Some opinions that could be hard fro some to swallow.

[Gator2753]

First off I was wrong about LSU. They are not good this year, they are unbeatable. Their speed on D can not be matched by anyone. Not Florida, Auburn, UGA, Carolina, Bama, UT, Southern Cal, WVU...no one. And LSU's offense is just getting warmed up. We have yet to see how truly great LSU's team really is.
Some more ugly facts this year include...
Tebow is 2-0 as a starter. The question of can Tebow pass has been answered by him throwing or over 530 yards and 6 TD passes in his first 2 games. No matter who the opponent's were. Has Auburn played a ranked team yet? No. Has UGA played a ranked team yet? No. Tebow will be awesome this year but his defense will suffer.

Don't get too excited gator fans...We gave up 31 points to Troy at home. Ill bet my own house we lose at LSU this year and probably will to Carolina as well. Also Kentucky is on my upset radar. I can see Stafford lighting up our secondary at TWLOCP if we don't improve. As good as our offense is this year we can't outscore everyone in the SEC. Look out for 3 or more losses this year.

For all the Saban haters. Alabama and Nick Saban are 2-0 (1-0) and Auburn struggled to beat a middle tier Kansas team and got beat by an unranked Big Least team at home. Both South Carolina and Alabama deserve to be ranked higher than Auburn right now. Period.

Tennessee is underachieving. They are so much better than what they have shown. They will compete in the east. All season long.

Thats about it. Anyone care to add to the list? :laugh:

[KillerNut]

Well spoken Gator2753! From an outsiders position, your assessment looks pretty good. I agree that LSU will go undefeated if they continue to play the way they did last night. VT is a good team but were no match for LSU. Don't discount Florida just yet, even though your game vs. LSU at Death Valley might be a scary one, I really think that both teams will meet a second time in the SECCG and a lot of things could happen between now and then. Florida will definitely go to a top tier bowl game and I would love to play you guys again! LOL South Carolina can definitely be a force to be recogned with along with Tennessee. Auburn has to improve or they will get beat down by the better teams in the SEC. Mario Fannin looks to be another great runningback out of Auburn and things will only get better for them. In there defense, Kansas State while not ranked, is a descent team along with South Florida. Doesn't South Florida have one of the largest growing enrollments in the country? In a few years, SF will be a national powerhouse if they continue to progress the way they have the past few years.

[gatorunvrsty]

Well spoken Gator2753! From an outsiders position, your assessment looks pretty good. I agree that LSU will go undefeated if they continue to play the way they did last night. VT is a good team but were no match for LSU. Don't discount Florida just yet, even though your game vs. LSU at Death Valley might be a scary one, I really think that both teams will meet a second time in the SECCG and a lot of things could happen between now and then. Florida will definitely go to a top tier bowl game and I would love to play you guys again! LOL South Carolina can definitely be a force to be recogned with along with Tennessee. Auburn has to improve or they will get beat down by the better teams in the SEC. Mario Fannin looks to be another great runningback out of Auburn and things will only get better for them. In there defense, Kansas State while not ranked, is a descent team along with South Florida. Doesn't South Florida have one of the largest growing enrollments in the country? In a few years, SF will be a national powerhouse if they continue to progress the way they have the past few years.

Yeah, they are now like the 9th biggest university in the country.:ohmy: A fact I'm sure will amaze most who read it. I agree about LSU, to a certain extent. They look awesome, but I'm not giving them the ring until they play a few good SEC teams. VT has looked bad 2 weeks in a row, and I think they're another of the extremely overrated group. In the ACC, I'd be willing to bet GT would put a similar whooping on VT. S. Carolina could be a force to be reckoned with by midseason. UGA may be of the overrated variety. The jury's still out on UT, but I suspect they'll play well at the Swamp Saturday. AU looks really bad, and as I've been reading the various AU forums this morning, it's clear to me that few of their own fans disagree. Cox has been bashed enough... we all know he's turned out to be one of the conference's worst. Bama looks pretty strong on D, and they have what could become a great RB... their only weak link also appears to be QB right now. UK has proved they can score like it's going out of style. Same with UF... they can score in bunches, but the D needs to improve. Vandy will still be better than last year. Ole Miss looks to stay middle of the road in the SEC. MSU is still bad, but they could reach the .500 mark this season. Arky actually looks better than I expected... I look for them to finish 2nd in the West.

