Bryan Albin’s College Football Preview

As my preseason Top 25 rolls towards the # 1 spot, I will discuss the national title chances of a team replacing an icon.

6. FLORIDA GATORS

2009 Recap-        It’s not usual for a team to call 13-1 season that culminated with a Sugar Bowl victory a disappointment. However, if you asked the Florida Gators about their 13-1 year last year they would probably call it just that. Florida was the unanimous favorite to win the BCS title last year throughout much of the season as Tim Tebow’s storied career was coming to a close. However, in the SEC title game, Mark Ingram and Alabama physically destroyed the Gators and forcing the Gators to play Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. Tebow’s career ended on a high note, as the Gators pummeled the Bearcats. The offseason was interesting for the Gators as Urban Meyer announced his retirement from coaching, only to decide that he would come back and continue to coach the Gators. Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong left to coach Louisville, but despite all tha, Florida is still considered a National Title Contender.

Offense- Jr. QB John Brantley has the toughest job in the country, as he has to follow the act of Tim Tebow. However, Brantley has to try and forget that Florida fans will hope for Brantley to be the same kind of leader that Tebow was. Brantley simply has to focus on playing his game, as he is more of a pocket passer, whereas Tebow was most effective as a power runner. For Brantley to succeed, he will need a receiver to have a breakout season now that Aaron Hernandez and Riley Cooper are in the NFL. If former RB Chris Rainey adapts to playing WR quickly, he could play a similar role to the one Percy Harvin did 2 years ago. A solid running combination of Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody will have the luxury of running behind perhaps the best offensive line in the nation, anchored by C Mike Pouncey. The Florid offense will look very different this year, but it still could be one of the more explosive offenses in the country.

Defense- The strengths of the Florida defense ought to be the tackles and safeties this season. Due to injuries and intense competition at the position, every DT on Florida’s 3 deep has at least one career start. Sr. SS Ahmad Black and Jr. FS Will Hill are also considered to be one of the nation’s top safety tandems. As long as the defense can replace Carlos Dunlap’s sack production, the defense should be in good shape. Let’s face it, Urban Meyer has top recruits coming in every year, and you can be sure each defense is striving to be better than the one the year before.

Schedule- Florida has a couple of non-conference games that could be tricky in 2010, as South Florida comes into the Swamp on September 11 looking to prove that it is also a power to be reckoned with in Florida. The Gators rivalry game with Florida State is in Tallahassee this year and Florida State may finally be ready to make the rivalry interesting again. The SEC schedule is brutal for the Gators this year, as they have tough road games at Tennessee and Alabama, while having to host LSU South Carolina and up and coming Mississippi State. Then there’s Florida’s rivalry with Georgia in Jacksonville. Simply put, the SEC scheduling committee didn’t do the Gators any favors this year.

Prediction- Florida jump out to 4-0 as South Florida and Tennessee come up just short of upset bids. Despite being 4-0, the Gators will be feeling shay coming into a huge game at Alabama, and it will show as the Tide rolls over the Gators. The Gators keep their national title hopes alive the next week with a rebound win over LSU in the Swamp. Using the momentum from that game, Florida will Mississippi State, Georgia and Vanderbilt to get to 8-1. However, that is where Florida’s title hopes will die as Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks will pull a shocker, beating the Gators in Gainesville. Rebound wins over Appalachian State and Florida State in the finale are solid, and Florida will have the consolation prize of a rematch with Alabama in the SEC Championship game, but these days in Gainesville, 10-2 isn’t enough to provide anyone with a happy ending.