A magical year in Gainesville

A week ago, I asked the musical question “Is it possible for this to turn into any more of a lost season for Gator fans than it’s become?”

Why, yes, it can.

Will Muschamp didn't know Weis interviewed at Kansas & on way to Gator Bowl press conference when news broke Weis hired

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) December 8, 2011

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UPDATE:  Spencer Hall has heard worse news.

This is what a decided schematic advantage looks like.

This may be the first eighteen-yard loss quarterback sneak in the history of college football:

‘That’s not a 5-5 team.’

After years of listening to Georgia fans try to console themselves with talk like “Georgia’s the best four-loss team in the country”, it sure is a pleasure watching Charlie Weis apply lipstick to Florida’s pig of a season.

Charlie Weis’ bitter tears are delicious.

Weis is seriously bummed out.  Not so much by the four-game losing streak, because some of that’s understandable.

“I thought the rest of that Alabama game (second half without QB John Brantley) was going to be a bit of a struggle,” Weis said. “And going into LSU I thought that would be a bit of a struggle, especially when young Jacoby (Brissett) was dialed up after he hadn’t had a snap, I thought that would have been a bit of a struggle. I thought that if we were going to win the game it would have to be a low scoring game and it didn’t play out that way…”

Nah, it’s because for the life of him, he can’t figure out how his decided schematic advantage could have flopped against… well, let’s use his words:

“… I’m probably most disappointed – I’m disappointed when you lose to anybody – but I’m most disappointed that in the last two weeks, we didn’t’ make enough plays on offense to win the last two games.

“I think that’s probably my biggest disappointment,” he added. “They were two games that you can’t say were mismatched opponents. That’s the thing I’m discouraged about the most.”

Keep in mind, he’s speaking about his offense against opponents’ defenses.  Now I’m not going to get into his point about Ted Roof and Auburn, but looking at Georgia, you tell me if there’s a mismatch.

Georgia Defense (SEC ranking)

• Rushing defense, 3rd
• Passing defense, 5th
• Total defense, 4th
• Interceptions, 3rd
• Pass defense efficiency, 4th
• Opponent 1st downs, 2nd
• Sacks by, 1st
• Opponent 3rd down conversions, 1st

Florida Offense (SEC ranking)

• Rushing offense, 8th
• Passing offense, 6th
• Total offense, 8th
• Interceptions thrown, T-5th
• Passing efficiency, 8th
• 1st downs, 9th
• Sacks allowed, 6th
• 3rd down conversions, 10th

There isn’t a single category listed there where Florida’s offense ranks higher in the conference than Georgia’s defense does in its statistical counterpart.  So, yeah, I’d say they’re mismatched.  It’s as good reason as any why Weis’ offense was held to 32 total yards and a single first down in the second half Saturday.

SEC Drinking Game #1

Every time Verne mentions Charlie Weis being hired to redeem John Brantley, take a drink.

Make sure you’ve got a big bottle.

Wednesday lunch buffet

Dig in, folks.

• If you’ve got questions about Coach Tereshinski’s goals as the S & C coach, go talk to Arthur Lynch.
• Expect to see this story get waved in our faces over the next week.
• ESPN‘s Edward Aschoff puts two Georgia offensive linemen on his SEC division all-star team.  The only other school that gets the same treatment is Alabama.  (By the way, the issue with eating at the Varsity ain’t about getting bloated.)
• The Zooker sure can pick ’em.
• See if you can spot the Freudian slip here.  (My apologies – and admiration – to Low if that was a deliberate pun.)
• Shakin the Southland runs an analysis of SEC football attendance from a Clemson perspective.
• Check out Georgia recruit Quayvon Hicks’ new trim.  (h/t Bryan Fischer)
• Hard to believe, but Georgia played a road game against VMI, of all schools, in 1966.
• This is hugely good news for Tennessee.
• And kleph charts SEC offensive and defensive red zone production.  Mike Bobo comes off pretty well.

Thursday morning buffet

Make sure your boxers are covered before proceeding.

