biggest concerns/confidence points going into the game

[starclassic tama]

my biggest concern hands down is our running game. if florida is able to shut down our run game ala texas, i think they have a great shot to win. i'm most confident in sam and the passing game, plus our o-line's ability to protect against the pass. our o-line has been great pass blocking, but run blocking they have not been quite as dominate. especially coupled with the fact that florida hsa trouble getting pressure (#36 in the country in sacks), and i think sam has a big day. defensively i think we are much better than everyone thinks we are, and we will pressure tebow over and over. the key defensively is our linebackers and secondary coming up and being physical in the run game and not letting huge gains happen.


BOOMER

[Curly Bill]

Based on recent bowl history if someone has a bigger concern then us experiencing another defensive meltdown then they haven't payed close enough attention.

[badger]

I put one confidence point on the game. I know - BAD badger! Sorry, I just don't know what to expect, but I did pick Oklahoma, so go OU and stuff. I believe that OU is the better team, I just think that it depends on which OU team shows up - the one that loses big bowl games, or the one that badly wants this to the point of sacrificing Miami fun.

So, my confidence point for OU.

[Dan Thompson]

I am not sure what to expect. I remember the TT and as we dismanteled them I kept saying, "I can't believe this is happenning" about 20 times.

I think there are going to be some major suprises in this game.

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm sure most the OU fans (including me) have a fear of history repeating itself in a bowl game. But that's just because we've been around so long. The players on this team certainly remember last year and some of them 2 years ago, but not most the starters. None of them had anything to do with the last title game, so this is new to them and the fear is mostly irrational.

Regarding a defensive meltdown, I don't share CB's concerns - we don't have any illusion this year that we are going to shutdown the other guy :) So if they just put up enough resistance so that the offense can out score them, they've done their job. So my fear is the offense coming out flat - if that happens, it could get ugly. I'd feel much better if DM were playing.

I know it sounds corny, but I just want the team to play well. I know that to many, that only can be true if we win. But UF is very good and that may not be true. I'm probably one of the few who think we played okay against Boise. A gutsy, 18pt 2nd half come-back was overshadowed by one bone-headed play on defense that allowed a last second hook-and-ladder to work. So playing well is in the eye of the beholder. To me it means doing the things you've done all year regardless of the pressure and if something goes the other way, you keep competing and never give up.

[P3 Gator]

OU's no huddle offense and rotating defensive packages.

[Sooner5030]

Loss of signal......I'll be pissed

[FirstandGoal]

I can't believe nobody has said this yet


Special Teams.


If the game were offense and defense only, we win this game easily because I am confident that our offense can score more than what our defense will allow the Gators to score. The reality of the situation though is that our offense is going to have to score more than our defense allows + what the special teams allows. I think it will be enough, but you never know.

[L-Boy]

From the Gators perspective concerns:

- Will Harvin be healthy enough to be a difference maker?
- How will UF's defense far vs by far the best Offense they have seen. I still can't help but remember that this D is only a year away from being pretty weak, and really hasn't faced much in the way of good offenses this year.
- Will Demps and Rainey be factors? Bama slowed them down considerably. I don't know that pure small inside speed works as well against better defenses - I think they will vs OU D, but I just don't know.
- UF gets 2 touchdowns behind in a shoot-out and panics, leading to uncharacteristic turnovers.
- No huddle - how will UF adapt to that?

[zman515]

I can't believe nobody has said this yet


Special Teams.


If the game were offense and defense only, we win this game easily because I am confident that our offense can score more than what our defense will allow the Gators to score. The reality of the situation though is that our offense is going to have to score more than our defense allows + what the special teams allows. I think it will be enough, but you never know.

Exactly. Number 1 concern is special teams. Even in the recent games where we didn't give up touchdowns, the special teams gave opposing teams wonderful field position the whole game. We will not have a chance if we are giving Florida the ball at the 40 every kickoff like we did against Missouri and Texas Tech.

