Book a trip to NYC, Mr. Tebow

<p>COLUMBIA, S.C. — Imagine what would have happened if Percy Harvin did make the trip.</p><p> Harvin wasn't on the plane to and from Columbia to face South Carolina because he was sick, which could also describe how Steve Spurrier felt after watching his defense Saturday night. Even without Harvin, Florida put on an offensive show that was so overwhelming the Gators could have left punter Chas Henry home as well. </p><p> He punted once ... late in a game ... that was already over.</p><p> A week ago, South Carolina's defense shoved Arkansas running back Darren McFadden back into the Heisman race. On a crisp Saturday night, that same defense allowed Tim Tebow to make reservations for New York.</p><p> Not to take anything away from Tebow. On a night when he passed a couple of lightweights named Herschel Walker and Emmitt Smith in the record books, Tebow was easily the best player on the field.</p><p> To put his season into perspective, Tebow has now rushed for one more touchdown than Nebraska's Eric Crouch did the year he won the Heisman. And he's thrown a few more touchdown passes (16 to be exact), including two last night.</p><p> “I think that was a Heisman performance,” Urban Meyer said.</p><p> Florida's 51 points were the most scored against a Spurrier defense since (and if you are still sensitive about this I'm sorry to have to bring it up) the 62 points Nebraska scored against Florida in the '96 Fiesta Bowl.</p><p> Tebow lit up the nation's top-ranked pass defense for 304 yards, ran for five touchdowns and sent home early most of the fans who packed the stadium. </p><p> “I thought we talked about not letting him run it in there,” Spurrier said. “What'd he run for, two?”</p><p> Told it was five, Spurrier said, “He ran five? I lost count. Geez, I didn't keep up with all of them.”</p><p> It wasn't easy. With Harvin out just a week after becoming the first Gator to run and catch for 100 yards, Tebow put the team on his shoulders and carried it into the night. Or rather, Florida's coaches put it on his shoulders (he ran or threw on 58 of UF's 80 plays). They used a variety of players to fill in the role that Harvin usually plays and didn't miss a beat.</p><p> I'm certainly not saying he did it all alone, but he put up gaudy numbers despite a couple of dropped touchdown passes.</p><p> Florida scored 51 points despite two first-half fumbles.</p><p> Florida had 537 yards despite it's most dangerous weapon not making the trip.</p><p> It was a strange day in Columbia with the word of Harvin's absence starting as a rumor and bouncing from the Internet to tailgate parties. Needless to say, Gators and Gamecocks had different reactions to the news.</p><p> And then there were the events of a Saturday that once again turned the college football world upside down (see: the Zooker over Ohio State) and normalcy to the SEC East. By the time the game kicked off, South Carolina's flickering hopes were snuffed out by Tennessee's win and Florida had not received the help it hoped would come from Knoxville and Athens.</p><p> But the Gators knew that no matter what, no matter who was not in Williams-Brice Stadium and no matter who won or lost they had to win the game to keep hope alive.</p><p> If there were any concerns about Meyer's team coming out flat because of the previous 24 hours, they were extinguished right away. </p><p> If not for three UF turnovers in the first 30 minutes, this game would have been over by halftime.</p><p> But it didn't matter. </p><p> Tebow needed only four plays after the second-half kickoff to put his team in the end zone. </p><p> He was not only physical, he was agile. He was not only accurate, he was innovative. The two-handed chest pass to Jarred Fayson was a beauty.</p><p> And in the end, Florida finished its SEC season with a 5-3 record. It may not be good enough to get the Gators in Atlanta. We'll see. But Saturday night should be good enough to get Tebow an invitation to see the stiff-armed one in person.</p>