Gators experienced on offense, not on defense
Florida will post an interesting lineup in the Big Bowl. The Gators start five seniors on offense, including three on the line, plus junior quarterback Tim Tebow, who seems like he’s been around forever. But UF starts no seniors on defense.
That means a few things. Mostly, if Florida’s defense produces against Oklahoma, or even if it doesn’t, the Gators have a chance to be big-time good on defense next season.
Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong admitted earlier this week that this defensive line doesn’t compare to the d-line the Gators used to beat Ohio State in the 2006 national title game. And you can see why. Three sophomores start on this line.
Florida looks to be really good in 2009, when it could be bucking for its third national title game in four seasons. The Sooners could stop a budding dynasty in Miami Gardens on Thursday night.
The Sooners will field a similar lineup. Six seniors start on offense, just two on defense.
Of course, these days, you lose more than seniors. OU’s 2009 fortunes will be largely determined by whether Sam Bradford, G.K. McCoy and Jermaine Gresham decide to turn pro.
The Sooners should be really good on defense next year, with just safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes for sure gone, and maybe McCoy, their best player.
OU returns great pass rushers in Frank Alexander and Jeremy Beal, cornerbacks Dom Franks and Brian Jackson, and a linebacker star in Travis Lewis.
Offensively, the Sooners will be rebuilding without Bradford. The offensive line loses four starters, all but Trent Williams, and even he could turn pro.
Don’t expect to see Oklahoma in Pasadena, Calif., for the national title game next season. But Florida could be there.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
Let USC play a game in December or thereafter outside of its backyard or another tropical setting. Play a championship game in KC in December at night. I am amazed any team could score 60+ points under frigid conditions. It was unexpected when OU did it last month.
OU will beat Florida on Thursday!! Texas HAS NO claim to number one at all, but I am glad they beat Ohio State even if they had to score in the last 16 seconds on the game to do so. Head to head does not matter that much compared to a seasons worth of games. If one game matters that much then a 12 game season is WAY too LONG!!! Texas non- conference schdeule for next year is TOTALLY AWESOME man, 4-8 UCF, 4-8 Wyoming, 4-8 Louisiana Monroe and powerhouse UTEP at 5-7 and combined 17-31 with NO BOWL games between them. A loss is a loss no matter if it is a fluke buy 1 point of 50. USC lost to an UNRANKED team. so they should be totally out of the equation. Even though they are pretty good.
I still can’t understand this calling Tech’s win a fluke. If you will check the stats on that game Tech had nearly 600 yards of offense to UT’s 350. Tech also had 31 first downs to UT’s 18. Tech dominated. It was Texas that almost fot the fluke win.
I don’t understand any talk for USC/Texas regarding a split championship. Utah is the team deserving the talk. They are the only undefeated team left. USC lost to Oregon State, Utah beat them. Although Michigan was down this year, Utah won in the “Big House” to start the season. Everyone talks about how great the SEC is, Florida barely beat Alabama, Utah thoroughly beat Alabama near their home. If you still say anything about USC, the MWC was 7-1 against the PAC-10 this year and USC’s bowl win was at home over a team from the Big-10 (1-6 in bowls this year).
Teams that could be and should not be in the final four of the BCS, before bowl season began: OU – yes. Only loss is to a top 10 team; TU – yes. Only loss is to top 10 team; TTU – yes. Only loss is to a top 10 team; Utah – yes. If they can play in a BCS game, then why not? Boise State – same as Utah; USC- no way. Lost to an unranked team, has no pac-10 championship game; FU – no way. Lost to an unranked team at home. Simply a what if scenario.
Not sure I follow Randy’s thought process there. You undermine Texas’s win over OU, saying “Head to head does not matter that much compared to a seasons worth of games. If one game matters that much then a 12 game season is WAY too LONG!!!”
Then you undermine USC’s claim to superiority by saying, “A loss is a loss no matter if it is a fluke buy 1 point of 50.”
I guess it depends on how the loss affects OU’s stature. I wonder how OU’s head-to-head loss to Florida will be spun.
Texas and espn drive me crazy. It was a three way tie. Corso and Herbie keep saying that head to head matters since tech is out of the discussion. The problem is that the only reason tech is out of the discussion is that OU killed them.
If Utah can win a National Championship, then OU should leave the Big 12 for an easier Conference. They could be in the title game every year. Alabama was way overrated and Georgia struggled to beat Michigan St. Florida has no Seniors on defense and the Sooners are going to light up the scoreboard like a pin ball machine. Tebow is overrated, there’s a reason he came in 3 place in the Heisman voting. This is going to one of the Sooners greatest games.
Randy?
“Head to head does not matter that much compared to a seasons worth of games”
As I asked 2 days ago: “I wonder how OU’s head-to-head loss to Florida will be spun.”
Spin it, Randy. Spin it for me.
First of all I am amazed that there are no comments as of this time. I hope OU beats Florida! However, (even though Texas did not do the Big? 12 proud) I think Mack has a case for #1. He did beat OU and through a fluke lost to Tech. Probably the best team in the Country is USC!