Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
Maybe the pressure of being the defending national champion and dealing with all the expectations is starting to get to Florida. Urban Meyer conceded this week that some guys were pressing. The Gators have been far from dominant offensively, but will still be heavily favored against everybody they play the rest of the way in the regular season. With a two-game lead in the Eastern Division, they’ve all but locked up a trip to the SEC Championship Game. The bigger question is whether or not they can stay unbeaten and find some more playmakers on offense. Tim Tebow can’t do it by himself, which means guys like Deonte Thompson, Jeffery Demps, Chris Rainey and Brandon James need to provide more quick strikes down the field. The defense has been excellent, but getting everybody healthy for this final stretch will be critical. The Gators aren’t the same defense when senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes isn’t on the field.
Best-case scenario: Tebow gets some help on offense. The downfield passing game becomes more dependable, and the Gators get all their injured players back on defense. They run the table for their second straight SEC championship and go to Pasadena to play for their second straight national championship.
Worst-case scenario: The burden gets even heavier on Tebow. Defenses continue to gang up on him, and nobody else steps forward. The Gators trip up somewhere in the regular season and then lose again in the SEC Championship Game.
Prediction: Florida remains unbeaten until the SEC Championship Game, but loses to Alabama in Atlanta and plays in the Sugar Bowl.
Maybe the pressure of being the defending national champion and dealing with all the expectations is starting to get to Florida. Urban Meyer conceded this week that some guys were pressing. The Gators have been far from dominant offensively, but will still be heavily favored against everybody they play the rest of the way in the regular season. With a two-game lead in the Eastern Division, they’ve all but locked up a trip to the SEC Championship Game. The bigger question is whether or not they can stay unbeaten and find some more playmakers on offense. Tim Tebow can’t do it by himself, which means guys like Deonte Thompson, Jeffery Demps, Chris Rainey and Brandon James need to provide more quick strikes down the field. The defense has been excellent, but getting everybody healthy for this final stretch will be critical. The Gators aren’t the same defense when senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes isn’t on the field.
Best-case scenario: Tebow gets some help on offense. The downfield passing game becomes more dependable, and the Gators get all their injured players back on defense. They run the table for their second straight SEC championship and go to Pasadena to play for their second straight national championship.
Worst-case scenario: The burden gets even heavier on Tebow. Defenses continue to gang up on him, and nobody else steps forward. The Gators trip up somewhere in the regular season and then lose again in the SEC Championship Game.
Prediction: Florida remains unbeaten until the SEC Championship Game, but loses to Alabama in Atlanta and plays in the Sugar Bowl.
SEC SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 12/17
Final Temple 37 Wyoming 15 Final Ohio 24 Utah State 23 Final San Diego State 30 Louisiana-Lafayette 32
Tuesday, 12/20
Wednesday, 12/21
Final 18 TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Thursday, 12/22
Saturday, 12/24
Final Nevada 17 21 Southern Miss 24
Monday, 12/26
Tuesday, 12/27
Final Western Michigan 32 Purdue 37 Final Louisville 24 North Carolina State 31
Wednesday, 12/28
Final Toledo 42 Air Force 41 Final California 10 24 Texas 21
Thursday, 12/29
Final Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14 Final Washington 56 12 Baylor 67
Friday, 12/30
Final Brigham Young 24 Tulsa 21 Final Rutgers 27 Iowa State 13 Final Mississippi State 23 Wake Forest 17 Final Iowa 14 14 Oklahoma 31
Saturday, 12/31
Final Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22 Final/OT Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 Final Illinois 20 UCLA 14 Final Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24 Final Virginia 24 25 Auburn 43
Monday, 1/2
Final 19 Houston 30 22 Penn State 14 Final Ohio State 17 Florida 24 Final/3OT 17 Michigan State 33 16 Georgia 30 Final 20 Nebraska 13 9 South Carolina 30 Final 10 Wisconsin 38 5 Oregon 45 Final/OT 4 Stanford 38 3 Oklahoma State 41
Tuesday, 1/3
Final/OT 13 Michigan 23 11 Virginia Tech 20
Wednesday, 1/4
Final 23 West Virginia 70 15 Clemson 33
Friday, 1/6
Final 8 Kansas State 16 6 Arkansas 29


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