Gators to fight complacency with rugged offseason
Gainesville, Fla.—No one here will come out and say it but I will: Barring a series of catastrophic injuries talent, or the lack of it, will not keep Florida from repeating as national champions. As I wrote after the BCS national championship game last January, this program has separated itself from the rest of the SEC East when it comes to the sheer number of championship caliber players on its roster. While every other team in the SEC has significant holes to fill this spring, Florida may enter preseason practice in August with only one significant position concern—and I’m not making this up—at long snapper.
The major worry here, with the spring game coming up Saturday, is the one that scares players and coaches the most.
“Complacency,” said senior linebacker Brandon Spikes. “We started talking about it as soon as the national championship game was over. And when Tim (Tebow) and I decided to come back, we started talking about it a lot.”
We tend to forget that players and coaches are human beings. And it is a natural human reaction to relax once a major goal has been achieved. Coaches and players alike will talk a good game and swear there will be no letup. And in their minds they really believe it. But complacency is one of those things that silently creeps into team’s psyche. They don’t know it’s there until it’s too late.
“It’s an edge that good teams have and you have to work to maintain it from season to season,” said Urban Meyer, the Florida head coach. “It doesn’t just happen.”
So there is an understanding in place. Meyer will work his coaching staff to make sure they don’t lose their edge. Tebow will challenge the offense, like he always does. Spikes, if necessary, will get in the face of his defensive players if he sees them slacking off.
“I’ve already done it and the other guys are following my lead,” said Spikes.
In truth, the Florida defense has been following Spikes for some time now. Georgia fans will painfully recall how he leveled Knowshon Moreno early in last year’s game in Jacksonville. After the game several players on the Florida defense told me that when Spikes made that hit on Moreno the game was essentially over. Florida won 49-10.
“We play the way 51 (Spikes) plays,” cornerback Joe Haden told me. Florida’s defense followed Spikes all the way to the national championship game against Oklahoma where they held the nation’s No. 1 offense to only 14 points. Everybody on that defense is back and there is talented depth at every position. But Spikes is the heartbeat of that unit.
“Coach Meyer has challenged me to find some more playmakers,” Spikes said. “That is what I’m going to do.”
Spikes said that the Florida players have been put on notice. Their offseason conditioning work is going to be some of the toughest since they got to Gainesville.
“Oh yeah, we know what’s coming,” Spikes said. “Our staff is not going to let us let down. They are going to push us. But that is what this team needs.”
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161 comments Add your comment
Kiffinisatosser
April 15th, 2009
9:10 am
Yeah yeah…if everybody’s offseason workput is always annually harder, does that mean the the previous season’s super difficult offseason workout wasn’t really? Every team every year says this about the off season workout. T
here are a handful of teams that will be able to play the Gators straight up next year. One of those is USC. It’s time for USC to match it against the SEC’s best. The one thing that the SEC champ has not done yet is win an MNC by beating USC.
Corrine Brown (D) FL
April 15th, 2009
9:26 am
I am so happy to hear bout the GATOR and the amazin difence. Coarch Meyers is on track.
Go Gator!
Reebok
April 15th, 2009
9:29 am
i agree, it’s funny that no player ever says, “you know, last year’s offseason training program seemed a lot tougher.”
nothing but injuries or run-ins w/ the law will derail the gators this year.
Miles
April 15th, 2009
9:31 am
Mr. Barnhart, this is the best article you’ve written regarding the various preseason challenges teams face. You’re certainly right that “it is a natural human reaction to relax once a major goal has been achieved.” It seems, though, that Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow, have the ability to overcome this reaction and will thus motivate the Gators to refrain from this behavior. Delving into the psychological aspects of the game, i.e., complacency, is certainly intriguing. Freud would undoudtedly have his hands full with Meyer and Tebow.
SugarHillDawg
April 15th, 2009
9:32 am
And they are due for injuries. Nobody has luck like them. How does TB say that Florida’a talent is head and shoulders above everyone elses. It’s the scheme, not talent.
EDSBS » Archive » CURIOUS INDEX, 4/15/2009
April 15th, 2009
9:39 am
[...] Unless it involves something like eight hour mat drills and Bridge on the River Kwai box sessions, we can’t imagine what could be worse than the misery Mickey Marotti already inflicts on Flori…. Ring that bell, G.I. Jane. It’s ready when you [...]
LSU
April 15th, 2009
9:40 am
UF will not repeat as NC this season. Remember coming off a NC in 2006 with the mighty Tim Tebag they lost 4 games that year, including losing to Michigan team that got beat by Appy State.
LSU
April 15th, 2009
9:40 am
And just for the record I don’t believe LSU will be in the mix for the NC either, LSU will make thier run in 2010.
Brad in Jasper
April 15th, 2009
9:47 am
True the Dawgs had the worst injury bug of last year – but the Gators had their own. I believe UF lost 5(?) starters at the beginning of the season, most notably TE Ingram. I hate to give the devils their due, but they earned the NC fair and square. Tebow is a once in a generation player who I was sure hoping would head on to greener pastures after last year, taking Spikes with him. But alas, they are back and must be reckoned with, so here’s hoping the Dawgs are ready to throw their best at ‘em this year.
Kiffinisatosser
April 15th, 2009
9:54 am
I have an interesting theoretical exercise for rating the SEC coaches. Which one would you feel comfortable having your son play for? Off the top of my head I have stacked them like this:
Comfortable
Bobby Johnson – pure class, improves his players
Gene Chizik – seems to view himself as an educator (still premature to tell though)
Mark Richt – keeps the game of football in perspective in a madhouse environment though not without his flaws.
