Well Done, Will Muschamp and Florida so far, but Prepare for the Big Boys
Posted on September 26, 2011 by Jacob Bunn
To date, Florida’s schedule has not consisted of any team ranked in the top 25 at any point this season. The Gators have dismantled the collection of teams that they have lined up against so far. But, Kentucky and Tennessee are not much more than a foretaste of what is to come. The next two weeks will be a crucial test to see just how good this Florida team really is. A game at home against Alabama is followed by a trip to Baton Rouge. After that, the Gators are heading to a place where success has not come to them very often – Auburn.
Needless to say, Will Muschamp has more than passed the grade on his first set of challenges, but most people believed before the season that Florida would be 4-0 at this point in the year. What happens from now on, however, will make or break this season for the Gators.
Muschamp is getting a hybrid version of the ‘transition year exception,’ which is what happens when fans blame their first-year head coach’s losses on it being a year of transition. It is a hybrid version because even though he is in his first season, Florida is not void of talent, so there is a higher level of expectation for Muschamp’s first season than most coaches’ experience.
Those expectations will be met or undershot during the month of October. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have been incredible for the Gators on offense. But, what are they going to look like when a top-tier defense shuts down their running attack and forces quarterback John Brantley to make plays through the air? The Gators will be playing against two defenses in the next couple of weeks that are ranked in the top 20 nationally.
There are many questions that still remain, but one already has an answer. Will Muschamp knows how to get his team ready to play. In both of the Gators’ SEC contests this year, they have stormed out of the gates, while building big leads early in the games. It’s not just about starting fast, though. LSU and Alabama have strong teams on both sides of the football. Therefore, Florida will have to try to endure the 60 minute contest, rather than try to sprint out to a large lead.
It will be interesting to observe Florida as it continues to mature under the leadership of Will Muschamp. If the Gators split the four games in October, it will be a solid showing. I they win three and lose one in October, it will be a huge success. And a successful month of October could indicate that Florida could be back in Atlanta for the SEC Championship sooner rather than later.
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Email Jacob at jacob@bunnsports.com and follow him on Twitter at @JacobBunn