Did I leave anybody out?

[KillerNut]

Wow, both South Florida and Central Florida are in the Top 10.

1 The Ohio State University (Columbus campus) Columbus, OH 51,818[1]
2 Arizona State University (Tempe campus) Tempe, AZ 51,234[2]
3 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 50,785[3]
4 University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 50,402[4]
5 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 49,697[5]
6 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 46,907[6]
7 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 45,520[7]
8 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 45,143[8]
9 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 44,038[9]
10 Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus) University Park, PA 42,914[10]

[gatorunvrsty]

Wow, both South Florida and Central Florida are in the Top 10.

1 The Ohio State University (Columbus campus) Columbus, OH 51,818[1]
2 Arizona State University (Tempe campus) Tempe, AZ 51,234[2]
3 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 50,785[3]
4 University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 50,402[4]
5 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 49,697[5]
6 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 46,907[6]
7 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 45,520[7]
8 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 45,143[8]
9 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 44,038[9]
10 Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus) University Park, PA 42,914[10]

Both bigger than either F$U or ThugU. It may not be too far off that Florida has 5 strong teams. Of course, those two might just take the place of F$U and Miami. They're awful so far. I'll tell you another thing many may not have considered: As those teams rise, recruiting in talent-rich Florida will be harder and harder for the out-of-state schools. Most kids will want to stay close to home, and play in front of friends and family; and with 5 programs to pick from, why go anywhere else?

[KillerNut]

Both bigger than either F$U or ThugU. It may not be too far off that Florida has 5 strong teams. Of course, those two might just take the place of F$U and Miami. They're awful so far. I'll tell you another thing many may not have considered: As those teams rise, recruiting in talent-rich Florida will be harder and harder for the out-of-state schools. Most kids will want to stay close to home, and play in front of friends and family; and with 5 programs to pick from, why go anywhere else?

I have noticed in the past few years, the number of florida recruits coming to tOSU has dropped. Usually we will land about 3 of them per year but the last few years we've only had about one. Tressel emphasized during the offseason a need to recruit faster defensive players in order to compete againist teams like Florida and LSU. So far this year, it seems our defense is playing a lot faster than last year even if againist crappy teams. Tressel has been rotating pretty much every string into the games the past two weeks to get a feel on who the playmakers might be. We have two true freshmen that have stood out thus far, Cameron Heyward, son of NFL great Craig "Ironhead" Heyward from suburban Atlanta, GA and LB Brian Rolle out of florida. Both whom have made some impressive plays in the first two games and play really fast. Oh btw, they were both recruited by Florida also. :laugh:

[gatorunvrsty]

I have noticed in the past few years, the number of florida recruits coming to tOSU has dropped. Usually we will land about 3 of them per year but the last few years we've only had about one. Tressel emphasized during the offseason a need to recruit faster defensive players in order to compete againist teams like Florida and LSU. So far this year, it seems our defense is playing a lot faster than last year even if againist crappy teams. Tressel has been rotating pretty much every string into the games the past two weeks to get a feel on who the playmakers might be. We have two true freshmen that have stood out thus far, Cameron Heyward, son of NFL great Craig "Ironhead" Heyward from suburban Atlanta, GA and LB Brian Rolle out of florida. Both whom have made some impressive plays in the first two games and play really fast. Oh btw, they were both recruited by Florida also. :laugh:

We can't get 'em all. And, we do quite well taking the best players from other states, too. This year, we took the nation's top safety, Dee Finley, right out of Auburn's back yard, Auburn High School. Is Rolle related to Samari or Myron? They both went to F$U, and we wouldn't have had much of a chance, anyway.

[KillerNut]

We can't get 'em all. And, we do quite well taking the best players from other states, too. This year, we took the nation's top safety, Dee Finley, right out of Auburn's back yard, Auburn High School. Is Rolle related to Samari or Myron? They both went to F$U, and we wouldn't have had much of a chance, anyway.

He is out of Immokalee, FL whereever that is.

Here is his player page

Brian Rolle - Football Recruiting (http://ohiostate.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=48991)

BTW, The runningback you had last year in DeShawn Wynn, he was one of the top recruits in Ohio coming out of HS. Did he ever make it to the league? Honestly, if you look at our 2008 class on rivals, we could end up with one of the top recruiting classes next year especially if we land Terrelle Pryor. That would make 3, 5 star recruits and a whole lot of 4 stars so far. :thumpsup:

[gatorunvrsty]

He is out of Immokalee, FL whereever that is.

