mil a year new contract had something to do with it but it's much more than that. Check out the article below from the Gainesville Sun. P.S. Meyer's in good company, WR Riley Cooper who had a big $$$ contract from the Texas Rangers to play pro ball just announced he decided to pass it up and come back for one more season to play pitch and catch with Timmie Tebow. Billy Donovan just couldn't get away, nor could the fab starters of the back-to-back basketball national championship team. Anyway, check it out!!! JoaqGator

Florida's Meyer: 'This is it'

File photo

It is not just the new contract that will pay him $4 million a year. It's not just the friends he has made during his time here. It's everything. Urban Meyer is a Gainesville guy.

By Pat Dooley Staff writer

Published: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 4:50 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 4:50 p.m.

When the song was first released, Urban Meyer was the head coach at Utah. He knew little about Gainesville, the place Drew Copeland sang about with such passion on "A Little Like Heaven."

Today, it is Meyer's theme song.

He even made his children memorize the lyrics — like he did with his players and the Gator fight song — and pushes Copeland to play it every time the Sister Hazel member visits the lakehouse that the Meyer family owns on Melrose Bay.

"Well, it was out on Payne's Prairie where I got my first kiss."

"He made me play it twice the last time I was out there," Copeland said.

Meyer gets the song now. He gets Gainesville. It wasn't always that way. There were struggles and internal questions about the job he took in December of 2004. There were times he wondered if he had made the right decision.

Not anymore. As Meyer begins preparation Thursday morning for his fifth season with a brand new contract that makes him the SEC's highest-paid coach, there is a comfort level that hasn't been there before. It's not just the team he will be coaching. It's not just Tim Tebow. It is not just the new contract that will pay him $4 million a year. It's not just the friends he has made during his time here.

It's everything.

Urban Meyer is a Gainesville guy.

"That song should be kind of a community rallying song," Meyer said. "Maybe it's not, but it should be. This is a helluva community. Go find one better. I've lived in seven different places. This is the best place we've ever lived."

For Meyer, it took awhile. And it wasn't until the weeks after he guided Florida to a second national title and the third in school history that he had those epiphanic moments.

"After the Oklahoma game, I realized that this is it," he said. "I could see it coming before, but there were a bunch of moments this spring. It's coaching 101 when you first put your foot into coaching. What is your dream job? You've got your facility, your strength staff, training staff, a really good group of players where there is no void coming up.

"It's Melrose. It's Bluewater Bay. It's Buchholz High School. It's watching Nate pitch Little League and it's no cow pasture. It's a big-time field at Diamond Sports Park. It's my church, Queen of Peace, where I know the priest now. It's Ballyhoo's, and they put me and my daughter at a corner table and we laugh. It's being out in a boat on Lake Santa Fe watching the sun set. It's a conglomeration of comfort. I can drive to my office in seven minutes. I can be at Bluewater Bay in 18 minutes if I hit the lights right.

"I think human beings are driven for peace of mind. As a coach, what's your peace of mind? I've got peace of mind. This is my dream job. Three years ago, I couldn't say that. When I came here, I talked about how great Gainesville was, but I didn't know. Now, oh my God. Now, I can say, wow. I love Gainesville now."

"We could water ski out on Melrose Bay / We could wear flip-flops on Christmas Day."

Despite the many statements made by Meyer about the possibility of his leaving for Notre Dame and the new six-year deal he agreed to, the story won't die until the Irish have a successful season under Charlie Weis or hire another coach. The speculation is Meyer is a Midwest guy and Notre Dame will throw tons of money at him, even more than the $4 million a year Florida will pay Meyer.

But Meyer revealed for the first time in an interview with The Sun that there have been big-money offers from both colleges and the NFL during his tenure at Florida.

"If it was only about money, I wouldn't be coaching at Florida," he said. "It's about more than that. I've got peace of mind. I have an athletic director, the first two years we loved him but we didn't know him. His presentation (in Utah), you give him a 10 and everybody else a two. I thought I trusted him, but I didn't know I trusted him. Now I know I trust him. We've had enough heart-to-hearts and conflicts we've had to work through. We're good.

