Gators To The Sugar Bowl
by mlmintampa on Dec 6, 2009 8:36 PM EST
in Football
28 comments
Tonight confirmed nearly everyone's thinking in that Florida will face Big East champ and undefeated Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. To me, the most interesting thing about the matchups is TCU and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Rather than allow TCU or Boise the chance to upset big boys, they stick both in the same bowl. This is also a rematch of the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, which TCU won 17-16. We knew the Rose Bowl was Ohio State and Oregon, with the Orange getting Georgia Tech and Iowa. Personally, I'd rather see these matchups, which would create chaos and have the most possible remaining undefeated teams left, if they all win.
Fiesta: Boise State vs. Iowa
Sugar: TCU vs. Florida
Orange: Cincinnati vs. Georgia Tech
If Florida can't win a National Championship, I root for chaos. Other matchups of note;
- FSU and West Virginia in the Gator Bowl, giving Bobby Bowden a Florida bowl game to go to the retirement home on. I guess the lower paying Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando was too far away. FSU got the cash of the Gator Bowl under the ruse of Bowden, when a more fair spot would have been Orlando.
- USF's loss to UConn earned them a spot in the International Bowl and avoids fellow commuter school UCF in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Rutgers gets that spot instead. USF faces Northern Illinois.
- After the fuss of the Outback Bowl picking Auburn, who will definitely sell their tickets, Outback picks the smallest Big Ten school in Northwestern. There could be 40,000 Auburn fans in Tampa for New Year's. Not cool.
- While the bowls are exclusively to make money, we will make them exciting; the 3rd Annual Alligator Army College Bowl Pick'em. And we will have prizes. Tomorrow, we will also announce the winners of our Alligator Army Pick'em season contest.
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Interesting match-up with Cincy
Key questions:
1. Does the defense rebound and play like its former self after being eviscerated by Bama on the biggest stage of the year? Can they do this even though Strong will likely be gone by that time? How many of our players get blotto on Hand Grenades on New Year’s? Can you get a DUI on a streetcar?
2. Tebow—can he come up with something to ease at least some of the sting from the Bama game and add a final touch to his outstanding career as a Gator? A solid performance with at least a few signature moments would be a nice send-off. I’m thinking running over a LB at the goal line.
3. Addazio—does anyone know a reliable voodoo practitioner in the New Orleans area that would agree to have him eaten by a zombie? I would be willing to contribute to a fund set up for this purpose I AM NOT KIDDING.
4. Meyer—assuming he’s healthy, how does he take this loss? I know it must be absolutely eating him up, and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles coaching against his alma mater in an opportunity to begin building for next season. This is the thing I’m most worried about, actually—how does he handle the most colossal failure of his career to date, the most bitter loss and crushing end of the career of his favorite class of players, including Tebow, who he refers to as his son? I think this is a real turning point in Urban Meyer’s career and we’ll get an idea of which direction we’re heading in this game.
I think we'll bounce back in a big way
Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23
T.Lex doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt. Can't just suppress sixty five million years of gut instinct.
LOL
BCS put Boise St and TCU in same Crap Bowl.
After Utah Destroyed Bama last year BCS wants to leave nothing to chance.
oh UF 56 Cincy 3
Keep pumpin, ain't worried bout nuttin
Busters thought we was frontin, so reload and keep dumpin
Keep Sleeping on Orlando...
I really hope I am wrong
But this is looking way too much like last year – with the SEC loser going to the Sugar amidst total disappointment to face a seemingly outmanned undefeated team. If we’re not careful, we’ll get our asses beat. I don’t want this senior class (plus all the juniors who are leaving) to go out in back-to-back losses. I hope they care enough to not let it happen.
Oh yeah
Can we get rid of the white helmets now?!
Bounceing Back
Wow, what a weekend. It is hard to see a team that you love and care for lose, but to see them just get their butt kicked is even worse. I hope the defeat helps us for next year and prepares the younger group of gators to work even harder.
I have been a gator from birth and a season ticket holder for every year of my life (33 years). I have seen Florida gator football in some hard times but I have to say even though we lost we have come a long way in gator football history and I am proud to be a gator.
I think the gators felt way to much pressure the whole season from the fans and media. They were trying to live up to some hard expectations but the good thing is we are going to be playing football next year.
I am excited about the Sugar bowl and look forward to teaching Cincy about the SEC and what it is like to play an SEC team. I look forward to seeing all the gator fans in New Orleans.
