Welcome back to our board Chip. Take the colored glasses of for respond to this. Background: My brother-in-law has a brother who owns a restaurant in Tallahassee. They are pretty good friends with Bobby and his wife and the Bowden's frequently eat there. I'm being told that when Bobby decides to call it quits, that Mark will return as the FSU coach and not Bobby's son. What are your thoughts on that?
Crowder said in a quote that he plans to leave UF as soon as he can. (In the draft not transferring or anything) I thought that was quite funny myself. As for Spurrier, I wouldn't mind at all if he came back.
No, first they would fire the AD as he an Spurrier do not get along. Then they would hire Spurrier before hiring another AD.
I've got to think that one of the Bowden boys will get the first shot. Richt's father-in-law just built a house near Helen, Georgia and Richt really likes his church in Athens, as well as the school that his kids are attending. Athens is a much nicer environment to raise kids than Tallahassee is. Richt has two adopted children from the Ukraine along with his two biological children. There is just as much of a chance that he will one day head to Miami where he attended school and was a QB. With Miami and VT heading into the ACC, the FSU domination of conference championships will likely end. I figure that Richt would see going to FSU as nothing more than a lateral move!
I don't even think it would be a lateral move. It would be suicide. You never wnat to follow a legend, you want to follow the guy that follows the legend. But Richt is sitting in one of the most fertile recruiting area's in the country with a great program, a great situstion, a great fan base, alumni and an ex AD/Coach that love him, etc. He is getting the best players in GA now that used to sign with Tennessee and Auburn and FSU. They will do everything they can to stop him and he doesn't really have any allegience to FSU. UM would be where his heart is at more than FSU. And the fact that the ACC will now have 3 more tough teams and with Maryland becoming good again as well as maybe Clemson coming back up the ACC will be a very tough conference, unlike the previous 10 or so seasons FSU has been there.
Zook has made some enemies within Florida because of his backing out on commitments to H.S. grads in order to sign late JUCO transfers. (H.S. Coaches) Some of these transfers will now be academic washouts because of the 40% rule. Nutt has the same problem in Arkansas. Wonder why the Warren, Arkansas players like Brett Smith were snatched up by Fulmer? Nutt made some enemies there. In other words, Zook is lossing ground in talent. Also, FSU and Miami can claim a 5-0 record against Zook as a head coach as well! Check the Florida recruiting lists. Many of the Florida faithful are very unimpressed with the level of talent that Zook is flirting with this year. Unless some late changes take place, Zook will be very lucky to hit the top ten list.
Florida will lose a few seniors, but if you look at the talent that Zook brought in the past few years, then you'll see that Florida will win the SEC East this year. The only positions they're in need of on offense are TE and OL. I think they'll get Octavius Darby at TE and they'll probably get Drew Miller at OT. They've recruited so much defense the last two years that it won't be a problem in my eyes. UGA didn't put up the recruiting classes that Zook did the past two years and aren't that much farther ahead of them this year. Florida's talent has not only caught up to the Bulldogs, it has surpassed it. I wouldn't be suprised at all to see UF only lose one game this year in the SEC (LSU) and end up in the top 10 in the country (As long Strong and Zaunbrecher do all the coaching).
I'm not sure who you are talking about, but 3 out of the 5 JC recruits that Zook brought in last year are already academically gone due to the 40% rule. Look at who Zook has on the hook this season so far. Only 8 commits at this point and even the "hot prospects" list is weak. Of the 8 recruits he has, 6 are fairly SLOW for their postions. Two are JC and may not make the 40% cut as well. And now Markus Manson is going on four other visits. Zook's only real standout recruit so far. Unless Zook does some very fast talking, it doesn't look good for the Gators. Zook probably got his contract extended because he claimed that his lack of tenure was hurting his recruiting efforts! But it may not matter anyway! Georgia, on the other hand has exactly who they wanted at this point. McClendon at DT is the only question mark that would put Georgia way over the top this year. A.J. Bryant is a solid YES. Charles Johnson is a firm YES Thomas Brown is a solid YES Fulmer is also in trouble because he is betting the farm on the JC DT from Hawaii who can't seem to make up his mind between Oklahoma and Tenn. If this falls through, Tennessee is going to really be hurting once again on the DL. There is still time, so I guess anything can still happen...........
