An Early Opening Line -- scUM vs Florida

Ward has a good resume. He also has to start his new career in a new system and on the road in the Swamp.

It would be unfair not to recognize that Mario has aquired good talent via recruiting and the transfer portal.
But UM and UF are in a very similar place record wise under their respective coaches.

I was excited about the Utah home and home because of the quality of the opponent. Miami is another level
at least in terms of being a rival.

I would not be surprised to see the line go to a "pick em" by game day.

Is this not, arguably, the most important opening game in UF history? At least in the modern era?

 

It most certainly is. I hope, beyond you and I, the team leadership understands that. No room for the kind of errors you shouldn’t see after the first week of practice.

 

There is research out there that home field is generally worth 2.5

 

That is making the sweeping assumption that Miami is better than a mid tier defense in the SEC, which there was no proof last year they were at that level. With no turnover help Mertz was getting mid 30s against mid SEC defenses. I don't think we need much more than what we were last year to get that if Mario stays Mario.

 

UF fans need to remember that what little success the Canes have had under MC was against the ACC and Cannon Fodder.
While Miami's record the last 2 years is slightly better than UF's, just compare schedules.

I am confident that our players are every bit as good if not better, and the returning UF veterans are battle tested in the SEC, not the ACC.
I see no chance that UF will not be prepared, ready, and willing to hit. I expect the Swamp to be close to 97 UF/FSU.

Miami is going to get hammered.

 

UF 30 - UM 23

 

I hope you're right. Can't come in all tentative, gotta come in with a tude. take it to them, hit 'em in the mouth until they submit.

 

I’ll never feel confident until we wax Miami.

In 2008, in Gainesville, a comparatively weak Miami team played our best-ever team close for three quarters.

 

Agree wholeheartedly with your first paragraph. The second paragraph is what has me worried. This team's talent has, at times, looked un-prepared. But they are very talented nonetheless.

 

arch - Your concerns are not unfounded. I think the general narrative with the fan base is Napier must pull this thing together
and provide every chance at victory at every position group in year 3. That means low penalties, being fully engaged, aggressive,
confident and KNOWING the assignments.

No need for me to reiterate the well discussed problems. No team is perfect but considering UF's margin of victory and defeat is so narrow,
every unit needs to pull it's weight.

That damn schedule - man, Billy and UF got screwed, and it's damn near as bad next year.

I'm going to hang in there and be positive, because we do have many positives. But coach needs his players to execute to survive.
I think I speak for the majority of Gator Nation when I say, playing hard, playing well and getting beat is one thing.
Shooting oneself in the foot and losing is an entirely different matter.

I feel confident that Billy's team will show significant improvement. UF has to. Watching Josh Pate last night it looks like SEC pundits have
UF just ahead of Vandy for the last place spot in the SEC.

Thats just unacceptable, thats 79 crap right there. I refuse to accept that. Thankfully the players don't. I honestly have the feeling UF is
in a position to "JUMP UP" this season. Too many resources to languish around the bottom tier of the SEC. If the schedule had been half assed fair
UF may have cracked the 9 win mark. As it is I am hoping for 7 - 5.

 

Line will be closer to 1 or 1.5 by gameday. Both teams have good QBs who can put up points and upgrades their rosters via the portal this offseason. Will come down to the last possession imo

 

Head, not sure if the competition was that different.

Of Miami's 12 wins, 3 were to winning P5 teams, 2 to FCS schools, 3 to G5 schools, and 4 were to losing P5 teams.
Of Florida's 11 wins, 3 were to winning P5 teams, 2 to FCS schools, 2 to G5 schools, and 4 were to losing P5 schools.

As of now, we're both pretty evenly matched teams. And I never bought into the concept that a 6-6 SEC team is as good or better than an 7-5/8-4 ACC team. The SEC schools are about a half game better than their ACC counterparts with an identical record, as the numbers show. The College Football ranking comparison has Miami ranked 42d this year while having Florida at 59th, but that is largely due to our uncommonly tough schedule this year.

Massey Ratings - Rankings

 

Thank you eighties, I'm hesitant to agree with your 6-6 SEC vs 7/5 ACC however. I know it's al subjective but literally every marker suggests SEC athletes
are higher ranked out of H.S., SEC players go to the NFL at a higher rate of frequency and of course, outside of Clemson, how many ACC schools have been
crowned National Champs lately? As in the last 20 years.

This issue will be decided in late August of course. Miami is favored, I think I will take the Gators and the points, not that I am a big bettor, far from it.
And I confess to having a rather large pair of O&B glasses.

 

They freaking hate our guts. I’m quite sure they show a video of “the flop” to their team every day the week leading up to our game

 

Too hard to imagine, as in, it hurts to envision that. We were 3-5 last season, three teams had same, three teams worse than 3-5. Regarding the SEC, could we improve one game and finish 4-4? Not great but would have been middle tier last season. Could we win three of our OOC games? Trying to imagine how we get to 7. Beat miami and our next four games do not seem nearly so difficult.

Anyone know if A&M lost a lot of talent from their highly ranked 20, 21, 22 classes? I hope they are not those three cycles deep.

 

Try and show today’s youth something from 20 years ago and see if they care. Never mind the flop.

 

If what you say was true there would be no rivalries. How many times have you seen ‘run Lindsey run’ thrown up in your face?

 

That graphic does nothing to support similar results by Miami to Florida. Florida played 5 of the top 15 and won 1. Miami played one in those top 15 and won zero. Complete apples and oranges. It's not some theoretical ACC v. SEC competition. It's who they actually played that matters. Miami played noone by FSU and struggled mightily. Turning over half of the team for which half of that team will be in a new system will not make a veteran and tested team.