Can Georgia (anybody) touch Florida in the SEC East?
Last week we broke down how five preseason magazines predicted the ACC’s Atlantic and Coastal Divisions. For the next couple of days we’re going to look at the SEC as we prepare for next week’s media days in Birmingham.
Let’s start with the SEC East, where it looks like the Mighty Gators (that’s what Steve Spurrier used to call them when he was mad) of Florida are untouchable. Here are the magazine’s picks followed by my picks.
SEC EAST
Athlon: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Kentucky
Lindy’s: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
Phil Steele: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt (tied for 5th), Kentucky (tied for fifth)
Sporting News: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
The Kickoff: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky
What we learned: As expected, Florida was a unanimous pick to win the division. In fact, four of the five magazines had the same top three: Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Sporting News had South Carolina finishing third ahead of Tennessee. It looks like the real competition in this division is going to be for third place behind Florida and Georgia. Tennessee appears to be the logical pick with an infusion of young talent, but South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky could all make that difficult for the Volunteers.
TONY’S PICKS
Florida: Complacency is the only thing standing in the way of Florida and another run at the national championship. Tim Tebow is not going to let anybody get complacent. The one thing Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, has not achieved in his remarkable career is leading a team to an undefeated season. He has made it clear to teammates and coaches that he will accept nothing less in 2009. LB Brandon Spikes returns as the leader on the other side of the ball. Yes, WR Percy Harvin is gone but this offense will be much more diverse and will finally feature a power running game with somebody other than Tebow carrying the ball. Let’s just say it: If Florida can win at LSU on Oct. 10, the Gators will go 12-0 and return to Atlanta with a chance to win its third SEC title and then play for its third national title in four seasons.
Georgia: Relax, Dawg fans. Georgia is going to be fine. Yes, beating Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 31 is probably not in the cards. But in every other game Georgia will have equal or better talent than the opponent. Barring another rash of injuries (OL Tanner Strickland is already out for the season), another 10-win season appears to be very realistic. Joe Cox will be very solid at quarterback and the rest of the offense will follow his lead. If it stays healthy, this will be the best offensive line since the SEC championship season of 2002. Sophomore A.J. Green may be the best wide receiver in college football. The coaches keep waiting for one of those running backs to step up and be a star. It hasn’t happened yet. The big issue is whether or not the defense is going to grow up and play like an SEC defense should. If it doesn’t, then the Bulldog Nation will get restless and the heat will be turned up on DC Willie Martinez. We’ll learn a lot on Sept. 5 at Oklahoma State.
Tennessee: The Volunteers’ 5-7 record in 2008 plus the exit of Phillip Fulmer as head coach makes some people think the talent cupboard is bare. It’s not. But it’s not full, either. Tennessee has talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Tennessee finished tied for first (with Alabama) in total defense last season and Monte Kiffin, one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the game, will take six returning starters and build it into something pretty good. One of those starters is safety Eric Berry, who is one of the best football players I’ve ever seen. I don’t know why I feel this way but I believe QB Jonathan Crompton is tired of getting beat on by the fans and will play better. If that happens, and if the offensive line finally grows up, the Vols will be fairly decent on offense. There are four opponents on the schedule that I believe have Tennessee outgunned (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss) in terms of talent. The Vols match up well with everybody else.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks could challenge for the No. 3 spot if a couple of things fall into place. QB Stephen Garcia has made it through a complete spring and summer should be ready to finally play like an SEC quarterback. I’m still concerned about the offensive line, which has been a weak spot since Spurrier got to South Carolina. If all Garcia is doing is running around and trying to survive, it is not going to be pretty. While the defense looks to be good again the Gamecocks lost a lot of big plays with the departures of cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, safety Emmanuel Cook, and linebacker Jasper Brinkley. The opener at N.C. State on Sept. 3 is a very dangerous game for South Carolina. Then the Gamecocks have to go to Georgia on Sept. 12. How will the South Carolina fan base react if the Gamecocks start 0-2?
Vanderbilt: The Commodores accomplished a lot in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year in 2008. They started 5-0 and were ranked as high as No. 13. They finished tied for third (at 4-4) in the SEC East. They played in their first bowl game since 1982 and won their first bowl game since 1955. A total of 19 starters (9 offense, 9 defense, 1 kicker) are back from that team. Vanderbilt has two proven quarterbacks (Larry Smith, Mackenzie Adams) and will probably need both of them before the season is over. Somebody has to step up and take the place of big-play guy D.J. Moore, who played both ways for the Commodores. Vanderbilt should be competitive in every game it plays because of another solid defense, which has been a staple since Bobby Johnson took over as head coach. The concern I have for Vanderbilt is that the defense gets left on the field for too many plays and gets worn down over the course of the season. That is why the offense, which finished dead last in the SEC (256.2 ypg ) last season, must be more productive.
Kentucky: The Wildcats, who have been to three straight bowl games, suffered a heartbreaking loss in May when DE Jeremy Jarmon, who passed on the NFL to play his final season of college football, was suspended for testing positive for banned substance. Jarmon was going to join CB Trevard Lindley and LB Micah Johnson to anchor a pretty good Kentucky defense. How Kentucky will react to the loss of Jarmon is anybody’s guess. But the real concern for Kentucky is finding some offensive firepower. After fielding one of the nation’s best offenses in 2007, the Wildcats dropped to 22.6 points per game last season. There is reason to think this group will be better. Mike Hartline looks like the starter at quarterback but WR Randall Cobb will line up and run the ball out of the “Wildcat” formation. Kentucky also has freshman quarterback Morgan Newton, the Indiana high school player of the year, joining the mix. Track star Derrick Locke, who injured his knee at the mid-point of last season, says he’ll be back when practice starts in August. If Locke can contribute, the Wildcats have a chance to go to their fourth straight bowl game, which would be a first in school history.
