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.

A 14 year old girl wakes up in the middle of the night feeling sick pain in her stomach.

A 22 year old college QB twists an ankle in a football game and it's sore.

A 35 year old businessman is stressed out at work and has headaches.

A 7 year old boy has a high fever.

What do they all have in common?

They're uncomfortable, and need to take some medicine to alleviate their discomfort. Now, the medicine they take isn't going to necessarily cure the illness, but it will mask the symptoms and problems for a little while.

Now, let's add a fifth example. The Florida Gators need to work on some weaknesses. But there's no Tylenol or Advil for that. Or is there? Yes, there is. It just comes in pads and silky blue and white jerseys. It's called the University of Kentucky football team.

The Gators felt sick to their offense a year ago, and fans were collectively ticked off at Steve Addazio. So Addazio simply waved his magic wand and turned Trey Burton into Tim Tebow before our very eyes! And UK's defense happily obliged, allowing Burton to score SIX TIMES- something not even mighty Tebow could do. We saw how similar the two really are the week later when Burton used Nico Johnson as his hoop for a jump shot in the end zone. No knock on Burton, but he's no Tebow. When you take an overdose of Kentucky, however, just like weed, you can be anything you want to be!

For a minute last night, though, UK looked decent. But it was just an illusion. John Brantley threw a 45 yard TD pass to Gerald Christian (and this was legit, not a 4 yard toss that was turned into a touchdown), Jeff Demps scored on runs of 20 and a career long 84, Chris Rainey really reminded me of Percy Harvin on a nasty cutback run, and even Mike Gillislee took a couple  fluid ounces of Kentucky and weaved his way for a 60 yard TD. Trey Burton didn't score six TD's, though he did score one, on a Tebow type situation, plowing into the end zone. Oh and the defense picked off three passes, forced two fumbles, and sacked Morgan Newton a bunch of times.

But again, here's the thing- Kentucky, like Advil, only masks symptoms, doesn't cure them. We don't know how good Florida really is, not from last night. This was a team that lost to Louisville of the Big Least- that lost to lowly FIU. Yes, the same Florida International team the Gators hammered 62-3 only two years ago.

So we can't take anything seriously from last night.

We knew Demps is really, really fast. We knew Rainey was a fantastic athlete. We knew Brantley was a game managing QB that can make a big play every now and then. We knew our defense is pretty solid.

But we can't expect to just mow Alabama down in the red zone like we did Kentucky. We can't simply hand Demps the ball and watch him go all the way. We can't give Rainey 40 touches and expect 300 yards. And we can't assume Brantley will light them up for big bombs.

Playing UK before a huge game like Alabama is almost harmful. It gets Gator fans high, akin to smoking weed before a big game. The Wildcats really are a drug. They make things seem perfect, whether they are or not. If they are, they make things seem more perfect, and if they're not, hey, it's fun to be high for a night and see people in Gator uniforms doing things they're not supposed to do (at least in opponents' DC's minds).

In any case, it's great to see Florida win their 25th in a row over the Cats, and their 31st out of the last 32. It's mind boggling when you realize how many different players have come and gone through both schools and went unblemished in this rivalry. Unfortunately for Kentucky student-athletes it's the wrong kind of perfection, going unblemished in the win column against the Gators. And this is now the fifth head coach for Florida to play a part in this dominance- this went all the way to Charlie Pell's days.

The Gators' historical dominance over Kentucky is unquestioned.

But the real question remains: is Florida ready for Alabama?

I'll be breaking it down throughout the week at a higher output rate than previous weeks so keep checking the site for updates and predictions.

One thing is for sure: Alabama will definitely give us a legitimate indication of just how good we will be this season. Hopefully the effects of the overdose of Kentucky we took this week wear off... and hopefully we don't need drugs to really be that good.

