This seems one of those TURNING POINT, watershed moments in the post Meyer-and-Everyone/EveryTHING Else era. Thought it'd be a good time to give us all a place to comment on all the ways that strikes us to be (or NOT be?) the case...
Hey, how bout THIS?:
(1) It is being suggested, based on observable events, behind-the-scenes whispers and the public comments of Ed Ogeron in response to questions postgame, that Fournette, who by all signs and accounts pregame WASN'T going to play in this one (according to the same analysts AND the team-connected "whisperers" mentioned above was planning on sitting out in order to avoid risking FURTHER injury that might jeopardize his NFL draft-status), changed his mind just before the game BECAUSE OF A RUN-IN WITH ONE OF THE GATOR ADs during that not-quite-brawl during warm-ups an hour before kickoff.
Obviously everything worked out for us no matter WHAT the real story is there, but even at just maybe 70% and even then gone by final "crunch time", you KNOW it boosted their chances with him being a part of the action: So y'all think maybe Mac'll be having a little "talk" with that AD? I can't tell from the video who really provoked who there, but Coaches have to be cool, if anything disarming in that kind of situation. Play off it all, psych your guys up as necessary before and during the game--but KEEP IT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. You just DON'T wanna be a bad example to your guys, or worse yet some kind of motivator/red-flag-to-a-bull to their star player--especially when he looked to be otherwise inclined towards sitting the game out.
Again, at THIS point what Gator wants to change ANYTHING in the whole sequence that began with the sun rising Sat. morning in Baton Rouge?!! But if we WERE telling this story after Fournette had scored on 4th and 1 there at the very end, well, we might all be cooking up the tar'n'feathers for that AD now.
Instead I'm making jokes about it.
Yep, and instead of just another brick in the wall of depression and slow death that seemed to be looming ever closer as we came INTO this game, tonight I am feeling enormously better about it all.
(2) As FOR that "NEXT game", I don't wanna shake off this nice buzz of hope (well, and Crown Royal Black too) I got goin' here even now, at 1am Sun morning, but I honestly don't feel like I'm doing that, or HAVE to, in facing and sharing my current overall attitude about this year's edition of our annual confrontation with the cross state rival: We can beat them--our D is better, significantly so--and our offense just needs to make some plays it is capable of, keep running and maybe a little more progress and relaxed-confidence from our QB, just going with skills he DOES have...Do all THAT and we do, we BEAT 'em--maybe even pretty soundly.
In short, we COULDA folded our tent, thought, planned and PLAYED "try not to lose (at least not badly)" Muschamp-style football, take the first turn down "Lose-out Road"--but we didn't. Instead our guys (Coaches, players, everyone associated with the program top to bottom) just did whatever they could, whatever they had to--and now we find ourselves on a different trip, a different FUTURE altogether. And this one's got a whole different storyline.
We probably DON'T "win out", but like our team, we get to keep trying, even believing that we can and at least still MIGHT. That's a huge change, big step forward.
So I'M looking forward to you guys chiming in--on this and/or anything else that strikes you about this win and its significance (if any) to this season and/or the Gator Big Picture.
Hey, how bout THIS?:
(1) It is being suggested, based on observable events, behind-the-scenes whispers and the public comments of Ed Ogeron in response to questions postgame, that Fournette, who by all signs and accounts pregame WASN'T going to play in this one (according to the same analysts AND the team-connected "whisperers" mentioned above was planning on sitting out in order to avoid risking FURTHER injury that might jeopardize his NFL draft-status), changed his mind just before the game BECAUSE OF A RUN-IN WITH ONE OF THE GATOR ADs during that not-quite-brawl during warm-ups an hour before kickoff.
Obviously everything worked out for us no matter WHAT the real story is there, but even at just maybe 70% and even then gone by final "crunch time", you KNOW it boosted their chances with him being a part of the action: So y'all think maybe Mac'll be having a little "talk" with that AD? I can't tell from the video who really provoked who there, but Coaches have to be cool, if anything disarming in that kind of situation. Play off it all, psych your guys up as necessary before and during the game--but KEEP IT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. You just DON'T wanna be a bad example to your guys, or worse yet some kind of motivator/red-flag-to-a-bull to their star player--especially when he looked to be otherwise inclined towards sitting the game out.
Again, at THIS point what Gator wants to change ANYTHING in the whole sequence that began with the sun rising Sat. morning in Baton Rouge?!! But if we WERE telling this story after Fournette had scored on 4th and 1 there at the very end, well, we might all be cooking up the tar'n'feathers for that AD now.
Instead I'm making jokes about it.
Yep, and instead of just another brick in the wall of depression and slow death that seemed to be looming ever closer as we came INTO this game, tonight I am feeling enormously better about it all.
(2) As FOR that "NEXT game", I don't wanna shake off this nice buzz of hope (well, and Crown Royal Black too) I got goin' here even now, at 1am Sun morning, but I honestly don't feel like I'm doing that, or HAVE to, in facing and sharing my current overall attitude about this year's edition of our annual confrontation with the cross state rival: We can beat them--our D is better, significantly so--and our offense just needs to make some plays it is capable of, keep running and maybe a little more progress and relaxed-confidence from our QB, just going with skills he DOES have...Do all THAT and we do, we BEAT 'em--maybe even pretty soundly.
In short, we COULDA folded our tent, thought, planned and PLAYED "try not to lose (at least not badly)" Muschamp-style football, take the first turn down "Lose-out Road"--but we didn't. Instead our guys (Coaches, players, everyone associated with the program top to bottom) just did whatever they could, whatever they had to--and now we find ourselves on a different trip, a different FUTURE altogether. And this one's got a whole different storyline.
We probably DON'T "win out", but like our team, we get to keep trying, even believing that we can and at least still MIGHT. That's a huge change, big step forward.
So I'M looking forward to you guys chiming in--on this and/or anything else that strikes you about this win and its significance (if any) to this season and/or the Gator Big Picture.
