My eyes haven't seen them yet since there hasn't been a game. The odds that they will continue to get worse for the 4 straight year are infinitesimally low, but I am concerned that there won't be enough improvement to make enough difference against a schedule that more than one pundit has referred to as the "most difficult college schedule in the history of college football."
I get being cautious to protect your ego especially when dealing with rival fans. I just don’t get the constant negativity towards the team. It’s the time of the year when everyone is undefeated, but some would prefer to think everyone is winless. Not sure why some follow the team so closely and keep up with a message board devoted to the team, yet appear to be rooting against the team. Just my observations.
Actually, I'm surprised you continue to see and post on this tread since you know it's not of your liking. You do know you can totally skip threads that aren't of your liking and that way you won't have to suffer through such threads. But if not, always glad to have you among us.
Always a legit concern with a strong start. Overconfidence is also a huge factor in how difficult it is to win back-to-back championships. But this team is so down and has been bashed so relentlessly in the media that getting overconfident any time soon would be the height of stupidity
Aww I’m just another poster on a message board. What I’m doing here is playing the positive contrarian on a thread cultivating negativity - basically the inverse of what guys like uftaipan and dieagator do to our other threads
I have to respectfully disagree. Three straight losing seasons, two with BN, four or five straight losses to end last season doesn't bring about tons of confidence going into a buzzsaw of a schedule. What you call rooting against the team is more like looking at the team without rose colored glasses. We want UF to succeed and frankly unhappy when the team is coached poorly or underperforms. I think you would agree there hasn't been a lot to be happy about in the last few years. Every summer hope springs eternal but of late hasn't ended well. Now, big changes have occurred, better players, BN's third year with the bulk of his recruits as has been stated is cause for optimism. But I think you will agree that some of our loses these past two years was not talent related. So, it seems that most of us are cautiously optimistic. We can go by only what's been done on the field and not so much on what might be done. If you were to poll most gators I bet you would find that we all want a winning season, no one and I mean no one wants revolving coaches as opposed to a coach who is not just average or good but great. You will find that most of us would be happy with a 7 win season as it would show progress and would retain BN. Frankly, BN is great at recruiting, how else can you explain the guys we have gotten when we've had 3 losing seasons. Just imagine what more he could do with a winning season. BN is a character guy and that means a lot, but it's time to show he can win consistently. Passionate Gators like winning, makes us all happy.
This, too, has been asserted many times, but I don’t see anyone rooting against our team. I see managed expectations in light of the last two years, which were disappointing and unacceptable even with managed expectations. I also see some in our ranks, including myself, pushing back against the notion of “fourth season no matter what.” I am of the opinion that a fourth season has to be earned through performance on the field, and any excuses related to the previous coaching staff are beyond stale. While we may disagree what “real improvement” is and how to measure it, we mostly agree that we need to see “real improvement” this season, immediately, starting with Miami. For me, understanding that reasonable people can disagree, the only real measure of effectiveness is wins, and we need to see a winning season this year. Now, of course, there might be scenarios where we have another losing season and still demonstrate “real improvement,” but not from where I sit on August 3, 2024.
There’s also the possibility that Miami is a really good team this year and we lose a close well played game and still beat Tennessee Texas A&M, FSU Ole Miss and still salvage a fairly decent season.
I don’t see where Texas A&M, Tennessee and FSU are likely any different than Miami. As we play, some games will actually see who is who. Forecasting which teams are going to be in the top 10 to 20 is really impossible at this point.
Keeping a positive attitude and saying what if we win is so much better than always looking at all that answers to what we have do if we lose. losers worry about losing and winners worry about winning.
100% agree, but I would still say today that all of those games except for aTm look more difficult than Miami.
@gator34654 @uftaipan cautiously optimistic is fine. I agree we need to see improvements and I think we will. Not sure what you guys want Billy to do at this point. We can’t win games in the offseason, we can only make changes as he did in the wholesale changes in the defensive staff and the shakeup in strength & conditioning and at special teams. He also attacked the portal better than in previous years and addressed the play calling criticisms by promoting Calloway. The team looks to be as talented and as bought in as we’ve seen in probably over 10 years. Guys are progressing and we brought in a ton of experience in the portal. I think it will lead to a good season, but I’m willing to take the OVER on 4.5 total wins. And I’m also willing to take UF plus 2.5 points at home vs Miami.
I can detect a few that have completely given up on this regime being successful, but I really can't think of one that I've seen directly root against our team. There are definitely a few trolls loose on this board, however. They must get their jollies by getting anonymous message board posters riled up.....kinda sad if you ask me.
Agreed....hopefully this team will have leadership that will kick any butts that would get overconfident by beating a mid-level ACC team.
UM is similarly ranked talent-wise as our Gators. I don't know if A&M have retained enough of their recruiting riches of the past, but I would guess that they are ranked ahead of UF talent/recruiting-wise. I'm glad that one is at home, because with competent coaching they could really turn a corner this season.
Or one might say that winners win because they worry about the details and leave as little to chance as possible
