Gator Losses at the Swamp

[GatorMarc]

Don't act like Florida is the norm, they aren't. No team immediately comes to mind that has both been an elite program AND refuses to play tough non-conference foes the way Florida does.

Ummmmm....They play FSU every year. Are they not tough? I know they have been down, but I would consider them a tough game for us so why not for them. They also play Miami several times a decade. Are they not tough?

Schools like Texas, Penn St, Okla, Ohio St,etc... don't have a permanant OOC rival. So that's the reason they play different schools. If Florida didn't have FSU and Miami I am sure they would be scheduling games just like the rest of these schools. I don't understand why the Gators don't get credit for playing FSU.

Oops... sorry for stealing most of your post.

[Big4]

Florida routinely finishes in the top 5 of the football programs that make the most money and finish in the black.  Some of that has to do with home games.  Back in the day, Florida dropped Miami from the schedule.  The argument has gone back and forth...due to money, due to their inability to beat Miami at the time.  Probably some of both and more of the latter. 

USF has had to go on the road to face most big teams because your program is 13 YEARS OLD. Imagine that...an upstart program from the state of Florida trying to make a name for themselves and escape the shadow of 3 other in-state schools that have a combined 10 national titles between them and have played in many other title games.  It's no surprise that you would play more ranked opponents on the road than a team that has won 3 titles in the last 14 years. 

Florida isn't the only big program in the country that plays more big games at their home.  The fact of the matter is also that Florida plays in the toughest conference in the country.  So, they won't always feel obligated to schedule one or two roadies to appease critics they don't care about.

You can make the "Tebow crying" comment all you want.  He won a Heisman and two SEC/NC championships and 3 BCS bowl games altogether...one against the champion of your conference last year.  Comparing our two programs is like apples and oranges. 

And yes, Jeremy Foley may not schedule those hard road FB games.  And call him a female body part if you wish.  But, save for the Zook hire 9 years ago, the guy has employed coaches that have won 3 titles in football, 2 in basketball, appearances in the CWS and countless other sports titles that routinely put Florida in the top 5/10 of the Directors' Cup standings.  So, suffice it to say...we'll leave the logistics up to him.

I applaud what you guys have done in such a short time and if you come in a give Florida a good game and manage to win...I'll be here first thing Monday morning to congratulate all of you on the win. 

I'll be here looking for you.

Good.  Then you won't be disappointed.  I have meetings in the morning.  Should be able to congratulate or console around 11:00 or so.  I wonder if the same can be said of you.  ;D

[gobulls83]

First, you'll remove the SEC component, then you'll remove FSU. Last, you'll cherry pick a single game from another team's schedule to show that it's better than the 1/4 of UF's schedule that we've decided UF is allowed to count.

I said nothing at all like this. I was commenting solely on UF's attitude toward traveling. I don't know any other team that takes this "we won't go outside our own state" stance. I didn't say any of those teams' schedules were overall tougher than Florida's, or that they weren't, only that they are more likely to schedule big OOC games. Miami this year is playing Pitt, Ohio State, and USF. Playing Florida State each year isn't the same thing for two main reasons: It's not even leaving the state, and Florida has been much better than Florida State since Meyer became the coach. This is the first year in a while in which it looks like the Seminoles MIGHT be a threat to win the game.

Last year, I think Florida had a cakewalk to the SEC title game, but it's the first year I'd say they really faced an easy schedule in a long time. They went on the road to beat an LSU team that I thought was seriously overrated, but even if LSU deserved to be in the top 10, that's still only one big opponent. In fact, I think Alabama and Cincinnati were the only two teams the Gators played last year who finished with fewer than four losses. I know nobody else in the SEC did. Sooner or later, relying on the SEC to provide UF with enough quality opponents isn't going to work forever. It's obviously worked for the past five years, but I think it's also obvious that that is changing.

[Big4]

First, you'll remove the SEC component, then you'll remove FSU. Last, you'll cherry pick a single game from another team's schedule to show that it's better than the 1/4 of UF's schedule that we've decided UF is allowed to count.

I said nothing at all like this. I was commenting solely on UF's attitude toward traveling. I don't know any other team that takes this "we won't go outside our own state" stance. I didn't say any of those teams' schedules were overall tougher than Florida's, or that they weren't, only that they are more likely to schedule big OOC games. Miami this year is playing Pitt, Ohio State, and USF. Playing Florida State each year isn't the same thing for two main reasons: It's not even leaving the state, and Florida has been much better than Florida State since Meyer became the coach. This is the first year in a while in which it looks like the Seminoles MIGHT be a threat to win the game.