"Billy Donovan, I didn't know Billy. He's turned out to be a great friend. Guys like James Bates. I get a text the other night. It's from Bates. It says, 'bocce tournament.' So Shell (his wife Shelley) and I went over there and there's 20 people playing bocce. That's just cool. I didn't have that four years ago. I didn't have any buddies to call. Nobody's fault. It's my fault. It takes time to call someone."

In his first year as Florida's coach, Meyer's cell phone was reserved for texting and calling recruits or players on the team. Now, it's just as likely to be a call to set up dinner with a friend.

"The transformation of Urban has been amazing," Shelley said. "I knew things would work out because I always think they'll work out. But I was worried because he was so miserable. I felt bad because I couldn't help him.

"I'm proud of him for opening himself up. He's so guarded. But I told him, 'We like it here. We're going to be here a long time. Let's get out and meet some people.' "

"And when we had enough cash for gasoline / Then we would all skip school and go to Crescent Beach."

It wasn't always a little like heaven for Meyer. Although the family adapted quickly to the third move in five years, the head coach at the University of Florida struggled through that first season.

Not all of his players were drinking the Kool-aid, but they were drinking plenty of other beverages during the season. There was a drug problem that prompted Meyer to push for a more stringent drug-testing policy at Florida.

"At one point, I didn't know if I could do it," he said. "There was a point where I hit that wall, where I was wondering, 'Can I really do this here?'

"I left a place that was undefeated. I left my comfort. I left something that we worked awful hard to build up — a certain work ethic, certain pattern, certain routine that was completely thrown in another direction. I felt fatigued, 99 high schools and 22 Gator Clubs.

"And issue after issue after issue. More than once, there was a time when I did some soul-searching. Can we do this thing? I never felt that way at Bowling Green. I never felt that way at Utah. It was like a toothache. It didn't go away."

The losses at Alabama and LSU in 2005 left Meyer reeling. The loss at South Carolina that eliminated Florida from the SEC East race was the last straw. As has been reported many times, Meyer kept the team on the charter plane when it returned to Gainesville and read the players the riot act.

He dismissed two players from the team right there on the tarmac.

"You had a really good coach in here before me and some of the guys on the team wanted me and some didn't," he said. "We had some guys in here the other day — Jeremy Mincey, Jarvis Herring, Vernell Brown. We almost cried together. They didn't have to drink the Kool-aid. The seniors, you know, they're all lame ducks (that season). They could have imploded it. We had some seniors who did try to implode it. They did their best to implode it."

Meyer believes the beginning of Florida's march to a pair of national titles began on that tarmac, that the performance the rest of the season showed it.

But there was a problem that would take more than speeches to correct.

Meyer was recruited to Florida by UF athletic director Jeremy Foley in Utah. He never visited Florida's facilities other than a brief look at the stadium when he was an assistant coach at Notre Dame.

"I was so enamored with the stadium," he said. "But I had never been to LSU or any of the places I had to recruit against. It wasn't until a guy from Ohio was down here with a recruit and he mentioned how bad it was. Things have all got to be in place and they were not."

So Meyer drafted Florida sports information director Steve McClain, strength coach Mickey Marotti and director of football operations John Clark to come up with a PowerPoint presentation that would show how much UF's facilities were lacking compared to the other top programs. The three-month study helped convince Foley and other UF officials that a new front door, museum, coaches offices and weight room were needed.

Last August, the $28-million Heavener football complex opened its doors.

"In 2009, I'll take ours over anybody's in America because of the substance and the class," Meyer said. "Look at what our administration did. Now I have people coming down here saying, 'Wow." Most importantly, I have recruits saying, 'Wow.'

"I talk about peace of mind, part of that is walking out the door and into two staff meetings. It's not me and Charlie Strong scrunched up together or shouting down the hallway."

"We pulled arrowheads out of Hogtown Creek."

So it's all in place. Meyer has figured out what so many in this community understand. And he has a program flirting with a dynasty tag.

Florida almost assuredly will begin the season ranked No. 1. The Gators have all the defensive starters returning as well as Tebow. The schedule is manageable. The fans are beside themselves. They, too, have come to embrace a coach they wondered about when he was first hired.

The stadium has never looked better. The facilities have never been better.

There's only one glitch in Meyer's perfect situation. His oldest child, Nikki, left Saturday for Georgia Tech where she is on a volleyball scholarship.