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

The day we've all been waiting for! Day 12...the last day in my segment which culminates with; The University of Florida Gators. Very appropriate that SEC Media Days opens in Hoover, Alabama today.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...the last six years for the Gator football program under the direction of head coach Urban Meyer have been mostly the first. Last season however saw his youngsters finish an uncharacteristic 8-5 campaign that left many wondering just where the direction of this team was headed. Coaches could not decide between one of three quarterbacks and the passing game was a struggle with every snap. This was the 10th best offense in the SEC. The times they are a changin'...and how. Urban Meyer resigned and an entirely new coaching staff has been hired.

So what exactly changes in The Swamp on Saturdays?

After the Spring Game there were alot of questions.

The Gators played a spring game, with little positives to talk about. It was kind of ugly. Quarterback John Brantley was 4-14 for just 45 yards and started the game with five straight incomplete passes.

Brantley threw a gorgeous deep ball early in the game that was dropped by Quinton Dunbar, in which after, Brantley dropped his head and walked back to the huddle. If Brantley wants to be successful he has to gain more of a leader's confidence.

Running back Chris Rainey had some explosive plays and freshman tight end A.C. Leonard had two nice catches. Redshirt freshman Tyler Murphy started the game for the orange team and went 7-11 for 68 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception that was tipped by a receiver.

I think I speak for most who were present like myself that the best part of the day was probably at halftime, when the Gators honored the three Heisman trophy winners Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow.

The blue team went on to defeat the orange team with a un-inspired score of 13-10.

For those following recruiting, clamoring how much top-tier talent resides on this roster is just stating the obvious. Florida will be better than last year talent wise but it's also still exceedingly young.

The offense has to improve.

Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis has installed a true pro-style offense. Senior John Brantley will line up under center while seniors Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps take the majority of the handoffs from deep in the backfield giving the running backs more time to read the gaps and plan cutback lanes. There will be plenty of play action, a concentration on throwing the ball deep and much more use out of tight end Jordan Reed, one of last year's rotating quarterbacks.

The new coaching staff will be implementing new schematics in an effort to overcome the shortcomings in the Gators passing attack. Consistency and dropped balls routinely handcuffed this offense last year. The new pro-style offense will call on bigger receivers. Five of the seniors in this unit are all 5'11 or shorter. In Meyer's spread offense these smaller types were often utilized. That won't be the case with Weis, at least on the outside, so look for a few of the younger guys to take advantage of this situation.

While sophomore Quinton Dunbar has been making a splash as a big playmaker, junior Frankie Hammond is proving to be the most consistent. Both possess great speed. Kick return specialist Andre Debose has talent to be a factor if he can stay healthy and absorb the playbook.

With key losses on the Offensive Line with the departure of All-American, Mike Pouncey and OT Marcus Gilbert. Guys like Xavier Nixon, Jonotthan Harrison, James Wilson, and Jon Halapio will have to step up and fill some big shoes.

Nixon was a part-time starter a year ago but supposedly has dropped about 30 pounds this off-season. He will need to gain that weight back before summer ends. Halapio and Harrison have the most secure staring jobs at this point. The rest could be anyone's guess.

This year's Gators defense is interesting.

With the loss of All-American cornerback Janoris Jenkins, there is only one senior on the defensive starting depth chart.

All the players in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's defense say he and Will Muschamp, who was previously the defensive coordinator at Texas, have been swapping back and forth between the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes early and often. The versatility of the Gators' personnel makes it easy for the defense to have its two faces. Essentially, the switch between a three-man front and a four-man front can be as simple as linebacker/defensive end Ronald Powell walking up to the line and putting his hand down. Fortunately for this Gator team, the defensive line is utterly stacked with future NFL Pro Bowl talent, yes a reach of a prediction but nonetheless quite logical given the accolades of these sophomore studs up front. Easley, Floyd and Powell...for those that have not heard these names yet, you soon will.

The defense is full of high school All-Americans who are young and have yet to prove they can dominate in college like they did on the prep level.

