No way.
Like, seriously?
This just in: The Gators might actually run a normal offense this season. And it could be even better than last year. Tim Tebow won't have to run the ball 20 times a game to have success. Sure, he had a 102-degree temperature Friday night, and Urban Meyer was probably doing everything he could to slow down the Energizer Bunny Quarterback, who would push himself around in a Hoveround if his legs were cut off. But there's still something to be said when Tebow's Blue squad sat in a goal-line situation and they handed the ball off to a 177-pound running back. And Chris Rainey scored.
Welcome to the new UF offense, Gainesville, where the Gators can hand it off to someone other than Percy Harvin and expect to have success.
Andre Caldwell will be missed, but if Harvin and Louis Murphy are healthy, you'll be forgetting every one of Caldwell's all-time record catches with every blinding step Rainey and Deonte Thompson take.
UF actually has breakaway speed at the running back position. And if Emmanuel Moody learns to hold on to the ball, the Gators might have the most complete offense in the nation.
A quarterback that can change a game with his legs and arm - check.
A receiver that can take a 2-yard down and out and turn it into a 75-yard score - check. (Harvin)
A running back that can turn a hole the size of Tinkerbell and turn it into a score - check. (Rainey)
A large end-zone target that has hands and speed - check. (Cornelius Ingram)
This probably seems like it's going too far, but can you name a college defense that has athletes capable of stopping these guys?
It's hard to think of one. Health is an issue, especially with Harvin, but Urban Meyer is slowly developing his dream team - at least on offense. Since he's been here, he's wanted a team built around speed. It looks like he's got it now. Meyer was conservative so many times in the past, and that was a shock after seeing what he did at Utah. He just wanted to find the right players, apparently.
Meyer said he'll always adapt his playbook to his personnel. But I'm pretty sure the rest of the Southeastern Conference would have a problem with putting a track in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
There are a lot of intangibles that factor into winning, and the Gators are far from showing signs that they have any of those. Meyer even called the chemistry awful last season.
But there is one thing that opponents can't do anything about: speed. If someone's faster than you, they'll outrun you. You may want to win more than they do. You probably even work harder. Too bad.
And when Rainey is even mentioned in the same sentence as Harvin, that tells you something. Most teams would sacrifice an assistant coach for Harvin, and the Gators have two of them.
"I don't know if Percy-ish is a word, but Chris has got some of that," Meyer said.
Good luck, SEC defenses. At least if Tebow runs less you won't get hit as much.
