[Derelict]

Miami Herald

If you deliberately ignored coverage of the BCS national championship because of a broken heart, then you probably missed Alabama coach Nick Saban equating the Florida Gators to Communist Russia.

Here's what Saban had to say about preparing his Crimson Tide for the title game.

"I told our players a story the other day about the U.S. hockey team," Saban said. "Probably one of the greatest victories by any team was when they beat the Soviets in the 'Miracle on Ice.' Did you know what people don't remember? That didn't win the gold medal. They had to win the next game against Finland to win the goal medal.

"The first thing I did when we came back from the SEC championship game in the first meeting is I drew a long line on the greaseboard all the way across the room and said, 'It's 32 days until we play the game. Here's the SEC championship. Here's the national championship. How you manage those 32 days is going to determine how you play the game."

OK, it might be a stretch to say Saban called the Gators Commies, but I'm pretty sure UF strength coach Mickey Marotti will figure out a way this offseason to use that quote as a motivational tool. Of course, just mentioning a few numbers might do the trick. 32-13 ring any bells?

Today is Jan.10. Florida plays at Alabama on Oct.2.

[Ron]

Derelict, on 11 January 2010 - 10:35 AM, said:

Miami Herald

If you deliberately ignored coverage of the BCS national championship because of a broken heart, then you probably missed Alabama coach Nick Saban equating the Florida Gators to Communist Russia.

Here's what Saban had to say about preparing his Crimson Tide for the title game.

"I told our players a story the other day about the U.S. hockey team," Saban said. "Probably one of the greatest victories by any team was when they beat the Soviets in the 'Miracle on Ice.' Did you know what people don't remember? That didn't win the gold medal. They had to win the next game against Finland to win the goal medal.

"The first thing I did when we came back from the SEC championship game in the first meeting is I drew a long line on the greaseboard all the way across the room and said, 'It's 32 days until we play the game. Here's the SEC championship. Here's the national championship. How you manage those 32 days is going to determine how you play the game."

OK, it might be a stretch to say Saban called the Gators Commies, but I'm pretty sure UF strength coach Mickey Marotti will figure out a way this offseason to use that quote as a motivational tool. Of course, just mentioning a few numbers might do the trick. 32-13 ring any bells?

Today is Jan.10. Florida plays at Alabama on Oct.2.

Florida Gators = Bama's Bitches

[Real Shalongest]

Ron, on 11 January 2010 - 02:01 PM, said:

Florida Gators = Bama's Bitches

Saban can be a liar or a scumbag, but he is a great college coach! Bama rolls on the Gators this year 50-3

[Ron]

Real Shalongest, on 11 January 2010 - 02:12 PM, said:

Saban can be a liar or a scumbag, but he is a great college coach! Bama rolls on the Gators this year 50-3

Saban is scum but at the college level there is none better. Carroll looks like sh1t too not meeting with his team and texting them.

This post has been edited by Ron: 11 January 2010 - 02:25 PM

[Derelict]

[Ron]

Derelict, on 11 January 2010 - 09:44 PM, said:

Unfortunately for the rest of the SEC he did take it. Crmson Tide is back in a big way and probably here to stay.

[Derelict]

Junior strong safety Ahmad Black is returning to Florida for his senior season, according to his father.

Bruce Black informed The Miami Herald on Saturday night that Ahmad "decided to stay in school and get his stock up in next year's NFL Draft." Ahmad, a two-year starter for the Gators, had a breakout season in 2008 and followed it up with another excellent effort in 2009. Black had 70 tackles this season.

Black is one of two returning starters among the Florida Gators secondary. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins will be a junior next season.

[Mohican83]

Sabin is scum, Kiffin is scummier. Winning seems to erase the scumness away. I wouldn't send my kid to Alabama nor USC with Kiffin. Congrats to Norm Chow for making the right decision and not making UCLA touch their toes

[Derelict]

Meyer's health; Recruiting

The Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley dropped some knowledge on how Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer is holding up since his decision to take a leave of absence rather than resign. Most of this is known already, but a succinct wrap-up from a beat writer close to Meyer is always nice.

