Your 2006 National Champions? The Florida Gators. Gross, I know.
Not just a win, but a 41-14 pasting of #1 Ohio State. All this while Miami was watching from home after an abysmal 7-6 season. Someone put me out of my misery. There’s no worse college football scenario than Florida as reigning champs.
Or is there?
What if the Buckeyes rolled tonight? We’d have to hear their crap for another year? Uh, no thanks. I still can’t stomach the bile I’ve had to digest since their faux 2002 title. I wasn’t ready for another half decade of arrogance.
This was a lose-lose any way you sliced or diced it, but I took pleasure in seeing the team that stole our title go down in absolute flames before a national audience.
Ohio State did a faceplant for all of college football to see. Heisman jinx and all, as if it had been scripted. They even made it more dramatic by returning the opening kickoff for a 7-0. Four minutes, seven plays and 46-yards later, Florida answered, kept answering and never looked back.
All that “the Big Ten has just as much speed” crap was nullified as well. Florida was faster on both sides of the ball. No contest. Especially with their top skills player Ted Ginn on the sidelines most of the game. Word is he rolled and ankle celebrating. If that’s true, file it under “karma” for taking out our workhorse, Willis McHeisman on what looked like a dirty play in 2002.
As a lifelong Cane, I’m sick the Gators won. But I’ll still kick back and soak up the disappointment Ohio State’s feeling tonight. I’m a hater that way. (Who wouldn’t be bitter at 7-6?)
Welcome to our hell. Leaving one on the table when you thought you were the better team? That stings for a loooong time. You won’t get over 2006 the same way Miami won’t even get over 2002, 1992 and 1986. The “what If” seasons.
You go in a big time favorite, riding a double-digit win streak and the Heisman winner is your team leader. Eerily reminiscent to Miami 2002, except we “only” had two Heisman candidates on that loaded squad.
Feel our pain. You thought you had tonight wrapped up the minute you landed at PHX and now you’ll stumble home dazed, wondering what the hell just happened. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when every part of you thought your Buckeyes were gonna roll heads tonight. In both cases, the underdog pulled the rug out from beneath.
Only difference?
We got screwed. You got pounded.
Tonight showed why Florida, Florida State or Miami have played in ten of the past fifteen National Championship games. Fast, solid, Sunshine State defenses and innovative offensive playcalling can best anybody in the nation. Jimmy and Howard proved that in the 80s. Bobby and Steve did it in the 90s. Traditional powers were getting blown away by faster, more athletic kids from Florida.
Toss in the standard “playing up/down to the level of the competition” which is par for the course for the Florida schools. The big three state powers always got up for the big games during their dominant runs, but would occasionally look average against middle of the road teams. Florida took on that trait this year. They weren’t always the best, but they were always a few plans better than the other guy. Tonight, they blew the doors off the thing.
The Gators are the “perfect storm” right now with Urban Meyer, as much as it pains me to say. Right time. Right place. Looks like the right everything.
Senior quarterback on the way out but a potentially better one ready to take the reigns. Freshman playmakers. Fast defense. Fiery, up and coming flavor of the year coach? 2006 Florida sounds a whole lot like 2002 USC.
This could be a nice 2-3 year run for the Gators, unless Meyer bails for the NFL. Oh God, wouldn’t that just be the greatest news in the history of life. Meyer gets and offer to coach the Raiders and to spend their #1 pick in the Draft? I hope Al Davis just telepathically felt me think that. Lure Urban far away. This guy will remain a thorn in our sides until he leaves Gainesville.
If Meyer stays, which he should, Florida rolls forward with Miami and Florida State in the rearview mirror. The Canes and Noles can catch up, but both have their work cut out for them. Identical 7-6 records cost offensive coordinators and other assistants their jobs. UM and FSU aren’t going to just roll over. Not with those defenses. But those offenses need tremendous overhauls to complete with the upper echelon.
Could the Chris Weinke/Ken Dorsey era feel any more distant right now?
Jimbo Fisher is headed to Florida State via LSU. A good pick up for the Noles. He will get that offense on track, proving just how incompetent Jeff Bowden was. Hopefully Randy Shannon will have that same impact on the head coaching gig year one.
