12-0 BABY.....I can't believe I saying this but I am (OLD ENOUGH) to remember being unbeaten against OU in the OB back I believe it was 1979. The first football game (College or pro) that I have been to. I remember going down to SW 8th street where now the Marlin Baseball Stadium sit and watching FSU vs. OU....Went back to back years. One of the seasons FSU was unbeaten and trying to win a national title.
One thing we found out last night is winning is not easy....And winning all 12 games on your schedule is even harder. Alabama went down to a final play on 4th and 30 to beat Auburn who lost to New Mexico State the week ago. You had Washington have to resort to a trick play on 4th down inside their own 30 to win the Apple Cup. You had Georgia going the distance with GT....Seminoles fans should be ecstatic.
Moving forward....I think I may not start watching FSU games until halftime....This team just loves to come out slow and wait till the 2nd half to dominate their opposition...It helps to play a UF team that played with a ton of emotion in the 1st half. Once the emotion is gone...The better team /with the better players won.
QB- Tate - there were highs and lows but the reality is Tate had his moments and that is all you can ask for in a kid's first real start against a rival / trying to keep an unbeaten season intact. Can't worry about the future outside of the next two games....If there are things that I would like to see him improve on is 1) Get rid of the ball quicker, 2) trust the players around you (Bell/Coleman/Wilson/Benson). He showed his toughness when UF decided to deliver a kill shot. That was a BS play. Slides four yards early of the stick...CLEARLY was sliding and the Gator defenders tried to knock him out. Tate deserves credit he did not fold. I do think they need to get Tate outside of the pocket more...he seems to do well rolling out and throwing the ball.
RB-Trey Benson - Warrick Dunn, Dalvin Cook, Sammy Smith....sure there are a couple I am missing....Trey is quickly moving up the list of ALL-TIME Greats. He will have moments where you get frustrated with him. Last night Benson was needed and his three touchdown runs were impressive. Benson is a big time playmaker. He not only can pick up yards, his ability to create big plays is huge. He gets his big plays from pounding the rock. Eventually the defense does not want to tackle him anymore.
WR/TE-Wilson's play really made a difference. On the first TD drive down 12-0 it was Wilson who made the key grab. Jakhi Douglas had a real nice grab which was key. Coleman was a non-factor as receiver. His punt return was big. I expected more out of these guys as UF secondary has struggled....I know many want to blame Tate but the receivers did not play well either. Morlock struggled to block. On one of the TD runs it was Jackson West who had a key block...He earned a scholarship tonight.
OL -FSU offensive line is what it is at this point of the season. They are not very good. It can be injuries....it can be multiple things. Most of the issues that Tate had were because of the guys up front. I think the major issue is TALENT...Guys like Julian Armella are elite as is Early. Once these guys get in you will see more consistency and guys dominating. I also feel a guy like Simmons at Tackle will make a major difference next year. It is time for FSU to develop HS guys on the OL...They have plenty of guys up front who were recruited...Next year they need to step up.
DL-Jared Verse/Patrick Payton - This duo is for real....They were special last night. If they play like that, FSU defense is tough to go against. The DL does give up some runs at time. UF center did have some moments in the first half. UF Center Jake Slaughter was recruited by FSU. He was from Trinity Catholic. Believe he may have even been committed to FSU at one point. Fiske had a nice play on the first drive....he took on a double team, fought it off and had a tackle for loss. Verse was flat out unblock able last night. Crazy that UF tried to cover him with a tight end at some point. Verse through the first quarter looks like an NFL 1st Round Pick (Top Ten Pick)....He dominated. 1st TD drive for UF....Verse lived in the backfield. Damian George for UF never wants to see this man again. Lovett went right through the Gators OG.....
LB-Deloach got caught out of position at times early on. He was caught looking into the backfield and Gators took advantage of it. This was not one of the better games by the linebackers. The LB's on the Gators first touchdown were nowhere to be found. Deloach and Bethune did not do well early on vs. Gator QB. These guys need to trust their eyes. They were out of sync in first half.
DB-Jarrian Jones...Wow...he's come a long way. He is one of the most improved players. This is a kid that obviously had the physical talent...Mentally he was way behind. His tackle behind the line of scrimmage was text book. Even when he gets beat the kid is in position to make plays. Akeem Dent may have not lived up to his five star ranking...but he has turned into a very good starter at FSU. Green got beat off the line early. Shyheim Brown and Dent were both leaders in tackles...That can't be the case as FSU moves on. I would like to know what Akeem Dent did on that sack to warrant a penalty. I guess you can't blitz and tackle a quarterback. That play gifted UF a TD....I never complain about refs but you wonder if that Ref had +6 and the Gators. That Ref should be reprimanded by the ACC....
ST-Fake Punt....great call...Once the clock was running down MN may have wanted to call a TO....The Gators had no clue what was coming. Coleman had a nice punt return....The kicking game was on point again. Overall they have played pretty well this year.
