The return to Gator glory: Week 9

Published October 26, 2012 - 3:30pm

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This is the latest edition of our series called Return to Gator Glory. Each week we will be highlighting a different key area the Gators will need to focus on as they try to make their way back up to the top of the SEC East.

Last Saturday was fun, huh?

Our brothers from up north called it sloppy, those out west called it boring, but for all of us down here in the south, it was a good old fashioned butt whoopin’. From kickoff to kneel down, the Gators never let up; the heat was on, and the Gamecocks couldn’t handle the pressure.

Loucheiz Purifoy’s sack and strip of Connor Shaw on the first play from scrimmage set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

You can all thank me for inspiring the play call. OK, maybe not, but a man can dream, right?

This week Florida continues its rise back to the top of the SEC East… well I guess they are already on top of the SEC East, but as you all know there is one more test to pass before Gator fans can start making their reservations in Atlanta.

A talented and motivated Georgia team finds itself in a very familiar position, standing in the way of Florida and its Eastern division title hopes.

The SEC split into East and West divisions and created the first conference championship game in 1992, a move that would soon revolutionize college football.  Ever since that split, Florida has won or tied for the SEC East title eleven times, the most of any team in the conference.

Two of those titles, Florida went undefeated in the SEC (1996 & 2009).  The other nine seasons Florida fell to the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State but still were able to make it to Atlanta.

Notice there is a certain Eastern opponent who is not featured on that list.

Florida has never won the SEC East in the same season that it has lost to Georgia.  Even in 2003, when Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee tied for the SEC East, the Ron Zook coached Gators still managed to beat the Bulldogs during the regular season.

There is no strategy that needs to be employed this game. This is the most complete team Florida will face all season.

Believe it or not, Florida has yet to play a complete, four quarter game this season. The same Georgia team that you saw last week against Kentucky will not be in Jacksonville.  Florida will have to execute in all three phases of the game in order to win.

The mission for this week is simple: Beat Georgia.

No excuses.

I don’t want to hear the argument that Florida could lose to Georgia and still make the SEC Championship game. Don’t give me this “a one-loss Florida SEC Champion could end up in the BCS title game” crap.

It won’t happen, if the Bulldogs win, they win out and get drunk in Atlanta off of the tears of Gator fans.

So that’s why I’ll say it again, the mission for this week is simple: Beat Georgia.

Oh and make sure all of your friends in Alabama, Oregon, and Kansas are watching CBS at 3:30 on Saturday, this is the week where Florida puts it all together and makes their statement.

Tags: Connor Shaw, Loucheiz Purifoy