Okay. Give me your picks and tell me where I’m wrong.
Programming note: Tonight I will be doing a guest shot on “SportsNite” on CSS (6 p.m.-7 p.m.) to talk about the SEC race and other related topics. Please tune in if you get a chance.
Please follow me on Twitter at:
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
325 comments Add your comment
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
8:33 am
Tony—-The better question is not whether any other team can beat out Florida for the SEC East Division title, but whether the Gators will finish undefeated.
Assuming Urban Meyer has his boys ready on each and every game day, and further assuming no injuries of critical players, Georgia is the only SEC East team that has a good chance of beating the Gators. One SEC loss will not likely cost the Gators the SEC East title. Those assumptions, however, are key.
The 2008 Ole Miss is instructive. Ole Miss was a better team than anyone realized, but it was only because they caught Florida in complacency mode were the able to pull of the upset at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Replay that game 10 times, and the Gators win at least 8 of them. But the Rebs were the better team on the one and only day that mattered. The Rebs won.
So, the question is, can Urban Meyer get them ready to play for 12 consecutive games, game-plan every game well, and avoid the one SEC upset that is more likely than not?
Given that perfection is damn hard in a 12-game Division I schedule, let alone in the SEC, I would not bet the house on the Gators being undefeated . . . but I would not bet against them, either.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
8:37 am
In response to Tony, SEC East Division predicted 2009 order of finish:
(1) Florida (8-0)
(2) Georgia (5-3)
(3) South Carolina (5-3)
(4) Tennessee (3-5)
(5) Vanderbilt (3-5)
(6) Kentucky (1-7)
Fan of Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
8:39 am
“The 2008 Ole Miss is instructive” LOL
Stick to your gator videos.
coachdawg 2000
July 13th, 2009
8:47 am
Here is a little insight that will spoil the aparent nationwide man-crush all of the media has on Tebow. The defense is what won the National championship in 2006 and 2008. Yes tebow put up numbers but without an excellent defense the gators were pretty average, with tebow and harvin. So why does verybody assume that Tebow’s lame guarantee had anything to do with the defense. Unless he starts playing defense, then the key will be are they hungry and focused enough on defense to win it. I sure hope not, but the real measure will be once Tennyshoes comes to town.
John
July 13th, 2009
8:49 am
O.K., I don’t understand why so many people have Florida the clear cut winner this coming year. Yeah Tebow is there and yeah the defense should be good. I get that , but where are the plays coming from this year and who is coaching up the QB? Not Dan Mullen! The guy who has been with Meyer since Meyer has been a head coach at Bowling Green. We will see this year who was the real mastermind behind that offense won’t we? Also they have no proven WR’s and no proven RB’s. I don’t see a MNC in Florida’s future this year. Plus, it’s just way to difficult to repeat as National champs.
Go DAWGS!
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
8:51 am
Fan of Atlanta Gator—-Happy to re-post the growling gator video clips, if you like.
On an unrelated subject, might I suggest “Atlanta Gator Fan” for a screen name? “Fan of Atlanta Gator” has an unfortunate acronym.
Atticus
July 13th, 2009
8:51 am
Without Harvin they are not going to be as explosive. Rainey, Demps ec…are not Harvin. But with Tebow moving the chains it’s hard to see anyone beating them. I wouldn’t just overlook LSU and even more Georgia. They have a week off before playing Florida and the offensive line is loaded. If the defense comes back, they could give the Gators a game.
John
July 13th, 2009
8:55 am
Plus Florida starts their season out with Charleston Southern then Troy! They won’t be has focused going into the season starting out like that. History proves that.
Mikey
July 13th, 2009
8:56 am
Complacency alert…
The Gators better watch out for Charleston Southern on September 5th.
Swampster
July 13th, 2009
8:57 am
John, you don’t understand why so many people have Florida “the clear cut winner this coming year?” Are you freaking serious???
coachdawg 2000
July 13th, 2009
8:58 am
As far as the standings:
#1 Unfortunately Florida-too easy of a schedule(relative to some others in the SEC)
#2-6 Who cares because as Ricky Bobby once said “if you’re not first, you’re last” only the columbia chickens would get excited about being #2 and playing in the outback bowl.
joe
July 13th, 2009
9:00 am
Hey Tony…tell me which team beat UF each of the following seasons after they won a NC???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? get out of bed with Fla and start writing an unbiased column that includes things like this.
