And so we have arrived at the million dollar questions pertaining to the 2014 Florida football season: How many games is this team going to win, and how will it perform in general? Summer alligatorSports editor Jonathan Czupryn and assistant Richard Johnson got together to rally in order to give new University of Florida students a preview of what’s to come.
Jonathan: The Florida Gators not only limped their way to the finish line last year, but they also endured the longest offseason the program has had in more than 20 years. In the 260 days since Florida State closed the books on Will Muschamp’s third year at UF, both the players and the coaches have been grilled on expectations for the upcoming season and what it might take to avoid another disaster.
No team is more anxious to start the year than the Gators, who kick off their 2014 campaign in just 12 days. With a new-look offense, a youthfully driven defense and a motivation to move past an ugly 4-8 stain on the program, Florida has a good chance to play spoiler in the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.
The Gators were picked to finish behind South Carolina and Georgia by the media, but the SEC is a difficult league to accurately predict. Only twice since the inception of SEC Media Days have the journalists correctly predicted the eventual conference champion – in each case UF was the favorite.
This time last year, you would have looked foolish picking a 3-9 Auburn squad to represent the Western Division in the conference championship in Atlanta. You would have looked mental picking the Tigers to reach the national championship.
Now it’s easy to look at Gus Malzahn’s team and say, ‘Why can’t UF do that?’ But that might cause some incredibly lofty expectations for Muschamp and company in 2014.
Don’t use Auburn’s 2013 season as the benchmark for struggling teams, but instead use it as an example of best-case scenario.
There’s no reason why the Gators shouldn’t make progress in 2014. Should we see an Auburn-like turnaround in Gainesville? Doubtful, but Florida certainly has the motivation and enough young talent to at least get some attention now in the Eastern Division.
Richard: The Gators picked a pretty solid time to have a rebuilding year in terms of how the conference looks on paper (few proven quarterbacks, few offenses that appear able to put up 45 points on a whim) — but that doesn’t mean they’re going to have one, at least in terms of win-loss record.
Part of the weird thing about where Florida football is right now is that a four win improvement over last year could get Will Muschamp fired still.
The east may be set up to win now with only one sure thing in my mind (South Carolina) and a beatable Georgia team that is only going to get better as the season nears its end, and as long as it can stay healthy.
The problem Florida has is its west schedule rotation, they didn’t draw Arkansas as their rotating opponent, they get Alabama and then there is the always vulnerable LSU.
Sure the Tigers lost 800 starters to the NFL, but head coach Les Miles has proven that he’s going to put a double digit win total team on the field come hell or high water.
So that leaves UF with a schedule that seems like it comes pre-packaged with four losses — Alabama, South Carolina, LSU and Florida State — and a maybe defeat to Georgia. Congratulations, you’ve got the attention you seek with a team that’ll probably get a decent bowl matchup, but you’ve also got a team second or third in its division that doesn’t strike much optimism in the heart of its fanbase.
The thing with Florida is because the fanbase is so slaveishly devoted to a team that puts up points, it’s not about how much this particular team wins or loses, but more importantly what it looks like doing so.
Lose to South Carolina at home but in a 38-31 contest where Jeff Driskel throws for 350 yards, and maybe the tide of the fanbase will turn.
Jonathan: The SEC is no longer a league where the schedule comes with “pre-packaged” wins or losses.
How can South Carolina pencil in a victory against Florida when the game is in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium? The Gamecocks needed four field goals and a late-game interception to knock off third-string quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg and the Gators last year in Columbia.
Is it that far fetched to think UF at least has a fighting chance against USC this year? Jeff Driskel is healthy, Kurt Roper brings a new offense and Muschamp is coaching to keep his job.
That doesn’t sound like a team that is ready to be counted out.
Oh, and Florida also gets LSU in The Swamp as well. Even when Muschamp was out a starting quarterback and running back, the Tigers never really created any real separation.
Les Miles’ offense scored 17 points against the Gators’ D. LSU came into the Florida matchup averaging about 45 points per game.
Although wins on the road against FSU and ‘Bama are far less likely than taking two away from USC and LSU, Florida should not be considered a guaranteed ‘W’ for any team.
The weapons the Gators have are still SEC-caliber players yearning to make the program relevant again. Don’t underestimate this team’s hunger to win.
Richard: Hunger to win is cute for sports movies and motivational speeches, it doesn’t work for major college football teams that need to reverse fortunes and do it now.
I have my reservations about how this offense will take initially, if they aren’t producing then the up-tempo stuff is all well and good, but a quick three and out won’t be fun for a defense that will have some serious growing pains to work through in the beginning of the year especially.
I also don’t think that the injury luck will be as bad as it was last year (it literally cannot be statistically) but if anything happens to Jeff Driskel, this team will seriously have to throw out a lot of what they have to do on offense. If an offensive linemen goes down, they’ll be fine, but if more than that happens this offense could be in trouble.
I’m assuming injuries after last season, I’m also assuming that this year’s team just won’t be great. Good, sure, and good is an 8-4/7-5 regular season in my opinion.
Jonathan: If Jeff Driskel goes down, the Gators go down with him. Treon Harris has shown some glimpses of potential during fall camp, but it’s clear that there’s a wide gap between Driskel and whoever will end up being the backup quarterback.
If Driskel is good to go the entire year, then why can’t Florida make the leap from good to great?
I’ll give you the losses to ‘Bama and FSU -- those are two of the best teams in the country and both contests are on the road. But if Florida could pull out victories against the likes of LSU, USC and Georgia, then Muschamp and the Gators will finish the year in the top 10 and probably make the Sugar Bowl for the second time in three years.
But this is the make or break year. Was 2012 a fluke? Or was 2013?
I’m siding with the latter as last season had a flurry of unpredictable injuries that kept Florida from making any progress. The 2012 squad was what Muschamp promised Gator Nation all along and I see no reason why this group of players shouldn’t repeat that success if healthy, of course.
I give this Florida squad nine or ten wins at the most, which would definitely save Muschamp’s job and give this rabid fanbase a taste of success it sorely missed during 2013.
Will Muschamp looks on during practice on Aug. 9 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Muschamp, entering his fourth year as head coach, faces a tough schedule including road games against Alabama and Florida State.
