Before the season started everyone assumed that this would be a down year for the Gators. Four and five losses were the normal prediction for most of the media. A young team, a new coaching staff, and a brutal October schedule were the reasons given for the doubt about the 2011 version of the Florida Gators. Now, while they may very well finish with four or five losses, the clouds of doubt are starting to break and this team appears to be much better than advertised four games into the season. We knew the cupboards were stocked by the former staff. There is no shortage of talent in Gainesville. But barring a rash of injuries (attrition has depleted the number of players on the roster) this bunch should continue to improve and be even more dangerous by the end of the season.
This is the week everyone worried about. The start of the October gauntlet. Can the Gators make it through October? That task is very tough considering the next three weeks are three straight games against the last three national champions other than the Gators. That is a schedule that would strike fear in almost any college football fan. But fear should not enter into the equation for this young team. The only way to achieve greatness is to challenge yourself against the best....and that is just what Florida is facing over the next month...especially the next two weeks. How will this team measure up? Aside from a win that is what the Gators need to take from this experience. How far do they have to go to return to the elite? Personally, I don't think that it is very far...and there is no better test out there than an Alabama/LSU midteerm exam to gauge where this team is at and where they are headed.
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