***OFFICIAL COTTON BOWL GAME THREAD: UF vs Oklahoma***; Houston talks trash

[jdh5484]

@osgators: 'I know he's excited to go play. He's such a competitor,' Dan Mullen on #Gators QB Kyle Trask.

So no opt out.

 

[oxrageous]

Trask still has plenty of people to throw to.

Call me crazy (and I'm sure people will) but we are going to score 40 points even without all those guys against OU's hideous defenders. The problem is we'll give up more than 40 points on defense ourselves.

Trask is going to have his usual 400+ yards and 4+ TD's.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Offensive wide opt out of the top players on the team sans trask is giant red flag being waved in everyone's face. It may indicate some very concerning issues:

1. Lack of accountability and responsibility isn't limited to a couple bad eggs like wilson. Many may be putting themselves first, including the ones who have been model citizens to this point. I get it if a kid is a sure fire top pick and its a game outside the playoffs, but c'mon, we have kids opting out who won't sniff the draft and others who with a good bowl game performance may get a foot in the door instead of hocking cell phones at a Branson mall kiosk in April. We may have a culture problem.

2. The fact that its primarily offensive opt outs may indicate the offensive players are done busting their butts for nothing. After mullen's failure to do anything about granthem and the defense all year, then doubling down this week by blaming the players instead of acknowledging the giant red elephant, I'd say this is a very likely possibility. The players see and know the issues, its not just everyone else. Mullen continuing to deflect and blame others for fat todd's incompetence can only go on for so long before others affected say to hell with it. We may be seeing the beginning of that now.

3. Which leads to the 3rd possibility - is he losing the team? He certainly doesn't have full control over them; we have players act selfishly and there seems to be no repercussions for their behavior. We had guys starting this year who were calling him a racist in public just a few months ago. At least he solved that one by walking in solidarity with them this year :rolleyes:

Mullen needs to decide who he is and what he's about. Right now I dont think any of us knows. We knew who spurrier was, we know who dabo and saban are. The championship level coaches have an identity, a set of principles, and a standard that is maintained. There's little gray area for any of them about those standards. What is mullen's standard? What are his principles? Can anyone answer that? He talks about "the gator standard" but Ive seen nothing in his tenure that indicates what that is. Truth is he's just too soft and too comfortable being "only 6 points away."

 

[MJMGator]

Damn...even Durty gone full blown conspiracy theory. It’s infected the entire board!

 

[cover2]

To echo the point of others, post season college football isn’t worth a damn if you aren’t in the playoff. That format has turned what was once akin to a trip to Macey’s for most teams into a quick stop at the 7/11. Now with the opt outs it’s become even less appealing. I guess for the junkies we’ll at least get a glimpse of what next year might hold. 2020 has been the culmination of the schitty direction cfb has been taking. Hopefully this is just one last kick in the nuts and not the prelude to total emasculation.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Damn...even Durty gone full blown conspiracy theory. It’s infected the entire board!

Is it really a conspiracy theory when at least some of it is likely true?

 

[MJMGator]

Is it really a conspiracy theory when at least some of it is likely true?

Yes

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Yes

well it got a like from cover so....

 

[JDW]

Yes

Watergate was less of a conspiracy and the bay of pigs might end up being more successful in the long run...

 

[GatorJB]

Trask should sit out.

He has no receivers.

He could get hurt.

Best chance to win would be with a running QB.

If he chooses to come back he'll still be the starting QB. If he chooses to bolt, a good game won't increase his stock but a (probable) bad game with multiple ints (new WRs running the wrong route) and multiple drops will hurt.

I originally thought this, but if he makes the right reads with good accuracy, then his draft stock will be fine. NFL scouts can easily identify wrong routes and drops. Another way to look at it is if Trask has another big game without his top 4 receivers then his draft stock will likely rise. I'm sure scouts will like the fact that he chose to play and not opt out. Shows he's a competitor.

 

[oxrageous]

I got a like from cover once. I busted a nut.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

bUt dAn mUlLiNz gOt uS a DEc 30tH bOwL!!!!!

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Trask is going to have his usual 400+ yards and 4+ TD's.

Probably true. X Henderson is probably our second best WR anyway. And Trent Whiteboy the third.

I'm sure Dan will probably be running his usual quarterback keepers though.

 

[gatorev12]

Offensive wide opt out of the top players on the team sans trask is giant red flag being waved in everyone's face. It may indicate some very concerning issues:

1. Lack of accountability and responsibility isn't limited to a couple bad eggs like wilson. Many may be putting themselves first, including the ones who have been model citizens to this point. I get it if a kid is a sure fire top pick and its a game outside the playoffs, but c'mon, we have kids opting out who won't sniff the draft and others who with a good bowl game performance may get a foot in the door instead of hocking cell phones at a Branson mall kiosk in April. We may have a culture problem.