Bull Gator
July 13th, 2009
9:00 am
coachdawg hit the nail on the head when he said the defense won us both championships (although it’s debatable whether the 41 points UF put up on O-H-N-O in ‘06 weren’t at least as important as the defensive perfomance). I’m predicting that UF’s defense in ‘09 will go down as one of the best ever in college football history. We are absolutely stacked, our secondary has an embarrassment of riches, and both Dunlap and Cunningham are poised for monstrous seasons. Charlie Strong does not get enough love from the media or from Gator Nation, and I want everyone to know how important his efforts are to our success. He is the unsung hero of the coaching staff. Coach Strong and Brandon Spikes’ leadership will have the Gators ready every single week. There will be no letdown. The only real question is just how dominant they will be. Go Gators.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
9:03 am
coachdawg2000—-Someone, far wiser than me, said “offense puts buts in the seats, bur defense wins championships.” Only one team scored more than 21 points against the Gators in 2008; you could say their defense might have had something to do with it.
That having been said, to call the 2008 Gators’ offense “pretty average” is a bit of stretch. We’re talking about a team that scored 611 points in 14 games (including the SEC and BCS championships), averaging more than 43 points per game in the toughest defensive conference in the country. If that’s “pretty average,” your football team must live in Lake Woebegone, where all the kids are above average. LOL
BTW, who or what, exactly, is “Tennyshoes?”
alabamadawg
July 13th, 2009
9:04 am
I honestly believe the dawgs will beat Florida this year…I think we’ll lose to somebody, maybe Auburn or Vandy, but not Florida.
Miles
July 13th, 2009
9:04 am
Pretty simple…Florida is the obvious choice to win the SEC East…
DawginLex
July 13th, 2009
9:17 am
The picks are fine except for SC. They will be horrible. I have them fighting it out for last place with Vandy
Fla
UGA
UT
KY
Vandy
SC
spurrier loses to NCSU and UGA in the 1st 2 weeks and he starts looking for tee times. couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
VanDSIRROM
July 13th, 2009
9:18 am
Florida is loaded…Charlie Strong is ‘under appreciated’…they will go 12-0 reg. season, win the SEC Championship game and then another National Championship…
[p.s.Tony, the SEC says Vanderbilt was #3 in the SEC East with Ole Miss #4 because Vandy beat Ole Miss...in Oxford, no less.]
Tide4u2c
July 13th, 2009
9:21 am
I tend to agree with your picks Tony,however going undefeated is hard to do in the SEC. I do think the Gators will have a good chance to win the east again and maybe even compete for the NC again,they just seem to be loaded with talent plus Tebow is back and their defense should be good.They put up alot of points on teams in 08 so even if they decline alittle they should still be tough to beat.I’d love to see a rematch of Bama vs Florida in the SEC champ game again and I think Bama could beat them next time they came close to beating Florida last season except Tebow I think played the best game of his career in that game and made the difference.13 points is a win but not domination. Roll Tide!
Otto
July 13th, 2009
9:22 am
I don’t understand why Tenn is so high. Crompton has never looked good and Lane has only proved how much of idiot he really is.
Ohio State fan
July 13th, 2009
9:23 am
I can understand why Georgia fans hate Florida, I hate Michigan too! But open up your eyes, they’re going to be darn good and likely make another national run. If you don’t see that then you’re just not looking – or at least looking with an open mind.
They return every player on defense – and their back up! They were great last season, you mean to tell me that they’re not going to be that good this year? Why?
The offense is going to be fine, Tebow in his senior year and enough speed to challenge for an Olympic medal and some of you are questioning whether or not they’re going to be explosive on offense? Nuts!
They may not win it all, history proves that is difficult to do, but not many teams have ever returned this much talent from a championship team either.
John
July 13th, 2009
9:25 am
Swampster
July 13th, 2009
8:57 am
John, you don’t understand why so many people have Florida “the clear cut winner this coming year?” Are you freaking serious???
Yes, take off the gator goggles a sec.
1. Schedule is too light.
2. No proven WO’s and RB’s
3. Who was really coaching those offenses and QB’s throughout the years? Mullen or Meyer? We will find out.
4. Schedule, schedule, schedule, You don’t play a REAL game until Sept 19th. That will hurt Florida more than you’ll know.
5. History is against them.
6. UGA has the week off before the Florida/Georgia game and we know what happens after a bye week.
7. We also know what happens the year after Florida wins the MNC too, don’t we?
8. And why screw with Tebows delivery and take snaps from center? Yeah his delivery sux, but don’t mess with something if it works. Doing this will come into play and a point in the season, for the worse.
9. Too difficult to repeat.
m
July 13th, 2009
9:28 am
Tony….the sec is floriduh and the 11 dwarfs…no surprise there.
The winner of the sec will be…..Georgia Tech…that’s right. Tech is the only team in the country with the guts to play THREE of the sec dwarfs…and will beat all three giving TECH not only the ACC championship but also the sec championship.
In 2008 the oh so powerful sec went 6-6 with the acc (the only conference in history to send 10 teams to bowl games in one year). This year there are 7 games between the two conferences. The acc will easily win the battle of the conferences.
The sec will get their arses handed to them again in their non conference games…just like last year.
Tech will easily beat ugag AGAIN…and the dawgs will be crying like babies.
45-42….glad it still hurts so bad….and it is only the beginning.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t THANK GOD AND GREYHOUND for getting rid of Chan Gailey, the worst coach in the history of the world, and making all this possible.
There is a new sheriff in town…and his name is Paul Johnson.
Jake Adams
July 13th, 2009
9:33 am
Ole Miss was definitely instructive in 2008. Glad the Rebels could be of service.
http://www.theolemissblog.com
Cuz
July 13th, 2009
9:33 am
So long as Florida does not take a nap in a game, they definitely have a shot at an undefeated season.