Uncomfortable
Lane Kiffin – amateur, out for self-aggrandizement
Nick Saban – probably a sociopath, bloodless
Urban Meyer – see Saban
Steve Spurrier – interesting mind with unchecked ego run amok over the decades
Bobby Petrino – seems inherently unstable
Don’t Know
Dan Mullin – seems competent
Houston Nutt – I don’t have a view, perhaps somebody could characterize. Arkansas fans hate him but that has always seemed irrational to outsiders.
Les Miles – definitely an emotional riverboat gambler type. No idea about his influence on players.
Rich Brooks – Spinx-like. Seems solid but he does not have a significant media persona that would be the basis for judgment.
Anybody else got some views?
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
10:06 am
On paper this is unquestionably the best team in the land. They get UT in the swamp in a rebuilding year, they avoid Bama and Ole Miss, and Georgia. Well, not to diminish the dawgs but who really thinks the dawgs have a snowball’s chance against UF this year? That leaves LSU and FSU of which UF will probably win both could conceivably drop 1. Even then a 1 loss UF team will get into the nc game over a 1 loss team from another conference provided they win the seccg. And I don’t see anyone else out there going unbeaten. USC lost 10 starters on D, Ohio State will probably lose 1, and out of Texas and OU one of those 2 will lose at least 1 game and probably both will lose a game. So realistically the only real stumbling block for UF will be the seccg against Bama, LSU, or Ole Miss and UF will probably be favored in that game.
Complacency will be their toughest opponent in the offseason but as Tony points out the biggest ingredient they have is leadership. Spikes on D and Tebow on O mean they will be prepared and will not letdown. Won’t be impossible to beat them. They certainly are not supermen. But it will be awfully hard to beat em.
As Corrine Brown would say go gator.
But Corrine I have a new one just for you. Roll Tides.
differences
April 15th, 2009
10:12 am
LSU fan, in 2007 UF was replacing NINE starters on defense and had NO trouble on offense as Tebow won the Heisman. It doesn’t take a genius to see the difference when you return your entire 2 deep on defense vs. trying to replace NINE starters.
» SEC links: Spring football still in the air John Clay’s Sidelines
April 15th, 2009
10:20 am
[...] Tony Barnhart of the AJC writes that there is no letdown at Florida. [...]
Bamafan
April 15th, 2009
10:21 am
Yes Florida is locked and loaded and should be 12-0 when they get to Atlanta. LSU or Bama will
beat the gators in the SEC championship and most folks will say that guy is stupid, it is going to
be just like when LSU upset the Vols in 2001 in the SEC CHAMIPIONSHIP GAME!!
Corrine just for you ROLL TIDES!!!
DawginLex
April 15th, 2009
10:23 am
UF is loaded but that is why they play the games. Tebow is the “X” factor and will be again this year. He is a superb leader and probably a better person than he is a football player.
That being said, UGA has a chance to be really good this year if the RB issue can get settled with Samuel, King or Ealey. People talk about no must win games but IMO, UGA MUST win the opener at OK State. If they win this game with Joe cox at QB, then you can move on with him and Gray and redshirt Murray.
Repeat 2006 and Murray will be playing early and we are looking at 9-3 again or 8-4. The difference will be that if Murray does have to play because cox doesn’t get it done, the OL will be much better than the 2006 version.
I don’t think anyone in Athens is ready to hand UF anything.
Atlanta Gator
April 15th, 2009
10:24 am
Complacency vs. hunger. Humility vs. believing your pre-season press clippings. Those are the questions for the 2009 Gators.
Clearly, the Gators will be the 2009 pre-season favorites, and for good reason. To be sure, they are a very talented team, with a lot of depth at most positions. Twenty-one out of 22 players on the defensive 2-deep chart are returning, including senior linebacker Brandon Spikes, the emotional leader of the defense. Eight out of 11 offensive starters are returning, including 2-year starting quarterback and Heisman winner Tim Tebow, the emotional leader of the offense. Three solid running backs have evolved, and the cup runneth over with young wide receiver talent. They have made strides to replace their graduating offensive tackles. The Gators could still use a stronger power runner, but the formula of speed and great moves seems to have worked so far for them. On paper, the Gators rate an A or A-minus on both sides of the ball.
Will the Gators repeat as BCS champions? Maybe, but even as the favorites, the odds are against them . . . . perhaps even more so as the favorites, since they will have the bull’s eye on their backs for 12 or 13 games.
As other bloggers have noted, the Gators have an easy out-of-conference schedule, but that cuts both ways. Three out of 4 OOC games should be gimmes, but if the Gators lose any single game (like they have in each of their three previous MNC seasons), their title hopes will be over. With their weak OOC schedule, several other undefeated or one-loss teams will likely have as good or better claims to one of the two berths in the BCS title game.
Bottom line: the Gators are the favorites, but to win a BCS title you not only have to be very good, play well and win consistently, you also have to be a little bit lucky, too. They are not unbeatable. In 2009, we will see if the Gators are as lucky as they are good.
NO MORE GAYTOR TALK
April 15th, 2009
10:25 am
Please tony ,STop already with the florida football talk!!!!!!!!!ITS A GEORGIA PAPER!!! I DONT CARE HOW BIG THE PAPER IS!!
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
10:30 am
Atlanta gator,
Corrine Brown would say “go gator”
If she were a Bama fan it would be a big “Roll Tides” Its sweeping the nation Rollll Tides
TigerMan
April 15th, 2009
10:31 am
I’m getting tired of reading about Tebow and Urban Meyer. After Tebow leaves next year, I’m hoping Meyer heads to Notre Dame and leaves Florida with another Ron Zook, so they don’t win the SEC every year. This has got to stop at some point!
