I still don't think Auburn is a very good team, way down from where they were last few years. Gator offense is a problem, and allowed Auburn to stay in the game.
I watched the game. The highlight was Auburn's second half defense which smothered any attempt by Florida to move the ball with consistency. Re: "the call". Here we go again. In real time and in replay I did not believe he was attempting to throw the ball, unless he was trying to feed it to the onrushing defender, who had him smothered. He started to throw then drew back under pressure from the rush, then his arm dropped. Because it dropped forward it gave the appearance of an attempt to throw, which is what the Florida people will hang their hat on. If he was attempting to throw then it would have been intentional grounding, which would have pushed them back 5 more yards. There must be indisputable evidence to the contrary to overturn the ruling on the field. There was no indisputable evidence in this situation. What if it's not ruled a fumble? Do you assume that FL would have kicked the FG when they were making critical errors all night? There was a ton of time left. Do you assume that Auburn would not have scored again either on offense or defense? No. You can't assume anything beyond the disputed play. Auburn was intercepting FL passes. They were causing FL fumbles. Look at the last play of the game which resulted in a meaningless Auburn TD. Yet another FL miscue. FL played a similar game to ND's game vs. Michigan. They were done in by mistakes which fed the opponent's momentum. The difference in hindsight is the quality of the opponent. Michigan buried ND. Auburn allowed FL to make it a game until about 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter. After that, FL looked like it had no gas left in its tank. I expect the SEC to produce two top ten teams by the end of the season, likely FL and TN.
Tailback I looked at the highlights of the Auburn offense. There weren't any. Like ND they're a one-armed fighter. Therefore if they're like ND they have to be overrated.
It certainly wasn't clear to me that it was a fumble, when they showed the replay I thought it was going to get overturned. The ESPN Gameday crew said they talked to the replay offical though and he was adamant that it was clearly a fumble, no doubt about it. I just didn't see it as clearly a fumble. Gators got the ball back with plenty of time to get into FG range or to score a TD, but threw the pick instead. But I'd have still rather had 8 min to go leading 21-20. Maybe Auburn still wins, but maybe not. They still control their destiny for the SECCG and a game with possibly Arkansas or a rematch with Auburn. But it badly hurts their NC game, Texas should jump in front of them in the polls and we are not likely to lose another game with the closing schedule that we have. Terry
I ... <t>Posted last Sunday I knew the Gators were in for a hard night. Give Auburn credit for hanging for 60. Florida is still outstanding. What a league this year in the SEC.</t>
Meyer is a great coach but he still has his "wish I had that one back"moments. When UF marched down the field to a 2nd and 4 at the 6 late in the 4th it was Chris Leak who took them there with a lot of momentum. Then Meyer made the first of two big gaffes in a row by stopping that momentum and bringing in Tebow...who ran for a yard. Then Meyer makes mistake number 2 by bringing Leak back in to obviously throw on 3rd and 3 when a FG and the 20-18 lead were almost automatic if he protects the ball. I cringed when Leak went back to pass and then....he fumbled by all intent...and that was the intent...he did not intend to throw. Now if the rule says forward motion is an incomplete pass regardless of intent then it was a very bad call by the ref but if intent has anything to do with it...he fumbled. So...no FG...no lead...and pressure all on the Gators. Meyer should have left Tebow in on 3rd and 3 and let him roll out with a triple option of running....pitching...or passing. That would have been a much better scenario than having Leak run back in breathless with only a pass on his and Auburn's mind. UF shot itself in the foot on this one and still has a great shot at the SEC crown. I hope they are up to the task because the Gators have the talent.
I will add of the Leak call that I do find it amazing that the play somehow seemed so unreviewable that the refs made Meyer burn his last time-out to have it reviewed....and then did not overturn it costing Fla the time-out. That to me was a completely unacceptable way for this to be handled. If this play did not seem reviewable immediately when it occurred then what does appear to be reviewable?
Here's a stat that'll make you scratch your head. In the B12, through last weeks game, there have been 15 coaches challenges and not a one of them resulted in an overturn of the call on the field. Either the refs are digging in their heels and protecting their own, or B12 coaches have no clue as to when to throw the flag. Do you have any stats on how many challenges that SEC replay officals have sided with the coach and overturned the call on the field?
I don't have stats Terry but that stubborness and hardheadedness wouldn't not surprise me in the least if the SEC refs were doing the same exact thing.