As much as it pains me to say it. And yeah I still think the Dawgs can win in JAX but all the stars have to be in alignment, we get a voodoo queen and a live chicken for the pre-game and the Florida buses are caught in traffic and we get to play the first quarter by ourselves.
secondguesser
July 13th, 2009
9:35 am
Some of you people are out of your freaking gourd!!! That, or either so blinded by team loyalty that it has a retardation effect!!!! The Gator’s defense is outstanding. Percy Harvin is a one heck of a talent. There’s eleven on both sides of the ball. People, the difference is having the greatest college football player of all time at QB. That is the real difference in the gators and everybody else. No man crush here, just an observation with unabated honesty. No doubt he is surrounded by a great team, but you could plug Tebow in at QB for the top thiry teams coming back this year and automatically make them a contender. That can’t be said for anybody else. This year should set the bar for greatest player ever in college ball to an unattainable height for a long time. Does this mean that they will go undefeated and have a cakewalk to the NC. No, but I sure wouldn’t bet against it! IT’S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR!!!!!!!!!!
Ramble On!!
July 13th, 2009
9:39 am
Georgia may sneak up on those Gators.
coachdawg 2000
July 13th, 2009
9:40 am
To my fellow DAWGS-
Please stop denying reality! Florida is the best team in the SEC this year. I hate ‘em,but the facts are the facts the only thing that will trip them up is a lack of interest/complacency by their defense. Urban is trying to get his quarterback drafted so he will put him under center(mistake!!!) so i think tebow will come down to earth but the defense is the key. Are they still hungry? Do they care enough to be great on every play? Or will they think that it is enough to roll their helmet out there and assume that the other team will assume the dead coachroach position? I sure hope so! I think that the lack of poise of Brandon Spikes and the rest of the crew may prevent them from being in the national title hunt this year but not winning the east would be a collaspe of epic proportions. A life long Gator-hater, but also a realist!
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
9:40 am
Jake Adams—-The Rebels were of great service to themselves and, strangely enough, to the Gators. Without motivation that came from the 30-31 loss to Ole Miss, I believe the Gators would have been upset later in the season by Georgia or Alabama. The loss was pivotal to the Gators’ MNC.
Not ragging on your boys, but I also believe that if Ole Miss and Florida played ten times in 2008, the Gators win at least 7 of them. But that’s why they play the games. It’s not about who’s the better team on paper; it only matters who’s the better team on the day the game is played.
Hope your boys make it to Atlanta this December. It’s time to make some new history in the SEC.
GatorBait
July 13th, 2009
9:41 am
McHammer said it best…”Can’t Touch This..” Complacency with the Gators will NOT be an issue…Period!
Tide4u2c
July 13th, 2009
9:44 am
second guesser,
Florida’s defense is good but it is not nor was as good as Bama’s defense.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
9:45 am
Cuz—-You would do better to pick up a 15-piece box of the already cooked stuff at Popeye’s, and a case of Bud longnecks at the Quikie Mart. At least you would have something to eat and drink while you watch the game. (On the other hand, a voodoo blessing couldn’t hurt.)
Is the Jacksonville Convention still in effect? You and the other old-time blog Dawgs have been awfully quiet . . . .
coachdawg 2000
July 13th, 2009
9:45 am
Some where in early January you will hear the Steve miller band in moving truck in Gainesville playing “go on, take the money and run”. Meyer to South Bend for the highest contract ever paid. Book it! In late April 2010 Mel kiper Jr. says Tebow projects as an H-back or fullback and maybe situational player in wildcat-type play. Book that too!
Pi$$onaDawg
July 13th, 2009
9:45 am
An unbeaten UGA comes to The Flats and gets beat by the Jackets. UGA wins the Sec Title in Atlanta and gets killed by Texas in the BCS game.
Red Elephant
July 13th, 2009
9:45 am
I expect Georgia to step up the D play this year. The burning question is how in the world is Georgia going to be able to score points?
No way Georgia gets within 17 points of Tebow and Co. Expect them to upset LSU and drop either Oklahoma State, Arkansas or Auburn. Put an definite L to Florida and GT.
Still, They get to 9-4/10-3 and a bowl game in in Tampa or something similar.
Gen Neyland
July 13th, 2009
9:52 am
This group of seniors at Tennessee will have played for 3 different OC’s and 2 different DC’s and HC’s. Stability hasn’t been a forte for this group, especially the O side. We’uns Atop Rocky were pretty disgusted with Clawson circa 2008. The offense has nowhere to go but up and OC Chaney is pretty much an unknown to me…The defense will show similar returns from 2008. Beware McCoy…
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
9:53 am
Tide4u2c—-Which defenses are you comparing: the 2008 Tide vs the 2008 Gators; the 2008 Tide vs the 2009 Gators; or the 2009 Tide vs the 2009 Gators? In 2008, the Alabama defense may have been marginally better, but in 2009, the Gators return their entire 2-deep defensive team. Unless something goes horribly wrong, the Gators will have the best SEC defense in 2009, and easily one of the best defenses in the country.
