OPINION

By Matt Hayes

updated 11:10 p.m. ET Nov. 28, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - They lined up 10-12 rows deep, shoulder to shoulder and moment to moment two hours before the inevitable finally happened on this unseasonably chilly day.

Even Urban Meyer couldn't have imagined his Gator Walk concept evolving into this: a rock concert of a festival full of tears and triumph — and one last goodbye for the greatest Gator of them all.

Tim Tebow played his last game at Florida Field on Saturday. He slapped hands and weaved his way trough the Gator Walk with a seven officer-strong police escort, then went out and played his best game of the season.

Goodbye, Gainesville. Hello, Atlanta.

We know this much after Florida extended its nation-best winning streak to 22 games with a 37-10 victory over Florida State: The top-ranked Gators are peaking with their biggest games remaining, and this university — and likely college football — never will see another player like Tebow.

He had tears in his eyes has he ran out of the tunnel for the last time. He gave his mother Pam a bouquet of flowers and a kiss, and then went out and picked apart Florida State for three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns to set up next week's No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with Alabama in the SEC championship game.

The winner of that game will advance to the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena. But this day in Gainesville was about this moment.

It was one big Touchdown Timmy lovefest. From the fans in the stands wearing Tebow's trademark eye black, to — I swear, I'm not making this up — the referee constantly reaching in the pile and giving Tebow a hand up.

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Even Florida State got in on the action. Late in the second quarter, with the Seminoles trailing 10-0 and everyone in the joint still remotely intrigued, Tebow took a simple option play and parted the red sea. I mean, the Garnett abyss.

Florida State's god-awful defense — there's a reason these guys were 103rd in the nation in total defense — bit on the fake in the middle and the pitch outside and let the greatest player in the modern era prance into the end zone from 18 yards out.

Now that's quality game-planning/coaching, everyone. No. 15 only had 54 rushing touchdowns before that.

In this day of celebration and revelry, we must pause momentarily for this public service plea: Where have you gone, FSU?

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This once electric, bitter rivalry has been reduced to truly embarrassing scenes for a once-proud program in Tallahassee.

Leading 24-0 with 53 seconds to play in the first half — and with all three timeouts — Florida twice kneeled on the ball to end it mercifully for beleaguered coach Bobby Bowden. The Gators' second-team defense played exclusively from midway trough the third quarter — and FSU avoided a fourth-and-goal from the Florida 2 to kick a 19-yard field goal and eliminate the shutout.

Ten years ago, Steve Spurrier's Gators were flinging it and winging it until the last drop of masculinity had been eliminated. But these are Meyer's Gators — and this is Tebow's time.

A week away from the biggest game in SEC history, Florida already has accomplished the unthinkable in four seasons with Tebow: two national championships, two SEC championships, one unbeaten regular season, a 22-game wining streak, a 12-1 record against rivals Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State and Miami, and a 47-6 overall record.

There's really only one way this thing can end. It wasn't the end for those in line at the Gator Walk.

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