Tears Gator Tears

[flagator86]

I actually think your biggest game is Arkansas, followed by SCar. It’s all about momentum, especially with college kids that are so emotionally-vulnerable and volatile.

Say you have two losses (with one being Utah) like you mentioned heading into SCar. You win, and you’re a respectable 2-2 in conference having already played two of the tougher teams in the SEC East. Some momentum heading into the UGA game. Now if you lose that game, you’re probably going to follow that up with a loss to UGA by 14+ (no shame in it, but optically-speaking). Still, two losses in a row to the #1 team in the country and a solid, fringe Top-25 program on the road is not the end of the world…but you have to get off the mat and play a Pittman-led team that’s always tough as ****, with a dynamic QB who does his best work in the spur of the moment. If you happen to stop the bleeding and win there, then well done.

Should you lose that game regardless of what happened to SCar (let’s assume you beat SCar and now have three losses after UGA heading into Arkansas), now you’ve picked up a 4th L and have to travel to Baton Rouge…probably another L. That’s three in a row, having to go @ a pesky Mizzou team where morale is down after dropping three consecutive, and finishing up with FSU. If you drop both the SCar and Arkansas games, you could be staring down the barrel of a disastrous finish. It’s a brutal schedule, I’ll give you that.

bruh i agree!! That Arky game after the UGA loss (yea we're losing that) to me can be a "watershed" moment for Billy at UF. If he's able to get us off the mat and pull out that Arky win, the second half of the season can be a positive. We need that Arky and Missouri game cause the FSU and LSU games are going to be tight and we can very well drop both of those.

That Missouri game is going to be tricky too as we have to go there and it'll more than likely be an early afternoon COLD as **** game and you know they've always given us **** since joining the conference.

 

[WaterburyCane]

I can see this but I can also see us going into the UGA game with only 2 losses which is what i'm going with. Yes we're losing a dynamic QB in AR but he was inconsistent and I expect our D to drastically improve (I just can't see it being worse or the same). I believe we get our wins back vs Vandy and Kentucky but I can see us dropping the Utah and UT game(s). Despite the record last year, we lost 6 games where we were in position to win. Just get off the field on third down which has been an issue for us since 2016. The flip side too is that we won games last year where we could have EASILY lost too so I can't negate that either.

The reason why I remain positive is that our best players last year, if you named our top 10 players, were guys that our current staff brought in whether it was via the portal or HS recruiting. That gives me room for excitement under this staff going forward. I'm not expecting an unexpected run to the SEC title game, but an upward movement is what i'm seeing. 2024 and 2025 are THEE years for us.

Not completely delusional like your brother in arms. But I dont see a path to 7 wins unless myself and everyone else is completely underestimating some part of your team.

I will agree that your D will improve although thats not saying a lot. Your offense is going to struggle. There isnt much depth on your team either to cover up issues or injuries.

Lets see how it plays out.

 

[786Cane]

As bad as Mertz is, if he goes down, I can’t imagine how bad it turns.

 

[flagator86]

Not completely delusional like your brother in arms. But I dont see a path to 7 wins unless myself and everyone else is completely underestimating some part of your team.

I will agree that your D will improve although thats not saying a lot. Your offense is going to struggle. There isnt much depth on your team either to cover up issues or injuries.

Lets see how it plays out.

I mentioned it a few days ago, we’re going to HAVE to ground and pound until the freshmen WR’s (Eugene, Andy, and/or Aidan) step up and that’s a TALLLL order cause all we have proven is Pretty Ricky.

TE room maybe even a bigger question mark although I like Arliss. The elephant in the room is Murda Mertz.

I tell you what though; it’s that Tennessee game that’s bothering me. IDK what to expect from them either. Havent beaten us in Gainesville since 2003 but you just FEEL like they’re due at SOME point.

Oh yea our ST was HORRENDOUS last year. Lost some games because of that area too

 

[kronic]

I can see this but I can also see us going into the UGA game with only 2 losses which is what i'm going with. Yes we're losing a dynamic QB in AR but he was inconsistent and I expect our D to drastically improve (I just can't see it being worse or the same). I believe we get our wins back vs Vandy and Kentucky but I can see us dropping the Utah and UT game(s). Despite the record last year, we lost 6 games where we were in position to win. Just get off the field on third down which has been an issue for us since 2016. The flip side too is that we won games last year where we could have EASILY lost too so I can't negate that either.

The reason why I remain positive is that our best players last year, if you named our top 10 players, were guys that our current staff brought in whether it was via the portal or HS recruiting. That gives me room for excitement under this staff going forward. I'm not expecting an unexpected run to the SEC title game, but an upward movement is what i'm seeing. 2024 and 2025 are THEE years for us.

 

[RVACane]

I mentioned it a few days ago, we’re going to HAVE to ground and pound until the freshmen WR’s (Eugene, Andy, and/or Aidan) step up and that’s a TALLLL order cause all we have proven is Pretty Ricky.

TE room maybe even a bigger question mark although I like Arliss. The elephant in the room is Murda Mertz.

