BCS Championship Player Profile
WR Anthony Gonzalez,
Ohio State ... You think you know a player because you've seen
him run a million routes, catch a thousand passes and do hundreds of
post-game interviews. However, when you get under the helmet, do you
really know what makes him tick? Doubtful. Gonzalez is one of those
complex, deeply cerebral individuals, who is defined by so much more
than his athletic ability. Yes, he is one of the country's most
underrated receivers, a sure-handed, speedy pass-catcher with a
knack for coming up big in the clutch. Despite being the "other"
receiver on a team that boasts Ted Ginn, Jr., Gonzalez has a
career-high 49 catches for 723 yards and eight touchdowns through 12
games, including personal bests in catches and yards in the win over
Texas. If the big-game receiver doesn't haul in a touchdown in
Glendale, it'll be an upset. Still, there's a whole lot more to
Gonzalez than what you see on Saturdays. He's an Academic
All-American, who plans to be a lawyer once his playing days are
over. Better yet, the son of a Cuban immigrant would like to someday
be the first Hispanic-American U.S. president. How's this for six
degrees of separation? The junior's grandfather went to school with
Fidel Castro and helped overthrow Fulgencio Batista in the 1950s.
Gonzalez is a young man with a plan. A national championship or two.
The NFL. Stanford Law. Maybe the White House. Considering his
unwavering focus, work ethic and passion for success, who's to stay
he won't pull it all off? It may not be evident on a highlight tape,
but few players at this level are more mentally tough or driven to
perfection than the Ohio State playmaker. Those are just two of the
many reasons that Buckeye fans have been gonzo for Gonzo since his
role in the offense permanently increased last year.
Best Buckeye Bowl Moment ... Beyond the
plethora of Rose Bowl wins, nothing could compare to the 2003 Fiesta
Bowl. In one of the most thrilling college football games of
all-time, Ohio State upset Miami in overtime to cop its first
unanimous national championship in 34 years. A distant runner-up was
the come-from-behind win against USC in the 1969 Rose Bowl that put
the finishing touches on that last national title.
Best Gator Bowl Moment ... The 2004
Outback Bowl marked Florida's 11th consecutive season playing a bowl
game in the New Year. No win during that stretch, or at any time in
school history, was more profound than the 52-20 annihilation of No.
1 and unbeaten Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. Three touchdown
passes from Danny Wuerffel to Ike Hilliard gave the Gators revenge
for a three-point loss earlier in the season and a long-awaited
national championship.
Ohio State's best win ...
Ohio State 42 ... Michigan 39
Ohio State won a classic as Troy Smith threw four touchdown
passes to four different receivers highlighted by a 39-yard pass to Ted
Ginn off a fake for a 21-7 second half lead and an eight-yard strike to
Anthony Gonzalez for a 28-14 halftime advantage. Michigan roared back
with a stop on OSU's first second half possession to go 60 yards in five
plays finished off by the second of Mike Hart's three touchdown runs.
The Wolverines pulled within four on a 39-yard Garrett Rivas field goal,
but the Buckeyes got their second big touchdown run of the game, the
first coming in the first half on a brilliant, spinning 52-yard dash
from Chris Wells, on an Antonio Pittman 56-yard dash. Michigan
capitalized off a fumble with a short Hart scoring run, but head coach
Lloyd Carr chose to kick the extra point rather than go for two allowing
OSU to be up by four. With an 11-play, 82-yard drive that took five
minutes and was kept alive on a penalty from a helmet-to-helmet hit on a
third down misfire, Smith hit Brian Robiskie on a 13-yard touchdown pass
for a 42-31 lead. Michigan marched back with a 16-yard touchdown pass to
Tyler Ecker and the two point conversion, but the Buckeyes recovered the
onside kick and ran out the clock.
Ohio State's worst performance ...Ohio State 17 ... Illinois 10
Ohio State's high-powered offense was held to 224 yards
surviving thanks to a big first drive going 80 yards in 14 plays
finishing with a two-yard Chris Wells touchdown run while using a
short field to finish with a one-yard Antonio Pittman scoring run.
The Buckeyes finished off their scoring late in the first half with
a 50-yard Aaron Pettrey field goal. Illinois hit a 37-yard Jason
Reda field goal and got a three-yard Rashard Mendenhall touchdown
run with 1:40 to play, but couldn't get the ball back until late
with the ball on its two with only four seconds to play.
Florida's best win ...
Florida 23 ... LSU 10
Florida overcame a 7-0 deficit with 23 straight points
highlighted by a funky one-yard jump pass from Tim Tebow to Tate Casey with :22
left in the first half. Tebow ran for a one-yard score and threw a 35-yard
touchdown pass to Louis Murphy for the offensive points, and then the defense
and special teams came through as LSU combusted. Early Doucet fumbled the second
half kickoff on the three and got dropped for a safety, there was a fumbled snap
on the one-yard line, had a punt blocked and fumbled a punt. The Tigers only
managed a 45-yard Colt David field goal in the second half.
Florida's worst performance ...
Auburn 27 ... Florida 17
In a tale of two halves, Florida dominated in most of the
first half scoring easily with a big Percy Harvin run leading to a 16-yard Tim
Tebow scoring run and Dallas Baker making a brilliant 15-yard touchdown catch on
the way to a 17-8 first half lead, and then Auburn turned up the defensive
pressure. The Tiger pass rush couldn't be stopped in the second half with Gator
QB Chris Leak rushing his throws and making mistakes, with the biggest a
controversial slip on what was ruled a fumble, even though his arm appeared to
be going forward, leading to a 34-yard John Vaughn field goal. Tre Smith turned
a blocked punt into a touchdown and Patrick Lee returned a fumble 20 yards for a
score with no time left on the clock.