Last year, I think Florida had a cakewalk to the SEC title game, but it's the first year I'd say they really faced an easy schedule in a long time. They went on the road to beat an LSU team that I thought was seriously overrated, but even if LSU deserved to be in the top 10, that's still only one big opponent. In fact, I think Alabama and Cincinnati were the only two teams the Gators played last year who finished with fewer than four losses. I know nobody else in the SEC did. Sooner or later, relying on the SEC to provide UF with enough quality opponents isn't going to work forever. It's obviously worked for the past five years, but I think it's also obvious that that is changing.

You have some valid points, but sometimes these "cakewalk" games they schedule way in advance aren't always that "easy" when they're being scheduled.  We scheduled Miami, OH after they won 11 games.  We scheduled the Miami games when they were still a very good team.  Yes, Miami travels to Pitt this year.  Maybe Pitt will be good, maybe they won't.  Good for them for traveling.  If UF has to start scheduling more teams OOC to get their chances to play in big post-season games...so be it.  But, so far those in control have seen fit to reward them with what they've done.  Can't really argue with the formula to this point.  If the SEC takes a downturn...guess they'll cross that bridge when they come to it.  As I said...let's wait a few games before we write the obituary for the entire conference. 

[GatorMarc]

I said nothing at all like this. I was commenting solely on UF's attitude toward traveling. I don't know any other team that takes this "we won't go outside our own state" stance. I didn't say any of those teams' schedules were overall tougher than Florida's, or that they weren't, only that they are more likely to schedule big OOC games.

Seriously?

I'll quote you to make it easier for you to see what you said.

"No team immediately comes to mind that has both been an elite program AND refuses to play tough non-conference foes the way Florida does."

Miami this year is playing Pitt, Ohio State, and USF. Playing Florida State each year isn't the same thing for two main reasons: It's not even leaving the state, and Florida has been much better than Florida State since Meyer became the coach. This is the first year in a while in which it looks like the Seminoles MIGHT be a threat to win the game.

I'm not sure what the deal is with the arbitrary requirement to leave the stadium. It's a helluva lot harder for Florida to go on the road to FSU than a lot of other OOC venues we could go to. And regularly, Florida plays in some of the toughest venues in the country in the conference schedule.

It's pretty clear that you are attempting to do just what you claimed to not... remove all of the tough games from UF's schedule, ignore that UF plays a tough schedule, and then make the claim that they do not.

Last year, I think Florida had a cakewalk to the SEC title game, but it's the first year I'd say they really faced an easy schedule in a long time. They went on the road to beat an LSU team that I thought was seriously overrated, but even if LSU deserved to be in the top 10, that's still only one big opponent. In fact, I think Alabama and Cincinnati were the only two teams the Gators played last year who finished with fewer than four losses. I know nobody else in the SEC did.

You are right in that UF's schedule last year was easier than most years, and probably our easiest in decades. And with that our schedule strength fell all the way to 15 according to Sagarin.

Florida's 3 national championships were won with the #1, #1, and #2 most difficult schedules. If you look through history at past national champions, I doubt you'll find very many who won while playing the toughest schedule in the nation.

Sooner or later, relying on the SEC to provide UF with enough quality opponents isn't going to work forever. It's obviously worked for the past five years, but I think it's also obvious that that is changing.

I just want to clarify something.

You now want to discuss how weak UF's future schedules could be hypothetically if the teams we play aren't as good?

That's quite a stretch. You realize that, right?

[UFkingsof2006]

In all honesty, why does UF need to travel out of state for tough OOC games?  Because the media wants us to?  Because fans of other teams want us to?

UF plays in the best conference in the country.  Check.

UF plays a pretty challenging schedule every season.  Check. 

The schedule is good enough to where an undefeated season or a 1-loss season put you in a very good spot for the BCS national chamiponship game (this isn't an opinion, the last 4 seasons prove this as a fact with UF, LSU, UF and Bama playing for and winning the NC).  Check.

UF makes a ton of money every year and is able to cover all expenses, operate in the black, endow its scholarships, fund expansion and renovations of its facilities, pay its coaches very well, and even contribute $5-6 million per year to the university fund.  Check.

College athletics are a big-time business.  All of the points above are both facts and justifiable, sound business decisions. 

Anyone care to give an opinion as to why UF should travel out of state for OOC games that has more merit than the points stated above?