Here is his player page

Brian Rolle - Football Recruiting (http://ohiostate.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=48991)

BTW, The runningback you had last year in DeShawn Wynn, he was one of the top recruits in Ohio coming out of HS. Did he ever make it to the league? Honestly, if you look at our 2008 class on rivals, we could end up with one of the top recruiting classes next year especially if we land Terrelle Pryor. That would make 3, 5 star recruits and a whole lot of 4 stars so far. :thumpsup:

I haven't heard the latest on Wynn. I know all 18 guys that left were either drafted, or signed free-agent contracts. So far, I'm only aware of two who've been cut; and they'll likely get picked up somewhere. Leak and LB, Earl Everett (if you can believe that). Everett will definitely get picked up by someone.

EDIT: BTW, I'm sure you remember him.

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/luke_winn/01/09/troy.smith/t1_0108_smith1_getty.jpg

[Seppeh]

Has Auburn played a ranked team yet? No. Has UGA played a ranked team yet? No.

Has Tebow? No. :laugh: I love how you leave that one out.

[KillerNut]

I haven't heard the latest on Wynn. I know all 18 guys that left were either drafted, or signed free-agent contracts. So far, I'm only aware of two who've been cut; and they'll likely get picked up somewhere. Leak and LB, Earl Everett (if you can believe that). Everett will definitely get picked up by someone.

EDIT: BTW, I'm sure you remember him.

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/luke_winn/01/09/troy.smith/t1_0108_smith1_getty.jpg

Everett? Really? He was the one who beat the living sh*t out of Troy Smith in the NC game. I would have thought that he would have been a top 3 round draft pick? Any reasons?

[gatorunvrsty]

Everett? Really? He was the one who beat the living sh*t out of Troy Smith in the NC game. I would have thought that he would have been a top 3 round draft pick? Any reasons?

All I can figure is that the Bengals were loaded at LB. They'll likely regret their decision, but Cincinnati fans are used to their owners and GM's making regrettable decisions.:laugh: It looks like Dallas Baker (the Touchdown Maker) also got released by Pittsburgh. I don't see him working at McDonald's, either though. He'll get grabbed.

[GamecockDieHard]

Wow, both South Florida and Central Florida are in the Top 10.

1 The Ohio State University (Columbus campus) Columbus, OH 51,818[1]
2 Arizona State University (Tempe campus) Tempe, AZ 51,234[2]
3 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 50,785[3]
4 University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 50,402[4]
5 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 49,697[5]
6 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 46,907[6]
7 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 45,520[7]
8 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 45,143[8]
9 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 44,038[9]
10 Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus) University Park, PA 42,914[10]

With these kind of enrollment numbers, it kind of puts the efforts of Wake Forest competing in Div 1 football, into a whole new perspective. They have 4300 undergrads and a total of just over 6000!:ohmy:

[KillerNut]

All I can figure is that the Bengals were loaded at LB. They'll likely regret their decision, but Cincinnati fans are used to their owners and GM's making regrettable decisions.:laugh: It looks like Dallas Baker (the Touchdown Maker) also got released by Pittsburgh. I don't see him working at McDonald's, either though. He'll get grabbed.

I often wonder why some players get released and some other "sub par" players get kept? You would at least think some team would sign them to practice squad or something? There's always the CFL, although I don't think gators like the cold? :laugh: j/k

[KillerNut]

With these kind of enrollment numbers, it kind of puts the efforts of Wake Forest competing in Div 1 football, into a whole new perspective. They have 4300 undergrads and a total of just over 6000!:ohmy:

Wow, did not know that. Wake Forest gave Nebraska all they wanted yesterday. The first time I saw that list I couldn't believe Minnesota has such a high enrollment but I guess when you are the biggest university up north you don't have much else to choose from.

[GamecockDieHard]

UGA may be of the overrated variety.



I think Stafford is really "of the overrated variety." After one game some announcer was predicting him (the sophomore) to be the #1 NFL draft pick in a few years. If I'm not mistaken, he'll be coming out at the same time as Tebow.

