Need a New Bandwagon?

Well, Tebowmania is going into hibernation. One loss doesn't make me "right" any more than the win two weeks ago made me "wrong," but I stand by my opinion of Tim Tebow. He's great in spots, awful in others. He's a great guy who has a place in the NFL, but I wouldn't bet my franchise on him. I really don't have an interest in piling on a quality human being any more than that. So, that's all I'll say about him.

Now, though, who will America cheer for now that everyone's favorite underdog is watching at home?

The Patriots are the complete opposite of an underdog. They are the dominant franchise of the last decade. So, if you want to pull for dominance and greatness (nothing wrong with that), there's New England.

The Giants have a pretty big bandwagon of their own: the biggest market in the country. They have a nice history and a pair of Super Bowls. Eli Manning won one of those Super Bowls, meaning there's no monkey on his back. So, there's not much of an underdog feel there, either.

The Ravens? Well, I guess that depends on how you feel about Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, and John Harbaugh. There are mixed feelings out there about all those guys. Maybe if the Ravens hadn't won Super Bowl XXXV, I'd feel good for the city of Baltimore to get an NFL title again, but that's not a story now. Baltimore just doesn't have a reason for me to jump on the bandwagon.

Then, there's San Francisco. While we were all caught up in Tebowmania, we may have overlooked a great underdog story out west. This isn't even about the proud 49ers' franchise that has fallen on hard times, including a 6-10 campaign last year. This is about the quarterback everyone had given up on. This is about Alex Smith.

I'm not saying he's elite yet, but my opinion of Alex Smith changed Saturday.

Alex Smith was taken first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. In the seven seasons since, he has played for seven different offensive coordinators and three head coaches. He's dealt with some frustrating injuries and the lofty expectations that come with playing quarterback for the same franchise that had Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Excuses aside, there was no shaking the fact that Alex Smith had underachieved. His numbers were somewhere between "unspectacular" and "terrible."

Aaron Rodgers was taken 23 spots behind Smith in the 2005 NFL Draft and has emerged from Brett Favre's shadow to become an elite NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion. The fact that Rodgers is a California kid and a product of nearby Cal-Berkeley didn't help matters as many local fans wanted Rodgers from the beginning and have groaned about Smith since draft day.

While no other quarterback in that draft has found great success, many had had more successful careers than Smith entering 2011: Jason Campbell (25th overall), Kyle Orton (106th), Derek Anderson (213th), Matt Cassel (230th), and Ryan Fitzpatrick (250th).

Smith's rookie contract expired after the 2010 season, but the 49ers brought him back on a one-year deal. They mainly did this because there were few better options available and little time to find a trade after the lockout ended. It was truly Smith's last chance to deliver before San Francisco moved in another direction at quarterback. Smith won the starting job and the respect of new head coach Jim Harbaugh, and a great redemption story began.

In a season that saw guys like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford put up video game statistics, Alex Smith quietly put up career highs in yards (3,144), completion percentage (61.3), and quarterback rating (90.7). His modest total of 17 touchdowns was one short of his career high, but he only threw 5 interceptions (which would be a career low, but he threw 4 in 2007 when he only played 7 games). None of those numbers are amazing, but they were a step in the right direction for Smith.

Oh by the way, he led the 49ers to 13 wins, their most since 1997. He also led an offense that tied an NFL record for fewest turnovers with 10.

The regular season stats, though, aren't why I'm on the Alex Smith bandwagon. It was this weekend's win over the Saints. Going toe-to-toe with a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees, Smith got it done when we were all expecting him to fall short like he had for the previous six seasons.

When Smith scrambled for a 28-yard touchdown to give San Francisco the lead, I was impressed. After Brees gave the Saints the lead and Smith marched the team back down the field with under two minutes to play, I was stunned. When Smith fired a strike to Vernon Davis to win the game, my jaw hit the floor.

Was it a brief moment of glory or the beginning of
something great for Alex Smith? I'm anxious to find out.

This guy who was considered a bust and a joke five months ago just completed seven of nine passes down the stretch. He led his team on fourth quarter scoring drives of 80 and 85 yards. He rushed 28 yards for one of those touchdowns and threaded the needle for another to get the best of Drew Brees.

Wow.

Did I just see a star born? Time will tell. Those two drives, though, made me a believer in Alex Smith. He made precise throws, made great decisions under pressure and got the win. That was cold-blooded. That's what champions do.

It was asked on Twitter this week why people are all about Tebow and nobody talks about Smith. I think the reason for that is that Tebow, despite his flaws, has had some spectacular game-winning moments (the touchdown run against the Jets and the pass to beat Pittsburgh) and he was also a highly-decorated media darling in college, too. Smith isn't spectacular, and he really wasn't on the national media's radar until his final season at Utah. Despite those 13 wins, he hadn't really had a "big moment" in the NFL until this weekend. Saturday, though, he made a play for the ages.

