Was the Kentucky beating actually good for this team?

[oxrageous]

I've been thinking about this lately. Let's say our Gators had pulled out that game against Kentucky. Would they have been playing the same kind of inspired football since? It's hard to say. Perhaps the embarrassment of that loss (and more importantly how badly they played) is what gave the players and the coaching staff the proper fuel to work harder and get into a better mindset. Any thoughts?

Discuss.

 

[stephenPE]

Yes

 

[78]

Possibly. The tackling was awful that game. It's been better since. Then again, I think Kentucky presented matchup problems at various positions, esp our OL.

 

[kepler]

Interesting. Normally I don’t think of any loss as healthy, but it turns out the cats are dang good, we get the streak-monkey off our backs, and the gators have responded great. Hell I thought every team we faced was gonna run for 200 a game after the kentucky showing, what a marked improvement.

 

[playzwtrux]

Humility is a strong motivator, and this team needed it after being fed crap for 3 years

 

[oxrageous]

Normally I don’t think of any loss as healthy

No? What about the Ole Miss loss in 2008?

 

[Gatorraid81]

This teams effort has been much greater since Kentucky pushed them all around the field that night. I think that loss woke a lot of guys up.

 

[sminings]

Yes.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

It certainly woke them up, that's for sure. I think their heads were a little too big after beating up on Charleston Southern and assuming that they'd beat Kentucky simply because they were Kentucky. The season easily could have gone the other way, too. These aren't Mullen's recruits, they're in a new system, they've been accustomed to laying down and quitting under Mac. It just speaks volumes that Mullen didn't let it happen.

 

[GatorTruth133]

I've been thinking about this lately. Let's say our Gators had pulled out that game against Kentucky. Would they have been playing the same kind of inspired football since? It's hard to say. Perhaps the embarrassment of that loss (and more importantly how badly they played) is what gave the players and the coaching staff the proper fuel to work harder and get into a better mindset. Any thoughts?

Discuss.

Hmmm...I remember people saying I had lost my damn mind when I suggested that after the Kentucky game. When I said it may be like the '05 South Carolina game changing the trajectory...

 

[78]

Hmmm...I remember people saying I had lost my damn mind when I suggested that after the Kentucky game. When I said it may be like the '05 South Carolina game changing the trajectory...

No worries, you're sane. Guys in the Box were writing us off after LSU's opening drive last night.

 

[MJMGator]

I don’t think a loss is ever a good thing. That said, IF that’s what got the players attention then whatever works.

 

[oxrageous]

I don’t think a loss is ever a good thing.

We don't win the NC in 2008 if we don't lose that Ole Miss game.

 

[MJMGator]

We don't win the NC in 2008 if we don't lose that Ole Miss game.

I disagree. We just had a bad game against Ole Miss. We still win it all if we had managed to win that one IMO.

 

[oxrageous]

I disagree. We just had a bad game against Ole Miss. We still win it all if we had managed to win that one IMO.

I think you're insane. That team was going through the motions until that game. Tebow also made a fairly memorable speech afterwards.

 

[78]

I disagree. We just had a bad game against Ole Miss. We still win it all if we had managed to win that one IMO.

I tend to agree. That was as talented of a team as we've had. The media was in its honeymoon period with Tebow, and it went full overboard over The Speech.

Once he got to the top, it was time to start tearing him down.

 

[MJMGator]

I think you're insane. That team was going through the motions until that game. Tebow also made a fairly memorable speech afterwards.

I think they still get their asses kicked by Tebow even if we did manage a win. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[oxking]

This teams effort has been much greater since Kentucky pushed them all around the field that night. I think that loss woke a lot of guys up.

More than anything, I think it was the way we lost. We got outhustled, outmuscled, outcoached, and humiliated. A little of that should go a long way and it did in this case. We've seen a leap in improvement, and from week to week. Even overcoming a brain dead play by Felipe, that probably would have put them away early but had the opposite effect.

 

[oxrageous]

I think they still get their asses kicked by Tebow even if we did manage a win. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.

Yes we will. Strongly. Extremely strongly.

 

[oxking]

I think you're insane. That team was going through the motions until that game. Tebow also made a fairly memorable speech afterwards.

i don't know about going thru the motions, but there was no excuse for losing that game. Horrible play calling by Cousin Eddie and crappy defense all nite. I will agree that that beating got them in a good frame of mind, knowing they weren't unbeatable.