Saint Nick
April 15th, 2009
10:32 am
BAMA VS. FLA IN SECCG!!!!!!!!!!!!ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep dreaming
April 15th, 2009
10:34 am
It’s funny people have resorted to hoping Meyer takes another job or that the Gators will drop off when Tebow leaves. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
Erk
April 15th, 2009
10:37 am
Bama will not beat Florida in the SEC championship game if Bama makes it. Bamafan, Florida in 09 will be considered much stronger than the 01 Vols you mentioned above. Florida is too strong on both sides of the ball.
Florida News - 4/15/09 | MrSEC.com
April 15th, 2009
10:42 am
[...] are your Gator headlines this morning:Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Florida is combating possible complacency with a rugged offseason.UF coaches want to see a bigger impact from receiver Carl Moore in [...]
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
10:42 am
keep dreaming.
Yep. It is pathetic for someone to base all their hope on Meyer leaving. I for one hope he stays at UF. It will keep the conference standards high for years to come and frankly I don’t mind the competition. I even hope Chizik does well at Auburn and restores them to a stronger program. Hoping for a coach to leave reminds me of JB coming on every other day with his usual post that Saban will be gone in a year or 2. People like him have been saying that for 3 years now. They can always hope though.
TS
April 15th, 2009
10:44 am
Florida will be tough to beat. So will BAMA, LSU, and OLE Miss. KY will probably be the worst team in the SEC but watch out for Vanderbilt, they just might surprise some folks and they give UF heart burn every year. We will take UGA by 20 this year in Jax. Florida is loaded with seniors and none of them have forgot the endzone dance that happened two years ago. That is all the motivation we need.
I think everyone in the SEC can agree with this- DAWGS DO NOT LOSE TO TECH AGAIN!! What an embarassment to the SEC.
Corrine Brown (D) Florida
April 15th, 2009
10:45 am
No Saint Nick.
Its Roll Tides! Just like Go Gator. Its sweeping da nation.
Gatornes
April 15th, 2009
10:46 am
Glad to see some positive comments about the Gators. It’s great to be pre-season favorites, but what makes this conference so tough is that every Saturday you better be ready to play a very tough opponent, in the end you still have to go play and win. If I remember correctly everybody had the Dawgs winning the SEC last year..
By the way, “sugarhilldawg” why dont you call up Tubberville and tell him how he should have won with “the scheme” and if it is as you say, “all in the scheme” why dont the Dawgs fire Richt and get a “scheme” to win the SEC!!
Saint Nick
April 15th, 2009
10:48 am
sorries Corrine!!! ROLLS TIDES!!!!!
bull-gator
April 15th, 2009
10:48 am
Talk is cheap. Let’s see how the Gators really play when the chips are on the line, and on the wrong end of the score and the hitting is ugly and hard. How bad do you have to want it? Bad enough to die for, that’s how bad you need to want it. Anything less and you lose. I predict a one loss season…in the BCS game against a left coast opponent on the left coast. Too far away from home and too much media hype.
Sheila Jackson Lee (D) Florida
April 15th, 2009
10:50 am
Hook em horn!
BTW, do anyone know if they picked up the us flag the astronauts planted when they went to mars?
Atlanta Gator
April 15th, 2009
10:51 am
bama12*titles—-Corrine has had her unofficial “spoke-person” credentials revoked. It’s not exactly fair to pick on unfortunate/underprivileged souls who were not raised in a family that emphasized the grammar and pronunciation of standard English, but it is difficult to believe the “congress-woman” was an education major with a master’s degree and specialist’s certificate. . . .
Lord of the Lizards
April 15th, 2009
10:51 am
A HUGE part of the success Florida has had, and you can ask Urban himself, is its training staff…Strength, Speed and Conditioning. Mickey Marotti will work those guys like rented mules over the summer. He has the rare ability to squeeze the players to the point of breaking down and then building them back up…and everyone loves the guy! Urban has already said that it’s gonna be so brutal this year that players wont even be thinking about trophys and rings…only about survival. What worries me most? The one thing you have least control of, injuries, which they were able to overcome last year. Last years spring game, Tebow had to play virtually the whole game (despite fighting the flu) because he was the only healthy QB and the O-Line had to play on both teams they were so decimated. This spring there have been many injuries which is always a concern…
Atlanta Gator
April 15th, 2009
10:54 am
Sorry, but we’re not taking responsibility for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. She represents Texas in the U.S. Congress, and she graduated from Yale and UVa Law. Rep. Lee’s excitable speech, mistaken “facts” and poor diction are not a Gator problem.
Erk
April 15th, 2009
10:55 am
Maybe history will repeat this year and GA will beat UF the year following a UF national championship.
Tide rising
April 15th, 2009
10:55 am
Bull-gator,
I think I saw you post the other day that you thought UF beats UGA 38-14 this year. Seems kinda modest don’t it? I woulda thought 60-7 would have been more realistic.
BTW, I think if you make it to the national title game again it will be against Texas and probably not a left coast team. Texas has a lot of great players back too like Colt McCoy and I think they are the one team on paper that has enough ammo back to compete with UF.
Saint Nick
April 15th, 2009
10:57 am
ATL Gator,
Shutup!!!!!!!!!!!! Being a state rep. is not exactly being underpriviledged now is!!!!! She was talking straight up gangsta biotch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Otto
April 15th, 2009
11:00 am
UF will be just as good as last year and Bama will be better. The SECCG was close last year. If it is a rematch this year the team with the least injuries wins. McElroy will be far better than JP.
