If y'all remember when all of this started I believe I was talking about Alabama's rivals and I didn't list Florida and that seemed to irritate MCG. I have be watching Alabama football since about 1960 and you know what, we don't have a rivalry with USC but I have a load of respect for their program, Penn State is not our rival, Texas is not our rival, Oklahoma is not our rival. Auburn is our rival, Tennessee is our rival, LSU is our rival. I believe those are our rivals because of proximity and the fact that we play every year and we have fought for SECC for the last 50 years of my life. Florida is a great program and someday I may consider them a rival and I'm sure that alot of this has to do with the fact that Alabama has not been a contender for the last 7 or 8 years. So Florida has been a repeated contender for the last 18 years, Alabama has not been a contender for the last 8 years and we don't play in the regular season very often. So Bill, from what you wrote I believe you understand where I am coming from, MCG I hope this little summary helps you understand that not being considered a rival is not disrespect it just is what it is. If you don't understand it then it must be a failure of my communication skills and I will just have to admit defeat and not bother you with any more feeble attempts to explain myself. :?
KP, I'm with you. I don't know what else can be said. We, you and I, actually live in this state. I've heard nothing but respect from Bama fans all year long about Florida. If anything, the only thing they grouse about is the Florida fans (which I am really beginning to see their point)...but for the team, program and school... nothing but respect... But I am sure Dave the Florida fan from Michigan knows what we are all 'really thinking' here no matter what we're saying.. goodness.
Corey, I did want your opinion, thanks. kp, I don't consider us a rival either. That is in the sense of a year in and year out game where each team hates the other. However I also think at another level that all the better programs in the SEC are rivals. But you put it very well when you said your don't have to be a rival to respect each other. I also don't feel any disrespect from other teams in the SEC toward Florida. I know we are not universally loved but I think we are universally respected where it comes to the quality of our program. And it is sure a big deal to schools like Ole Miss when they beat us. Much like when they beat Bama. It is also a source of pride to me that in 12 years since 1996 there have been six schools to win the SEC, half our conference. In addition Miss State and Arkansas have appeared in the Championship game.
Interestingly enough, there was a point in time not too long ago that same condition was used to prove that the Pac10 doesn't have any 'great' programs. Now that USC is the dominant program in the conference, they have the wrap of being USC and the 9 dwarves.
Corey, I fixed you post so that the quote showed up as a quote, you had a typo that was qoute. I hope you don't mind. I understand you point but think there were a couple of other factors that had people saying the Pac 10 was not all that strong at that time. Right now I think the ACC and Big East are weak conferences and they are spreading around their championships. If I recall the Pac 10 was having some trouble out of conference and in 98 an unbeaten UCLA lost to a fairly weak Miami team in the last game of the season costing them a shot at the title. No matter, my point of view was and is that we have four strong conferences, SEC, Big 12, Pac 10 and Big 10. There is ebb and flow from year to year as to their relative strength but they are the class of the conferences. I might get some flak for this but I think that when Spurrier arrived at Florida in 1990 the conference was fairly stong but haad not had a NC in about 10 years since Georgia in 80 I believe. Alabama did win one in 92, but I think Spurrier changed the face of the conference and from 91 - 96 won all the conference championships except for that Bama team in 92. Since 96 the SEC has been pretty balanced with a number of good teams. I believe that catching up with Spurrier had a lot to do with the state of the SEC today. I believe the same thing will happen in the Pac 10 and Big 10 with Carroll and Tressell dominating the conferences and the underlying strength of the teams in those conferences. I don't know what is going to happen with the ACC. Miami along with FSU was supposed to be the catalyst for that conference to improve, but those two programs have their own problems right now. The Big 12 is a powerhouse conference right now with 4 very strong teams right now and Missouri and Kansas lurking right behind.