JB
July 13th, 2009
9:59 am
Florida can be had, but Meyer would rather beat UGA other than ANYBODY they play. Yes, more than FSU or Miami…………….He has them jacked, especially since the old end zone dance and the beat down that day…I think this will be it….They lose a lot a Talent and Chemistry off this years team, and we are kinda reloading. This year may be a given, but the future looks pretty bright for beating them in the future. I think Charlie Strong get’s hired after this as a head coach also, well deserved by the way….Before gator fans attack, yes, it’s a fine program and and a fine team, but you gotta tee it up and do it 12 weeks straight, and these are college boys….more than football on their minds…….
Mike the Tiger
July 13th, 2009
10:02 am
Every year Georgia has equal or better talent than every team they play. Bad sportsmanship and poor coaching has been the deciding factor.
Ohio State fan
July 13th, 2009
10:06 am
Florida’s defense was so bad that it held Oklahoma to nearly 200 yards and 32 points below their season’s average. How dumb do you have to be to continue saying things like ‘Florida’s defense wasn’t that good?’
Otto
July 13th, 2009
10:06 am
Ohio St fan. No doubt about it UF looks to be the team to beat in the SEC and country. However history is on UGA’s side against UF. UGA has a much better chance this year than last of beating UF. Will it be the hardest game on the schedule no doubt. I am not predicting an outcome on the game other than expect it to be much closer than last year.
Red Elephant with an inproved OL and a QB that is far more accurate I expect they’ll score points jsut fine with a ball control game much like you Tide last year.
Coachdawg, Urban turns down the ND job after he gets more money from Florida and see how bad off ND really is from the facilities of the other national powers. If he stays at UF he may become greater than SOS. What better way to feed the ego and bank account?
Anonymous
July 13th, 2009
10:07 am
Mike the Tiger,
Care to give an example of Georgia’s “bad sportsmanship?”
Tide4u2c
July 13th, 2009
10:08 am
Atlanta Gator,
I was saying that Bama’s defense was better last season and will be better this season too over Florida’s defense.But this does’nt mean I think the Gators won’t or did’nt have a good defense,just not as good.Bama’s defense will be even better this season barring injuries,etc.We’ll see.
Gatorzone
July 13th, 2009
10:08 am
FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS!!!
I do not think it will be a problem this year, but felt the same way last year until Ole Miss peed in my corn flakes! We can’t afford another upset like that with our schedule!
JB
July 13th, 2009
10:10 am
Mike the Tiger…..You won’t get a lot of Dawg fans to agree, but not many could win that argument. We have some issues…..and lot’s of Talent…… We have the third most money in Div 1 football, but most of our staff would be mid grade………Tough to say, but it’s true…
dawggirl
July 13th, 2009
10:11 am
Yes, Florida is the pick to win the SEC East. This doesn’t surprise me at all. I do think that they might be in a position of Auburn’s undefeated season – even if they have an undefeated season, they’re no lock for the national title due to their pathetic joke of a non-conference schedule.
The way I see it, Florida is so hyped this year that they should be winning all games by an average of 50+ points, and not allowing any teams to score any points. We’ll see if they can actually live up to this incredible over-the-top hype.
And personally, I’d love to see them on the cover of SI to get the inevitable jinx.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
10:11 am
Tide4u2c—-Bold statement, my red pachyderm friend. You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but let’s compare notes again after 12 games.
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
10:11 am
The only way we can beat UF is if the stars align and miracles happen.
quaildawg
July 13th, 2009
10:11 am
Being that our nation is in the midst of an economic crisis, the likes of which we have not seen since that wacky prankster Jimmy Carter was in office, I say we save the taxpayers and fans a whole lot of dough and formaly crown the “Mighty GAtors” the BCS Economic Downturn National Champions.
pvbeachdog
July 13th, 2009
10:17 am
Gator fan seems to be getting a little defensive when anyone challenges the prognostications. Could a little anxiety be settling in???
Whachu talkin' 'bout, dawggirl ?
July 13th, 2009
10:17 am
Yeah, I’m afraid your dawgs are gonna need all the help they can get against the Gators. However, the game’s an emotional rivalry, and Georgia has always had an emotion-based psyche. Anything can happen.
m
July 13th, 2009
10:19 am
quaildawg….the BUSH depression far surpasses any recession our nation has had in the past.
45-42…only the beginning.
Matt
July 13th, 2009
10:20 am
I think that Kentucky is an up and coming team in the East. Don’t be surprised when they finish 3rd this year in the East and continue to show improvement in the next two seasons. This team will be in the top half of this division for the next 5 years to come. The depth on this team has improved dramatically over the last few years. This is a team that will hit you in the mouth, but will also beat you with speed. Randall Cobb is a play maker for this team. The adminstration has been patient with Rich Brooks and allowed him to assemble a good squad this year. I am predicting an 8-4 record this year for the Cats. They will lose to Florida at home, Auburn on the road, and Vanderbilt UGA on the road. By the way, I am not a KY fan, I bleed red and black.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
10:20 am
dawggirl—-Here’s the difference between Auburn in ‘04 and Florida in ‘09. Auburn started the 2004 season ranked 17th, and the 1st and 2nd ranked teams never lost. USC and Oklahoma started out ranked 1st and 2nd, and neither lost until the BCS title game. Auburn could never get past either of them, having started too low in the polls, with no opportunity to overtake either of them.
Florida will be everyone’s preseason Number One in 2009. If the Gators win out, it’s hard to see anyone overtaking them . . . and they only need to finish 2nd to get a BCS title game bid.