But the potential definitely is there. Remember, prior to the 2010 season, who really had heard of Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley?

Is there a Fairley or two (or three or four...) on the Florida roster? We will definitely find out.

The schedule doesn't set up well for the Gators, with that October stretch that includes Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia four times in a row with only the Alabama game being played at The Swamp. The non-conference schedule outside of normal rival Florida State is a breeze. But that's the Gator calling card when addressing the difficulty of the SEC grind stone and who can blame them? Considering that Florida failed to finish in the Top 25 a year ago makes it impossible to hand them their usual Top 5 or even Top 10 ranking to start.

If the Gators do in fact finish the season 10-2, there is no question they will be in the Georgia Dome playing for the SEC title. The hire of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was huge, and I think it will pay dividends not only this season but for years to come.

I don't think a BCS bowl game is expected this year but it could very well happen in a very sub-par SEC East. I believe in the end, that Florida goes 9-3 in the regular season and misses out on the SEC championship game to a very good South Carolina team.

Regardless of the final record, the Gators are a team that is moving in the right direction and should be a national championship contender once again in no time. "I say it's Great to Be a Florida Gator!"

Grade: B+

My SEC Championship predictions:

LSU vs. South Carolina

LSU wins 28-24

First, before I even begin, I'd like say that it's been a lot of fun posing as Steve Addazio and interacting with you guys. It's been really fun, and I see that y'all have enjoyed it too.

Now, onto more serious stuff.

As you may or may not have heard, Charlie Weis has taken over the offensive command and play-calling duties. And as you may or may not have heard, Will Muschamp has taken over our defense.

Just joking. Of course you guys know that.

Since the time of those hires, Ryan and I have broken down pretty much every player and major coach on our new team. Ryan did a feature on Muschamp on firesteveaddazio.com, I did a couple of Rainey/Demps articles, Ryan did a fantastic job on a John Brantley piece, we both did one on the dearly departed Janoris Jenkins, Ryan did one on Weis, and then I did a humongous "Who's Going to Break Out in 2011?" piece.

Then we went into breakdowns of what our offense and defense would look like in 2011.

That, unfortunately, wraps up our x's and o's football talk. There's not much more to really do with our Gators- we've covered them to death. It gets old talking about different players over and over again, so I'm done with that.

What I will do is say this: karma is on our side this year.

Well, let's back up a little bit.

Legend has it that anybody foolish enough to mock our Gator Chomp is forever cursed.

This was way, way back when Florida started playing football. In 1981, the Jaws music was played simultaneously with the action of the chomp itself to add a little more of a foreboding aura to it. Still, nobody thought much of it until Georgia coach Ray Goff, in his first year as UGA head coach, beat Florida in 1989 and ran around the stadium like a petulant child doing Gator Chomps at every section of the stadium.

Anybody know how the series has gone since then?

Yeah, that's right. It's been 18-3 Florida since.

That's one sign. Here's another.

Sebastian Janikowski, 1997. He kicks a 'winning' field goal to push FSU's lead up to 4 points and does the chomp- only to watch UF go 80 yards in 3 plays and win the game. He tries again two years later, but this time waits until after the game is over. FSU has won just 3 of the past 11 since then.

Remember Wes Byrum mocking the Gators with the Gator Chomp in 2007? Of course you guys do. But what's not as easy to remember was Auburn completely self destructing in 2008, bumbling and stumbling their way to a 5-7 season, Byrum pulling his groin in spring practice and Tommy Tuberville being fired.

More? OK.

Mark Ingram doing some Gator Chomps after the 09 SEC Championship game. The curse? How about his knee injury, which caused him to miss two games for Alabama and immediately ruin his Heisman chances? Who knows, maybe if he was healthy, and had been even better than in 2009, he would have won it over Newton?

Then there was Marcus Lattimore doing some Chompulation at our fans. Say Cam Newton had a hand in it, but what followed was by far the worst beating in SEC Championhip game history. And that was followed by getting knocked unconscious against FSU in a Chick-Fil-A Bowl loss.