Also, Georgia has now lost 5 SEC East games in a row. That's got to be a first for them. It was a great win to get, but Georgia isn't in the same class this year as Florida in the East.

LSU is just amazing. I hope we can keep it respectable when we go down there. Florida's Defense will only get better as the season continues. If their offense gets any better, the LSU/Florida game will come down to one of the all-time greats.

Looks like Bama and Arkansas will fight for 2nd in the west.

[gatorunvrsty]

I think Stafford is really "of the overrated variety." After one game some announcer was predicting him (the sophomore) to be the #1 NFL draft pick in a few years. If I'm not mistaken, he'll be coming out at the same time as Tebow.

Also, Georgia has now lost 5 SEC East games in a row. That's got to be a first for them. It was a great win to get, but Georgia isn't in the same class this year as Florida in the East.

LSU is just amazing. I hope we can keep it respectable when we go down there. Florida's Defense will only get better as the season continues. If their offense gets any better, the LSU/Florida game will come down to one of the all-time greats.

Looks like Bama and Arkansas will fight for 2nd in the west.

Precisely my thoughts, and that was really what I was referring to with the UGA comment, although their receivers still look as bad as the last couple years'. The Bama/Arky battle for 2nd was also what I was considering, and the game this weekend will give us a good preview of how that will shape up.

[sheluvsbama]

Well, I am surprised that y'all think we will be fighting for 2nd place. I didn't think anyone thought we were thatr far along, yet! Good, though. I LIKE those projections!

[Gator2753]

Has Tebow? No. :laugh: I love how you leave that one out.

Lol. We are about to play a top 25 team this Saturday. And yes I am worried about that game

[sheluvsbama]

You don't have to be worried about the Gators offense. You can sit and enjoy watching them pile up the points. Tennessee always scares me, but I have faith in that offense to overcome the weaknesses the defense might struggle with. And i think the defense is sure to stiffen as the season rolls on! The Gators will be fine.

[GatorHunter]

With these kind of enrollment numbers, it kind of puts the efforts of Wake Forest competing in Div 1 football, into a whole new perspective. They have 4300 undergrads and a total of just over 6000!:ohmy:

University of Miami is only at around 10,000...they're considered a "private" school.

[GatorHunter]

First off I was wrong about LSU. They are not good this year, they are unbeatable. Their speed on D can not be matched by anyone. Not Florida, Auburn, UGA, Carolina, Bama, UT, Southern Cal, WVU...no one. And LSU's offense is just getting warmed up. We have yet to see how truly great LSU's team really is.
Some more ugly facts this year include...
Tebow is 2-0 as a starter. The question of can Tebow pass has been answered by him throwing or over 530 yards and 6 TD passes in his first 2 games. No matter who the opponent's were. Has Auburn played a ranked team yet? No. Has UGA played a ranked team yet? No. Tebow will be awesome this year but his defense will suffer.

Don't get too excited gator fans...We gave up 31 points to Troy at home. Ill bet my own house we lose at LSU this year and probably will to Carolina as well. Also Kentucky is on my upset radar. I can see Stafford lighting up our secondary at TWLOCP if we don't improve. As good as our offense is this year we can't outscore everyone in the SEC. Look out for 3 or more losses this year.

For all the Saban haters. Alabama and Nick Saban are 2-0 (1-0) and Auburn struggled to beat a middle tier Kansas team and got beat by an unranked Big Least team at home. Both South Carolina and Alabama deserve to be ranked higher than Auburn right now. Period.

Tennessee is underachieving. They are so much better than what they have shown. They will compete in the east. All season long.

Thats about it. Anyone care to add to the list? :laugh:

I couldn't agree more with this assessment. As far as the Gators...there's two ways to look at it...either our DCs have been playing very vanilla (I know they did against WKU, not calling a single defensive play all game long) or, we've got some serious issues. Our offense is gonna score points...Tebow is everything that we thought he would be...he's gonna make some mistakes...but he's gonna do enough to overcome them. Our defense is a different story...unless these guys mature...we could very easily lose 4-5 games....UT, LSU, SC, f$u, UK...heck, Auburn showed last season they didn't need to score an offensive TD to beat us. But that's worst case scenario. I believe we'll fall somewhere between. To be honest...the Troy game may have been a blessing...our players got pushed a little...and they needed it.

