The Gator Nation expected a lot of fireworks this season offensively, and, well, it didn't quite happen that way. Now, there are fireworks going off in Kansas- from the local Krispy Kreme and McDonald's. Too bad we didn't get to experience any offensive improvement this year, and it's even more devastating to not have an offensive coordinator on staff for a huge bowl game against the team that we crushed five years ago for the BCS Title, Olieo State.

That's a huge concern, but the bigget concern of all is the mindset of this team.

Don't laugh.

I'd love to crush Ohio State and give Urban a bad memory to try to erase for recruits that are now on the fence about joining Meyer's elite army.

But I'm not sure the Gators all feel the same way.

The bowl game letdown can happen to any team, and for any number of reasons. The players might not want to be at that particular game, their opponent accomplishes a lot more in the extra practice than they do and unveil a huge bag of tricks, it's hard to get back in game day mode after being out of it for 5 weeks, etc.

Oklahoma and FSU are the worst of them all when it comes to big bowl games. Before last year, the Sooners lost 5 straight BCS bowl games/national championship games. FSU is even worse. They've played in seven BCS bowl games/championships since 1998. They've lost six of them. That's terrible (even for a girls' school).

But this isn't meant to make fun of FSU (well, maybe a little). This bowl game flop doesn't just apply to championship contending teams. It also happens to teams that believe they are too good for the bowl game they are in. See the embarrassing Sugar Bowl only three years ago where Alabama just fell flat on their faces as Utah cruised for a 31-17 shocker. This was partly due to Tim Tebow rolling the Tide in the SEC Championship Game, but whatever Alabama wants to say about it, they just didn't care. They didn't show up. SEC teams don't lose to midmajors, even good ones. Or do they?

Ask Georgia that. They've surely put the ugly memory of a 10-6 loss to our toddler cousin Central Florida in the Libery Bowl away for good, as they prepare for a much better bowl game this year, a rematch against Michigan State. But I haven't and I'm sure that Georgia Tech fans and Florida fans haven't either. UGA just didn't care. Let's face it. Georgia was good in 2010. They were much better than 6-6. They easily could have beaten Florida, easily could have beaten Mississippi State, easily could have beaten Colorado, and they easily could have beaten Arkansas. Auburn was a tough game but they played the Tigers well to the end, and they were never out of the South Carolina game. They just didn't care for an admittedly inferior opponent from a weak conference in a bowl nobody cares about.

Was that the most humiliated a team has felt in the past few years after a bowl game? Or was it when Texas Tech got upended by Ole Miss? The Red Raiders felt they had been raided of a BCS Bowl berth. They went up 14-0 on Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl- and then sat back and watched as Ole Miss went on a 47-13 rampage. As the Raiders scored one more meaningless touchdown, the Rebels were ecstatic on the sideline, jumping around, writing things on poster boards and showing them to the fans, etc.

The point is, the bowl malaise can hit any team for any reason. I'd much appreciate it if it didn't hit Florida, as recruiting is still going on and there could be some guys that might jump from Florida to Ohio State. A Gator Bowl win over OSU would at least make them think twice.

I'll get all my bowl picks out soon, but I'm not feeling too good about this game. We're just not a good team, plain and simple. Our one saving grace is that Ohio State sucks just as much as we do, so we could very well see a replay of the Florida-FSU mess instead of an LSU type blowout.

Please, offensive line, just please block for Brantley for just one game....

Well, here we are, a 6-5 team and proud to be bowl eligible.

Remember, just three years ago this time of year, we were about to travel to Doak Campbell and put a big whooping on the Noles. What a decline we've taken.

But to an extent, college football is like clockwork; what goes up must come down, and what's down must eventually come up. It's like a trampoline, too.

The problem is, there's no set time to be down or up, just like there's a different limit of height or depth. That's random, or more accurately depending on the school, coach, and football program. The Gators were at the top of the mountain, and have now tumbled to the middle. They're not at the bottom, because that's where Ole Miss resides. Remember, it could be worse.

But it could also be much, much better, because the Gators are, always have been and always will be equipped with talent that alone is worth 6 wins a year; the rest comes with working hard and maximizing the potential. And that hasn't happened at all this year.

However, the season is not over- far from it, in fact. The FSU Seminoles represent a mini-season of their own, just like Georgia and Tennessee do. This is one final chance to save our season, to not allow our rival to get a winning streak going on us, and to lure in a bunch of recruits to Gator Nation, most notably wide receiver Stefon Diggs and linebacker Jordan Jenkins.

So; how do we do it?

It's so agonizingly simple, and yet so difficult for our guys- play smart. Protect the football. Don't commit pre-snap procedural penalties. Take care of your assignment in blocking schemes. Make sure somebody covers the deep ball. These are all elementary parts of the game our beloved Gators have messed up so badly on that I've harped on ALL SEASON, and there are plenty more that I didn't cover. But why go into more complex issues when the 2nd grade football plays are being screwed up?

Will Muschamp and Charlie Weis have taken lots of blame this season. Some I agree with- others, no. I see one fault in each of them- and it's a huge one. His players have been making the same mistakes they've been making since game 1 against FAU, when I hit on all the problems that needed to be fixed. Guess what? The lack of deep balls, turnover margin and penalties are still killing us. None of these issues have been fixed now- why should I believe they'll be fixed for next week? Only the turnover ratio has been even slightly improved. That problem has been replaced with downright horrible blocking.

I would like to get into strategy here, but I can't, because again, why bother if your line can't block? The only chance Florida has is if the defense plays the best it has all year- and forces multiple turnovers for touchdowns. A kick return TD or a blocked kick wouldn't hurt, either. The offense on its own is useless without guys born to run a Weis offense, and for that I apologize to Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps.

Honestly? I don't think the Gators will do it. They have more raw talent than FSU- by far- but the Noles have experience and they don't beat themselves. If Florida didn't beat themselves, they would be 9-2 right now. Can you believe that? Florida was in every game they played aside from LSU- even against Alabama, they were in the game until the fourth quarter. FSU might be able to take a knee on every play, punt deep- and win, because the way this team's offensive line is headed, we won't be able to block for Brantley long enough for him to look down and tell Weis what color the grass is.

But I've been through this before, and I'll say it again- I am NOT calling for Muschamp's head. Not yet, anyway. This would need to continue next year for me to even consider it. I am not a bandwagon fan, because then I wouldn't waste my time yelling and screaming at the Gators to fix their issues- I would just pick another team.

And I do believe that help is on the way. We are currently holding a top 5 recruiting classm and Weis and Muschamp each have records developing players that speak for themselves. So I do think we will be back soon.

Just not this weekend.

It's weird to see the Gators in the same conversation as bowl eligibility. Even last year, it wasn't really a question.

But losses to South Carolina and Florida State could mean that Florida will be watching the bowl games from home, since Furman does not count toward bowl eligibility.

On the flip side, a win in either one guarantees a bowl.

South Carolina is first.

Right now, Georgia, Florida State, South Carolina and Auburn are tops on the list for payback from the Gators. The Bulldogs and Tigers will have to wait until next year, and FSU can wait until Thanksgiving weekend. But we have a chance right now to get even with South Carolina for the embarrassing beating they gave us in the Swamp to claim the SEC East. Yes, this means Georgia wins, but again, that can wait until 2012. We can only pay back SC, so either we get revenge on neither of the two, or one of them. I'll take one of them.

A victory would complete the gigantic fall from being the team to beat in the SEC East to watching the SEC Championship Game at home and potentially dropping out of the Top 25. Though injuries have certainly played a key part in that, the Gators can take the pleasure of knowing that hammered in the final nail on the coffin, and the teams will be even.

But this game means more than that.

This might seem familiar, and yes, this is what I wrote prior to the Georgia game, but every game in college football means so much since there are so few of them. This is a chance for Florida to prove that they have turned the corner. Vanderbilt was one game. Can Florida play good football consistently, or was it just a one game deal? Vanderbilt was no joke, but Carolina is better, even without Lattimore. Hopefully, the maturity and improvement process will continue in this game, too.

If the Gators win out, then it's all good in Gator Nation. We have a top 5 recruiting class coming in, with guys fit to run Weis's system on offense, including three of the nation's top offensive linemen, two dynamite running backs to replace Rainey and Demps, and more defensive help. We'll be looking good in 2012. And really, that's all we're playing for- to set ourselves up for a good 2012 season (that and to give the loyal seniors a great sendoff).

Let's not think about what losses would do, because these are all winnable games. Of course, Florida has blown two winnable games, so we know this team is perfectly capable of ending its season in horrific fashion.

It really comes down to this- win out and the Gators' pilot season under Will Muschamp is a success. 9-4 with wins over rivals Tennessee and FSU, at the home of a top 15 team and a bowl win would be some feat for this team after losing four straight.

But perhaps the best thing about it would be to see Muschamp's favorite philosophy get used by his players to perfection.

Adversity.

Then we'll know Muschamp is for real.

Today, I'll get you read for tomorrow's Georgia game with some fun facts, x's and o's, and predictions.

First come the fun facts.

-Florida has won 18 out of the last 21, 11 out of the last 13, 5 out of the last 6, and the last 3.