Final Thoughts: A win is a win in a game like this. You saw all day yesterday how tough rivalry games are. Fans want to blow their rivals out...I get it. The Gators played one of their better games this year and still lost by 9. It shows you how good this FSU team is. Moving forward.....Louisville just lost to a UK team that their coach was thinking about leaving, they are one dimensional and honestly have not played a very tough schedule. I feel that FSU is a bigger, more physical team and have the better players....In the end...FSU will make the playoffs and most likely get UGA in round 1....
Polls....
1. UGA - They struggled yesterday against Tech....I do think they are beatable. They have a very good team but of all of Kirbys team in the playoffs this is not the best one....
2. Michigan - I am a big Michigan fan...8 PLUS MINUTES left in the game yesterday and they ate up over 7 minutes of the final quarter and basically ended the game. Michigan has the best OL in the country...and used it yesterday.
3. FSU - I feel FSU does not get enough credit. I saw one guy on ESPN last night have them 6 or 7 and being left out.....Why, if they are unbeaten they deserve to be in....
4. Washington-Washington is a REALLY good football team. They are also very well coached. As I have said with FSU...It is tough to be unbeaten. It would not shock me to see them beat Oregon against next week.
5. Oregon - They get their shot at revenge next week. Oregon vs. Washington should once again be a battle.
6. Texas - They just had their most impressive win this weekend...While Texas Tech is not great...Texas dominated them.
7. Alabama - I will give Bama credit for winning but what the hell was Auburn doing. How do you allow a team on 4th and forever get that pass off...Two man rush...Seriously...bring some pressure. You can't allow the QB to sit back there for ten seconds and get a pass off to a receiver who is single covered...Alabama won’t be so lucky next weekend.
8. Ohio State- I have not been solid on Ohio State all season....Michigan now owns this Buckeye team...They know they are tougher and when the game is on the line....They can’t beat them. Ryan Day is a very good coach but their fans are getting restless.
9. Missouri - This is a team not many will want to play in a bowl game. Luther Burden is one of the best receivers in the country. Their RB is a stud....he had 200 yards rushing in the first half.
10. Penn State - They are once again a ten win team. They have a defense that dominates. Their QB will end up very good. They will return the best backfield in the nation next year.
11. Oklahoma - They finished strong. Ten wins in year two for BV....Can you imagine them playing LSU in a bowl game...They both may score 100.
12. Arizona- Jedd Fisch has done a great job. They dominated ASU yesterday. Game was never close. This is a team that does not have a ton of top end talent. They are just playing great right now.
13. Ole Miss- This team is similar to Ohio State...All hype - no substance. Not sold on this team.
14. LSU- They have a really good offense....Their defense is equally bad. LSU would play for a National Title this year if they were even average on defense.
15. Notre Dame - They had tough schedule and ended up having a good season. They are not elite but ND is a top 15 team.....
Best of the rest....
Oregon State
Iowa
Tennessee
Oklahoma State
Liberty
Tulane
One thing we found out last night is winning is not easy....And winning all 12 games on your schedule is even harder. Alabama went down to a final play on 4th and 30 to beat Auburn who lost to New Mexico State the week ago. You had Washington have to resort to a trick play on 4th down inside their own 30 to win the Apple Cup. You had Georgia going the distance with GT....Seminoles fans should be ecstatic.
Moving forward....I think I may not start watching FSU games until halftime....This team just loves to come out slow and wait till the 2nd half to dominate their opposition...It helps to play a UF team that played with a ton of emotion in the 1st half. Once the emotion is gone...The better team /with the better players won.
QB- Tate - there were highs and lows but the reality is Tate had his moments and that is all you can ask for in a kid's first real start against a rival / trying to keep an unbeaten season intact. Can't worry about the future outside of the next two games....If there are things that I would like to see him improve on is 1) Get rid of the ball quicker, 2) trust the players around you (Bell/Coleman/Wilson/Benson). He showed his toughness when UF decided to deliver a kill shot. That was a BS play. Slides four yards early of the stick...CLEARLY was sliding and the Gator defenders tried to knock him out. Tate deserves credit he did not fold. I do think they need to get Tate outside of the pocket more...he seems to do well rolling out and throwing the ball.
RB-Trey Benson - Warrick Dunn, Dalvin Cook, Sammy Smith....sure there are a couple I am missing....Trey is quickly moving up the list of ALL-TIME Greats. He will have moments where you get frustrated with him. Last night Benson was needed and his three touchdown runs were impressive. Benson is a big time playmaker. He not only can pick up yards, his ability to create big plays is huge. He gets his big plays from pounding the rock. Eventually the defense does not want to tackle him anymore.
WR/TE-Wilson's play really made a difference. On the first TD drive down 12-0 it was Wilson who made the key grab. Jakhi Douglas had a real nice grab which was key. Coleman was a non-factor as receiver. His punt return was big. I expected more out of these guys as UF secondary has struggled....I know many want to blame Tate but the receivers did not play well either. Morlock struggled to block. On one of the TD runs it was Jackson West who had a key block...He earned a scholarship tonight.
OL -FSU offensive line is what it is at this point of the season. They are not very good. It can be injuries....it can be multiple things. Most of the issues that Tate had were because of the guys up front. I think the major issue is TALENT...Guys like Julian Armella are elite as is Early. Once these guys get in you will see more consistency and guys dominating. I also feel a guy like Simmons at Tackle will make a major difference next year. It is time for FSU to develop HS guys on the OL...They have plenty of guys up front who were recruited...Next year they need to step up.
