It's clear that UF quarterback Tim Tebow and LSU students have a special bond.
Last year, Tigers fans got hold of Tebow's cell phone number and bombarded him with text messages and calls, some of which contained death threats.
Tebow responded with three total touchdowns and flashed a phone gesture toward the student section in Tiger Stadium after his first touchdown pass.
That quickly became the stuff of legend in this rivalry, but here at the alligatorSports Brand picks column, we're all about digging deeper.
We reached all the way to Hawaii to bring you another LSU fan who made a name for himself during that game: the "Tblow Guy."
Before kickoff last season, a parent was filming the Tigers' band play the school fight song when something caught his eye in the student section: a guy with "Tblow" and the number 15 painted on his chest, dancing erratically in the first row.
Two days later, the clip was on YouTube, and Tblow Guy was a celebrity. He popped up on message boards and his dance was linked all over the Internet.
Turns out, Tblow Guy is Justin Brice - a 26-year-old graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University - and get this, he doesn't hate Tebow.
"Any game besides LSU, I'm going for Tebow," Brice said. "The guy's a gamer."
At the time, Brice was a recent graduate of LSU and former cheerleader, and he came up with the idea after hearing a drunk fan yell, "Hey, T-blow me," the night before the game.
Brice's dance quickly caught the attention of those around him for its out-of-control style, but what makes it memorable is the fact that it actually cycles through a few Tebow celebration poses, something Brice said was unintentional, although he does respect Tebow's style.
"I've seen him when he scores, he puts his chin really high and is like, 'Yeah, you know what motherf-ers? I just scored on you.
"His is more white guy, if I can say that. White guys don't dance very well, but they can show that they're really happy, and it looks funny. The African-American players are more concerned with looking like a badass, but with (Tebow), it's like, 'All right, I scored! Yeah, man!'"
Brice said he didn't mean any insult to the quarterback with his outfit, which he also sported for the Tigers' 38-24 win against Ohio State for the national title last season.
"When he got the Heisman, I was actually happy for him," said Brice, who is nearly the same height and weight as Tebow but marvels at his speed. "The guy had like 52 touchdowns, and I'd see him get creamed by linebackers, and he'd just get right back up. I was like, 'Holy crap, that guy's a machine.'"
Brice is currently studying to earn a master's to teach English as a second language and is cheering at HPU, which has a renowned Division II cheer program. He's also keeping his eye out for potential cheerleading jobs in the NFL, a profession he joined to get a scholarship and meet girls but got hooked on.
Brice said he'll be watching the Gators and Tigers on TV this weekend with the rest of the Haoles (white people) at the only place that would be fitting - Hooters - and he hasn't ruled out bringing Tblow Guy back for a Hawaii game.
"Maybe someone watching would be like, 'Hey, there's that asshole! So that's what he's doing now,'" Brice said.
Yes, Brice is living the dream in Hawaii, where his life is immeasurably better than all of ours, and it's clear he hasn't had any trouble adjusting to the laid-back lifestyle.
"Dude, I've been taking a dump this whole time I've been talking to you. I live in a little bungalow."
That has to be a first.
On that note, on to the picks!
In first place, with a 35-15 record, is Assistant Sports Editor Evan "A little piece of me will always be in Arkansas since I left my shoes there" Drexler, who nearly wet himself when Marian Hossa almost scored a breakaway goal in the Detroit Red Wings' season opener Thursday night. To summarize, "The Drex Factor" likes pudgy white men hitting each other with their sticks.
Batting second with a 33-17 record is Phil "Maybe if I pack like a woman, it'll help me get one" Kegler, who never travels without a suitcase big enough to fit a person inside. When you're packing items like "Paris, je t'aime" on DVD, that's understandable.
Comfortably in the middle with a 32-18 record is Sports Editor Brian "I've swallowed every piece of gum I've ever chewed" Steele, who nearly suffered a breakdown while working on his kickoff story this week. He was found rocking back and forth in a dark corner of the Alligator office, asking a Clay Aiken doll what it was like the first time he met Chris Rainey.
In fourth place, with a 31-19 record, is Karl "I hate white people" Hyppolite, who barely suppressed his urge to "kill whitey" long enough to survive four plane rides, two hotel rooms and hours of driving through Oklahoma and Arkansas last weekend with five honkies. We appreciate your patience, Karl.
Bringing up the rear, with a 30-20 record, is Mike "There's no better time in Arkansas than spending two and a half hours in a Buffalo Wild Wings" McCall, who loves free steak almost as much as he loves Tennessee Titans and former ECU running back Chris Johnson. We can't wait to see his brain explode when Matt Ryan wins the NFL Rookie of the Year award instead of Johnson.
| ED | KH | PK | MM | BS | JB | |
| Tex-Okla | Okla | Tex | Okla | Okla | Okla | Okla |
| ECU-UVA | ECU | UVA | ECU | ECU | ECU | UVA |
| SCar-UK | UK | UK | SCar | SCar | SCar | SCar |
| Vandy-MsST | Vandy | Vandy | Vandy | Vandy | Vandy | Vandy |
| ND-UNC | UNC | UNC | ND | UNC | UNC | ND |
| Tenn-UGA | UGA | UGA | UGA | UGA | UGA | UGA |
| UCF-Mia | Mia | Mia | Mia | Mia | Mia | Mia |
| OkSt-Mizz | Mizz | Mizz | Mizz | Mizz | Mizz | Mizz |
| PSU-Wisc | PSU | PSU | Wisc | Wisc | Wisc | PSU |
LSU-UF ED: LSU 28-20; KH: LSU 24-23; PK: UF 28-24; MM: UF 28-24 ; BS: LSU 21-17; JB: LSU 27-21
