There's really no other way to describe last week's game. Disaster. Here's a rundown of the key portions of the game, and my thoughts on a lot of topics that have come up since...
Ole Miss is decent. Not great, but not terrible. And probably one of the better teams we played. But the turnovers were ridiculous. We outgained them if you check the box score. But we did not play well. Losing a game like this, especially at home, is completely inexcusable. That being said, if we turn it around, we can still go to Atlanta. Play like the last game indicates we won't, but the first 3 games had me thinking we would. I'll let you know in 2 weeks. Lastly, we could still lose to LSU, beat Georgia, and be in the driver's seat for Atlanta by beating those upstart East teams (we'd need help by Vandy, UK eventually dropping a game... but let's just say I expect that to happen.)
I love our team as much (probably more) than anyone else- but what is our best win since the Ohio State stomping? UT or UK last year? What is our best win this year? Miami? Not that Ole Miss is a win to point to, but it still got me thinking about this.
Where did all these turnovers come from? I partially blame myself, for thinking 'I wonder what the record is for longest without a turnover? Has anyone gone an entire season? What's the record for fewest?'. I purposely did not speak these questions before the game, but it turns out even thinking them probably jinxed us. My bad. Yet another reason why, after the game, I texted several of my friends and said 'I regret every word I wrote'. So much for me dismissing Ole Miss as a 'trap game'.
Every week is huge for college football. I get actually nervous, and it never really lets up until the game is over. It's probably stupid of me. That being said, I take the results OK. The things that bother me are the way we are to each other after a loss. Some of us at gatorsfirst.com have conversed with the BSXtravaganza (of moderate youtube fame), and I don't think I've said anything their way to anger them. The biggest thing to me, is wearing Gator gear around makes me a target for trash-talking, usually from people who have no business doing it. So I've been trying to take myself out of these situations, most notably after barely avoiding a fight at a random party (out here in Dallas, at a Texas fan's house) after Auburn 2006. I get stupid comments from fans with no allegiance, or from teams whose fans should have nothing to say. It's one thing to be in Tempe, talking up your team over Ohio State, to Ohio State fans... or in Jacksonville, looking around, remembering why Georgia is your most hated rival, and making fun of the fact they lost to Ron Zook (twice!). It's quite another if I were to walk up to a random Texas A&M fan in Albertson's, and ask them about Arkansas State. That's asking for trouble. And I want no part of either side. Which is why, as the clock ran down on the Ole Miss game, all I thought about was the pregame comments from Arkansas or Georgia fans (the two games I'm attending this year). Some amount of ridicule is expected, even welcome, but as more years are between the present and my college years, I worry more about being in these potentially violent situations. I'm not sure if I'm artciulating this well, because part of the glory of college football is the passion, and I love the back-and-forth with other fans- but at some point there is a line. And more often than not, I'm trying to just stay out of it, because I worry college football has gotten to be a big enough sport where many "fans" don't understand the line. Or maybe it's that with Florida's rise to national prominence, we've picked up bandwagon fans, and they've treated other fan bases terribly, and I'm bearing the brunt by continuing to wear Gator gear so often. I still love ridiculous insults on gameday signs, stupid cheers at football games, and all that stuff. I'm going to keep dishing it out- and I'll certainly take it an equal amount. But there is a point that some of it is stupid, right? Like if you talk bad about my team, it's legit for me to question your credibility by referencing your team, correct? Example: Q: 'I don't think your team is that good, Miami played them close'. A: '1) Miami game wasn't really close, they were never in danger of scoring and 2) you are wearing a Razorback jersey. Let's decide this on Saturday, and if we house you, how are you going to argue we're not that good. Just go away.' Anyways, I just wanted to get some of these thoughts out there- and see what everyone else thought.
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