DL-Jared Verse/Patrick Payton - This duo is for real....They were special last night. If they play like that, FSU defense is tough to go against. The DL does give up some runs at time. UF center did have some moments in the first half. UF Center Jake Slaughter was recruited by FSU. He was from Trinity Catholic. Believe he may have even been committed to FSU at one point. Fiske had a nice play on the first drive....he took on a double team, fought it off and had a tackle for loss. Verse was flat out unblock able last night. Crazy that UF tried to cover him with a tight end at some point. Verse through the first quarter looks like an NFL 1st Round Pick (Top Ten Pick)....He dominated. 1st TD drive for UF....Verse lived in the backfield. Damian George for UF never wants to see this man again. Lovett went right through the Gators OG.....
LB-Deloach got caught out of position at times early on. He was caught looking into the backfield and Gators took advantage of it. This was not one of the better games by the linebackers. The LB's on the Gators first touchdown were nowhere to be found. Deloach and Bethune did not do well early on vs. Gator QB. These guys need to trust their eyes. They were out of sync in first half.
DB-Jarrian Jones...Wow...he's come a long way. He is one of the most improved players. This is a kid that obviously had the physical talent...Mentally he was way behind. His tackle behind the line of scrimmage was text book. Even when he gets beat the kid is in position to make plays. Akeem Dent may have not lived up to his five star ranking...but he has turned into a very good starter at FSU. Green got beat off the line early. Shyheim Brown and Dent were both leaders in tackles...That can't be the case as FSU moves on. I would like to know what Akeem Dent did on that sack to warrant a penalty. I guess you can't blitz and tackle a quarterback. That play gifted UF a TD....I never complain about refs but you wonder if that Ref had +6 and the Gators. That Ref should be reprimanded by the ACC....
ST-Fake Punt....great call...Once the clock was running down MN may have wanted to call a TO....The Gators had no clue what was coming. Coleman had a nice punt return....The kicking game was on point again. Overall they have played pretty well this year.
Final Thoughts: A win is a win in a game like this. You saw all day yesterday how tough rivalry games are. Fans want to blow their rivals out...I get it. The Gators played one of their better games this year and still lost by 9. It shows you how good this FSU team is. Moving forward.....Louisville just lost to a UK team that their coach was thinking about leaving, they are one dimensional and honestly have not played a very tough schedule. I feel that FSU is a bigger, more physical team and have the better players....In the end...FSU will make the playoffs and most likely get UGA in round 1....
Polls....
1. UGA - They struggled yesterday against Tech....I do think they are beatable. They have a very good team but of all of Kirbys team in the playoffs this is not the best one....
2. Michigan - I am a big Michigan fan...8 PLUS MINUTES left in the game yesterday and they ate up over 7 minutes of the final quarter and basically ended the game. Michigan has the best OL in the country...and used it yesterday.
3. FSU - I feel FSU does not get enough credit. I saw one guy on ESPN last night have them 6 or 7 and being left out.....Why, if they are unbeaten they deserve to be in....
4. Washington-Washington is a REALLY good football team. They are also very well coached. As I have said with FSU...It is tough to be unbeaten. It would not shock me to see them beat Oregon against next week.
5. Oregon - They get their shot at revenge next week. Oregon vs. Washington should once again be a battle.
6. Texas - They just had their most impressive win this weekend...While Texas Tech is not great...Texas dominated them.
7. Alabama - I will give Bama credit for winning but what the hell was Auburn doing. How do you allow a team on 4th and forever get that pass off...Two man rush...Seriously...bring some pressure. You can't allow the QB to sit back there for ten seconds and get a pass off to a receiver who is single covered...Alabama won’t be so lucky next weekend.
8. Ohio State- I have not been solid on Ohio State all season....Michigan now owns this Buckeye team...They know they are tougher and when the game is on the line....They can’t beat them. Ryan Day is a very good coach but their fans are getting restless.
9. Missouri - This is a team not many will want to play in a bowl game. Luther Burden is one of the best receivers in the country. Their RB is a stud....he had 200 yards rushing in the first half.
10. Penn State - They are once again a ten win team. They have a defense that dominates. Their QB will end up very good. They will return the best backfield in the nation next year.
11. Oklahoma - They finished strong. Ten wins in year two for BV....Can you imagine them playing LSU in a bowl game...They both may score 100.
12. Arizona- Jedd Fisch has done a great job. They dominated ASU yesterday. Game was never close. This is a team that does not have a ton of top end talent. They are just playing great right now.
13. Ole Miss- This team is similar to Ohio State...All hype - no substance. Not sold on this team.
14. LSU- They have a really good offense....Their defense is equally bad. LSU would play for a National Title this year if they were even average on defense.
15. Notre Dame - They had tough schedule and ended up having a good season. They are not elite but ND is a top 15 team.....
Best of the rest....
Oregon State
Iowa
Tennessee
Oklahoma State
Liberty
Tulane
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