2. The fact that its primarily offensive opt outs may indicate the offensive players are done busting their butts for nothing. After mullen's failure to do anything about granthem and the defense all year, then doubling down this week by blaming the players instead of acknowledging the giant red elephant, I'd say this is a very likely possibility. The players see and know the issues, its not just everyone else. Mullen continuing to deflect and blame others for fat todd's incompetence can only go on for so long before others affected say to hell with it. We may be seeing the beginning of that now.

3. Which leads to the 3rd possibility - is he losing the team? He certainly doesn't have full control over them; we have players act selfishly and there seems to be no repercussions for their behavior. We had guys starting this year who were calling him a racist in public just a few months ago. At least he solved that one by walking in solidarity with them this year :rolleyes:

Mullen needs to decide who he is and what he's about. Right now I dont think any of us knows. We knew who spurrier was, we know who dabo and saban are. The championship level coaches have an identity, a set of principles, and a standard that is maintained. There's little gray area for any of them about those standards. What is mullen's standard? What are his principles? Can anyone answer that? He talks about "the gator standard" but Ive seen nothing in his tenure that indicates what that is. Truth is he's just too soft and too comfortable being "only 6 points away."

Overall, I agree with most of this. On one hand, objectively, I can understand why someone would opt out rather than risk injury, so my first instinct is to say we're being a bit harsh here...

...but then, how does that explain Perine, Van Jefferson, Swain, and Cleveland all playing last year? All were seniors, all were scheduled to be drafted--and all were drafted. Playing in the bowl certainly didn't hurt any of them--and probably helped Perine improve his draft status.

Seeing so many of our guys opt out this time around makes me wonder wth is going on. You hit the nail on the head that all the possible conclusions aren't very favorable to our coaches.

 

[jdh5484]

I originally thought this, but if he makes the right reads with good accuracy, then his draft stock will be fine. NFL scouts can easily identify wrong routes and drops. Another way to look at it is if Trask has another big game without his top 4 receivers then his draft stock will likely rise. I'm sure scouts will like the fact that he chose to play and not opt out. Shows he's a competitor.

But he throws before the receiver breaks. If they don't run the right route then ints are very probable. If OK doesn't fear our receivers they will blitz. If they blitz , our OL will fold and then Trask's relative immobility will be the take away.

They could call simple pass plays for the receivers ... slants, screens etc.

But to what end? He's already shown his accuracy and ability to read a D. I still think he should sit.

He already said he's playing in the senior bowl. Scouts can watch him there.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

Overall, I agree with most of this. On one hand, objectively, I can understand why someone would opt out rather than risk injury, so my first instinct is to say we're being a bit harsh here...

...but then, how does that explain Perine, Van Jefferson, Swain, and Cleveland all playing last year? All were seniors, all were scheduled to be drafted--and all were drafted. Playing in the bowl certainly didn't hurt any of them--and probably helped Perine improve his draft status.

Seeing so many of our guys opt out this time around makes me wonder wth is going on. You hit the nail on the head that all the possible conclusions aren't very favorable to our coaches.

Im mostly just sturring the pot, its basically the offseason now. But I wouldnt be surprised in the least to find out that some or all of these things were factors. There's just too much circumstantial evidence at this point.

 

[GatorJB]

But he throws before the receiver breaks. If they don't run the right route then ints are very probable. If OK doesn't fear our receivers they will blitz. If they blitz , our OL will fold and then Trask's relative immobility will be the take away.

They could call simple pass plays for the receivers ... slants, screens etc.

But to what end? He's already shown his accuracy and ability to read a D. I still think he should sit.

He already said he's playing in the senior bowl. Scouts can watch him there.

Is it risky for him to play? Sure. Could it benefit him and the team? Absolutely, yes. Trask is used to having the odds stacked up against him. He still goes out and competes. That's who he is and why he's so successful. We need more players with that type of mindset.

 

[jdh5484]

bUt dAn mUlLiNz gOt uS a DEc 30tH bOwL!!!!!

Its a "New Years 6" bowl.

Kind of like life champions.

 

[jdh5484]

Is it risky for him to play? Sure. Could it benefit him and the team? Absolutely, yes. Trask is used to having the odds stacked up against him. He still goes out and competes. That's who he is and why he's so successful. We need more players with that type of mindset.

I agree on his character. I also agree that he's playing because he loves the game ( or he would have given up in HS or his first couple of years here).

But he's worked too hard (imo), with 4 of his targets out, to risk it. Thats IF he's serious about going to the NFL. It's a bad business decision. If I were his business manager, I would tell him no way.

But he may be planning on coming back next year. If so, then playing makes sense. Carpe Diem.

 

[Tunaboat]

Grantham needs to opt out and take his D playbook with him. If he shows up in Texas we're screwed