FanHouse ChrisLeak

What began with an apology ended with a national title.

Fourteen and a half weeks after Tim Tebow fought back the tears and promised that that day's loss to Ole Miss was only a beginning, he fought back the Sooners and made sure that promise came true.

And, unless you lived under a rock that has yet to undergo the digital transition, you already know this. It's been unwillingly drilled in to your head like multiplication tables or that darn Saved by Zero commercial.

Again. And again. And again.

He's a missionary. An icon for our generation. A man who can perform a circumcision during an out route and can turn Gatorade into wine.

Or maybe we're confusing him with someone else.

But then again, it's hard to tell with more sugar poured on him than John Daly's breakfast cereal. You think you put on weight over the holidays? Chow down a couple high-calorie Tebow features and you'll be punching new holes in our belt for all those added pounds.

There's an argument for not getting drafted and it goes something like this: sometimes it's better to be a free agent because a player can choose where he signs; a sixth- or seventh-round pick has no such luxury and if they end up on a team deep at the position they play, chances are, come August, they'll be looking for a new job.

This explains why former Florida quarterback Chris Leak, after going undrafted in 2007, signed with the Bears. Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton and Brian Griese weren't names that screamed "franchise players" even if Lovie Smith won't admit it. Leak was released midway through the '07 season, which might indicate that his professional calling lies somewhere outside the NFL.

Not yet. Another team with a young unproven quarterback, the Kansas City Chiefs, want to give Leak a look-see. From the Kansas City Star's Jeffrey Flanagan:

"He's been around, and we'll take a look at what he's got," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. "He's an excellent athlete who's been in some tough spots and has won."

Edwards said he will view Leak as a quarterback rather than trying to convert him to another position. "We're definitely looking at him as a quarterback," Edwards said. "He's got the arm strength. He's kind of got a different game than the other quarterbacks we have. So we'll check it out."

Last Year: 2-10, Unranked

Fans Are: Stoned, and/or skiing

Expectations: Fewer embarrassing losses. Win six games and head to a lower-tier bowl.

Questions:

1. Is Montana State on the 2007 schedule?

Thankfully they are not. Colorado loses the I-AA giant killer, but will still have to contend with in-state rival Colorado State, Arizona State, Florida State and Miami (OH) on their non-conference slate. The Buffaloes face their toughest big 12 opponents – Oklahoma, Missouri and Nebraska – at home, but must travel to Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Iowa State. Even the most optimistic CU fan would be hard-pressed to find six "automatic" wins from that list to get the Buffs bowl eligible come December.

2. Can incumbent QB Bernard Jackson hold off challenges from Cody Hawkins and Nick Nelson?

Probably not. While Jackson has a season of experience under his belt, his performance was underwhelming at best. He completed fewer than 50% of his passes and had as many interceptions (7) as touchdowns. While Jackson is a threat to run – gaining 80 or more yards rushing in 4 games – he will never be mistaken for Michael Vick.

Hawkins is a redshirt freshman and the coach's son, which gives him an advantage as he attempts to grasp the offense. He fancies Chris Leak and carries an impressive resume as a high school All-American and the Gatorade Player of the Year for Idaho in 2005. He lacks size (5-11, 190 pounds), but should be fine as long as he inherited his father's famed intensity. Nelson is a JUCO transfer who enrolled in January. He played against solid competition in the California JUCO system and threw for over 2000 yards and 18 TDs in 2006. If he manages to pick up the offense in the spring he will add depth and could wind up as the starter come August.

More than likely Hawkins or Nelson wins the starting job in the fall and Jackson is used as a QB in certain packages or moves back to RB or WR where he saw time in 2005.

3. Can Patrick Williams finally become the Buffaloes' go-to-guy at wide receiver?

Maybe. Williams arrived in Boulder as one of their most-heralded WR recruits in years but has yet to live up to his billing. Thus, for the third year in a row coaches and fans find themselves projecting a "break out" year from the 6-2, 200 pound junior. Some of his lack of progress can be attributed to CU's woeful QB play, but Williams caught just 20 balls for 303 yards and one TD in 2006. The Buffaloes have lacked a true deep threat since guys like D.J. Hackett, Jeremy Bloom and Derek McCoy departed. Although Williams is part of an experienced group of receivers that returns in 2007, that unit accounted for just three touchdowns in 2006. If Colorado can iron out their quarterback situation and find a playmaker at wide receiver, their offensive production – which ranked 102^nd nationally in 2006 – should improve.

You may remember Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins from such tired sportswriter classics as "my father is the coach". The kid's angling for a starting job this year against incumbent senior Bernard Jackson. But that's not what is interesting about him.

Rather, it's that he loves outgoing Florida quarterback Chris Leak.

Said Hawkins: "Chris Leak is my favorite player ever. . . . He's the exact same size I am."

This tells us everything we'll ever need to know about Hawkins' playing style: death by dink and dunk (ETA 2008).

At least the kid's got opinions. Here's what he says about Alabama offensive coordinator and former Texas quarterback Major Applewhite (as told to the Rocky Mountain News' B.G. Brooks):

"one of the two sharpest offensive minds in the country."

The sharpest belongs not to his father but Colorado offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

H/T: Google Alerts

After the win over LSU many thought that Auburn's next big defensive test would be against Florida. Then came last week and the upstart Arkansas ground attack. The bad news is Florida hasn't gone anywhere. Florida still remains the best offense the Tigers will face this season.

Going into the season many believed that Urban Meyer's offense couldn't work in the SEC. It's one thing to pull it off at Utah and Bowling Green, but playing in the SEC is a different story. One could argue that the jury's still out on Meyer's offense. But you can't say his unit hasn't gotten better every week.

Chris Leak is starting to perform like the heralded quarterback that came to Florida with such high expectations. While Gators fans still don't give him the credit he deserves, he's made a believer out of most everyone in the conference. Leak has completed 65% of his passes and thrown for 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Gators offense is average 29 points a game. That's not bad for a group that has faced Alabama, Tennessee and LSU already this season.