Florida Gators

[Deleted]

Final on USA Gold for U19 from Gatorzone:

Florida head coach Billy Donovan led USA Basketball’s U19 team to a perfect 9-0 record at the FIBA World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, capped by an 82-68 win over Serbia in the gold medal game on Sunday.



Though UF guard Michael Frazier II (Tampa, Fla.) did not score in the final, he contributed six rebounds off the bench. Throughout the course of the championships, Frazier averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds for the USA, playing in all nine games and starting one, the quarterfinal victory vs. Canada.



Following last summer’s 5-0 gold medal performance at the FIBA U18 Americas, Donovan now holds a 14-0 record in international competition and holds two gold medals.



Also representing UF with the USA Basketball team throughout the event were trainer Duke Werner, assistant to the head coach Mark Daigneault and walk-on Billy Donovan (Gainesville, Fla.), who served as team manager. Former Florida assistant coach and current VCU head coach Shaka Smart was an assistant coach.



Preliminary Round Results


Date

Opponent

Result

Score

Frazier Pts./Reb.


June 27

Ivory Coast

W

88-29

2 / 5


June 28

China

W

113-57

15 / 0


June 29

Russia

W

115-47

12 / 3




Eighth Final Round Results


Date

Opponent

Result

Score

Frazier Pts./Reb.


July 1

Brazil

W

91-66

5 / 3


July 2

Australia

W

94-51

5 / 2


July 3

Serbia

W

71-62

0 / 0




Knockout Rounds


Date

Round

Opponent

Score

Frazier Pts./Reb.


July 5

Quarterfinals

Canada

109-67

12 / 6


July 6

Semifinals

Lithuania

100-60

9 / 3


July 7

Gold Medal Game

Serbia

82-68

0 / 6




All-Time USA Finishes at U19 World Championships


Year

Finish

Location


1979

Gold

Latvia


1983

Gold

Spain


1987

Silver

Italy


1991

Gold

Canada


1995

7th

Greece


1999

Silver

Portugal


2003

5th

Greece


2007

Silver

Serbia


2009

Gold

New Zealand


2011

5th

Latvia


2013

Gold

Czech Republic

[Deleted]

Special to Gatorsports.com



Published: Monday, July 8, 2013 at 12:07 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, July 8, 2013 at 12:07 p.m.


Three Florida football players were named to the preseason watch lists for two national awards Monday, the Maxwell Football Club announced. Quarterback Jeff Driskel was named to the 77th Maxwell Award watch list, while defensive lineman Dominique Easley and defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy were both named to 19th Bednarik Award watch list.


The Maxwell Award is given each year to the college player of the year. The Bednarik Award is presented to the nation's top college defensive player each season. Semifinalists for both lists will be announced Oct. 29, while the three finalists for each award will be released on Nov. 25. The winners will be announced at the annual Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 12.

Driskel, a junior from Oviedo, enters his second season as the starting quarterback. He passed for 1,646 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions as a sophomore, while also rushing for 413 yards and four touchdowns.

Easley, a senior from Staten Island, N.Y., has played in 29 games with 23 starts in his career. He has totaled 67 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks in his three seasons in Gainesville. Last season, he led UF with four sacks.

Purifoy, a junior from Pensacola, has made 26 appearances for the Gators with 12 starts at cornerback and one start at wide receiver. He is the team's leading returning tackler after racking up 51 tackles last year, while also forcing three fumbles and breaking up five passes.

For the complete watch list for both awards, please visit ncfaa.org.

[Deleted]

On Monday, Florida released the 2013 roster that included the incoming freshman and transfers.

In the roster released, each player's number as well as their height and weight were revealed.

Here are the numbers:

