To the Gator Nation: I Apologize

Yes, this is an apology to the Gator Nation, but I’m not going to use Tim Tebow’s words, as I feel we’ve all heard them a good four million times too many at this point.  Instead, I must borrow the words from one of the most revered characters in all of cinema:  Happy Gilmore. 

After Happy realizes that he does in fact need the help of his mentor, Chubbs, he issues this Tebow-like apology:  “I'm stupid. You're smart. I was wrong. You were right. You're the best. I'm the worst. You're very good-looking. I'm not attractive.”

And those words sum up exactly how I feel about this year’s Gators—and specifically Urban Meyer. 

Back in August, when everyone pretends to be Kirk Herbstreit, I wrote that while the Gators would win the East, they would not claim the SEC Championship and would therefore not reach the national title game. 

Below are excerpts from that article.  In italics, I’ve added a few follow up thoughts: 

The 2008-2009 Gators have a loaded offense, the returning Heisman winner, a manageable schedule, and one of the country’s best coaches—a sure-fire recipe for a national championship contender.  

But here are five reasons the Florida Gators will not only miss out on the national championship game but also on winning the SEC.  

1.) The Defense

The Gator defense was flat-out awful last year, and while all those players are now a year older, we just don’t know if they’ll be any better.

In the SEC, it all starts in the trenches, so if Florida can’t get a pass rush or stop the run, it will be déjà vu in 2008.  While I think Florida’s defense will be improved, it will still be a very young squad, and eventually that youth will catch up with them in a close game.  

Defensive end Carlos Dunlap led the SEC in sacks and didn’t even start the entire season.  Jermaine Cunningham was a freak.  Brandon Spikes single-handedly stopped the best runners in the SEC.  The defense had 24 interceptions, led by surprise star Ahmad Black. 

I got served. 


2.) Two-Minute Offense

Gator fans don’t want to hear this—and some will argue otherwise—but the fact is, Tim Tebow never led the Gators to a come-from-behind win last season, despite three chances to do so: against Auburn, LSU, and Michigan.    

This is obviously not all on Tebow, as play calling and other players factor into the two-minute drill.  But clearly the Gators did not have the late game execution they wanted in their three closest losses of last season—and it all starts with Tebow.  

Yeah, umm, about the Alabama game.  I got served again. 


3.) Tebow Backlash

While I highly doubt too many defenders will actually get the last word on Number 15, some determined team will find a chink in the Gator armor

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