-The all-time series is tied 38-38 since the venue of the game was moved permanently to Jacksonville in 1933 (not counting 1994 and 1995 when it was moved to each team's stadium).

-The last Gator head coach to lose to Georgia in his first year was Charlie Pell. Since then, Galen Hall, Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer all beat Georgia in their first try.

-In the last three Florida-Georgia games, history was made. In 2008, Florida crushed Georgia 49-10, which was and still is the worst loss for Mark Richt. In 2009, Tim Tebow broke Herschel Walker's record of rushing TD. Last year's game was the first ever to have overtime not just in the Florida-Georgia game, but in any neutral site game involving two SEC teams.

-Florida is 2-0 when calling a timeout in the final 30 seconds (1993, 2008).

-The Gators are +11 in the turnover battle in the last 3 games against Georgia

OK, now onto the serious stuff.

The Gators could not like their chances in this game any more with the return of a slew of starters. Everybody's been talking about how much the return of Brantley means. Sure, it helps, but not as much as Jeff Demps at top speed. To me, that's our biggest advantage- maybe even our secret weapon. Georgia does not have much tape on Demps from this year, and the tape they have is from FAU, UAB, Tennessee and Kentucky. Of course, Demps is just as fast against the Wildcats as he is the Crimson Tide, but the defense is better and faster for Alabama.

The larger point is this: at some point, sheer volume wins. Georgia cannot stop Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, Trey Burton, Frankie Hammond, Omarious Hines, Jordan Reed, Andre Debose (another big player making his return), Deonte Thompson and Mike Gillislee. Nobody can. Of course, when you only use three of them, anybody can stop them. So when Demps went out against Alabama, and Charlie Weis stubbornly refused to use Michael Gillislee, Trey Burton and Jordan Reed, Florida's offense floundered. Rainey, Thompson and Mind you, it was stuffed the entire second quarter with Brantley, so it wasn't Jeff Driskel's fault.

So I beg of you Charlie Weis, please don't be Steve Addazio and run Rainey 40 times and neglect Gillislee and Demps. I don't think you will, but you have proven to be quite predictable with who the ball will go to. Spread it around.

To sum it all up, the first key is to spread the ball around. It's like feed the fish- everybody needs their share.

The second key is hidden behind the otherwise superb play of the defense- force turnovers. The Gators have not forced a turnover in the month of October, which is humiliating for a team that only two years ago won 13 games with its defense and Tim Tebow. Georgia is not an explosive offensive team, nor do I expect them to look like one tomorrow. I expect lots of pressure on Aaron Murray, sacks, fumbles maybe- nothing but good things from our superior defensive front 7 that is somehow last in the SEC.

The third key is simple- great special teams. A big return, a blocked kick, etc, could change the game around in an instant. And please, oh please, just catch the punts.

The fourth key is better blocking. It doesn't matter who's taking snaps, if he doesn't have time, the Gators' offense will go nowhere. Sure, the Gators played Alabama and LSU, two great teams, but then the offensive line was manhandled by a horrible Auburn defense. It must be leagues better tomorrow.

The fifth key I have for tomorrow is the inverse of Addazio's biggest focus- stay on schedule in the down and distance. The Gators need to force Georgia's offense into as many uncomfortable situations in the down and distance as possible. That's where more mistakes come, as opposed to third and 1. It will also force Georgia to be predictable with their play-calling.

Key number 6 is avoid penalties. It's simple. No explanation necessary. AVOID PENALTIES. The Gators have excelled at beating themselves this year with stupid, unnecessary, pre-snap procedural penalties. It needs to stop. Now.

All in all, I have a good feeling about tomorrow's game. From Malcolm Mitchell being ruled out, to Kwame Geathers and Shawn Williams being suspended for the first half, Demps, Brantley, Debose, Ronald Powell, Caleb Sturgis and Dan Wenger being ruled probable, plus, you know, 18 out of the last 21, I like our chances.

Florida 24, Georgia 10.

Looking at the title of this post, no, I am not referring to a bra size; I am referring to the two things that have kept the Gators from being blown out in Spurrier type fashion, as opposed to just being soundly beaten.

The D's and Debose and defense, and they will play a major part in trying to defeat the Gators' opponent on Saturday... which is history.

Yes, the Gators are fighting history on Saturday in Jacksonville against the #22 Georgia Bulldogs.

As you may have heard, the Florida Gators have won 18 of the last 21 games against Georgia. Steve Spurrier took special pleasure running up the score on the Dawgs and then taunting them in the postgame press conference. Even Ron Zook managed to win two out of three against Georgia, twice dismantling potential national championship hopes for UGA. Along came Urban Meyer and he too ruined UGA's BCS Championship hopes, and then put a pair of embarrassing beatdowns on Georgia followed up by an OT win.

What you may not know- or, to be honest, what is for some reason hidden- is the fact that these two teams swap turns bludgeoning each other with regularity for a period of roughly two decades.

So history suggests that the pendulum in this rivalry has reached its peak on our side, and will begin a swing the other way.

Basically, recent history is on our side, but complete history is not.

But throw that out. Silly end zone dances aside, football games are won and lost with x's and o's.

The Gators will probably get John Brantley back, but that's not even close to being our biggest advantage. That distinction goes to... our defense.

Look at the Auburn game, and how the Tigers could score only 17 points. This Auburn offense is still pretty good, despite their QB troubles. Between Onterio McCalebb and Mike Dyer, they have two explosive playmakers that can potentially win games. Both were for the most part silent in the Florida game.

LSU's offense is far better than people give them credit for. They scored 41 on Florida, true, but then take away the field goal that was set up by the fake punt, which was on the special teams. Then remember the jump pass, an indefensible play that was only called because Florida's defense had stuffed LSU at the goal line twice in a row. They played in my opinion, the best team in the country, and thanks to the offensive line's ineptitude, couldn't get off the field.

And then look at the Alabama game- 7 points directly came off a pick 6, and they had trouble moving the ball on us for most of the second half until they put it away.

Throughout the season, the defense has been solid. Not great, but solid. And they'll only get better. Urban Meyer didn't leave the cupboard bare at all. These are tough, talented kids that will do what it takes to get better, especially with Will Muschamp pushing them.

Our other major bright spot in our dreadful October has been Andre Debose. He's proven to be a big play threat, burning both Alabama and LSU for 65 yard touchdowns. Brantley (or whoever is our QB) should give him chances to make big plays deep down the field.

Debose was compared early on to Percy Harvin. I can see that a little bit, but he's not Percy- they just share the characteristics of having a knack for making big plays. He's also a speed demon, like Harvin, and can break tackles like him too.

Whether or not he is Harvin, though, is irrelevant. The larger point is this- the Gators sorely need a proven deep threat to free up Chris Rainey on the perimeter. Rainey is technically a wide receiver, but does the bulk of his damage on plays that belong to running backs- running plays, screens, flare routes, etc. Since Florida lacks a second player that defenses must pay equal attention to as they must for Rainey, the defense swarms Rainey, daring somebody else to beat them.

Another note- the Gators simply must use Mike Gillislee. He's a proven threat in the run game, and to only use him in mop up time is a serious error in judgment. He can't inflict any damage with 2 or 3 carries, but he can with 15+. There's no word on Jeff Demps yet, so if he can't go, then Gillislee is 'that guy' in the running game.

My full prediction is coming soon, but with the Georgia defense in flux with the suspensions, it's a tossup. Georgia is good this year, and if Mark Richt will ever beat Florida again, it will be this year.

And then, at last, we come to Georgia.

Georgia.

Georgia.

Georgia.

The team I hate the most is our next opponent.

And it could very well be the Gators' biggest game of all time.

Maybe not as much as the three national championship games Florida played in, but that's about all this game takes a backseat to in importance.

This game isn't just important for where the Gators finish this season. It's not just important for what bowl Florida winds up in. It's not just important to maintain the complete and utter dominance Florida has had over UGA since 1990 in this extremely bitter rivalry. It's not just important for recruiting.

It's important because a loss will knock the Gators out of the SEC Championship Game, kill their chances of going to a decent bowl game, even out if not begin a 180 flip in the rivalry, will possibly lead to decommittments or dropping Florida off the list for recruits...

And overall, officially end the Gators' golden age.

A loss here means that the 2011 season was a complete failure, which would make it two seasons in a row. That's not what recruits want to see. They want to see great strides by the new coaching staff. Sure, it's normal for coaches to struggle in their first season as a coach, but Florida isn't normal.

The Gators are the most prestigious program over the last 15 years, and part of what made that happen is a set of ridiculous expectations that both Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer helped create by winning so much. Recruits want to play for the best team they can, and four straight losses... well, you get it.

A loss to Georgia could really ressurect the Bulldog program, not just this year, but for the future. The two teams have exchanged turns walloping each other with two decade long regularity, and, well, it's been 21 years since Georgia really controlled this series. History suggests that a defeat here will start a nice, long, run the other way. That is simply unacceptable. A Gator victory, however, would keep the current run of 18 out of the last 21 going.

This game has an eerily similar feel to the 2007 game- a sophomore QB for Georgia who beat himself up all summer long after a heartbreaking defeat the year before to Florida, plus a freshman running back with a legend that grows by the week. Oh and the Gators are also coming off losses to Auburn and LSU (similar to 2007, when they lost to both Tigers (but not as badly) except they beat Kentucky in between).