JustCallMeChamp
April 15th, 2009
11:00 am
Have you seen the Go Gator??? It’s a little bit the Obama dance mixed in with some “push ups” and finished off with some Conan O’Brien style Gator Chomping…pretty cool, and….It’s Sweeping The Nation!!! (Although it’s not nearly as hott as the “gatorvictory pole dance”)! (google)
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
11:00 am
I don’t think Florida has to worry about complacency with Charleston Southern and Troy to open up the season. That murderer’s row will keep them sharp and focused.
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
11:01 am
Atlanta gator,
Can you really be picking on Corrine if she don’t know she being picked on? In any event I don’t really believe that was her posting. I think that was probably just a relative or someone who is or was a constituent in her district. I find it difficult to believe a congresswoman or someone who has the degrees you speak of could abuse the English language in that manner. I could be wrong but I would truly be shocked if that really was a congresswoman with a masters degree posting that.
TS
April 15th, 2009
11:02 am
Corrine Brown is the reason I love my Gators so much… FROM AFAR!
Go Corch Meyers and the Gator!
Sheila Jackson Lee (D) Texas
April 15th, 2009
11:02 am
I from Houston, Texas not Florida you idiot. Did they get the flag from Mars or not?
Mikey
April 15th, 2009
11:06 am
As Percy Harvey watches the game in JAX on TV while hitting his blunt, he wishes he could spoon with coarch urban meyers just one more time.
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
11:07 am
Justcallmechamp,
I like the go gator but we have our own motto now at Alabama. It called Roll Tides or Rolls tides and its sweeping the nation also.
Atlanta Gator
April 15th, 2009
11:08 am
bama12*titles—-Have you seen the “gradulations” video of Rep. Brown on the floor of the U.S. House? Unfortunately, it’s not difficult to believe that Rep. Brown really does speak that way. The evidence is posted for everyone to watch on You Tube.
The flag
April 15th, 2009
11:09 am
No Sheila. They didn’t pick up the flag. It still be on the moon where we left it.
Atlanta Gator
April 15th, 2009
11:10 am
Saint Nick—Can you spell “facetious?”
dan
April 15th, 2009
11:14 am
Kiffinisatosser:
Here are my thoughts on the following coaches.
Bobby Johnson- Good coach who has made Vandy VERY competitive. But doesn’t have the backing of the University/resources to be a consistent player in the SEC which is too bad.
Gene Chizik- no opinion yet.
Mark Richt- Great coach and a Great man. Richt has as good of a football mind as any coach out there from an X’s and O’s standpoint. Richt has coached some great teams but what he lacks is an understanding of how to build a great program. Great Programs consistently compete at a high level and reload every year, and Georgia isn’t a great program. That’s not to say that Good teams can’t eventually win championships, but to be a player year in and year out you need a great program and UGA isn’t there yet.
Lane Kiffin- No opinion yet.
Nic Saban- make no mistake about it, as a player there will be times that you HATE playing for Nic Saban. But you’ll also have a chance at playing for a championship if you can deal with his ego. Love him or hate him, Saban knows how to build a program, and he’s a proven winner. It’s all in how you take him: some players can’t.
Urban Meyer- Proves that innovation can go a long way in building a program. That Spread offense is revolutionizing the college game. Florida has a Great program, and Meyer has great assistants which makes him a better head coach than a guy like Mark Richt even though Richt is probably better than Meyer in the X’s and 0’s. Meyer and AD Jeremy Foley deserve a lot of credit for the success they’re having right now. As a Bulldog fan, I’m envious.
Steve Spurrier- like Richt, an X’s and O’s genius.But unlike Richt, Spurrier’s ego has become a liability for his team. Not sure how great of a recruiter Spurrier is either. Like Bobby Bowden, his time has passed.
Bobby Petrino- horrible pro coach, but a decent college coach. He win a program some games as long as the AD can deal with his mercenary mentality.
Dan Mullen- no opinion
Houston Nutt- a good coach who can win with great talent. But even with the talent, his teams will never do better than 10 wins.
Les Miles- I like Les. He’s a passionate guy who players want to play for. I think that he took over what Saban started at LSU, so I won’t call him a great coach in terms of creating a program. But he’s maintained the standard of excellence at LSU, which isn’t an easy thing to do.
Rich Brooks- brilliant offensive football mind. When Brooks has his players running the offense, the Wildcats are VERY tough to beat. Brooks will never win more than 8 or 9 games at Kentucky, but I think that’s fine for Wildcat fans.
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
11:16 am
Atlanta gator,
No. I did not see the “gradulations” video of Rep. Brown but I’ll check it out tonight on youtube when I get home. This was funny and we’ve all gotten a lot of mileage out of it. But on a more somber note I’m now not sure I want to see this video if its just going to be a sad indictment of the state of our great nation and the sorry state of some of our chosen leaders. Signing off now.
Gator Growl
April 15th, 2009
11:17 am
Hey bama12titles…Speaking of abusing the English language, have you been to south Alabama lately???
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
11:18 am
Dan, you don’t win 82 games in 8 seasons like Richt if you aren’t consistently competing at a high level. I swear I feel like a broken record sometimes but my god you people can say some of the stupidest things.
SEC links: Spring football still in the air | MrSEC.com
April 15th, 2009
11:20 am
[...] Tony Barnhart of the AJC writes that there is no letdown at Florida. [...]
bama12titles
April 15th, 2009
11:23 am
Gator Growl,
Yes. I have been to south Alabama lately. Have a family beach condo in Gulf Shores. The English language gets abused in the Florida panhandle, central Florida, rural Georgia, Alabama, pretty much anywhere in the rural deep south. In Gulf Shores, Orange Beach I don’t see the kind of language abuse you speak of but I know we all have our share of grammar challenged people in the deep south. We probably shouldn’t laugh too much about it. Actually kinda sad if you stop and think about it.