LSU's defense is down-right frightening...they are so fast, have so much depth...now, I'm not impressed with the offense...other than Williams...no one's impressed me...but the Gators showed last season that you don't have to be impressive on offense to win the Championship...and it looks like LSU will be a carbon-copy.

[shanksta13]

The Bama/Arky battle for 2nd

Keep in mind that, although Auburn has looked terrible so far, they still have yet to play an SEC game and anything can happen.

[KillerNut]

I couldn't agree more with this assessment. As far as the Gators...there's two ways to look at it...either our DCs have been playing very vanilla (I know they did against WKU, not calling a single defensive play all game long) or, we've got some serious issues. Our offense is gonna score points...Tebow is everything that we thought he would be...he's gonna make some mistakes...but he's gonna do enough to overcome them. Our defense is a different story...unless these guys mature...we could very easily lose 4-5 games....UT, LSU, SC, f$u, UK...heck, Auburn showed last season they didn't need to score an offensive TD to beat us. But that's worst case scenario. I believe we'll fall somewhere between. To be honest...the Troy game may have been a blessing...our players got pushed a little...and they needed it.

LSU's defense is down-right frightening...they are so fast, have so much depth...now, I'm not impressed with the offense...other than Williams...no one's impressed me...but the Gators showed last season that you don't have to be impressive on offense to win the Championship...and it looks like LSU will be a carbon-copy.


You really think you defense is that much different than it was last year? How many total players did you lose after last year?

[KillerNut]

Hey GU, not to get off topic but I was just watching the Green Bay / Philadelphia game and DeShawn Wynn took a hand off from Favre as he was getting sacked and ran a hard fought 25 yds. Really sweet play. So that answers that question, Wynn is sharing the runningback position with another rookie at Green Bay.

[gatorunvrsty]

Hey GU, not to get off topic but I was just watching the Green Bay / Philadelphia game and DeShawn Wynn took a hand off from Favre as he was getting sacked and ran a hard fought 25 yds. Really sweet play. So that answers that question, Wynn is sharing the runningback position with another rookie at Green Bay.

Thanks, Nut, that's cool... glad to see someone's giving him a shot right away.:thumpsup: And, we lost 9 guys off defense, but I'm not as pessimistic as GH. They need to learn, but I'd be much more concerned if our offense was inept... it takes a lot longer to learn an offense than a defense, and make it work properly. As for Auburn and who takes 2nd in the West... it's true that they haven't played an SEC game and anything can happen... including looking a lot worse against much stiffer competition than they've seen to this point. And, that's the likely outcome for every team that's played OOC games so far. It will only get tougher, and games will be closer in the SEC. If you lose to USF at home, I don't think you can count on winning any SEC games... you will probably win some, but you can't count on any of them, like they're in the bank.

[GatorHunter]

Thanks, Nut, that's cool... glad to see someone's giving him a shot right away.:thumpsup: And, we lost 9 guys off defense, but I'm not as pessimistic as GH. They need to learn, but I'd be much more concerned if our offense was inept... it takes a lot longer to learn an offense than a defense, and make it work properly. As for Auburn and who takes 2nd in the West... it's true that they haven't played an SEC game and anything can happen... including looking a lot worse against much stiffer competition than they've seen to this point. And, that's the likely outcome for every team that's played OOC games so far. It will only get tougher, and games will be closer in the SEC. If you lose to USF at home, I don't think you can count on winning any SEC games... you will probably win some, but you can't count on any of them, like they're in the bank.

I'm not being pessimistic...I was just giving a "worst case scenario"...I still believe the Gators should win every game...even LSU...;)

Our defense is very talented...a lot more talented than any defense we've ever fielded. But it is one of the most inexperienced defenses we've ever fielded as well. On offense, experience is over-rated. Speed and execution can usually negate inexperience...but on defense...experience pays dividends. I just think we are likely to lose a close one or two do to our defensive mistakes...hopefull not, but realistically, it could happen.

[GatorNation]

First off I was wrong about LSU. They are not good this year, they are unbeatable. Their speed on D can not be matched by anyone. Not Florida, Auburn, UGA, Carolina, Bama, UT, Southern Cal, WVU...no one. And LSU's offense is just getting warmed up. We have yet to see how truly great LSU's team really is.
Some more ugly facts this year include...
Tebow is 2-0 as a starter. The question of can Tebow pass has been answered by him throwing or over 530 yards and 6 TD passes in his first 2 games. No matter who the opponent's were. Has Auburn played a ranked team yet? No. Has UGA played a ranked team yet? No. Tebow will be awesome this year but his defense will suffer.