Still, he needs to counter with a strong offensive hire. I mentioned earlier that it doesn’t have to be a big name guy. Get me someone hungry who’s an up and comer. Shannon knows the importance of this hire. His defense has carried the Canes too many years in a row. If anyone wants an offensive guru to match what he’s done on the other side of the ball, it’s Shannon.
On that note, back to our arch-rivals in Gainesville. A big win tonight. I hate it, but I respect it. They came to play and absolutely smacked up a program which broke some Miami hearts four years back.
It sucked to see Florida win, but it was cathartic to see Ohio State lose.
I hope coach Shannon gathered his kids to watch the National Championship. Remind them how big this event is and what it takes to get there.
When Miami and Florida met in 2002, Ron Zook pointed across the field and told his team someday they would be like Miami. Lest not forget the majority of this current team are Zook’s recruits and these redshirt seniors caught that 41-16 beatdown in person as true freshman.
Four years later, how times have changed. Florida just won it all and it’s Miami who has to climb back atop the mountain. Time to sit back and see where Shannon takes this. One thing for sure, he doesn’t have to look far for motivation.
Make his kids rewatch tonight’s drubbing. Let ’em go to bed knowing that just up the Turnpike and I-75, their most hated rivals are the best in the state and the nation tonight.
If that doesn’t light a fire and stir up Hurricane Faithful, nothing will.
.:Canes305:.. still a Gator hater for life.
Fix this thing, Randy.
Putting aside the Gator hate, it was so very satisfying to watch the Evil Empire gets their asses kicked right out of the stadium. Pretenders for far too long, they finally got exposed for the frauds that they are and that they have always been.
There is no way that I could possibly hate any team worse that I HATE the Buckears, so I found the game theraputic. Even if it was the dreaded Gators.
I only wish it was us who beat the living crap out of them.
JMG
Tampa
7-6 season and the Gay tors win it all. This is officially the worst season ever!! Thank God it’s over and things better be different in 2007!
1992 ???? Come on now Bello – stop hating. The Tide was undefeated (you actually went to a few games in T Town) and we destroyed your beloved Canes in the Sugar Bowl! It was fantastic and really showed what the “team concept” can accomplish! ROLLL TIDEEEEE!
Molbez,
Ya’ll enjoy that new prostitute head coach that you have.
Congrats to the gaytors on their 2nd Championship in over 100 years of playing the sport, according to Sports Illustrated. Wow !!!
I hated both teams playing so much that I didn’t watch my first title game in I don’t know how long.
big pimpin
1992 ???? Come on now Bello – stop hating. The Tide was undefeated (you actually went to a few games in T Town) and we destroyed your beloved Canes in the Sugar Bowl! It was fantastic and really showed what the “team concept” can accomplish! ROLLL TIDEEEEE!
Come on now closet Noles fan, Molbez. Bama waxed Miami because Dennis the Drunk brought nothing to the table offensively. He had no game plan and there’s no reason Miami couldn’t have won a game where deadbeat Jay Barker threw for what, 7 yards??
1992 Miami knocked off #3 Florida State, #7 Penn State and #8 Syracuse. Three top ten teams? That was a good squad. ERRickson just failed when it came to game planning against the Tide.
1986 Penn State, 1992 Alabama and 2002 Ohio State were all good teams – but there is no way in hell you can say Miami circa 1986, 1992 and 2002 didn’t have enough talent and team speed to beat all three.
Jimmy’s kids took it lightly and Vinny threw it away in 1986… Dennis was clueless in 1992… CokERR was outcoached by Sweatervest in 2002.
Them’s the brakes, unfortunately.
Saban is scum. The Tide will run that fraud out of there in 2-3 years if he doesn’t leave you sooner!