Barbarosa
April 15th, 2009
11:24 am
I think the Gators can have a season like the Americus High team had in, I think is was, 1976, ie undefeated with an average score of something like 40-0.5. And, I hate the buzzards, except when they play Tennessee.
Police blotter report
April 15th, 2009
11:31 am
Just saw that Travis Henry, the great former UT running back pleaded guilty to distributing coke. 30 years old, he made millions in the nfl, and now he will be going to jail for a charge on 6.6 lbs of coke. But the guy is broke. He has 9 different kids with 9 different women and the child support was killing him. What a piece of work. Talk about poor choices in life. 9 kids with 9 different women.
gdawginkalamazoo
April 15th, 2009
11:37 am
bull-gator, death? you have to want to win a football game more than death itself? Dang, put me a t 8-4 with a cold beer in my hand and this side of the green, green grass my friend. Hell, make that 0-12 with a six pack.
dan
April 15th, 2009
11:50 am
Huh?
Listen, I love Coach Richt and I’m glad he’s at Georgia. And yes he’s had a lot of success at UGA. I was a student at UGA in 2001 during Richt’s first season and in 2002 when they went 13-1 and won the SEC. I have a lot of great memories of UGA football from my time there( last second win over Tennessee in Knoxville, pass to Michael Johnson for a 24-21 win in Auburn, Beating Tech 51-7, blasting LSU and Nic Saban 45-16 in Athens in 2004), and Coach Richt was a BIG part of that! However, UGA isn’t at the level of an LSU, Florida, Oklahoma,Texas, or USC in that they can reload. At a place like LSU, you may have to reload with a Junior line, but never a freshman or sophmore one. That’s what I mean in terms of having a great program. Great programs have the pieces in place to win championships every year or every other year. Championship teams also play at a high level throughout the season. There have been times when Richt’s teams have done this. That 2002 team was dominant at times. That 2007 team was dominant down the stretch. Both of those teams could have played for a BCS title, but they weren’t consistently great throughout the entire season! Again, that’s not to say that a Good team/program can’t win a Championship. The New York Giants in 2007 were a good team that played great at the right time to win a Super Bowl. But the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts year in and year out are better. As a UGA fan, I want Richt to take that next step to bring UGA to DOMINANT status, the kind where we blow teams like South Carolina and Tech out of the water and where Florida and Alabama fear playing us. And I’m sorry but UGA is not there yet.
Dean
April 15th, 2009
12:02 pm
I don’t understand why there is ever complacency on any football team. If I had the talent I would have loved to run out of the tunnel and play as hard as I possibly could every second on the field. Florida has never had an undefeated season and has not won back to back NC’s. If you can’t get jacked up to try and accomplish that then take off the uniform. But, you see most every good team from High School to the Pros get complacent and get beat when they shouldn’t have.
1970dawg
April 15th, 2009
12:05 pm
Mr. College football,you must have been watching another Ga/Fl game to say the game was over after Spikes tackled Moreno.Sure the arrogant Fl. players can say that after the game. Fact of the matter is, that game wasn’t over until overrated Stafford threw his typical bad pass early in the 3rd qt with UGA inside the Fl. 20 with Fl. leading 14-3, and Haden takes int. back to UGA 1 yr. line. That was when the tide turned. That was a 14 pt swing, not to mention big swing in MO. If Stafford doesn’t throw that terrible pass, UGA could have been down by 4, and have had the MO. If you are going to blog, tell the true story, not some fabricated bull to make your blog seem like you know what you are talking about. Mr. College Football, that is a joke of a title for you to have.
Dean
April 15th, 2009
12:06 pm
I was at UGA during the Goff years. I have nothing but love for Richt. You can’t imagine the difference. UGA does a great job year in and year out. It’s actually very similar to Coach Dooley. During his time, Bama was the dominant team but UGA was always a tough team. That’s what we have now. My only concern with Richt is that there always seems to be some games that the team lays an egg. Soem of those they win and some they don’t. Remember the LSU game 4 or 5 years ago at Sanford when the team jsut destroyed Saban’s Tigers. Why can’t they play like that every game?
There is no National Championship in College Football
April 15th, 2009
12:16 pm
How bout we see how the season plays out? Florida should be the SEC and MNC preseason favorite. When you win the big beauty pagent game they’re going to talk about you and rightly so. But there are 3-4 teams in the SEC that can play with and beat them. Georgia and LSU recruit the same calibre athletes and have for the last 10 years. Alabama has begun doing so recently. UT did for a while, we’ll see how Kiffen does at UT. Auburn surely won’t be down for long, and frankly, they have probably played Florida better than any team in the league winning 3 of 4 from the Gators. Florida is the team to beat, should be another great year of CFB
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
12:18 pm
Well dan, for whatever reason my response didn’t go through. I’m not typing it all again so I will be brief. Suffice to say, your reliance on LSU as an example of a great program demonstrates how shaky your argument is. They went 8-5 overall and 3-5 in the SEC just last season. How can you say Richt isn’t consistently competing at a high level while ignoring LSU’s sub-par season. You seem to be working on double standards my friend. Not only that, NOBODY is ever going to dominate the SEC. Florida has won two of the past three BCS titles and I wouldn’t even say that they have dominated the SEC. That is an absolutely impossible standard. If that’s what you’re waiting for Richt to do you’re going to be waiting a long long time. Thanks.
Gator Growl
April 15th, 2009
12:21 pm
Check out that gatorvictory pole dance!