"It'll take me about a week to get over that," he said.

But before she left, there was one more trip out to the lakehouse and into the water to watch one more sunset. One more dinner at Bluewater Bay, heavy on the lobster.

"Where I come from / It's a little like heaven / And I can't stay gone too long / Where I come from."

Contact Pat Dooley at 374-5053 or at dooleyp@gvillesun.com.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.

Approx 50 days til the opener

Hey, sportsfans and bloggers, Joaq Gator and I were talking on the phone...getting fired up about the upcoming college football season. Lo and behold...the Gators are a consensus, pre-season #1; and with good reason. The entire starting defense is back (intact) and only 1 starting player on offense left Gainsville. Go Gators!!! The chomp appears stronger than ever. As for the Trojans, we are a lowly #4. Much too high for a team that had 8 players drafted from their defense, alone. Many top-notch players to replace. We should not even be in the top 25. Anyways, Aggie Pete and Luisleon have to migrate back to the blog asap. LSU is in the top 15, but the Aggies are absent from the top 25. What gives in College Station? Let us know. Keep rocking!!! Lets get the blog going once again. The beginning of September is less than 50 days away... Victor

Lakers Destroyed Magic in First!

Ok, worst trashing the Magic has taken in a long time! 100 - 75. Congratulation to my West Coast Cousins! LeBron was nothing compared to Kobe. And Kobe has a heck of a team behind him. Still, how is it possible to get so utterly dominated when the Magic had gone 2-0 against the Lakers in the regular season and 3-1 in the last four meetings against the Lakers before Thursday. Dwight looked like a deer in the headlights!!! He was completely shut out by the Lakers huge forwards. Man, he did nothing. And Kobe was amazing. But it's only one game. Let's see what happens Sunday.

Magic vs Lakers in The Finals!!!!

Wow! Magic - Lakers in The Finals!!! This blog is incredible. Victor knows the bigger the stakes the more I worry so I won't make any predictions and will be biting my nails until the final buzzer. In any event I was very comforted by the obvious fact that the Magic are the underdogs and have been pretty much ignored by the national media, which from my perspective is a very, very good thing. Then the "Round the Clock Purple and Gold" LA Times official bloggers Andrew & Brian Kamenetzy noted in today's LA Times that they have "a healthy fear of Orlando" because "Orlando is dangerous" principally because of the matchup headaches they give the Lakers. Hush up guys!!!! Be quiet about little 'ol Orlando. Just build up the Lakers. You can even trash Orlando. Just don't shake my underdog warm and fuzzies!!!!

The Dark Ages Have Begun

Gang, Now that the euphoria of the CFA season has passed and before the March Madness begins, we are in the Dark Ages of Blog-dom. No posts. No great stories. Just darkness. Day after day of darkness. A blip on our respective screens should have occurred last week as recruits signed letters of intent; but, alas, nothing materialized. Just more darkness. For those who still care out there, SC was ranked #4 in two publications and #7 in another for quality of recruits. Many talented, promising prospects are headed to the Trojan Nation. We will see. Our defense needs to replace some awesome parts to a defense that was one of the best of all-time. Offensively, we should be fine, with most starters back from last year's unit. Sanchez has to be replaced, but we appear deep in talent, although, the back-ups are relatively untested. Looking forward to March Madness and for the sun to shine on our blog soon. Take care, Victor

re: Sanchez

I learned from Victor that Sanchez was leaving USC, opting out of continuing, because of his lucrative future in the NFL. Bill Plaschke's article in yesterday's LA Times comments on this and how mad Pete Carroll was at the prospect of not having Sanchez next year. I, too, was upset until I discovered that he was only opting out of football, not college. Next year is his 5th year of playing football. He will graduate in May with a degree and has been promised a great job. Too bad other graduating seniors do not have the same option. Good luck to him, fight on, and next year will be just as exciting for us on the West Coast. Looking forward to March Madness. PS. I am a member of another blog (Katnik and Clayton women) and I attempted to post my Sanchez thoughts yesterday on the gatorstrojansbruins blog, but it was redirected to the other blog. I have some explaining to do to the females in the health/fitness blog. Glad it was not x-rated!

Rick Fraxedas At National Championship!!!!