Meyer has gained 10 pounds after losing so much weight because food had lost its appeal during the stressful 2009 season. He has never been one to sleep past 7 a.m. but he’s sleeping in now. He is excited about his new coaching staff and his new recruits and especially being at Florida. His leave of absence will start after National Signing Day and he’s looking forward to spending time with his family.

With just over two weeks until National Signing Day (Feb. 3), the Gators are set to host their biggest of the three remaining recruiting weekends on campus from Jan. 15-17. Here is a list of attendees. Commitments: five-star defensive tackle Dominique Easley (Staten Island, NY), four-star running back Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA), four-star defensive end Lynden Trail (Miami, FL), four-star wide receiver Quinton Dunbar (Miami, FL), three-star linebacker Gideon Ajagbe (Coconut Grove, FL). Recruits: five-star LB Christian Jones (Winter Park, FL) [unofficial], four-star WR Christian Green (Tampa, FL), four-star offensive lineman Chaz Green (Tampa, FL), three-star LB Darrin Kitchens (Homestead, FL), three-star safety Jeremy Deering (Tampa, FL).

[Kyle]

Derelict, on 17 January 2010 - 10:33 AM, said:

Meyer's health; Recruiting

The Gainesville Sun's Pat Dooley dropped some knowledge on how Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer is holding up since his decision to take a leave of absence rather than resign. Most of this is known already, but a succinct wrap-up from a beat writer close to Meyer is always nice.

Meyer has gained 10 pounds after losing so much weight because food had lost its appeal during the stressful 2009 season. He has never been one to sleep past 7 a.m. but he's sleeping in now. He is excited about his new coaching staff and his new recruits and especially being at Florida. His leave of absence will start after National Signing Day and he's looking forward to spending time with his family.

With just over two weeks until National Signing Day (Feb. 3), the Gators are set to host their biggest of the three remaining recruiting weekends on campus from Jan. 15-17. Here is a list of attendees. Commitments: five-star defensive tackle Dominique Easley (Staten Island, NY), four-star running back Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA), four-star defensive end Lynden Trail (Miami, FL), four-star wide receiver Quinton Dunbar (Miami, FL), three-star linebacker Gideon Ajagbe (Coconut Grove, FL). Recruits: five-star LB Christian Jones (Winter Park, FL) [unofficial], four-star WR Christian Green (Tampa, FL), four-star offensive lineman Chaz Green (Tampa, FL), three-star LB Darrin Kitchens (Homestead, FL), three-star safety Jeremy Deering (Tampa, FL).

So in other words, this whole thing was an attention grabbing scheme, because after it's all said and done, nothing will change.

[Derelict]

Everyone plays head games Kyle. Coach Meyer was legitimately ill, and now is feeling much better. That's it.

[Kyle]

Derelict, on 17 January 2010 - 06:22 PM, said:

Everyone plays head games Kyle. Coach Meyer was legitimately ill, and now is feeling much better. That's it.

Head games against who? Who is he trying to psych out? His family?

[Paul LA]

Polly Prissy Pants!!!

[Juan23]

Now put all your Gator Soap i mean post here...got it Derelict?.....Thanks

[Derelict]

Copy that J23.

[Derelict]

I don't know about you guys, but I already have October 2nd circled in my calendar. Go Gators!

[Juan23]

Louisiana Tech vs Florida ?

[Derelict]

CBS has targeted the Oct. 2 game between Alabama and Florida at newly expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium as its prime-time telecast for the 2010 football season.

The Crimson Tide and Gators have not met during the regular season since 2006 but have collided the past two years in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Alabama won last year's meeting 32-13 and then defeated Texas in the BCS championship game, after Florida won the '08 encounter 31-20 before beating Oklahoma for the BCS crown.

"How do you argue with that?" CBS executive vice president Mike Aresco said Thursday. "It's developed into the rivalry du jour. It's clearly now the biggest game, and this is almost like a rubber match, although they may end up playing again in Atlanta."

Alabama will start its fourth spring under Nick Saban today, and Florida is scheduled to begin its sixth under Urban Meyer on Wednesday.

Florida has played in the lone CBS prime-time game for six straight seasons, three times against Tennessee (2004-06) and three against LSU (2007-09). It will be the first such contest for Alabama since CBS became the primary network for SEC telecasts in 1996.