Ole Dawg
April 15th, 2009
12:25 pm
Here’s my take on everything said above…Florida and Alabama fans need to step away from their mirrors and quit patting themselves on the back. Florida has a very good team…not great…just very good. Their schedule this year leaves alot to be desired and if they lose a game the excuses will blame everyone but themselves.From my perspecttive Urban Meyer is a good coach who could care less about his players. They are nothing more than circus animals to him…once the shows over he tosses them aside. The only reason he pays as much attention to Tebow as he does is because he is Urbans meal ticket. 90% of the players on the Florida team have GPA’s of 2.0 or under. Most can’t even put a complete sentence together (have you ever heard some of them talk trying to give an interview?The wonderlic score by Harvin speaks volumes)So don’t tell me that Florida “cares” about their players.Most couldn’t make entrance requirements at half the schools in the SEC. As far a Alabama is concerned….they have a great coach who could care less what people think of him. He seems to get the most out of his players……but Alabama is in for a long year if their quarteback doesn’t develop ( I’ve seen him throw and he appears to have a weak arm and not very good decision making skills)…. their offensive line needs to come together quickly or he’ll spend a lot of time on his back. I understand that Julio Jones is barely making his grades and will most likely not be around by Fall…if he’s is it will be because he got internal assistance.2009 will be the year of upsets and finger pointing in the SEC….and I can’t wait for it to start…I’ll bet that half the people who blog here won’t be heard from for a long time.
we had a great gameplan but.....
April 15th, 2009
12:25 pm
unfortunately, I agree with Tony.
Urban Meyer, Nick Saban and Les Miles have quickly established themselves as the predominate coaches and programs in the SEC.
When they leave or retire, Richt will still be around and Georgia will inherit the spoils. (Much like Tom Osborne at Nebraska when Oklahoma finally went down…and Bobby Bowden when Miami finally went down.) And we will still be hearing about great gameplans and lack of execution.
Until then, we will be stuck being at least the 4th best football program in the SEC….but, historically speaking, that is about where we have been all along.
Deal with it dawg fans.
There is no National Championship in College Football
April 15th, 2009
12:27 pm
Dean: Winning or losing and playing in the fabricated MNC game is a close shave. Georgia’s winning percentage over the last 5 years is virtually identical to LSU or Florida. Georgia recruits at the same level as Florida or LSU. The difference is that during the periods when Florida or LSU won the SEC, they were in the position to play in the beauty pagent. Those “dominant” teams lost to a four loss Auburn team at home, a four loss Ole Miss team that lost to Wake & South Carolina, a four loss Florida team at home, A five loss Kentucky team on the road, and a five loss Arkansas team at home.
What UGA hasn’t been able to do is avoid the big loss, even though they’ve won more big games than they’ve lost.
AltamahaDawg
April 15th, 2009
12:35 pm
If all else fails, go for the tears.
Saint Nick
April 15th, 2009
12:46 pm
Atl Gator,
FA-SEE-SHUS!!!!!!!!!!FLA will lose a game they are not supposed to lose(i.e. Ole Miss last year, or South Carolina in 06).
dan
April 15th, 2009
12:51 pm
Huh?
What do you mean nobody is ever going to dominate the SEC? Let’s take a look at some of Florida’s scores last season: 30-6 vs. Tenn., 38-7 vs. Ark., 51-21 vs. LSU, 63-5 vs. Kent., 49-10 vs. UGA, 42-14 vs. Vandy,56-6 vs. South Carolina. Yeah those were real nailbiters.
I agree that the SEC is the greatest conference in college football. But not’s to say that a team can’t dominate in that conference if they have a GREAT program. As for LSU, yes last year was a subpar year for a lot of reason’s( starting QB kicked out, injuries, new starters on defense, lack of consistency on offense). But from 2003-2008, LSU has won 10 games or more 4 out of six years with 2 SEC Titles and 2 National Titles and 1 SEC West title. Sounds like a pretty good program to me. UGA from 2003-2008, has won 10 games or more 5 out 6 years which is very good( and has owned LSU in the process the last 3 meetings). But they only have 1 SEC Championship to show for it. So which would rather have?
LSU was also 8-5 in 2002, but that was sandwiched between an SEC Championship in 2001 and a National Championship in 2003. I don’t know about you but I’ll gladly suffer through an 8-5 season if I felt like my football program was good enough to bounce back from it next year and compete for a National Title!
ReptilesRule
April 15th, 2009
12:52 pm
Ole Dog…ain’t no fool like an Ole Dog I guess. First of all, a “very good” team may win a conference championship, but it takes a “great” team to win it all. You have no clue about Urban Meyer and how he cares for his players, only what you want to believe because you hate his success. And check again on the SEC All Academic teams over the years, an Ole Dawg just might learn something new after all.
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
1:03 pm
If its just the national championships then you need to just say that and quit acting like LSU and Florida win all their games by 100 points. I still think you’re working on a double standard though. You say Richt can’t compete at a high level but completely ignore the fact that LSU was simply butt awful last year. You don’t have much credibility my friend. And at the end of the day, if you think these programs are so holy and righteous there is nothing stopping you from changing your allegiances and joining their side. Its a free country and, quite frankly, I’m growing more and more tired of unreasonable whiners such as yourself. Go celebrate LSU’s Chick Fil A bowl trophy if you want to. You won’t be missed. Good day.
LSU
April 15th, 2009
1:04 pm
Dan
Wow a rational uga fan..Didn’t know that type of uga fan exisited. Yes last year for LSU was subpar but when you start a QB who has never taken a snap in the SEC much less an actually college game who are going to struggle. I seem to remember a QB for uga named Stafford struggling his freshman year and going 9-4.
