The Media, the Fans, and "Realistic Expectations"

[Escambia94]

I have also been going back and forth on this. We were all so dead wrong about last year that it is hard to read the tea leaves for this year. I believe in Muschamp and his staff, but I wonder how good the players really are and how they will adapt.

My guess is that in 2011 Muschamp will struggle to replace Meyer much as Zook struggled to replace Spurrier, but next year will be the year Muschamp begins to establish himself and the Florida Way will pay off.

 

[MarylandGator]

This team is not getting enough respect. I watched Muschamp at Texas for year and he was the primary driver for all those great teams at Texas. I think Weis's confidence is up after turning the Chiefs into a playoff contender. This team has talent and now it is a matter of harnessing that talent. Gators are gonna get overlooked and sneak up on some people. I think thist team competes for the SEC championship. PERIOD.

 

[Escambia94]

'Tis better to undersell and overperform than oversell and underperform (see 2010 season).

 

[robdog]

How about selling JUST right for this season!

Seriously, our first game cannot get here fast enough. I want to see how the new offense is going to look@!

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

I am prepared for 12-0. I am prepared for 6-6. What do I expect? I am afraid to even start thinking about it.

 

[Escambia94]

I think it will come down to injuries. I honestly think that we could have overcome that horrendous offense last year if Rainey were not suspended, Demps were not injured, the O-line were not banged up, etc. I am not predicting an SEC championship, but I am saying that we can beat last year's results with fewer injuries than last year.

 

[DRU2012]

That's what I keep coming back to: health, especially along the lines (where we're talented but lack depth) but with our small speedsters too, will make the difference this time. Even WITH all the injuries and screw-ups--and with almost no guidance or leadership either on or off the field (and what there WAS of it, BAD)--we STILL came very close to having a 10-win season. There are a lot of "ifs" going into this season, perhaps TOO many to be confident, but to a great extent they ALL depend upon this team avoiding last year's litany of bad news resulting in missing bodies. Squad stays relatively healthy, there'll be growth and continuity, a chance to gather some momentum in the early going, and we can afford to be hopeful, at least.