Bill, I see what you're saying.. I guess it is more a perception of media coverage. 2 awful SEC teams play a 3-2 ballgame and the media spins it as an "SEC slobber knocker" USC plays a 17-3 game vs a Cal offense that is VERY good. However, that game is seen as a sign that "USC is still struggling.' A lot of this also has to do with pre-season rankings without any real recalculation for how the season is playing out. Georgia is the 3rd best team in the SEC and their preseason tilt with Arizona State just doesn't seem as big now since ASU is the 3rd WORST team in the Pac10. Oregon lost to Boise State, but they are undefeated... Perhaps the most 'stinging' loss for the Pac10 was the loss at Maryland.. but somehow 'context and style points' only ever seem to count for losses in other conferences.. Cal played a terrible 3 quarters against Maryland... and then blew the roof off the place in the 4th. They just missed pulling off a 3 TD 4th qtr deficit.. I'd even go so far as to say, without the new clock rules this year, Cal comes back and wins that game.. but they didnt...however, Maryland has turned out to be better than people realized... I am NOT saying the Pac10 is the best conference. In fact, I'd say it is a rebuilding year for most teams in the Pac10... I just don't see this huge separation between the conferences. The SEC has some terrible OOC losses this year and some of their wins (such as Auburn struggling to beat UT-Martin) haven't been too impressive. I still find it odd that USC just keeps beating people OOC, but the conference gets no credit for beating them.. Odd, just odd.
Corey, your comments about USC are eerily reminiscent. It was around this time last year, maybe a month later, that JO'Co decided he would exit stage left over just this type of "conversation", which degenerated into a challenge of his veracity regarding his depiction of USC. I don't want anyone here to lose sight of that.
nah Sid. Thanks for your concern but here's my take on it: 1. USC can kiss my arse. I enjoy posting about their suffering. 2. I have thicker skin and enjoy head butting more than he does.
Point taken Sid. Corey, I'm not one to look down on any of the four conferences that I mentioned in my earlier post and I feel a win is a win. S. Cal won, they are one of four one loss teams at this point that I personally feel are in the running for a position in the BCS if we do not have two undefeated teams. Now my feelings about the ACC and Big East are different and I'm glad none of them are in competition for the championship game this year.
Here is what the Florida starting defense has given up in the last 4 games: Kentucky- 3 points Georgia- 3 points Vanderbilt- 0 points South Carolina- 6 points Throw in a probable zero next week and with FSU's offense still struggling the numbers on the Gator's recent scoring defense will look staggering heading into the game with Bama. Of course.....the other side of the coin is the Gator's special teams and high scoring offense.....
We will romp over Citadel but don't count on giving up zero points. The reserves will play a great part of that game and we will likely give up points.
....starting defense stats Bill...... Hey....how are you getting up and down those stadium steps? I managed OK vs. LSU and also at the Palace of Auburn Hills a couple of weeks ago when I saw The WHO but I would still be the last one out of the building in a fire....
I went to the LSU and Georgia games MCG. Both times getting up and down then over a mile to the car was a bit much. So I opted to let the grandkids and other family members use the tickets for S. Carolina and watch it from my couch. I've come a long way but have a bit to go it seems.
I was almost getting to the point where I thought I would be pain free and the injured leg almost healed and then....while in Florida two weeks I freakishly hit the back of that leg with my suitcase I was pulling and in overreaction I stopped abruptly and tweaked my left ( other) leg.....dammit! I have been on my legs extensively in Miami and LA since then so I haven't given it a chance to rest much and hopefully it's just a strained MCL...nothing torn because there is no swelling and with some rest will go away. ....frustrating..... :x
Back to the game.....here is what CBS Sportsline has to say about the Gators: http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/11108874 With yesterday's blowout win Florida becomes the first team in SEC history to win 6 consecutive conference games by 28 plus points! And Georgia and Vandy in that run had a TD each on the Florida scrubs or it could be much worse.
It could be... just could be.. that the SEC is just so bad, and Florida is a really good team. Could be..
Another west coast opinion....(other than Corey's)... http://www.latimes.com/sports/columnists/la-sp-dufresne16-2008nov16,0,1512083.column Hey....I rather agree with media when it comes to the Gators you know .... :lol: 8)
Gators are a really good team and as I said in another topic, maybe playing the best of any of the top teams in the mix for the BCS game. I do think that their schedule has turned out not to be as difficult as Dave would have you believe. None of the SEC east teams are any where near as good as some thought they would be in the pre-season. LSU is a good team, but again not the team that everybody thought they might be, heck when you give up 31 points to Troy you haven't got a great defense. But like Texas, Texas Tech and OU they just lined'em up and knocked them down you can't ask for any more than that. Terry