My Gator World

The 2000 Florida Gators football team was led by passionate unapologetic coach Steve Spurrier, who built the program into a powerhouse over the course of the 1990s. Going with Jesse Palmer at quarterback, Spurrier put together a very formidable squad that was able to finish the season with 10 wins and only three losses.

They hammered two non-conference opponents before feasting on the SEC, including convincing wins over the Auburn Tigers in midseason and in the conference championship game. The Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Florida Gators football team is one of the most powerful dynasties in college sports.

In 1999, coach Steve Spurrier was in his tenth season of his tenure as the Gators’ head coach. The Gators started the season with a four game winning streak, handily defeating Western Michigan, Central Florida, and Kentucky while pulling out a two point victory against #2 Tennessee. Their first loss came on October 2nd to #21 Alabama, where they were defeated in an overtime thriller. The Gators’ ranking dropped from #3 to #8 following that loss. The Gators then Read the rest of this entry »

The Florida Gators were one of the most dominant teams in college football in the 1990s. They had a world class coach and world class talent that helped them win. During this time they were coached by former Heisman Trophy winning Florida Gators Quarterback Steve Spurrier. They won 6 conference championships in the SEC and one National Championship during this time.

1998 was a very successful year for the Gators. They went 7-1 in the conference and 10-2 overall.Additional information can be found at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/777645-2011-florida-gators-football-7-games-that-could-be-blowouts. They Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh off a National Championship the previous year, the 1997 Florida Gators began the season ranked 2 in the country. In head coach Steve Spurrier’s eighth season, the Gators started strong winning its first five games by an average of 36 points. As a result of their early dominance, the Gators were working on their third week in a row of being the 1 team in the country when they played SEC rival LSU. Florida ended up losing a close game on the road 28-21 and its top ranking.

Florida would lose again two weeks later in the game known as “The Read the rest of this entry »

The 1996 Gators were led by head coach Steve Spurrier to their first consensus National Championship. It was one of the University of Florida’s most thrilling seasons. They only lost one game to non-conference rival the 2 ranked Florida State Seminoles. It was the final regular season game and the Gators lost by just three points. The loss was avenged in the Sugar Bowl as the Gators defeated the then 1 ranked Seminoles to claim the National Championship. Read the rest of this entry »

The Gators have been strong the last few years, so strong in fact that you haven’t had to tune into a direct.tv satellite channel to watch them – they’re on basic cable! But this year’s going to be a tough year and some of the SEC’s other teams are shaping up nicely. Here’s a look at some of the Gator’s biggest competitors to watch in the SEC…
Georgia Bulldogs – One of the oldest and strongest rivalries in football the GA/FL game is set to be Read the rest of this entry »

The success for Florida coaches over the past 2 decades is well documented, save for the less than prosperous Ron Zook era. With the unfortunate news for Gator fans that Urban Meyer is stepping down (the second time in two years such an announcement has been made), a new age of Gator football is set to begin. After evaluating potential candidates to take over one of the most sought after gigs in the country, the University of Florida decided to hire Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, already named as Mac Browns eventual successor would he have waited out the clock in Austin.What’s Good About This Hire?Having played football at the University of Georgia in the early 90′s, then served successful stints as defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn, Muschamp is very familiar with the SEC brand of football. He knows what it takes to play and coach in the toughest conference in the country. Not to mention, it also says a lot about the state of the Florida program that Muschamp, firmly entrenched as a high paid assistant and coach-in-waiting at Texas would be willing to leave another of the nation’s top football schools in its own right. With that said, Mack Brown is expected to be in charge in Texas for some time (though perhaps less if he endures more years like this one), so whether Muschamp truly feels Florida is a better opportunity or was merely subject to wearing patience is open to interpretation. After all, it wasn’t long ago Muschamp called the Texas Longhorn head coaching job “THE elite job in the country,” a statement that either excites Florida fans about their ability to lure him away or paints Muschamp in the likeness of Bobby Petrino, Benedict Arnold, Judas, and other self-driven scumbags in history.Question Marks? Read the rest of this entry »

