John Brantley Injury: Gators Have No Chance at Beating LSU Without Brantley

If the Florida Gators felt they had a rough time with Alabama, I can only imagine what they are feeling about heading over to Louisiana to play LSU without quarterback John Brantley.

Simply put, it's going to be a mess of epic proportions.

LSU is No. 1 in the country for a reason, and it's simply because they are the best team in the country.

There's no hype, gimmicks or politics when it comes to LSU this season.

Oklahoma was ranked in the preseason due to hype and Alabama still has a lot left to prove, but LSU went out and showed us everything we needed to know about their team.

They lost starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson to suspension before the season and many, including myself, felt they were done.

Not only did they go out and completely dominate the Oregon Ducks, but they come into this matchup with a 5-0 record and impressive road wins against Mississippi State and West Virginia.

This team is the real deal, and the Gators are going to have a very hard time hanging around with them, especially if Brantley can't play.

The quarterback's status is still unknown, but here is what Gators coach Will Muschamp had to say after the game, courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

"

Muschamp had almost nothing to say on Brantley. Here is every question he got about his quarterback:

Is there any word on Brantley’s status?
“Not at this time.”

Was he taken to the hospital?
“He’s in our training room. He’s fine.”

But was he taken to the hospital at any time?
“Not that I know of. He’s in our training room.”

What will you do if Brantley’s out for a while?
“We’ll discuss that tomorrow. Obviously, we’ll go through that and make the best decision for our football team. We’ll make a decision tomorrow.”

How did your team respond to Brantley’s injury?
“Obviously we didn’t handle it very well. We’ve got to push through it. Injuries are part of the game, and you’re never going to hear me talk about that or youth. That’s part of the game. We’ve got to go to the next guy. It’s unfortunate. We’ll find out more about John tomorrow and that situation, but you’ve got to go to the next guy. He’s got to play.”

There were two big sacks in a row; did you notice any protection issues?
“We’ve just got to block better.”

Was it his knee?
“Lower leg.”

Do you need the swelling to go down before you can figure out what’s wrong?
“I haven’t even talked to the doctor yet. I have no idea.”

"

Right now, the situation has gone from bad to even worse for the Gators. Brantley's status is unknown, but even if he could play, the Gators would have a hard time with LSU.

In fact, it probably wouldn't even matter if he played, so it may even be wise to let him sit out and rest a week.

Any time you are dealing with a leg injury in an athlete, it is going to take some time to heal, and especially so if it's some kind of strain or bruise.

Those tend to linger, while a break you can cast up and deal with.

In the long run, all Gator fans can hope for is that their quarterback heals up quick, because they are going to need him.