by Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star, Mo. , The Kansas City Star

Tim Tebow took the home loss to Mississippi hard. So much so that when he approached the podium for a postgame press conference he issued a vow, sort of a college football version of "I Have a Dream."

"But I will promise you one thing," Tebow said. "To the fans, the Gator Nation, I'm sorry. Extremely sorry. But I promise you one thing: a lot of good will come from this. You will never see a player, in the entire country, play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. And you will never see a team play harder than we will play the rest of the season. God bless."

2. THE CATCH

Texas Tech had dominated Texas, building a 19-point lead when Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy appeared to have completed a rally for the ages by putting Texas ahead 33-32 with 1:29 to play.

The college football season and Heisman Trophy race changed on the game's final two snaps. First, Texas freshman safety Blake Gideon could not hold on to a pass that hit him in the chest. Given the reprieve, Tech quarterback Graham Harrell tossed a fade to Michael Crabtree, who shook two defenders and tightroped into the end zone with 1 second remaining for the game-winner.

A national championship game opportunity and Heisman for McCoy were dashed in one moment.

3. THE PICK

The buildup for Alabama's visit to LSU was off the charts. Tide coach Nick Saban had left LSU for the NFL during his honeymoon period and this homecoming wasn't a sentimental reunion.

But silencing the LSU chorus was only an objective sidebar. Top-ranked Alabama needed this one to say in the title chase and clinch the division title in only Saban's second season.

It happened dramatically, and appropriately because of the Tide's defense. The third interception of the night by Bama's Rashad Johnson -- this one in the back of the end zone -- ended the Tigers' first overtime possession and paved the way for Alabama's most satisfying victory of the regular season.

4. THE BANNERS

Big 12 South showdowns were banner days. It seemed you couldn't have a game involving Oklahoma and Texas without a banner-towing airplane delivering a pregame aerial assault.

The banner flying over Oklahoma at Oklahoma State read: "Texas 45, Oklahoma 35 -- Settled on a Neutral Field."

The banner flying over Texas A&M at Texas said: "Hey Mack, Quit Whining, U Knew the Rules."

These football fly-bys were the latest in fan smack over the South Division's tight race that saw Oklahoma emerge from a three-way tie with Texas and Texas Tech based on the league's fifth tie breaker, the BCS standing.

5. THE FOURTH BEST QB

Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks stepped into it at a BCS national championship game meeting with reporters. He was asked where Florida's Tim Tebow would rank among the statistical eye-popping Big 12 quarterbacks.

"Fourth," Franks said.

Text-messaging is an amazing thing. No sooner were the words out of Franks' mouth that word got back to the Florida camp, and Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes went on the offensive, calling Big 12 defenses "a joke."

In the championship game, both defenses played well and Tebow's leadership was a major factor in a 24-14 triumph.

THREE BIGGEST SUPRIZES

1. Utah/ Mountain West

The Mountain West became the nonmajor conference that roared. The eight teams scatted from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast went 6-1 in games against the Pac-10, and Utah broke from the pack in conference play and carved out a historic season.

A 13-0 record, capped by the resounding triumph over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, made the Utes the nation's lone unbeaten, and coach Kyle Whittingham's program did more than Barack Obama to enliven the playoff debate.

2. Penn State

Joe Paterno is the new hip of college football. Figuratively and literally. He guided his program to a surprising Big Ten championship and with a new hip will begin his 44th season in 2009 with a three-year contract extension. Did we mention he is 82?

3. Cincinnati

An unexpected Big East championship and the program's first trip to an elite bowl kept coach Brian Kelly on the short list of several higher profile coaching jobs. The one he selected? Cincinnati.

THREE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

1. Tennessee

A flat effort by the Volunteers cost a national championship coach, Phil Fulmer, his job.

2. Georgia

Fine triumph in the Capital One Bowl, but this wasn't how the preseason No. 1 Dawgs expected to exit the season.

3. Top 10 Tigers

Three Tigers started the year in the top 10. Missouri at No. 6, defending national champion LSU at No. 7 and Clemson at No. 9. Only Mizzou finished the season in the polls -- No. 19 by the Associated Press. LSU finished with a losing SEC record and Clemson pulled the plug on Tommy Bowden at midseason.

COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT, 2009

--Charlie Weis, Notre Dame

Nice bowl victory must be followed up

--Al Groh, Virginia

Has to fix offensive woes

--Gene Chizik, Auburn

How much patience will the fan base have for coach with a 5-19 career record?

BIGGEST STAY/RETURN DECISIONS

--Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford

--Florida quarterback Tim Tebow

--Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes

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