#5-Receiver Ahmad Fulwood-6-foot-4, 200-pounds

#9- Linebacker Matt Rolin- 6-foot-3, 217-pounds

#11-Receiver Demarcus Robinson-6-foot-2, 204-pounds

#12-Quarterback Max Staver-6-foot-5, 235-pounds

#13-Linebacker Daniel McMillian-6-foot-1, 225-pounds

#14-Quarterback Chris Wilkes-

#16-Cornerbacker Vernon Hargreaves III-5-foot-11, 181-pounds

#17-Defensive end Jordan Sherit-6-foot-3, 243-pounds

#21-Running back Kelvin Taylor-5-foot-10,214-pounds

#22-Running back Adam Lane-5-foot-9,205-pounds

#26-Safety-Marcell Harris-6-foot-2,220-pounds

#34-Linebacker Alex Anzalone-6-foot-3, 230-pounds

#35-Punter Johnny Townsend-6-foot-2, 200-pounds

#40-Linebacker Jarrad Davis-6-foot-2, 225-pounds

#42-Safety Keanu Neal-6-foot, 204-pounds

#45-Defensive end Antonio Riles-6-foot-4, 286-pounds

#50-Offensive lineman Octavius Jackson-6-foot-4, 275-pounds

#55-Offensive lineman Rod Johnson-6-foot-5, 320-pounds

#55-Defensive tackle Darrious Cummings- 6-foot-1, 309-pounds

#57- Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley-6-foot-3, 295-pounds

#71-Center Cameron Dillard-6-foot-3, 280-pounds

#73- Offensive lineman Tyler Moore-6-foot-5, 315-pounds

#74-Offensive lineman Trenton Brown-6-foot-8, 363-pounds

#80-Tight end Trevon Young-6-foot-5, 260-pounds

#81-Receiver Marqui Hawkins-6-foot-1, 179-pounds

#85-Receiver Chris Thompson-6-foot, 167-pounds

#89-Receiver Alvin Bailey-5-foot-11, 175-pounds

#91- Defensive lineman Joey Ivie-6-foot-3, 264-pounds

#99- Defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick- 6-foot-4, 291-pounds

[Deleted]

Zach must have been on vacation for the last week (G):

July 8th, 2013 09:41pm

Grier reaches elite status

by Zach Abolverdi




Grier finished higher than quarterbacks David Cornwell, Keller Chryst and DeShaun Watson, all of whom are ranked above him by at least one recruiting service. (Photo by Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer)

Davidson (N.C.) Day quarterback Will Grier has given Gator fans even more reason to be excited for his 2014 arrival in Gainesville.

The Florida commit, who holds the national high school record for most passing yards (837) in a game, finished No. 3 in the final Elite 11 rankings last Wednesday at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.

He made The Opening’s all-tournament team and led his 7-on-7 squad, Alpha Pro, to the championship, where it lost 21-14 to the Field Generals and Elite 11 MVP Sean White.

During the telecast of the event, ESPN National Recruiting Director Tom Luginbill said he saw a stronger arm from Grier than in years past.

“A lot of high-velocity rhythms,” Luginbill said. “He didn’t necessarily have that same type of ball speed as a sophomore or junior. He seems to have added some strength to be able to fit those balls into tight spots at intermediate and deeper areas of the field.”

Grier had a SPARQ rating of 99.45. He measured in at 6-foot-2.5 and 181 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds. But his best time was a 3.96 shuttle, which was just two hundredths of a second shy of the mark set by Speedy Noil, who won the SPARQ competition.

Given his athleticism and dual-threat ability, Elite 11 coach Yogi Roth wasn’t expecting Grier to throw so well in Oregon. He also didn’t see much of him at the Charlotte NFTC on May 5 due to weather conditions that Roth said were the worst he’s seen at any combine in 15 years.

However, Grier “didn’t flinch” that day, won quarterback MVP and received an invite to the Elite 11. He proved his worth this past week.

“He did an incredible job of what we call tying your feet to your eyes,” Roth said. “Everything starts with your eyes. So wherever they look, your feet will follow and that will allow you to be an accurate quarterback. And Will Grier, half of his game is running. He’s such a tremendous athlete. So in this setting, for him to thrive like this, it’s pretty impressive.”

He also praised the future Gator for his attentiveness on the gridiron, in meetings and with guest speakers. Roth said Grier earned the nickname John Connor from the Terminator movies because “he’s that dialed in.”

Trent Dilfer, former NFL QB and head coach of the Elite 11, recognized the same qualities in Grier.

“This guy is a stone-cold assassin,” Dilfer said. “Laser-like focus. I spent a lot of time getting to know him as person. I think this is a special young man.”

[Deleted]

Well, last season was a big surprise as UF played far better than expected (though it was mainly all D last year....the O was sputtering around too many times).

So, hopefully this season will see a surprise too.....on the O side of things. I am hopeful that Pease has some things ready to unleash ....especially with the wide receivers (who have been mostly silent the last couple of seasons).

That Grier sounds like a great one for the future, but we have to deal with the immediate future, and a tough season awaits.

