Another championship season?

<p>At this time a year ago, coming off a disappointing four-loss season, the Florida Gators had a chip on their shoulders. They had something to prove.</p><p> Now, the Gators have a target on their back. They have something to defend – their 2008 national championship.</p><p> With All-America quarterback Tim Tebow returning, along with almost every other impact player, including all 11 starters on defense, Florida is expected to be the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. And the team that everyone else will be gunning for in college football this fall.</p><p> The target is there – and UF coach Urban Meyer knows it. That’s why he ordered strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey Marotti to put the Gators through the most demanding offseason training in school history. The hope is it would help Florida retain the mental and physical edge it gained during a 10-game winning streak at the end of last season that culminated with a 24-14 victory over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game.</p><p> After an upset loss to Ole Miss in the fourth game in 2008, Tebow made his emotional promise that no one would play harder than the Gators the rest of the season. The Gators proved unbeatable from that point on, winning the next nine games by an average score of 48.3 to 13.0 to reach the national title game.</p><p> Now, the title defense is about to begin.</p><p> Of course, any talk about the Gators’ chances of repeating usually starts with Tebow, whom Meyer has called one of the greatest players in the history of college football. In his three seasons at UF (only two as the starter), Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, has accounted for 9,112 total yards (rushing and passing) and 110 touchdowns. When he announced he was returning for his senior season, the Gators instantly became one of the favorites to reach the BCS title game again.</p><p> Tebow will be surrounded by most of the same offensive playmakers he had to work with last season, the lone exception being All-America wide receiver (and dual threat) Percy Harvin, who has moved on to the NFL a year early. The Gators also will have two new starting offensive tackles.</p><p> Defensively, everyone does return – the 11 starters and all their backups. The defense, which stymied Oklahoma’s powerful offense in the national championship game, received an unexpected boost when All-America middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, like Tebow, announced in the spring he was returning for his senior season.</p><p> With Tebow, Spikes and so many other impact players back, the preseason expectations for this Florida team are off the charts.</p><p> The target is there, squarely on the Gators’ backs, and everybody knows it.</p><p>At this time a year ago, coming off a disappointing four-loss season, the Florida Gators had a chip on their shoulders. They had something to prove.</p><p> Now, the Gators have a target on their back. They have something to defend – their 2008 national championship.</p><p> With All-America quarterback Tim Tebow returning, along with almost every other impact player, including all 11 starters on defense, Florida is expected to be the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. And the team that everyone else will be gunning for in college football this fall.</p><p> The target is there – and UF coach Urban Meyer knows it. That’s why he ordered strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey Marotti to put the Gators through the most demanding offseason training in school history. The hope is it would help Florida retain the mental and physical edge it gained during a 10-game winning streak at the end of last season that culminated with a 24-14 victory over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game.</p><p> After an upset loss to Ole Miss in the fourth game in 2008, Tebow made his emotional promise that no one would play harder than the Gators the rest of the season. The Gators proved unbeatable from that point on, winning the next nine games by an average score of 48.3 to 13.0 to reach the national title game.</p><p> Now, the title defense is about to begin.</p><p> Of course, any talk about the Gators’ chances of repeating usually starts with Tebow, whom Meyer has called one of the greatest players in the history of college football. In his three seasons at UF (only two as the starter), Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, has accounted for 9,112 total yards (rushing and passing) and 110 touchdowns. When he announced he was returning for his senior season, the Gators instantly became one of the favorites to reach the BCS title game again.</p><p> Tebow will be surrounded by most of the same offensive playmakers he had to work with last season, the lone exception being All-America wide receiver (and dual threat) Percy Harvin, who has moved on to the NFL a year early. The Gators also will have two new starting offensive tackles.</p><p> Defensively, everyone does return – the 11 starters and all their backups. The defense, which stymied Oklahoma’s powerful offense in the national championship game, received an unexpected boost when All-America middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, like Tebow, announced in the spring he was returning for his senior season.</p><p> With Tebow, Spikes and so many other impact players back, the preseason expectations for this Florida team are off the charts.</p><p> The target is there, squarely on the Gators’ backs, and everybody knows it.</p>