Finally. It’s December 5th, a day we’ve known was coming for a while, the SEC showdown between Bama and Florida. I’m going crazy.
It’s gonna be a fight today, a knock-down drag-out fight to the finish between two excellent football teams. It’s one that could go either way, and anybody who tells you that they know for sure the winner is either a fool or is paid to be overconfident. Both teams are loaded with talent and are well-coached football machines. Both will be motivated, both passionate, both ready to definitively prove their dominance over the world’s best football conference.
It really is amazing that both of these teams have come through the SEC undefeated this year. They had to take the best punches from everybody, and while some of those punches landed, the Gators and Tide are still standing, with some dings and bruises, but unscathed records: 24-0 since September. Credit where credit is due, friends.
Today isn’t just a reward for that performance, though, it’s just the next step in the quest. Here’s what I love:
I think we’re in much better shape, talent-wise and schematically, to keep Tebow contained than we were a year ago. Superman’s gonna get some, no doubt, but I bet we contain his performance better than we did last year. I think we’re much stronger up the middle and contain on the edges much better.
I hate the way the field position fight lines up today. the gators have only allowed 13 freaking yards on punt returns all year. My friends, that isn’t something Javy can really do anything about. If their punter gets his typical hang-time and placement like he wants to (and this is played indoors) I think Arenas is going to be calling for a lot of fair catch balls today. I’d love for him to get started on one, but Florida just doesn’t leave that door open very much. On the other hand, I think our kickoff coverage unit is still performing inconsistently, and I hate that Reamer is looking to limit his special teams action this week. So I don’t like the way all those factors play together.
On the other hand, I like where our offense is starting to gel. I really hope we can get lots of different receivers the ball today, and take some pressure off McElroy locking in on Julio. If he’s going to get something long, it won’t just be because we’re running well. Other receivers have got to get involved, too. Where you at Maze? Hanks? Alexander? It’s time, fellas.
On our running front, I’m fine handing the ball to either Ingram or Richardson. We’ve got to do a better job of giving them creases than we did last week, but I think we will. I bet it looks bad, but when you start looking at the stats in the end, you’ll think “When did Bama get those rushing yards?”
Lastly, I think we’ve got to have some sustained early drives to win this game. Early three and outs killed us against Auburn, in terms of momentum. We walk into the second quarter with only three or four minutes of possession this week, and I’m not sure we can dig out of that hole.
It’s gonna be tight. Last year, this game nearly made my physically sick.
Bama 23, Florida 20
Roll Tide!!!
