Florida Gators: A Game-by-Game Look into the 2012 SEC Schedule

It has been two years since Tim Tebow left us, and oh, how painful it has been.

Recovering from PTSD (Post Tebow Stress Disorder) is no laughing matter.  The offense has gone from a lethal spread attack to the most painful display the Gators have seen in recent history. 

Heck, if Tebow and the Broncos played on Saturdays, forgetting about the Gators would have been a strong possibility.

But you can't win it all every year, right?

Hopefully, the Gators have hit the bottom and are headed back up the ladder to the top of the SEC.

Listen to me.  What a spoiled brat.  Two seasons, both bowl wins, but 11 losses, including back-to-back losses to bitter in-state rival Florida State.  That says something about the program when 7-6 or 8-5 with a bowl win is unacceptable a few years after winning two national championships in three years.

But like I said, perhaps the Gators are beginning their climb to the top once again in 2012.

With a Top 5 recruiting class featuring some of the most physical and talented linemen coming to Gainesville, it is hard not to let the optimism flow once again.

With new SEC members Texas A&M and Missouri both on the schedule, 2012 looks to provide a year of interesting matchups and new possibilities. 

After warming up against Bowling Green, the Gators travel to College Station to take on the newly admitted Aggies.

The Aggies are coming off at least an equally disappointing season.  They blew huge leads against Oklahoma State and Arkansas, lost to Missouri and Kansas St. in overtime and were upset at home by rival Texas.  Head coach Mike Sherman was ousted, and former Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin took over.

The Aggies have some key pieces of the puzzle leaving as well.  Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, wide receiver Jeff Fuller and running back Cyrus Gray are headed to the NFL, leaving the Aggies' offense with holes to fill.

The defense has similar issues.

The Gators should match up well with the Aggies.  Each team will have new starting quarterbacks and running backs.  The Gators' defense should be the key to the game.  While the Aggies' defense will have holes to fill, Florida returns 10 of 11 starters.

After the Aggies, the Gators travel to Neyland Stadium to beat the Volunteers once again, before hosting Kentucky and extending their winning streak there as well.

The Gators then get to enjoy a nicely placed bye week just before a difficult—although not as brutal as 2011—October.

The Gators host LSU on Oct. 6 in a game that will likely set the tone for the month.  The defense should be ready for the Tigers and their retooled offense, but the Gators' offense will have to look much better than they did in last year's matchup. 

If the Gators can keep it close and perhaps even pull off an upset, it will build a lot of confidence heading into the key SEC East games against Georgia and South Carolina.

After LSU, the Gators travel to Vanderbilt in a game which Gators fans now know they can't take lightly after last year's scare. 

Back-to-back games against Georgia and South Carolina close October for the Gators.  Going 3-1 in October should be achievable and would put the Gators in a great position heading into their last SEC game with Missouri.

The Gators get Missouri at home, which will be a nice advantage.  It will be another showdown between a powerful (former) Big 12 offense and an SEC defense.

Following their SEC finale, Florida gets two cupcakes before heading to Doak to try to end the two-game skid against the Seminoles.

Compared to last year, the schedule looks much more favorable for the Gators; Alabama and Auburn are replaced with a rebuilding Texas A&M and decent Missouri team.

If you had to circle one game on the schedule where the Gators really need a W, make it Oct. 27 against the Georgia Bulldogs.  Mark Richt and his team once again miss LSU, Alabama and Arkansas, making the path to the SEC Championship Game much easier.

Beating the Bulldogs is a priority every year, but owning the tiebreaker in 2012 may be the difference between playing for an SEC championship and sitting at home.

On paper, Florida is already looking like a much-improved team in comparison to last year, and there are still many weeks of practice left before September.  A more navigable schedule and an improved team should have Gators fans excited for 2012.

2012 might not be the year of the Gator, but it will definitely be a stepping stone to getting back to where the program belongs.

At the top.