In warfare parlance, we know the enemy "order of battle", we know our own order of battle, and we know both sides' tactics, techniques, and procedures. The defense needs to zero in on the Nole center of gravity, which is EJ Manuel. We need to protect our crown jewels, which are Gilly and Driskel. We cannot control the crappy officiating.
Carrying this theme further:
There is a 'Nole "center of gravity" on defense as well--that German kid, and we must specifically account for and zero in on HIM on offense if we are to have a better chance of preventing the kind of "hero creation" we managed with Jarvis and the UGA defense in J-ville. He is aggressive, so tactically you USE that, trap them: lure him into leading that side of their "D" into over-pursuit...then, in such an attack's 2nd-phase, once we have them "on their heels", GUESSING what we're going to do next (and/or even better, once their COACHES actually pull them back, "call off the dogs" and go to a more conservative "wait, THEN read and react" defense), we can begin to dictate the pace and flow of the game. If we can put them in the position of "Can't pack-the-box without getting burnt long, take OUT the extra men-in-the-middle but hesitate to over-commit, to the rush OR to coverage", we have them. The details of such a tactical "order of battle" for our "air-supported strike troops" (ie. ground offense with liberal use of the long and medium pass early and often, then again every time they begin to "come out of their holes", beginning to "cheat" again on our running game) are of course in the hands of our OC, a brilliant tactician on offense himself, btw--just as actually pulling it OFF is on the coaches and the PLAYERS...Now, though I happen to fear that waiting to unveil such plans (having been designed and practiced "in secret" until the game when it was anticipated they'd be necessary)--the idea of "flipping the switch" for the first time in an actual game-situation a move fraught with way too many dangerous pitfalls--at THIS point, I'm sure hoping there IS some element of that at work here: Let's just hope that Pease and the boys have SOMETHING up their sleeves to go with the old "grind out the win"-plan that everyone is so sure is the extent of both our offense AND our "plan"!
Well, the latest "good news" (as of last night) is that Driskel WILL be starting: he practiced without pain or apparent difficulty yesterday (Wed.) afternoon is the word, and here's hoping he's at full speed--even with our O-line reportedly at its healthiest in over a month (a SECOND piece of "good news"), we can assume that JD's ability to turn a broken pass-play into a big run will play a part more than once, and in more than one way...
That leaves the last, and maybe the most amazing "good news" of all: Our Gators ARE "10-and-1" (!), have repeatedly proven themselves to be "tough and battle-tested", which gets to be a "self-fulfilling prophesy" after awhile (I offer the ending-to-the-La-La-Game as just ONE example--albeit an extreme one!), and with our defense and special teams DO find ways to win close games, as this one is likely to be. We've done it against some of the toughest teams in the nation already, too, which is more than FSU can say...The fact that it is the host 'Noles who are favored, who give every impression of believing they are better than us and, like their fans, almost arrogant in their confidence at winning, is ANOTHER potential "edge". Now it's up to our guys to go out there and carry out the game plan, whatever it is, and, most of all, TO SHOVE IT DOWN THEIR THROATS!
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roflmao: laughing--HARD) You know, you really aren't alone in this "secret sentiment", my friend...