- David ( cautiously optimistic ) PwrMc

[Deleted]

Best Case: 12-0
Worst Case: 9-3
Probable Case: 10-2 or 11-1

[Deleted]

By John Boothe
Correspondent



Published: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 4:19 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 4:19 p.m.


As two of Florida’s frontcourt veterans recover from offseason surgeries, coach Billy Donovan is hoping one incoming freshman’s academic status will also see improvement this summer.


With 43 days left before UF’s fall semester begins, Gators signee Chris Walker is still working on meeting the NCAA’s eligibility requirements to enroll at Florida. A 6-foot-10 McDonald’s All-American, Walker has been taking online courses this summer but needs a 2.6 GPA to gain admission.

“I haven’t heard anything back yet,” Donovan said Wednesday. “Obviously, he’s not here in Summer B. He’s still working towards finishing up. However long that’s going to take I’m not sure, because he’s going to have to go through the (NCAA) Clearinghouse and still get cleared.”

Heading into this season, Walker is slated to join a deep frontcourt featuring seniors Patric Young, Will Yeguete and Casey Prather as well as transfers Dorian Finney-Smith and Damontre Harris. In April, Young underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right ankle, while Yeguete had arthroscopic surgery in May to clean up damaged tissue in his right knee.

Walker’s fellow Class of 2013 signee Kasey Hill, a 6-foot-1 guard, enrolled at Florida for Summer B classes in late June.

A consensus top-10 prospect, Walker led Bonifay Holmes County to its first state title in his senior season by averaging 25 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks per game at the FHSAA Finals. For his efforts, Walker was named the Class 1A Florida Dairy Farmers Player of the Year.

“He may or may not be here for the fall semester,” Donovan said. “The one thing that we’ve tried to explain to him in the work that he’s finishing up in doing is he doesn’t need to rush it. He just needs to do it correctly and the right way.”

[Deleted]

Billy D Updates Basketball Players:

Player Updates

•Will Yeguete entered the practice facility where Donovan was meeting with the media. Yeguete had a bandage around his knee and was walking with the aid of crutches following knee surgery.

•Donovan said that the toughest part for him will be having to sit out for 6-8 weeks while the healing process occurs.

•Yeguete is on schedule to be 100% by the time practice begins in the fall.

•Patric Young also walked into the basketball facilities while we were speaking with Donovan. Young recently had surgery to repair an ankle injury but is also expected to be a full participant once basketball practice begins.

•Kasey Hill is adjusting well to the college life.

•Donovan said that Hill is earning the respect of his teammates. Donovan was quick to note that is the biggest hurdle that a player with his reputation needs to get past when entering a college locker room.

•Donovan said that Scottie Wilbekin is still “not a member of our basketball team for the rest of the summer.”

•Donovan said that he will sit down with Wilbekin before the fall semester but that Wilbekin knows what he needs to do in order to get back on the team.

•Eli Carter is still going through the process of filing an appeal with Rutgers and the NCAA to be granted a waiver which would allow him to play this season.

•Donovan said that he has been staying out of the situation – allowing Carter’s family to handle the matter with the NCAA and Rutgers.

•Finally, there is still no new update on Chris Walker. He has still not been cleared by the NCAA but is working towards that every day.

[Deleted]

Gators pickup 2015 basketball commitment:

www.gatorsports.com/article/20130712/ARTICLES/130719883?tc=cr

6'8" Power Forward - He's a junior so he could get quite a bit bigger.

[crayon4600]

Jul 10, 2013 15:14:42 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

Best Case: 12-0
Worst Case: 9-3
Probable Case: 10-2 or 11-1

I don't have the same confidence level in Muschamp or Driskel, that you seem to have.

Both IMO will have to find 'new gears' to lift Florida to level of Tide, OSU, Stanford-Oregon.

Your posts demonstrate excellent knowledge regarding Florida.

Judgment may be a little biased (that's K)

I hope you're right ET.

[Deleted]

I scoffed at 6-6 as a worst case last year when it was more possible. I give a record like that this season a zero chance.

Anything between 9-3 and 12-0 would not be a surprise to me. This is the first year since 2010 that UF is playing with a full ship roster of 82. As you know, Jeremy Foley has zero tolerance for oversigning so 82 is about as good as it gets. Muschamp had it at 83 before JUCO DT Reed failed to qualify.

