InkedAdrenaline,
miltongator,
Dale J. Rodriguez,
Leakfan12,
Escambia94,
FrozenGator (if I left anyone out who was with us on GameDay and has continued to post here Sunday, I MEANT to include you...)
This won't take long--there are just too many bad-feelings in the nooks and crannies of this thread, which we all suffered through and which I have now re-experienced from-the-top in order to review the game THAT way (I CANNOT watch my recording of the actual game, as is my usual Sunday ritual--I may NEVER watch it, which btw is my recommendation to the coaches with respect to showing it to the team...there's just not much there positive to be learned, and the negative could be as damaging, in its way, to the players as it is painful for me to watch)...
I HAVE A FOOTBALL HANGOVER from that game. As I have explained elsewhere, I didn't drink ENOUGH yesterday, felt everything with raw nerves and heart-exposed on my sleeve--and am drinking NOW to soften the ache that "the day after" brings. I have thoughts on all the points, topics and issues y'all raise here--but fortunately you also raise them, and in more detail, elsewhere...I will do my best to respond to them there.
Basic Points:
--We are "starting over" in every way that is important--and both us and (even more important) our team need to face the rest of this season in just that way.
--I don't care what other teams do from here on out.
--I don't care where we or any of our opponents, past present or future, are ranked.
--I don't care about the various arcane combinations of who does what and who wins or loses or has already won or lost when and/or where, or their various possible impact on where WE could end up, or how high we are likely to be ranked when we get there.
--I don't care what Bowls we or anyone else will be eligible or likely to play in.
--I don't care what anyone "out there", what the media pundits, haters, Gators or anyone ELSE is saying about us or WILL be saying about us for the rest of this year.
--Remember "One game at a time"??? It's more important than ever now...It is the only way we can make "starting over" stick, and eventually work for us. It's a 5 game season now, with the relative meaning and importance of the 5th resting upon the outcome of each and eventual record in all 4 remaining regular season games--and all we can or SHOULD be concerned with henceforth is the next game, the one right in front of us, that and that alone.
--We are a good team, with enormous potential; we have work to do all OVER the place, just to get back on track and beat our next opponent, Mizzou--and don't forget they are a well-coached team that, though having an "off" year, are part of a strong and ambitious program, are only a year on from challenging for BCS status themselves, and have plenty of guys who were a part of that who know about big game preparation: They'll be gunning for US come next Saturday.
--Our guys, as much as they hurt (every bit as much and MORE than any of us), must put it aside tomorrow, strap on their helmets and begin to prepare mentally, emotionally and physically for that NBG.