I'm undecided as to whether Meyer's offense is going to work really well in the SEC, but the one thing I am certain about is that this Florida team does NOT have the talent or the depth that the media would have you believe. Florida will not come close to contending for a national championship this year. SEC? I don't think so, but with what's going on in the East right now, I guess it's a possibility.
And we have people ready to jump all over Miles and blame him for injuries to Alley and EJ? This article is a PERFECT "case-in-point" to the fact that injuries happen all over the place and we're no different from anyone else EXCEPT for one thing: Our injuries don't hurt us NEARLY as much as those at other programs.
Here's my two cents on Florida: The national pundits have annointed Urban Meyer God's gift to college football. Granted the guy is a good football coach, but let's put things into perspective for a minute. LSU has been somewhat penalized in national rankings because of the coaching change. If Saban were at LSU, the Tigers would be a shoe-in Top 5 in all polls. What is overlooked by many is that Les Miles coached in the Big 12, arguably one of the top three conferences in the country. Took a perennial loser in Okie State and turned them into a winner, and beat in-state big brother OU twice in four years. Plus, LSU still has its same Offensive Coordinator in Jimbo Fisher, while Florida's offense and defense are having to learn totall new systems. LSU gets penalized for the coaching change but UF doesn't??? It's total hypocrisy! Now back to Meyer and UF - Meyer brings in a spread option offense to Gainesville. It's like single-wing, option football out of the shotgun and it's been great in the MAC and Mountain West, but the SEC competition and athletic level is light years ahead of those two conferences. Then, Chris Leak is a drop back passing QB whose never run the option before. Is Leak a good athlete - absolutely - but exposing your QB to getting smacked by SEC linebackers and safeties time after time to me is not the smartest idea IMO. You'd better have a good back up QB. It's been reported that Meyer has also changed Leak's throwing motion, which makes me wonder why, but he's the coach. Also, UF lost its best RB in Ciatrick Fason and its best football player in LB Channing Crowder. And oh by the way, UF was a 7-5 football team a year ago. I think in time Meyer will have the Gators back in the hunt for the SEC title but I just don't think it's this year. Once he himself adjusts his recruiting, offensive schemes and coaching style to the speed, athleticism, competition level of the SEC the Gators will be very good again. OK, maybe it's more like my .25 cents worth! Anyhew...:geauxtige
Urban Meyer was brought up in the Lou Holtz school of football speak, where the coach never admits to anything besides a gloom and doom outlook. Florida may not be as good as many of their fans are hoping or expecting, but they are not going to be nearly as bad as Meyer is pretending. Believe his spiel at your own risk.
Meyer's offense needs a certain type of QB. I am not sure Chris Leak is it. Florida will win their share this year but they will have games where the offense just doesnt click.
We only have a little more than a week before we start finding out for sure who is going to be to do what, no need for all this analyzing now, thank goodness. The regular season will be over before we know it and than we can disucc who was the best fit and whose systems worked the best, etc. :geauxtige
Everytime an SEC team "sneaks" onto the national scene, the first thing from the talkin heads is "The speed in the SEC..." Urban's offense works on slow reacting defenses. Too bad he didn't read Lou Tepper's book on how well "read and react" defenses really do work! I figure around mid-October, St. Urban will utter something stupid along the lines that there are no off weeks in the SEC and weak sisters a la BYU, Akron are not to be found in this league.