Shrinkdawg
July 13th, 2009
10:23 am
Maybe that “emotion-based psyche” goes back to their loss to Gen. Sherman.
One-Liners For 7/13/09 | MrSEC.com
July 13th, 2009
10:23 am
[...] Trey Thompkins was part of Team USA’s Under-19 World Championships victory.Tony Barnhart of the AJC sees the SEC East finishing up as follows: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.The Gainesville Sun provides a [...]
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
10:26 am
I think UF really only needs to worry about LSU. The rest shouldn’t be a problem.
Anonymous
July 13th, 2009
10:32 am
Sanford Drive,
Is that a little Vince Dooley style poor-mouthing I hear?
Nobody played up the NW Carolina A&M Little Sisters of the Poor like they were a national title contender better than Coach Dooley.
godawg
July 13th, 2009
10:35 am
It’s been years since a MNC repeated and it won’t happen this year either. High preseason expectations and a number 1 ranking are a curse few teams can overcome.
godawg’s SEC East finish:
Georgia (UGA plays in the Sugar Bowl in odd #’ed years)
Florida (Tied w/UGA but the heads-up play gives the Dawgs the nod)
Kentucky (Wins the close ones and breaks the streak with UT)
Vandy (Turns on some offense and goes bowlin, AGAIN)
Tennessee (Kiffykins learns this ain’t PAC 10 football competition)
South Carolina (Garcia and company start 0-2 and the wheels fall off)
Remember where you heard it first.
Ramblin Rick
July 13th, 2009
10:37 am
the Gators own the mutts. always have, always will
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
10:39 am
Ha. No. I just think that LSU has a more legitimate shot at victory over UF than we do given the recent history. It’s possible UGA can beat UF, but it’s certainly a long-shot.
MiltonDawg
July 13th, 2009
10:39 am
No problem with the Dawgs @ #2. UF has pratically the entire team returning, plus some. Week off before the JAX showdown will be the key. If we can start the year by taking out OK st, USC, and ARk…we’ll be in good shape. Willie Martinez will defently be on the hot seat again if we start giving up plus 30 on D. oh yeah…THWGT!!
MiltonDawg
July 13th, 2009
10:40 am
the Dawgs own the jackets. always have, always will
poopdawg
July 13th, 2009
10:41 am
Atlanta gator , what about 2nd in the sec east, with 1 overall loss. Do they still get the bcs chance?
Atticus
July 13th, 2009
10:41 am
Florida WAS on the cover (one of 5 last year) and won it. No jinx. They will be on it again.
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
10:41 am
On a similar note, the “mutts” have owned GT. Always have. Always will.
CharlotteGator
July 13th, 2009
10:41 am
Comments have been a mixed bag, but not much can be argued. Honestly, the UGA game to me is more frightening than the LSU game. The Gators want the Baton Rouge W really bad after what happened in 2007 so they’ll be sufficiently jacked for that one. The question is the attitude they approach the game in JAX with. Add the fact that UGA has the bye week leading up and it’s a recipe for disaster. Similar to 2006 which was a lot closer than most remember (21-14 was deceiving), the dogs will give us some trouble if we don’t show up ready to play hard.
Have to take offense to the Bama D being better than Florida’s. Don’t really see how you can say that objectively.
The ND talk is definitely getting old. Let’s just stop talking about it already, it’s a non-story. Finebaum just needed a little attention.
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/gatorbytes/2009/07/12/for-the-last-time-urban-meyer-has-no-intention-of-leaving-florida-for-notre-dame/
dt4c
July 13th, 2009
10:43 am
Oh, my I am soooo scared. I don’t even know why we play the season. Everyone just keep writing the Dawgs off. I love it! Write it down. The Dawgs will win in Jax. The week off will prove huge. Its our time for revenge. The UGA staff will be ready for this one.
JB
July 13th, 2009
10:43 am
Ramblin rick, you must be 18 years old……”Always Have ?” There was a time the Gators pissed in their pants when they went up against the Dawgs……many, many times……
Enjoy it while you have it…..
Atticus
July 13th, 2009
10:43 am
Ramblin,
We own the series against Florida, we own it against you. Anyone can pull one year out. Florida has owned the series for years, but times….they do change. We’ll see once Tim is gone and Urban loses his coaches.
Natureboy809
July 13th, 2009
10:46 am
I hope Florida’s players feel the same way as everyone about their invincibility. They play the games for a reason
Atticus
July 13th, 2009
10:46 am
Nobody predicted USC with all that talent returning losing to Stanford. It can happen. Fortunately for Florida this year, their schedule is taylor-made for an undefeated season. One loss at most, win the SEC and beat TX or Ohio State.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
10:49 am
Aw, poopdawg, I think you’re being sarcastic.
Pago Flyer
July 13th, 2009
10:49 am
How in the world can we beat the world’s greatest college qb. He’ll win another Heisman also.
george
July 13th, 2009
10:50 am
Tony you know more about college football and especially the SEC but UGA a 10 win season??????? PLEASE!!!!!! No rbs, no wrs after green, a qb that has not seen 50 snaps in his college career, and a defense that will be the worst it has been in years. Add to that one of the toughest schedules not only in the SEC but the country and there is no way in hell anyone in the country can say with a straight face that UGA will win 10 games in any way shape or form. More like 8-4 with losses at Ok state, LSU at home, UF in Jax and either At UT, At Ga Tech, or Auburn at home. Any more than 8 wins would be a miracle for these dawgs.
yeah right
July 13th, 2009
10:52 am
so the only way anybody beats florida is if they’re complacent? building up the excuses already. love it.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
10:58 am
Atticus—-The Georgia-Florida series record is a bit like the 30-year security deed on your house. It’s getting paid off a little at a time. Time was in 1990, the overall record was 43-22-2; now, it’s 46-38-2. Three different coaches, two decades, and that series record is getting fixed one game at a time.