As the 40,000 some-odd students plan to head back to classes in Gainesville this fall, one young man entering his 4^th year of college probably has more butterflies in his stomach than the collective legion of aspiring sorority girls lined up on Norman Field come bid day. For most students, by the 4^th year of college, they’ve established at least somewhat of a routine, whether it be waking up at noon on the basement couch of a can & bottle-littered fraternity house or perhaps swinging by a local coffee house to get a fresh cup of joe before heading over to your morning lab. Whatever the case, by year 4, it’s not likely to expect a large scale shift in normalcy. For John Brantley, however, life is about to change, not in a winter to spring type shift, more of a universe-shaping big bang lifestyle realignment.As a redshirt junior (read: 3^rd year of eligibility, 4th actual year for more casual fans), Brantley inherits arguably the most high profile quarterback job college football has ever seen. Sure there was Tee Martin taking over for Peyton Manning in 1998, who won a National Championship for the Volunteers by the way, but few quarterbacks have ever been so beloved by the local community or such the infatuation of mainstream media as the recently NFL-bound Tim Tebow. Can you name another 25^th overall draft pick to set a draft record for jersey sales or pace the entire NFL in jersey sales the month after draft day? Not since Johnny Moxon took over for an injured Lance Harbor for the West Canaan Coyotes has one player been thrust into a more direct spotlight from a backup role. Read the rest of this entry »

With the Gators making an almost predetermined appearance in the SEC title game in 3 of the last 4 seasons, the SEC is anticipating a conference wide shakeup going into the 2010 season, particularly in the East where no team stands on confidently solid ground. Here’s a look at how the conference could play out over the course of the season, with the top spot undisputedly going to defending national champsAlabama (2009 conference record: 8-0) Returning not only a BCS Championship Trophy but a Heisman Trophy to further clutter the well-decorated shelves down in Tuscaloosa (actually the Heisman is the first of its variety for the Crimson Tide), Mark Ingram and company look to once again wreak havoc on opposing front lines trying to tackle the freight train style offense Alabama greases the tracks for up the middle. As long as quarterback Greg McElroy can manage to hand off the ball and throw the occasional long ball in the general direction Julio Jones (don’t worry, he’ll catch it), he should once again enjoy the easiest starting gig in quarterback history.Arkansas (2009: 3-5) It’s almost laughable that the Razorbacks are among the top billed team from historically the nation’s premiere conference, but so goes a down year for the SEC. The Razorback’s do feature Ryan Mallett, the top rated quarterback in the conference, who could prove to follow in the footsteps of former Bulldog Matt Stafford on his way to a lofty draft status. Read the rest of this entry »

In what looks to be somewhat of a rebuilding year for the Gators, and a down year for the SEC East in general, Florida will need major contributions from a bevy of first year starters and newcomers to the team if they are going to pose a legitimate threat to climb the conference ranks once again this year. On the heels of a Sugar Bowl victory (soured only by a loss to Alabama that would’ve sent the Gators to the BCS Championship), having become the first team in Division I history to notch consecutive 13-win seasons, Florida now faces a time of uncertainty that it has successfully eluded the program over the course of the Urban Meyer era. Shockingly announcing his retirement after the Sugar Bowl win, Urban Meyer sent Gator Nation into panic though thankfully the panic was short lived. Within 48 hours, Meyer softened his position on his proposed absence, instead opting for the more soft spoken “leave of absence,” taking time off to focus more on his family and health issues. Fortunately, Coach Meyer’s health issues, later disclosed to be a non-life threatening heart muscle defect, have apparently subsided as he will once again find himself holding the clipboard and headset on the sidelines in Gainesville come September. Meyer resumed full coaching duties in March, just 2 months after his big announcement, with plenty of time to conduct spring practice and welcome first-time Gators to The Swamp. Read the rest of this entry »