A most unusual season for the Gators and their fans. However, the team has been decimated due to injuries and especially key players. Florida would have had a much better season, if some of those injuries would not have occurred. I am confident Florida will be back next year!
Dave what did Muschamp have to say after the game? Did the Student managers hide all the blackboards!
Muschamp said, "what do I care. I'm sitting here in my shorts and tee shirt in 84 degree weather. Thank God I'm not in Detroit."
Muschamp probably would rather be losing in Gainesville than losing in Ann Arbor..... good point Gipper! :wink:
Nah, this is worse than the App State Michigan game. That was a very good App State team that went on to win their 3rd straight national championship that season. That Michigan team went on to get crushed the next week by Oregon and lost 4 games. Of course, Dave would say it's worse because that Michigan team beat a Tim Tebow led Florida team in the bowl game but it was not a great team at all. Georgia Southern is a 6-4 team playing with something like 10 fewer scholarship players than is allowed. At home in the vaunted Swamp with one of the best run defenses in the nation, the Gators got run over. This game is much worse. I am surprised Muschamp wasn't fired by the time he reached the tunnel. I said it before, there isn't one kid at Georgia Southern who could play for Florida.. not one. There's no excuses for this. Florida's 3rd team should be much better. Their practice squad should be much better. They weren't. That's a huge problem.
Florida's season was already toast..... and the fans could hardly be more disappointed even before the game. Michigan was just beginning it's season.... record unblemished and ranked 5th in the country and as you pointed out they did win the Cap One Bowl at the end. I lived in Detroit at the time and trust me the place was devastated about that loss and it was a shocking start to the season. This crap yesterday was almost a blip on the Gator nation's radar..... just another large shovel of dirt.
Now Ralph, you haven't lived until you been to a University of Miami game as a Gator fan. Probably the most obnoxious bunch I have ever been around. I had season tickets to Miami when I lived down that way and gave them up largely due to the classlessness of many of the fans. I finally asked myself why should I put money out for this? Having said that I know quite a few Miami fans, like yourself, that I truly like. But the Gators are not alone in having arrogant, obnoxious fans.
I can't tell you how many times in my life that I have had a situation go wrong, then go from bad to worse then get completely out of hand. However usually when the pain is over and the next season, or time out whatever comes around frequently things are much better. I am sure golfers and bowlers can relate to that. We have one more game this year then the coaches get to recruit and plan for next season. I expect Muschamp to be back but a lot of the assistants to not be back. I expect we will have a new offensive coordinator and very likely a new defensive coordinator also. Problem with next season is that Bama rotates onto our schedule and FSU is there every year. So likely next season we play the two finalists of this year's BCS Championship.
Terry, I think Muschamp survives another year pretty much no matter what. However if he doesn't have a big turnaround next year he will probably have to list his house. The problem with a season like this is that it creates so much noise in the system it sometimes becomes a no win situation.
You know Bill I can't argue your point because I have seen them myself and its ugly at times. I will say I have seen all three major teams in the state give sports a bad name at games and away. The greater Miami area is not my favorite place to visit (just ask my sister who never gets a visit ). My dearest friends are Gator alumni along with my brother and currently my son. To be honest it is never those who actually attended the university who are nasty and belligerent, its the fans that never set foot at the university. In Miami's case it has only 11,000 students per year so everyone else who claims to be a fan never attended and tends to be as classy as pond scum... Funny you mentioned this today because I had lunch with a Gator Alumni who attended the UF/UM game and he described his visit as like walking through a dump on the way to Hades. He said he would never go back to Dade or Broward county again. And thanks for the compliment Bill, like you I try to be a steward for the team I cheer for and hope I can do it with as much class as you continually demonstrate on Skybox...
I would say you demonstrate more class than I do. I can bet really bent out of shape at times. I'm trying to do it less though.
Re: Muschamp A lot of fans including me think that such a major overhaul in his offensive strategy is needed that.... A. he thinks not and just wants to tweak it and/or B. he might have a clue what he needs to do but one season left will not allow him enough time to get it done so then..... C. might as well accept the inevitable and send him packing.
The problem with major staff overhauls is who is going to sign on with a coach on the hotseat? I mean if you are a top OCoord or a top QB coach or top RB coach and you are going to make a move wouldn't you think twice about going someplace where if you don't hit a homerun the first year you'll likely be looking for a job along with HC just one year later?
Absolutely correct Terry. A new OC hire is probably going to come from within or from the lower ranks like a promising young WR coach etc. What senior OC would come down and get on Will's hotseat with him....especially when the perception is that Muschamp can't keep his cold, clammy clueless hands off the offense!
On the other hand I do like the job James Franklin has done at Vandy. 15-9 in his last 24 SEC games for a team like Vandy! IF WM doesn't turn it around after yet another season Franklin and guys like him might be gone if they continue to shine. And consider that next season UF plays 5 of the current top 17 ranked BCS teams. A new guy might find the sledding a bit tough.
How is recruiting going for the Gators, with FSU resurgent this year I'm sure they are getting more than their share of the top talent in Fla, and Miami out from under the cloud that has been hanging over them and with a great recruiter like Golden will start getting their share of the top talent in Fla as well.
UF recruiting is doing ok.... not too bad for a year that is unavoidably light on numbers: http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/classrankings