Could it be a fluke? Of course. No names have come up in big moments before. Then again, maybe this is the beginning of a new chapter in San Francisco 49ers' lore. I'm anxious to see what's next.

So, if you need a new underdog to cheer for, join me on the Alex Smith bandwagon.

Split National Title? Not for Oklahoma State

The OSU Cowboys had a great season, but dreams of
any kind of split national title will not come true.

A lot of people around Oklahoma have wishfully speculated at the outside shot that Oklahoma State could get in on a split national title if Alabama beats LSU in the BCS Championship Game. I hate to rain on that parade, but I will: there is no chance that happens. If there is any kind of split national title, LSU will get the AP title.

I've been over LSU's credentials before. You could argue that the Tigers shouldn't even have to play this game to be the national champions. Their body of work is so much more impressive than anyone else, they may have enough to still claim the AP title if Alabama wins an ugly or controversial game. I still think Alabama would get enough votes to edge out LSU for the AP title in that scenario, though.

Oklahoma State's win over Stanford was great, and it solidified OSU as a strong third and possibly a contender to finish second in the final polls. However, the voters won't just decide they don't like Alabama or LSU and then just jump Oklahoma State over both of them.

Oklahoma State fans should be proud of everything that team accomplished, and they have a right to claim that their team deserves a chance to play the LSU/Alabama winner. However, much like TCU last season and Auburn in 2004 and Boise State a couple of times, those claims are pointless because the game will never happen. .

Does the system stink? Sure, but we knew that in August. It's not changing now. Monday's winner takes all. Those were the rules when the season began, and those will be the rules when the season ends. The winner of Monday night's game will be the national champion. Period

In my opinion, OSU fans should pull for an LSU national title.
Let's be honest: the Tigers deserve it.

If OSU fans want a little controversy and something to talk about, then pull for Alabama with the knowledge that no possible outcome will result in OSU winning the AP national title. An Alabama blowout means a unanimous title for the Tide. A close win by Alabama probably means the same. A ugly or controversial win by Alabama might cause some AP voters to give LSU the title. That's it.

I personally think OSU fans should pull for LSU to crush Alabama so that the Cowboys finish as a strong second in both polls. Make some national runner-up t-shirts if you want. That's the best that Cowboy fans can realistically hope for, and they should be proud of it.

Why I'm not on Team Tebow

Tim Tebow is one of the most fascinating, polarizing figures the NFL has seen. Sunday is an important day for him. Either he leads Denver to an upset win and Tebow Mania gets a second wind, or he falls short and Tebow Mania could end.

People either love him or hate him. I don't hate Tebow. I just don't think he's very good. Call me a hater if you want, but I have my reasons.

Sorry. I'm just not a believer in Tim Tebow as an NFL QB.

First and foremost, I'm a Chiefs fan. Tebow is a Bronco. So, out of loyalty to my team, I cannot cheer for Tim Tebow to be successful. I respect Tebow for what he did in college. Two national titles and a Heisman trophy, and he was close to a third title and a second Heisman. He was one of the most accomplished college football players of all time, but I knew I couldn't cheer for him anymore when Denver called his name in the 2010 NFL Draft.

During that draft, I admit I was kind of hoping Tebow would land in a good spot and find success, because he's a good guy. I can't stress that enough: I don't dislike Tim Tebow the person. I have no problem with him praising God and expressing his religion. I am just not a fan of his skill set for the NFL. Although I wanted him to find a spot to be successful on draft day, I did not disagree with all the analysts that criticized his long throwing motion and lack of throwing accuracy. You can't ignore those things. They're very important, especially when there are only 32 starting NFL quarterback jobs. A team can't ignore the flaws of an inaccurate QB when there are better options out there.

I can certainly admit a few things about Tebow:
1. He's interesting. Whether you're rooting for him or against him, you watch. You're either cheering or waiting to see him fail. And when you're not watching him, you're blogging about him. Wait... what?
2. He has heart and fire. No matter what you think about his talent, there's no doubt he has the heart of a champion. We saw that at Florida, and you can't argue that the rest of the Denver team perked up a bit when he took over. So, he deserves credit for that. However, much like a coach who changes the team's attitude but doesn't know X's and O's, that boost from a rah-rah QB only lasts so long before the flaws get exposed.
3. He's dangerous on the move. When he's out of the pocket, he can make things happen. He can either run for tough yards or make a throw when the play breaks down. NFL teams have finally caught on to this, though.

