Florida Gators are Missing a Little Harvin in 2009

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Florida is undefeated this year. They have played quality opponents and have won and are ranked Number One in the country. They are undefeated. They have a chance at being the first team to win back-to-back championships. But!

In 2008 Florida dominate every team they encountered. This year against quality opponents the games have been close. The last game was a last minute come from behind win.

So what is the difference? The absence of Percy Harvin or a Percy Harvinest type player has made the games much closer. Harvin was a game changer. Tim Tebow is a game changer to be sure; it’s just that the 2008 team had both. The 2008 team was lightning in a bottle.

Last year’s Florida team gave defenses fits. Nobody could match up on all the players. If you cover the speedy running back Demps with a spy it left Harvin and Tebow open, and Percy could line up anywhere. The common denominator was speed, speed, and more speed. You combine that with a top defense and Teams struggled to catch Florida.

We are just about the halfway point in the season. Repeating at champions is not a sure thing for the Gators.  It is painfully obvious that the gap between Florida and other teams has closed to almost non-existent. The drama will still play out to the enjoyment of fans. Having Harvin on this year’s team might have made repeating as close to a sure thing as there is.

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