Anyone is Replaceable

Florida Gators have had a few coaching issues the past few weeks.  The most infamous of all is the Meyer flip flop but we’ve had Strong leave for Louisville bringing the DB Coach and the RB coach with him.  We had Billy Gonzalez, WR Coach, leave for LSU and Dan Mullen leave last year.  But no one is irreplaceable!  Even if Urban Meyer left, we would have found a great coach to take his place.  This is proving true as Florida’s coaching staff is starting to fill out quite nicely.

Drayton is returning to Gainesville as running backs coach, the same position he held between 2005 and 2007. He spent the last two years atTennessee (2008) and Syracuse (2009). Drayton replaces Kenny Carter, who is joining Charlie Strong at Louisville.

Durkin comes to Florida as linebackers coach, taking on a role Strong held the last five years. Durkin spent the last three years at Stanford, where he worked with defensive ends and coordinated special teams.

A defensive graduate assistant under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green (2001-02), Durkin also worked at Notre Dame (2003-04) and Bowling Green (2005-06).

The defensive coordinator position is still up in the air and who’s in charge of that hiring wasn’t clear a couple weeks ago but with Meyer’s statement of returning 2010, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s his role to hire him.  It doesn’t look like Addazio will have too much time to run the team as I’m sure Meyer will still be running the show this off season.

Recruits To Leave with Urban Gone?

One of the most important things right now is the future of the team and we need to secure a coach ASAP in order to keep faith in the recruits.  It’s being said that Urban will stay on in a non coaching aspect for the team but the role to be defined later.  Fightin’ Gators went over 12 recruits regarding their commitment.

Cody Riggs….I did not pick Florida because of Coach Meyer so as of now I am sticking with my commitment

Quinton Dunbar…..I was surprised as anyone.  I was close to Ubran but I understand he has health issues but I am still a Gator 100%.

Lynden Trail….We love Meyer and to all the UF fans…Once a Gator always a Gator cause if you aint a Gator you are Gator bait.

Alcorus Leonard…I think I am going to decommit

There are still some up in the air about what’s going to happen.  Matt Elam who was going to be huge for Florida was already on the slippery slope and this is sure to send him to another school IMO.  Unfortunately we will lose recruits and that’s inevitable.  What can we salvage and keep is the more prominent question that should be asked right now.

Josh Shaw is devastated by the news…He is leaving for Orlando Monday with his family and after that his parents were going to drive him to Gainesville.  Meyer is the reason Josh picked Florida and with him goine we are going to pick another school…Per his mother…they are SHELL SHOCKED to say the least….

Solomon Patton…is to put it mildly very upset as well….

Robert Clark, Matt Elam, Gerald Christian not sure about this situation right now…..

I know it says Matt Elam isn’t sure but that just means he’s not sure what school he’s going to choose now, not that he’s not sure about Florida, he’s gone, there’s no way we keep him.

Who Will Replace Urban Meyer as Florida’s Next Coach?

With the recent and shocking news of Urban Meyer stepping down as the Florida Gators Head Coach, one can only wonder who will be his replacement? At least there is some good news as ESPN is stating it’s not a life threatening health issue that has sidelined Coach Meyer, but just the same heart and chest pains that he’s been hospitalized for in the past.

But the question plagues on… who will replace Meyer who has earned a place in University of Florida history?  Had Meyer announced this a few weeks ago, Charlie Strong would have probably been the easy pick.

Dan Mullen – This is the first person that comes to mind when you talk about who could come in as head coach.  Yes, he did just sign with Miss St as head coach there but would you not make the move?  I’m sure he would love to get back to a team that has the potential of being a championship contender and would take the first flight out if offered.

Mike Shanahan – What?  Don’t think Foley wouldn’t want him at Florida? He tried very hard to convince him to leave the Denver Broncos when he was there to coach at Florida after Spurrier left and now that Shanahan is no longer employed, don’t put it past Foley to go back to him.  The only downfall with Shanahan is he has already made an agreement with the Redskins.  But I mean Foley asked him to leave Denver, why not ask him to leave Washington?

