11 Lessons Learned: Nothing beats a game at Tiger Stadium

I'm a lucky man. I got to get an up-close look at the battle between No. 1 Florida and No. 4 LSU.

And let me say, there's no better big game atmosphere than Tiger Stadium when it's rockin' loud under ominous clouds and creating home-field magic for the Tigers. But this time there was no magic, voodoo or Cajun mojo working for the purple and gold. Thank Tim Tebow for that. A great performance by the concussed one sent LSU out of the unbeaten ranks with a thud and also bolsters Florida for another run for at the national title.

So while wondering just how many dollars worth of free Cajun food and beer I actually consumed in my tour of tailgates before the game, here are this week's lessons we learned in college football.

Not much can compare to a game under the lights at Tiger Stadium. (Getty Images)

OK, I didn't actually "learn" this on Saturday -- I already knew it was true. But here are five reasons to once again back up this lesson:

1. Loud.
I was standing on the Florida sideline during that opening series and felt like I was inside of Pete Townsend's amplifier. Incredible.

2. Best concessions.
Name another stadium that offers a crawfish pie or jambalaya? You can't. This place rules.

3. Tailgating.
It was estimated that 100,000 people were on campus without tickets just to party. And you can't wave a spoon in the air without hitting a pot of gumbo or a cooler full of beer.

4. Golden Girls.
Still the best reason to actually stay in your seats for the halftime entertainment.

5. Never rains in Tiger Stadium.
Oh sure the old saying is a bunch of hooey, but with an 80 percent chance of rain during the game forecast, barely a few drops hit my shoulders.

Lesson 2: Tim Tebow ain't Superman. OK, but he's close.

After the most famous concussion since Ali-Frazier III, Tebow was cleared to play at about 11 a.m. Saturday morning. But by 11 p.m. Saturday evening, we all wondered what all the hubbub was about. In the postgame news conference Tebow claimed to play more conservatively, but he ran the ball (17 times) more often than he passed (16). In getting a win in volatile Tiger Stadium, he proved he was super, man.

Lesson 3: We learned that this was QB Redemption Saturday.

Not only did Tebow make a triumphant return, but so did these QBs:

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford.
Threw for 389 yards on 27-for-49 passing in the 33-7 win over Baylor. So much for easing that shoulder back into shape huh?

Oregon's Nate Costa.
Returned to his starting spot (thanks to an injury to Jeremiah Masoli) for the first time since last season and directed the Ducks to a 24-10 win over UCLA.

Texas Tech's "System QB" stigma.
With Taylor Potts out, Steven Sheffield stepped in and threw for 490 yards and seven TDs in a 66-14 rout of Kansas State.

Lesson 4: Taking everything into consideration, we know that Alabama remains the most impressive team so far.

Florida was good, but LSU's ineptness helped a lot. Texas was trailing woebegone Colorado at halftime. Virginia Tech has been world-beaters lately but still has an ugly loss. Boise State is playing high schools. Iowa is "just a matter of time." And USC is too Left Coast. Alabama's 22-3 squashing of Ole Miss proved once again that no one is playing better football than the Tide. Put 'em at No. 1, pollsters.

Lesson 5: We found out that whole Gene Chizik thing might've been following light from a dead star.

I think people were going crazy over Chizik's 5-0 start at Auburn for the wrong reasons and Arkansas' 44-23 lambasting proves why. Look people, the Tigers did have a good start, but beating teams like West Virginia and Tennessee is a little on the expected side. And besides, isn't it Gus Malzahn who should be given more credit anyway?

Lesson 6: Boston College showed us all how the worst half of football all season is played.

After last week's ESPN visit, Mark Herzlich's victory over cancer and the Eagles' win over Florida State, BC was all the rage in college football. On Saturday in Blacksburg, the Eagles face-planted like no one else has this season, gaining 3 yards of offense in the first half without recording a first down or completing a pass and trailed 34-0. David Shinskie, the now-famous 25-year-old freshman QB, was 1 for 12 for 4 yards before being pulled.

Lesson 7: Thursday night games are becoming more and more intriguing.

With the scintillating comeback in the rain led by a D-tackle who should get Heisman love, the Nebraska win at Missouri was great theater. This Thursday, we've got a battle of unbeatens as South Florida (5-0) hosts Cincinnati (5-0) to become the catbird team in the Big East standings. Can't wait.

Lesson 8: Speaking of unbeatens, we learned the newest lamb in wolves' clothing.

Kansas. Sure the Jayhawks are 5-0. But a 41-36 come-from-behind win at home vs. Iowa State? I don't care that Todd Reesing (442 yards passing) and Kerry Meier (16 catches) are lighting it up, any unbeaten team worth its salt will blow the Cyclone out of the tub. The expected exposure date comes on Oct. 24 when Oklahoma comes calling.

Lesson 9: Mark Richt's is the newest butt to land on the hot seat.

Saturday's 45-19 egg his Dawgs laid in Knoxville dropped UGA to 3-3. That's bad enough for the ravenous Bulldogs fans. But when you see that it still has Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech trap door games remaining, that fan base will be foaming at the mouth over a .500 finish.

Lesson 10: We learned that a few coaches finally took some heat off their seats. Well, for now.

• Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe picked up his first nonconference win over an FBS school, 25-23 over Southern Miss. Ryan Payne kicked a 32-yard field goal in the last minute.

• Virginia's Al Groh saw his Wahoos pull off their second consecutive victory, this time over a team that entered with a winning record. Jameel Sewell went 20 for 30 for 308 yards in a 47-7 rout of Indiana.

Lesson 11: If you wanted to see a great comeback win, you needed to stay in Louisiana.

• Southeastern Louisiana entered the fourth quarter trailing 44-20 against Texas State, but scored 24 unanswered points to force overtime before winning 51-50. TSU lost it on a missed extra point.

• Louisiana-Lafayette trailed North Texas 34-24 going into the fourth quarter, but scored two late TDs, the last one coming with 27 seconds left. The game-winning drive was kick-started by UNT's 10-yard punt and a defensive holding call that kept the drive alive.