But I’ll take 8-5 knowing that this year we will be back in the mix for a SECC.
Okefenokee Dawg
April 15th, 2009
1:07 pm
Richt will never be considered a “great coach” until Flordia stops owning us!
Ole Dawg
April 15th, 2009
1:08 pm
Hey ReptileRule….Do you want to put your money where your mouth is as far as SEC All Academic Teams over the years?….Florida isn’t even be close in putting players on the team…..Let’s talk present day….Lawerence Marsh, from Augusta,Ga. wasn’t even recruited by Georgia because of his grades. How did he qualify to get into Fla? How is is staying in school?Have you ever heard him speak? Can’t even put a sentence together…neither can most of your teams “student athletes”. Once Urban’s finished using thier athletic skills up for football the majority of them will be working at McDonalds or behind a trash truck.I know Urban Meyer better than you think…..he’s a user not a giver….his ego won’t let him.
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
1:13 pm
“Yes last year for LSU was subpar but when you start a QB who has never taken a snap in the SEC much less an actually college game who are going to struggle.”
I’d wager a large amount of money that you were singing a different tune back in August when LSU was a preseason top 10 team and the favorite to win the SEC West. You saw that 8-5 stinker coming all along right? Sure thing clown.
dan
April 15th, 2009
1:28 pm
Huh?
Looks like we’ll just have to agree to disagree. As for your childish claim of me not being loyal to UGA, I just recently sent my alma mater a check for $1,000. Contrary to want you might think, I believe UGA can be excellent in all things including sports. And I don’t think it’s wrong for the so-called ” whiney” fans to have high standards, especially when UGA is capable of reaching them. As for credibility, I think I write with just as much credibility as you or anyone else on this blog, which granted isn’t much.
LSU: I think there are more rational UGA fans then folks think. Don’t get me wrong, I bleed Red and Black and will yell ” The Hell with LSU” with the best of them. But I try not to confuse passion for being delusional. LSU’s a great program, but you guys need to figure out a way to bounce back from 2008. And just like UGA needs to figure out a way to beat Florida more often you need to figure out a way to beat UGA because the Dawgs have owned ya’ll the last 3 meetings. Not to be an obnoxious jerk but 45-16, 34-14, and 52-38 is just bad.
LSU
April 15th, 2009
1:28 pm
Tell me where I said that I saw it coming all along there sh!t for brians.
The top 10 ranking and the SECW favorite was all because we had a QB that was coming back that had lead us in the SECCG and a defense that on paper was one of the best. Did I see 8-5 with Jarrett Lee throwing 8 pick 6’s in the year no, but while we will recover this year with a new DC and a QB that has shown fairly decent decison making.
LSU
April 15th, 2009
1:32 pm
Dan
I agree with you on the last three times we played, but I am not so sure about the rational fans part. I understand the passion for your team but fans like Huh? who can’t take off the red and black covered glasses to have a rational conversation should stay in their trailers.
BTW I doubt Huh? actually graduated from uga.
Tom
April 15th, 2009
1:38 pm
Tony….
Interesting scheduling info in this article.
BAMA STAN
April 15th, 2009
1:44 pm
Florida and Urban have a beast of a program that is on a roll.
They are the class of the SEC – by far.
As for as Coach Richt:
However, I think the UGA program peaked in 2002 – won the SEC in 2005 when the rest of the SEC was down – and has been only a notch above Donnans teams since. As an overall program – LSU and Florida has passed UGA. Tennessee has totally kicked UGA’s butt 2 of last 3 years – and now Alabama has past UGA.
T
April 15th, 2009
1:48 pm
Ole Dawg… you are hilarious. Now you are looking at all American teams? WHO CARES …LOL…. all that matters is 49-10… all that matters is that Florida has owned Georgia for almost two decades… all that matters is that Georgia is not EVEN in the same league with Florida right now… same conferece yes.. same league.. no…. not to say they cant… Georgia can… but not under Richt… and probably not in the next few years….
T
April 15th, 2009
1:51 pm
By the way Ole Dawg … have you heard some of your Dawgs speak?? Come on dude.. and.. do you remember the names.. Jan Kemp… Pulpwood Smith? .. Losing to Florida and Tech hurts I know.. but dont stoop to this .. The Bulldog Nation is not the brightest… didn Zeier say that once?
Joe Bland
April 15th, 2009
2:21 pm
Know what kind of Dawgs they have in the Okefenokee? Gators!
gdawginkalamazoo
April 15th, 2009
2:21 pm
Ole Dawg, you have to be a little more fair with Percy, he was stoned when he took that Wonderlic test.
also, you forgot to mention pumping gas for that job fair for Florida football players.
DawgGirl32
April 15th, 2009
2:26 pm
Bama Stan- I ahve to call you out here. When you say that Georgia won the SEC Championship during a “down year” in the SEC…..couldn’t you say that same thing about Bama being undefeated this year? I think most agree that this year was definitely a “down year” for the SEC with two of the longest-tenured coaches getting fired and one more resigning. I mean, had Auburn, LSU, Tennessee and Georgia all been up to par like they were supposed to, do you really think Bama would have still been undefeated?
Huh?
April 15th, 2009
2:30 pm
I doubt I actually give a flying crap if you think I graduated from UGA.
You certainly have a very condescending viewpoint towards a football team that has handed your team its a$$ the past 3 times they have played. Who is irrational moron?
Otto
April 15th, 2009
2:43 pm
All this talk of Saban and Urban moving. Saban is going nowhere as he knows if he stays and wins a title or 2, he is the next Stallings or better.
