September 20, 2008 - Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America
Michael Oleszek takes a look at the first SEC match up for the No. 1 Florida Gators (2-0) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (1-1)
What Happened Last Week
Florida looked every bit like the No. 1 team in the nation—after the first quarter, in a 56-6 win over Troy. The opening period wasn’t kind to the Gators, as a driving rainstorm combined with sloppy ball handling left the Gator Nation feeling a little uneasy. The Gators would go on to score on their next four possessions, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Urban Meyer never lost to Phillip Fulmer, and is undefeated against the Vols. But now A new Coach has emerged in the Vols and has threatened to take Urban and the 3 Time National Champions down. Will Lane Kiffin make true his promise or will he be Gator Bait like all the others? The Showdown in The Swamp is coming.
The Troy Trojans have had their own Tim Tebow this week. Redshirt freshman Cory Wilkes has ran the scout team QB for Troy. Still no word yet if Chuck Norris wears Cory Wilkes pajamas.
Troy’s special teams try to prepare for the Gator pressure. The Gators were able to block two punts the last time the Trojans came to The Swamp.
Mother Nature worked with the Gators this week and gave Coach Meyer just what he wanted: Heat! The heat helps Gators prepare for Troy with for an early kick off time of 12:21 pm at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The live blog experiment continues with the second game vs Troy. Come join me on the site as I will be giving a little play by play action and opinions during the game.
Also by using the hash tag #GatorsNow will allow you to participate through twitter once we go live at 11:45 AM EST. Go Gators!
So how many times did you get grief over playing Charleston Southern last week? The guys over at Orange & Blue Hue ask if anyone wants to complain about the schedule now? Simply put Georgia,Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma fans all wished their teams played cupcakes in week one.
Where did Uga's Mojo Go?
Mark Bradley of the AJC after watching the Dawgs for two years sees something missing at UGA, and it isn’t talent. Maybe that slice of Time-Out Pie that Coach Urban Meyer served them up last year took some of their mojo away. The season is still young, so the Dawgs can’t be wrote off. Reading some of the Bulldog sites a lot of them have already done just that.
Michael Oleszek helps to preview the No. 1 Florida Gators (1-0) vs. Troy Trojans (0-1) Game
What Happened Last Week
Florida opened its 2009 season the same way it ended their 2008 season—with a win.
The game was over before halftime, and the starters were pulled to preserve their health. The Gators even had a chance to play some players who normally wouldn’t get the chance to play against the LSUs and Georgias of the world.
Week Two begins the start of conference play for several SEC teams. The SEC had a good opening week, going 11-1, with the only loss being Georgia to No. 9 Oklahoma State. Here are the predictions for SEC teams in the season’s second week.
Troy at Florida
Troy came into this season as a projected favorite of the Sun Belt Conference. After a surprising loss to Bowling Green, however, the team comes into Gainesville trying to regain its footing.
Tebow led the Gators to a 12–1 record in 2008. After clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division title, the team played for and won the SEC title in the 2008 SEC Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The win secured the #2 ranking in the final BCS standings, which earned the Gators the chance to play the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, which they won 24–14.
