Tim Tebow shares thoughts on first month of 2018 college football season

Former Florida Gators quarterback and current SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow has some thoughts on what has been an interesting September in college football.

Tim Tebow and college football are and always will be synonymous, and the current SEC Network and ESPN analyst shared a few thoughts on how the 2018 season has begun as well as his work with the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Tebow has always been committed to working as hard off the field and in the community as playing on the field, and his inclusion in the 2018 Good Works Team voting panel gives him an opportunity to showcase the great things some college football players are doing.

“I was blessed to be part of the Allstate Good Works team in 2009, my senior year,” Tebow said in our interview. “And for the last three years, I’ve been blessed to be an ambassador for this team, to be able to talk about what these young men are doing off the field.

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“We love the game of college football. We talk about it and we’re passionate about it, and that’s amazing. But I also think we have to recognize what some of these young men are doing off of the field.”

For more than 25 years, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of biggest honors in college football, and the student-athletes who are nominated for this award demonstrate a dedication to community service as well as showing perseverance in dealing with personal struggles.

“That’s why I’m so thankful to be a part of this team, to recognize these 22 young men who are serving in their communities, who are creating non-profiles, who are going to third-world countries, that are building wells and helping people and changing lives,” Tebow stated.

“You know I love the game of college football, but even more so I love honoring young men that are transcending the game and are helping people in the community, especially the less fortunate.”

As we got into the discussion of college football and what’s been seen thus far in the young season, the first topic that came up was Alabama, who has been running circles around opponents all season. How good is Alabama, and how good can they be?

“I think [Alabama] has the chance to be a once in a generation type of team,” Tebow told me. “We’re still early in the season, but they have that type of talent, seems to be that type of chemistry. I think the one thing we’re going to find out is, do they have that ability to handle the pressure that makes certain teams great?

And the former Gators quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner really likes what he sees from Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.

“I think [Tua] is probably the best quarterback in the country right now or at least one of them. I think he’s got an uncanny ability to be extremely accurate in the midst of a lot of pressure and throw a very catchable ball.

“Alabama is definitely the best team in the country, but a lot of things can happen in three hours on a Saturday afternoon.” – Tim Tebow

“He also has a unique ability to feel pressure around him and to maneuver the pocket to know where everybody is, and it’s very special and fun to watch.”

Moving to the other side of the SEC, Tebow had just as high praise for Georgia and how they’ve been putting together another championship run with a couple of great quarterbacks. Despite the talent freshman quarterback Justin Fields brings to the Bulldogs, Tebow still believes this is Jake Fromm‘s team.

“It is Jake Fromm’s team and he needs to have the reins. But I also think he’s a good enough kid that you can put Justin [Fields] in the game at times and use his strengths similar to the way they used him last week.

“I think [Fields] adds another dimension to that team and other teams have to spend time preparing for it. If anything, it just makes other teams worry more and spend more time at practice, and that’s a positive.”

As for the potential (and anticipated) matchup between Georgia and Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, Tebow thinks the Bulldogs will give the Tide just as much trouble as they did in the National Championship Game should they meet again come December.

“Alabama is definitely the best team in the country, but a lot of things can happen in three hours on a Saturday afternoon. I think Georgia can match up well, they can play physical, they’re very deep at running back, and their receivers are underrated.”

Another SEC East team which Tim Tebow can speak on with a lot of knowledge is the Florida Gators. First-year Gators head coach Dan Mullen has his team playing with confidence, and Tebow thinks he’s the right man to turn the program around.

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“I definitely think it’s headed in the right direction,” Tebow said. “I think [Mullen} is the right man for the job. They’re improving every week, and I don’t just say that with wins and losses, I think the way that they’re playing as a team together – offense supporting defense, then supporting special teams – just the way they’re working together to be a complete team.

“They’re not hurting themselves, not a lot of selfish penalties, not a lot of silly things. They’re playing good sound football and that’s what you want to see in a team.”

The Gators have a solid young quarterback of their own, and Tebow likes what he’s seeing from Feleipe Franks this year.

“I think Feleipe has a lot of talent, I really do,” Tebow thoughtfully mused. “I think he’s got one of the stronger arms in the country. When he continues to play with more confidence and continues to have better decision-making, I think he really has one of the higher upsides in the SEC.”

Of course, you can’t talk about the SEC and college football without turning to the College Football Playoff, and I put Mr. Tebow on the hot seat for some important playoff questions.

Which conference does Tebow think has the best chance at missing the playoff this year? The Pac-12 is Tebow’s pick for the toughest road to meaningful postseason games.

Can any conference land two teams in the playoff again? Yes, he thinks the SEC can.

Is Kentucky the real deal? Tebow says absolutely, once we see if they can win a game coming from behind.

Is Benny Snell Jr. a legitimate Heisman contender? Tebow thinks with some big Heisman moments (he pointed to the November game against Georgia) that Snell would be hard to keep out of the conversation of finalists.

And, because I wasn’t letting him off the hook, I asked Tebow who his picks for the playoff were. The man who has been steadfast in practically everything he says and does remained loyal to the picks he made at the beginning of the season.

Next. Which Undefeated Teams Are Actual Playoff Contenders. dark

Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and Ohio State…

But he was quick to add not to count out Oklahoma. Mighty gracious of the career SEC man.

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