So an 11-1 season is not out of the realm of possibility here. But I
can also see a scenario from a couple of key injuries to Callaway not being
able to stay out of trouble off the field where the tide could turn and the
Gators finish 7-4. Let’s stick with the positive side and hope for a great year
to be a fan of Florida Football.
Thus concluded last year’s predictions about Gator football.
Perhaps I was a bit dyslexic and meant to say 4-7! At least I did get the part
right about injuries and Callaway! I just never thought it would come crashing
down the way it did. But it’s a new day, a new coach, a new uniform combo, etc.
The new look Gators will open the season on Sept. 1 with
Charleston Southern coming to the swamp. If Mullen loses this game, he’ll be on
the hottest seat imaginable, but his derriere will be just as cool as the other
side of the pillow after this game. Look for a strong offensive showing against
an overmatched paycheck team from the Gators. Just don’t get too excited about
the smoke and mirrors!
Week two and a visit from Kentucky will present a real
challenge for these new baby Gators. This could be the year that the Cats end
the streak. Not so fast my friends, the energy from the swamp crowd will be
enough to help the Gators rally and close out the fourth quarter in the heat
and humidity to extend the streak one more year!
The ghost of McElwain remains in a week three matchup against
Colorado State. A four pm kick means it will either be hot or rainy or both!
None of which is helpful for the Rams. I would be surprised if the Gators are
not able to handle the Rams, but it will be one of those closer games than people
expect.
The Vols have as many question marks as the Gators under a
new coach. Playing on Rocky Top is never easy, and a new coach will be amped to
get the first win over the Gators and lead the band after the game and yada,
yada, yada. But it is still the Vols, so until they beat the Gators
consistently, the curse of the Head Ball coach continues, and the Gators come home
4-0 and the faithful are delighted with Dan!
The trip to Starkvegas is never an easy one. It’s hard to
get there from anywhere and the Gators have notoriously played poorly among the
cowbells. Perhaps that is one reason the former AD lured the former Coach away
knowing this date was on the schedule. Mullen’s previous players will be doing
their best to remind the coach why he should have stayed. If Dan can find the
right QB for the Gators in the fall, they have a chance to leave there 5-0. I’d
say that’s a toss up and so is the outcome of this game. I can see the Dogs
winning a close battle in the Mullen bowl.
Last year the LSU game was the hinging point and it will be
again this year. If the Gators do lose in Starkvegas, this game becomes a must
win to have a chance in the East. The Gators let one get away last year against
the Bengals and the task isn’t any easier this year. Playing at home should
give the Gators a chance and the energy of the coaching staff gets them through
this game with a win and probably a top 15 ranking.
The Gators never play well at Vandy. But they more often
than not find a way to win in Nashville. If the Gators still have the same
starter at QB from week 1, they win this game. If the Gators had this schedule
next year, they’d be in the top ten and undefeated, but with so many unknowns
in year one it’s frightening to be that optimistic!
That sets up a potential top 10 matchup between two
unbeatens or once beaten teams in the annual cocktail party in Jacksonville. It’s
already picked as the 3:30 CBS featured game for obvious reasons. It’s always a
high priority game. Last year, the Gators were embarrassed by a really good
Georgia team. This year’s Dogs are equally as good. However, I don’t think the
effort was there last year from the Gators and that won’t be a problem this
year with Mullen at the helm. At this point, it’s just hard to pick the Gators
over the Dogs but it will be a close game down the stretch. And a turnover at
the right moment could mean the Gators sneak across the river with a win. Just
don’t count on it!
A loss in Jax makes homecoming bittersweet. More than likely
a trip to Atlanta will be off the table, so you have to wonder about the mental
toughness of the team. Missouri is a good team , but they shouldn’t be able to
come into the Swamp and win. I think Mullen will use last year’s thumping by
the Tigers as motivation and the Gators will get a win for Homecoming.
Mullen beats Muschamp every day! Even if South Carolina wins
the game, that last sentence would still be true in my mind. I think the Gators
take care of the chickens and Gator fans start to regain some of that swagger
that has been diminished by the lean offensive years of the past two regimes. And
the Gators can’t lose on my birthday!
They get their annual get healthy but play a competitive
game opponent in Idaho. I don’t think they will underestimate them, but this team
isn’t good enough to do so and win. I would be surprised if Coach Mullen doesn’t
have the team ready to play. They win this one going away in the fourth quarter
and close out the home section of the season with a 9-2 record heading up to
the annual game in Tally.
New Noles coach, Willie Taggert, is the x-factor in this
game. The FSU squad should be more talented than this current crop of Gators.
The game is in the tinker box stadium. But this will be the first time Taggert
has been in a true big time rivalry game as the head coach. Gator fans need to
hope that he blows it big time if they want to pay back their Nole friends for
the last few years of crow. The Gators will need help to win this one and I don’t
think they get enough.
So there you have it. My thoughts on how the season will
unfold for Gator football. 8-3 and a quality bowl will be a major improvement
for Gator Nation. For that matter, any bowl would be an improvement over the
dumpster fire that was the 2017 season. It’s an often-used cliché in sports,
but I think the 2019 season for the Gators is the one that will determine if Mullen
has the Gators back in the national contention spotlight. Gator fans should
just enjoy any success we have this year and if you get mad or frustrated, just
pull up the films for the 2017 games. That should help you remember to stay
positive as we wait for a new system to be fully in place for 2019!