I won't even focus on the East race, because again, the booby prize there is just another mauling by Alabama or LSU. Let Georgia get bodyslammed once so they can see how it feels.

But the overall effect of losing to Georgia is sickening. A win is the most beautiful thing in the world, and on the flip side, a loss is the worst. It's more than the above reasons. Yes, it hurts in recruiting, the SEC East, in the message rooms, etc. but there's just something else that cannot be put into words that makes a loss here intolerable. And that feeling is magnified this year, since the Gators need this win, really, really badly.

Now, let's focus on what a win would do.

This is a golden opportunity for Muschamp's first signature win at Florida. Not just because he was Georgia's captain in 1994, but more because it gives him a chance for his fans to see that he was really serious about overcoming adversity.

Three straight losses, including two clobberings, and a bye week to rest up and heal and bounce back. There isn't really a better opportunity for him to overcome adversity this year than with a win over UGA. Nor is there a better time to at least salvage something from the wreckage that is the 2011 season. The building is in flames, and will go down soon, but it hasn't yet, so there is enough time to run back, and grab some valuables left behind.

The ability to bounce back from defeat is one of the most important traits a team can possibly have. Become demoralized, and one loss becomes two, two becomes three, and pretty soon, three becomes seven or eight. The Georgia game is a very winnable game, but Florida has excelled at beating themselves this season, and they need to play better as a team no matter who takes the snaps (update: John Brantley is listed as questionable for a Monday return to practice).

It would also serve as a huge boost for recruiting. Muschamp has already set up his tent in Atlanta, snagging four highly coveted recruits from that area this year.

Finally, a win here would save Gator fans from a year of abuse. I define a rivalry game as a loss that would hurt more in the message boards (on the internet) than in the standings. As much as this would hurt Florida in the East (actually, it would be the killshot), it would hurt more everywhere else.

To sum it all up: a win over Georgia could boost the Gators for years to come.

Will Muschamp made the announcement that true freshman Jacoby Brissett will start against Auburn.

Huh.

Weird, I thought this was the guy that I said awhile back wouldn't have a big impact on the Gators. Well, I admit, that was incorrect, but then again I never knew both Brantley and Jeff Driskel would get injured in the same game.

But whatever. Brissett worked hard enough and practiced well enough to win the job, so well done.

Onto strategy.

As you know, football is a game of eleven on eleven. Therefore, each offensive player has a defensive counterpart. At least, that's how it would work in an ideal situation. But then you have to throw in blitz packages and prevent defenses and double coverages so it doesn't quite pan out. But it is still eleven on eleven, meaning each offensive player is supposed to have a defensive counterpart.

This means that both teams will have advantages and disadvantages. The team that exploits the other team's disadvantage will win that play. And since we're Florida fans, we're going to take a look at Florida's offense vs. Auburn's defense.

I expect Auburn to blitz heavily all game to try and pressure Brissett into making mistakes. Say they blitz seven guys and we only have 5 guys blocking. That means our offensive line plus Brissett is outnumbered 7-6. Which means the Tigers are outnumbered elsewhere- either in the flat to Rainey, deep to Thompson, on a crossing route to Debose, etc. Going five wide or sending Rainey or Demps on a flare route is the best way to beat this, and I'm sure this is something we will see plenty of.

But then say Auburn blitzes 7 against our 5 plus a back blocking. That's bad, because that's 7 on 6 in the race to Brissett, (the 7th guy in the backfield) in Auburn's favor and there is no free option for him to exploit. There could be mismatches, but unless Auburn completely blows coverage there won't be a wide open man. So I don't want to see 6 guys blocking.

If Auburn brings 7 against 5 offensive linemen against two blocking backs or tight ends, it's much better, because even though Florida is now outnumbered downfield, Brisset should have time to wait for a receiver to fully run his route, make a cut and get wide open. With only one extra blocker, Auburn will have a man come for a free shot at Brissett so he cannot wait for a receiver to get open- he'll have to improvise.

Improvising isn't horrible, but it isn't something you plan for. Brissett can use his legs if need be, but that should be saved for emergencies only. You absolutely do not want your third string QB taking on defender after defender. This is why one extra blocker will not help.

So we've covered what to do if Auburn blitzes- either exploit the vacancy they leave with five blockers, or match the number of blitzers they bring with blockers.

What if Auburn doesn't blitz?

That's a dream scenario for Florida, give the rookie QB time to get comfortable in the pocket and have all day to read the defense and pick where he wants to throw it. But they won't blitz all the time. It doesn't always make sense.

Then Brissett can read the defense, and if he doesn't like what he sees, he can take off. He's fast enough to turn what looks like a busted play into a big play. Of course, that's one of his checkdown routes, along with Rainey or Demps running a harmless 5 yard crossing route. He should not look short- he should look deep. Auburn's secondary is very vulnerable, and taking deep shots whenever he has the time and the mismatch to do it could kill the Tigers. Yes, the Gators will be outnumbered in the secondary, but it just takes one truly evil move by either Debose, Thompson, Burton, Reed or any of the other receivers for the defender to fall down and leave the man wide open.

It's a numbers game, and Florida should win it if they just... BLOCK and NOT COMMIT PENALTIES.

I've said it before but I'll say it again: I don't think Florida has much of a chance in this game.

Oh, they won't get embarrassed, they won't get sledgehammered like they did the last two weeks, but they won't win.

Not like this.

Face it, Gator fans, Florida is a young, talented but sometimes downright stupid football teams. They're little boys against men in the trenches, and commit the dumbest of penalties at the worst times imaginable. This team has me screaming at the TV even more than last year because the penalties are just so pointless yet so detrimental to the team.

Will they return to the top? Can Muschamp bring them back to glory? Sure. But first, we're going to have to endure another 2010 type season, and this week is Mississippi State. This has an eerily similar feel: two losses to Alabama and LSU and then a major dropoff in talent....

But they haven't lost yet. It hasn't become official yet. So: how can Florida pull the upset?

Avoid penalties

I swear on my love for Tim Tebow, the first stupid penalty the Gators commit and I will turn my back and root for Auburn to mercilessly smash the Gators into sawdust. They would absolutely deserve it. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before a penalty directly costs this team a game, and Muschamp lights into his team for a loss with penalties as the main factor and forces them to get it straightened out. A third straight manhandling could do some good long term and we'll find out how Muschamp handles his favorite problem, adversity as a head coach.

Florida is the worst in the country in the penalties department and with Muschamp coaching as aggressively as he does, expect more for late hits and pass interferences. I don't like those at all, make no mistake. I like procedural penalties even less because they are completely avoidable. If Florida wants any chance whatsoever, they must turn the lights out on the penalties.

Invade Auburn's backfield

Lost in the Gators' blowout in Baton Rouge was the fact that this was actually an improvement over the week before. The Gators did make a few nice stops. The only problem was, they didn't make enough of them. Auburn's offensive line is much weaker than LSU's and Alabama's but Mike Dyer is even better than Spencer Ware and very close to Trent Richardson's level.

Not giving him any room to run is going to hurt his chances of a big gain, and it's what Florida must do to win. At the same time, getting into the backfield also means that Barrett Trotter will not have adequate breathing room to throw. A strip-sack could instantly change the momentum in this game, and maybe even be the difference.

Make open field tackles

This wasn't as glaring of an issue for Florida but it's something they simply must do if they want to win. One broken tackle can be the difference between a 20 yard run and a 75 yard run. Especially with guys like Mike Dyer and Onterio McCalebb that are very slippery.

This can also be translated as simply "make tackles". Don't go for the gigantic hit, just wrap up and bring the ball carrier down and if you have enough help from your buddies then go for the strip. Just bring guys down, however you can. I know that's a foreign concept for this young defense that's used to laying Major Wright type hits on every play but they have to stay focused.

Better blocking up front

I'll be frank. I can't remember ever seeing the Gators do a worse job of blocking in a long time. Not even under Addazio was the offensive line this awful. At least they picked up a blitz here and there. This offense is more explosive since Charlie Weis has a brain and Addazio does not and knows to get his guys open in one on one matchups.

Problem is, if there's no blocking, it doesn't matter how explosive the offense is, it will never get started. This is magnified in importance because we will be starting a true freshman at QB- the o-line better block or the offense will go nowhere. The good news is, this isn't LSU's defense, or Alabama's. It's not even a Nick Fairley led defense. It's a so-so defense.

Special Teams must be special

Blocked kicks are the most beautiful thing in my world since I work with special teams, but I'm not even talking about that. I'm talking about kickoff and punt coverage and kick/punt return teams. The return game been pedestrian even since Demps got hurt against Alabama. Here's a clue. Use Mike Gillislee more. He nearly took one to the house against Miami Ohio last year, and has not really returned kicks since then.

But what's even more important is to diffuse the big return for Auburn before it even gets started. Use all the speed guys to get down there and drop the return man before he reaches the 25. As for punts, David Lerner isn't doing a bad job, but his rugby kicks are tricky. If the coverage doesn't hightail it downfield, a punt return TD could be in the works.

