For the past two seasons, Mike McCoy has been almost an overlooked starter. The upcoming senior wide receiver from Rankin, Miss., is a “quiet” player, but has been the Tide’s third-leading receiver as both a sophomore and junior. He has appeared in 29 games with 18 starts and has career numbers of 44 receptions for 398 yards and two touchdowns. Last year he had 16 catches for 191 yards and one touchdown (a flea-flicker for 30 yards against Ole Miss).

If Tebow weren't playing for Urban Meyer, what SEC coach could he see himself playing for?

The quarterback misunderstood the question, which seemed to require he choose a coach currently at work in the SEC.

His answer was crystal-football clear.

"If I didn't go to the University of Florida, I would've gone to the University of Alabama to play for Coach Shula, who I had a great relationship with," Tebow said.

Not the first time he's said that so he could've stopped there. He didn't.

"I just had the utmost respect for him," Tebow said. "I thought he was a great person, a great father, and he was a great coach, and that's who I would've played for -- Coach Shula."

OK. I'm not sure Don Shula would call Mike Shula a great coach, so let's give Tebow two out of three. But Campbell said Shula and Tebow still talk regularly, which speaks to Tebow's sincerity on the subject.

What if "the greatest leader in college football history," as Bobby Bowden recently called Tebow, had gone to Alabama to play for Mike Shula?

Safe bet: Shula, not Nick Saban, would've been at the Wynfrey on Thursday.

One of Saban's talking points this time around fits nicely here.

He said one player can't make a team, but one player -- like, say, one who gets himself suspended for the Sugar Bowl -- sure can break it.

It's true that Tebow was a bit player on Florida's 2006 national championship outfit and that, even as the promise-keeper of the 2008 BCS title-winners, he didn't gain every yard or score every point or play a snap on defense.

But his presence made last year's team, almost as much as his college choice unmade Shula's program.

Hear me out. During Tebow's senior high school season in 2005, Alabama started 9-0 and rose to No. 4 before losing to No. 5 LSU in overtime.

Imagine Tebow in crimson the next spring. Remember, he enrolled at Florida in January of 2006.

Picture him the last three years, running and throwing behind Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell.

Where would that leave Saban today?

Probably not with the Dolphins. He might've stayed there one more year, merely delaying an inevitable return to the college game.

What interesting jobs were open after the 2007 season? Michigan, then West Virginia. Could Michigan have hired an old Michigan State man?

Would Saban have gone home to West Virginia given the chance?

And what schools might've pulled the trigger on their coaches, as Alabama did with Shula, if they knew Saban was available?

What if? It's a fun parlor game. Almost as much fun as guessing when Meyer will coach Notre Dame.

If anyone should be insulted by that speculation, it's not Meyer.

It's Saban. He's Catholic, too, and people close to him have said he would find it hard not to listen if the Irish ever wanted to talk.

But this is about Tebow. He's the ultimate answer to anyone who questions the importance of recruiting.

Till the end, he took Shula seriously, and made Meyer sweat, but when he chose Florida over Alabama, he changed the course of Florida and Alabama. Not to mention the SEC and the BCS.

Shula, for all his growing pains as a young head coach, really was only one player away.

That player was Tim Tebow.

You're off to a great start! Looks pretty good to me. I just moved back up north after living in Tuscaloosa for 12 years. Went to quite a few Bama games, (special thanks to a friend that worked the gate). Roll Tide!

need help here, if you are good at this kinda thing just let me know and will make you in charge..lol