I honestly think everybody is putting too much emphasis on the Louisville game, a game the team and fans had zero appetite for. UF is loaded, but, like last season, plays a lot of ranked teams that can beat you.

I have a lot of confidence in Muschamp. I have less confidence in Driskel, so we'll have to see where the Gators end up.

My take on your contenders:

Alabama: An excellent overall team, but the DTs are a bit down, were last year too, and the OL won't be as dominating.

Ohio State: Only there because of the weak schedule. They are no better than UF.

Stanford: They'll be good, but not top 5 good.

Oregon: I had no idea Chip Kelly meant so little to the ducks. I'm in show me mode just like UF.

[Deleted]

Meet Loucheiz Purifoy:


By SCOTT CARTER
GatorZone.com Senior Writer



GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- When her only son told her the news, Estella Floyd -- everyone who knows her calls her Rená -- didn't think anything of it.

While the subject was popular with the media and fans, when Gators coach Will Muschamp announced in the spring that junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy was going to be a two-way player this fall, Floyd figured the UF coaching staff saw what she has seen for nearly 21 years.

First, Purifoy has more vigor than probably anyone she has ever met, and second, he is willing to do whatever it takes to help out. If that means playing offense, defense and special team for the Gators, well, that is no surprise to Floyd.

Growing up in Cantonment, a suburb located a few miles north of downtown Pensacola in the Florida panhandle, Purifoy was a load for single-mother Rená from an early age.

When Loucheiz was 4, he needed surgery to repair a hernia that developed in his abdomen from when his umbilical cord was cut. The surgery went well and as he was released from the hospital, doctors told Floyd that it was important that Loucheiz's activity be kept to a minimum for a couple of weeks while the wound healed.

Floyd was on the phone with doctors shortly she got home with Loucheiz.

"He was in the center of the bed jumping up and down and jumping onto the floor," Floyd said. "I called the doctor back, 'You've got to put him back in the hospital because I can't keep him still.' He was all over the house."

As he got older and assumed more responsibility at home, Purifoy became a constant source of attention in the house he shared with his mom and older sisters Kamisha and Alexzandrea.

He also started to play peewee football and flash some of the athletic ability that has made him an All-American candidate entering his junior season at UF.

Purifoy was so fast few could keep up with him, including the family poodle he would race each day after school along the fence line. Purifoy would put the dog on the inside of the fence, and he would race up and down on the outside.

Inevitably, the poodle would stagger back to the front door with its tongue hanging out.

His sisters had no chance to catch little Loucheiz when Floyd told them to go get their brother for dinner.

"I would have those girls run and try to chase him down,'' Floyd said. "They would come back so tired, out of breath, 'we can't catch him.' It's funny to look back."

*****

Rená, Kamisha and Alexzandrea formed the epicenter of Purifoy's life growing up.

They watched over him, kept him grounded and away from the influences that can sidetrack a young man's life.

"They are his backbones,'' Floyd said of her daughters.

Sports served as the outlet for all that energy that burned inside Purifoy.

His extended family included an array of cousins that helped him develop into the dynamic force Florida fans watched a year ago as Purifoy blossomed into one of the nation's top defensive backs and special teams players.

Purifoy and cousin Shaq Purifoy, who signed with Grambling, formed a lethal duo for opponents at Pensacola's Pine Forest High.

Purifoy, listed at 6-1, 189 pounds, was never the biggest player on the field. But he was usually the fastest and nearly always the feistiest.

"I really didn't play football with the younger people because I was always faster than them,'' he said. "So the older boys always ended up picking me up on their team and I ended up playing ball with them. That's how I got tough. I don't like to get hit and not hit back."

A few hundred miles away from home at UF, Purifoy has gained a newfound celebrity around campus following his breakout season and the expectations that followed.

Purifoy started 12 games last season and finished with career highs for tackles (51), forced fumbles (3) and passes defended (5). He also made a huge impact on special teams with two blocked kicks and an average of 23.9 yards on seven kickoff returns.

He tries to keep it all in perspective amidst the growing attention.

He knows that is what Rená expects.

"We didn't grow up with a lot of money,'' Purifoy said. "This is my life. This is more than a game to me. For [success] to come to light, the whole picture is just being put in place."

Floyd, 46, worked multiple jobs while Purifoy grew up. She taught special education students at Pine Forest, worked at a community center mentoring special-needs kids, attended junior college and later the University of West Florida to improve her salary, and was Purifoy's chauffeur to and from many of those sporting events.

