Let me tell you that the F-110 powered Tomcats were fantastic. At 25 ft or below, we beat up on Eagles like they stole something. Only altitude kept them alive when we hassled. We had every advantage until the air got thin where the Tomcat wing does not work well enough to sustain corner speed. The only kid who ever beat me when I was flying the F-16N, was in a Tomcat B. (he cheated, though:-))
The single biggest benefit of the GE's was the ability to throttle slam without worrying what was going on with the compressors. With the old TF-30, you had to baby the throttle. Restarts? Flawless. Great stall resistance, due to the faster second stage, and acceleration was incredible. Just a great package all around. The problem is that it all came too late.