Next Season's Expectations

[SEC_Supreme]

Couldn't find a good thread to put this under, but here's an article from Bleacher Reports about next year's offensive expectations:

Florida Firepower: What To Expect From The Offense In 2011 | Bleacher Report

 

[TheGatorBehindTheCurtain]

Favorite Lines from the article.


Weis is known for being an excellent play-caller to start with. That said, Florida has the weapons to do pretty much whatever the hell they please on offense. Addazio was just too much of a p*ssy to use them.


Florida will be dangerous next year and far better than people think. Go ahead, people—write them off. Watch what happens.

 

[awebbf5]

That article got me fired up. Love how they told the truth about addazio, and love how they say driskel will get some playing time. Im just worried about our secondary with losing janoris.Idk if my expectations are to high but I expect a sec championship next year.

 

[The Zooker]

He's wrong about Burton though. Trey is moving to defense.

 

[DRU2012]

Well, naturally I liked the overall tone and thrust of the column, and I even agreed with a large portion of the specific details, but I had to throw a couple of red-flag challenges too:
First, I'm still not sold on how great a "pure passer" John Brantley is when the pressure's on, bodies are flying (some straight at HIM!) and the game is on the line--everything he said about Addazio was true, but it was #12 who was out there, repeatedly missing the proper check off and/or overthrowing the open receiver when he DID throw something besides the three-yd.-bubble-screen. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it in response to such examples of "selective memory": JB had multiple opportunities to rise above the unimaginative game-plans and play-calling, to raise HIS game, make some plays, inspire and above all LEAD his teammates, make it HIS TEAM--and never ONCE did he do it. The best I can hope for in him is that with Weis' help, guidance and realistic assessment of his strengths AND limitations, Brantley MAY be able to sufficiently "hold the fort" at QB, run things just error-free efficiently enough to get us through, with Reed there to come in and run a change-of-pace "wildcat"-style series here and there, so that we can put up more than enough points to support a "D" that will start out "good" and grow stronger, tougher and better with every game. If #12 can surpass expectations, they might redshirt Driskel and let him learn AND fill out a bit, but I suspect necessity, if not immediate then at least in terms of starting to get him game experience going into NEXT season (ie. 2012), will have them beginning the process by mid-season.
Among the other mostly lesser quibbles, the one that stands out was this idea that Deonte Thompson would be an important break-out deep-threat...did the writer not see EVERY ONE of JB's early-season attempts at stretching the field (never to return, once squandered, apparently) BOUNCING OFF THOMPSON'S HANDS?!! There's a REASON he got the nickname "c*ckfingers"!
So: In a sense, the writer stakes a large part of the future Gator offense on a QB who couldn't throw and a WR who couldn't catch--I know, not that simple, but in each case, when the throw or catch MEANT something, it WAS that simple--they failed.
I hope they prove me wrong, redeem themselves completely...but I ALSO hope like HELL that there's a "Plan B".

 

[Escambia94]

I agree with DRU that the overall tone of the article is correct. It is too early to speculate as to who is going to do what this is an entirely new regime and we cannot base any assumptions on what Urban Meyer and his coaches would have and should have done. That being said, I would have re-structured the article as such in order for it to more accurate:

- "Unpredictable, daring play-calling" - This is still a valid need for 2011, and a reasonable expectation based on what we know of Charlie Weis and the "Ron Ernhardt - Ray Perkins Offense". My only concern is that Meyer recruited running backs under 200 pounds and tight ends that were more adept at receiving than blocking. Expect some growing pains until our running backs gain weight or the smaller ones graduate and the larger ones filter in during 2011-2012. Even Gillislee will need to pull off an Emmitt Smith in order be the featured back at 198 pounds. Same with Mack Brown at 193. Rainey at 180 and Demps at 190 and CAN still run in this new offense, but I cannot recall Weis using such small backs as the featured backs. Let's assume that Gillislee or Brown will become the featured back with Demps and Rainey in more limited roles.