Get off to a great start

Auburn's composure in tight games is frightening considering this is not the same team from a year ago. They remain eerily calm in the fourth quarter and it actually makes me wonder just how old they are. To put it simply, the Tigers win close games with scary ease. An easy way to avoid a situation like this is to blow the game open early. Come out with the intensity Muschamp is so fond of showing, and score a few big touchdowns.

I am willing to bet, if Florida wins the first half by 20 or more points, they will not lose. Auburn is not equipped to pull off such a huge comeback against a team that employs Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, Andre Debose and numerous other speedsters. They cannot do much more than trade scores since their defense is not very good (to put it mildly) and cannot hold up their end.

Set up the one on ones

Don't be discouraged by the Gators' inability to get Rainey and Demps in space, that was against Alabama and LSU and the blocking was horrendous against a great front 7 in each case. Auburn's defense is, again, frighteningly inept, and that's just the tonic for Charlie Weis and this once explosive offense. If Rainey and Demps each have a game like they did in their first four games, the Gators will not lose.

Of course, that's easier said than done, but Florida's offense is better than they've shown. Auburn is a team waiting to get a big number hung on them... Florida can be that team if they exploit the holes in their defense.

Overview

Auburn doesn't lose close games at home, simple. And Florida will not blow the Tigers out. I'm disgusted with the Gators, not because they lost their last two games, but because they make so many dumb penalties. I hope this team will grow up and cut them out, and while they're at it, man up in the trenches.

The Florida Gators will be back and eventually contend for the national championship. In 2012. Which is not this year. Just endure another aggravating season, including another 3 game losing streak, and the goods will come.

Auburn 28, Florida 13.

If you didn't read my LSU game recap, then let's just get this on the table right away.

I hate Auburn.

Hate them with a burning passion.

I hate them more than FSU- and I absolutely DESPISE that stupid tomahawk chop.

But Auburn has an incredibly annoying habit that FSU does not- they beat Florida by a field goal EVERY TIME. Doesn't matter who's ranked higher, doesn't matter who has loads more talent, they always win by a field goal. Five of the last six Auburn victories have been by 3 points, and the one that wasn't was because Auburn picked up a fumble on a desperation hook and lateral and took it in for a TD as time expired. Auburn won that one, 27-17.

So we've established that this team has an extremely frustrating knack for escaping with wins over Florida.

Now let's forget the histroy and look to the here and now.

Auburn's offense has put up the points needed to win most of their games. But Charlie Weis has to be salivating for a chance to rebuild his offense's confidence against a truly pathetic Auburn defense. They never were that good last year, but were good enough to ride Nick Fairley (and Cam Newton) to a national championship. Now he and Josh Bynes are gone, and their defense has been exposed for the sieve that it is. The Gators' offense should have a field day.

Now that the killer defenses are out the way, Charlie Weis should have more room to create those one on one mismatches. Auburn does not have the speed defensively to match up with Rainey at all. When Demps is healthy, he's equally dangerous, and having Andre Debose step up as a potential big play guy was the biggest positive I took out of the last two games.

Jacoby Brissett will likely start again this week, according to Muschamp. Then again, he said Driskel would start last week and he did not. Either way, the Gators now have the QB bootleg as an option if there's nobody open, which is also a plus.

My guess is that Weis will instantly go to the swing pass and run game and see how that works out. If defenders cannot stop Rainey, he will have Brissett go deep in a one on one matchup. The Gators' success in this game will depend on the effectiveness of the small stuff, so it could open up the big stuff.

Auburn, on the other hand, has to be salivating over a chance to unleash Michael Dyer on Florida's stunningly weak front 7. Unless Florida can man up in the trenches, they have exactly zero chance to win the game, as Gene Chizik has absolutely no problem running Dyer 25 times for 200 yards. But their defense has been shaky. They've had good performances, and not so good performances. Mostly they've been awful. They will look to cure that against a freshman QB and an offense with a gigantic question mark.

When the Tigers are on offense, expect a lot of Dyer to start out. I would also look for Kiehl Frazier, the backup freshman QB for a change of pace. If Florida can't stop those two, they're dead. The biggest advantage Florida has is that Auburn's offensive line isn't exactly rock solid.

So Florida's offense and defense each need an ego booster, as does Auburn's defense. However, Auburn's D needs it more since they've been horrendous, while Florida's units have struggled against the two best teams in the country.

Now that those two ugly games are in the rearview mirror, I wouldn't say that we should look too heavily into them. Those teams are both phenomonal, and one of them will almost surely win the BCS Championship. The one thing that concerns me... is the PENALTIES.

That's an easy fix, but then it's not. Muschamp prides himself on having an aggressive team, and penalties come with it. It's a package deal. It's the silly procedural penalties that will ultimately kill this team.

This game will shape both teams' seasons more than any other. It's a game both teams absolutely need to win to finish where they want to. And it will likely come down to a single drive, or play... or mistake.

Florida Head Coach Will Muschamp can’t be thrilled with the way things are going with his offense and quarterback situation or the way the defense gave up 181 rushing yards to Trent Richardson.

But the Alabama game is behind the Gators and they have a new opponent to worry about.

Led by the nation’s best defense, the top-ranked Tigers look to frustrate the 17th-ranked Gators, who are expected to start freshman Jeff Driskel at quarterback for the injured senior John Brantley on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

LSU is 5-0 and is on top of the poll for a second straight week after easily beating Kentucky 35-7 last Saturday. Incumbent QB Jordan Jefferson made his season debut after being suspended for the first four games following an arrest on a felony battery charge in connection with an Aug. 19 bar fight.

A grand jury reduced the charge to a misdemeanor last Wednesday, leading Miles to reinstate Jefferson as a backup to Jarrett Lee.

Jefferson scored on his first play back, diving over the goal line on an early fourth-and-goal to put the Tigers up 7-0.

Miles has yet to give Jefferson his starting job back but envisions his return adding a new wrinkle to the offense. He passed for 1,411 yards with seven touchdowns while running for 450 and seven scores last season.

“We will use Jefferson in a variety of ways,” Miles said. “At different times in the season, we will need every skill and every collective attribute of our team.

“We are excited about this season right now.”

The Gators who are 4-1, are likely not quite as optimistic after the way things played out last weekend.

Brantley injured his right leg on a sack late in the first half of last Saturday’s 38-10 loss to then-No. 3 Alabama, Florida’s worst home defeat since falling 36-7 to LSU in 2002. He was helped to the locker room and did not return, and Muschamp said Monday the injury won’t require surgery but will keep the senior sidelined at least a week.

Brantley, who has thrown for 942 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, had started 18 consecutive games. His injury opens the door for Driskel, but the highly touted freshman looked shaky last week.

Driskel completed 2 of 6 passes for 14 yards, fumbled a snap and was sacked twice as the Gators gained just two first downs with him under center.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in him,” running back Chris Rainey said. “He’ll be ready to go, ready to take that challenge.”

It would certainly help Driskel if the running game can get on track, but that could be difficult.

The Gators entered last week’s game leading the SEC in rushing at 259.0 yards per game but finished with 15. The Crimson Tide lead the FBS in rush defense with an average of 39.6 yards allowed, and LSU is almost just as stingy, ranking third at 60.4.

“Again, we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Muschamp, who served as LSU’s defensive coordinator from 2002-04. “You got to get that taste out of your mouth. There’s no better opportunity than going to Baton Rouge and playing LSU.”

The Tigers have won 13 straight home games since losing 13-3 to Florida in 2009. The Gators were the top-ranked team at the time while LSU was No. 4.

This is the fifth time in six meetings one of the teams is ranked in the top 5, with No. 12 LSU defeating No. 14 Florida 33-29 last October being the lone exception.

Like the Gators, the Tigers also rely heavily on the ground game that could see a boost if Jefferson is inserted to run the option. LSU is averaging 172.6 yards a game and is second in the SEC with 14 rushing touchdowns.

LSU’s top tailbacks, Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, had subpar performances last week, but Miles was encouraged with what he saw from his backups.

Sophomore Alfred Blue had a career-best 72 yards on 16 attempts, while freshman Terrence Magee accounted for 38 yards on 12 rushes. Ware, who has a team-best 323 rushing yards, had four carries for five yards before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.

Miles is hopeful that Ware will be healthy enough to return to the running back rotation.

“We’ll have the opportunity to run the ball again with a number of guys,” Miles said.

LSU’s depth at running back could pose problems for Florida, which allowed Alabama to rush for 226 yards - the same number it allowed in its first four games combined.

This will be the toughest road test the Gators will face all year. Question is; can they answer the bell?

When I worked at the sleepaway camp this summer, I met another instructor from England. So, to find some common ground I asked him if he liked sports, and he said football. Fine, I'm thinking, at least he likes sports, even though I don't really like soccer. I asked him his favorite team, and he said the Cardinals.

I'm no English soccer fan, but I was pretty certain there is no team called the Cardinals. Seeing my confusion, he added, "Arizona".

Sweet! So this guy likes American football. I asked him how many games he gets a year, and he said about three a week in the pros and two a week in college. Seeing my Gator t-shirt, he added, "Wow, you guys really got smacked if I remember right, to Alabama I think."