I must tip my hat to my most excellent brother Rick who has an uncanny knack for being at the right place at the right time. If you recall, he started the season with me at The Swamp for the Gator's season opener against Hawaii (photo on the right). He finished the season with his wife, Mari, at the season's last game, the National Championship game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami (photo on the left). In between he managed to get to the LA Coliseum to tailgate with our West Coast Cousins before the Trojan - Buckeye game (photo below - with Nora). If you click on the title to this post above it will take you to a web album of Rick's National Championship photos. Where will Rick turn up next? Stay tuned, your industrious bloggers will keep you informed.

Blog of Champions!!!!!!

What a great and wonderful blog we have! Last night Florida won the BCS Football National Championship beating a talented and worthy Oklahoma team with a Heisman winning quarterback at the helm, who, unfortunately for him, was not playing Kansas anymore. Last year mighty LSU took the National Championship beating Ohio State. The year before, it was Florida winning the National Championship, also clobbering Ohio State. A couple of years before that it was the noble USC Trojans winning back-to-back Football National Championships in 2003 and 2004. Amazingly Florida also managed back-to-back Basketball National Championships in 2006 and 2007 which means Florida has won four national championships in major sports in the last three years! It's hard to describe how great it is to be a Florida Gator today. Rick Fraxedas was at the game and called me several times all excited but couldn't hear me because of the awesome roar of the crowd all around him. He will send pictures of the game which I will post as soon as I get them. At the end of this year the #1 and #2 teams in the country are the Florida Gators and SC Trojans. Will next year fianlly be the year these two great teams finally face each other in the Big Game as I predicted to Andy Katnik was our mutual destiny? Will next year be the year the coast-to-coast cousins finally get together in a blur of cardinal and gold and orange and blue at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena? Will the blog be able to bear all the passion and emotion and sheer wall to wall excitement that a true clash of East Coast and West Coast titans would generate in the most historic venue of all? Stay tuned. This blog is headed for greatness! Below is an article by John Romano of the St Pete Times which I think says it all.

Florida Gators can take their place among history's great programs

By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist In print: Friday, January 9, 2009

MIAMI — Years from now, you may recall the celebration.

The way some players embraced and others danced. The confetti falling, and the voices rising.

Down the road, you may remember the big moments.

The goal-line stands, and the Percy Harvin runs. The Ahmad Black interception, and the Tim Tebow jump pass.

You may take whatever memories you choose out of Florida's 24-14 victory against Oklahoma in the BCS national championship game Thursday night, but you should realize this was bigger than any one moment. It was bigger than one game or even one season.

For, in retrospect, this had the feel of more than just a championship.

In a way, it was like a coronation of football royalty.

Florida may not yet have the football tradition of an Alabama or an Oklahoma or a USC, but it has separated itself from nearly every other campus in the country. Since the beginning of the Steve Spurrier era in 1990, UF has been second to no one.

"We're on the rise," said Black, who stopped a critical fourth-quarter drive with an interception. "We're on top of the world right now, and we're not going anywhere. There are other great teams and other great conferences, but you can't stop Florida. We're going to keep this going."

They don't have football factories in the NCAA anymore. At least not the way they used to.

So this isn't a dynasty, and it isn't a juggernaut. But what Florida has done is still rare enough. Three national championships in a dozen years is the kind of thing you only see from historic football programs.

Notre Dame did it generations ago. Texas and Alabama, too. The last college program with this kind of success was Miami, when it won four national titles from 1983 to 1991. Before that, Oklahoma won three from 1974 to 1985.

So, clearly, what Florida has accomplished on the football field is impressive enough.

But, if you take it to another level, what the Gators have done is truly unprecedented. Between football and basketball — the highest-profile sports in the NCAA — the Gators have won four national championships in three years.

January has belonged to Florida, and April has, too. And no other university has ever come close to pulling off that kind of domination in the sports America cares about most.

"Florida is the place people want to go," safety Major Wright said. "It's a place that knows what it wants and knows how to get there."

On the final night of the season, Tebow was more clutch than brilliant. In perhaps the final game of his college career, Harvin was the most dynamic player on the field. And in the final analysis, the Florida defense turned in a performance that will be talked about forever in Gainesville.

