With the summertime blues upon us and baseball happening (Yuck!), all one can think about is the National Champion Florida Gators! I can hardly wait for 2009 college football season to kick-off. Check out the countdown on the left. . . . tick-tock, tick-tock . . . . . . . it's getting CLOSER!

Just think what 2009 has in store for the preseason number one Florida Gators! Maybe a BCS Rose Bowl National Champoinship Game? Just a few miles up the coast, San Diego Gators!

The loudest cheer heard at the Gators’ national championship celebration was the eruption that followed quarterback Tim Tebow’s announcement that he would be back for the 2009 season. You can’t blame the UF faithful for their enthusiasm about the best player in college football and his imminent return. No one in the sport is more important to his team than Tebow, who took charge after last year’s loss to Ole Miss and made sure the Gators won it all.

After feting Tebow, the fans should have remained on their feet and offered a similarly throaty salute to the Florida defense, which returns intact after an ’08 campaign that erased doubts about its toughness and ability to produce big plays. Every player — all 25 — listed on the defensive depth chart before the BCS title game is ready for action in 2009, and that as much as Tebow’s decision to spend his senior season in Gainesville is the reason Florida will repeat as national champions.

How good was the Gator D last year? Florida stumbled through the ’07 campaign, hemorrhaging yards and points in a poor performance capped off by an embarrassing bowl loss to Michigan. The goal was to improve in 2008, and boy, did the Gators get better. They picked off 26 passes — best in America. Posted a plus-22 turnover margin. Were fourth in the nation in scoring defense and ninth in total defense. All of that is back, every scavenging secondary member, every headhunting linebacker, and every pocket-pillaging defensive lineman. Oh, and did we mention that all of them run like 1970s wishbone halfbacks? OK, maybe not nosetackle Lawrence Marsh, but the 6-foot-5, 304-pounder can get it all rolling when he has to. The defensive backfield has so much young talent that some of the five secondary types who have committed for 2010 are considering whether to throw open their recruiting again. Florida is stacked defensively, and that would make it a threat to win 10 games, even if Tebow weren’t coming back.

But he is. The all-around sensation dazzled everybody in 2007 with his running and passing, en route to becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman. Last year, he continued to amaze with his skills and playmaking abilities, but Tebow matured into the consummate leader and could be seen in practically every huddle, whether defense, special teams or cheerleader, exhorting the Gators. Some said it was a little too much, but Tebow decided after the Ole Miss defeat to forget about any numbers but those on the scoreboard. So, when he wasn’t dazzling in the BCS title game win over Oklahoma, it didn’t matter. The final outcome was everything.

Tebow’s encore performance could include another Heisman. Or another national title. (We think so.) Or both. (We think so.) He has certainly joined the unique club of beloved Gator quarterbacks that already includes Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel. Now, he’s bidding to become one of the greatest college players ever. And though Percy Harvin left Gainesville early, Tebow will have plenty of help in his quest. Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps run like they should be wearing singlets and carrying batons. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was virtually uncoverable during the spring. Mike and Maurkice Pouncey are back to crack heads on the offensive line. And if senior Carl Moore continues his development, he’ll join Riley Cooper, David Nelson and Deonte Thompson in what should be a potent corps of receivers.

Florida isn’t a perfect team, but it has few weaknesses. And since everybody decided to come back, the Gators might as well win another championship, don’t you think? Write your thoughts in our message boards!

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Gators Capture Second BCS Crown In Three Years: Defeat Sooners 24-14

The San Diego Gator Club congratulates the 2008 Florida Gators for their fantastic victorious season and National Championship. Check out these national headlines!

On Thursday, January 8, 350 revved up, orange and blue clad Gator fans invaded the “West Coast Swamp,” Players Sports Bar in Kearny Mesa, and partied as a close and low scoring game saw the Florida team pull away to a 24-14 victory in the fourth quarter. The game was not the score-fest indicative of these two potent, tactical strike style offenses that most experts anticipated.

When all was said and done, QB Tim Tebow’s passing and rushing, combined with Percy Harvin’s combined rushing and receiving yardage, proved more than enough to pull away and leave the somewhat shocked Sooners looking up at a final scoreboard that showed their team that scored a season average of 50+ points per game and 60+ in the season’s second half, with a meager 14 points on the night.

Tim Tebow announced that he would be returning to Florida for his senior year. Surprisingly Brandon Spikes announced he too would return. That makes our stellar defense return all starters, 2 deep!. With Tebow's return, that will give him the opportunity to break Danny Weurffel’s all time touchdown record, and also to become only the third QB in college football history to win two Heismans and three National Titles in his career. In other words, the Gators look set to make another title run in 2009. They undoubtedly open the season number one! Check out the Gators 2009 relatively easy schedule!

Go Gators!