George I agree with your post about match ups. I think the Carr leaving factor was a psychological advantage that the Gators also didn't match up well. I saw on tv where the public picked the winner of each game that 91% of the voters picked Florida, the highest I saw for any game. That never made sense to me especially with the Carr factor. As to Meyer's comments, I only heard a couple of places about those comments and really don't know exactly what he said. I'll just say two things, frequently things like that are taken out of context and the true meaning lost. The other thing I will say is that Meyer is big, big, big about buying into being a Gator. He talks about it over and over again. So I'm not surprised to hear him mention it. I probably wish he had not said that and just let the people he was talking about move on, this is something that could come back to haunt him. Kp, I believe we have at two running backs already in school that will be able to help us next season. Moody who transferred from USC and is sitting out his year and Mon Williams who had a severe knee injury. How will Williams recovers from his knee injury is not known yet. But you are right on with that thought.
If it's true and it appeared something was off-kilter to be sure then I don't have a problem with what Meyer said. Some aspects of Florida's play looked like some of the players just couldn't resist celebrating New Year's instead of sleeping in to get ready for the early game. I have seen that look before.....like when Iowa rolled over UF in the Zook coached 2004 Outback Bowl.
Let's face it when it comes to these bowl games it's just different. Some teams show up really ready to play, the Texas Longhorns did that this year. It was our best game of the year in terms of being emotionally ready to play from the first play to the last play. Other teams fail to show up playing as well as they did in the regular season. I thought it was noteworthy that virtually all of the teams who are playing with "interim" coaches have lost...actually can't think of one who has won.
WOW <t>Urban should not have gone there....<br/> <br/> If I'm a coach in the SEC, I'm playing that tape to every mother who has Florida on their list...<br/> <br/> Not all players you recruit pan out to be good football players. Its good to see Urban Meyer thinks that means you don't have 'value.' As a coach in the SEC, I'd also have a GA gathering every post like MCGs that says 'I dont have a problem with what Coach Meyer said.'<br/> <br/> This guy has said a lot of stupid stuff so far, I keep waiting for it to come back and bite him.</t>
I don't think Florida played poorly at all. In fact, they played a very good game. Like I said earlier, MI simply refused to lose and had the players to get the job done, especially on defense at the end. I never thought Florida was out of the game until their last play on offense. I find it interesting that no one has commented on the Florida players' attempt to taunt Michigan by stomping on the logo on the 50 yard line before the game. I thought it was very un-Florida-like and bush league. If ND players had done that I'd be saying the same thing. Is this a one-time thing or a sign of a new culture in that program?
That stomping on the Logo and taunting the other team is pretty much limited to SEC teams and ACC teams like Clemson, FSU and Miami. You don't see Texas teams doing that crap. I think it's pretty much a Southern Football thing...
Michigan State did it... Illinois has done it... Ohio State did that kind of thing in the Cooper era...my bias keeps that all out of memory and I forget all the details.
Here's the thing that baffles me, is that the SEC has fined both Kentucky and Vanderbilt for incidents after basketball games where their fans rushed the court. They should discipline schools who's football teams stomp on other teams logo's before games to taunt them.
I thought it was interesting the whole deal with the Hawaii players doing the War Chant (Ha' a, different from the Haka). They waited till the Georgia players left the field after warmups and faced their fans so that it wouldn't be considered taunting.
Agreed! And they should also discipline schools whose coaches not only allow, but encourage activities such as emptying the bench after a touchdown.
You guys aren't going to get any argument out of me with the stomping on the logo thing, it's bush league and I believe some players will pay a price for what they did. I don't know who did it and would be interested to find out and have to wonder if that had something to do with Meyers comments after the game. I know he doesn't believe in stuff like that.
Hahahahahaha I love Richt, Not only has he got to the Gators. He's got 'em all in his head. What a legendary call the guy made. He's brilliant !
I'm with Tailback here <t>15 yards to turn around a season and change the landscape of the entire SEC.. Not a bad trade-off. <br/> <br/> Its not like he ordered a cut block on someone's knees...which I am starting to wonder about with a certain SEC West school.</t>
So true Corey. The man is brilliant. I'll take that 15 yarder any day. As for Michigan putting it to Florida, Where do you think they got the gameplan from? That's right, UGA. You can bet they watched the Georgia/UF game film really well. Bodes well for next year, CMR has CUM figured out.
Next year will certainly be a big year for the Gators, Meyer has recruited a ton of talent. Maybe only USC has recruited more 4* and 5* studs than the Gators, and they will be comming of age, the roster will be mostly Meyer recruits and it's not like Zook left him with no talent in the first place. His offensive system will have been in place 4 years and his DCoord is a carry over from Zooks staff. On paper the Gators have more than the Dawgs. Of course that's why we still have to play the games!
By the way, there was no Michigan Logo at midfield in the Capital One Bowl, there was only a bowl game logo there. So Florida did not stop on Michigan's logo. What they did do was go to midfield on their side of the 50 and jump up and down as a show of energy whatever, they do it every game. The problem was that several Florida players went from our side of the field and started jawing at Michigan players. The coaches apparently intercepted them and sent them back to our side, however the damage was done as far as perception. To bad though that reporting has to state something happened that did not, the Gators stomping on Michigan's logo. In the end it backfired and I hope that message gets pounded home to a few Gator players.
Bill, we know that there was no team logo on the field. But like you said, it was the perception of taunting that seemed un-Florida like. To be fair, there were other Florida players trying to push back the jaw-jackers. I'm guessing it was a one-time thing and we won't see it again.
I told Crazy John that it looked staged...like boxing's pre-fight weigh-ins. PS I'm sure it wasn't ...but it just looked so stupid...the coaches from both schools were standing there "holding their players back" with all the authority of WWF referees.