At this rate, the Dawgs should own it for another 10-12 years.
RxDawg
July 13th, 2009
10:59 am
My prediction:
Fla will win the east, but lose to UGA.
UGA will drop too many SEC games. I think AU is due for a win this year, Arkansas sets up horribly for us, USC, UT, LSU, and even Vandy are going to be tough wins. I’m pretty sure UGA is going to be pretty focused for the Gators.
Disclaimer: none of this is based off logic. This is just a hunch. A very biased, homerized, hunch.
bulldawgincarolina
July 13th, 2009
10:59 am
why even play the season?…everyone has given it to the gators….as lou corso says…not so fast my friend…ask ole miss…gators WILL lose a game!!
Spike
July 13th, 2009
10:59 am
With that panty waist schedule the Gators have, they will only have a couple of challenges, i.e. LSU and UGA. We do have an open day before the Gator game which is always favorable for us. Let’s hope the Gators have a bad day and ther Dogs show up with an attitude, especially the defense. Who knows? One can hope, can’t one?
Sunshine
July 13th, 2009
11:00 am
SEC …. Yawn….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Gator in the Hootch
July 13th, 2009
11:00 am
This Gator D might be the best ever in college football. They are that talented, that fast, and that deep at every position. As for the O, this will be Tebow’s finest year and he is surrounded by talent everywhere. And the idoits that don’t think Meyer runs the O, Mullen was not the OC at Utah of Bowling Green folks. He did not become the OC until he came to Florida. And the OC is just a title at Florida anyway. The O-plan each week is put together by committee and the plays are scripted. Plus, Meyer says the OC who replaced Mullen is outstanding. So forget that angle. Also, for those who keep saying Meyer is going to ND, he is directly quoted in today’s Gainesville paper (check http://www.gatorsports.com) as saying he is not going to ND and that he and his family love being at the best coaching position in America. No way he leaves for any other college or NFL job. There are no jobs better than the Florida job. Plus, he is soon going to get a big raise which will make him even happier to be and stay in Gainesville and winning SEC and National titles for many years to come.
CharlotteGator
July 13th, 2009
11:01 am
I hope that’s not a UGA fan talking about excuses…
“Shockley was hurt…”
– I think FL fans were crucified when they said this about Tebow. It’s ok for UGA though..
“The game is played in Florida, it’s too far…”
– Careful what you wish for. You don’t want half a hundred again. Nevermind that it was never an issue when you were winning. I think a game in the 20’s was played in Savannah. Should that be vacated?
Any objective person can see that Florida has the talent, coaching, and chemistry to repeat if they play to their full potential. Just like last year USC probably should have been playing for it all if they didn’t screw up in the PAC10. They arguably would have beaten FL in Miami.
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
11:02 am
Charlotte Gator,
It’s kind of a big deal when your starting QB is out for a game…Just saying….
Hawk n the Ham
July 13th, 2009
11:03 am
I think my Dawgs can win against Florida if someone hands Tebow some free tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert before the game
dawggirl
July 13th, 2009
11:06 am
Atlanta Gator – fair enough point on the Auburn 2004 preseason ranking. Still think that it’s better not to write anything in stone yet, and I’m still a believer in the general principle of Any Given Saturday. It could be another 1997 – Florida was a 20-point favorite, and Georgia ended up beating the Gators by 20 points. Vegas must have hated us then.
No mistakes whatsoever allowed for the Gators, none. They are too hyped to overcome any excuses.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
11:10 am
Gator in the Hooch—-”This Gator D might be the best ever in college football?” That’s some strong stuff there. I’m old enough to remember the 1995 Nebraska defense, and what it did to Spurrier’s first team to make a national title game. I hope the 2009 Gator D might just be mentioned in the same sentence with that Nebraska team’s defense.
Rebel Rouser
July 13th, 2009
11:13 am
Tech will lose 4-5 games this year with the Dawgs beating them down in their own stadium.Their fans are delusional….and most good teams on their schedule have far superior talent and will make adjustments and be able to stop their gimic offense…… Where do the Bama fans get off saying they almost beat Florida last year? I was at the game and they were completely out played and out coached ( nice fake punt). Utah slapped them down like little boys in the bowl…. they don’t have any proven talent at QB,running back and o-line…their defense also has holes.They are in for at least a 3-4 loss season.
I see Florida winning the SEC.They will meet either,Ole Miss or LSU in the Championship game. The Dawgs will finish 10-2 or 11-1 if they can upset Florida.Let the fun begin!