- "Andre Debose will be more involved" - Change this section to "Our under-used, explosive athletes from 2010 will be more involved" and we have a safer prediction and better "request" for the new offensive coordinator. The spread offense was supposed to be designed to get explosive players "out in space" (hence the term spread, which does not necessarily mean "spreading the players to the edges"), but the Ernhardt-Perkins offense does allow for players like Debose to succeed in a spread-like, 5-wide, empty backfield as the Patriots did with Randy Moss in '07. Note: That record-setting Patriots offense in '07 had Josh McDaniels as the OC, so let's not get too excited about Debose just yet.

- "John Brantley will throw a successful deep ball at least two or three times a game" - For crying out loud, I hope so! If anyone can fix JB4, Weis can. But, he JB4 fix-able? Weis has shown no compunctions about yanking a starter. JB4 had better push that ball down the field, or else someone else will.

- "Jeff Driskel will get some valuable playing time" - This is would have been a no-brainer under Meyer--JD would be in the backfield at the same time as JB4 a la "Leak and Tebow" assuming Addazio continued to be stupid. Under Mus-CHOMP and Weis, this statement means that we will see JD get some playing time when JB4 falters. Weis does not marry himself to a starting QB. Put up, or put out. JD may get a start if JB4 fails to produce.

- "Deonte Thompson will be heavily leaned on to finally have a breakout year" - Again, let's hope so! He needs to beat out some younger players who are just as fast, and he gets no favor from the new coaching staff.

- "Florida will hit some home runs in the running game" - Maybe. The new offense is north-south running in between the tackles. The tackles will not be pulling and trapping as much as they did under Meyer and Addazio. The runners need to learn that when the QB calls for the RB to hit the off-tackle hole, that is where they need to go before they make all their shake-and-bake moves. If the O-line cannot make holes, Demps and Rainey will need to accelerate through dangerously tight spaces unlike last year where the O-line mis-directed and blocked down the line east-west.

- "Florida's young defense will be nasty and physical to set up the offense" - Agreed. Throw in angry and we have a bargain--angry at losing so many games in their first season at Florida and ready to make their own championship mark. Throw in some offensive studs moving to defense, and this defense will HOPEFULLY be fast and physical, with great insight into how to beat an offense. It looks like Trey Burton may become a defensive stud.

- "Trey Burton's days as a QB are done" - Agreed. All his Tweets indicate he is going to defense. We will find out where soon, but I expect him to succeed at LB or SS depending on whether or not he is still growing. Heck, maybe even DE if this were a 3-4 defense or hybrid thereof.

 

[DRU2012]

Thanks, E-; MUCH better.
Maybe I went harder on JB and c*ckf--I mean, Thompson, than I need to at this point, let 'em have their own respective shots at redemption--that I can relax and trust Weis to go with the guys who are getting it DONE from here on out, rather than endure the obscure reasons, standards and prior-promises that comprised the at times absurd rationale applied to who played last year.

(Still sinking in that we won't have to hear or read that some stiff who should have been benched weeks ago once again "graded out a champion"! Look, I LOVED Urban Meyer and what he did for our program, but that alone was a clear and weekly sign that something was WRONG at Gator Central, that at the very LEAST our leader just wasn't paying attention...but it's time to leave all that behind, and I'll do my best to look forward, with hope and optimism that I really DO feel.)

 

[Escambia94]

Thanks, E-; MUCH better.
Maybe I went harder on JB and c*ckf--I mean, Thompson, than I need to at this point, let 'em have their own respective shots at redemption--that I can relax and trust Weis to go with the guys who are getting it DONE from here on out, rather than endure the obscure reasons, standards and prior-promises that comprised the at times absurd rationale applied to who played last year.

(Still sinking in that we won't have to hear or read that some stiff who should have been benched weeks ago once again "graded out a champion"! Look, I LOVED Urban Meyer and what he did for our program, but that alone was a clear and weekly sign that something was WRONG at Gator Central, that at the very LEAST our leader just wasn't paying attention...but it's time to leave all that behind, and I'll do my best to look forward, with hope and optimism that I really DO feel.)

