With the preseason mags on the stands and the so-called "experts" making their picks according to their perceived audiences, it's easy to get lost in the mounting negativity regarding our beloved reptiles. We are mentioned far too often only as an aside, if not ignored outright.
Out here where I am in South-Central Texas, self-obsessed Longhorn prognosticators DO mention us (the Muschamp-connection guarantees that much), mostly in terms of their former coach-in-waiting having similar problems at QB as the Horns but more holes to fill, a whole new system to install, and a tougher road to travel through an SEC schedule (in my view, they're worse off than us in the first two cases; only in the last do they have it right).
In the last few days, with camps about to open here and elsewhere, I've had to suffer the opinions of various national radio personalities' views, and UF has been mentioned more than once--along with Michigan as an extreme example of a team with lots of individual talent but not the "right talent", too many "square pegs in round holes" of a new system, and especially a big questionmark at the key position, quarterback (interestingly, on national radio broadcasts, Texas is included as a third member of this group--but on local shows with the same sorts of guests asked the same questions, the Longhorns are missing from this wrong-personnel discussion, strangely enough).
Now, we who follow the Gators closely have less information going into this camp than at anytime that I can remember. I have neither heard nor seen any evidence that these "expert guests" from ESPN, Sports Illustrated and so on know anymore than we do. So while they are entitled to their opinions, that is all these are. I follow the logic of their positions, but in the end it is based mostly on conjecture filtered through whatever particular axes they have to grind.
Which brings me to my point here: While we DO have a number of unanswered questions, some of them will likely come out fine. If enough do, this may not turn out so badly after all. The cupboard is hardly bare, and personally I don't buy this idea that we "don't have the right players for the new system"--I just don't think either Muschamp or Weis are anyone's fools. Anyway, the media guys can't have it both ways: the one thing these folks agreed on up 'til now is that Brantley was in the wrong system before, and if QB is "the key position", then we must have the RIGHT guy in the right place now--and if we don't, then the whole season will hinge on finding out who IS, and how fast he can be brought along. We'll almost certainly have to start that process as the season goes along regardless, it'd just be nice to do it in the second halves of games we've already put away! As for the rest, well, I'll take my chances with our skill-people.
Either way, we'll be among the favorites again by next year, a perennial top five contender for the BCS Final game going into each season for the foreseeable, so this is an unusual situation for us, one of WAY lowered expectations "out there", and a rare chance to be the darkhorse, the "surprise" team not just in the SEC but nationwide. Those experts I mentioned are talking 7-and-5 as not unlikely, at least out this way, so I figure a ten-win season would mess things up nicely--and would make a pretty decent "transition year" too.
I know, I know, given all the unknowns that may be asking too much. So I'm not "asking", I'm just saying: it ain't impossible either...
Out here where I am in South-Central Texas, self-obsessed Longhorn prognosticators DO mention us (the Muschamp-connection guarantees that much), mostly in terms of their former coach-in-waiting having similar problems at QB as the Horns but more holes to fill, a whole new system to install, and a tougher road to travel through an SEC schedule (in my view, they're worse off than us in the first two cases; only in the last do they have it right).
In the last few days, with camps about to open here and elsewhere, I've had to suffer the opinions of various national radio personalities' views, and UF has been mentioned more than once--along with Michigan as an extreme example of a team with lots of individual talent but not the "right talent", too many "square pegs in round holes" of a new system, and especially a big questionmark at the key position, quarterback (interestingly, on national radio broadcasts, Texas is included as a third member of this group--but on local shows with the same sorts of guests asked the same questions, the Longhorns are missing from this wrong-personnel discussion, strangely enough).
Now, we who follow the Gators closely have less information going into this camp than at anytime that I can remember. I have neither heard nor seen any evidence that these "expert guests" from ESPN, Sports Illustrated and so on know anymore than we do. So while they are entitled to their opinions, that is all these are. I follow the logic of their positions, but in the end it is based mostly on conjecture filtered through whatever particular axes they have to grind.
Which brings me to my point here: While we DO have a number of unanswered questions, some of them will likely come out fine. If enough do, this may not turn out so badly after all. The cupboard is hardly bare, and personally I don't buy this idea that we "don't have the right players for the new system"--I just don't think either Muschamp or Weis are anyone's fools. Anyway, the media guys can't have it both ways: the one thing these folks agreed on up 'til now is that Brantley was in the wrong system before, and if QB is "the key position", then we must have the RIGHT guy in the right place now--and if we don't, then the whole season will hinge on finding out who IS, and how fast he can be brought along. We'll almost certainly have to start that process as the season goes along regardless, it'd just be nice to do it in the second halves of games we've already put away! As for the rest, well, I'll take my chances with our skill-people.
Either way, we'll be among the favorites again by next year, a perennial top five contender for the BCS Final game going into each season for the foreseeable, so this is an unusual situation for us, one of WAY lowered expectations "out there", and a rare chance to be the darkhorse, the "surprise" team not just in the SEC but nationwide. Those experts I mentioned are talking 7-and-5 as not unlikely, at least out this way, so I figure a ten-win season would mess things up nicely--and would make a pretty decent "transition year" too.
I know, I know, given all the unknowns that may be asking too much. So I'm not "asking", I'm just saying: it ain't impossible either...
