The thread title is as much a question as a statement. Here are some of my thoughts"
* Florida will be the best team Alabama has faced so far. Alabama will also be the best team Florida has faced so far.
* Florida has more and better athletes than Alabama has seen in 2014. The reverse is also true.
* I see a lot of concern that Alabama's offense won't be as effective against Florida's defense. I also think the reverse is true here. I've never seen an offense that had less trouble against better defenses. Peyton Manning's offense last year was pretty unstoppable ... until the Seattle Seahawks defense came along. Since the beginning of football, offenses do better against worse defenses and not as good against better defenses, and vice versa. Alabama's offense with McElwain and McCarron carved up the so-so teams better than it did, say, LSU. That's football.
* Florida's defense has an NFL-ready lockdown cornerback ... and still gave up 369 passing yards to Kentucky. The rest of the Gators' secondary is young and has already shown some holes.
* Florida's run defense is going to be formidable. Alabama's offensive line will really be tested here in trying to consistently grind out any yards. I think more likely than being able to pound out 4 yards and a cloud of dust, UA will get stuffed a good bit and have to make some big plays here and there on the ground.
* I've seen concern from a few that Alabama throws to Amari too much, and when someone takes him away there is going to be trouble. That is true, if anyone can really lock him down. Against Kentucky, Demarcus Robinson caught 15 balls for 216 yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the team had 10 catches for 79 yards. If Alabama takes him away, what does that leave Florida?
* Jeff Driskel was 7 for 20 with an interception in the first half against Kentucky. I'm still not convinced that he is the best QB Alabama will have seen to this point. Time will tell, but Clint Trickett is probably better in the system he runs than Driskel in Florida's system.
* Florida lost more than an easy 'W' when its opener was swamped out. That's one less game for the Gators to have gotten experience for younger players, one less game to work on things and sort them out in a real game situation.
* Florida isn't a HUNH offense and doesn't give Alabama's defense that kind of matchup difficulty. While UF certainly needed a fourth-down, barely-got-the-snap off (at least according to officials) overtime touchdown to stay alive, it was the running game that took Florida to this win as much as anything. Alabama's run defense has been pretty darned good so far. We'll see if the Gators can pound out the tough yards against UA.
* Maybe Kentucky is better than it has been, maybe not. I still don't see the Wildcats winning more than a couple of SEC games, at most, with one of those being Vandy. We'll see. But Kentucky gave Florida fits, for sure, and in The Swamp. Florida hasn't shown anything so far to merit thinking the Gators are a top 25 team -- they certainly have more physical talent than most teams Alabama will face this year, but quite frankly I'm not sure the coaching is there.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=204255482&mid=204255482&sid=885&style=2
* Florida will be the best team Alabama has faced so far. Alabama will also be the best team Florida has faced so far.
* Florida has more and better athletes than Alabama has seen in 2014. The reverse is also true.
* I see a lot of concern that Alabama's offense won't be as effective against Florida's defense. I also think the reverse is true here. I've never seen an offense that had less trouble against better defenses. Peyton Manning's offense last year was pretty unstoppable ... until the Seattle Seahawks defense came along. Since the beginning of football, offenses do better against worse defenses and not as good against better defenses, and vice versa. Alabama's offense with McElwain and McCarron carved up the so-so teams better than it did, say, LSU. That's football.
* Florida's defense has an NFL-ready lockdown cornerback ... and still gave up 369 passing yards to Kentucky. The rest of the Gators' secondary is young and has already shown some holes.
* Florida's run defense is going to be formidable. Alabama's offensive line will really be tested here in trying to consistently grind out any yards. I think more likely than being able to pound out 4 yards and a cloud of dust, UA will get stuffed a good bit and have to make some big plays here and there on the ground.
* I've seen concern from a few that Alabama throws to Amari too much, and when someone takes him away there is going to be trouble. That is true, if anyone can really lock him down. Against Kentucky, Demarcus Robinson caught 15 balls for 216 yards and two touchdowns. The rest of the team had 10 catches for 79 yards. If Alabama takes him away, what does that leave Florida?
* Jeff Driskel was 7 for 20 with an interception in the first half against Kentucky. I'm still not convinced that he is the best QB Alabama will have seen to this point. Time will tell, but Clint Trickett is probably better in the system he runs than Driskel in Florida's system.
* Florida lost more than an easy 'W' when its opener was swamped out. That's one less game for the Gators to have gotten experience for younger players, one less game to work on things and sort them out in a real game situation.
* Florida isn't a HUNH offense and doesn't give Alabama's defense that kind of matchup difficulty. While UF certainly needed a fourth-down, barely-got-the-snap off (at least according to officials) overtime touchdown to stay alive, it was the running game that took Florida to this win as much as anything. Alabama's run defense has been pretty darned good so far. We'll see if the Gators can pound out the tough yards against UA.
* Maybe Kentucky is better than it has been, maybe not. I still don't see the Wildcats winning more than a couple of SEC games, at most, with one of those being Vandy. We'll see. But Kentucky gave Florida fits, for sure, and in The Swamp. Florida hasn't shown anything so far to merit thinking the Gators are a top 25 team -- they certainly have more physical talent than most teams Alabama will face this year, but quite frankly I'm not sure the coaching is there.
https://alabama.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=427&tid=204255482&mid=204255482&sid=885&style=2