In high school Purifoy starred in football, basketball and track.

The life mileage began to take a toll on Floyd during Purifoy's senior season of high school.

A turning point happened in the middle of the night three days before Pine Forest's game against Pace for the district title.

Purifoy was asleep when Rená woke him up. His mom's heart was dying.

"She had congestive heart failure,'' Purifoy said.

Floyd actually flat-lined in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"They had to pull me out of the ambulance and work on me right on the side of the road,'' Floyd said.

By the time Purifoy arrived at the hospital, a different one than he expected due to the scare in the ambulance, the scene was grim.

"It was tough because my mom and me are really close,'' he said. "All I saw were a bunch of tubes."

Fortunately, Floyd's condition stabilized the next day and she held out hope of attending Friday night's big showdown between Pine Forest and Pace.

The doctors delivered the news: she needed heart surgery to replace a defective valve.

Over the next couple of days Purifoy spent much of his time going back and forth between school and the hospital. He decided to play in the game.

"I wanted him to play and he played his heart out, too,'' Floyd said. "I watched it on the computer in the hospital."

Pine Forest won the district championship 34-17.

Purifoy, a quarterback/running back/receiver in the Eagles' split-back veer offense, accounted for 372 total yards and two touchdowns, including a 96-yard kickoff return.

"He is super competitive, just a fiery player,'' said former Pensacola News-Journal sports writer D.C. Reeves, who now covers Florida State for the Rivals.com network. "I remember when we would pick against his team in the newspaper, he would always come over and say something before the game to let us hear about it."

*****

If Purifoy had not chosen football, Brad Grant, his basketball coach at Pine Forest, believes Purifoy could play college basketball.

Purifoy was a standout guard/small forward for the Eagles in Grant's first season in 2010. He averaged 17 points a game and led Pine Forest to its first district title in 28 years.

He carried the same mentality onto the basketball court as the football field.

"He brought his heart and lunch pale to work every day,'' said Grant, who remains close to Purifoy. "He was part of a big deal. He would schedule [football] recruiting visits around when we had games. He only missed one game. That says a lot about a kid. He didn't want to let his teammates down.

"Loucheiz is one of those guys that anything he sets his mind on he is going to do it."

Bill Vilona followed Purifoy's blossoming athletic career as a columnist for the Pensacola News-Journal. He said Purifoy has the talent to be an elite triple-jumper or sprinter if he had chosen that route.

"He was that good,'' Vilona said. "The only issue with him was if he was going to qualify."

Floyd had similar concerns when Purifoy started high school. As a freshman at crosstown Tate High, Purifoy's grades were not meeting Floyd's expectations.

She moved him to Pine Forest where she taught. Soon, his grades improved. It was a time in Purifoy's life that he looks back on now with a more mature appreciation.

He was in danger of taking the wrong path but began to realize what was at stake for his future. Growing up without a steady father figure also played a role in his turnaround, as has the fact he is now a father.

"I kind of grew up trying to take a different path than him,'' Purifoy said of his father, whom he has had an off-and-on relationship over the years. "I had to realize I had to make a change in schools if I wanted to go to a college."

*****

Purifoy quickly developed into one of Muschamp's favorites because of his toughness and blue-collar approach.

While Pensacola produced one of the best players in Florida football history -- running back Emmitt Smith -- the area has produced few Gators in recent years. Prior to Purifoy, the last top prospect Florida signed from Pensacola was linebacker Jon Demps in 2005.

Purifoy's emergence and the success in recent years of Pine Forest alums such as Redskins running back Alfred Morris, Falcons offensive lineman Mike Johnson and former USF defensive end George Selvie has shined a spotlight on the program led by veteran coach Jerry Pollard.

Purifoy is symbolic of the type of player Pollard prefers.

"They don't really leave here with these glowing reputations,'' Vilona said. "They don't get jaded in high school. We're remote. We're not in the mainstream of Florida, so a lot of the people don't get noticed that well. I also think that it benefits these kids because they don't get big heads. And Jerry Pollard, he's not a flamboyant guy and his teams aren't flamboyant. He is an old-school coach."

Purifoy fit in perfectly.

In high school Purifoy would often spend the night in the school's weight room, wake up and watch three hours of game film, and then finally go home.

He has taken the same approach this offseason trying to learn to play receiver.

