Any Gator Fans Here? (Orlando, Gainesville: home, law school, college)

[Robyn55]

My husband and I aren't huge or knowledgeable football fans. But - since we're "friends" of UF - to the extent that we root for any team - we root for the Gators. And we watch the games (if only because they're an excuse to eat junk food we don't normally eat - especially chips and queso dip - yum ).

So this season - with a new offense and a new coach - was supposed to be - best I can tell - a rebuilding year. Nothing to write home about. And - instead - yesterday - the Gators clinched the SEC East. It wasn't a thrilling - this team is great - win yesterday. But a win is a win. I think you would have made a lot of money if you had bet on UF to clinch the SEC East at the beginning of the season - especially so early in the season. You might have made even more on a bet after the Gators lost its very promising QB in the middle of the season due to stupid intakes of banned OTC substances.

Now assuming UF doesn't lose another game before the SEC championship (like to FSU - which is a pretty good although not invincible team this year) - well I recall there was a year when UF lost to Alabama in the regular season - then beat Alabama in the SEC championship game - and then went to on the national championship - where it won.

So what do you college football fans think might happen? End of season could be pretty exciting IMO.

My husband and I plan to watch all the remaining games. And - win or lose (although winning is certainly much better) - we will enjoy our chips and queso dip (will give you the super easy recipe if you're interested). Robyn

[theurbanfiles]

So, I'll be the first to comment, however, I have to be honest, I am not a huge Gator fan, as my loyalties are primarily divided between Ohio State (where I grew up, and a family school), and UCF (alma mater/Orlando). My fiance's parents both graduated UF and are HUGE Gator fans, and definitely will occasionally still give me a hard time about the 2006 game (however, they are both still a little bit bitter towards Urban Meyer. I root for them when they are around, for their sake, but I'm not super emotionally invested haha.

I will say that UF's new coach seems like a breath of fresh air compared to the Muschamp era, and I was surprised to see just how well they have done this year. At very least, UF should get to a pretty good bowl game, and the FSU game, and SECCG (most likely vs. Alabama) will essentially serve as de facto playoff games in order to make it to the CFP. I would say UF has at least a 60 percent chance, and possibly greater of beating an FSU team who no longer has their goals in front of them, especially with the game happening at The Swamp. I'd put their chances in the championship game against Alabama at more like 30 percent. Alabama's passing game is unremarkable, and I think Florida has an exceptional defensive front seven, which would help them in being able to limit Derrick Henry and the rushing attack, however, that comes with a key caveat, and that is that UF is able to avoid three and outs consistently. In a war of attrition, I'd say the odds are heavily in Alabama's favor, but at the same time, the beauty of CFB is that anything can happen.

[wizrap]

Gators here. We moved up earlier this year to Gainesville from South Florida due to my husband's job. He is Gator undergrad and law school and I am Gator undergrad and UM (the "U") grad school. His boss gave us tickets to the UF-Ol' Miss game which was a blast! That was a big turning point, to beat at that time the #3 team in the country.

Coach Mac has struck all the right chords here--folksy but aggressive, modest yet confident. What is so wild about possibly facing Alabama in the SEC in Atlanta (I guess it could be LSU but odds are it will be Bama) is that the Offensive Coordinator for Alabama the year they beat the Gators and sent Urban Meyer to the hospital was none other than Jim McElwain.

No one could have predicted how well this team has done under the coaching change. It's a lot of fun and Go Gators!

[StreetSmarts]

GO Gators!