8/31 vs Toledo the Rockets won 9 games last year despite having to break in a lot of new starters.  Those guys almost all return.  They  knocked off Cincy  last year and took Arizona to overtime.   They are a solid MAC team.  This is no cupcake.  The Gators should win but can’t just mail it in.   A couple of turnovers could hand Toledo the upset. 

Projection: Win I think the Gators will come out focused knowing that this Toledo team is solid and wanting to work the kinks out for the showdown with scUM the next week.

9/07 @ scUM – scUM returns SR QB Stephen Morris who passed for about 3,500 yards but made some terrible decisions when pressured.  Also Sophomore Tailback Duke Johnson who rushed for just under 1,000 yards last year returns.  Most of the Receivers also return.  The brains behind the Offense, Coordinator Jed Fisch however is gone.  Despite the relatively solid Offensive production, scUM struggled against good Defenses last year.  scUM’s Defense was utterly putrid last year.  They finished dead last in the ACC in rush Defense, pass Defense and total Defense.  Almost everybody on that Defense returns but….that is hardly confidence inspiring.  Joe Robbie (I refuse to call it anything else) should be more than half Gator.

Projection:  Win The Gator D will be good enough to limit Duke Johnson and put Morris under pressure all day.  On the other side of the ball, I expect the Gator ground game to maul scUM all afternoon.  This will open up some play action opportunities for Jeff Driskel. 

9/14 Open Date

9/21 Tennessee They return a good OL.  They return nothing else.  They have nothing else. 

Projection: Win.  This looks like a blowout

9/28 @ Kentucky – they are in a shambles.  Welcome to the SEC Mark Stoops. 

Projection Win.  This looks like a blowout.

10/5 Arkansas – They are essentially starting over with a bunch of new starters after Bobby Petrino’s Wild Ride resulted in his firing before last season causing the program to run aground.  Bret Bielema was pretty successful at Wisconsin but it will be a while before he can get the pieces to implement the kind of power running game he likes transitioning from Petrino’s pass happy Offense.

Projection: Win. Arky just isn’t in good shape right now after having been one of the best teams in the country for a couple seasons in 2010 and 2011.  We were lucky not to have to play them then.  They would have kicked the crap out of us. 

10/12 @ LSU hoo boy.  This is a big one.  The task was made considerably easier for the Gators when LSU suffered a catastrophic TEN! early departures for the NFL after last season.  The excellent Corndog Defense lost 7 starters but LSU has recruited very well the last several years and will have talented replacements ready to step up.  Still, its hard to believe after losing Minter, Mingo and Montgomery their front 7 won’t feel the ill effects.   On Offense, QB Zach Mettenberger returns.  He struggled and LSU finished 94^th in the country in passing despite having a solid OL and a good ground game.   LSU has a stable full of talented Tailbacks including SO Jeremy Hill and Junior Alfred Blue who was injured last year.  Four of the Five OL starters return.

Projection: Win but I think this one will be close.  Despite their losses on Defense, I fully expect them to still be solid there.  Look for the Gator D to do what it did last year – stack the box and force Mettenberger to beat them.  This should again be effective.  I wouldn’t expect any scoring explosion from the Gator Offense though.  At the end of the day, I expect UF’s superior numbers and experience to wear LSU down enough to get out of Baton Rouge with a hard fought victory.

10/19 @ Missouri This will be dangerous – very dangerous.  Just off of a tough game at LSU and having to go on the road and they ain’t bad.  Their OL was decimated by injuries last year along with QB James Franklin and they finished 5-7.  The Gators barely scraped by them late in the year.  I think they will adjust to life in the SEC a lot better and despite losing some of  their better players on Defense, their Offense  will win them some games.  Sophomore WR Doriel Green-Beckham is particularly dangerous – all 6’4’ of him.  The #1 recruit in the country last year started coming on strong late in the season. 

