- Oct 5, 2017
- 2,304
- 6,264
Been quiet, I know. I actually had a whole season in review, but figured waiting until after Michigan would be better.
January 1, 2003, I woke my mom up at 7 am to take her up on a few weeks old offer of trying to scalp Outback Bowl tickets for the game against Michigan. She was not expecting it, but she still got up and we traveled to Raymond James. We parked are car, which was towed, but that's a story for another time, and no one was selling. After walking most the way around the stadium, I spotted a woman with tickets in her hand, just standing there like she was waiting on people. She was, but they weren't showing up so she gave us two tickets. We lost to Michigan.
December 31, 2005, the last time UF played in the Peach Bowl. Where players were openly mourning the loss of their coach. Devin Hester beat us. This was the one bowl game I attended with my Dad. My senior year of high school. We celebrated New Year's Eve with a Gators loss and rang it in across from Turner Field. Coincidently enough, that Peach Bowl we played a team we were playing for the 3rd time in 4 seasons...
December 2007, I preemptively bought Citrus Bowl tix due to tie-ins having us projected against Michigan. Tennessee almost ruined that when leading LSU going into the 4th Quarter. New Years Day, one of the best UF offenses ever lost to a so-so Michigan team playing inspired for Lloyd Carr's last game. Mike Pouncey had a pick. Point is, we lost to Michigan.
January 1, 2016, my mom had bought tickets for the Citrus Bowl. We saw one of the most creative opening drives you could ever see from Mac & Nuss. Then Mac & Nuss happened and we got blown out. We lost to Michigan.
September 2, 2017, I got up early, flew to Dallas, went in In & Out Burger and the people next to us were Michigan fans who live a mile from me (didn't know them before), and sat front row of the third level in Dallas. Mac and Nuss teamed up again for a decent opening drive. Then the offensive line disappeared. You're a fool if you think even Danny or Timmy would have been successful behind that line, in that offense that day. My thoughts are saved here. We lost to Michigan.
Those games are not this game. Those games all had something to them these games don't. The 2003 Bowl game was a team miserable in the program's worst season in over a decade and a QB who was ready to leave in Grossman. That Peach Bowl had players that were sad about Zook being fired. Go read what kind of comments the players have made about the current staff during this Peach Bowl week. The 2007 game had one of the worst UF defenses since Zook's defenses in the early 90's and a hyped up Michigan team. The 2016 game had Mac, Nuss, Treon, and an O-line that was banged up as hell. The 2017 game had Mac, Nuss, uncoached Franks, and an O-line that played poor as hell.
This game is different. Michigan doesn't seem inspired, players are sitting out. Florida is hyped and even those leaving want to leave with a bang and play with their friends one last time.
Let's be real about Michigan, they have beaten 2 ranked teams. A Penn State team who had 0 wins against ranked opponents and Northwestern, who have impressively 0 wins against ranked opponents and losses to Duke and Akron. Last time Michigan took the field against a ranked opponent Urban Meyer exposed them and committed unspeakable acts against them. Michigan is getting a reputation for their close loss to Notre Dame this year. Who did Notre Dame beat? FSU? Syracuse without their starting QB? Oh and back to that Notre Dame-Michigan game, VANDY played the Irish closer. Am I saying Michigan isn't good? No. Am I saying that maybe, just maybe that with their schedule we would easily be at least 10-2 as well? Yes. I'll take our 2 top-20 wins and schedule to push us into more battle tested than this Michigan team who appears to be taking this game as an after thought. I don't know how much I like the Harbaugh vs. Mullen battle, but I like the energy around the program right now.
Offense:
I'll be honest, I have no clue what we will see. With Emory getting a package and having a fourth game. Jacob Copeland having a month to learn the offense further. Pitts being moved to Wide Receiver, he is bigger than Mike Evans, he could be a matchup nightmare, if not now, in the future. I think this offense could take steps further with the month off and Michigan missing some of their top defenders.
I expect to see Scarlett to get 10+ carries on his way out of the program. I think Emory plays 10+ snaps, avoids his mistakes we have seen, and makes a strong case that the Spring is an open competition at QB. I also wouldn't be surprised to see multiple trick plays like the Mud Dogs in the Bourbon Bowl because its the last game of the season, "Can't Hold Anything Back!"
Defense:
Obviously, we have to stop the run, which has been hit and miss all year. Michigan missing a lineman will hopefully help. If the D-line shows up, this could be a really fun game. If they disappear like they did from UGA to Carolina, we are looking at a long game. I think Polite will want to show out to improve his stock. Cece has a debt to repay to Michigan. Shea Patterson is a quality Quarterback. The good news is his receivers have been coached by Shark man. The defense did well last year against this Michigan team until our offensive ineptitude took its toll. I don't think that happens this year.
