Throughout my life, I have seen many farces in college football: Teams paying their players, running up the score, having boosters help the programs and committing NCAA violations, but not one coach amazes me as much as Florida’s Steve Spurrier.

Oh, you know Mr. Spurrier, the crybaby who you will see every week throw down his trusty visor and complain to the referees about how his quarterback is being targeted by the other team.

This year, he was complaining about the Florida State Seminoles’ tactics when they tackled running back Earnest Graham.

He’s usually the one you see winning 70-7 over schools such as Assumption or Grand Canyon State, or whatever school they can find that has an enrollment of about 50 people, who are all on the team.

There is no doubt that Spurrier is a great college coach, as proved by his record and his national championship; however, there might not be a man in this world who uses the tactics Spurrier does in order to keep the best players possible at his school.

The Orange Bowl was played Wednesday night, with Maryland matched up against Florida and star quarterback Rex Grossman?wait?Grossman did not start.

Why would the Heisman candidate quarterback not start? He had the best offensive statistics the country had seen this season.

The talented sophomore led the team to this point, but he didn’t get to start the game because he was an hour late one night and missed his curfew.

Now, I know this is a clear breakdown in team rules, and blah blah blah. Steve Spurrier attempted to cover all his bases when he said, “If we lose the game, you know what, you can blame it on me. If Rex plays and we lose the game, you’re going to blame that on me, too. It doesn’t matter. We’re going to play the guys who we think deserve to play and who have earned the right to play.”

OK, maybe I would accept this if it was coming from Jesus Christ, but Spurrier does not strike me as the type of guy that would comply with “team rules” unless there was some way starting Brock Berlin instead would benefit him.

Berlin was the top recruit in the nation when he signed with Florida. But Spurrier would not allow Berlin to redshirt one of his seasons, just in case Grossman was injured, so, after sitting the bench for two years, Berlin was pretty angry with the school and all but stated that he will transfer. The leading choice would have been the University of Miami.

Berlin would have to sit out next year to comply with NCAA rules for all transfers that are moving onto another Division 1-A school.

Enter Steve Spurrier.

You knew Spurrier needed to keep this guy just in case Grossman left for the NFL either this year or next.

So when Grossman and various other team members were an hour late, the punishment was supposed to be that the players should run extra sprints. Spurrier changed the rules, however.

He asked all the seniors if the players who missed curfew should get to play, and when they answered yes, he stated that they would not start.

Clearly, Spurrier was trying to find a way not to have the players play, but why?

Because he wants to keep Berlin.

Spurrier wants to show Berlin that he will let him play in the Orange Bowl, and may redshirt Berlin next season so that he will be able to stay at Florida and finish his career as a starter in a Gator uniform.

The bowl game is just a tool for Spurrier to fix his relationship with Berlin, and that is why this entire act of “punishment” is a farce.

The tactics he used, the punishments he changed do not surprise, for it is college football, and it is Steve Spurrier.

Sacrificing Grossman for the backup is something only Stevie could do, but why shouldn’t he? Berlin is a budding star, but will this keep him from heading out?

I certainly hope not, and I also hope nobody believes that Spurrier has any integrity by “punishing” his players.

If I was Berlin, I would leave in a heartbeat, because of the prospect of playing for Miami, and the prospect of not having to deal with the lies of Spurrier.

Throughout all the scandals I have heard, this obviously does not merit any kind of punishment from the school. However, it’s just as mischievous as all other scandals the sport has seen.

Asad welcomes feedback at: [email protected].