White Helmets
I like the white helmets. If you know any history about the gators we have had white helmets forever. The only reason we had orange helmets is b/c of Charlie Pell he brought the orange helmets with him when he came from Clemson. Don’t get me wrong I love the orange helmets but I think we need a rebirth and if the helmets actually had something to do with our loss then we need to find out where Alabama got theirs.
Pell came in the early 80s
Meaning we have been wearing the orange helmets for nearly 30 years. That makes them our helmets. Before Pell, the Gators never won a single championship. I think we have won our fair share in the orange helmets it I’m not mistaken.
I’m sure we used to wear leather helmets at some point as well, but I don’t want to bring those back either.
I like Alabama’s point of view – no speacial uniforms, no gimmicks. This is who we are. I was fine with the white helmets for the one game in 2006 to commemorate the 100th season. But that’s it. This year is nothing more that Nike garbage. Now we look like certain other teams – having to wear special uniforms to win big games. It didn’t work for them and it didn’t work for us.
Orange helmets forever.
I know
I know that and I was a gator when they originally wore the white helmets so believe me I know the gimmick thing. I remember it when the orange helmets came out and I love them also and don’t want to see change. I think the white is good I did not say where it every game, but having 2 helmets is not a sin. Honestly, I don’t want to be like Alabama or be in Alabama’s point of view b/c they still live in the past.
While they are back to being good team again, it has been a long time for them and they have been living in the past for to long. Go to a game of theirs – it is Bear Bryant this and Bear Bryant that, and when their losing they say the Bear would not have done that. That is not Gator football we do not look to the past and especially at past coaches. Alabama and Notre Dame are the only schools that do that b/c their championships are from the past not the present. Alabama only has 1 national championship since 1980, thats almost 30 years we have 3. I do not want to get on the Alabama thing b/c I do not like them nor do I like being around their fans. They have the worst fans in the SEC and I do not want to talk about them. Lucky for me I have had the “LUXURY” of living in Birmingham, AL for the past couple of years and the Alabama fans here are either on the band wagon and as soon as they are bad they are right back off. They do not even compare to the true gator nation who fly their flags everyday no matter how bad we are and believe me I have seen gator football when it was bad. My family has had season tickets since 1942 I have seen some gator football.
I disagree with you 100% here
They have the worst fans in the SEC
I would say that Bama has some of the best fans in the SEC. They are knowledgeable about the game, they do not talk trash, and they are classy in victory, as well as defeat. I may not have been a Gator for as long as you (my freshman year was in ‘89 – Emmitt’s last as a Gator), but I have been to 7 Florida/Alabama games including 5 SEC Championship Games between the 2 teams. Florida won 5 of those 7 and lost 2 – both of which were in SECCG.
I have never once encountered anything put pure class from Alabama fans at every one of those games – both before, during and after. It would have been very easy for any of the Bama fans there on Saturday night to give us all kinds of lip – but none of them did. I congratulated them, wished them luck in the BCSCG and then congratulated us on a fine season.
Maybe living in Birmingham, you encountered some of the poor Bama fans (all teams have them – we have more than the average). But you general view of Tide fans is just not right.
Agree to Disagree
Well, I guess you have been lucky enough to be only around the educated football group. I did not say they did not know about football I said they just on and off of the band wagon when ever they are doing well. I too have been to all of the SEC games and to some of the regular season games. When they come to UF they seem to be on good behavior but go to Tuscaloosa for a game things are quite different. Sure the students will be students but grown ups should be grown ups.
I am not trying to fight about fans of other teams, but you should read what their writers, radio show host say, and I think your view would change. I am not bitter about our lost we lost b/c Alabama was the better team on Saturday and there is no excuse for the way we played. We just have to man up and show that we have not folded and that we can come back and win again and I think we will.
Really?
you encountered some of the poor Bama fans (all teams have them – we have more than the average)
I think this is as preposterous a statement as chrsl45’s idea that Bama fans are the worst in the SEC.
Why run down your own fellow Gators?
Really?
How was I running down a fellow gator?
I just said I did not agree with him. Like I said, I have seen our fans too I am not blind, but I have to encounter more than your normal amount of Alabama fans on a regular basis living dead center in the state of Alabama. Are we not entitled to our own opinion without being told I am running down a fellow gator. I am sure you have your opinion about who you think are the worst fans in the SEC and I obviously would disagree with you. This is a blog about “OPINIONS”, meaning I am not trying to run down anyone down but just stating what I think.