And most recently, Shelvin Mack mocked Florida with the Gator Chomp. The result? How about the single most embarrassing championship game performance of all time? Butler was so bad against UConn that Florida's 2010 football team scored more points on three different occasions- WITH ADDAZIO AND WITHOUT TEBOW!!!

Sweetest of all, this type of lightning has proven that it strikes more than once.

So look out FSU, Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn.

I'll be doing a schedule breakdown soon, so I'm not going to do that here, but of the four, only Alabama has a legitimate shot to beat Florida. And they have to come to the Swamp. I don't like their chances. Say bye bye to McElroy, Jones and Ingram- essentially their entire offense from last year. Enter Trent Richardson, an explosive running back. But what happens to great RB's without a passing game? They fall apart. And in his first legit road test (Happy Valley sounds like a cemetary compared to the Swamp), I expect Florida's defense to pressure and beat up AJ McCarron, their likely QB starter. Bama's defense can do the same to Brantley, though. That will make it interesting. Stay tuned for my pick.

FSU isn't going to beat Florida. Not quite yet, anyway. Muschamp may be friends with Jimbo, and they may own a beach house together, but he'll have no mercy on him. EJ Manuel is a running quarterback, FSU fans? Well he better be. Because we'll chase him all the way to Tallahassee if we feel like it. FSU's offense is their strength, and we have the luxury of having both our units as ours. I do believe Fisher has evened the series out, though, and I believe each team will hold serve at home most years.

South Carolina has a pretty fearsome offense with Garcia-Lattimore-Alshon Jeffrey, but can their defense stop a team of suffragettes? We'll soon find that out.

Auburn has one thing going for them- they're home. That's never good for a visiting East team. But player-by-player UF is far more talented. Kiehl Frazier is no Newton, and while Michael Dyer is fantastic, he's just one player. 11 is more than one.

So if Florida succeeds against these teams, and win them all, the Curse of the Gator Chomp will prove to be a real phenomonon.

Or at least a test for morons to fail.

I love playing what-if. Whether it be with friends, family, teachers, anybody. I know it doesn't help to change the future, but it's still a fun thing to look at. But there is a reason behind it.

In college football, the tiniest change of anything in the past could set off a chain reaction of completely different follow up events. So: what if the NCAA had hit Alabama just a little bit harder and faster with punishments following the textbook scandal? What if they made Bama forfeit, not vacate wins? What if they imposed a two year bowl ban? After all, this was the second infraction in the last 5 years, so.... They're just predictions, but they seem awfully realistic.

1) Nick Saban leaves Alabama after 2007

In November of 2007, right in the heat of Alabama's embarrassing collapse, the University received word that the NCAA was onto them regarding the possible textbook issues. Saban played Glen Coffee a ton suring both 2007 and 2008, and he was one of the players mixed up in it. Take a 6-7 season, a humiliating home defeat to Louisiana Monroe, a horrible late season collapse and if he knew that big time punishment from the NCAA was looming, and I doubt Saban would have stayed.

2) Florida wins the 2005 SEC Championship

Had the NCAA forced the Tide to forfeit, rather than vacate their wins, including a 31-3 throttling of Florida, the Gators' record would now be 6-2 in SEC play. That's tied for first with Georgia, and the Gators beat Georgia 14-10 in Jacksonville (what else is new?). Florida had lost a tough game to LSU on the road, but playing in Baton Rouge and playing in the Georgia Dome- home field for Florida if anything more than neutral- is a huge difference. I would have liked an angry, revengeful Gator team in the rematch in Atlanta.

3) Florida wins the 2009 SEC and BCS Championship

As awful as Steve Addazio was, he won 13 games in 2009 thanks in large part to Tim Tebow and a smothering defense. Remember now, Alabama doesn't have Saban. Whoever was willing to take over a sick program likely would not have been able to defeat Tebow's power and the defense's lockdown drill. LSU likely would have been the opponent, and as I stated above, it's much harder to win at LSU than in Atlanta. Florida beat LSU in Baton Rouge, and on a neutral field, I love UF's chances- even with a moron for a play-caller.

