yea.... you get the sense from some of the players tweets that practice................. didnt go so great yesterday.
On Tue, Aug 16, 2011 at 8:35 AM, JunoGator <[email protected]>wrote: > *Commentary: SEC doesn't need to expand, but the lure of greater riches > will probably persuade it to do so* > > By* **DAVE > GEORGE<http://www.palmbeachpost.com/services/staff/dave-george-15326.html> > **Palm Beach Post * > > The SEC doesn't need to upgrade its brand in football, not after five > consecutive national championships and 78 years of seismic Saturday > tradition. > > So why does Texas A&M keep hanging around the golden gates of America's > most powerful conference, begging for admission despite an 0-5 record over > the last decade against SEC teams and risking ridicule if its plea > ultimately goes unanswered? > > Because eventually it will happen, and for money reasons alone. It is > delusional, in fact, to imagine that any other reason matters in 2011. > > That's why SEC Commissioner Mike Slive was in College Station, Texas, last > summer in the midst of the larger conference realignment tremor that sent > Nebraska to the Big Ten, among other things. Nothing came of that meeting, > at least not instantly, but the talks never stopped, and neither has the > Aggies' struggle to break free from the Texas Longhorns' interplanetary > gravitational pull. > > If the SEC moves from 12 teams to any larger number, even the awkward and > temporary total of 13, it will be time to renegotiate its $30 billion TV > package with ESPN and CBS. Since that gargantuan 15-year contract was signed > in 2009, the Big Ten and the Pac-12 have done even better by beefing up > their membership, and Texas has formed its own TV network, too. > > The SEC could live with that, but it won't. Too much power in the product. > Too much ego in the DNA. > > So we're back to A&M, a program that brings SEC-sized passion without the > immediate threat of pushing any of the traditional SEC powers off their > pedestals. > > Florida, a charter member of the SEC in 1933, wants no part of FSU or even > Miami joining the conference and thus negating the Gators' most elitist > recruiting pitch. Likewise, South Carolina can be counted upon to try to > blackball Clemson, and Georgia to vote against Georgia Tech, if ever the > rest of the league took a hard look at any of these schools. > > The Aggies, though, are a perfect fit. They represent more money for > everybody by bringing in the Houston and Dallas TV markets. They open the > state of Texas and all of its recruiting riches to greedy SEC coaches. Best > of all, A&M is no desperate threat to anyone at the moment, with four losing > seasons in the last 10, and another at 6-6. > > Florida's Bernie Machen understands the wisdom of keeping the Aggies in > play. Speaking on behalf of SEC presidents and chancellors Sunday, he issued > this statement: > > "We recognize ... that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand > the number of institutions in our league." > > Here's how Big 12 Commissioner Don Beebe read Machen's statement. "It's > sufficiently ambiguous and open-ended to suggest that activity is going to > continue," he said, and activity did continue Monday with Texas A&M regents > giving unanimous authorization for their school president, R. Bowen Loftin, > to take any action involving the Aggies' conference alignment. What's more, > Loftin told reporters after the vote that he's had off-and-on conversations > with Slive over a period of weeks. > > Most likely it's down to a legal dance now, with the SEC not wanting to be > sued or otherwise penalized for actively trying to recruit A&M from the > vulnerable Big 12. > > Overall, I'm more convinced this summer than last that SEC expansion will > come by 2013 at the latest, if only to reopen the TV deal. > > The SEC doesn't need to upgrade its brand, but it won't sit back forever > and let other conferences shape the world that it means to own. Forever. For > all the money, too. > > > *NCAA Football Preview - Florida Gators* > > *BY PAT TAGGART, SPORTS NETWORK THE SPORTS NETWORK* > > Down the stretch, the Gators won three of their final five regular season > games, leaving them with an unthinkable total of five losses heading into an > Outback Bowl matchup with Penn State. The Gators won that game by a 37-24 > final, but Meyer decided to walk away from the program and make room for a > new leader. > > While many names were rumored as Meyer's replacement, Florida decided that > Will Muschamp was the best man for the job. The active coach in waiting at > Texas under Mack Brown, Muschamp decided it was