And to make things worse, it was ESPNAmerica- which goes worldwide. It wasn't just BBC or EuroSport; no, it was a global telecast. ESPNAmerica gets to pick the two best games of the weekend, which is usually the ABC Primetime and either a 3:30 ABC game or the CBS game, and then put them up all over Planet Earth. In this case, since it was primetime, Florida-Alabama was broadcast WORLDWIDE.

Well, how about that. It wasn't just the entire nation Steve Addazio laid an egg for; no, it was THE ENTIRE FREAKING WORLD.

So let's reiterate: in an attempt to broaden the worldwide appeal of American football, ESPNAmerica chose to put Florida-Alabama on worldwide TV. Since Florida was horrible last year, they embarrassed themselves in front of up to 6 billion people. Even if Chinese businessmen or Saudi Arabian spice traders didn't know the first thing about football, they do know numbers and all they had to do was flip to ESPNAmerica, read the scoreboard, and see that Florida was losing BADLY.

But let's put that whole ugly mess behind us, because this is a new year. The Gators were also 4-0 last year, (and ranked #7 coming into this game) but unlike 2010, this time around I believe the Gators are better equipped to actually look like a 4-0 team (and to make their #12 ranking look legitimate) in front of all of Earth.

How?

The first and most obvious thing the Gators corrected from last year was the offense. Addazio was horrendous throughout the season (really? Gee I didn't know that) but like Tim Tebow to the negative one power, he was at his worst in big games. In pivotal games against Alabama, Mississippi State South Carolina and Florida State (the FSU game was also an ESPNAmerica worldwide selection, along with Alabama-Auburn and Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, so thanks again, Stevio!) Addazio was absolutely blunderful, compiling a grand total of 27 points in four games.

This year, Charlie Weis has at least somewhat awaken John Brantley's confidence in himself and has ressurected the offense to some degree. By no means is this a fearsome offense, but it's not exactly the one Weis is really planning on using. He's just using Rainey and Demps to the fullest until they graduate. But it does use one of Weis' biggest pet peeves- creating mismatches and exploiting them time and again.

So the first difference is that we have a brain behind our offense, not a stick of celery.

The second big difference is kind of a subtopic but then it's also not- John Brantley.

A year ago, Brantley was a mess, throwing timely interceptions, hitting wide open fans in the third row, and sulking, when he wasn't playing shortstop and taking ground balls from Pouncey. But that was then.

He's never going to be the Tom Brady gunslinger we all expected him to be, but that's OK. He's doing a great job in playing the game-manager role that Greg McElroy played two years ago at Alabama- and rode to a national championship. You know, hand the ball off, throw swing passes, and occasionally make a big play. Basically, if he makes one or two Tom Brady plays and does not turn the ball over, he's done his job in that game. And to this point, he's done that well.

The third major difference is the playmakers- or lack thereof.

The lack of playmakers making big plays a year ago was astonishing. To see a Florida Gators football team coached by Urban Meyer be so gun-shy was really incredible, for all the wrong reasons. This isn't all Addazio's fault, though, since Chris Rainey made a less then perfect and more than frightful decision, but some of it is. Why was Brantley throwing two yard hitch routes and running the option? Why was Jeff Demps running dive plays? Why was Emmanuel Moody running sweeps and tosses to the outside? Why was Deonte Thompson running 3 yard out patterns? Where was prized commit Mack Brown all year? Why did they never play aside from the end of a 38-14 blowout of South Florida? Why why why?

Back to here and now. To date, Demps has TD runs of 35, 21, 20, 84 and has multiple other runs of 20+. Chris Rainey has simply been phenomonal, highlighted by a blocked punt and an 83 yard catch and run TD. Mike Gillislee, who was also hidden by Addazio, has a 60 yard TD run and an 18 yard TD run. John Brantley has done his game manager job very well so far, getting these guys the ball and getting out of the way.

And the final difference is the defense.

It wasn't quite as obvious as the offensive deficiencies, but the defense failed to generate anything even resembling a pass rush the entire year. Teryl Austin's unit did snag a lot of picks but also got burned deep a bunch of times, and absolutely could not stop the run to save their lives.

This year, the secondary has struggled some, drawing a barrage of pass interference calls and only picking off four passes through four games, but the front 7 has been dynamite. It's almost as if the front 7 and secondary swapped; now the front 7 will have to pick up the defensive backs. But the secondary is really young; Matt Elam is a sophomore, Josh Evans is a sophomore, Marcus Roberson is a freshman and Pop Saunders is a freshman as well. The front 7 isn't exactly veteran, but this is for the most part the same unit that took the field last year, so they do have a year of experience. So this is a baby waiting to grow into a monster.

So: are the Gators equipped to deal with the big stakes this time around, in the Swamp, with the guy that knows Nick Saban better than anybody in the world, with a much improved team?

I say yes.

But time will have the final say.

More specifically, the time between 8:05pm to about 11:30pm will have the final say.

This Saturday, the Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide will continue their rivalry when the Gators host Alabama at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

Last year, Alabama hosted Florida in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and defeated Florida to a crushing score of 31-6. This year, the tables have turned in this rivalry and the game will be played in Gainesville. As many SEC opponents know, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is one of the most difficult venues to play in for any team. This Saturday, it will be one of the few challenges No. 3 Alabama must overcome to defeat one of the SEC's surprise teams.

It isn't too often the words "Florida Gators" and "surprise teams" are placed in the same sentence. However, with last year's disappointing record of 8-5, quarterback problems, turnover issues and an identity crisis on offense, the Florida Gators have struggled to make strides toward relevance. This year, the Gators have been pleasant to watch.

John Brantley seems to be more comfortable as the starting quarterback and has completed 64 percent of his passes, while throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions. Florida is also ranked 10th in the nation in rushing offense, rushing for more than 250 yards per game. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have spearheaded the Gator offense with a combined 731 rushing yards, 284 receiving yards and eight touchdowns total.

Gone is the Gator offense of last year, which utilized the spread option under former coach Urban Meyer. The new pro-style offense implemented by Will Muschamp and Charlie Weis has been more effective this year, and the Gators have scored on 16 straight red-zone trips. What is even more impressive is the fact UF has scored in 15 of 16 quarters this season.

As of Week 5, Florida boasts the 15th-ranked offense in the NCAA at 40.25 points per game. They are also doing much better on the other side of the ball as well, boasting the 20th-ranked pass defense in the NCAA at 175.25 passing yards per game. Perhaps the best stat for the Florida Gator defense is the fact their defense is allowing fewer than nine points per game.

However, Florida will face their toughest challenge this season when they face the Crimson Tide, who are ranked second in overall defense. As of Week 5, Alabama is only allowing a total of 184 yards per game.

On the other side of the ball is AJ McCarron, who has been more than suitable in the Crimson Tide's "game manager position" with a 66 percent completion percentage, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Alabama also hosts the two-pronged rushing attack of Trent Richardson and Eddy Lacey, who have run over opposing defenses for a total of 806 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.

Needless to say, this should be the Gators biggest test yet. This is becoming a heated rivalry, with both of these teams ranked in the Top 15 and two schools who essentially mirror each other in skill set and statistics. This game also has SEC Title implications and very possibly National Championship implications.

If you're in Gainesville for the game, you will certainly see a bunch of crimson shirts and feaux "Bear" Bryant hats, as Alabama fans are known for traveling to the ends of the earth for their school.

Will Alabama "Roll" out of The Swamp, victory in hand? Or will they just become "Gator Bait" to a Florida team hungry for revenge and on the brink of greatness?

It's hard to imagine somebody who is already a Heisman candidate a third of the way into the season as a secret weapon.

But believe it or not, he really is.

The diminutive Rainey has become known and feared by opponents- except for Alabama.

In three games against the Crimson Tide, he has compiled 3 carries for 9 yards. Not exactly Heisman type numbers. Then again, he never really played against them. He left the 2008 SEC Championship Game with a groin pull early, then hurt himself again a year later in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. And then of course there was last year, when Rainey didn't even play at all because he was suspended from the team.

So this is Alabama's first chance to see what this guy is all about.

And he's all about speed.

You can watch all the tape you want. But if you do not have that type of speed on your team to practice against, you can't really know what it's going to be like until you face him in a game. Trent Richardson is a great running back, but not even he has the RPG's Rainey has. Rainey won't be running people over like Richardson, or even like Tebow, but he is a shifty running back that can make even the best tacklers miss.

You know all of that.

Funny thing is, Alabama doesn't. Sure, they might know in THEORY that he's more elusive as a greased pig (sorry Arkansas fans) but until you try tackling him you can't know for sure. Of course, none of us have tried tackling Rainey either, but we've spent the past four years watching other teams try to and mostly fail.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing about Rainey is when he DOESN'T have the ball. Florida also has this guy named Jeff Demps who may have a little speed as well. With people keying on Rainey, Demps can find a runway and take off, like he did against Kentucky. Of course, Kentucky is just a drug but just because you do something when you're under the influence doesn't mean you can't do it in reality- just means it might not happen. But freeing up Rainey is definitely something to try.