4) Urban Meyer remains healthy, and runs Florida's offense

Let's remember, Alabama handed Urban Meyer his three worst losses as Florida's head coach. Lots of the pressure Meyer faced was due to Alabama beating his Gators on big stages by big scores. If Saban leaves UA after 2007, and Alabama is taken over by a mediocre coach, Alabama doesn't beat Florida in 2009 and 2010 by 19 and 25 points- in fact, probably not at all. Meyer's first heart issue came after the 2009 SEC Championship. Had Florida crushed and then smeared Alabama on the wall, I doubt it happens (at least to that extent). Then Meyer stays on. And when I say Meyer stays on, I mean both his body and his genius. Meaning he doesn't allow Addazio to screw us over.

5) Cam Newton winds up at Mississippi State

His father (and maybe Cam himself as well) is greedy regardless of what happened in Tuscaloosa. That's not going to change. But after seeing Alabama make a rocket jump to the top of college football in a 2 year span, over in Auburn's athletic offices, quiet feelings of anger and desperation were everywhere. They likely would not have offered 200,000 dollars for Newton's services. And until Auburn won the Newton auction, Cam seemed destined to wear maroon. He and Mullen were friends from their Gator days, Mullen ran a perfect offense for Newton, and Cam was even spotted clanging a cowbell. Thanks to old fashioned jealousy towards their rivals, Auburn made a move they probably would not have made had Alabama remained in the mud.

6) Mississippi State becomes a contender for the BCS Championship

How is this possible? Aside from Newton being there? Yeah, well, there's also the fact that Manny Diaz would have never left MSU for anywhere short of a national powerhouse. Because Bama was not forced to forfeit their victories and more, Saban stayed at Bama, and caused Meyer heart conditions, Meyer left, Will Muschamp left Texas, meaning there was a void for the Horns DC job... which Diaz  took. Where else would he have left for? Diaz is a great coach and a fantastic recruiter. Imagine a defense full of Pernell McPhees that comes after you on every play, coupled with a Cam Newton led offense. Plus, look at what an effect this could have on recruiting.

7) Will Muschamp returns to Georgia as head coach

Yes, Muschamp appeared to be loyal to Texas. Yes, he had a head coach in waiting title in his contract. Yes, he would have gone to his alma mater in a heartbeat had they offered him the head coaching spot. Willie Martinez was clearly not the man to run Georgia's defense, and Muschamp seemed a great fit to take over as DC in 2010. But with the three straight disappointing seasons, I doubt Damon Evans would have kept Richt as head man after the worst indignity of all- 6-7, loss to UCF, had he known that Muschamp was interested (though when you're drunk, you become less credible). And he clearly was- the guy's name is BOOM. You think he might be a little restless? How do you think he feels, wanting to do well for his own rep but wanting the team to fail so he can take over as head man? I have a gut instinct that he was ready to bolt midway through 2010 at the latest. Right to his alma mater.

8) Lane Kiffin remains at Tennessee

How awful must things have been on Rocky Flop to make trouble-bound USC look like a prize? Kiffin had three main issues- Alabama, South Carolina (remember the Alshon Jeffrey gas-pumping story?) and Florida. I'm assuming nothing here changes his motormouth. However, everything here changes the way Florida plays following the 2009 season. Either Meyer tells Addazio to grow some balls and call plays with his brain attached, or he hires a new OC for 2010. Or, he calls plays himself. Whetever. Knowing that Alabama has been reduced to dust, Kiffin stays. It's OK to have one good team pissed off at you. Two, while treacherous, can be handled. But he drew the line at three, and hightailed it out. He could have dealt with South Carolina and Florida every year, no problem. The Gators might hang 70 on them but he can deal with that. What he could not handle was having three teams angry and/or powerful enough to do it. So he chose to deal with USC and their penalties rather than his own penalties at Tennessee plus three peeved rivals.