in his best interest to jump > at the opportunity to take over a big-time SEC program rather than wait out > Brown for that Big 12 gig. > > 2011 ANALYSIS: > > OFFENSE: Perhaps the most high-profile move Muschamp has made as the head > coach at Florida has been bringing in Charlie Weis as offensive coordinator. > > "I hired Charlie to run the offense," said Muschamp of Weis. "I've got > great confidence in what he's going to do, what we want to be offensively, > what I've identified we want to be offensively to be successful." > > Weis, of course, gained notoriety as the offensive coordinator of the New > England Patriots during their Super Bowl years, and he helped mold Tom Brady > into an NFL legend. It remains to be seen if Weis can get the best out of > current Gators' quarterback John Brantley, back for his second season at the > helm. The senior threw just nine touchdown passes with 10 interceptions a > year ago, and has many Florida fans longing for the Tim Tebow days. > > There is no doubt that talent exists at the skill positions, and there is > plenty of speed at tailback with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. A pair of > undersized burners, both have the ability to score every time they touch the > ball. At receiver, Deonte Thompson has the best numbers of all the > returnees, logging 38 receptions for 570 yards a year ago. > > Keep an eye on Jordan Reed at tight end and Tre Burton at fullback, as both > converted quarterbacks bring plenty of versatility and talent to the > offense. > > DEFENSE: The bad news for Florida is that only three defensive starters are > back in the fold. On a positive note, many of last year's backups who now > step in as starters have plenty of game experience to draw upon. > > There are three sophomores along the defensive line that figure to make > some noise. Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley are both solid run stoppers > with some pass rush ability, and Donald Powell can bring pressure off the > edge. > > The defensive backfield was dealt a blow when standout corner Janoris > Jenkins was dismissed from the program after being arrested twice in a > three-month span. Jeremy Brown is now the club's top corner, but he doesn't > have the pedigree of Jenkins, who was among the best players in the SEC at > his position. > > Muschamp is a defensive coach who demands that his players match his > intensity. The Gators do not seem to have many elite defenders in the fold, > but the level of effort will most assuredly be high. > > SPECIAL TEAMS: Chas Henry was the best punter in all of college football > last season, and he will undoubtedly be missed. A freshman figures to take > over the duties, and that is obviously concerning. Caleb Sturgis returns > from injury to be the club's placekicker. As for the return game, Rainey > will use his speed to bring back punts. > > OUTLOOK: Muschamp is smart enough to know that completely revamping a > program that experienced so much success under Meyer would be a mistake. > > "I think more than anything, if it's not broke, don't fix it," said the new > coach. "Urban did a phenomenal job, he and his staff. They did some great > things that we're going to continue to do." > > There is no reason to believe that Muschamp will fail, as he has the > pedigree and the work ethic that leads to success. However, another > five-loss season is likely for 2011, as the Gators simply lack the talent > necessary to challenge the top squads in the SEC right now. > > > *Florida Gators working on improving mentally* > > *BY MATT WATTS MIAMI HERALD WRITER* > > GAINESVILLE -- Although coach *Will Muschamp *is pleased with the effort > and the lack of serious injuries, he said the Gators must improve mentally. > > Piping in crowd noise for the first time Saturday while also practicing > game situations, the team’s inexperience began to show. Even though Florida > plans to run elements of the 4-3 and 3-4 on defense, Muschamp wants to keep > it simple, saying he doesn’t want the players confused. > > “What I don’t want to do this season is install new stuff each week,” he > said. “That makes for a slow player on Saturday.” > > *BACKUP QUARTERBACK* > > *John Brantley *is starting, but Florida is still looking for backup > separation. Freshman *Jeff Driskel*, who enrolled in January as the > nation’s top quarterback prospect, appears to be near the front of the pack > after redshirt freshman *Tyler Murphy *was the favorite coming out of > spring. Another true freshman, four-star recruit *Jacoby Brisset*, is also > in the running. > > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
