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The Back Nine comes at you after a weekend when Miami, Florida and Florida State all won. We never thought that would be a big deal.
10. It was very clear Billy Napier was hearing the noise and filtering it throughout the week. But he didn’t deviate from his plan to win and fortunately Florida was able to play a team that screwed up more than the Gators. Boy, they messed things up in Starkville and coach Jeff Lebby is going to need a long time to fix that mess. But that said, it was nice to see the Gators make so many big plays and put 45 points up without their best receiver. Florida completed all but two passes (which would be good against air) and 10 different players caught passes. “In a perfect world, that’s who we are,” Napier said.
11. Of course, it is not a perfect world and that literally could be the weakest defense Florida will play all season (Samford sold separately). Still, the offense kept coming up with answers and for once got some breaks like Austin Barber digging out that fumble in the end zone. The combined line for the two quarterbacks – 26-of-28 for 277. The 92.8 percent combined percentage is the best in Gator history.
12. But it also must be said the defense gave up almost 500 yards and had to rely on some Miss. State penalties to shut down drives. That is still a bad defense and that’s why it is difficult to be even cautiously optimistic about the next eight games of the season. That wasn’t exactly Tennessee or Texas it was going up against. The lack of physicality is still the biggest problem.
13. At least for a week we can relax a little and quit tracking flights. Napier said after the game “we are who we are.” Oh. I thought you were who you said you were in August. I know Napier is going to say they have to reevaluate things during this open week, but there has never been an indication of him making any drastic changes during an open week. Yep, they are who they are and it may be a rough October and November. We know this – Florida cannot lose this weekend.
14. Meanwhile, the SEC looked as unbalanced as ever. Tennessee vs. Texas feels like it could end up being the SEC title game, but the winner of this week’s Alabama-Georgia game moves to the top of the class. I tell you, watching the Vols play defense Saturday night made me think Tennessee may be doing the best job of using the new tools (NIL, portal, McDonald’s bags full of money) about as well as anyone. I still can’t figure out why Florida is so far behind everybody on the NIL except I still think it matters if you win games AND offer a ton of money.
15. Not a good week for Dr. Football on The Picks as a 2-3 record against the spread makes the overall record 10-8-1. That’s not good, but it’s better than being under .500. On to this week:
- The Game of the Century (Part 1 of four or five this season) is taking place this week in Alabama, where the tusks are loosa (old Groucho joke). Georgia is favored by 2.5 and I will take the slight favorite.
- FSU is coming off its first win of the season (Cal choked it away) and now has to go to Dallas to face a really good SMU team as a 4.5-point underdog. I’ll take the Ponies, who were big on NIL before it was legal.
- Colorado is at UCF and the Buffs are 11.5-point underdogs. We will watch to see what the Knights look like, but who do you root for in this one? I’ll take UCF with Prime’s guy having to get up early for the noon kickoff (10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time).
- Arkansas is getting 5.5 points at Texas A&M. You remember A&M, which isn’t as good as it looked in The Swamp. But I will take the Aggies and give the points.
- * Louisville is getting 4.5 points at Notre Dame in another one of those “kind of ACC” games. As much football as I have already watched, I haven’t seen more than two minutes of the Cardinals. So, I will take the Irish.
16. After tonight’s doubleheader, we will be through three weeks of the NFL season. And the parity is rampant. There are only five unbeatens and the only one I would give a chance of staying that way would be the Chiefs, but you know that one smelly game is coming. Seattle, Minnesota, Pittsburgh all unbeaten? Cats and dogs living together? The ’72 Dolphins can start chilling the champagne. Unfortunately, they will have to do it without Mercury Morris, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 77.
17. Alyssa Stuckey, come on down! The Gator volleyball star made her first appearance Friday after her devastating knee injury derailed last season for coach Mary Wise’s team. She started Sunday and had 32 kills. No big whoop. She is back in time for the start of SEC play Thursday when the Gators travel to Oklahoma, which was the hope all along. It’s about to get real. Let’s go!
18. After a decadent Saturday (my wife made delicious sausages and potato salad), I got out and played some golf and bragged about my team winning the Stop Children’s Cancer Tournament on Friday. It was all about experience. We had three people who could hit from the Seniors Tees. Here is my playlist:
- “Chosen to Deserve” by Wednesday, which is a nice combo of rock and country.
- “Bells and Whistles” by Bright Eyes.
- And for an old one, “Look Through Any Window” by The Hollies.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
