Everything in Gainesville is supposed to be fun.

You may say it’s impossible for a Georgia fan to have a favorite Florida Gator, but I say you’re dead wrong.

Chris Rainey is now, and will always be,  da’ man for me.

Rainey on his sex class: “It’s boring. I don’t like to be in that class. I thought it was going to be fun, like what you see on TV but, it ain’t like that.”

(big h/t to the Wizard of Odds)

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‘We can do that for you.”

Make sure you read Barnhart’s post on the SEC TV deals with CBS and – especially – ESPN.  There are a ton of good points and questions he brings out.

For example, on recruiting:

The games on ESPN and ESPN2 will have a unique national branding as the “SEC on ESPN.” That may not sound like a big deal to you but it will be a major recruiting pitch in the future. No other conference has that kind of branding on ESPN: Not the Big Ten, not the Big 12, and not the ACC. The SEC will be able to walk into a living room and say that every conference game will either be on CBS or one of the ESPN platforms. And if the SEC is recruiting a player outside the nine-state area, the coaches can tell parents that the games will be on the dish as part of ESPN’s Game Plan. This is a huge part of this deal. The NFL has the best television package on the planet but what the SEC has with CBS and ESPN is not far off.

It’s good stuff, good enough that I keep wondering why the AJ-C is letting Barnhart go.

And I’m gonna beat a certain dead horse one more time with this observation:

… Other conferences should take heed of this deal because it shows the value of college football in a changing marketplace. While just about all other sports, including college basketball, are hurting when it comes to ratings, college football is more popular than it has ever been and is increasing in value.

Other than the NFL, the TV execs are discovering that college football gives them the most bang for their buck. Collectively CBS and ESPN are investing $3 billion into the SEC over the next 15 years. Those guys don’t throw around that kind of money on an asset that is going to decrease in value over time.

Hmm… what is it about college football that makes it so attractive in the marketplace?  It couldn’t be that old “every week counts” regular season format, could it?  All I can tell you is that, judging from Barnhart’s information, ESPN wanted this deal badly.  In the end, the numbers speak for themselves.

Random non-Dawgy tidbits

Thursday can’t get here fast enough, but here are a few items to keep you occupied this morning.

• A tale of two coordinators. Ching does his usual thing with Tony Franklin, who certainly isn’t media adverse.  Meanwhile, over at Rocky Top Talk, they attempt to read the tea leaves as they pertain to Dave Clawson, who’s been somewhat inscrutable about what to expect with his scheme.  Other than the stupid nickname, of course.
• Heisman Trophy candidates. HeismanPundit has his list up of the ten players most likely to win the Heisman Trophy this year.  As he points out, that’s not the same thing as the ten who will receive the most votes, which is why Tebow isn’t on the list.  I find it interesting that he thinks Stafford has a better shot of winning the award this year than does Moreno.  But I do agree with his choice of #1.
• More from the mouth of Willie Williams. It’s a shame that Williams couldn’t have gotten his act together and played D-1 ball, as he’s a real fount of wisdom.  Of course, with 1-AA not working out for him, either, he’s now the best quote in the world of N.A.I.A football.
• Dayum, coach. Clemmins defensive coordinator Vic Koenning had some, ahem, interesting things to say to the media about a couple of ‘Bama’s incoming recruits.  “Julio? You know what, I actually ran into Julio in the spring recruiting. I said ‘hello’ to him and said, ‘I guess I’ll be seeing you at the end of August.’ Then he got out and got in his Escalade and drove off. That’s (being) serious. And then I went over and watched (Alabama freshman) Burton Scott at Vigor High School at the track over there, and Burton Scott was running around. He went and got in his Escalade out at track practice and drove off. So I’m familiar with those two guys.” Ten minutes later, he came back to say he was just kidding.  Sure, coach.
• Today’s sad moment in South Carolina football history is brought to you by… What can you say about a program that has a shot at this earth shattering accomplishment?  USC has finished at least .500 the last four seasons, marking the longest such streak since 1987-90. The Gamecocks haven’t been at least .500 five straight seasons since 1928-34. Break out the champagne, boys!

New site of note

College Football Resource tipped me off to this website:  CollegeInjuryReport.com.  It’s just what it sounds like, an injury database for D-1 football programs.  It doesn’t seem to be complete – Georgia isn’t listed for some reason – but what’s there is of interest and up to date, including news from yesterday like the Florida injury situation regarding Spikes and Harvin and also news about ASU’s McGaha.

Also, you’ll be pleased to learn that former Tech QB Taylor Bennett was named the starter at Louisiana Tech over the weekend.

Bottom line:  not perfect, but linkworthy.

Know thy opponent, Gators edition

The first hint you get that The Quad’s preseason evaluation of Florida may be grounded in reality comes with its ranking:  #5 obviously isn’t #1.   Then you see this quote and realize that this may be the only major media source that’s realistic with its expectations about Florida’s defense (gasp!).

… However, I’m concerned about the defense. With holes in the middle of the line and a lack of depth in the secondary, Florida is not a complete football team. However, there is no doubt that it is one of a handful of teams with a legitimate shot at the national title. Much will depend on how Meyer and his staff deal with the issues on defense. Can Tebow and the Gator offense simply overshadow the defense by scoring 30-plus points per game? If that’s the idea, I have Florida well over-ranked…

That’s dead on.  He picks the Gators to go 10-2 with a loss in Jacksonville.  I’d take that.