"It's very difficult for a guy that's had tremendous success at a position when you're trying to learn another position,'' Muschamp said.

Last week as Purifoy strolled through the Gators' locker room, he goaded back-up quarterback Tyler Murphy for not sending him a text at 6 that morning so he could join the quarterbacks in a passing drill.

Junior Jeff Driskel is confident that Purifoy has the ability to make an impact on offense in the passing game regardless if he misses a drill or two.

"He's an athletic freak and a guy we want to get the ball,'' Driskel said. "He's really embraced the challenged and done a good job. He wants to learn. He's a student of the game."

*****

Purifoy's drive to succeed is fueled by several factors.

The woman whose name he has tattooed on his arm is the guiding light. His mother's health has improved -- she had to stop teaching after suffering another heart attack, this one at school -- and she is able to get to most home games.

Still, she needs dialysis treatments three times a week and is in need of a kidney transplant. Floyd is scheduled to take a trip to Birmingham, Ala., at the end of August to have tests to see if her sister is a compatible donor.

"I'm getting stronger,'' she said. "I have my good days and bad days. It's a process I'm going through right now."

Purifoy checks in on his mom regularly. His sisters live in the same neighborhood and help her out as she tries to get healthy.

There is talk that if Purifoy has a strong junior season, he could be a first-round NFL Draft pick.

That dream sprouted in his head when he was in high school and saw his mother struggling to support the family.

Now that the dream seems close to reality, the fire inside burns hotter.

"I just watched her do so much to the point where I'm tired of her doing stuff,'' he said. "I feel like it's my turn to do something for my mom and two sisters. That's who raised me. It's time for me to give back.

"She needs a kidney. We are working on it. When the opportunity knocks, you've got to take advantage of it."

In life, and football, that is the mission Purifoy seeks to complete.

[trnyerheadncough]

Until the Gator offense shows marked improvement, I'd be cautious about throwing out the "loaded" adjective.

You guys survived last year on an outstanding turnover ratio, and playing conservative...and getting a few bounces.

This year I think your defense is going to still be great, but not quite as great as last year. Until you can show me a wideout who can scare a defense and that Driskel can get the ball to him, I think 1 or 2 losses is best case, and 4 losses worst.

[mscott59]

Jul 13, 2013 14:44:02 GMT -5 ETGator1 said:

I scoffed at 6-6 as a worst case last year when it was more possible. I give a record like that this season a zero chance.

Anything between 9-3 and 12-0 would not be a surprise to me. This is the first year since 2010 that UF is playing with a full ship roster of 82. As you know, Jeremy Foley has zero tolerance for oversigning so 82 is about as good as it gets. Muschamp had it at 83 before JUCO DT Reed failed to qualify.

I honestly think everybody is putting too much emphasis on the Louisville game, a game the team and fans had zero appetite for. UF is loaded, but, like last season, plays a lot of ranked teams that can beat you.

I have a lot of confidence in Muschamp. I have less confidence in Driskel, so we'll have to see where the Gators end up.

My take on your contenders:

Alabama: An excellent overall team, but the DTs are a bit down, were last year too, and the OL won't be as dominating.

Ohio State: Only there because of the weak schedule. They are no better than UF.

Stanford: They'll be good, but not top 5 good.

Oregon: I had no idea Chip Kelly meant so little to the ducks. I'm in show me mode just like UF.

why is it every time a sec team loses a sugar bowl, the excuse 'they didn't want to be there' is used??? pretty lame. motivation is a factor, but uf simply got beat but good that night. period. and it may not matter to you, but if uf had rolled 'ville, I bet you'd be praising the game as momentum-building fodder for '13. as for osu? time will tell how good they'll be, but they have a qb that I bet gator fans wouldn't mind having right now. the one constant about cfb is that every team has turnover, and therefore questions coming into a season. that's why its fun to follow.

mark scott
tosu 81

[Deleted]

Mark, I wouldn't trade Driskel for your QB. Insofar as the Sugar Bowl is concerned, it was reported recently that an ex-player said the players didn't want to play the game. It probably would have been different if it had been Oklahoma who couldn't make it because of that crap of a team from the MAC in the Orange Bowl. The UF fans didn't show up for the game and UF lost $ on the Sugar Bowl. It is what it is and is very similar to what bama suffered through with Utah. I think we all can agree that turned out ok. So will the 2013 edition of the Gators.