Florida - I hear ya, but I just dont see it...

[Alum81]

Re-watched the bedlam game. We've been hearing about how great Florida's defense is (which is all I'm worried about because, quite honestly, I'd rank Florida's offense right there with OSU when pumped up, and Tech before the OU loss and we outscored those teams easily).

I just don't see anybody stopping our offense - except ourselves and we haven't done that at all this year.

OSU was playing a home game in prime time and they were playing over their heads. Coverage was tight all night long, yet Sam was throwing perfect placement passes over and over and over. So, Florida, i hear ya that you have more speed on defense than we've seen all year long and your going to shut us down, I just don't believe it after seeing with my own eyes what our offense does time after time after time after time!

(and texas fan, shut up - its no longer all about you)

[catsigater]

If I were a Sooner Fan, I'd probably think the same thing (except for that Leroy Lizard dude). Bradford has consistently displayed surgical precision this season. The Gators simply have to get in his face and disrupt his rhythm. I think they'll be able to, but that's going to be the key.

That and special teams.

If our D is as good as advertised, they'll still have to play their best game of the season. It'll be up to the coaching staff to make that happen.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

If I were a Sooner Fan, I'd probably think the same thing (except for that Leroy Lizard dude). Bradford has consistently displayed surgical precision this season. The Gators simply have to get in his face and disrupt his rhythm. I think they'll be able to, but that's going to be the key.

That and special teams.

If our D is as good as advertised, they'll still have to play their best game of the season. It'll be up to the coaching staff to make that happen.


Haven't you been banned yet?

Dang it.

[catsigater]

Haven't you been banned yet?

Dang it.

:les: CONFRONTATIONAL!

[delhalew]

If I were a Sooner Fan, I'd probably think the same thing (except for that Leroy Lizard dude). Bradford has consistently displayed surgical precision this season. The Gators simply have to get in his face and disrupt his rhythm. I think they'll be able to, but that's going to be the key.

That and special teams.

If our D is as good as advertised, they'll still have to play their best game of the season. It'll be up to the coaching staff to make that happen.

I don't think I've commented on this. Gators occasionally say they need to pressure Sam and get him out of rhythm, which makes sense.

The thing is I don't think you can. I've noticed nationally there is a perception that Sam hasn't been pressured. This is not so. Or rather only in so as, Sam does not feel pressure. Its the damndest thing I've ever seen.

Honestly, If anything messes with Sam rhythm, I think it will be: TV timeouts, replay in the booth, penalties, things like that. I'm a little worried about the fact that I have been seeing hitting that is outside of legality in the Big 12. Targeting of QB's late and helmet to helmet. Sam isn't afraid to take a lick, but there is a reason the coaches dont encourage him to run. He is capable, but he's tall and a little lanky.

Anyway dont expect to see the iceman sweat, even if he spends half the game on his ***.

[catsigater]

I don't think I've commented on this. Gators occasionally say they need to pressure Sam and get him out of rhythm, which makes sense.

The thing is I don't think you can. I've noticed nationally there is a perception that Sam hasn't been pressured.

But that's not what I said, nor is it my perception. I said we need to pressure him and get him out of rhythm. When I said "surgical precision", I meant that to convey my appreciation not only for his natural skills, but his performance under pressure.

We can't just chase him out of the pocket and think that will be enough. We'll have to disrupt him by forcing him to hurry and to make throws he doesn't want to throw. That means our DBs will have to cover long enough for the DL to actually hit him from time to time.

I have no illusions as to how difficult this will be, but if the Gators cannot do what others have failed to do, Bradford will beat us.

I don't know how many times he's been knocked down or really hurried, this year, but in the games I saw, it wasn't apparent he was. He knows exactly where his receivers are at almost any given instant and has that internal clock all great QBs have, so he gets rid of the ball before the defender has a chance to lay wood to him.

But I don't think we're going to fluster him (which is not the same thing as disrupting his rhythm). Anyone who's watched him at all this year knows he has icewater veins.

Saying you're going to rattle Bradford is as dumb as saying your going to make Tebow "fear for his safety", (which I've heard on this board). It's not in either's nature.

[adoniijahsooner]

Funny I have seen at least 5 touchdowns with Sam getting hit while he is throwing the ball.

[delhalew]

Right, I'm sure you knew I didn't get the impression you were taking him lightly. You've been here long enough for me to know better.

I can tell when he is hurried because he step up or rolls out and dumps off to a TE or RB(or just throws it away). He has taken a sack or two, but you know all about the OL. Its really crazy to me that I can count his bad decisions on one hand.

Just for tit for tat...I have this disturbing image of anyone of your rushers starting in the backfield and strolling down the field while we over persue and arm tackle, but I don't think our d will allow that this game.

One of us is gonna be wrong about something.

[GG84]

I wonder what the mood is going to be like on this board if we win. There's a bunch of different directions we could go here:

1. Disbelief (Florida wasn't really the better team, we just picked this game of all games to play our worst).

2. Rarr I hate Bob Stoops and it's all his fault.

3. OMG the refs totally screwed us.

4. Florida was actually the better team.

I'll say 75% will go with #1; 10% #2; 10% #3; 5% #4.

[delhalew]

I'm hoping for a game with no more than one OMG the refs screwed us moment and hopefully not in the final minutes.

