No use looking very far: We got "that other school" coming up post T-Day again, as usual...
...and we are even MORE short-handed for THIS one.
In addition to the 7vstarters who were out for LSU, now we'll have to go without Washington, our sole starting safety we were lucky to have well enough to play (and make a DIFF) last Sat. That means not just more pressure on and less experience in our D secondary, but the same now on special teams, where he's an integral part of the return squad. Damn. We can't GET a break here: Everyone faces injuries, has to deal with them by this point in the year--but it has been a particularly extreme situation each season during the "down years" under Muschamp, has seemed to continue--and we are TRULY "BEAT UP" by now here. Coach Mac handles things upbeat, takes a positive view even as he acknowledges and deals with it...His team follows his lead, so it's the only way to go, and it DOES begin the process of "preparing young men" who will be the next wave of starters in any event for that role NOW--but GEEZ! Can we not get a quiet week here? A chance to hunker down with what and who we got, let 'em work hard and pull it together and get ready with little FURTHER drama?!!
Sigh...Apparently not.
Meanwhile, just watched a very slick, less-than-5-minute recap of the game in Baton Rouge on Saturday, and it just stirred me with pride: I began to feel that the first time thru, in real time, by well into the 4th quarter--proud no matter HOW it turned out at how a battered-but-proud Gator squad ho'd been called out, denigrated and mocked, forced finally to go out to Death Valley to play what shoulda been a home game in the Swamp, down more than a third of their starters against a team everyone "out there" was sure were WAY overmatched (hell--going in I thought that too), and all the rest--and by late in the game I felt great pride in them "no matter HOW it turns out!"...
And then comes THE STOP, that series starting 1st-and-goal right at the end, in the GATOR-Fans' end of the stadium.
You hear the term, "Signature Win".
Well, THAT'S what one LOOKS like.
It is Mac's this team's--and really, ours' too: No matter how down we have felt, have at times looked and BEEN (especially, but not solely on offense--eg. 2nd half of Vols-game) at times even this season, THAT is who we are, a part of who we are gonna BE from here on out.
I don't know if we'll beat those sad fools who had to settle for the "2nd Best University in Florida" this time...we'll still be similar underdogs, I think.
And we aren't even gonna THINK about the SEC Championship Game now.
But I will watch, hope for the best, and look to the future and whatever progress we make AS A TEAM.
Far as I'm concerned, based on everything, I owe this Coach and team that now, from here on out.
...and we are even MORE short-handed for THIS one.
In addition to the 7vstarters who were out for LSU, now we'll have to go without Washington, our sole starting safety we were lucky to have well enough to play (and make a DIFF) last Sat. That means not just more pressure on and less experience in our D secondary, but the same now on special teams, where he's an integral part of the return squad. Damn. We can't GET a break here: Everyone faces injuries, has to deal with them by this point in the year--but it has been a particularly extreme situation each season during the "down years" under Muschamp, has seemed to continue--and we are TRULY "BEAT UP" by now here. Coach Mac handles things upbeat, takes a positive view even as he acknowledges and deals with it...His team follows his lead, so it's the only way to go, and it DOES begin the process of "preparing young men" who will be the next wave of starters in any event for that role NOW--but GEEZ! Can we not get a quiet week here? A chance to hunker down with what and who we got, let 'em work hard and pull it together and get ready with little FURTHER drama?!!
Sigh...Apparently not.
Meanwhile, just watched a very slick, less-than-5-minute recap of the game in Baton Rouge on Saturday, and it just stirred me with pride: I began to feel that the first time thru, in real time, by well into the 4th quarter--proud no matter HOW it turned out at how a battered-but-proud Gator squad ho'd been called out, denigrated and mocked, forced finally to go out to Death Valley to play what shoulda been a home game in the Swamp, down more than a third of their starters against a team everyone "out there" was sure were WAY overmatched (hell--going in I thought that too), and all the rest--and by late in the game I felt great pride in them "no matter HOW it turns out!"...
And then comes THE STOP, that series starting 1st-and-goal right at the end, in the GATOR-Fans' end of the stadium.
You hear the term, "Signature Win".
Well, THAT'S what one LOOKS like.
It is Mac's this team's--and really, ours' too: No matter how down we have felt, have at times looked and BEEN (especially, but not solely on offense--eg. 2nd half of Vols-game) at times even this season, THAT is who we are, a part of who we are gonna BE from here on out.
I don't know if we'll beat those sad fools who had to settle for the "2nd Best University in Florida" this time...we'll still be similar underdogs, I think.
And we aren't even gonna THINK about the SEC Championship Game now.
But I will watch, hope for the best, and look to the future and whatever progress we make AS A TEAM.
Far as I'm concerned, based on everything, I owe this Coach and team that now, from here on out.
