I just don't get it

#1
volmanbill

volmanbill

The future is bright
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#1
Can someone explain why the gators are picked by 95% of the so called experts this week? I don't mind at all that the Vols are 3.5 pt dogs at home ( I guess that would be 6.5-7 at a neutral site), but what is this based on? Look at the numbers; Passing yds UT-315.5 uf-347, rushing yards UT-147.5 uf 173.5, Points per game UT-33 uf-37. So yes, the numbers are slightly better for uf but lets be real, the competition is vastly weaker that the gators played. On the other side of the ball, the Vols have not allowed a single sack and the gators have only managed to make 2. UT is no longer a one trick pony that can't both run and throw.

It just seems to me there isn't a logical explanation for so many prognosticators to be picking the reptiles. Are our injuries that much of a factor?
 
#2
#2
I'm not sure bill, it could be their inflated rankings at the start of the season, but something tells me it was the Air Force game. Half of the so called "experts" didn't even watch that game, they just saw the score.

One thing I do know is that I can read your post from across the room. :)
 
#4
#4
The media loves them mostly I think because when most people think of Florida, they think of wide open offense, great athletes and speed. I think they always have the potential to be great, but nobody seems to care that they haven't won big in several years. Plus, since we play them so early, they are top 10 almost every single time we play them.
 
#5
#5
My guess is the UT/Air Force game.
UT was a 20 pt favorite going in.
Then losing 2 defensive starters to injury during the game.
 
#6
#6
when our defense looked the way we did against air force, it is pretty easy to see why everybody is picking the gators.:whistling:
 
#7
#7
I think their offense is all smoke and mirrors that is able to obliterate poor defenses but not top level SEC defenses like yalls. Hit em hard early and get 100,000 plus bourbon soaked Orange fans into it and Leak will lay down like Paris Hilton in the back of a limo.
 
#8
#8
oklavol said:
My guess is the UT/Air Force game.
UT was a 20 pt favorite going in.
Then losing 2 defensive starters to injury during the game.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that also. Most people who didn't pay much attention to the Air Force game are going to automatically think that our defense is in trouble.
 
#9
#9
It may be a red state / blue state thing in that Florida is a liberal state and the media, for the most part, is liberal and therefore are anti-red state and thus are against Tennessee which was a red state in the last election. Or perhaps that has nothing to do with it and the sports writers just don't have enough time to watch and study every team so they make a decision based on just a score without ever knowing the details behind the score.
Hmmmm.........(Can you tell I'm bored at work?)
 
#12
#12
I'd go with the theory that UT was picked to beat AF by 20 and ended up winning by 1 while giving up a lot of offense to AF.

Though AF and UF's offenses are quite different, many of that 95% looks at the line score of the UT-AF game and surmise that UT's defense must not be very good, while seeing that UF has been putting up a lot of points this year while giving up very few and make their judgement based on that.

I'll agree that informed folks would want to look more deeply than that. Some folks just look at the fact that UF has beaten the spread in both games, while UT was well ahead of the spread on one, and well behind it on the other. UF is viewed, going into this game, as being more consistent.

Hopefully UF will be viewed the same way coming out. :)
 
#13
#13
obxvol said:
It may be a red state / blue state thing in that Florida is a liberal state and the media, for the most part, is liberal and therefore are anti-red state and thus are against Tennessee which was a red state in the last election. Or perhaps that has nothing to do with it and the sports writers just don't have enough time to watch and study every team so they make a decision based on just a score without ever knowing the details behind the score.
Hmmmm.........(Can you tell I'm bored at work?)
Click to expand...
Just to point out, Florida has been the state that handed George Bush the last two presidential elections. His brother is the governor. Not sure exactly how that makes Florida a liberal state.
 
#15
#15
hatvol96 said:
Just to point out, Florida has been the state that handed George Bush the last two presidential elections. His brother is the governor. Not sure exactly how that makes Florida a liberal state.
Click to expand...


At least once, literally.
 
#17
#17
volmanbill said:
Can someone explain why the gators are picked by 95% of the so called experts this week? I don't mind at all that the Vols are 3.5 pt dogs at home ( I guess that would be 6.5-7 at a neutral site), but what is this based on? Look at the numbers; Passing yds UT-315.5 uf-347, rushing yards UT-147.5 uf 173.5, Points per game UT-33 uf-37. So yes, the numbers are slightly better for uf but lets be real, the competition is vastly weaker that the gators played. On the other side of the ball, the Vols have not allowed a single sack and the gators have only managed to make 2. UT is no longer a one trick pony that can't both run and throw.

It just seems to me there isn't a logical explanation for so many prognosticators to be picking the reptiles. Are our injuries that much of a factor?
Click to expand...

95% of those yahoos said Cal would whoop us too...
 
#18
#18
SWIL said:
95% of those yahoos said Cal would whoop us too...
Click to expand...


Actually, I don't think that's right. I know I predicted you to win and I actually cannot think of a single person I know who thought Cal could win that game. But at any rate, I don't really think 95% of the bookmakers think Florida will win. If that were so, I suspect that the line would be a lot higher than it is. But I do agre with the main point, which is that no one knows for sure what will happen until the game is underway.
 
#19
#19
hatvol96 said:
Just to point out, Florida has been the state that handed George Bush the last two presidential elections. His brother is the governor. Not sure exactly how that makes Florida a liberal state.
Click to expand...

wasnt Ohio the deciding state in the '04 election?
 
#20
#20
lawgator1 said:
Actually, I don't think that's right. I know I predicted you to win and I actually cannot think of a single person I know who thought Cal could win that game. But at any rate, I don't really think 95% of the bookmakers think Florida will win. If that were so, I suspect that the line would be a lot higher than it is. But I do agre with the main point, which is that no one knows for sure what will happen until the game is underway.
Click to expand...

Every single talking head I watched, with the exception of Herbstreet and Corso, said Cal would win.
 
#22
#22
Hat

I was thinking mainly of Gainesville South. The panhandle is fairly conservative while the further south you go, the more liberal it gets. You are correct though in the fact that Florida was a Red State in the last two elections, but based on current polls, I doubt they would be today. Just some "funny" insight.
 
#23
#23
LetMeStay said:
wasnt Ohio the deciding state in the '04 election?
Click to expand...


You could actually say just about any state that Bush won was the deciding factor. It was so close that Arkasnas or Tennessee or Oklahoma or KY, OH, or a number of other states could very well have swung the election. But Floridians are so dumb that it takes them a lot longer to count the votes. :lolabove:
 
#24
#24
SWIL said:
Every single talking head I watched, with the exception of Herbstreet and Corso, said Cal would win.
Click to expand...
Did Mark May pick the Gators? He's a UF hater, and is always drooling over Florida State and Auburn. Todd Blackledge doesn't like us either, but I didn't see who he picked. Look, with our un-proven running game and still fragile O-line, this game is going to be close. I just hope that both teams bring their best. I hate when one of these games is lost because of mistakes or let downs. I may have hated being beat by that 50+ yard field goal two years ago, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that was a great football game!
 
#25
#25
GAVol said:
The media loves them mostly I think because when most people think of Florida, they think of wide open offense, great athletes and speed. I think they always have the potential to be great, but nobody seems to care that they haven't won big in several years. Plus, since we play them so early, they are top 10 almost every single time we play them.
Click to expand...

could not have said that better myself. the media loves to talk about the huge athletic talent overall in that state, which isn't overhyped or anything, but they always go with florida in this game partly because of that fact.
 
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