If I'm Charlie Weis, I don't use Rainey a whole lot early in the game. I would let Alabama psyche themselves out and overstress stopping Rainey so we can test out the above theory. It's not like Rainey is our only playmaker, far from it. Whatever Weis does, he should use a heavy dose of Demps and Gillislee in the first half, only use Rainey when he really needs big yards.

Charlie Weis has always said that he will wait another year to fully install his pro-style offense with pro-style personnel. Until then, he's just going to ride the talent he has. That's a great way to be, since you'll get the best production out of them in ways you won't get the best production out of guys like Mack Brown or Mike Davis. But he hasn't had the chance to fully unleash them against great opponents... yet.

I'm still not convinced he's fully shown his playbook. I've always thought that he should keep a lot of it bottled up for Alabama and Georgia (I don't care how bad they might be I HATE losing to Georgia in ANYTHING).

What else might he show?

I've been waiting for Weis to unveil the diamond spread, which isn't really a spread as much as it is a diamond. It's where a QB, and three receivers/running backs line up in a diamond shape behind center, and the QB can pitch, hand it off on a counter/sweep/dive play, throw a swing pass, run an option (though not with Brantley, noooooooo way), or even throw a bomb to any one of them. The Gators are completely equipped to run that, as you can use any combination of Demps, Rainey, Burton, Hines, Hammond, Debose, Dunbar and Gillislee- all of whom are really fast and can shake tackles. All the QB needs to do is throw accurate swing passes so the guy is catching it running downhill, and Brantley has done that very well this year.

Maybe Alabama has speed on defense, but they wouldn't be able to stop that. And even if I'm just dreaming and Weis never even thinks of it, it's very difficult to stop a guy you've never really played against before. The Tide defense can work all they want on shooting gaps and pressuring the QB, which they're very good at, but the problem is, if Weis does his job, Rainey won't be in the backfield and Alabama won't have a chance to blow up the play- because Rainey won't be there.

He'll be off and running, and with him, the Florida Gators on his back.

Two traditional SEC rivals collide as the Florida Gators host the Tennessee Volunteers in The Swamp.

The Will Muschamp era is off to a perfect start in Gainesville and while the Florida Gators have played less than SEC caliber competition, they have handled them easily. Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis’ system appears to agree with Gator QB John Brantley who struggled last season but appears to be in a groove this year as UF has outscored their opponents 80-3 in the first two games. The Gators have a two headed monster at running back as Chris Rainey has run for 207 yards and two touchdowns and Jeff Demps has run for 123 yards and two TD’s. The Gators have a stable of talented receivers who haven’t been called on much this season but Deonte Thompson has five catches for 67 yards and Adre Dubose has five catches for 64 yards. The Florida defense is generally inexperienced this season but they have allowed just three points and 349 yards combined in two games. This will be the Gators first big test of the year as while they have dominated the Vols of late, this isn’t a game to be taken lightly no matter what has happened in recent years.

The Tennessee Volunteers have gotten off to a 2-0 start in 2011 and Derek Dooley’s team will get a chance to see exactly where their progress is in their hopes to return to being a relevant team in the SEC landscape. Tyler Bray has looked sharp at QB for the Vols completing 78.5 percent of his passes for 698 yards and seven touchdowns and Tauren Poole is a reliable running back rushing for 199 yards thus far and Marlin Lane has scored twice gaining the tough yards. Justin Hunter already has 16 receptions for 302 yards and two touchdowns and Da’Rick Rogers has 15 catches for 200 yards and three TD’s. Austin Johnson leads the team in tackles with 10 while Daryl Vereen, Brent Brewer, and Jacques Smith each have nine. The Tennessee defense allowed 23 point against Cincinnati but most of them were early and once the Volunteers settled in they were tougher than we have seen them in a while.

Prediction:

Florida has too many weapons and the noise in The Swamp will be unbearable for young Tyler Bray and the young offensive line, so expect several false starts for Tennessee.

Gators win 31-17

As I promised, I'm going to break down the game 9 months before it's played.

Must be some rivalry.

So, I'll list the 3 key players on both teams (in order) one key matchup, an overall prediction and a score prediction.

Key Players for Georgia

1) QB Aaron Murray- some people get tired of hearing how the QB is the most important player in the game. Well, it's true. Murray in a nutshell- he can run, he can throw, he can throw while running, he's young and he's experienced. In other words, Florida MUST pay attention to him at all time, kind of like everybody had to pay attention to Tebow at all times. He's no Tebow, but he can make plays in a number of ways. Florida must force him out of the pocket, for even though he's comfortable there, his receivers may not be, causing either an incompletion or a pick.

2) RB Isiash Crowell- this freshman running back will almost certainly see playing time against the Gators. He's pretty fast, but he sees a hole and he's gone. He's got a great first step- and the rest aren't bad either. If the Gators blitz and he gets through the line- watch out. He's extremely dangerous in the open field. His only real weakness is that when he gets hammered to the deck, he tends to get shaken up.

3) TE Orson Charles- he catches and runs like a receiver, and while his blocking certainly isn't awful, it's not where an SEC tight end's blocking abilities should be. He torched Florida in the 4th quarter last year, and the Gators must treat him like a wideout. Seriously, he's not someone to forget about about, and Florida should seriously consider putting their #1 CB (whether that be Janoris Jenkins or Jaylen Watkins or whoever wins the job, but assume Jenkins) on him. Plus, he's Aaron Murray's favorite target and high school buddy.

Key Players for Florida

1) RB Jeff Demps- I don't care who's the QB, most likely he won't have a load of confidence coming into this game. Either Brantley will be worried about losing his job or Driskel will worry about his first Florida-Georgia game. That won't be a problem with Demps, who will be playing in his fourth and final Cocktail Party. As Georgia can attest to, Demps may be small, but as soon as you give him space, then start looking for your kick block team. He needs to break a long one in this game.

2) DT Sharrif Floyd- they say everything starts in the middle. Well, Sharrif Floyd has made a habit of starting games off with a pancake. For this reason, forget about gaps. The A-gap becomes a G-gap. What does G stand for? Gigantic. Because the center is usually flat on his back, allowing more defenders to break through the now gigantic A-gap. If need be, Floyd can also go left with surprising speed and bust a B or even a C gap. He wreaked havoc as a freshman and needs to do it some more against UGA in order to flush Murray out of the pocket.

3) LB Jelani Jenkins- like Floyd, the guy with Je. Jenkins on his jersey wreaked havoc as a freshman last year. The difference is, he's usually in the second wave of blitzers, and if a hole opens up- Jenkins is through it immediately. He's got great vision, which along with open field tackling is the most important trait in a linebacker. He's also deceptively quick for his size. He may get some killshots on Murray, and he will be delighted to take advantage of them.

Key Matchup

Aaron Murray vs. Florida front 7: The Gators MUST PRESSURE MURRAY. I cannot stress this enough. Murray CANNOT be allowed time to sit back in the pocket. If the blitz does its job, he won't. Against Georgia though, the blitz is a double edged sword- if Murray dumps off a screen to Crowell or Charles, then Florida is in trouble. So Muschamp needs to be careful when he dials one up.

Georgia just hauled in a fantastic recruiting class. But it pales in comparison to the one that Florida brought home a year ago under Meyer. The class from last year has more talent, more players, and more experience than Georgia's Dream Team. Make no mistake, though, the Bulldogs' 2011 class is a force to be reckoned with and will soon be doing a significant percentage of the team workload.

In 2012.

Which is not this year.

The Gators must also dethrone the royalty, or at least keep an eye on the Kings at Georgia. They are Caleb and Tavarres and are capable of doing unexpected damage. They must also dethrone Mark Richt, currently the longest tenured coach in the SEC. Wouldn't that be great?

Here's how to do it (for if Richt loses this game he is almost certainly gone following the season unless this is Georgia's only loss).

1) Disguise the blitz packages.

Make it look like a 4 man rush, only to suddenly bring a pair of linebackers on the snap to rocket through the B-gaps for an uncontested shot at Murray. As much fun as it was criticizing Addazio, the main thing lost last year was QB pressure. We all made fun of Addazio because it kept us of sound mind, but the truth was that the Gators got very little pressure on opposing QB's. In actuality, defensive play-calling is more important than offebsive play-calling for the simple reason that if you screw up, it could mean a long touchdown.

But I'm not worried about that with Muschamp, a very good defensive play-caller. After the game, when I dig this post out, there will almost certainly be a check next to it.

2) Deflate Georgia with the huge play early.

There's nothing like devastating an opponent early in a rivalry game. I know from experience because my high school team beat its archrival 23-14, and early in the game our d-lineman blocked a punt following a great drive. The opponent came back late- but too late. I saw the opponent's expressions. They looked like they wanted to quit right there.

So the play-calling on offense needs to be as unpredictable as Addazio's wasn't. On the first play of a big drive- hell, the first offensive play of the game for Florida- flea-flicker bomb.

Why the hell not?

Even if it fails, the Bulldogs will see that Brantley (or Driskel) has the balls to just chuck it in a rivalry game like this, and they will need to keep a few guys deep just in case Charlie Weis tries again.

When I say deflate, I don't just mean make a big play.

You guys see where I'm heading?

Maybe it's the Gators' turn to transform the end zone into some scene from High School Musical.