Denver Dog
July 13th, 2009
11:14 am
Nothing happening over at the concrete campus today I see. SEC East is UF’s to lose. If UGA wants to win it, they have to win it on the field. I see Tech is stepping up to play VU and MSU this year, as well as UGA. That is good for them. We are playing OSU, and ASU and GT out of conference, as well as the SEC schedule. My thoughts are for teams to play the best competition that is available. No offense to some of the smaller schools, but I’d like to see more of these interconference games, I realize that some of the schools don’t want to play those and hide behind who knows what. Hats off to Tech for playing better teams, I think they will find the those schools a little better than Gardner Webb, just as UGA will find going to Oklahoma a little tougher than opening at home with a MAC team. I really am excited about seeing a higher quality of football everywhere, hopefully there will be no congressional investigations into playing a higher quality of teams.
Here is my SEC EAST Picks
1 UF 1 loss
1 UGA 1 loss
3 USC 2 loss
4 UT 2 loss
5 Vandy 3 loss
6 KY 5 loss
West
LSU 1 loss
UM 1 loss
AUB 3 loss
Ala 3 loss
MSU 3 loss
Ark 3 loss
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
11:14 am
dawggirl—-You are wise.
“Written in stone? ” Nope, it’s not even written in talcum powder. Now, I will cite the Dawg Girl “On Any Given Saturday” principle (a.k.a. the “Dawg Girl Rule”) as shorthand.
Kendawg
July 13th, 2009
11:16 am
Everyone seems to think LSU is going to be an average team this year. I don’t agree with that thinking at all. They have a new defensive coordinator and I think their QB will be more than adequate. I think Fla will have a tough time beating LSU in Baton Rouge and I think the GA-LSU game will be a really good game. It’s tough to go undefeated in the SEC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see LSU or Ole Miss in the SEC championship game.
Atlanta Gator
July 13th, 2009
11:17 am
If, as several bloggers have predicted above, Florida and Georgia both go 11-1, and Florida loses to Georgia, it will be Georgia playing for the SEC Championship, not Florida. Just saying.
CharlotteGator
July 13th, 2009
11:19 am
dawggirl,
EXTREMELY well said. That Robert Edwards game was a heartbreaker. He was far and away the best player on the field and UGA beat us down. That one still hurts.
Second point was spot on too. We’ll suffer from USC syndrome in that any loss is almost unforgivable. Because we’re so hyped the only ‘decent’ loss would be to LSU and even that would be tough to overcome. A loss to a ‘weak’ UGA team would look bad with no regard to Georgia’s talent and how hard it is to win that game. Similar to a bad Zook team ruining UGA’s season in ‘02.
Gen Neyland
July 13th, 2009
11:23 am
Gamechickens, come out and play. Florida is getting all the ink here and I know Spurious is lurking…
Denver Dog
July 13th, 2009
11:27 am
Hey Atlanta Gator, isn’t it fun doing this stuff, we all know that there is no way for any of the conference teams to stay on on the field with UF. The only hope will be a busted play or some crazy turnovers. I think that after this year most of the Zook players will be gone, and UM will have his own team, and that will be even more exciting. I really don’t see how anybody can stay on the field with UF. They are without a doubt in comparison to Oklahoma 50;s teams, USC 60’s teams, and those AL and ND teams of the 70s. So I’m just goning to write to Mark Richt and tell him he should take an extra week of practice and skip the Jax game. I really don’t see anyway we can win, nor any other team except Alabama, since”they almost beat UF in the SEC Champ game” It must have been a great game, becuase I missed that one.
dawggirl
July 13th, 2009
11:28 am
Aw, you guys are making it tough for me to hate you with all these compliments.
Charlotte Gator – that 1997 game was incredible for me. I had a date that night, and I wouldn’t even go get ready. I just wanted to keep watching the highlights on ESPN over and over.
Can we fast forward a little bit? What do you see your team looking like in the next couple of years, after Tebow and Spikes, etc. are gone? I haven’t really heard anything about freshman replacements/recruiting, so I’d be genuinely interested to know what your QB situation and offense will look like.
Anonymous
July 13th, 2009
11:30 am
Denver Dog,
Your predicted SEC brackets don’t balance. With all of those 1 and 2 loss SEC teams, somebody has to be losing 5 and 6 SEC games.
Sanford Drive
July 13th, 2009
11:30 am
The difference between UF being preseason #1 and UGA being preseason #1 is drive. They’ve got Jesus 2.0 on leading the pack. That kid has more drive than any kid I’ve seen. We had Matthew six-pack Stafford at the helm. And while I appreciate Stafford’s abilities, he was more interested in an NFL career than being #1. I don’t think being #1 will phase the Gators like it did the Dawgs. That being said, I really don’t see anyone stopping the gators this year.
CharlotteGator
July 13th, 2009
11:35 am
Wow, good question. I’ll have to think on it but first thought is good but not great. Similar to UGA this year we’ll have studs at key spots but question marks in others. The question marks are guys we’re excited to see but unproven quantities. Let me conjure up a thought out response after lunch.
MyWhiskeyClear
July 13th, 2009
11:38 am
m, I am a fellow Tech fan. I’m actually an alumnus and very involved in Institute workings, etc. I read all the AJC’s blogs and choose only to comment on TB’s Mr.CFB blog or the GT beat. I repeatedly find myself shaking my head at your comments on a daily basis. They typically look like you’re just trying to parrot as many annoying, hackneyed catcphrases about UGA (never focused on Tech, and why is that?) as possible. But your political stab in that last post puts it over the top for me. I’m forced to say something I’ve been holding back for a while now: You’re embarrassing!