The other worry is with Tebow running the ball. I don't think we do a very good job against running quarterbacks, especially when they can't find a receiver and have no other option.

Those are my two biggest worries. If neither of those two things kills us, I like our chances.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Turnovers is my number 1 concern; IF we win the turnover battle, i think we win the game quite handily; even or a minus and i think we are in trouble

[AlbqSooner]

Will we play to our ability? If we do, we win this game. End of discussion. Just ask TTech, Pokies and Booger's team.

As far as special teams, the lining on that cloud is that Florida has special teams about like ours.

Confidence point? Multiplicity of offensive sets without changing personnel.

Anybody else notice L-Boy's concession that they have not faced much in the way of good offenses this year? HEH!

[Jason White's Third Knee]

Special teams.

The field position aspect is something that we have lost sight of. I think we will score. I think they will score. Crappy field position will kill us. It just ruins efficiency.

If we let them run a friggin' punt or KO return back for a TD, we open up a huge can of worms. OUr D gives up yardage. That doesn't bother me because we create turnovers like a beast. However, if we give them great filed position, we have less opportunity to create those turnovers and Fla can capitalize.

In short, KICK THE DAMNED BALL THROUGH THE BACK OF THE ENDZONE, DAMNIT!

[soonermeteor]

Add another for special teams. I won't be able to watch our kickoffs and punts. I think we win that Texas game without the Shipley return. This is another game where one mistake like that will likely cost us a win.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

As far as special teams, the lining on that cloud is that Florida has special teams about like ours.




What? Fla has great special teams. Ours have given up massive chucks of yardage, not to mention points.

[Cappy]

Exactly. Number 1 concern is special teams. Even in the recent games where we didn't give up touchdowns, the special teams gave opposing teams wonderful field position the whole game. We will not have a chance if we are giving Florida the ball at the 40 every kickoff like we did against Missouri and Texas Tech.

The other worry is with Tebow running the ball. I don't think we do a very good job against running quarterbacks, especially when they can't find a receiver and have no other option.

Those are my two biggest worries. If neither of those two things kills us, I like our chances.

But we seem to do a pretty good on straight QB runs. The one thing in the past that has killed us are scrambles, which Tebow doesn't do as much. Most of the runs like Griffen from Baylor were once we had dropped back in coverage and he took advantage of it. His running doesnt bother me, but his scrambling might, if that makes sense. Just my thoughts and might not make sense to others though.

But yeah, special teams better come to play.

[P3 Gator]

What? Fla has great special teams. Ours have given up massive chucks of yardage, not to mention points.

For some reason recently, kick-off coverage has been suspect.

[Circle City Gator]

Will we play to our ability? If we do, we win this game. End of discussion. Just ask TTech, Pokies and Booger's team.

As far as special teams, the lining on that cloud is that Florida has special teams about like ours.

Confidence point? Multiplicity of offensive sets without changing personnel.

Anybody else notice L-Boy's concession that they have not faced much in the way of good offenses this year? HEH!

Huh? WTF are you talking about?

Your kicker missed a third of his attempts. Ours is over 90%.

Your best kick returner is out. Ours is one of the best in the country and is playing this week.

We blocked seven or eight kicks and punts this year. You?

Oklahoma punt returns- 8.29/
Oklahoma opponent punt returns- 5.44/

Florida punt returns- 14.41/
Florida opponent punt returns- 4.4/

Oklahoma punts- 36.37/

Florida punts- 42.79/

Florida field goals- 11/12

Oklahoma field goals- 8/12

Florida PAT- 78/79
Oklahoma PAT- 92/97

No, your claim about special teams is just silly. If this game comes down to field position or kickers, you lose. It might not, but if it does, well, you lose.

(just as an interesting aside, something else I saw in statistics- we have 25 interceptions to your 17, against fewer passes, but that's not the most interesting part. We returned our for more than twice as many yards, 527-251, and five times as many touchdowns, 5-1.)

[Jason White's Third Knee]

For some reason recently, kick-off coverage has been suspect.


