Like several other aspects of this season, Florida’s loss last Saturday immediately drew comparisons to another moment in the Urban Meyer era.
The John Brantley-Trey Burton dynamic became Chris Leak-Tim Tebow ‘10. Firesteveaddazio.com launched two years after the “Fire Dan Mullen” Facebook page was created. And now Florida’s loss to Alabama is the hip, new version of the Ole Miss Promisegate of 2008.
These comparisons are often born out of laziness and naivety — those who ignore the past are not, in fact, doomed to repeat it. But while the first two comparisons at least hold some merit, the third is a wishful oversimplification.
Yes, the Gators turned the ball over too much in both losses. Yes, play calling was questioned. And, yes, the defense surrendered back-breaking touchdowns.
But, beyond those elements, comparing the two games is a stretch.
Against Ole Miss, Florida fumbled the ball three times, gave up a long, go-ahead touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter, let a Rebel block the should-have-been game-tying extra point and was stuffed on a predictable, 4th-and-1 Tebow dive.
Remove one of those elements, any one of them, and the Gators win.
Against Alabama on Saturday, Florida lost the turnover battle 4-0, allowed the Tide good field position early (two touchdown drives starting in the Gators’ territory), only converted 23 percent of third downs, managed just three points in four red-zone possessions and failed to stop Alabama’s offense inside the Florida 20-yard line (24 points in four possessions).
Remove one of those elements, any one of them, and the Gators still lose. If Meyer and Co. hopped in a DeLorean and returned to Saturday night, they would need to fix most, if not all, of those problems.
Fans want this loss to rival the Ole Miss contest because, in retrospect, few losses have inspired a team or its followers the way that game did. Few teams have been ignited like the Gators were, averaging more than 45 points in the 10 games after their meltdown against the Rebels.
But that team had already flashed potential. Its quarterback had won the Heisman, one of its receivers was integral in the ‘06 championship run and its defense returned eight of its top-10 tacklers from the season before.
An underachieving Florida team lost to Ole Miss 31-30 before realizing its potential. This year’s Florida team lost 31-6.
Center Mike Pouncey said Florida beat itself last weekend and, depending on your outlook, that’s true. But can’t fans look at a lot of losses that way? Aren’t most games decided by a few pivotal plays when one team succeeds and the other doesn’t?
And that’s giving Florida too much credit. The Gators did not lose because of a few costly mistakes. They lost because of 25 points’ worth of mistakes.
Good teams, even championship teams, have occasionally “cost themselves” a game. The 2008 team did. But don’t view that season, or any other in the past five years, as a blueprint. If the Gators did actually beat themselves by 25 points, they have a lot to work on.
And no paved path to follow.
