Joe Bo: Florida as College Football’s Best Team of the Last 20 Years? In the Words of Lee Corso, “Not so Fast My Friend!”

By Joe Bodolai © All rights reserved

The Florida Gators have won three national championships in the last twenty years (1996, 2006, and 2008). Their current recruiting class is said to be perhaps “the best of all time.” They have St. Timothy of Tebow as college football player of the decade and the Mother Teresa of the NCAA. What a stellar record, right? A team to be proud of? Maybe not. Best? I’m not so sure who is, but consider this:

Perhaps Tebow’s missionary work should have been directed toward providing moral direction for his teammates and administration and not merely PR tours working with infants in Africa. Gator football seems to also lead the nation in felony arrests. This week the team’s radio broadcaster was arrested on felony possession of child pornography, the team’s safety was charged with five counts of felony battery including domestic abuse, and the university’s ridiculously soft stance concerning on-field assault was laid bare in the Brandon James incident during the season. James, one of the team’s defensive leaders, was clearly seen gouging the eyes of a Georgia player in the scrum after the play. No foul was called but the video appeared on YouTube and fans were shocked when coach Urban Meyer laid down the law – a suspension for two quarters  — against Vanderbilt! The player himself became PR spun and “asked” to extend the penalty to – wait for it – the whole game! Now remember, eye gouging is a felony if committed on the street. It’s so heinous it’s not even allowed in the thugfest called “Mixed Martial Arts”.

But for those who think a team should be judged solely by their on-field success (such as fans of the very suspect USC) they should be made aware of the Gators’ absolute cowardice when it comes to scheduling out-of-conference road games. Oh sure, they schedule out-of-conference home games, against schools like Charleston Southern, Southern Little Sisters of the Poor, and Mississippi Academy for the Blind. They kick ass at home and I didn’t know there was a Division – IV.

What about their road record over the last 20 years? Specifically, outside of the state of Florida. Let’s take a look.

Since 1991, the Florida Gators’ overall out-of-conference road record is 3-7-1. Outside the state of Florida, they are a stunning 0-1. One game, one loss out of conference outside the state of Florida in twenty years? To whom did they lose? USC? Michigan? Nebraska? Nope. Syracuse! It was a 38-21 loss in 1991. They have not scheduled an out-of-conference out-of-state road game since then.

Meanwhile, the SEC fans love to hate on Ohio State and the Big Ten and every other conference that doesn’t serve reptile tail at their tailgates. So, this is just Ohio State’s out-of-conference road record since 1991: 10-3. Oh, and who did they play? Ohio State played in Syracuse the next year and won 35-12. They also played Washington, Notre Dame, Missouri, Texas, USC, Arizona, Pitt, and NC State, with wins over Jake Locker, Philip Rivers, and Colt McCoy. Chomp on that, Gator.

Florida plays in bowl games that are essentially home games, in warm weather. They don’t have to practice indoors (a momentum killer for any bowl team waiting 60 days as did the Buckeyes for their 2006 loss).

So, Gators, if you’re so dominant, how about scheduling some real games out-of-conference? Come on up to Columbus, State College, Ann Arbor, Iowa, Eugene, Austin, not just in the cold weather, anytime. Try three days in a hotel on the road and 105,000 real football fans on your ass. If you think the Charleston-Southern student section at your house was statistically negligible, come on. Here’s your invitation to the Horseshoe. Bring all your recruits, because half may be ineligible come game time. Then get ready for some football.

The Florida Gators have won three national championships in the last twenty years (1996, 2006, and 2008). Their current recruiting class is said to be perhaps “the best of all time.” They have St. Timothy of Tebow as college football player of the decade and the Mother Teresa of the NCAA. What a stellar record, right? A team to be proud of? Maybe not. Best? I’m not so sure who is, but consider this:
Perhaps Tebow’s missionary work should have been directed toward providing moral direction for his teammates and administration and not merely PR tours working with infants in Africa. Gator football seems to also lead the nation in felony arrests. This week the team’s radio broadcaster was arrested on felony possession of child pornography, the team’s safety was charged with five counts of felony battery including domestic abuse, and the university’s ridiculously soft stance concerning on-field assault was laid bare in the Brandon James incident during the season. James, one of the team’s defensive leaders, was clearly seen gouging the eyes of a Georgia player in the scrum after the play. No foul was called but the video appeared on YouTube and fans were shocked when coach Urban Meyer laid down the law – a suspension for two quarters  — against Vanderbilt! The player himself became PR spun and “asked” to extend the penalty to – wait for it – the whole game! Now remember, eye gouging is a felony if committed on the street. It’s so heinous it’s not even allowed in the thugfest called “Mixed Martial Arts”.
But for those who think a team should be judged solely by their on-field success (such as fans of the very suspect USC) they should be made aware of the Gators’ absolute cowardice when it comes to scheduling out-of-conference road games. Oh sure, they schedule out-of-conference home games, against schools like Charleston Southern, Southern Little Sisters of the Poor, and Mississippi Academy for the Blind. They kick ass at home and I didn’t know there was a Division – IV.
What about their road record over the last 20 years? Specifically, outside of the state of Florida. Let’s take a look.
Since 1991, the Florida Gators’ overall out-of-conference road record is 3-7-1. Outside the state of Florida, they are a stunning 0-1. One game, one loss out of conference outside the state of Florida in twenty years? To whom did they lose? USC? Michigan? Nebraska? Nope. Syracuse! It was a 38-21 loss in 1991. They have not scheduled an out-of-conference out-of-state road game since then.
Meanwhile, the SEC fans love to hate on Ohio State and the Big Ten and every other conference that doesn’t serve reptile tail at their tailgates. So, this is just Ohio State’s out-of-conference road record since 1991: 10-3. Oh, and who did they play? Ohio State played in Syracuse the next year and won 35-12. They also played Washington, Notre Dame, Missouri, Texas, USC, Arizona, Pitt, and NC State, with wins over Jake Locker, Philip Rivers, and Colt McCoy. Chomp on that, Gator.
Florida plays in bowl games that are essentially home games, in warm weather. They don’t have to practice indoors (a momentum killer for any bowl team waiting 60 days as did the Buckeyes for their 2006 loss).
So, Gators, if you’re so dominant, how about scheduling some real games out-of-conference? Come on up to Columbus, State College, Ann Arbor, Iowa, Eugene, Austin, not just in the cold weather, anytime. Try three days in a hotel on the road and 105,000 real football fans on your ass. If you think the Charleston-Southern student section at your house was statistically negligible, come on. Here’s your invitation to the Horseshoe. Bring all your recruits, because half may be ineligible come game time. Then get ready for some football.