How Do You Feel About Moving the Florida Game?

How Do You Feel About Playing Florida in October?

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#1
TNHopeful505

TNHopeful505

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#1
Obviously, the Florida game is moved from it's traditional spot. Normally they are our first shot at an SEC win, but this year, that's not the case. This year, we'll have 4 games under our belt before the Gators come to Knoxville.

We will have played Utah State, Arkansas State, Oklahoma and Georgia before the UF game.

UF will have played Idaho, Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, and Alabama, and will be coming off an off week when they meet us.

Overall, how do you feel about the move in the schedule? Do you feel it's a good thing, as we'll have faced some more formidable opponents and have a better feel for what we've got, or do you think that the move gives the Gators more time to prepare for us?
 
#3
#3
I'm fine with it. I don't think Florida started to be the first SEC game until 1996.

Between 1992 and 1995 we played Georgia first anyways
 
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#4
#4
By the way, this will be only the second time since 1996 that Tennessee has NOT played Florida for it's first SEC game. The other time was 2001.
 
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#6
#6
It may be a good thing to move it. If we had played them later in the year last year, we might have had more confidence/better game plan. Turns out they sucked but we treated them like they were conference title contenders that we should expect to lose to.
 
#7
#7
in hindsight, there are years where playing an opponent earlier or later would have been an advantage.

but, you can't really know it at the time.

in 2013, if the game had been later it would have helped tennessee.

this year, i think the game being played later actually helps florida.

by and large, these kind of things are overblown. generally, the better team wins and the better team is usually the better team in september, october, and november.

not always the case, but usually is.
 
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#8
#8
Florida has always enjoyed a scheduling advantage over us by playing them so early. They play two cupcakes and show nothing in doing so while we usually play one good OOC game allowing them to see more of our schemes.

We get screwed in scheduling because so many of our SEC east opponents play ACC rivalry games at the end of the year. This causes us to have to cram all the tougher opponents together in the middle of our schedule leaving us Vandy and UK at the end.
 
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#9
#9
99gator said:
in hindsight, there are years where playing an opponent earlier or later would have been an advantage.

but, you can't really know it at the time.

in 2013, if the game had been later it would have helped tennessee.

this year, i think the game being played later actually helps florida.

by and large, these kind of things are overblown. generally, the better team wins and the better team is usually the better team in september, october, and november.

not always the case, but usually is.
Click to expand...

Don't y'all get the pleasure of playing Alabama two weeks prior. Granted you do have a bye after them heading into us, but this is the first year in a while that we can almost guarantee Florida to have been exposed prior to playing us whereas we like to expose ourselves against the UCLA'S, UC's, OU's, and Oregon's of the world prior to playing you. Will be interesting to see how each team reacts.
 
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#11
#11
I always hated playing UF first sec game. They'd play 2 cupcakes then UT for their first real test. We'd usually play 1 cupcake and 1 tough non conference game, then play fla.
 
#13
#13
My knee jerk reaction is that it won't matter at all, Florida just beats Tennessee regardless. Guess it can't hurt that it's played later this year. God knows playing them early hasn't worked out.
 
#14
#14
MSME Vol said:
Don't y'all get the pleasure of playing Alabama two weeks prior. Granted you do have a bye after them heading into us, but this is the first year in a while that we can almost guarantee Florida to have been exposed prior to playing us whereas we like to expose ourselves against the UCLA'S, UC's, OU's, and Oregon's of the world prior to playing you. Will be interesting to see how each team reacts.
Click to expand...

Played Miami in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2013.

Played Texas a&m in 2012.
 
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#15
#15
ntxVOL said:
Florida has always enjoyed a scheduling advantage over us by playing them so early. They play two cupcakes and show nothing in doing so while we usually play one good OOC game allowing them to see more of our schemes.

We get screwed in scheduling because so many of our SEC east opponents play ACC rivalry games at the end of the year. This causes us to have to cram all the tougher opponents together in the middle of our schedule leaving us Vandy and UK at the end.
Click to expand...

Id rather play UK and Vandy at the end of the year than some of those ACC rivals like Clemson, Florida St and Georgia Tech.
 
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#17
#17
I like it by the time we play them some of our young guns will have grew a little plus we will have already played the Sooners and Bulldogs so they wont be deer in the head lights they will be ready to kick there azz even in the old days I wanted to play them later than the second or third game we will beat there azz this year mark it down book it the streak will come to a end and we will be dancing in the streets late into the night the day we play the gators cant wait to end the streak and party all night long like the good old days.:dance2:
 
#18
#18
99gator said:
in hindsight, there are years where playing an opponent earlier or later would have been an advantage.

but, you can't really know it at the time.

in 2013, if the game had been later it would have helped tennessee.

this year, i think the game being played later actually helps florida.

by and large, these kind of things are overblown. generally, the better team wins and the better team is usually the better team in september, october, and november.

not always the case, but usually is.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I think it will benefit both teams to work out the kinks before this match up takes place.
 
#19
#19
ntxVOL said:
Florida has always enjoyed a scheduling advantage over us by playing them so early. They play two cupcakes and show nothing in doing so while we usually play one good OOC game allowing them to see more of our schemes.

We get screwed in scheduling because so many of our SEC east opponents play ACC rivalry games at the end of the year. This causes us to have to cram all the tougher opponents together in the middle of our schedule leaving us Vandy and UK at the end.
Click to expand...

We play them at the end of the season because of traditional rivalries that historically have always been played at or near the ends of seasons. It has very little to do with the other schools playing rival teams they have in the ACC.
 
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#20
#20
On a side note, I'm glad that Vanderbilt was moved back as the last game of the season (where it was before the 2002 scheduling format changes).

Also I feel better a little better about having Missouri sandwiched between Kentucky and Vanderbilt games, rather than after that Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina all in a row.
 
#24
#24
Auburn was the 'traditional' first SEC game for years before the split. Didn't like playing them first either.
 
#25
#25
It definitely can't hurt. Obviously mixing things up with an opponent you have lost 9 straight times to can't be any worse than what it was previously
 
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