Don't get too excited gator fans...We gave up 31 points to Troy at home. Ill bet my own house we lose at LSU this year and probably will to Carolina as well. Also Kentucky is on my upset radar. I can see Stafford lighting up our secondary at TWLOCP if we don't improve. As good as our offense is this year we can't outscore everyone in the SEC. Look out for 3 or more losses this year.

For all the Saban haters. Alabama and Nick Saban are 2-0 (1-0) and Auburn struggled to beat a middle tier Kansas team and got beat by an unranked Big Least team at home. Both South Carolina and Alabama deserve to be ranked higher than Auburn right now. Period.

Tennessee is underachieving. They are so much better than what they have shown. They will compete in the east. All season long.

Thats about it. Anyone care to add to the list? :laugh:


I'm not conceding the SEC just yet, lol. Yes, LSU looks great...best team in the nation right now, hands down. Should be the #1 team in the nation, no question. If we played them next week, we'd lose.

But we don't play them next week. Heater is a miracle worker in the secondary, and the schedule plays out perfectly for us. The toughest games come later in the season, when injuries have time to heal and experience can be gained. Our offense is better than the tigers' O, imo, and if anyone can grind out a TOP game to minimize the other team's touches and protect a defense, it's Meyer. With the inexperience in the secondary, I can totally envision a loss in the Bayou, but we were supposed to lose last year with all-everything Russell, Doucet, and Bo Peep's swarming defense. Let's not forget: Reggie Lewis didn't play a lick of DB before last season, and he was one of the starting DBs last year.

I'm not taking anything away from LSU's impressive wins, but VT was a beaten team imo before they got off the bus. They had a confidence shaker at home with ECU, and I don't think they felt they were ready to match LSU's speed and talent. I loved to see the Tiger's kill 'em, but I didn't see the VT team I've grown accustomed to see show up for big games in the last few years (think of the Miami games around the early 2000s).

The SEC is LSU's to lose, but I think there are a few teams who can surprise this season.

[GatorHunter]

I'm not conceding the SEC just yet, lol. Yes, LSU looks great...best team in the nation right now, hands down. Should be the #1 team in the nation, no question. If we played them next week, we'd lose.

But we don't play them next week. Heater is a miracle worker in the secondary, and the schedule plays out perfectly for us. The toughest games come later in the season, when injuries have time to heal and experience can be gained. Our offense is better than the tigers' O, imo, and if anyone can grind out a TOP game to minimize the other team's touches and protect a defense, it's Meyer. With the inexperience in the secondary, I can totally envision a loss in the Bayou, but we were supposed to lose last year with all-everything Russell, Doucet, and Bo Peep's swarming defense. Let's not forget: Reggie Lewis didn't play a lick of DB before last season, and he was one of the starting DBs last year.

I'm not taking anything away from LSU's impressive wins, but VT was a beaten team imo before they got off the bus. They had a confidence shaker at home with ECU, and I don't think they felt they were ready to match LSU's speed and talent. I loved to see the Tiger's kill 'em, but I didn't see the VT team I've grown accustomed to see show up for big games in the last few years (think of the Miami games around the early 2000s).

The SEC is LSU's to lose, but I think there are a few teams who can surprise this season.

All great points...and I thought this last night as LSU dismantled VT...LSU has played a horrible MSU team and an over-rated VT team...not taking anything away from LSU, either...that defense looks freakin' scary...but I want to see how they do vs a team with similar talent...VT wasn't that team.

I, too, believe our schedule sets up perfect for an interesting season...but we really are gonna need to be coached up for UT...some of the defensive mistakes were plain stupid.

