#21 Florida Gators

2010 Recap

John Brantley

Under Tim Tebow the Florida Gators were perennial National Title Contenders. Under John Brantley (Tebow's successor) the Gators were an average football team. Period. Going into 2010 the program and Gator fan base had high hopes for Brantley after shining in the spring game but it didn't take long for Gator fans to realize the drop off from Tebow was precipitous. The Gators barely managed a victory over Miami of Ohio in their season opener. Against the Red Hawks everything that could go wrong went wrong highlighted by a horrendous display of offensive fundamentals. The Gators proceeded to scrape by against weaker foes and began its downward spiral when it lost to Alabama, Mississippi State, and South Carolina in back to back to back weeks. The Gators finished the season 8-5 with a win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl.


Off-season and Recruiting

Will Muschamp

The Florida Gators received a mild shock with the second retirement of Urban Meyer in two years. Unlike his previous retirement and subsequent return the year before Urban Meyer has vowed to leave on his own accord voicing a desire to spend more time with his family. Meyer has since taken a position as an analyst among the ranks at ESPN.

Enter Will Muschamp. Former defensive coordinator and designated head coach in waiting at Texas Will Muschamp surprised all accepting the offer from the Florida Gators. Muschamp who grew up in Florida was a natural selection for the position despite his inexperience as a head coach. He quickly filled the vacant positions on the coaching staff with Charlie Weis (Former Notre Dame head coach and Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator) and Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator (Seattle Seahawks defensive line coach 09-10).

With the coaching staff in place Muschamp turned his efforts towards maintaining Urban Meyer's recruits and adding a few of his own to the 2011 recruiting class.

Jeff Driskel

Arguably one of the most important recruits Florida landed in the 2011 class is the nations #1 pro-style quarterback Jeff Driskel. The Oviedo, Florida star should prove to be the programs next starting quarterback possibly as soon as the 2011 season depending on how long the leash has been led for current starting quarterback John Brantley. Considering the hire of Charlie Weis who has always been known to favor a pro style offense it would be no surprise to see the coaching staff invest the future of the program in Driskel. Although Will Muschamp has all ready made it clear that incumbent John Brantley will be the starter for the 2011 season.


2011 Season Prediction
Like the Texas Longhorns the Gators are coming off a disappointing season followed by a massive turnover in coaches. The Gators season hinges on success from the quarterback position, whether it will be John Brantley or one of the other quarterbacks in the stable - including Jeff Driskel. Brantley will likely see success with the help of Charlie Weis who will install an offense much more geared towards Brantley's talents. The rest of the offense is stacked with athletes. The only question mark lies at the offensive line.

The Gators only return three starters on defense. Normally that would be considered bad news and while it is not ideal the players returning are all elite talents. The rest of the unit will hinge on the young and extremely deep pool of talent the Gators possess. Ronald Powell, Dominique Easley and Shariff Floyd all of whom were considered premier national prospects of the 2010 class.

CTSports predicts the Gators to finish the season with a record of 8-4. The reason they are placed here in the polls as opposed to teams ranked with a similar record is because the ceiling for this group is quite high. If all the chips fall into place the Gators could find themselves in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game.

2011 Schedule
Sep. 3 - Florida Atlantic
Sep. 10 - UAB
Sep. 17 - Tennessee
Sep. 24 - @Kentucky
Oct. 1 - Alabama
Oct. 8 - @LSU
Oct. 15 - @Auburn
Oct. 29 - Georgia
Nov. 5 - Vanderbilt
Nov. 12 - @South Carolina
Nov. 19 - Furman
Nov. 26 - Florida State