Auburn should have lost to So.Carolina, a team that even Georgia handled with ease...shut'em out. They were stomped by Ark a team that may be on the rise but probably not, I predict Ark to lose 2 more games this year. Auburn's a good team just not a great team like everybody was saying when they were #2. I didn't believe they were the #2 team in the country for a minute. They wouldn't be able to stay on the field with Ohio State or Michigan.
this game is all FL's fault <t>not the refs, not anyone else's.<br/> <br/> Florida started the game doing what Arkansas did, running the ball RIGHT AT a small, but quick, Auburn defense. The end result, Auburn couldn't stop them much the same way they couldn't stop the Hogs.<br/> <br/> Florida took to throwing the ball downfield and attacking the perimeter. Stupid, stupid, stupid. They should have lined up and run right at them. MCG is right that Tebow should have stayed in the game in that situation. In fact, he should have been used much more. Fl got away from what worked.<br/> <br/> This had nothing to do with the officials. They let Auburn get back up and lost momentum. Lets also forget that Florida's special teams have been atrocious all year. That's not championship form at all.</t>
I would like to see what would have happened if Tebow would have been in on that 3rd down play at the 4 and he would have tried a roll-out option as I described. If he saw enough daylight to tuck it and run for the first down my money would have been on Tebow. If he didn't make it UF still is up by two with the pressure on Auburn's offense. Very bad strategy putting Leak back in at that juncture.
Gipper, I ceertainly appreciate your expert analysis of the SEC. Tailback is right, Auburn is a good team and while I agree with a lot of what Corey said, I think Auburn played a lot better on defense in the 2nd half and we were not as successful at doing what we did best in the first half. I also agree with him that you cannot blame any one thing, however that fumble call on Leak when we are within field goal range is inexplicable to me and a call like that changes the momentum. It was a horrible call, and Tailback it's the same offical that made the call against Georgia in their game with Georgia Tech in 1999 when he called a fumble against Georgia on the goal line. I just thought you would like to know. :roll: :roll: I'm hopine we make it to the SEC Championship game and get a rematch with Auburn. In fact I'm just hoping we make it to the Championship game.
Gator Bill, I hope ya'll get a rematch with Auburn also. I do think their good, but I think the Gators would win the next outcome. I think the Gators are the better team, Urban blew it.
Interesting Bill that a ref who like's Auburn might also hate Ga and certainly Fla. However....I saw Leak trying to stop his throw and not trying to pass it and he screwed up plain and simple. That said... the review ref never...ever....should have made Urban use his last TO to review the play. That in and of itself is truly inexplicable to me. Maybe the rule also is that forward motion of the arm dictates the call no matter the intent of the Qb and if so I agree that there is no possible explanation for the call not being overturned. I am not incensed by that however because Leak should not have been in at that point and he did fumble the ball regardless if the forward motion rule should have saved him and the Gators.
I swear this is not me.....from a post on a Gator message board re: "the fumble" "MoTownGator Heisman Gator Joined: 02 Dec 2002 Posts: 1428 Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:24 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is Florida QB. Florida is always wrong for these hick insurance salesmen from Alabama. Get the heck out of SEC if you do not like playing against 13 or 14.
I think what is making the SEC so hard this year, is not that their teams are better than the top B10 or PAC10 or other conference, but that the top SEC teams are so close to one another in terms of competitiveness. It's just when i watch Georgia, Auburn, Fal, Tenn, Auburn, LSU, in games where they are going up against a good team, I haven't seen a team that I think ...wow those guys are great. Sure LSU has really beaten up on some bad teams, Ark took some unknown school for 63 points this weekend. But when you watched Ark/Alabama I was ..OK these are good teams beter than average but that's it. Same thing when I watched any Georgia game, and when I watched Aub/So. Car and Aub/Ark and Aub/LSU. But to tell you the truth I haven't seen anything to make me say ND is really good yet either. Texas looked overmatched vs Ohio State, but I was impressed with how we came out and took charge vs OU and they were a good but not great team. I think OSU is the class of the country this year. Mich will miss Mario Manningham a lot. Minnesota put up 27 points on the PSU defense, the Irish 41, but without Manningham UM only put up 17. It's hard to compare games I know. But there are just a lot of flawed teams out there this year. A couple of great teams and a whole bunch of good but not great teams. Terry
Michigan with Manningham could be a really great team but without him I think they could be vulnerable. OSU has been the most consistent power and deserves #1 and will probably win it all. The SEC has 3-5 very, very good teams that beat each other and will win some bowl games but no one is truly exceptional and that includes UF. The Gators can be very, very good themselves but at times they show weakness and they definitely do not now nor will they ever get the ref calls to go their way in the SEC. It's not going to happen...ever. One stat that irked me a little Saturday night as shown by ESPN is that UF is THE most penalized team in the NCAA. They kept flashing that on the screen before the "fumble" call. Keep in mind this is an Urban Meyer coached team....not some ragtag renegade bunch from Miami or Tallahassee. I guess Urban in reality must be a lousy coach to let this happen...or....something else a little more evil is at the root cause of such an uneven stat...