This game should be what a bowl game should be, enjoyable.
Florida 31, Michigan 21
January 1, 2003, I woke my mom up at 7 am to take her up on a few weeks old offer of trying to scalp Outback Bowl tickets for the game against Michigan. She was not expecting it, but she still got up and we traveled to Raymond James. We parked are car, which was towed, but that's a story for another time, and no one was selling. After walking most the way around the stadium, I spotted a woman with tickets in her hand, just standing there like she was waiting on people. She was, but they weren't showing up so she gave us two tickets. We lost to Michigan.
December 31, 2005, the last time UF played in the Peach Bowl. Where players were openly mourning the loss of their coach. Devin Hester beat us. This was the one bowl game I attended with my Dad. My senior year of high school. We celebrated New Year's Eve with a Gators loss and rang it in across from Turner Field. Coincidently enough, that Peach Bowl we played a team we were playing for the 3rd time in 4 seasons...
December 2007, I preemptively bought Citrus Bowl tix due to tie-ins having us projected against Michigan. Tennessee almost ruined that when leading LSU going into the 4th Quarter. New Years Day, one of the best UF offenses ever lost to a so-so Michigan team playing inspired for Lloyd Carr's last game. Mike Pouncey had a pick. Point is, we lost to Michigan.
January 1, 2016, my mom had bought tickets for the Citrus Bowl. We saw one of the most creative opening drives you could ever see from Mac & Nuss. Then Mac & Nuss happened and we got blown out. We lost to Michigan.
September 2, 2017, I got up early, flew to Dallas, went in In & Out Burger and the people next to us were Michigan fans who live a mile from me (didn't know them before), and sat front row of the third level in Dallas. Mac and Nuss teamed up again for a decent opening drive. Then the offensive line disappeared. You're a fool if you think even Danny or Timmy would have been successful behind that line, in that offense that day. My thoughts are saved here. We lost to Michigan.
Those games are not this game. Those games all had something to them these games don't. The 2003 Bowl game was a team miserable in the program's worst season in over a decade and a QB who was ready to leave in Grossman. That Peach Bowl had players that were sad about Zook being fired. Go read what kind of comments the players have made about the current staff during this Peach Bowl week. The 2007 game had one of the worst UF defenses since Zook's defenses in the early 90's and a hyped up Michigan team. The 2016 game had Mac, Nuss, Treon, and an O-line that was banged up as hell. The 2017 game had Mac, Nuss, uncoached Franks, and an O-line that played poor as hell.
This game is different. Michigan doesn't seem inspired, players are sitting out. Florida is hyped and even those leaving want to leave with a bang and play with their friends one last time.
Let's be real about Michigan, they have beaten 2 ranked teams. A Penn State team who had 0 wins against ranked opponents and Northwestern, who have impressively 0 wins against ranked opponents and losses to Duke and Akron. Last time Michigan took the field against a ranked opponent Urban Meyer exposed them and committed unspeakable acts against them. Michigan is getting a reputation for their close loss to Notre Dame this year. Who did Notre Dame beat? FSU? Syracuse without their starting QB? Oh and back to that Notre Dame-Michigan game, VANDY played the Irish closer. Am I saying Michigan isn't good? No. Am I saying that maybe, just maybe that with their schedule we would easily be at least 10-2 as well? Yes. I'll take our 2 top-20 wins and schedule to push us into more battle tested than this Michigan team who appears to be taking this game as an after thought. I don't know how much I like the Harbaugh vs. Mullen battle, but I like the energy around the program right now.
Offense:
I'll be honest, I have no clue what we will see. With Emory getting a package and having a fourth game. Jacob Copeland having a month to learn the offense further. Pitts being moved to Wide Receiver, he is bigger than Mike Evans, he could be a matchup nightmare, if not now, in the future. I think this offense could take steps further with the month off and Michigan missing some of their top defenders.
I expect to see Scarlett to get 10+ carries on his way out of the program. I think Emory plays 10+ snaps, avoids his mistakes we have seen, and makes a strong case that the Spring is an open competition at QB. I also wouldn't be surprised to see multiple trick plays like the Mud Dogs in the Bourbon Bowl because its the last game of the season, "Can't Hold Anything Back!"
Defense:
Obviously, we have to stop the run, which has been hit and miss all year. Michigan missing a lineman will hopefully help. If the D-line shows up, this could be a really fun game. If they disappear like they did from UGA to Carolina, we are looking at a long game. I think Polite will want to show out to improve his stock. Cece has a debt to repay to Michigan. Shea Patterson is a quality Quarterback. The good news is his receivers have been coached by Shark man. The defense did well last year against this Michigan team until our offensive ineptitude took its toll. I don't think that happens this year.
This game should be what a bowl game should be, enjoyable.
Florida 31, Michigan 21
