Give Tim Tebow credit for one thing: In a game that no one could have blamed him for skipping, a game that many were indeed pleading for him to miss, he didn't back down. His 17 rushes for 38 yards aren't that impressive until you consider that this is a man who just injured his brain and was still willing to get hit on a run. He was solid but unspectacular passing: 11-of-16, 134 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.
But that could describe the entire Florida offensive performance: Solid but unspectacular. They gained 327 yards in all, no player passed 100 yards in all-purpose offense and, of course, they only scored 13 points. That was enough against an LSU offense that never found its footing against the Florida defense, gaining 162 yards on 47 plays. The ground game was shut down once again, QB Jordan Jefferson was uneven and a team that won its last showdown against Florida in Baton Rouge by converting several fourth downs was 2-of-12 on third and fourth.
Florida at least had a couple of memorable plays in the game, including a bobbing and weaving scramble by Tebow that didn't gain much ground but showed he was ready to play after the concussion and a throw to a wide open Riley Cooper in the corner of the end zone. LSU fans, for their part, will be more than willing to wipe this game from their memory completely.
LSU is not out of the race for the SEC West in the strictest sense of the word. Mathematically, they can still defeat Alabama and the other possible contenders and win the division. But there is no margin for error. Do all that and get back to Atlanta and they can entertain dreams of a national title. The way they played Saturday, though, I wouldn't encourage the LSU faithful to reserve hotel rooms in Pasadena.
As for Florida, the most important thing was to win the game. After that came getting out with Tebow alive and confident enough to take the field again. On both counts, mission accomplished.