In reality this game didn’t mean much, but its result sent one very clear message.
Even though Florida was manhandled Saturday, it can still and probably will achieve its goal: win the SEC East. However, that’s where it stops.
The Gators learned on Saturday that the 2010 season won’t end with a conference championship.
As the clock ran down to zero, they came crashing down to earth to the tune of a 31-6 loss and reality set in.
Florida is not on the same level as Alabama.
It’s not any indictment on Urban Meyer or any of his players, but just a result of the team’s youth and inexperience. At least nine of the Gators’ 22 starters were not regular starters before this season.
If you expect a team with that kind of inexperience to enter Bryant-Denny Stadium – which is the nicest and loudest stadium I have ever been to – and pull off an upset win over the No. 1 team in the nation, you are absolutely crazy.
UF’s defense held the dirty duo of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to a combined 110 rushing yards and quarterback Greg McElroy to just 84 passing yards, but still lost.
Those stats should be good enough to beat the Crimson Tide, but not when another team is that much better than you.
Florida is not a top-10 team right now and that’s saying a lot with national powers such as Texas and USC struggling.
The Gators are 60th in the nation in total offense, only ahead of LSU, Tennessee, South Carolina and lowly Vanderbilt within the conference.
This team is going to struggle and is going to have to grind out wins this season.
However, due to the parody in the SEC, the Gators still have a good chance at earning a trip to Atlanta for the conference championship.
The SEC East is horrible with Georgia and Tennessee struggling.
South Carolina is the only team that could ruin UF’s plans. But Steve Spurrier doesn’t have any confidence in quarterback Stephen Garcia, so why should outsiders?
The Gators have insisted its goal this season is to get to Atlanta this season and, despite the loss, it is still in line to do that.
That’s an appropriate bar to set for this team because it can’t exceed that.
As was evident on Saturday, Alabama won’t let it.
