I know recruiting is 11 in composite rankings right now. Quality over quantity my friends. Top 10 looks very different when you judge based on the average quality player in the class.
We beat them two years ago with that disparity. What makes you think that with more talent coming into our program and a coach that really gets it about Florida, that we can't significantly close the gap in the outcomes recently (UGA 5 out of the last 6 games)?
Oh I think we can become more competitive with them for sure. However you said that the talent disparity was diminishing....and as of today it has not. We will just have to wait and see, but if UGa continues to out-recruit UF like the past 6 years that talent gap will continue to exist.
Last year they had a top 5 class. We did not even have a top ten class. This year they have a top 5 class and we have a top 10 class. Perhaps you see that as insignificant. Most would see that as the gap closing. Thst was my point. If we can beat them with 3 and 4 stars we can certainly be more competitive with 4 stars and a couple of 5 stars.
Agree on 8/9 wins next year as basically a must w regards to upwards trajectory. But, won’t happen next year with recruiting. If we are to win next year most Freshman will not play a significant role. It’s the portal where Billy will have to be great. He cannot afford to miss in Defensive Tackle (2), Linebacker (2 w 2 being a starter), QB ( someone that has started before) TE, and WR ( starter). FSU’s success is mainly due to the portal. If Billy wins 8-9 next year it’ll be due to portal help. 24 will be the year we really start to see HS recruiting hopefully help.
Gatorrick is spot on, again! Quarterback is the key position, and inside linebacker is second, and outside linebacker is third, and star is fourth. Anybody else remember how well Chauncey Gardner-Johnson played at star? With that said, we need a portal quarterback who can throw a dime. Graham Mertz, with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions IS NOT the guy! I'd LOVE to see the Gators go after the best of the best, instead of going after the third or fourth best option! We need Sam Hartman or Devin Leary, and not settle for less than a grand salami!!! Oregon SHOULD NOT be beating us out for a top qb. I don't buy into the "we are not relevant" camp. Every year UF is discussed as the program to challenge Georgia in the East. Florida IS relevant, the Gators keep underachieving. Because the Gators don't match the preseason expectations, fans say we are irrelevant. Admittedly, I toy with the irrelevant term, but many of our games were too close. Tell the Vol fans we were irrelevant in the fourth quarter! Their faces indicated otherwise; especially when we recovered the onside kick. Tell Georgia we were irrelevant, because in the third quarter we didn't look irrelevant! Our problem has been, with the exception of Trask, mediocre quarterback performance. Here's the heart of the matter: quarterback!!! If AR had been consistently accurate, Gator Nation would NOT be using the irrelevant term, nor would anyone be questioning if Napier is the GUY, because we would be playing in a New Year's Six Bowl! No, we didn't have a defense to get us to the Promised Land, but we could have and should have won most of our games. Here's the problem of 2022: AR didn't execute because his form was/is horrible! He didn't set his feet, flex his hips, square his shoulders, and go through his options. Instead, he often stared down his receiver's. Hellfire, from North Carolina I could oten figure out where AR was throwing the ball. Many times, he was flat-out off target. Again, the mental aspect of his game was lacking and showed up in poor decisions. Frankly, the game was just a little too fast for him, and it won't improve in the NFL. Seriously, AR was too inconsistent to start and too talented to sit on the bench. AR is the next Jacoby Brisset of the NFL. Mel Kiper Jr did Gator Nation a HUGE FAVOR, but Kiper sucks at what he does. And speaking of irrelevant, Mel Kiper Jr. is Irrelevant! Yes, the defense continued to play out of position, but a coach can't fix broken and some players were NOT going to be coached up. I'm not suggesting Toney is the guy, but I do trust Napier will do what is best for the Gators! We obviously had a poor pass rush and our linebackers couldn't cover anybody. It appears that Napier just brought a big DL project over from Louisville, so I'm not seeing anything encouraging from the Portal so far. IMO, our 2023 season predominantly hinges at quarterback. Quarterback will make or break us. WE NEED TO RELENTLESSLY PURSUE HARTMAN OR LEARY, and I'd be thrilled with either! We don't need more project or fill-gap players, especially Quarterback! We already have awesome running backs, and with a really great quarterback, the running game will open up EVEN MORE! Whatever the term is for the Gators past misfortune, it has been dismal recruiting. However, that is no longer true. Napier is an EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD RECRUITER, and it's the reason we stole Katie from Smart! As some have rightly stated, Napier's best players this year came from Louisiana, so WE NEED TO TRUST IN NAPIER'S COMPETENCY. I can only look forward to the years ahead, because Gator Nation, with Napier at the helm, is destined for greatness. Go Gators!!!
Surely you know how fast things can change. People were saying the same thing about us in 2008. Two years later it was totally different
It’s just another selling point. You don’t see Cal saying they are #1 or UCLA saying they are #2. It’s just when it comes to academics, people don’t realize how good we are since our brand was put on the map through athletics. I agree with you that OU is in a pretty good position right now, but I don’t see us being that far off. Let’s be serious. We are talking about National Titles. The reality of it is, there’s only one National Champion out of 131 teams in football. That’s 99.2% of the teams go through the season empty handed every year. Those are not good odds if you depend on winning it all to prove that we deserve to be in the conversation. My take is, enjoy what we are building and appreciate what real leadership and development that CBN brings.
We are what our record says we are. Since 2019, we are 6th in the SEC. As for preseason expectations (courtesy of Stassen's preseason consensus): 2022: 37th (11th in the SEC) 2021: 15th (5th) 2020: 7th (3d) 2019: 8th (4th) 2018: 24th (6th) 2017: 15th (4th) 2016: 26th (6th) 2015: 50th + (11th+) 2014: 27th (8th) 2013: 12th (6th) 2012: 21st (7th) 2011: 21st (8th) 2010: 4th (2d) As you can see, preseason projections are often based on what a team did the previous year. In 2010, we were hardly the 4th best team in the nation, as we lost a bunch of folks, including Tebow and Newton. But on average, we are consistently considered a top 25 program, but 7th in the SEC. IMO, the only reason we are relevant is because of our recruiting potential. We aren't alone here. Look at Texas, who was a preseason top 25 team 11 times since 2010, with four of them being top 10. In actuality, the Horns finished in the top 25 four times with one top ten finish. Why are they ranked consistently high? Recruiting potential. Both teams forever rely on the inevitable question: "What if we had a _______?" And yes, since 2010, we had 30 losses by single digits which most could have been won, but we also had 30 single-digit wins which could have been lost as well... What is the glass? As a fan, we always take the first one. But it may not be the real one...
Smart isn't having a fake heart attack tomorrow. He's only had 2 jobs in the last 15 years. He's an extremely stable guy. He's not going to flame out like Urban Meyer. He has everything in front of him to be a younger version of young Bobby Bowden.
That’s often what it looks like right before the bottom drops out. And no I’m not predicting esophageal spasms for Kirby
Sometimes the bottom doesn't drop out. The bottom didn't drop out for Bobby Bowden for 20 years. It hasn't dropped out for Nick Saban for 15 years running. It sucks, but sometimes our rivals do the right things and own us for a long time.
Well I don’t know about you pal but I’m not counting on being owned by any of our rivals. Ga is rolling but we will be challenging them in short order. There won’t be any duplicating the Saban dynasty
The 1st year is kind of a wash. What a head coach does in the off season to make his coaching staff better and his players better we'll tell the story. I for one think that some major defensive changes are in order whether it be in coaching or strategy. It wasn't just the players this year.
"My take is, enjoy what we are building and appreciate what real leadership and development that CBN brings." Could not have been stated better!
