Meyer made no secret about how he wanted more out of his tailbacks in
the one-back offense over the last two seasons. The most consistently
effective runner was quarterback/bulldozing fullback Tim Tebow, and now
Meyer has recruited the type of home run-hitting running backs who can
take advantage of the mismatches and run through the space. The spread
is about getting the best players into the open, and you can do that
when you have one of the fastest college football teams in America
But for all the talk about the offense and how Tebow should be the Alex
Smith-type quarterback to make it roll, Florida has won under Meyer
mainly because of a terrific defense that didn’t get its just due last
year, even after manhandling the Buckeyes. Florida held opponents to 255
yards and less than 14 points a game, but that veteran group is almost
all off to the NFL now.
Of course, when you come up with some of the best recruiting classes of
the last 20 years, you just replace the pro talent with other pro
talent. Florida’s new D, however, might not kick in right away and be
the killer squad of the last two years. Fortunately for the Gators, the
offense should even things out by being better and more dominant, with
speed to burn in all areas to make up for any shortcomings.
Enjoy the ride now, Florida. Meyer will soon be handed the keys to a
bank vault by some NFL team looking for an instant infusion of magic,
and unlike other college coaches who made the jump, Meyer appears to be
a good pro fit. But for the time being, Florida is back to the heyday of
the 1990s, when Steve Spurrier’s crew was the SEC’s top dog. To the fear
of the rest of the league, the Gators appear to be on the verge of being
even better.
What to watch for on offense: Two words: Tim Tebow. Chris Leak,
not exactly the best runner around, might not have been the right
quarterback to run the spread offense, but that can be overlooked just a
wee bit when you win a national title. Tebow had the luxury last season
of being able to come off the bench and produce; now the offense, and
the decision-making, is on him. Considered to be the prototype for the
Meyer spread attack, expect Tebow to go through a few growing pains, and
several mistakes, before being a machine in 2008.
What to watch for on defense: Speed and athleticism to make up
for experience. You don’t get better by losing Brandon Siler, Earl
Everett, Jarvis Moss, Reggie Nelson, Ryan Smith, Reggie Lewis, Ray
McDonald, and other starters from a national title defense, but the
schedule is just easy enough early to get all the new players time to
get their feet wet before dealing with Tennessee. Expect this group to
make a ton of mistakes, but make up for them by simply outrunning
everyone.
The team will be far better if … it cuts down on the penalties.
In one of the great ironies of the 2006 season, the team that executed
as well as anyone couldn’t stop committing sins. Florida was 118th
in the nation in penalties, committing a whopping 8.3 per game, costing
them 63.4 yards per game.
The Schedule:
After
getting through a nasty schedule to win the national title, this year’s
slate will seem like a piece of cake. The Gators get Tennessee, Auburn
and Florida State at home, but have to go on the road to face LSU, in
what might be a preview of the SEC Championship Game. Even though things
are easier than last year, there’s a nasty stretch in the back half with
four of five games away from Gainesville, including sneaky-tough games
at Kentucky and South Carolina along with the showdowns with LSU and
Georgia. Outside of the date with FSU, the non-conference schedule is a
joke, as the Gators will face Western Kentucky, Troy and Florida
Atlantic.
Best Offensive Player:
Sophomore WR
Percy Harvin. Generously listed at 5-11 and 181 pounds, Harvin is one of
America’s most dangerous game-breakers as a receiver or a runner. Tebow
might have provided the freshman thunder to the ground game, but Harvin
was the lightning, cranking out 10.4 yards per carry, highlighted by a
67-yard dagger against Arkansas in the SEC title game. He might not be a
75-catch type of receiver, but he’ll be Tebow’s deadly number one
target.
Best Defensive Player:
Junior DE
Derrick Harvey. While any of several Gators could’ve been the Defensive
MVP of the BCS Championship Game, Harvey got the honor after coming up
with three sacks and recovering a key fumble. He’s going to be one of
the SEC’s better pass rushers, and if he can add a little more weight to
his frame, he’ll be a top-20 pick in next year’s draft.
Key player to a
successful season:
Tebow. If you’re a
Florida quarterback, you either win a national title, or you get a seat
at the card table while Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Chris Leak
are dining elsewhere. While winning the conference title is always goal
number one for any SEC team, the bar has now been set higher at Florida.
The tables have been turned; if Tebow doesn’t win the big games, the
fans who anointed him the savior are going to wish Leak was back.
The season will be a
success if
... Florida wins the SEC championship. Yeah, the expectations are set at
a national title-level, but just winning the best conference in the
country is impressive enough. Win the SEC, and everything else might
take care of itself. The defense needs to replace too many players, and
it’s asking too much to win every close game, to go unbeaten.
Key game:
Oct. 6 at LSU. While
this might just be round one of a two-game clash of titans, a win in
Death Valley might establish the Gators as the number one team in the
nation, with their national title fate in their own hands. Even a loss
to LSU won’t ruin the championship run, but it can’t be a blowout and
won’t allow for any other slips.
2006 Fun Stats:
- First half scoring: Florida 230; Opponents 86
- Penalties: Florida 116 for 888 yards; Opponents 81 for 595 yards
- Rushing touchdowns: Florida 24; Opponents 8
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