9) FSU hires Nick Saban and returns to the top immediately

Why not? Bobby Bowden grew up in Alabama and rooted for the Crimson Tide, and admittedly still has a soft spot for them. Meaning he's behind Saban. Bobby Bowden being a fan of his successor meant a lot to FSU when 'looking' for a replacement (gee, where do we start looking? British Columbia? WAIT never mind let's just hire Jimbo). Jimbo!!! Yeah, the offensive coordinator of LSU's national championship team in 2003- under none other than Nick Saban. FSU hires Saban prior to the 2008 season, before FSU makes the head coach in waiting title official for Fisher. And while Jimbo likely leaves for a head coaching job elsewhere, Saban's got the most talent rich area in the nation to recruit in. We all know what a fantastic recruiter he is, so this spells doom for anybody hoping to or used to raiding the state for the Gator rejects.

10) Florida-FSU becomes a national rivalry once again, Miami plummets

After reading everything else, this isn't just probable, it's a certainty. If Florida and FSU sign 95% of the four and five stars from the state, nobody else gets anything. That includes Miami, whose current struggles have nothing to do with Alabama's punishments- until now. The Gators and the Noles consistently face off as top 10 teams, while Miami falls even harder. Everybody's passing the U. Now, I can see the Hurricanes as possibly the SIXTH best team in the state. UCF finished in the top 25. USF beat Miami. Hell, Florida International won a bowl game a year removed from 3 wins and a 62-3 throttling at the hands of the Gators.

See what one decision can do? See the possibly enormous consequences one seemingly tiny decision can have? Maybe this Janoris Jenkins incident will warrant an article something like this 10 years later... you never know.

The main purpose of this article is to hint at the fact that Muschamp needs to be careful. He's got to be VERY cautious of possible consequences like this. What if he had decided to keep Jenkins, and then in March it comes out that somebody took Jenkins' SAT for him? Look at the effects a violation can have- or not have.

So far, Muschamp has done a great job. He made what I believe is the right call on Jenkins. He's got to continue to do it, though, both on the field and off.

Word has come out that Gators receivers, Javares McRoy and Chris Dunkley, are leaving the program. McRoy said he wanted to play at Texas Tech with his brother, and Dunkley's reasons weren't clear.

But let's look at this objectively: who really cares?

Not me, and I'm sure Aubrey Hill doesn't either.

Because Florida is loaded at WR this coming season. Lots of guys might be seeing balls come their way- Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Trey Burton, Jordan Reed, Omarious Hines, Frankie Hammond, Robert Clark, AC Leonard, Latroy Pittman, yeah, that's a lot of guys, isn't it? Hell, even Jeff Demps could see time at slot receiver.

The point is, not only does this not hurt Florida, it helps us a lot. Now, we don't have to juggle as many receivers. Yes, being deep at a certain position is a positive, but only to a certain extent. Once you have six really good receivers, you don't need any more. You just don't need a seventh. What you could do is transform him into a DB, but that takes time that could be spent drawing up new plays, or testing them out, or going through more reps.

Or taking your team paintballing.

Make no mistake. Dunkley and McRoy are fantastic athletes. I'm not pretending to shrug it off while quaking with terror inside because our receiving corps is depleted. It's only because we don't need them with all our other talent that I'm not upset.

If you don't understand why this doesn't hurt us, imagine that your football team has Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Say Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning quit.

Do you really care?

I wouldn't.

Not with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Big Ben, or Vick.

Like that imaginary team, Florida is overloaded at a position, and can spend more time developing 5 fantastic receivers instead of 7 good ones.

Quality, not quantity, is what matters.

Unless you're Steve Addazio.

Then the quantity of three and outs starts to matter.