[GeauxTo]

Thats about it. Anyone care to add to the list? :laugh:

An excellent post, Gator2753. Articulate and spot on.
Everyone who is decrying Mississippi State may be just a tad wrong. Croom has an excellent defense, and Henig got his wheels under him against Tulane on the road. Watch for them to give Auburn all they want and maybe too much.
South Carolina is defiitely the surprise team this week for me. I need to have more faith in Spurrier. What is he now, about 10-3 against Georgia? Superb job ane a fine defense for the Gamecocks.
Alabama is streaking along, having found a really good running back in Grant, thus giving JPW a little more breathing room and some more options on offense. Not a great team yet, but pretty darn good.
Ole Miss is less impressive than I had thought they might be. They may not be the best team in Mississippi.
Auburn, as I have been saying, is on a downhill slide. Cox, as I have been saying, doesn't have it. Their D is nothing to write home about, their OL is not impressive, and they lack strong running backs as they've had in the past. Sad to see, but The Barn is no longer a powerhouse in the SEC West. It won't be too long before Bobby Lowder is on his plane looking for the next new boy to coach the Plainsmen. That'll probably happen right after their loss to Bama in J-H.
Florida is not quite as good as I had thought, or, maybe Troy State is much, much better than I had thought. I think it is probably the first.
Vanderbilt has one great thing going for them... Coach Bobby Johnson. The man is real class. Did anyone notice how he was out on the field whenever one of his players had an injury? A really nice guy it seems.
Georgia also surprised me. I felt sure that they would dismantle the Gamecocks with Stafford's arm, but that wasn't the case. South Carolina came to play, and their defense was too much for the Dawgs. Too, Spurrier seems to always be too much for Richt.
And, for all of you who think Les Miles can't coach... surprise, surprise!

[shanksta13]

Florida is not quite as good as I had thought, or, maybe Troy State is much, much better than I had thought. I think it is probably the first.


Geaux, I don't usually disagree with you, but our game was on pay-per-view so I seriously doubt you watched it. First off, I have no idea who Troy State is, we played Troy. Secondly, we held a pretty good offense and the Sun Belt player of the year last year to just 7 points while our starters were in, meanwhile scoring 7 TDs on 7 drives in the first half. The second half wasn't nearly as pretty, but we only had a handful of starters on defense playing (3 that I can recall) and those were all freshman. Our special teams were phenomenal, we blocked 2 punts and Brandon James returned a punt for 32 yards and a kickoff for 59 yards, totaling 127 yards on 3 kick returns. When most of the team relaxed in the second half, Tebow turned it on, rushing for over 60 more yards and contributing 5 TDs to no turnovers on the day. I really don't think you can tell much about a team by reading the box score. Granted, our backups shouldn't allow that many points, even to a good Troy offense and a great quarterback, but don't be fooled by the score, the game wasn't as close as the Western Kentucky game. That said, we still have a few issues we need to address on defense before the Tennessee game, mostly getting better play from our corners and our defensive tackles and forcing more turnovers.

[GatorNation]

Geaux, I don't usually disagree with you, but our game was on pay-per-view so I seriously doubt you watched it. First off, I have no idea who Troy State is, we played Troy. Secondly, we held a pretty good offense and the Sun Belt player of the year last year to just 7 points while our starters were in, meanwhile scoring 7 TDs on 7 drives in the first half. The second half wasn't nearly as pretty, but we only had a handful of starters on defense playing (3 that I can recall) and those were all freshman. Our special teams were phenomenal, we blocked 2 punts and Brandon James returned a punt for 32 yards and a kickoff for 59 yards, totaling 127 yards on 3 kick returns. When most of the team relaxed in the second half, Tebow turned it on, rushing for over 60 more yards and contributing 5 TDs to no turnovers on the day. I really don't think you can tell much about a team by reading the box score. Granted, our backups shouldn't allow that many points, even to a good Troy offense and a great quarterback, but don't be fooled by the score, the game wasn't as close as the Western Kentucky game. That said, we still have a few issues we need to address on defense before the Tennessee game, mostly getting better play from our corners and our defensive tackles and forcing more turnovers.


Don't worry...Geaux does this all the time, lol. Unless UF wins by 100+ and only lets up a FG, or unless Tebow throws for 1,000 yards and 12 TDs, UF is a bunch of hacks on the decline, lol....

:D

Even if we beat UT by 50, it'll just be a win over an over-ranked team, which he'll pick 4th or 5th in the east, that was overmatched by Cal, lol.

[AUcarlton]

Auburn, as I have been saying, is on a downhill slide. Cox, as I have been saying, doesn't have it. Their D is nothing to write home about, their OL is not impressive, and they lack strong running backs as they've had in the past. Sad to see, but The Barn is no longer a powerhouse in the SEC West. It won't be too long before Bobby Lowder is on his plane looking for the next new boy to coach the Plainsmen. That'll probably happen right after their loss to Bama in J-H.

