Jim McElwain may coach at one of the top public universities in the country, but he had to go to Texas to learn an important lesson: Save your trash talk for after the game.
In a preseason pep rally, McElwain said the Gators would go to Dallas and “beat the heck out of Michigan.” You probably didn’t hear about it. It doesn’t really stand out as crossing a line — until you cross a few state lines.
In Michigan, that quote was plastered across major news outlets. And it gave the Wolverines something we call bulletin board material, motivating them to prove McElwain and Florida fans wrong. A few weeks later, they did. And McElwain stood sour-faced at a postgame lectern, reluctantly talking about how his team got “whooped.”
That’s why you won’t see another similar quote from McElwain before No. 20 Florida’s game Saturday against Kentucky. No trash, no smack, no nothing. If anything, he’s overcorrected. This week, he said Kentucky — a team with just one eight-win season in the last 10 years — was in the driver’s seat. That’s right. He said the Wildcats — who haven't beaten the Gators since the U.S. was in the Cold War — are sitting in the driver’s seat. What possible vehicle could Kentucky be in the driver’s seat of? The Titanic? A horse and buggy? A Roman chariot?
But maybe McElwain’s onto something because he’s not the only one hyping Kentucky. Of USA Today’s six sports writers that pick the winners of college football games, half of them picked the Wildcats.
While it’s likely true that this Kentucky team is better than it has been in year’s past, are they the new team to beat in the SEC East? I don’t buy it. But McElwain’s glowing praise would make you think so. He said this week that Kentucky was one of the most skilled teams last year. He said the UK coaching staff is outstanding. He said the Wildcats are “playing as well as anybody is in the league.” I guess Kentucky is as good as Alabama. Who knew?
But McElwain doesn’t actually think Kentucky is an incredible team. If you gave him truth serum and asked him to rank the SEC’s best, he’d probably put UK in the bottom three. But after the Michigan trash talk blew up in his face, he’ll probably say that every opponent is outstanding. When he makes comments like these, he’s not talking football; he’s playing politics.
This strategy comes up often in political debates.
Step 1) Hype up your opponent as a master debater who’s spent every hour preparing.
Step 2) Tell everyone you’ve barely practiced, and not to expect a great performance from you.
Step 3) When the debate comes, as long as you string a few sentences together, you've surpassed expectations.
At least, I hope that’s what McElwain’s doing. Because if he truly believes the Wildcats are a threat, then the Gators will never be in the driver’s seat. They might as well be rolled up in a carpet inside of Kentucky's trunk.
Matt Brannon is the Alligator's sports editor. You can follow him on Twitter @MattB_727 and contact him at mbrannon@alligator.org.
UF coach Jim McElwain watches on during UF's Orange and Blue Debut on April 7, 2017, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