[P3 Gator]

I wonder what the mood is going to be like on this board if we win. There's a bunch of different directions we could go here:

1. Disbelief (Florida wasn't really the better team, we just picked this game of all games to play our worst).

2. Rarr I hate Bob Stoops and it's all his fault.

3. OMG the refs totally screwed us.

4. Florida was actually the better team.

I'll say 75% will go with #1; 10% #2; 10% #3; 5% #4.

If we lose, at least there won't be any fire Dan Mullen threads over on GS.

[Sooner13]

I don't doubt that UF may put some pressure on Sam. Thing is, I don't know that it will make that great of a difference. I believe TCU put more pressure and hit Sam more than any team all year and he still threw for 411 yards and 4 TDs. All this coming before we got the ground game going....

[delhalew]

Stoops would have to implode completely to fall out of our good graces. We have criticism from time to time but no off with his head moments. Venabals catches a lot more of that.

[Vaevictis]

If the refs totally screw us, I'll go with that. We're a little gunshy on that, being that we've been totally buggered by the refs in the past few years, including a couple of instances where clearly blown calls literally were the difference between winning and losing.

Barring that, I personally don't think either team is grossly superior to the other -- play 100 times, and one side will win 50-60 games, the other 40-50. Push. So I'll probably go with the winner was the best team that day.

[L-Boy]

Re-watched the OU-OSU game. We've been hearing about how great Florida's defense is (which is all I'm worried about because, quite honestly, I'd rank Florida's offense right there with OSU when pumped up, and Tech before the OU loss and we outscored those teams easily).

I just don't see anybody stopping our offense - except ourselves and we haven't done that at all this year.

OSU was playing a home game in prime time and they were playing over their heads. Coverage was tight all night long, yet Sam was throwing perfect placement passes over and over and over. So, Florida, i hear ya that you have more speed on defense than we've seen all year long and your going to shut us down, I just don't believe it after seeing with my own eyes what our offense does time after time after time after time!

(and texas fan, shut up - its no longer all about you)

So basically you are saying you are thinking that UF is not any materially better than Okie St or TT both offensively and defensively. If that were true, then sure, OU wins. However, I doubt there are many outside of the Sooner nation that think the Gators are on the level of Okie St or TT.

The UF offense may be on par with OSU or TT, but I would argue its more balanced and consistent. OSU and TT have been partially shut down, UF really hasn't (Ole miss to a degree). The UF defense is a LOT better than those two, at least as good as Texas. OU CAN be contained with a good defense, to a degree, ala TX and TCU. So can UF contain OU, enough to outscore them, yes they most certainly CAN, IMHO. WILL they? We shall see.

[soonervegas]

As someone posted earlier:

#5 Brent is still averaging giving up over 40 ppg in BCS games. Why won't Bob do something?!?!

That will be what you will hear if you win.

[Alum81]

So basically you are saying you are thinking that UF is not any materially better than Okie St or TT both offensively and defensively. If that were true, then sure, OU wins. However, I doubt there are many outside of the Sooner nation that think the Gators are on the level of Okie St or TT.

The UF offense may be on par with OSU or TT, but I would argue its more balanced and consistent. OSU and TT have been partially shut down, UF really hasn't (Ole miss to a degree). The UF defense is a LOT better than those two, at least as good as Texas. OU CAN be contained with a good defense, to a degree, ala TX and TCU. So can UF contain OU, enough to outscore them, yes they most certainly CAN, IMHO. WILL they? We shall see.

No, if you read my post, you'll see that basically I'm saying Florida's offense is NO BETTER than OSU and TT WHEN WE FACED THEM! Certainly I think Florida's defense is better than either of those, however, can Florida outscore us? THAT is really the only question to be answered on 1/8!

[L-Boy]

No, if you read my post, you'll see that basically I'm saying Florida's offense is NO BETTER than OSU and TT WHEN WE FACED THEM! Certainly I think Florida's defense is better than either of those, however, can Florida outscore us? THAT is really the only question to be answered on 1/8!

I disagree. I think UF offense is better than OKst or TT. Against an average or worse defense, on a good day, OKst or TT may run up as many or more yds and pts as UF, but I think UF has more versatility and balance on offense - they can grind it out too if they have to. I don't see UF offense folding like TT vs OU or Baylor and OSU vs Oregon. Oregon D just wore poor Robinson down. That is not going to happen to Tebow. Plus UF RARELY turns the ball over, certainly much less that TT or OSU.

In its simplist form, yes, UF has to outscore OU to win the game. No argument there :D

[texas bandman]

I wonder what the mood is going to be like on this board if we win. There's a bunch of different directions we could go here:

1. Disbelief (Florida wasn't really the better team, we just picked this game of all games to play our worst).

2. Rarr I hate Bob Stoops and it's all his fault.

3. OMG the refs totally screwed us.

4. Florida was actually the better team.

I'll say 75% will go with #1; 10% #2; 10% #3; 5% #4.

FIRE VENABLES! :D

[soonervegas]

I think OSU and Floridas O are very, very comparable. Good lines, shifty runners, speedster receiver (although UF may have two) and a QB that likes to run. I do not expect OU to give up 41 to florida though but if we do UF will win.

And here in may lie the key to OU's chances, we have played an O similiar to yours, you have NOT played one similar to ours. How quickly UF can adjust will be a key.