It is easy to overvalue the present and immediately believe what you just saw is better than the previous "best." The trap always looms. So going into this debate, I took special notice to steel myself against the norm.
I still believe the 2008 team is the best of UF's national champions. You likely came up with a similar realization after Wednesday's "Who's the Best?" graphic.
Let's take a look at the statistics.
Offensively, the teams are a wash. Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and the weapons of this year are pretty much comparable to Danny Wuerffel, Fred Taylor and friends. While '96 did average slightly more points per game (46.6 to 43.6), this can be attributed to the new clock rules this year. Both offenses averaged the same number of yards per play (7.1).
The special teams certainly wasn't too shabby this season, as punt returner Brandon James was quite a force early in the season. With opponents keying on James, punt and field goal blocks became an every-game affair. The 2008 outfit blocked nine kicks, tying 1995 for the school record.
But when it comes to defense, '96 is no match for '08.
This year's squad allowed fewer points (12.9 versus 16.8), set a school record for interceptions (26), and the starters allowed only six touchdowns during the last eight games. Brandon Spikes and company held Oklahoma, the highest-scoring team in NCAA history, to 14 points. And this year's squad was much younger, with not a single senior starter and only three upperclassmen total, compared to four seniors on the '96 defense.
Not only that, but the 2008 Gators became the first team in Southeastern Conference history to win six league games by 28 points or more.
Add on Tebow, probably the best player in college football history, and his promise after the Mississippi loss, and 2008 simply becomes storybook. What you may not realize is that even in a year where Tebow had to do less, he still had one more total touchdown (42 to 41) than Wuerffel.
So for once, don't worry Gators fans. You're not just trapped in the moment - this one really can be considered the best of the best.
