Must not lose (badly) game
Sept 12, 2023 12:55:27 GMT -5
Mojave Gator, Rock Gator, and 1 more like this
Post by tapsgator on Sept 12, 2023 12:55:27 GMT -5
Allllllllright. 5 days out from the most important game since (at least) Marco threw a shoe. I'm going to say more important long term given that we gave Bama our best shot but it's hard to win when you can't stop an offense. Most of our best commits and all of our big targets will be on the sidelines including Lagway. Most of the targets were in Coral Gables to see Miami beat Dimbo over the weekend. It's a state of the program moment.
Here's the thing: we're at home, we have a slight talent edge (Talent composite has us at 15 and Tennessee at 16), and they're a TD favorite. Just informational here but the Swamp is generally worth 3.5 points. So Vegas thinks that Hueppel and company are 10.5 point better coaches than RDB and his army of analysts. Based on results to date that's probably fair. Doesn't matter.
The opportunity is there to get and/or keep momentum with the blue chip kids that we absolutely need to get back to the mountaintop regardless of who is coaching. We don't have to win, but we do need to look like a place kids want to come play football. Not to be "get off my lawn" guy but the past several night games the atmosphere has not been close to what it once was. Didn't help that we had a weirdo doing press conferences in costume and playing WWE heel at halftime, but still, I remember when people didn't get out of the Swamp without an L or a commitment. Would be nice to get those days back. It could start here. Alternately, this could be the beginning of the end for RDB and his hair although the latter will not change and looks just as good in the Sunbelt.
I'm not saying we have to win. I'm also not saying if we win it guarantees momentum keeps going the right way, we saw what happened with Utah last year, but what we must do is be competitive and not look like dogshit/the only team we can beat is a team coming off a tough loss to Tarleton State. We should also play the young guys because they're better and haven't spent the last 4 years gaining 80 lbs. when they are supposed to lose 20. They didn't get scholarships simply because we had spots after the good kids were gone because other coaches didn't respect Mullen's unwritten rules of recruiting season.
So I'm gonna send positive thoughts all week because we're at the precipice of the turning point that ultimately leads us back to national relevance and from there dominance. So let it be written, so let it be done. Go Gators.
Here's the thing: we're at home, we have a slight talent edge (Talent composite has us at 15 and Tennessee at 16), and they're a TD favorite. Just informational here but the Swamp is generally worth 3.5 points. So Vegas thinks that Hueppel and company are 10.5 point better coaches than RDB and his army of analysts. Based on results to date that's probably fair. Doesn't matter.
The opportunity is there to get and/or keep momentum with the blue chip kids that we absolutely need to get back to the mountaintop regardless of who is coaching. We don't have to win, but we do need to look like a place kids want to come play football. Not to be "get off my lawn" guy but the past several night games the atmosphere has not been close to what it once was. Didn't help that we had a weirdo doing press conferences in costume and playing WWE heel at halftime, but still, I remember when people didn't get out of the Swamp without an L or a commitment. Would be nice to get those days back. It could start here. Alternately, this could be the beginning of the end for RDB and his hair although the latter will not change and looks just as good in the Sunbelt.
I'm not saying we have to win. I'm also not saying if we win it guarantees momentum keeps going the right way, we saw what happened with Utah last year, but what we must do is be competitive and not look like dogshit/the only team we can beat is a team coming off a tough loss to Tarleton State. We should also play the young guys because they're better and haven't spent the last 4 years gaining 80 lbs. when they are supposed to lose 20. They didn't get scholarships simply because we had spots after the good kids were gone because other coaches didn't respect Mullen's unwritten rules of recruiting season.
So I'm gonna send positive thoughts all week because we're at the precipice of the turning point that ultimately leads us back to national relevance and from there dominance. So let it be written, so let it be done. Go Gators.