All I said was the fans I have encountered have obviously been the bad fans and sure they have good fans too, I just have encountered more bad fans than good fans.
I think he was referring to my post, not yours.
I have not been exposed to local Alabama news other than what I see on the Bama SB blog (a very good one). The Bama fans I met while tailgating and in the Dome sure didn’t seem like the bandwagon type. those folks probably don’t travel to the games – they just call into talk shows and such!
One thing you and I CAN agree on is this:
Alabama was the better team on Saturday and there is no excuse for the way we played. We just have to man up and show that we have not folded and that we can come back and win again and I think we will.
I really hope you are right and that we come to New Orleans ready to play like we are playing in a huge bowl game. Because at the end of the day, the Sugar (while disappointing this season) is a pretty big deal!
Go Gators.
Because I have been to the landing 15 times for FL/UGA games.
I am also friends with some of the people who give us (as fans) a bad name.
I have too
I agree I have too. I was just stating that I have encountered more bad fans than good fans. I was not trying to run you down I respect you, your a gator not going to happen here and if you feel that way I am sorry about that.
Worst Fans
I think if you took a poll of all the other SEC teams’ fans and asked them “which SEC team has the worst fans” I think you’d hear “UF” an awful lot. I am fine with that, as long as it is just hate because we beat most of the teams most of the time. You wouldn’t want them to think our fans are too amicable – like say Vandy…..
I agree 100%
I think that would be accurate, and I think you are right about the fact that other fans do not like us b/c we have beat most of them. All that fans want is a chance to cheer for a team that wins games and we have been fortunate to have that happen to us.
Vandy has fans?
I’d vote for LSU or Georgia for worst fans based on past experiences
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The Flavour of the Day is Turf. - Courtesy of the Jacksonville Jaguars
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Good lord.
The reason other SEC schools’ fans hate us is because we’ve got the best overall winning percentage in the conference since 1990. For the last 20 years, we’ve been at or near the top of the SEC, and have won more SEC titles than anyone else, often in dominating fashion. That’s why they hate us, not because there’s something wrong with Gator fans.
Are there a-holes among our fans? Of course. Is there a significantly larger percentage than among other schools’ fans? OF COURSE NOT.
The idea that our fans are worse than other schools is stupid. If you really feel that way, root for someone else. I’m in no mood for craven boot-licking of other fanbases at the expense of our own.
Oh yes, thats right!!!
Amen, that is the truth and why I am glad to be a Florida Gator.
Time to play with a chip on our shoulder...and worst fans?
the bama game MUST become motivation for the team…weve been lucky enough to escape with some wins this year but now we know it wont happen…i think we will show up big in that game….
UT fans will spit on you
so will Bama fans
LSU fans will spit and rub it in for personal yet strange pleasure
I live in georgia and i hear trash from bulldog fans but its not the tough or intimidating or jsut flat out ridiculously annoying things i hear from vol or tiger fans
sorry guys vandy is the worst here not their fault but when students miss games to study bio-chemistry it means they have MUCH better things to do with their time which de-values their cheering ability. Georgia maybe be an up-down fan base…but vandy has about a no-fan base… (or acc fan base, ok that was uncalled for)
I would agree that uga fans get on my nerve because they seem to adopt whatever team is an underdog that takes down an undefeated or #1 team (like them cheering for UF last year then all of a sudden being die hard bama fans this year) then again isnt that the american spirit???
cincy
has no chance they have no defense to speak of, and the offense is pass happy with pike playing, and he will start unless he killed by something over his christmas break. to beat cincy you cover the recievers and put pressure on pike. now the white helmets who cares they are helmets the white helmets didnt make them lose to bama it was just bama plain out played them from start to finish bama wanted it more so get over the helmets for real. lets focus on how the defense will play in this game and next year minus strong.
If we come out is those ridiculous white helmets for the Sugar Bowl
I’m turning the channel…..I’m just sayin’.
white helmets
my goodness, I’ve never seen so much disdain over a teams helmet choice its ridiculous, only having white and orange helmets is a whole lot better than oregon who has like 3 green, one black, one yellow, and one white helmets. The helmet choice didnt cause florida to lose to bama, florida could’ve lost 77-2 with the orange ones who knows, but i bet if florida would’ve won with the white helmets on nobody would have cared a bit and would be saying wear the white more often
I'll be honest
and say that my opinion of the helmets did a dramatic 180 after the bama game.
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