Chris Petersen – Boise St Head Coach Chris Petersen always finds himself in rumor talks for big coaching jobs.  How far can Boise St take you Chris?  Florida is nice and cozy and you get the national exposure and strength of schedule needed to get in the big game.

Mike Mularkey – That’s right!  The Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator.  He would do incredible with the Florida style of offense and wouldn’t have to face the NFL style defenses that he currently does enabling him to be much more successful.  Why would he come to Florida?  Well it’s his Alma Mater!

Kirk Ferentz – Kirk is one of the highest paid coaches and did well in Iowa and is in no way or shape someone that would jump ship but it would take some serious consideration from him if offered.

Bob Stoops – Of course he’s going to be discussed and the rumors will run about Stoops coming back to Florida.

Pete Carroll – Pete’s time at USC may be coming to a close and would be one hell of a pick up for Florida if we could pull it off.  He has the recruiting channels for California to bring in some star players.

Those are our top picks of who will be offered to take Urban Meyer’s place as Florida’s Head Coach or who we would like to see come in.  We’ll keep you updated with the news and updates as the job recruiting continues for our beloved Gator Nation.

Urban Meyer Leaving Florida

More bad news for the Gator Nation as Urban Meyer is stepping down as Florida Gators Head coach after this season for health reasons.  He will not be going to Notre Dame, he will not be coaching another team, he is leaving coaching all together.

“I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program,” Meyer said in statement. “I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.

“After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family.

“I’m proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida.

“I’m very appreciative for the opportunity I’ve had to be a part of a tremendous institution – from Dr. Machen to Jeremy Foley and the entire administrative staff at UF. I’m also very thankful for the chance to work with some of the best assistants in college football and coach some of the best college football players and watch them grow both on and off the field as people. I will cherish the relationships with them the most.”

Urban Meyer will coach his last game against Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.

Let the discussion begin on the next coach at UF.

Update:  It is being rumored that it is a terminal sickness that has brought this decision on.  We will update when we have any confirmation.

Urban Meyer Hospitalized With Chest Pains

According to SEC Sports Hub, Urban Meyer was hospitalized due to some severe chest pains.

Meyer was taken to the Shands Hospital in Gainesville but has been released according to a source in the Florida athletic department.

How quick did they get back?  I mean the game ended around 7:30/8:00.  They must have packed up quick in Atlanta.  Even flying back, they couldn’t have got back much earlier than 11:00 PM.  It’s also being said that he checked himself into the hospital from other sites.

SEC Sports Hub also went on to mention it is known that Meyer has a cyst on his brain that causes extreme pain when stressed out.  It’s not hard to assume that the game last night against Alabama is what caused the extreme stress from Meyer.  We’ll keep you updated with more info as we get it.

Urban Meyer was released shortly after checking in.

UPDATE:

According to a Florida spokesperson, Meyer was treated for dehydration, but is doing “OK” now.

Bobby… It’s Time

Another FSU- Florida game has come and gone. And it is another year that it is painfully obvious that Bobby Bowden is finished. This year was the most obvious of all. The Florida Gators owned this show in every way possible.

It started out with “The Tim Tebow Farewell Extravaganza” in pre-game. There was not a dry eye in the house when Superman came out of the tunnel. Those include his two. Never has there been this much love between a fan base and a player. Not in Gator history. Not in college football history. Tim Tebow was/is the show.

Then the game started. Tebow again steamrolled FSU. He ran over them. He threw over them. He was a man among boys. It has gotten so bad for FSU that Urban Meyer actually felt bad enough for them to kill the clock with 53 seconds left and all three timeouts in the first half. Apparently Urban felt like he already had more than enough points. No need to rub their noses in it I guess. That tells you all you need to know about how pathetic FSU has gotten.

