Welcome To November

October was a pretty rough month. What is normally a make-or-break time for the Gators football team was a break time this season. The Gators have now lost three of four games, all three losses to historic rivals. It has been a very trying time including the loss of a teammate.

But as the air finally cools and Fall starts to creep into Gainesville, this is a chance for football and the entire athletic department to achieve success. The football team still has a distance shot at the SEC East title and important conference games remain. The month ends with Florida State, a game we are already shining our brass knuckles for.

Basketball begins tonight as well. We spoke yesterday about what Donovan's return means to the school. Not only that, it will be interesting to see how patient people are with the Gators. When David Lee, Anthony Roberson, and Matt Walsh were running the offense, they were expected to win the league every year. But with two national titles in our pocket and the top six in our rotation gone, it seems just making the NCAAs will be a successful season.

We don't need to wait until January or March for postseason play though. Gator soccer has won seven consecutive SEC games and could win the regular season title. At 11-4-2 (7-2 SEC) it looks likely that the Gators will play deep into the NCAA tournament and host a few games in Gainesville too.

Our guilty pleasure, Gator volleyball, is still crushing opponents. With only one loss this season (to Arkansas), only a collapse will prevent them from winning another SEC regular season title. The NCAA regionals are in Gainesville this season, so it's very likely Mary Wise's girls spend the first four rounds of the tournament in the University City. With all that home cooking, and Angie McGinnis, possibly the best player in the nation, volleyball could add their first National Championship banner.

This site and the Gator Nation revolve around the football team. But in a rebuilding year, we'll have to look other places for successes. And November will provide that. At least, that's what I'm hoping for.