Perhaps, this morning, a few others have reason to gripe. Texas, after all, also beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and, like Florida, has only one loss. USC has one loss and finished the season on a 10-game winning streak. And Utah, at 13-0, certainly has a right to feel cheated.

Still, it is hard to imagine any team being favored against the Gators today.

Florida was a missed extra point shy of a possible 14-0 season. It finished the season with back-to-back victories against the No. 1 team in the BCS standings.

And now Urban Meyer is one of a handful of active coaches with two national titles on their resume. The difference is the rest of them are already getting bulk mail orders on pension benefits and Medicare. Joe Paterno is 82, and Bobby Bowden is 79. Dennis Erickson is 61, and Pete Carroll is 57. As for Meyer? He is 44. He is also 83-17 as a head coach, which puts him 30 victories ahead of where Paterno was at this age.

So take what you want from this victory. Take it as validation or relief. Take it as vindication or joy. But when the emotions fade, be sure to keep the night, and the season, in perspective.

Do not just recall the celebration. Make sure you remember it all.

Remember the moment Tebow turned a season around with his emotion-filled locker room and news conference speeches after a one-point loss to Mississippi in September.

Remember Louis Murphy, of St. Petersburg, pointing toward the heavens for his mother. Remember the heartbreak of Cornelius Ingram tearing his ACL days before the start of his senior season.

Remember Brandon James' kick and punt returns against Tennessee. Remember the timeouts against Georgia. The fourth quarter against Alabama. The goal-line stands Thursday night against Oklahoma.

Remember that, in the 2008 season, the Gators stated their claim to history.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com.

OK I'm Worried

I told Victor I was not worried. I told him I was confident about Florida beating OK in the big game this Thursday. But I don't want to jinx The Gators. I don't want to tempt the gods of football. So, to set the record straight, and keep up long tradition, I hereby declare: I'm worried. I'm worried because:

• Alabama laid a big egg losing to Utah in the Sugar Bowl and embarrassing the SEC. At least Ole Miss shut Texas Tech up and spanked them good. Way to go Rebels! But Alabama laid a big egg and took some luster off the Gator's victory over 'Bama in the SEC title game.

• Florida has not faced an offense as prolific and as fast-paced as Oklahoma this season. And Florida has not faced a quarterback as good as Sam Bradford all season... or an O-line as good as Oklahoma's. Will we be able to pressure Sam Bradford? Will Spikes be able to blow through their O-line and get some grass stains on Bradford's jersey?

• How healthy is Percy Harvin? Will he be able to go full strength the whole game?

• Florida lost it's offensive coordinator, Dan Mullen, who took the head coaching job at Miss State after the SEC title game. Mullen says he'll call the title game but he'll be distracted and cannot be 100% focused. He has one foot in Florida and one foot in Miss State. Also in the interim we upgraded our offensive line coach Steve Addazio to offensive coordinator. Addazio is a good man but there has to be some hard feelings on the part of our receivers coach, Billy Gonzalez, who was also up for the offensive coordinator position. Also there has to be some friction in philosophies. When Mullen first announced he was leaving Meyer said that the game would be called by a committee of Addazio (O-line coach), Billy Gonzalez (Receiver's coach) and Urban himself. Now we have Mullen (originally a quarterbacks coach) saying he will call the game. It seems like a recipe for confusion and too many cooks in the kitchen.

• Oklahoma has had a string of losses in bowl games recently and have been embarrassed. They have to be motivated and angry and their luck is bound to change.

• Speaking of luck, Sam Bradford is a Cherokee and Native Americans around the country have embraced him as a source of pride. Even as we speak, war dances are going on around the country invoking powerful magic.

• Also, the last time Florida faced a Big 12 team in a title game (Nebraska, 1995, National Championship game) Florida was favored and Nebraska utterly clobbered us.

• I want to approach Thursday's game in all humility and, in doing so, hope to avoid the wrath of the football gods. So, to paraphrase my letter to Juan on the eve of our 2006 National Championship Game: I don't know what team will emerge victorious. That's why they invented championships. What I do know is when the Gators come out of that tunnel at full speed, smiling, bursting with confidence and defiance, flying our colors under the big Miami moon, all my pride, all my feelings, all my memories will take the field with them.