Readers, consider yourselves lucky (yeah right)! I haven't published this preview on Saturday Sound Offs yet, but you Bleacher Report readers will get to see it first. I'm sure you're thrilled.
On with the Gators for the 2008 season.
Florida Gators
Nobody was really counting on Florida to play for the national title last year. As a matter of fact, besides the bowl game, Florida pretty much did what was expected: Tebow blew up and the defense was average.
That has to change. The expectations have been cranked up a notch, especially since their national title two years ago.
THE OFFENSE
Where do we begin? Tim Tebow won the Heisman trophy last year. I'm sure I'm not informing you of anything you didn't already know.
The freakishly impressive combination of accuracy, arm strength, speed, and power that is Tim Tebow should be in the running for the Heisman trophy again, even though it would potentially be his second time winning it. He led Florida to about 42-points a game, good for third in the nation in total offense.
The thing that really caught my attention was how balanced this team was. Percy Harvin is the biggest weapon outside of Tebow, and he usually gets the ball on end-arounds or other option plays. He's often used in this fashion, but it doesn't mean he isn't a receiving threat either.
Everything I hear or read is saying that Tebow won't be used as much. I pretty much agree with that—he was getting hit hard and often as the season wore on—but the reason for that will be the emergence of Chris Rainey, the redshirt freshman running back.
This guy is perfect for the kind of offense that Urban Meyer runs, and let's not forget, USC transfer Emmanuel Moody is ready to step in and lighten Tebow's load.
Now that the Gators have a true weapon at RB, it should make the offense that much more explosive and dynamic. Kestahn Moore should be the starter early on, but the youthful explosion of Moody/Rainey will make the most sense to play.
The TE tandem of Aaron Hernandez and Cornelius Ingram is the best in the country, in my opinion, but Tebow will need a solid No. 2 man behind Harvin if the offense is set to become the best in the nation. Louis Murphy should do a fine job, but Riley Cooper has the potential to see some more playing time.
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