I call it "guarded optimism". Just to put things in perspective on the genius of Urban Meyer versus the genius of Charlie Weis--the 2000-2004 New England Patriots offenses with Weis were good, but the 2006-2008 Patriots offense under Josh McDaniel was a lot better statistically. What does this have to do with the Gators? McDaniel and Bill Belichik incorporated a lot of Meyer's (note that I said "Meyer", not "Dan Mullen") offense, in essence doing the reverse of what we are doing. The Patriots offensive output increased by going from the Ernhardt-Perkins Offense to more of an Urban Meyer spread--not enough to call it an Urban Meyer offense, but enough for Belichik to acknowledge Meyer as an advisor.

I am excited for the defense, the Program, the new coaches, and an offense without the Dazzler. I have faith that Charlie Weis will do more with the Gator offense and its recruits than he did with the Notre Dame offense years ago.

I have guarded optimism for offense, über-excitement for the defense.

 

[DRU2012]

Well, given how things have played out (both generally and specifically here in Austin), it's clear that Muschamp probably COULD have had Horgorsen (sp?) for OC, had he preferred him over Weis--which is interesting to consider...while the former Boise St. OC COULD have fit in at UF, I think, I doubt that Weis would have even been considered by Texas--nor he THEM, for that matter. As it is, I am somewhat baffled as to the exact nature of the arrangement in Austin: Horgorsen is brought in to be the "Co-OC" with Major Applewhite, where they'll "work-together during the week, with Horgorsen calling the actual plays on game day"? He makes the (technically) lateral move from Boise to Texas for that? Doesn't seem like they can both be all that happy or comfortable keeping that balance long term. Fortunately, I'm not a Longhorn, so ultimately I DON'T CARE. The only reason I'm as interested as I am (aside from the fact that I live here and it's all right in front of me) is that so many of the problems leading UP to all of this for BOTH programs seemed to parallel each other, THEN the two programs proceeded to begin going after each others' personnel to SOLVE those problems! Of course, obviously I think it's clear we were a lot more successful in this endeavor than they. Anyway, time will tell.

 

[Escambia94]

I think everything turned out alright. Holgorson may be "the next Urban Meyer as an offensive strategist", but we got "the next Urban Meyer as a head coach". I am okay with the ShortHorns getting back in the saddle by roping in the next offensive wrangler, because I have faith that Charlie Cheeseburger would eat up the Longhorns like an Angus steak if we faced each other in a bowl game in the near future. I care enough to explain to my co-workers that they are in good shape for another ten-year run as tops in the Little 12 conference and second-fiddle to the SEC.

 

[Escambia94]

Just to show how irrelevant the hiring of the BSU OC is, half the Twitter-verse and many of the local sources cannot remember the name of the BSU OC and they mix up Holgorson with Harsin.

I caught myself mixing up their names as well. Bryan Harsin. Born, raised, and schooled in Boise. He probably never saw the outside of Boise city limits until Chris Petersen asked him to do some recruiting in Texas.

 

[DRU2012]

Yeah, obviously I'm in that who-is-he-again?-group--and I'm actually interested enough to at least MEAN to get it right...but there's confusion even now here in Austin on this one...
...And as for UT and their conference's relative stature as compared to the SEC, "second-fiddle" if they're lucky AND have an "up" year!

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

I liked the article, but lets not get carried away. Whoever wrote it exaggerated to the extreme.

It is a fact that the only way our offense could get any worse would be if we just hiked the ball and ran backwards out of the endzone for a safety. But that doesn't mean everything will be all better.

Our O-line played horribly last year, and we are losing two starters. The receivers were still kinda inconsistent (but a lot of that can be blamed on the predictable routes). And the QB situation is still unstable (but I look for that to change before the next season starts).

As for the defense. They weren't too bad last year, they just weren't helped out at all from the offense. Yes we have speed on defense, but where is the strenght? Power running has torn up our defense the past 2 years, and it will take more than Muschamp's schemes to fix it. We need to recruit some muscle as well as speed.

 

[DRU2012]

Muscle and speed at a specific PART of the "D": the line, especially at DE. Several of the real promising ones out there (and there are NEVER that many of them) seem to have been grabbed up already, at least among the guys that were on our "radar"; from this point on we are relying on Chomp to change a mind or two, dig up a sleeper and/or otherwise pull off something amazing here in the "home stretch".