• The ACC’s got some serious catching up to do with the SEC on the recruiting front.
• John Pennington says if you want a hint of what’s in store for Florida’s offense this year, check out the 2001 Patriots.
• You tell me – which set of arguments do you find more convincing?
• kleph corrects an error in his graph about Georgia’s defensive third down conversion percentage and sees both good news and bad news in the change.
• Auburn spent about $150,000 on those championship rings.  (Insert punchline of your choice here.)
• For some reason, Gordon Gee found it necessary to apologize to the Little Sisters of the Poor.
• More flailing about from your friends at the NCAA.
• Pastor refers to Auburn’s Tigerettes as “hoe-stesses”.  Nice.

Is there a “10 Worst” List of “10 Worst” Lists?

If not, there should be.

It’s been a little while since I’ve directed any attention Heisman Pundit’s way, but the man who came up with the most subjective rating system for top college offenses ever has caught my eye with his list of the ten worst head coaches in college football.

It’s exactly the kind of showing you’d expect from someone who firmly believes the SEC is overrated (isn’t recruiting part of being a good head coach?) and fairly alien to cutting edge offensive strategy.

But here’s the part that’s pure comedy gold.

8. Will Muschamp, Florida – How can Muschamp be on this list when he hasn’t even coached a game as head coach yet? Well, I’m basing it on his decision making process so far, namely going back to an NFL-style offense that doesn’t take advantage of the incredible spread talent he has on hand.  I think by this time next year, he’ll have earned his way on this list by virtue of his team’s performance on the field, but for now call this a predictive placement.

That’s right – dude hasn’t stepped on his first sideline as a head coach yet and he’s already one of the worst because he hired Charlie Weis.  That’s not even the best part, though.  Care to guess what school HP added to his Gang of Six list in 2006, kicking Meyer-less Utah off to do so?

Look at Gang of Six member Notre Dame as a perfect example. In 2004’s system, they were shit. In 2005 with a new system, they are very good. What is the common denominator?

So Charlie Weis was successful enough to justify being in HP’s good graces in 2006, but is now the excuse to pound Florida?  Evidently so.

… You see, the Weis system requires that the quarterback be a statue.  A mobile quarterback might actually gain yards via a designed run or through the improvisation of his feet instead of, say, checking down as taught and making a play with his arm (thus rendering pointless Weis’s tutelage).

But, see, it’s not Charlie Weis that’s different.  It’s college football.

… But Quinn played for Notre Dame and, besides, college football offenses have changed quite a bit since then–as has the perception of what constitutes a good offense and a good player.

I’m not sure what annoys me more about all of this nonsense – that HP’s made me defend Charlie Weis, or that he’s compiled a worst coaches list without Mike Locksley’s name on it.

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UPDATE:  Elkon isn’t impressed with HP’s list, either.

How quickly they forget.

Chris Rainey, who’s never lacked for a good quote, has a couple of things to say about the Gators’ new offensive coordinator.

Rainey on Charlie Weis’ excitement working with Florida’s pool of talent: “The first thing he said when he got here was that this is the most athletes he’s ever been around, so we felt good about that.”

Rainey on what to expect from the offense: “Fans are going to be happy again.”

No doubt Tom Lemming will be shocked, hurt and disappointed to hear about the first.

But I’m really digging that “again” at the end of the second one.  I figure that after a couple of years of Weis’ ego working on the Gator fan base, there won’t be a Florida fan left standing who doesn’t completely credit Corch’s success to the GPOOE™ and Percy Harvey.

Wednesday morning buffet

Rise and shine, campers.

• According to Houston Nutt, there are four kinds of people – and three of them suck.
• Charlie Weis may believe that charity begins at home, but his former builder disagrees.
• Arthur Lynch is a big dude.
• So how much is a college athletic scholarship worth?
• Yes, Virginia, home-field advantage exists.
• Joshua sees oversigning’s hand in the Auburn pay-for-play story.  (It’s a reach.)
• This is why I like David Paschall:  “This is the third consecutive spring in which Bulldogs players have pledged that better leadership is on the way for a program that finished No. 2 nationally in 2007 but has since gone 10-3, 8-5 and 6-7.” That’s what you call artfully phrased skepticism.