Monday, November 2, 2015

2015 Gator Football down the stretch

So as we move into November, it sure doesn’t feel like it here in Sunny Florida, let’s take a look at my football predictions for our Gators. Here’s what I wrote after the first four games as an update to what I wrote before the season.

But let’s look at the next four predictions. I said we would lose at home versus Ole Miss and I still stand by that prediction. I do think we have a better chance than I thought at the start of the season, but I don’t think our o-line can block well enough to give the run game any chance and Grier will have to be running for his life back there. Our only hope is that the young QB from Ole Miss will get rattled by the swamp and the hits from our defense and throw a couple of picks and maybe a pick-six!

The Missouri game is one that could change depending on the status of Maty Mauk. If he’s back from the suspension, it’s a toss-up and the loss on the road is still a definite chance. If he’s not, then I think the Gators will win that game and the chance for the magical season of 10-2 drastically increases. A lot hinges on what he did to get kicked out for one game!

Nothing has changed about my prediction for the LSU game. Well with the exception that unless #7 gets hurt, he’ll run for 200 yards against our weak Linebackers. They still win the game and now the next game against Georgia becomes huge!

I still think we can win against Georgia, but I must admit they are better than I thought they would be. However, they haven’t played the toughest of teams yet and this week we will know if they are for real or if they are the pretenders that they usually are. Also a tip of the cap needs to be given to the entire Georgia Athletic department for the class they have showed to the family of the young man injured in the game. They didn’t have to do what they have done, but they have demonstrated how to be a class organization for sure. With that being said, I still think they lose in Jacksonville.

So after the month of October I think the Gators will be 6-2 or 5-3 depending on the QB situation at Mizzou. That will mean the critical games for Coach Mac and the young Gators will be the ones in November. Fortunately three of those are at home. At 6-2 they will still be in the hunt for the SEC east but if they are 5-3 well then they are playing not to go back to the Birmingham Bowl. And that ought to be enough motivation to finish the season strong!

I have never been so glad to be wrong, even if it is only by a game! But you have to give me credit for laying out the plan for the way the Rebels would lose to the Gators, scary how accurate that prediction was, isn’t it! And that is without knowing that Will Grier would make an unfortunate stop at GNC.

So let’s take a look at November and the end of the regular season.

Homecoming against Vanderbilt will be back to the game a few years ago. Back before Vanderbilt hired a good coach. It will be closer than many expect because I don’t think they will turn the ball over 5 times like they did last Saturday, but I expect the Gators to win this one by 21 with ease. That will mean that Gator fans can book their tickets to Atlanta for the SEC championship game. I sure didn’t see that one coming this year but I am so glad it might happen!

The Gators then travel to South Carolina. If the Old HBC was still there, I’d stick with my pick from earlier, but this is a bad Gamecock team right now and it’s going to get worse before it gets better for Cocky fans. The Gators need to pay attention but if they take care of business, they should win this game as well. However, watch out because this could be the infamous letdown game that will follow the clinching of the SEC East. Gators win going away late to wrap the SEC portion of the year up with just the one loss at LSU.

The annual sacrificial game in November with the FAU owls should see the Gators play a lot of second and third team guys. The goal of that game is to get ahead early, rest the starters and get ready for the big post turkey game with the college out west. Florida wins big and starts to move up the Playoff ladder.

The Game with the Clowns may be the biggest game of the year if they can get by Clemson this week. I don’t think they will but Clemson has a way of laying an egg every year and so far the clutch has been empty. If they do win at Clemson, then get ready for Gameday and the hype will be over the top. If they don’t, then they would like nothing better than to beat the Gators and kick them out of the Playoff discussion. I still think the Gators will win this game, but it would have been a lot easier without the GNC issue. Treon is an ok quarterback and a great athlete. His struggles against good defenses will continue and the Gators will win it late with a defense stand!


So my prediction is the Gators will be sitting at 11-1 going into the SEC championship game in Atlanta. The chance for the magical 12-2 season remains. Who knows, it might even be 14-1 and that would mean this generation of Gator fans could learn to experience the ultimate celebration in Title Town. Nobody's seen that in a while!