It’s a game where UF wins, no matter what. It’s the prelude to a season. The results have no effect on our championships, no matter what.

Welcome to the Spring Game, that fun intermission that comes right after basketball, right around the start of baseball, and several months before real football.

UF is one of the favorites to win the national championship; that much we know. In all likelihood, the Gators will have to beat Georgia to do so, also trite. But we don’t know what to expect in mere weeks.

Here’s what I want to see in order to feel comfy about our chances in the fall:

1. Quality rushing

I need to see one or two every-down types taking the ball 12-15 times during a standard full-length football game; which sounds more than reasonable. For my mental health, please don’t carry the ball more than five to ten times a game, Tim Tebow. And hold on for dear life, Kestahn Moore! Even if you don’t get 4-5 yards a game, at least protect that pigskin!

2. Balanced passing

If Tim has worked on the two-minute drill like Coach Meyer said he would, we should see a nice mixture of short-yard passes and long bombs. It’ll be interesting to see how the offense fares without Percy Harvin in this one. In that case, Carl Moore will be the primary target. Who knows, maybe Jeff Demps will step in and provide that extra dimension of speed? In the fall, with the mess at the tailback position and Harvin’s potential injury problems, freshmen Jeff Demps will have an opportunity to step in and be the new speedster.

3. How the defense will react

Will we see low rushing numbers for the second-team offense? Will there be some pass breakups? What about tackles and sacks? Here’s a prime opportunity for Florida’s defense to show us what they’ve got after a demanding offseason.

That’s why scheduling Hawaii for the season opener was actually a prudent decision. With the offensive system June Jones has left over there, the Gator defense will be the X-factor. If they manage to rip down 2 or 3 balls in August, it could be a positive sign for the team’s season.

From the O&B Hue mailbag: world-famous Huer Vince Gagliano checks in…

There was an interesting storyline behind the Capital One Bowl game. In case you’re unaware, we just happened to beat Michigan’s fiercest rival in football and basketball last year, perhaps a secret reason that the bowl committee scheduled the Wolvies. But now that UF’s season is over, there are a number of interesting storylines for the 2008 season:

How does Tim Tebow follow up his season?

It has taken Gainesville’s finest just two years to accomplish nearly everything Danny Wuerffel did in five. Between the two, Wuerffel is one Davey O’ Brien award, one Draddy Trophy, and one Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award extra. That’s about it, and even the DT and JUGAA are primarily for upperclassmen, with the JUGAA restricted to seniors only.

Basically, there is only one thing #15 needs to do to put the finishing touch on his already historic career. Win a national championship - this time as the starter, and there’s no debate as to who really is the greatest Gator QB.

Will Manny Moody and Carl Moore step up?

Losing Andre Caldwell slightly stalls the Gators’ offensive firepower next season. Bubba was a tough possession-oriented receiver who served as the perfect foil to speedy Percy Harvin. If Moore can muscle past the scout team defenses in practice, he’ll fit in nicely with the offensive scheme. Unfortunately, as a junior college transfer, Florida fans will only get to see him for two years, if that.
(more…)

Jarred Fayson has been granted his release from the football team in order to transfer to another school, citing a frustration with lack of playing time. This comes on the heels of not playing in the FSU game last Saturday.

My first reaction is: what the hell? With Bubba Caldwell graduating, you’d think Fayson would be a prime candidate to find his way onto the field a lot more in 2008.

I’ll be the first to admit he didn’t see the field as much as someone with his talents might ought to, and I understand why, too: as good as Fayson is/was, there are guys on this team who are even better.

Still, this seems like an odd choice now that Fayson has paid his dues, beefed up and even won a championship ring as a freshman.

Fayson always struck me as one of our more talented young players. He had some great runs and catches this year. He has close to Percy Harvin speed and is an elusive runner. I was expecting big things out of him in 2008.

This is a disappointing day for Gator Nation.

By now, most of Gator Nation is aware of the fact that we’ll have a highly-ranked RB on the roster competing for touches in 2008. Despite rushing for nearly 500 yards and 2 TDs during an injury-plagued year with the Trojans, Emmanuel Moody decided USCw wasn’t offering enough carries.

Now he’s a Gator. He came to Florida with his chief wish being that he become the “feature back” in an offense which has, for the last two years at least, split carries between quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tailbacks.

From the Palm Beach Post:

Why Gator fans should be wary: Southern Cal seems to have no qualms about releasing a guy who was the team’s second-leading rusher. To me, that’s a giant red flag. Also, he’s said he left USC because he wants to become a team’s featured running back. He said he felt forgotten in LA. But Florida doesn’t exactly have the best track record of producing star running backs (at least not recently, and especially not under Urban Meyer).

Thank you, Lindsay Jones. That’s my sentiment exactly. I’m pleased that Moody, who is by all accounts an excellent running back, will be a member of Florida’s increasingly talented RB corps. Talent creates competition, competition creates desire and effort, and that, of course, produces wins. I’m concerned, however, that Moody is a “me, me, me” guy rather than a team-first guy. I am hopeful that Moody will remove these doubts with impressive performances and strong demonstrations of good character in his time at Florida.

Among the reasons cited for why he left the Trojans for the Gators was the fact that this was a “business decision.”

At Florida, football is far more than a business. It’s a religion.

Give him time. I think he will ‘get it.’

Welcome to Florida, Emmanuel. Make us proud.

Update: here’s an ESPN interview with Moody.