Since the end of the "silly season" is almost over, thought it would be interesting to compare the two seasons (I throw out 1985 because probation removed possibility of an sec title, post season bowl, and tv coverage) that were probably the most anticipated ever in UF history.  Unlike the 1994 which opened as preseason #1but had enough question marks that made us the vogue pick (sort of like the poodles last season), and the fact that they had been run out of the gym by nebraska the year before, the '96 squad returned almost the entire offense that, until the fiesta bowl, had been one of the most feared and efficient in college football history.  Add to that a bunch of big time talent being inserted into the defense, and the sky was the limit for the '96 Gators.

What follows is my comparison, by position, of the '96 and '09 Gators, and what expectations were/are for each group, to see how they stacked up against each other.

QB: '96 Wuerffel vs '09 Tebow.  Tough choice here.  DW had finished top 3 in heisman voting in '95, and was starting qb for 2 straight sec champion squads, including 12-0 in '95, had been starter for balance of '93 sec champions after that improbable last second win vs kyjellies, but was injured in 1st half of the f$u game, and gave way to Terry Dean until his meltdown vs barners in mid '94.  We all know about Tebow.  Outlook going into the season - tie.

RB: '96 Eli Williams, Fred Taylor, Terry Jackson vs '09 Demps, Rainey, Moody.  While Taylor showed signs of stardom his true frosh season in '94, he became an afterthought in '95 because of off field issues and lack of focus.  Terry Jackson hadn't emerged and Eli Williams was just solid.  Demps and Rainey offer the explosiveness that no one on that '96 squad had, and Moody is much like Taylor, lots of potential, needs to produce.  Advantage - '09.

WR: '96 Ike, Reidell, Jaquez vs '09 Thompson, Nelson, Cooper.  1st round tko, '96 in a landslide.

OL: '96 Zach Pillar, Cooper Carlile, Jeff Mitchell, Donnie Young, Mo Collins vs Patchan(?), Johnson, Pouncey, Pouncey, Hurt(?).  Tough one.  Mitchell, Young and Collins were among the best we'd had in same line up, and much was expected out of transfer Pillar.  Carlise was highly regarded frosh forced into action because of depth.  The road grating crew of Pounceys and Johnson is also among best we've fielded on same unit.  Performance of bookends is one key to the season.  Advantage - '09 because of depth.

TE:  '96 Tremayne Allen vs '09 Hernandez.  No contest in starters, but most expected big things from the huge talent in Erron Kinney.  Advantage - '09.

Overall Offense:  The '96 offense returned allmost all but 1 of it's playmakers (Doering), and was expected to equal or exceed prior year's output.  The '09 offense lost one of the best playmakers to ever suit up for UF (Harvin), and, while has more proven playmakers at RB, is at significant disadvantage at WR.  Advantage - '96.

DT: '96 Ed Chester/Reggie McGrew vs Lawrence Marsh/Jaye Howard (Terron Sanders).  Ed Chester was a budding star and Reggie McGrew was one of the most talented DT recruits of the SOS era.  Marsh and Sanders were solid last year, but will be pushed hard by their backups (Howard/Hunter).  Hunter came in with the same hype as McGrew.  Advantage - '96

DE:  '96 Beauchamp/Rogers vs '09 Dunlap/Cunningham.  On the surface, '09 has big edge.  But, '96 featured the original "Freak" who split time at DE and OLB.  Expectations for Kearse were off the charts.  However, Dunlap and Cunningham have done more that those guys had going into the season.  Advantage - '09

LB:  '96 Rutledge, Bates, Peterson vs '09 Stamper, Spikes, Jones.  Once again, Kearse is "X" factor, since he lined up both at OLB and DE, and, at this point, we really didn't know how great the always unsung Mike P would be.  Rutledge had aready proven to be a very, very good college LB and Bates was reliable.  Spikes will go down as one of the great MLBs we've fielded, and the depth that guys like Hicks and Doe, combined with young talent like Jenkins, Beale and Bostic, while not at "Freak" levels of anticipation, makes this very close.  Advantage - '09 because of Spikes.

CB: '96 Fred Weary/Anthone Lott vs '09 Haden/Jenkins.  Boy, by '96, Lott and Weary had become one of the best corner combinations UF had had.  Weary went on to have a decent nfl career.  But, the tandem of Haden and Jenkins is better, with both being 1st round talents.  Advantage - '09.

S:  '96 Lawrence "Gator Bait" Wright/Shea Showers vs Major Wright/Amhad Black.  While not always in the best cover position, L. Wright's ability to deliver the knock-out blow outdoes anything Major Wright has done.  Everyone remembers the hit he laid on Joey Kent in the '95 Tenn contest, but few remember the hit he levied against the same Mr. Kent (I believe) in '94 in Knocksville.  Short pass/run over the middle, Wright demolished him, and, in mid-air, took the ball before falling to the ground.  Had the ref's correctly given UF possession (instead of making sure the receiver was still alive), that would have been up there with the '95 KO (not to mention the Jarvis Williams/Melvin Bratton, Fee Bartley/Todd Kitchens, Montey Grow/Darren Studstill collissions to name a few).  Amhad Black is a true ball hawk, and Will Hill will be tough to keep off the field.  Another tough call.  Advantage - '09.

Overall Defense:  With all the attention given to this '09 defense, people forget the young stars like Kearse, Rutledge, Peterson, McGrew and Chester alligning on that '96 unit.  However, the anticipation for '96 rested first and foremost on the O.  Also, talk of "best defense ever" associated with the '09 squad is very premature, IMO.  DT and OLB is solid, but not what you would expect in a "best ever" unit.  That said, expectations are what they are.  Advantage - '09.

Head Coaches.  Evil Genious in his prime vs Urban "Nickname Please" Meyer in his swansong (leaving for Notre Dame, don't you know).  Man, I love Meyer, but people got excited about Spurrier and his fun 'n gun.  Meyer doen't have near the flash.  Titles 'l do.  Advantage - tie

Overall - Gator fans expect(ed) both units to compete for mnc and go undefeated.  Give us injured Mo Collins, Jeff Mitchell and Zach Pillar (got Pillar and Collins back for Sugar Bowl) in tally, and that '96 squad would have done just that.  However, the national media is on the Gator bandwagon like I've never before seen.  Superlatives like greatest ever player are being thrown at Tebow, greatest D ever is the self imposed challenge, and undefeated or bust on the team.  Expectations - '09.

Thoughts?