College Football 2008

I'm bored right now so I'll go through my favorite team, the Florida Gators. (Background I grew up in Gainesville,FL, dad taught at UF, I went to games and grew up a gator. UF is my first love as far as collegiate sports followed by Nebraska). I am also an absolute college football fiend and love the sport with tremendous passion. During the fall and football season I will be ranting frequently.

Anyways this year should be very exciting. There are great players everywhere and I think the 2009 draft should be very rich with talent. The national spectrum is interesting. The top teams this year are the typicals (USC/tOSU/UF/OU) as well as other consistent but solid teams (Clemson/UGA/UT/WVU/etc). There are strengths everywhere- tOSU has 19 starters coming back from their MNC team last year, USC has much of their defense (Sedrick Ellis aside) back, UF and OU have two of the best QBs in the nation (as well as dominating OLs). UGA has many offensive weapons back (including that douche Moreano). I could go on and on.

UF is going to be very good next year. Any more than 1 loss and I'll be disappointed. I suppose 2 could be very possible but I would nonetheless be pissed because the sky is the limit. Perhaps as a UF fan I have been spoiled the past few years (for obvious reasons) but I really do expect great things. The problems last year were obvious and very vivid- a very young team with little leadership and a defense that was inexperienced and frankly confused. This year we have 16 starters returning (8 each on both sides of the ball) and a year under our belts. All losses were competitive and close (UGA was sortve gay but meh).

Offense- UF's offense was among the best in the country last year. Our losses were never due to the inefficiency of our offense. Despite not having a very stable running back, the offensive production was nonetheless the strength of our team this year.

QBs- Tim Tebow won the heisman and led the SEC last year in total offense. He is the ultimate badass for obvious reasons. Tebow answered all questions about his throwing ability last season where he passed for 32 TDs and ran for 23 more (a feat previously not held by a QB). Tebow is built like a tank and is the key for the offense. The backups are pretty piss poor. Cam Newton (typical black QB, can run but not throw) showed he likes to throw the ball into the ground or 30 feet above the reciever in the O&B game and John Brantley hasn't been proven yet (due to injuries).

RB- a hilarious joke the past few seasons. Deshawn Wynn wasn't that bad in 2006 and we got by with a medicore running game. 2007 was a different story though- Tim Tebow was the leading rusher on the team (in a non option based offense this is pathetic). Kesthan Moore was the starting RB last year. While a solid producer typically (he is a capable blocker and has a decent average for yards/carry), he has a fumbling problem. While other Rbs/players (Tebow included) have fumbled in the past (and KM's carry to fumble ratio isn't THAT bad), its the times that killed us. KM was destroying in the LSU game until he fumbled, thus killing the drive and therefore the game. He fumbled twice in the first quarter of the UGA game which took the momentum from us. This year USC transfer Emmanuel Moody (probably the most talented of the bunch in terms of being an every down back) should provide some help for Tebow. Chris Rainey, a speedy back from Lakeland, FL also showed that he deserves a spot on the field (be it RB or slot reciever or whatever).

WRs should be among the very best in the nation. Check out this video on Percy Harvin, our best reciever: Right here . He is super versatile and a threat whenever he touches the ball. Other killers out there are Deonte Thompson, Louis Murphy (a track star), new cc transfer Carl Moore (though he has been disappointing thus far), Riley Cooper (a deep threat who is actually white lol), and Cornelius Ingram (a hybrid TE/WR). This group should be among the very best in the nation (bar Texas Tech perhaps).

Offensive Line should be a strength of this team. Last year we had true freshman on the line (Pouncy twins). This year with the addition of Matt Patchan this unit should be better than last years. I think the 2008 offense should be better than the previous years.

Defense was a joke last year. The DL was pathetic. Give me a helmet and I can make a bigger push on the interior than those pussies did. While we had Derrick Harvey (first rounder to Jacksonville), this unit was poor throughout the year. I blame youth and shallowness. The DTs had zero push inside, allowing QBs (even the likes of Brandon Cox my God in heaven...) tear us a new one. I think the DL will be improved from last year (its hard not to be) and hopefully will cause much more pressure than last year. DT is the key and a few recruits/transfers (Troy Epps/Omar Hunter) could help tremendously. Carlos Dunlap should replace Harvey pretty confidently. He is a star in the future.

The LBs are a solid group though definitely questions have arisen. Those idiots have been out of place and trying to tackle at all the wrong angles at times. Brandon Spikes was excellent last year and was an All-SEC pick at MLB. The other two are suspect though and average at best. Dustin Doe and AJ Jones may have to fight for their spots with the addition of some very solid recruits.

Secondary is also a hilarious position. It was widely criticized last year as UF pass defense was near the bottom of NCAA. But many don't realize that it was due to the shitty front 4 that the CBs were so exposed. Give anybody time and they will get free. Wondy Pierre Louis sucks. Joe Haden showed promise (and was on the SEC freshman team last year) but also how new he was to the position. The backups are pretty meh as well, as Jacques Rickerson showed promise in the FSU game and then was hilarious in the Michigan one. Major Wright should be excellent next year but will hopefully move to SS where he is more natural (I really really hope Will Hill lives up to the hype as a FS). Otherwise we could be in for a long season. Safety was once our deepest position but we've since had idiots like Hornsby doing credit card charges on a dead girl and another pussy going back home (UI). If this unit is not improved then I will kill someone.

There have been some coaching changes. We lost our safeties coach (Doc Holiday left us to go back to WVU to help there). We lost our RB coach to UTenn (like he did anything anyways) and acquired Vandy's RB coach (as well as UMichigan's CB coach). Perhaps the biggest addition is Dan Mccarney who turned USF's DL into a menacing force last season with Selvie. I'd be stoked if he did the same for UF's.

Some cool links -

ESPN Blue ribbon preview, pretty much what you just read except better lol...

Planet Gator has all UF games the past 2 years for free, you just have to register.

Head to Head is a cool football site that shows the records of any two teams and the results of those matchups. Something to toy with when bored.

Anyways I'm tired. Will write more on CFB very soon.