You're right, Cox does not have it at all. However, our defense saved our asses from being completely humiliated last night. They held off multiple scoring chances for SF. If anything, I feel bad for our D seeing as how they have had to clean up after our offense the past 2 games. As for the running situation, I think Fannin will shape up to be a great running back. He had 67 yards rushing and a TD. Ben Tate had some solid stats last night as well. I think if Tommy can just get his senses together and take out Cox and get our recievers to catch some passes we at least shouldn't have any more problems than we had last night.

[GeauxTo]

First off, I have no idea who Troy State is, we played Troy.

I think that was their name several years ago. Same school, though... Troy, Alabama.


Don't worry...Geaux does this all the time, lol. Unless UF wins by 100+ and only lets up a FG, or unless Tebow throws for 1,000 yards and 12 TDs, UF is a bunch of hacks on the decline, lol....

:D

Even if we beat UT by 50, it'll just be a win over an over-ranked team, which he'll pick 4th or 5th in the east, that was overmatched by Cal, lol.

Ha-Ha
Ya got me!:thumpsup:

Oh, by the way... aren't you the guy who said that Bo Pelini would be an awful defensive coordinator?
:laugh:

[GatorHunter]

Geaux, I don't usually disagree with you, but our game was on pay-per-view so I seriously doubt you watched it. First off, I have no idea who Troy State is, we played Troy. Secondly, we held a pretty good offense and the Sun Belt player of the year last year to just 7 points while our starters were in, meanwhile scoring 7 TDs on 7 drives in the first half. The second half wasn't nearly as pretty, but we only had a handful of starters on defense playing (3 that I can recall) and those were all freshman. Our special teams were phenomenal, we blocked 2 punts and Brandon James returned a punt for 32 yards and a kickoff for 59 yards, totaling 127 yards on 3 kick returns. When most of the team relaxed in the second half, Tebow turned it on, rushing for over 60 more yards and contributing 5 TDs to no turnovers on the day. I really don't think you can tell much about a team by reading the box score. Granted, our backups shouldn't allow that many points, even to a good Troy offense and a great quarterback, but don't be fooled by the score, the game wasn't as close as the Western Kentucky game. That said, we still have a few issues we need to address on defense before the Tennessee game, mostly getting better play from our corners and our defensive tackles and forcing more turnovers.

Couldn't agree more, Shanksta...

BTW, Troy use to be known as "Troy State"...you probably knew that...;)

Like I said before the game...Haugabrook(sp?) is a great QB...he has a "Dan Marino-Like" quick release and is very accurate...he's also freakin huge! He's a Florida kid if I'm not mistaken and would likely be starting for one of the in-state schools had he had any grades. Troy made adjustments at half-time and the Gators put it on cruise-control...not to mention, 2 opening TOs gave Troy 2 TDs...excuses, I know...but just like the WKU game...I don't think we can take anything away from this game except UF's offense is better than last season...and the defense isn't quite as good.

[GeauxTo]

[quote=GatorHunter;272116]Couldn't agree more, Shanksta...

BTW, Troy use to be known as "Troy State"...you probably knew that...;)
quote]

Isn't Troy still coached by the ex-Auburn assistant? Blakely, I think?

[GatorHunter]

[quote=GatorHunter;272116]Couldn't agree more, Shanksta...

BTW, Troy use to be known as "Troy State"...you probably knew that...;)
quote]

Isn't Troy still coached by the ex-Auburn assistant? Blakely, I think?

Yea..I think his name is "Blakeney"...been there around 20 years I think.

[crimsonnation713]

I'm not being pessimistic...I was just giving a "worst case scenario"...I still believe the Gators should win every game...even LSU...;)

Our defense is very talented...a lot more talented than any defense we've ever fielded. But it is one of the most inexperienced defenses we've ever fielded as well. On offense, experience is over-rated. Speed and execution can usually negate inexperience...but on defense...experience pays dividends. I just think we are likely to lose a close one or two do to our defensive mistakes...hopefull not, but realistically, it could happen.


I usually dont say things like this but LSU is looking SCARY good. The D is awesome and it looked like Saturday that the offense is starting to click. It aint looking good for everybody else. Sorry GH , I just dont see it.