Hmm. OU's has been the worst I've seen since the nineties. We weren't very good in the nineties. Good to know we might be a little closer.

[Mark_in_Tulsa]

Exactly. Number 1 concern is special teams. Even in the recent games where we didn't give up touchdowns, the special teams gave opposing teams wonderful field position the whole game. We will not have a chance if we are giving Florida the ball at the 40 every kickoff like we did against Missouri and Texas Tech.

The other worry is with Tebow running the ball. I don't think we do a very good job against running quarterbacks, especially when they can't find a receiver and have no other option.

Those are my two biggest worries. If neither of those two things kills us, I like our chances.

Can Moreland not kick it into the end zone?

[BoulderSooner79]

Huh? WTF are you talking about?
..gets all his stats out like some automaton...


Circle City, this is a thread about your biggest concerns. Either list yours or go to another thread.

[Hotrod3157]

Biggest concern is special teams. A few games this year I would have been happy if we had just kicked it out of bounds on kickoffs. The opponents were already returning it to the 40 yard line so might as well take the chance of them returning it all the way out of the equation. Another concern is the skill player speed of Florida and that is mainly because of what WV did last year.

My biggest point of confidence is our fast pace no huddle offense. It causes problems especially when you think you know how fast it is and then you play us and its even faster then what you expected. I also like our D-line and hope they will be able to get pressure but stay in their lanes to not allow Tebow to scramble.

[Circle City Gator]

Circle City, this is a thread about your biggest concerns. Either list yours or go to another thread.


I'm sorry, is there some rule that we can't respond to something somebody posts on this thread? Or is that a rule you're just making for Gator fans?

[Vaevictis]

(1) Special teams. Too many yards on returns, too many TD's on returns.
(2) What the hell, exactly, are we doing about the MLB position?
(3) Is Bob going to have another brain fart, ala 4th and 2, Texas hasn't been stopping our offense, and our defense hasn't been stopping theirs, let's punt!

[starclassic tama]

all you guys are right about special teams. for some reason that didn't pop in my head. we CANNOT let florida start from their own 40 or better every time we kick off

[ouleaf]

Agreed. Special teams are my biggest concern. It will be interesting to see if we can't get back to directional kicking again. It seemed like we had some success with that, when we would kick it towards the left side of the field, and then converge on that corner. We seemed to cover a little better that way, but for some reason got away from it at the end of the season. Does anyone else remember this?

Also, just worried a bit about the offensive timing with all the time off between the CCG and the NCG. Hopefully we can get in a rhythm early.

I think it was mentioned at the beginning of the thread being worried about our offense if florida can shut down the run. Normally I would be too. When you play against a great defense, if they can force you to become one dimensional, you are in for a long day. I don't think that is the case so much with our system this year. Even if they can stop the run, i think with the quick tempo and the fact that we can run out of so many formations with essentially the same personal for an entire drive helps our offense stay effective even if we have trouble running it.

Plus, if the passing game gets going, the running game should open up anyways. Although I'd much prefer it if we could establish a running attack first to set up the pass.

[BoulderSooner79]

I'm sorry, is there some rule that we can't respond to something somebody posts on this thread? Or is that a rule you're just making for Gator fans?

No rule. It would just be nice for a thread to not be turned into a "my dog's bigger than your dog" exchange by gator campers. The other 15 grillion such threads should be a big enough play pen for you.

[Leroy Lizard]

My biggest concern is whether the team has its head screwed on straight at the very beginning. I am worried that we will make a few horrible decisions and get behind early.

The team has been very tight at the start of its last bowl games.

[adoniijahsooner]

My biggest concern is whether the team has its head screwed on straight at the very beginning. I am worried that we will make a few horrible decisions and get behind early.

The team has been very unmotivated at the start of its last bowl games.

Fixed

From all appearances they are extremely motivated to get into tebow's butt. I am concerned that the refs will let the gators get away with mugging our recievers. Biggest confidence, is the O-line.