Whatever it is, the Gators MUST MUST MUST do something to take the wind out of Georgia early on, so the rest of the game is simply clean up.

3) Special Teams must be truly special

The last time the Gators blocked a kick or a punt and lost was when Ron Zook was the coach. Since Muschamp holds special teams almost as dearly as Meyer, expect him to load the punt/kick block team with speed.

Also, a big kickoff or punt return could be a vital jump start.

4) No stupid penalties

It seems stupid to put here, since it is a boilerplate part of every pre-game pep talk to not do anything stupid that will cost your team. But no rivalry gets more chippy misbehavior than this one.

Reggie Nelson is lucky the refs missed his hit on Kris Durham in 2006 or he wouldn't just have been flagged, he'd have been arrested.

How lucky was Brandon Spikes not to get caught attempting to poke Washaun Ealey in the eyes?

Equally lucky was Nick Williams, who was miffed over getting trucked by Tim Tebow the previous year, and decided to retaliate by knocking Tebow down- a full two seconds after he handed the ball of to Jeff Demps.

Both teams need to cut it out, although if a Bulldog mugs a Gator and gets flagged, I don't really care. But the Gators cannot afford to kill themselves with a personal foul and 15 free yards to Georgia, regardless of who has the ball.

5) Contain the deep bomb

This is always standard as well, but again, more so in a rivalry. The Gators cannot allow anybody to get loose deep. If they do, it will kill them.

Prediction:

I'm not sure Mark Richt really knows what to do with the talent he has. But there's something really wrong with UGA and Jacksonville. They just don't mesh well. Even when UGA is clearly better, Florida wins.

Look at 2002, 2005 and 2010. Does anybody really believe that Florida was the better team?

Throw all strategy out the window, and you'd all still pick Florida. And that's what I'm going to do.

Because over the past 21 years, Florida has won 18 and lost 3. Those are numbers I'd put my money on. The strategy I listed is how Florida wins; the mere fact that Georgia suffers a hex against Florida is why.

Bottom line?

The hex is so bad that Georgia's screwed before they even walk on the field, as talented as they are.

Florida 41, Georgia 21.

After my Florida-Auburn preview, I've been asked to do one for every big game on Florida's schedule.

I've got a better idea. I'll do one giant post for every game on Florida's schedule... except for Auburn and Georgia, because Florida has something personal against both of them.

With Alabama, I'm still debating whether to do a big separate one or put it in the giant post.

Anyway, it's never too early to get psyched about the Georgia game.

This post is going to be gigantic, because I was using it to apply to write for bleacherreport (but I've graduated from B/R) and they require a long entrance sample of your writing.

But that's good for you!!! If you want to spend lots of time reading up on some Florida-Georgia history, look no further. I will go into strategy breakdown later, perhaps tomorrow.

Anyway, here we go!!!

The Florida Georgia rivalry is one of a very certain few where the teams actually hate each other. Hate is the ultimate degree of dislike, and since there is no expanding on it, there you go. If you need clarification, kidnap your neighbor's beautiful 13 year old daughter, torture her, sexually assault her and injure her badly enough to put her in intensive care. That should pretty much sum it up, up to and including vandalism of your most precious property, like your house.

What defines a rivalry?

For a series to be called a rivalry, it needs to pass three of five criteria.

1) Both teams must have rich histories and tradition.

2) Both teams must be conference rivals, with a higher ranking in the conference at stake when they meet.

3) Both teams must be in the same state, or one state apart.

4) Both teams must inflict acts of cruelty and humiliation to the opponent

5) The teams must play at least 75 times, so there can be deep history, before it can be classified.

Under these criteria, Tennessee gets the first two, but not the last three, so it is not a rival. And the Vols really are not a rival at all- they are merely a team in the same conference and division as Florida with a deep history.

But what really defines a rivalry more than any of the above 5 criteria is this: say both teams suck. Do you still want to destroy the other guys? Are you more afraid to lose and hear the other team's fans taunt you for a whole year than you are wanting to win?

If the answer to that is no, then the series is a series, not a rivalry. Before Tennessee was any good, the game meant nothing. Only since Fulmer came aboard did the game mean something, but in the middle of the last decade it died down, flamed up briefly with Lane Kiffin then dropped again.

Same with Alabama. When both Florida and Alabama are on hard times, do you want to win more, or do you not want to lose and avoid a year of insults from Bammers?

No, I don't like either team, but I don't hate them.

Georgia... yeah, I hate 'em.

There's always bad blood here.

The main image of this is Spurrier running half a hundred on Georgia with a flea flicker.

But the last four Cocktail Parties have featured intentional party fouls by both teams.

2007 was the dance-a-thon, 2008 was the timeouts, 2009 was the eye-poking and 2010 was the choke gesture.

But let's go back to the beginning.

The hatred between Florida and Georgia has always been intense. Ways of showing the passion for this game include, but are in no way limited to, murder, fistfights, drive-by-rock-throwings, and tossing of nails onto the ground in front of the opposing team’s bench.

The players and even the coaches get into it, with one of the most recent examples including one entire team running out on the field to jump around and taunt the other team (Now which team might that be?) Others include the time one player on that team went to kneel down on a kickoff with the game already won, but decided, the hell with it, and took it 41 yards down the field.

In that same game, a certain guy called his final timeouts to give his running backs the chance to pile on more yards with a 49-10 lead (alright, now even the most ignorant fans HAVE to know who did this).

In other words, if you have anything resembling a heart on game day, then this game is not for you.

On the field, Georgia used to dominate Florida, but over the last 21 years, it’s been the exact opposite. The teams take great delight in crushing each other like grapes for a couple decades at a time, but overall the series is pretty even despite that fact. This game never lacks intensity due in part to the teams swapping turns destroying each other with regularity, and also because, well, the final score touches off a night-long, drunken celebration for the winning team.

And now there’s something new in store for the winner- the Okefenokee Oar, a permanent game trophy for the winner, which began in 2009. See why it’s a big deal now? Go 1-11, but win this one game, and you get to do two things: drink all night long, and run around like crazy, screaming and holding a wooden boat oar! What could beat that?

THE BEGINNING- 1915-1928, 6-0 UGA

As it turns out, the teams don’t even agree as to when the first game between the schools was ever played. Georgia whines that they beat Florida 52-0 in Macon in 1904. The only problem with that claim is that the University of Florida first fielded a football team in 1906, and never played Georgia until 10 years later (which UGA still won, so stop complaining, UGA fans). This began the Dawgs’ first period of dominance.

How lopsided was it? Florida never scored on offense in all 6 of these games, and got shut out in 5 of the 6. Willie Green of Florida blocked two Georgia punts, one returned for a touchdown, and another bounded out of the end zone untouched, giving Florida something other than a goose egg under their name on the scoreboard (OK, Dawg fans, you want it, here it is… UGA 32, UF 9, in Athens). By the way, I’ll be doing a bit of score quoting throughout.

FLORIDA’S ‘TURN’- 1928-30 2-0-1, UF

In desperate need of a reason for southern football players to even consider UF, Florida finally started winning. At least temporarily. A pair of Florida wins got the Gators on the board, and a scoreless tie the year after that made Georgia crazy.

It was such an insult to Georgia’s high powered offense at the time. It was fun while it lasted, but now that the Gators had insulted Georgia on one of the first ever games broadcast on live radio for the whole country, the Black and Red plotted revenge. I’d really love to stop here and skip this part, but hey, I’ll just get a drink and it’ll all work out fine.

THIS IS HOW REAL MEN DRINK- 1931-51 17-3 UGA

During the wartime years, Georgia fans and grads really had only two ways of finding real pleasure- watching their children grow up, and watching their Dawgs pound on Florida.

Yes, pound. As in 38-12, 34-0, 33-6 and so on. But the classic gesture of this UGA tenure of dominance is probably best characterized and summed up by a 75-0 blowout of my beloved Gators smack in the middle of World War II. Bulldog star running backs Charlie Trippi and Frank Sinkwich- yes, the same Frank Sinkwich that took home the Heisman- ran rings around Florida’s ‘defense’.

The two of them combined for seven touchdowns. In all fairness, Florida did have half their team in Europe, where the Dawgs had their ENTIRE team. Georgia also won the Rose Bowl that year.

So, Gator fans, use that info as methods of consolation.

Georgia players weren’t good enough to make the army, Florida’s players weren’t good enough to belong on the same field. As always, both teams have an argument for this. Let’s move on, the next part is more fun for Gator fans.

UGA TURNS TO GATORBAIT- 1952-63 10-2 UF

The University of Georgia picked the worst possible time to introduce their new mascot, UGA- right in the middle of a Florida Period of Dominance!!! Except that it wasn't all that dominant; Florida eked a bunch of them out just barely.

The last four wins in this span came by exactly one touchdown. However, imagine how annoying this was for Georgia; losing to Florida by a touchdown every year.

For a while after, however, each team had the other in a stranglehold, but nobody could honestly claim superiority over the other.

IT EVENS OUT- 1964-1973 5-4-1 UGA

Well, boys and girls, this is why Steve Spurrier hates Georgia.

