And I think that this trend speaks well of the Nation.

Let me explain, so many pundits and fans like to paint Gator Nation as a bunch of spoiled bitches with unrealistic expectations. And let's be honest, that description will adequately fit some in our base (but that can be said for any major program).

HOWEVER, the sentiment now is positive. This is so despite a HORRIFIC display from our squad in the first half. This is so despite the fact that Gators won with (for the most part) a conservative offensive display.

I believe (and I could be wrong), that the Nation saw something it needed to see from Muschamp and his staff, improvement. They saw a team cut its penalties from 14 to 3 in one week (improvement). They saw a team that was pushed around in one half, do the pushing in the second (improvement). They saw a coaching staff keep its composure despite being pushed around in the first half and inspire a different attitude from the team in the second, leadership (improvement). They saw successful second half adjustments from both offense and defense (BIG improvement). They saw a balanced offense with creative play calling, albeit conservative (BIG improvement). They saw a gutsy call on 3rd and short in a CRITICAL situation in the game (BIG improvement). They saw a Gator squad toughen up and step up to the plate in a big game (improvement).

And those are some of the reasons why I think Muschamp is trending up.

Let's be clear, this is going to be a tough year for our beloved Gators. There will be lows to complement our highs. Next week might be one of those moments.

But I would like to think that this Nation will be put at ease by with a steady diet of signs of improvement this year. And I think that if my perception is correct, then Dooley and all the other fan haters need to give the Nation some credit.

With that said, I expect bitching and moaning from the Gators when things get touch. Probably next week.

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that bought into his plan for a fundamental re-structuring of the program and knew that it was going to take some time. I recognized his off-the-field moves as part of the long-term development. But I was also looking for something on the field that made me think that the staff as a whole was up to the task and was disappointed not only with last week's performance but also the fact that they failed to choose a starting QB. Yesterday's game was really the first time where I saw something very positive as far as gameday coaching. Obviously still a long way to go with building the overall talent level and gaining experience on the sidelines but it was a starting point.