At some point CBS did manage to show Bobby standing there on the sideline looking like he was at Bed Bath and Beyond for three hours holding his wife’s purse. Verne Lundquist gave him an oh by the way “this is also Bobby Bowden’s last game in the Swamp” to which Gary Danielsen brought up that his two national championship teams had to both win at The Swamp. That was it. In a four hour long broadcast that could very well have been Bobby Bowden’s last regular season game, that was all he got.

I don’t blame CBS. That is how much Florida dwarfs FSU. Florida could have been playing FIU yesterday and it wouldn’t have made any difference. The ‘Noles were an afterthought. If you ever wondered when Bobby should leave, wonder no more. When you’ve stayed so long you are now irrelevant, it’s time to go.

Where Have All the Rivals Gone?

Everyone has a rivalry game that means a little more to them than all the others. Most old timers will tell you its Georgia. Lose every game on the schedule but beat the Bulldogs, and they’re happy.

Georgia has been taken out behind the woodshed so many times as of late, it’s simply become routine to come back from Jacksonville with a win. Once in a while the Bulldogs pull out a win, but the last 20 years have been dominated by Florida.

Tennessee could be on its way back as a revived rivalry, thanks to all the trash talking by Lane Kiffin. Games against the Vols and Phil Fulmer were fun to watch, but the fact that the Gators played them so early in the season kind of softened the intensity. The fact is, you can stumble early against Tennessee and still salvage the season and play for a National Championship.

For me, Florida State is that game each season that gets the hatred stirring in my stomach. Despite FSU being down for quite some time, it’s also the game I’m always most worried about the Gators losing.

The Seminoles are in desperation mode. For a historically “dirty-playing” team, I have no doubts they will go to any lengths to injure players and win at any cost. You do remember all the late hits on Danny Wuerffel? How about Darnell Dockett at the bottom of a pile twisting Earnest Graham’s knee?

You will see late hits on Tebow. Plenty of taunting and trash talking will take place (from both teams) and if there isn’t a fight before, during or after, I’d be surprised.

Florida has to be careful. They are the team with everything to lose here. One out-of-control fight against FSU means potential suspensions for their match-up against Alabama the following week. Players must remember to keep their cool.

On paper, FSU has no chance to beat the Gators, but with a long history of meaningful rivalry games, you can throw out team records and rankings. For all the reasons FSU has to get up for this game (rivalry game, beating Tebow in his last game at The Swamp, ruining the Gator’s perfect season, throwing a BIG monkey wrench into the BCS system, winning for their once-relevant coach), Florida will use those same reasons to take care of business.

Urban Meyer is the best in preparing his players for big games. Let’s just hope they remember playing FSU is still a big game.   

Urban Meyer Fined $30,000

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive has hit Urban Meyer with a $30,000 fine for his public comments on Wednesday concerning officiating.  This is the first fine under the SEC’s new policy concerning criticizing officials.

“Coach Meyer has violated the Southeastern Conference Code of Ethics,” Slive said, in announcing the fine. “SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 clearly states that the coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from public criticism of officials.”

The comment was made on the weekly teleconference between coaches.  When asked his opinion on it:

“I’m not sure I can share that. I don’t want to step out of line on that,” Meyer said. “It should have been a penalty, in my opinion. You’ve got to protect quarterbacks. That’s the whole purpose. It’s right in front of the referee.”

Slive had the option of suspension or fining and chose the fine.  Meyer apologized for his remarks and had this to say:

“I’m not sure I can share that. I don’t want to step out of line on that,” Meyer said. “It should have been a penalty, in my opinion. You’ve got to protect quarterbacks. That’s the whole purpose. It’s right in front of the referee.”

It wasn’t until last week with Lane Kiffin and Dan Mullen that the athletic directors voted unanimously to enforce this bylaw 10.5.4 which results with fines or suspensions.

Gators a Victim of their Own Success?