This is where the hater in me returns. Tebow is a trick play, a change of pace. He's someone you bring in as a short-yardage specialist. What he does at quarterback does not project long-term success. Deep down, I think any sensible Bronco fan knows this. I feel like people cheering for him are doing so in the same way we cheer for that walk-on in a college basketball game who comes in and chucks a three that somehow falls. It's the underdog pulling off the unthinkable. That's why we cheer: because it's an upset. We are not cheering because we are seeing true greatness. It is NOT a star being born like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees or even a promising young guy like Matthew Stafford. Those guys have been (or will be) around for a while because they can make every throw an NFL quarterback has to make: the fade, the five-yard out, leading a receiver on a slant, the deep ball, everything.

Considering they had arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history play for them for 16 years, you would think that Broncos fans would know a franchise quarterback when they see one. Yet, they still want Tebow on the field. Their reason: "he wins."

Does he, though? HE wins? Or is he the quarterback of a team that wins? This is probably my biggest gripe with Tebow, and it's not his fault: he gets way too much credit for Denver's success. WAY too much.

I suppose my angst isn't directed so much at Tebow as it is at the those who praise him after every Bronco win when there is actually a lot more praise to go around.

As fellow Tulsa sports producer Steve Braun pointed out on Twitter, Denver has been more successful with Tebow playing quarterback because the Broncos have committed to the run. With Kyle Orton starting at quarterback, Denver threw 59.9% of the time through the first four games. Maybe that's a good strategy if Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady is your quarterback, but not Kyle Orton. Then Denver made the switch to Tebow during the loss to San Diego in Week 5. Since then, Denver has run the ball 61.9% of the time. That includes a win over the Chiefs in which Tebow threw the ball just eight times while the Broncos ran the ball 55 times. Why the change in offensive strategy? Tebow can't throw the ball very well, so they had to mix in more runs (some with Tebow, some not). Thus, Denver rode that strong offensive line and stable of running backs (which includes Tebow) to more victories.

Tebowing was funny. But even that's getting old to me.

Another thing that gets me, though, is how my Twitter timeline was filled with "TEEEEEEEEBOW!!!" tweets after every win. The Denver defense that held opponents to less than 14 points four times during that six-game winning streak (the height of Tebow Mania) was rarely given any kudos. The win over Oakland? Willis McGahee broke a 60-yard touchdown to tie the game, Eddie Royal returned a punt 85 yards to take the lead, and McGahee capped off a 163-yard day with a 24-yard touchdown to ice the win. Matt Prater blasted two field goals from beyond 50 yards to win the Chicago game (after Marion Barber fumbled in overtime). People's chants after each win? "TEEEEEEBOW!!!"

To be fair, I'll give credit him for winning the Jets game. That touchdown run in the fourth quarter was huge (going back to the "dangerous on the move" point earlier). I'll also tip my cap to him for his effort in the Patriots' loss. He played pretty well. New England was just a much better team with a much better quarterback. Tebow fought hard, but he wasn't going to match Tom Brady throw-for-throw for 60 minutes.

So, as for the "he wins" argument: sure, he has been a part of a winning team. However, there is one thing better than winning: winning long term. Tebow does not project to be successful long term until he becomes a more accurate passer. Look at what's happened in the last three games. The Patriots threw the ball all day because they knew Tebow couldn't keep up. The Bills pressured Tebow into a lot of mistakes, and the Chiefs kept Tebow in the pocket to hold the Broncos to just three points. The book is out on stopping Denver: load up against the run, have linebackers spy Tebow to keep him in the pocket, and make him beat you with his arm. He can't. Not yet anyway.

Disagree with me if you want. I know one person who agrees with me: John Elway. Elway has been critical of Tebow, but did praise him during the six-game winning streak. You can't help but think that Elway wants a reason to change to a quarterback more like himself, but Tebow's winning streak made it tough to do. I think there's a part of Elway that would be fine with Denver getting blasted by 40 points against Pittsburgh just so Denver fans would be okay with him looking at other options at QB.

There may be a chance Denver could grind out a win against a banged up Steelers team at home, but I'd be absolutely shocked if the Broncos last past next week. If they do and Tim Tebow is the reason why, I'll come back here and admit I was wrong and Tim Tebow has become a legit NFL star. (Although, Mark Sanchez has been to two AFC Championship games. How do Jets fans feel about that guy right now?)

While it's not impossible for Tebow to improve, there are new prospects coming out of college every year who can throw the ball better than he can. Eventually, the Broncos will need a pocket passer to win Super Bowls. Maybe Tebow somehow becomes that guy. More likely, though, Denver will move in a different direction sooner or later.

I hate that for Tim Tebow the guy, but I don't disagree with moving past Tebow the quarterback. He's simply not a great one in the NFL... yet.