CBS will use its 3:30 telecast Oct. 2 for the Tennessee-LSU contest in Baton Rouge.

"That gives us a terrific afternoon game," Aresco said. "When you do a prime-time game, you want to make sure you've got a good afternoon game, because that necessitates that you do a doubleheader."

CBS will start its SEC football coverage Sept. 18 with the Florida-Tennessee game in Knoxville, which is a matchup the network has televised every year since '96. The network cannot show a game Sept. 11 because of its U.S. Open tennis coverage, so ESPN will have the luxury of televising Alabama-Penn State, Tennessee-Oregon and Georgia-South Carolina on its family of networks.

Aresco expects ESPN to televise Alabama-Penn State in prime time and realizes that's a good one that got away.

"The U.S. Open pretty much goes all day with the women's final that night," he said, "so even if we tried to compress everything to do Alabama-Penn State, you would have to severely compress the tennis. What if you have rain delays? So we never even went to the tennis people.

"We explored moving that game a week earlier, but Penn State didn't want to, which we understood. It's going be tough enough with a new quarterback going in to play the defending national champion."

Scheduling adjustment?

Alabama's final six SEC opponents this fall (South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn) are scheduled to have bye weeks before facing the Tide, so the Tuscaloosa university has asked the league for relief. The Tide's open date this season comes before their Nov. 6 trip to Baton Rouge.

"We're looking at it, but I'm not sure what can be done," SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom said Thursday.

timesfreepress.com

[Derelict]

Over the last 3 years, the leaders of the Florida Gators football team have been quite clear. Tim Tebow on offense and Brandon Spikes on defense – they were vocal leaders in the locker room and led by example on the field (until Spikes eye gauged that Bulldog). There were never any doubts that when the Gators needed some pushing around or motivation it would be one of those two guys delivering. Now, Tebow and Spikes are gone and the Gators will need two new leaders to step up. Who will they be?

On offense, I think it’s pretty clear that the leader needs to be John Brantley. He’s not new to the team and knows the system well. The players have respect for him and should be ready to follow. The only thing that could hurt Brantley is if he doesn’t pan out as a quarterback. It’s hard to be a leader when you struggle on the field. Hopefully we won’t have to deal with that.

On defense, there has been a lot of talk about senior safety Ahmad Black stepping up and filling that void Spikes left. With Major Wright, Joe Haden, Ryan Stamper, Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham all gone… it’s really up to Black.

[Derelict]

Gators may play two quarterbacks

It was about this time last year that Florida coach Urban Meyer talked openly about playing two quarterbacks during the 2009 season.

He said John Brantley had progressed enough as a passer that the Gators hoped to use him as a passing complement to Tim Tebow, potentially in the first half of every game.

It never happened.

Well, Meyer is again saying that the Gators are going to play two quarterbacks during the 2010 season, and this time, you get the feeling he really means it.

Brantley didn’t have his best day throwing the ball in Saturday’s scrimmage, and the defense prevailed for the second straight scrimmage. He was under a lot of pressure most of the day from the Florida defensive front.

Meyer and Co. aren’t down on Brantley. They still feel like he will give them a dimension in the passing game the Gators haven’t had in a while. But they’re also looking for ways to replace what Tebow gave them on third-and-short, and that’s where tight end Jordan Reed and freshman quarterback Trey Burton come in.

“Everyone says we ran Tim because he's a great player. That's partially true. The other part is single-wing offense gives you plus-one in the run game,” Meyer said. “Jordan Reed has proven he can do it, and Trey Burton can run well, too. This is the year I think we actually will play two like we played Tim and Chris Leak."

As a freshman, Tebow was essentially the Gators’ short-yardage and goal-line specialist.

Right now, it’s difficult to pinpoint that guy at running back. Senior Emmanuel Moody has a chance, but the jury is still out on whether he’s tough enough or durable enough. Moody had to leave Saturday’s scrimmage with a quad injury, and he was just getting back to practice after injuring his ankle.

Reed, who moved from quarterback to tight end last season, has been solid for the Gators this spring. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt freshman is a natural in the Wildcat formation. Burton is also coming off his best scrimmage. He threw two touchdown passes to Carl Moore, including a 64-yard strike on a deep ball.