Chris, Even in 92 Toretta threw 3 int’s on a platter and pretty much coast us too. In 2002 we got robbed, but we also had a chance to stop them on 4th and 12 or whatever it was before that. Anyway, back to the game…I was shocked at how bad OSU looked and how they were totally dominated on both sides of the ball. Florida was on a short field all night. They ran shallow routes and OSU was backpedaling before the snap and then missed the intial tackle. They got a LB on their WR’s all night and exploited that. On defense UF’s Ends pretty much dictated OSU’s offense as well. So I give credit to Florida that they came to play. Lastly, they showed both teams stomping, if it was The U, and jumping if it was anyone else, at midfield pregame. The media said nothing about it. Just kind of funny of the double standard. Nothing was said at all.
After Francionne – I wish the Tide would have chosen a Coach with some respect and dignity (ie. Stallings). The Tide will chew his ass up, but hopefully after an SEC and Natl Championship! He thought LSU was bad – footbal is all T Town and that state has and he has no idea!
I will actually be cheering on the Tide vs. FSU!
Later bro!!!!
The suckeyes got what they deserved!! It’s called karma and it stings. OSU stole our title on a BS call in 2002 and now they are sitting at home crying!! I love it!. Don’t get me wrong I hate Florida but I despise Ohio St. This was the ultimate bitter ending to the season from hell…Oh Well only 234 days left until kickoff…GO CANES
We will be back soon!! just look at 1997 when we went 5-6. in “98 we were 9-3,in “99 we were 8-4, in “00 we were 10-1 and got hosed and in “01 we were Champs. It only took us 4 seasons to get compltely turned around and I think with the right offensive coordinator we can right the ship sooner than that. People talk trash because they know we’ll be back and they won’t be able to talk anymore!! Oh and by the way Nick Saban is a snake and I wouldn’t have touched him with a 10 foot poll if I was Alabama…Anyways GO CANES
my friend made this up…thought you might enjoy or use part to post
Cue Bud Light music]
“Bud Light Presents… Real Men of Genius
(Reeeaalll men of genius)
Here’s to you, Mr. Florida Gator Fan.
(Mr. Florida Gator faaaan!)
Congrats you’ve won your second national championship in school history
(Ohio State was overraaaated!)
And it only took you a hundred years, compared to our three in the ’80s alone
(Man that was a good decaaaade!)
Need we remind you that even during those two seasons, you’ve never had an undefeated season
(Damn we sure are lucccckkkkyyy!)
You must feel like building a monument of the second-coming-of-Jesus Tim Tebow holding the wimpering Urban Crier… I’m sorry Urban Meyer
(Isn’t there already one?!)
You also claim you’re the first school to be reigning football and basketball champions, even though they were in separate years
(2006 isn’t the same as two thousand sevvennn!)
You are on top of the world right now, but in a couple of days you’ll realize you still go to school in Gainesville
(Cow tipping is the sssshhhhit!)
So crack open an ice cold Bud Light Mr. Florida Gator fan, and continue to hold your head up high… so you won’t have to look at the girls that go to your school
(God damn them Miami girls are hottt!)”
hahaha, I love to watch the Miami fans mew like diseased cats.
The thing I REALLY can’t wait for is when the Canes get crushed, humiliated, and run right the fuck off the field in Tampa in 2009. You know it’s coming.
go BULLS!
The thing I REALLY can’t wait for is when the Canes get crushed, humiliated, and run right the fuck off the field in Tampa in 2009. You know it’s coming.
Sorry Bull, but we’ll believe it when we see it.
We heard the same thing in the late 90s when UCF was the next state power and Culpepper’s alma matter was supposedly going to make Miami the fourth best program in the state.
A few years later we have a title, rattle off a 34-game win streak. go to back to back title games and four straight BCS games.
People have been calling for Miami’s funeral for over a decade now and it hasn’t happened. If probation didn’t wipe us out, a few shitty years under Coker won’t either.
Randy Shannon will right this shit and the Bulls will get smoked in 2009. Bank on it.
$5 bet that Leavitt isn’t your coach in ’09, either.
I think USF is a BIT different than UCF. USF is playing in a BCS division!
Yes Zook said that in 2002. He was so enamored of the canes that he didn’t seem to notice the 12 future NFL players that were on his roster including a QB that had been the runner up for the heisman the year before and is currently one win away from the super bowl.
Zook was a jackass and a bad coach. We’ll see you guys in 2008.