What's there to say? We all know the set-up, the drill, what's specifically at stake this time and generally is up for grabs "AS ALWAYS"...
...and we certainly know what "everyone ELSE" out there thinks about our chances. Hell, most of us don't necessarily disagree with them, from a "steal yourselves for the worst, Gators" POV. Of course, this last gets into a sticky area that has come up a LOT lately--especially if you, like me, spend any time watching Sportscenter and/or listening to the yapping "experts" on the radio: It's one thing for US to be worried and on edge, preparing ourselves for the worst as the injuries pile up and little but heart and guts to balance them (and little sign of any change on-the-field with regard to our woeful offensive production, either). It's another thing entirely for a bunch of gleeful haters to automatically dismiss us out of hand on a weekly basis.
And what ABOUT that "heart and guts"??? I don't WANNA "hope" too much--we take that resigned-outlook BECAUSE we wanna limit the pain if/when it happens...but more than ever, not even so "deep down" I REALLY'd love to see us win this one, shut these fuckers and the lame loudmouthed media me-too'ers UP just one more week.
So yeah, still not PREDICTING another Gator shocker, another "doin' it with chewing gum and duct tape"-type win, still trying to insulate ourselves in "cynical realism", after all--but, well, we've all GOTTA be thinking, FEELING that "what if?"/"if only"/"just maybe"-thing to some extent.
So let 'em all say what they're all saying--I hate it, hate'em ALL, but I'll keep it all buttoned up, as we've had to do more and more this season, hunker down and see what happens.
But if we somehow pull it out, find a way to win by ANY means, a lead large or small, earned or by some ridiculous fluke--no MATTER the means I WILL REVEL IN IT!!!
I mean it: In that event, everything after, SEC Championship game included, will truly be gravy far as I'm concerned. But we don't need to go there, not yet.
We're miserably banged up, ridiculously short-handed, under-manned ro the MAX etc etc blah blah blah but you know what? Turns out we had more "depth" than expected: the only thing missing from the young backups at least on defense was experience--and they are GETTING it. In fact, turns out they'll have some of that to go with "no fall off" talent going into '17 after all, we know that now. Meanwhile, they're young, motivated and full of "don't KNOW what they CAN'T do" spirit. If the patchwork O-line continues to jel and surpass all reasonable expectation, Mac'n'Nuss can install some rip-them-a-new-one offense with a few more stretch-the-field surprises, Scarlet and co. continue to grow into the can't-stop-us role, and Appleby actually carry on his convincing impression of "the guy who shoulda been QB all ALONG", well...aw hell--They'll all STILL be shaking their heads, calling us bad-but-lucky and bout to be "KILLED in the NEXT game". And we'll continue to quietly expect the same. But still...
GO GATORS!!!
...and we certainly know what "everyone ELSE" out there thinks about our chances. Hell, most of us don't necessarily disagree with them, from a "steal yourselves for the worst, Gators" POV. Of course, this last gets into a sticky area that has come up a LOT lately--especially if you, like me, spend any time watching Sportscenter and/or listening to the yapping "experts" on the radio: It's one thing for US to be worried and on edge, preparing ourselves for the worst as the injuries pile up and little but heart and guts to balance them (and little sign of any change on-the-field with regard to our woeful offensive production, either). It's another thing entirely for a bunch of gleeful haters to automatically dismiss us out of hand on a weekly basis.
And what ABOUT that "heart and guts"??? I don't WANNA "hope" too much--we take that resigned-outlook BECAUSE we wanna limit the pain if/when it happens...but more than ever, not even so "deep down" I REALLY'd love to see us win this one, shut these fuckers and the lame loudmouthed media me-too'ers UP just one more week.
So yeah, still not PREDICTING another Gator shocker, another "doin' it with chewing gum and duct tape"-type win, still trying to insulate ourselves in "cynical realism", after all--but, well, we've all GOTTA be thinking, FEELING that "what if?"/"if only"/"just maybe"-thing to some extent.
So let 'em all say what they're all saying--I hate it, hate'em ALL, but I'll keep it all buttoned up, as we've had to do more and more this season, hunker down and see what happens.
But if we somehow pull it out, find a way to win by ANY means, a lead large or small, earned or by some ridiculous fluke--no MATTER the means I WILL REVEL IN IT!!!
I mean it: In that event, everything after, SEC Championship game included, will truly be gravy far as I'm concerned. But we don't need to go there, not yet.
We're miserably banged up, ridiculously short-handed, under-manned ro the MAX etc etc blah blah blah but you know what? Turns out we had more "depth" than expected: the only thing missing from the young backups at least on defense was experience--and they are GETTING it. In fact, turns out they'll have some of that to go with "no fall off" talent going into '17 after all, we know that now. Meanwhile, they're young, motivated and full of "don't KNOW what they CAN'T do" spirit. If the patchwork O-line continues to jel and surpass all reasonable expectation, Mac'n'Nuss can install some rip-them-a-new-one offense with a few more stretch-the-field surprises, Scarlet and co. continue to grow into the can't-stop-us role, and Appleby actually carry on his convincing impression of "the guy who shoulda been QB all ALONG", well...aw hell--They'll all STILL be shaking their heads, calling us bad-but-lucky and bout to be "KILLED in the NEXT game". And we'll continue to quietly expect the same. But still...
GO GATORS!!!
