Well, I'll put this up, with trepidation--and a certain sense of conflict within. What a sad day: For the first time in my Gator-life, there's a (albeit small, TINY) part of me that "wouldn't mind" a Gator loss here against the Gurley-less Bulldogs. In my view (and that of a number of others a whole lot closer to the program), we'd have a real chance of ridding ourselves of Will Muschamp now, CERTAINLY fully seal his fate regardless, if we lose again, especially if we were to do another full-on 2nd-half collapse. Now, I WON'T get into any more back-and-forth about what has to happen and why regarding our coaching situation, least of all here, but a big win on the wings of a suddenly exciting, efficient and well-functioning offense might well reignite the "maybe Muschamp stays"-discussion--and THAT, just reopening a shot at that "agenda", is dangerous, destructive even as "just talk". Hell, I'm afraid that any sort of WIN here could do that.
Aw, I can't root against our guys, but that's all just part of what makes this game all that much more difficult for me to get into. Sort of emblematic of the whole season, the worst in memory. As I've said before, even during the infamous 0-10-and-1 '79 season my sophomore year we had fun--there's a freedom in low expectations and nowhere-to-go-but-up--we knew coming-in Dickey had left the cupboard bare, and we also knew "Ol' Charlie Pell would get things straightened out": Recruiting was already looking up (yeah, I know, in those "bad old days" that turned out to be part of the problem--but we didn't, couldn't foresee all of that: That was "how things were done" up 'til then--and the NCAA really walloped Charlie AND us for stuff his mentor-in-the-hounds-tooth-hat had been doing for YEARS over in Tuscaloosa) and everyone just KNEW we'd be gettin' a whole lot better in a hurry after this. So we had fun.
No fun here. Failing that sudden-awakening (complete with a clean-uniformed Treon, and sticky-handed WRs running out crisp routes in an offense freed from Muschamp's meddling, etc., all against what has turned out to be a stingy Georgia D), only hope for a win is our so-talented Defense holds their efficient/explosive (even without Gurley--and normally I wanna beat a rival's best--no excuses for 'em, ya know?) offense down lower than our Muschamp-squeezes-our-OWN-balls offense can manage...Another plodding, mutually-inept stumble-fest out there that our D and special teams somehow pulls out?
I don't feel Treon's YET getting a fair shot that is gonna be all that fun to watch, or much of anything but the raw experience of being out there and leading his team. Not that THAT isn't something's gonna pay off eventually--if it doesn't wear him down, or worse, get him seriously hurt. Has to go through this process, I guess, given the situation: what comes out of this presumably will be a tough, experienced QB who knows the offense AND has the deepest respect and support of the guys around him. THEY won't forget this. Again, though, that amounts to rationalizing what is an otherwise frustrating-to-watch process.
Meanwhile, re the "bigger picture" I'm personally tired of looking at and seeing no change in, there's ALL our various inner-conflicts regarding not just this game, but this team, its future, and how we're supposed to feel about it all NOW. I doubt I'm alone in it mostly coming down to "what's good for us in the long run"-terms--NOT just if, when and how SOON we might, should and/or WILL get rid of this Head Coach, but how each, every and all of these points (wins, losses, performance, depth, morale and on and on) play into things like our recruiting class, what coach(es) we're interested in and if/when/how we can get him, how long it'll take to "get back"...
As I said up top, a whole LOT of "conflict" within. If someone else wants to get into the detailed "set-up" for this particular match-up, discuss the particulars of strategy and tactics etc. etc. etc., have at it...
I grant that I'm not really up to it here. Might find I'm "sucked into it" anyway, some good things happen early and almost involuntarily am back at it, getting into it all with you play-by-play. But for now, I go into these Saturdays, this of all Saturdays, inside a kind of self-protective shell--sort of "expecting the worst and trying not to FEEL it", at least not so closely, not with the sharp and painful immediacy that belies all that. It's that very reality, that "If I watch, I HURT", that is the "conflict" underlying all the rest--and yet I can't turn away.