In the 1966 game against the Dawgs, Spurrier threw three picks in a 27-10 loss. But this was a rare game where both teams received big gifts from god. The Gators got the Orange Bowl berth and Spurrier got the Heisman, while Georgia got the SEC Championship.

Four years later, Jack Youngblood pulled off one of the greatest plays in Florida history in a 24-17 Florida victory. With Georgia ahead 17-10, and the ball at the Gator two-yard line, Youngblood stuffed UGA back Ricky Lake, forced a fumble and fell on the ball. "They ran a lead play to my side, and I cut it off," Youngblood said. Thanks, man!!! John Reaves then hit Carlos Alvares twice to pull out the 24-17 Gator win.

GEORGIA'S LAST GASP- 1974-89 13-3 UGA

Now, we're starting to get to some games that you might remember. These games, unfortunately, were not very pleasant memories. First came a 17-16 heartbreaker in 1974. Then came 1975.

Tony Green scored an early TD for Florida to put them up 7-0. Georgia managed a field goal and it was 7-3 Gators with a couple minutes left in the game. Then came the defining moment in the game; head coach Vince Dooley did something rare: he called a trick play.

Richard Appleby took a reverse to the right, but instead of running it as he did earlier in the game, he threw it downfield to a wide open Gene Washington for an stunning 75 yard touchdown. The Gators' final field goal attempt had no chance, as the snap was rolled to the holder. Georgia won 10-7.

The next year was even worse. This was the worst play-call in Florida Georgia history. Doug Dickey ordered a dive (hey! That sounds familiar!) on fourth and 2 on their own 29, and Gator tailback Earl Carr was denied. Georgia seized the momentum and rallied from 27-13 down to a 41-27 win.

But it was 1980 that makes this era really memorable. To avoid heartache, I'll just be blunt: Lindsay Scott 92 yard TD.

The Gators tried to turn things around by pummeling Georgia 27-0 in 1984, but the Dawgs won four of the next five, ending that thought... for the time being.

NOW THE FUN BEGINS- 1990-PRESENT 18-3 UF

Since this section is far more fun, it'll take up far more space, too!!! Let's go game by game, and make the few Georgia fans reading this miserable!!! Just a coincidence, but 1990 is when Spurrier came along.

1990- Florida 38, Georgia 7- this game was never even close.

1991- Florida 45, Georgia 13- Georgia hung around for a quarter but couldn't stay alive any longer.

1992- Florida 26, Georgia 24- this was a good game, but merely the first in a long line of torment at the hands of Florida for the Dawgs.

1993- THE TIMEOUT GAME

Eric Zeier had hit Jerry Jerman for the game tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. However, Anthony Lott of Florida had called timeout just before the snap. Georgia was forced to replay the down, and Jerman appeared to be wide open again until Lott slammed into him.

Flags flew, and pass interference was called. Georgia had one last shot- but Zeier's bomb fell incomplete, and Florida won, 33-26.

1994- THE GAINESVILLE MASSACRE

Due to renovations in Jacksonville's EverBank Stadium, 1994 and 1995 saw the two teams meeting in each other's stadiums.

But this was never a game. The Gators jumped out early, and kept the foot on the accelarator in a 52-14 beatdown.

1995- HALF A HUNDRED BETWEEN THE HEDGES

Spurrier, still pissed at the 1966 loss, came into this game breathing fire. The Gators opened up a 45-17 lead late in the game, but that wasn't enough for the Ole Ball Coach (and it wasn't enough for me, either. And I was a year and a half old, and there is video of me crying at the TV, "more please! more please! more please!").

Spurrier obliged, calling a flea flicker bomb to break 50. Florida's 52-17 win still marks the most points ever put on the Dawgs in their own kennel.

1996- Florida 47, Georgia 7- the biggest Gator victory over Georgia of all time.

1997- Georgia 37, Florida 17- well, Georgia has to win SOMETIMES, don't they?

1998- Florida 38, Georgia 7- another Spurrier leveling.

1999- Florida 30, Georgia 14- and another.

2000- Florida 34, Georgia 23- well... at least it was a game for a half.

2001- Florida 24, Georgia 10- Spurrier's farewell to the rivalry was a success.

2002- Florida 20, Georgia 13- the Gators handed UGA their lone defeat of the season.

2003- Florida 16, Georgia 13- even Ron Zook had Georgia's number!

2004- Georgia 31, Florida 24- well, Ron Zook finally came back to earth.

2005- Florida 14, Georgia 10- Ah-HA! Urban Meyer arrives on the scene, and the Gators gave the Bulldogs their only loss of the season- again.

2006- Florida 21, Georgia 14- Ray McDonald returned a fumble for a TD to put Florida up 21-0, and UGA could not recover.

2007- DUNCE DUNCE REVOLUTION

Mark Richt ordered his entire team to charge the field following UGA's first TD, warning them that if they failed to draw excessive celebration penalties, they would be running in the mornings. They did draw the flag.

And Gator Nation's ire.

Though it didn't matter on this day.

Knowshon Moreno ran rings around Florida, but the dagger came when Matthew Stafford hit Mikey Henderson to make it 35-24. The Gators couldn't recover, as Georgia stunned 9th ranked Florida 42-30.

2008- THE REVENGE

Well... how do I put this game? Do I say that it was just another matchup?

No, because it wasn't.

Quite simply, there was nothing I did but celebrate the night of this game following the timeouts that Urban Meyer called to rub in what was nothing short of a complete and utter beatdown Florida administered to the Dawgs.

But perhaps I'll let you watch it.

2009- Florida 41, Georgia 17- Tim Tebow broke Herschel Walker's TD record in another rout reminiscent of the Spurrier days.

2010- Florida 34, Georgia 31- The Gators won the first ever matchup to go into OT when Chas Henry drilled a 34 yard field goal.

So let's recap all of this.

The teams take turns beating the crap out of each other, and love it more than anything in the world. Seriously. More than ANYTHING.

Anything else need to be said?

Remember, I'm not really a rah-rah guy, so the next shot I get, I'll launch into a strategical breakdown of this game to prove that.

I don't care that Will Muschamp went to Georgia- he'll love to join in. This is his type of battle. This is his thing.

Expect him to discard his relationship with UGA for this game 100%. Georgia will be tough though, with Aaron Murray and their Dream Team recruiting class.

But I'll save my pick and my reasoning for tomorrow.

Flash back to 1989. Georgia had just beaten Florida 17-10, and the players all mocked Florida's fans with the Gator Chomp.

Florida has won 18 out of the last 21.

Then go to 1997. Sebastian Janikowski nailed a big field goal to give FSU some breathing room, and did a huge, exaggerated Chomp to the Florida Field crowd.

Florida drove down the field and won the game three plays later.

Now on to 2007. Wes Byrum of Auburn nailed a huge game winner in the Swamp, and chomped the crowd.

It's up to the 2011 Gators to avenge that.

But how?

Auburn has lost Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, but they still have plenty of weapons.

They have wide receiver Emory Blake, a great leaper with good enough hands who will be depended on for fade routes in big time situations.

They have Ontario McCaleb, a speed demon who has broken at least one run of 20 yards or more in all but three games this year.

They have Quan Bray, an incoming freshman who can play numerous positions with a verbal but solid committment to Auburn.

It's the QB position that may cause Gene Chizik problems.

Barrett Trotter, who will be a junior, is my best guess to land the starting spot, because he was going to be handed the keys to the Tiger offense before Newton came into the picture. He is a very athletic QB with a snap quick release and the ability to take off and buy some time. He can throw on the run if need be, but he is closer to a dop back passer than a spread QB.

Kiehl Frazier is more like Cameron Newton, familiar with a spread option game, but he's going to be a freshman next year and has not seen big stages before at Shiloh High School. Although he is a running QB, he isn't nearly as accurate on the run.

That's exactly what the Gators have to plan to do- make the QB run.

They cannot allow Trotter- or Frazier- to get comfortable, settle in, and pick the Gator apart. They need to knock him down, let him know that he's being targeted all the time.

Who better to do that than Will Muschamp?

The Gators have plenty of speed on defense, and if you've ever played for Charlie Strong, you're able to put some big hits on QB's on command.

So expect the Gators to blitz early in the down count to set the tone, and disrupt the entire offense.

Now, onto the offensive side. They've got speed, they've got playmakers, the only thing they don't have is... a dependable QB.

I think if all Gator fans had to bet their last dollar on who starts at QB against FAU, the answer is going to be John Brantley.

Let's get one thing straight. I know that Steve Addazio's offense was horrible, and the QB he used was just as bad. Or you could flip that, and look at it vice versa.

Whatever you want.

The point is that I'm not a fan of Brantley any more than most of you and I promise you guys that I have very limited patience for him. If my patience goes, then I call for Jeff Driskel.

That's a promise. I'll give Brantley one game to see if he can at least light up a bottom feeder.

Assuming Brantley makes it to the Auburn game as the starter, then that means he will have seen six defenses, played reasonably well at Death Valley in the Bayou (one week before the trip to Auburn) and that he won't likely buckle under the pressure and the lights of Jordan Hare.

But even if it's Driskel, Charlie Weis will figure something out. He's too good of an offensive mind not to.

Bottom line?

Defense plays light out and offense does its job.

Florida 34 Auburn 23