There has been a lot of gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair in recent weeks about the play of the Florida Gators. I’m as guilty as anyone. I’ve thrown some things at the TV after every red zone miscue. I know we can play better. But let’s stop and look around for a minute. The Gators can clinch the SEC East this Saturday with a win over Georgia and a Tennessee win over South Carolina. This is with still two games left! I know we all pooh-pooh winning the East.

We’re supposed to do that, right? Well, yes. But let’s stop and think a bout this for a second. This is the 18^th year the SEC has been split into two divisions. So that is up until this year 17 SEC Championship Games which means 34 participants. Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and South Carolina have never been. That’s one third of the conference that has NOT ONCE been to the big game. Mississippi State has been one time. Arkansas has been twice. All of them resulting in losses. Half of the teams in the SEC have not won the big game.

So who’s been winning them then? Auburn has won one time. In 2004. That’s it. 1 for 17. Tennessee has won twice. They won in 1997 and 1998. And that’s it. Auburn has played in three of them and UT five. LSU has won three times out of four trips. Georgia has two wins in three trips. To all of these schools, winning their division and getting to Atlanta is still a big deal. Why? Because it doesn’t happen all that often. Entire classes at these schools come and go without ever going once.

Now let’s look at Alabama and Florida. Alabama has made six trips to the championship game. They have two wins. That’s a record only slightly better than Tennessee. You think of Bama as being a school that doesn’t get too excited about winning the West? I’m not so sure. Why is their record so poor? One reason. Florida. They have played the Gators ALL SIX times they’ve been. They are 2-4. Florida has not only been to those six and won four, but also three others. Both of Arkansas’ visits resulted in losing to UF. And so did one of Auburn’s.

That’s nine times in 17 years folks. Over half of the 17 SEC title games have had UF in them. So while we yawn at our 7-0 record and clinching yet another trip to Atlanta, think about how Kentucky would feel to have our team. Or Ole Miss, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, MSU, or anybody else not named Alabama. Those other schools would be absolutely giddy right now. Remember WHY it’s Great to be a Florida Gator.

Time to Figure It Out Offensively

Defense wins championships. For the Florida Gators, that statement remains to be seen, but without a doubt – it’s certainly the reason they are still undefeated.  Florida fans can thank the defense for wins over Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi St. Without their effort, three out of the four games are probably losses.

So what happens if the defensive side of the ball decides to have a bad day and not show up like its offensive counterpart? All these ugly performances are going to turn into losses, and Florida will get knocked back down to reality.

By now, I would have predicted the Florida offense would be clicking on all cylinders and racking up points with relative ease. Instead, the Gators look great driving down the field until they enter the red zone. Their play calling seizes up and all Florida can do is run it straight up the middle. In SEC wins over the Vols, Tigers, Razorbacks and Bulldogs, the Gators have scored just seven offensive touchdowns.

Tim Tebow is not the same player he was pre-concussion. His decision making seems to be suffering. I cannot believe that each time he steps back to pass, receivers are so covered that Tebow is forced to run. In fact, Deonte Thompson was open on at least two plays down the field Saturday night, and Tebow didn’t see him.

We keep hearing the Gators are waiting for another receiver to step up and help Cooper and Hernandez carry the load, but how can that happen if they aren’t getting the ball thrown their way? Thompson and David Nelson both seem like viable options, if ever given the chance.

Urban Meyer attributes some of the poor play to mentally not being able to live up to the pressure of being ranked at the top of the polls every week. As defending national champions, the coaching staff needed to do a better job preparing their players for the upcoming season and all the pressure that comes along with being ranked number one.

Two things can happen with the rest of the season. The Gator offense finally starts executing and the ball gets spread around to truly exhibit what this team is capable of. Or…Florida ends up playing against a team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, catches are made, fourth downs are converted and the Gators are left sitting on the sideline wondering what happened to their perfect season. Either way, it won’t get any easier. Every team Florida plays will want to knock them off their pedestal atop college football. Get it fixed Gators.

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