Urban may leave but only for more money and I’ve said it before I doubt he moves even for ND which is the only job that MAY have an outside shot. The greater concern UF has is replacing Mullens and Strong whenever he leaves. UF has the talent and cash to find a good replacement.
As for CMR not reloading like the SEC elite. Urban is still new on the job but followed a title with a 9-4 season. CMR has won 10 games every year but his first and ‘06… thats over 8 seasons. Saban had two 8 win seasons in 5 years at LSU, CMR’s only 8 win season was his first. CMR has coached as well as anyone. He has just not had the timing that Miles and Urban have had in winning the SEC.
Ole Dawg
April 15th, 2009
2:43 pm
Hey T, You’ve proiven my point by your reply…did you not read the blog? Academic All Americans you idiot…Lets talk present day..Pulp wood and Jan Kemp were over twenty-five years ago…you remember those days don’t you? The days when Florida didn’t field a football team(remember forth and dumb).Wasn’t even in the same league as Georgia or the rest of the SEC. The days when Georgia consistantly kicked your A$$ because they signed athletes not “student athletes” ….just like Florida’s doing right now.Talk all you want to about how great you are now ….but in this league things turn quickly…so gloat while you can…but don’t try and tell anyone that your athletes are smart. I’d take Richt over Meyer any day. So go put on your jean shorts and comb your mullett and keep telling yourself that you are the greatest…..because everyone outside the state of Florida is laughing at you….nice Wonderlic score Harvin…hope you make it in the NFL..cause if you don’t McDonalds can use a good fry cook.
m
April 15th, 2009
2:44 pm
Tony, there you go again. Last year you started out picking ugag, then you switched to Southern Cal, then Texas, then alabammer, then finally floriduh. Looks like you are up to the same ole tricks this year. I guess you are starting out with floriduh and then go through your feverish changes as the year goes on. I think you are the one that put the BS in the BCS. Mr. college football…my arse. You are the chan gailey of football prognosticators….Thank God and Greyhound he is gone forever.
LSU
April 15th, 2009
2:44 pm
Huh?
I am sorry could you speak up LSU’s National Championship tropheys are being to loud.
Jerry Mander
April 15th, 2009
2:49 pm
One Two Fee Fo Fye. Them the Gator done take no jive. Cuz they superb to the others like Okyhoma. Boff afletikly and academic.
Gradulate the gator on another bs championship.
Otto
April 15th, 2009
2:49 pm
Dawgirl has a point which SEC West team other than Bama was close to living up to excpectations. MSU the doormat of the west did not even perform as expected. Bama faced Tulane, Western Kentucky for the creampuff part of the schedule then, 2 first year coaches, 4 teams with coaches the were fired, LSU who did not have a QB most of the season, and UGA before going to Atlanta.
rocksteadyfreddie
April 15th, 2009
2:52 pm
Ole Dawg,
watching UF hang 49 must have hurt last year. Tell me, after which UGA turnover and subsequent UF touchdown did you leave the game last year?
Saint Nick
April 15th, 2009
2:58 pm
M,
Do you ever say anything that matters????? Everyday you come on this blog with your tired, old, worn-out, redundant BS, and noone cares about you, Chan Gailey, the greyhound(Even though Gailey left on a Private Jet), or the team you are a fan of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ROLLS TIDES!!!!
sj
April 15th, 2009
3:08 pm
Richt’s fatal flaw as a head football coach is he is unwilling to replace assistant coaches. As far as I can tell, he has never fired a coach regardless of performance. In fact, the AD will reward the coaches even if they under perform. The really sad part is the players who work so hard then may not see success simply because of terrible coaching/adjustments. Whatever…. it’s probably not going to change, but I bet if Saban were coaching UGa, coaches’ heads would roll if the players they were responsible for stunk up the stadium.
Gatorzone
April 15th, 2009
3:25 pm
Huh? you need to lighten up and not take this blog so personal.
Ole Dawg, how the hell do you know what Urban thinks? Ask Louis Murphy what a user Urban is…
JB
April 15th, 2009
3:26 pm
Come on Bama Stan, have a little class. Until last year, Bama has been “GREENS KEEPERS” for the rest of the league for the past 7 or 8 years………I’m surprised some Auburn people haven’t given you a recent history lesson on here. We ALL know ya;ll are back. Hold your head up and quit kicking sand.
Rebel Rouser
April 15th, 2009
3:27 pm
Hey Bama Stain!…..I think the Tide program peeked at their bowl game last year when Utah spanked you on national TV. What has your program done to make anyone think you’ll be better this year? You have a new unproven QB.Your offensive and defensive lines need work, you have no tailback that would be considered SEC caliber and you had to replace two coaches.Georgia has kicked Alabamas a$$ three out of the last four times we played you. If you are so great how come you didn’t put Georgia away in the second half this past year….You only won by eleven?Great teams would have put the hammer down.Last time I checked Georgia spanked LSU at their place last year and have beaten them three out the last five times they’ve played, and the Tide had to hold on for dear life to win their game.Georgia has also beaten Tennessee four out of the last seven times they’ve played. What are you smoking? Go back to your trailer…and keep telling yourself that you are the greatest…cause no one else is listening.
gdawginkalamazoo
April 15th, 2009
3:27 pm
Sorry to break into basketball but I didn’t know that we could have hired Isiah “Thomas” Thompson to be our new BB coach. How did Damon ever miss that opportunity. And he would have worked for free the first year.
Rebel Rouser
April 15th, 2009
3:29 pm
Hey sj, Richt fired Tony Pierce, RB coach after the first year he was there.