Tuesday, August 28, 2007

SEC Preview, Part 7: The Gators will be disappointing


UF


Overview: After slipping into the national championship game last season, the Gators will take a step back in 2007. A team that was able to squeak out enough victories to get the job done last year must replace the entire defense and break in a new QB.

Florida certainly has the talent to make it back to the Atlanta. According to rivals.com, their last three recruiting classes average ranking is six.

Offense: This will be the real strength of this team. However, I will be curious to see how Tebow does as starter who must throw more than one pass a game.

Defense: While they will be talented, the defense must replace several key players. The defense is what made Florida such a dangerous team last season which is exactly why they will struggle this season.

Lamar’s key to a championship:

1. Does this team have a solid defense? SPLIT DECISION. It is too early to tell if this team will have a solid defense. With the loss of so many players it will be difficult. It will be even more difficult if they have to spend a lot of time on the field when the offense struggles or when they score quickly.

2. Can this team run the ball? YES. They have a very good offensive line and should be able to run the ball much more effectively than they did a year ago.

3. Does this team have a proven QB? NO. While Tebow may have all the talent in the world, he has not proven he can be an every down QB.

Conclusion: The lack of experience on defense will be enough to drop FL from the top of the SEC East down toward the bottom. They will lose the games they were able to pull out of a hat a year ago.

Lamar’s Pick: FL will have an overall record of 8-4 with a 4-4 record in the SEC. They will finish fourth in the SEC East. They will defeat Ole Miss, Kentucky, UGA, and Vandy. They will lose to Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, and South Carolina.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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