Projection Loss  Yes I know this will shock some but I think Missouri is going to have a big chip on its shoulder after getting slapped around last year and they do have some talent…..and this falls at a particularly dangerous part of the schedule for UF.  A loss here should not surprise anyone.  All the intangibles (pissed off, at home, probable emotional letdown by UF after facing LSU the week before) favor Missouri. 

10/26 Open Date

11/2 World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (deal with it Bernie) vs the Leghumpers in Jax.  Almost their whole Offense returns…QB Aaron Murray, Tailbacks Gurley and Marshall, the OL, all of it….OK technically 8 starters but you get the idea  This was quite a good Offense last year – they will be one of the best in the country this year.  The Gators have forced Aaron Murray into making some costly mistakes in the last 3 Gator-Buttsniffer games so hopefully he’s got a couple more picks left in him for this year’s game.  Their Defense was gutted losing 8 starters.  I’m sure all of you will join with me in saying “Goodbye Jarvis-Freaking-Jones.”  Also gone is stud LB Alec Ogletree and their two monstrous Defensive Tackles.  Unlike with LSU, I don’t see hordes of talented replacements ready to step forward immediately.

Projection: Win  Yes, I’m calling it now.  The Gator ground game pounds on the Leghumpers all day.  The Gator Defense at least keeps Gurley/Marshall in check even if one or both gets their yards and forces a couple mistakes by Murray (as usual).   The intangibles favor UF (Open date, Muschamp wants this one far more than any other game and will have the troops ready)  The Leghumpers are sent whimpering back to Athens to lick their own butts and whine about  how they can’t beat the Gators.

11/9 Vandy  They lost QB Rogers and several other veterans they relied on for the last two years.  James Franklin has done a masterful job and has significantly improved them but with the losses of personnel they are due for a step back this year.

Projection: Win.  Its homecoming in the Swamp.  The Gators should roll fairly comfortably. 

11/16 @ the Cocks – This might well be the best team the Gators play all season.  The Old Ball Coach has ‘em rolling in Columbia winning 11 games for two years in a row and knocking off Nebraska and Michigan in successive bowl games.  Tailback Marcus Lattimore and WR Ace Sanders are gone but much of the rest of the Cocks’ Offense returns.   QB Conner Shaw is a solid run/pass threat.  His backup Dylan Thompson is a good one.  Former Gator Commit Mike Davis gets the starting nod at Tailback.  The OL looks pretty loaded.  On Defense, the Secondary looks quite sound and Jadaveon Clowney returns to terrorize everybody for another year (that poor Michigan Tailback probably soils himself every time he hears the words “Jadaveon Clowney”).  The other DE Chaz Sutton is a really good one.  Clowney was not the only reason the Cocks led the SEC in sacks last year.

Projection: Loss The Cocks will be fired up knowing the SEC East is on the line, they are at home and they will be eager to avenge last season’s buttwhipping in the Swamp. 

11/23 Georgia Southern.  Cupcake. 

Projection: Blowout win.

11/30 sow.  Defense gutted, OL gutted, QB who has never taken a snap in a college game, over half the coaching staff gone.

Projection: Solid win if not blowout win.  The sows are desperate to convince themelves Jamies Winston can work miracles.  Its wishful thinking.  He may end up being a good one but he will take his lumps this year – particularly behind a crap OL.  It remains to be seen if the recruiter they got from Alabama and named DC is up to the job.  He was a high school coach 2 years ago.  Alabama brought him aboard because he can recruit.  His ability to actually coach is very much an open question.  At any rate, they lost all 3 of their stud DE’s as well as their best 2 Linebackers and some pretty good DB’s.  They have a couple of decent Defensive Tackles and they’ll probably be sound at LB but will not have a pass rush nearly as good as what they had last year…..and they weren’t all that last year as the Gators lining up and shoving it down their throats all night in last year’s game showed.

Final Comments….10-2 regular season.  The Cocks go to Atlanta.  Even though the regular season record is not as good this time, Driskel and the passing game take a step forward setting UF up for a run at the national title in 2014.