I tell you what though; it’s that Tennessee game that’s bothering me. IDK what to expect from them either. Havent beaten us in Gainesville since 2003 but you just FEEL like they’re due at SOME point.

Oh yea our ST was HORRENDOUS last year. Lost some games because of that area too

I think your WRs will be ok. That’s a good freshman group. I don’t see the improvement on the OL though. That’s so critical

 

[WaterburyCane]

I mentioned it a few days ago, we’re going to HAVE to ground and pound until the freshmen WR’s (Eugene, Andy, and/or Aidan) step up and that’s a TALLLL order cause all we have proven is Pretty Ricky.

TE room maybe even a bigger question mark although I like Arliss. The elephant in the room is Murda Mertz.

I tell you what though; it’s that Tennessee game that’s bothering me. IDK what to expect from them either. Havent beaten us in Gainesville since 2003 but you just FEEL like they’re due at SOME point.

Oh yea our ST was HORRENDOUS last year. Lost some games because of that area too

Thats going to have to be your formula pretty much all year. But that OL . Watching Mertz will be interesting

Regarding Tennessee, at least you get Nico very early in the season while he is learning, but I dont give you much of a chance in that one. If you cant run in that game its going to be a long day

 

[FL Cane]

4-8.

They’ll be 2-5 going into the bye, 3-4 if they’re lucky and can steal one. Class will fall apart by November.

Billy’s sandbagging because of the Chernobyl level disaster coming this fall, and they don’t realize it (or if they do, they don’t care).

 

[WeBallinBoyz]

I think your WRs will be ok. That’s a good freshman group. I don’t see the improvement on the OL though. That’s so critical

OL has to grow up because like flagator said, they’re going to ground and pound. If the OL can’t block, there’s only so much scheming Napier can do…and if Mertz can’t throw on top of that, you’re going to see something similar to Miami’s 2022 offense…which would equate to something disastrous for them like 4-8.

Defensively I agree they’ll get better, but I don’t see some drastic improvement. Their pass defense was actually ok last season, but 175ypg on the ground was no bueno…and now they’re replacing Gervon Dexter in the interior. It’s going to be the Memphis transfer and my 600lb life Watson up the middle, and let’s be honest…even if Watson is good for 1-2 plays, no human that size is conditioned enough to effectively play for multiple consecutive snaps. They also have a louisville transfer vying for a tackle spot, but he was non-existent last year (two games played). Their DT quality and depth is extremely poor and thin.

One edge is solidified by Umanmielen, the other might be Sapp (showed promise imo). They lost their top two tacklers in the secondary, plus Burney and Miller at LB. Terejada Mitchell the Ohio St transfer is supposed to be their saving grace at LB, but he got benched midway through 2021 when their defense sucked donkey balls and played predominately special teams after that.

Armstrong certainly has his work cut out for him.

 

[flagator86]

I think your WRs will be ok. That’s a good freshman group. I don’t see the improvement on the OL though. That’s so critical

LT: Barber
LG: Leonard
C: Eguakan
RG: Mazzccua
LT: George/Goodwin

I think that’s a solid 5. Things get SUPER dicey tho if Mazzcua misses times recovering cause either it’ll be a redshirt (Farmer) or True Freshman (Harris) there.

 

[flagator86]

I hate to break it buddy but yea….just let that one ride lol

 

[JgDaCane]

Mertz is as bad as I've ever seen. Like unwatchable.

 

[561Cane]

bruh i agree!! That Arky game after the UGA loss (yea we're losing that) to me can be a "watershed" moment for Billy at UF. If he's able to get us off the mat and pull out that Arky win, the second half of the season can be a positive. We need that Arky and Missouri game cause the FSU and LSU games are going to be tight and we can very well drop both of those.

That Missouri game is going to be tricky too as we have to go there and it'll more than likely be an early afternoon COLD as **** game and you know they've always given us **** since joining the conference.

You can agree all you want. Fact is, you have a crap team and will be fortunate to win 6 games. Your recruiting will suffer and can scoff it off as most obnoxious gaytor fans.

 

[flagator86]

You can agree all you want. Fact is, you have a crap team and will be fortunate to win 6 games. Your recruiting will suffer and can scoff it off as most obnoxious gaytor fans.

Oh ok

 

[JgDaCane]

Oh ok

5.5

 

[OrangeBowlMagic]

Solid thread

 

[canesbrah]

Mertz is as bad as I've ever seen. Like unwatchable.

This. I don’t understand why their fans have any hope at all.

 

[Dwinstitles]

Not just cause I'm a Cane fan but uf class I would be upset if that were our class. Got to land top guys I could care less for a 5 star QB, bring me stars on OL and DL the rest will work itself out. U dominate there u start winning.

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

All these free range gator fans think they’re going to ground and pound as a stopgap, and then later in the season, miraculously, everything is going to be OK.

I’ll be so here to watch the meltdown.

 

[bobbydigius]

All these free range gator fans think they’re going to ground and pound as a stopgap, and then later in the season, miraculously, everything is going to be OK.

I’ll be so here to watch the meltdown.

Ground and pound is a tough proposition in the SEC when you don’t have the horses up front and they don’t.