Gators not being picked to win the East? ‘Business as usual’ says Jim McElwain
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HOOVER, Ala. — When the predicted order of finish ballots from the media are released Friday, Georgia is expected to be the heavy favorite to win the East division in 2017. How should Florida, the defending back-to-back East champions, feel about that prognostication? It’s “business as usual,” according to coach Jim McElwain.
Each member of the Gator contingent was asked about the preseason hype surrounding the Bulldogs. Considering Georgia hasn’t beaten Florida the past three seasons — with all three decided by 14 or more points — anger, if not amusement, would be understandable from any of the Gators.
Judging by their responses, Florida has grown accustomed to the underdog role.
“We think that it is something we get every year,” senior defensive back Marcell Harris said, “and that it is something everybody says and we’re going to prove everyone wrong, once again.”
Harris’ defensive backfield mate, Duke Dawson, answered the question in a very similar manner.
“We have that problem every year. We have to come out and prove to everyone,” Dawson said. “As you can tell, that is just what we have proved the past few years.”
It wasn’t just the defensive backs getting the question, as the offensive lineman of the group has heard the buzz, or more accurately the lack thereof, surrounding the Florida program. Martez Ivey, the team’s projected left tackle, admits the lack of offseason hype from the media is being used as motivation.
“Personally I don’t really pay attention to it, but as a team, we take it as motivation,” Ivey said. “I mean, we have been the underdog for the last two years that I have been at Florida. I really don’t expect anything less from the people putting us under and saying we can’t do this or that. We set our own limits for ourselves, and we don’t let anyone else set them for us.”
The program’s leader has heard this tune before, as well. Having been picked against in each of his three summers in Gainesville, McElwain smiled when asked why he thought Georgia would receive the majority of the first-place votes in the East.
“Business as usual,” McElwain said. “That’s kinda the way it is, kinda come to expect it.”
It’s not hard to jump to the conclusion that the Florida coach is using the Georgia hype to his advantage. The folksy Gator coach finished his thoughts on the subject by playing up the narrative that the team has backed into each of their two championships under the Montana native.
“I like our team, I like our guys,” McElwain said. “We’ll figure out a way to try and win a game here and there. That’s the way it is I guess.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
