The Back Nine comes at you with a little bit of a meat hangover after being one of the judges at a ribs contest at Sweat Meats in High Springs. I know you are supposed to take one bite of each rib, but they were so good I couldn’t help …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s High Five: Florida Football’s Toughest 2025 Road Games
Fans all over the country like to complain about the schedules that are handed down by conferences in football each year. They are either too hard or too easy and never just right. I’ve talked a lot on The Tailgate with Jeff Cardozo about how much more difficult the 2025 schedule is …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Florida Basketball’s Depth On Display
The Back Nine comes at you after a cold weekend that required a lot of us to stay inside and watch all the great sports going on. It was taxing, but I made it. 10. It was kind of weird to see John Calipari coaching at Arkansas this weekend in …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Tough Lexington Loss, But Here Comes No. 1
The Back Nine comes at you after a weekend so chilly it felt like our three-day winter is coming right around the corner. 10. We knew it was coming. We knew this Florida basketball team was not going undefeated. And we knew that Rupp Arena can be both the quietest …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: An Enjoyable Bowl Season
The Back Nine comes at you after a wonderful holiday season and a wild and crazy bowl season: 10. Which, of course, is still ongoing. It feels like we have already seen it all during the bowls and now we settle in for the next round of the playoffs. Let’s …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Gator Nation Should Be In Great Mood
The Back Nine comes at you in a Christmas mood because of everything my wife does for the holidays and because it’s been a pretty good last few days around here. 10. Let us start with a Merry Christmas for everybody who reads The Back Nine or listens to my …
Read More »Dooley Grades The Gators: Florida Riding Momentum Into 2025
Pat Dooley, co-host of The Tailgate on WRUF, grades the Gators after their fourth consecutive win, a 33-8 victory Friday against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. OFFENSE: B- First half: If you are a fan of yardage and time of possession, the Gators graded …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Florida Men’s Basketball Off To Impressive Start
The Back Nine comes at you after another chill weekend. But it’s coming and I can’t wait. 10. I’m talking about the playoffs (plaaayyoffs?) and this is going to be historic. Or not. Friday will be the beginning of a new era, one that may last for a year …
Read More »Dooley’s Back Nine: What Happened To Strength Of Schedule In Selecting Gator Bowl?
The Back Nine comes at you now that we have adjusted to no Gators football or basketball games over the weekend: 10. Yeah, it was kind of weird, but free of tension in my house. The championship games were good and some were great and please don’t get rid of …
Read More »Pat Dooley’s Back Nine: Florida’s Patience Pays Off Against FSU
The Back Nine comes at you after another crazy week of college football, a Gator basketball tournament victory and plenty of flag-planting. 10. OK, I will get to the many disturbing scenes we saw on “Rivalry Weekend,” but let’s not diminish what the 2024 Florida team accomplished. I never thought …
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