Read Sports Geek’s argument that Texas can run the table and Bleacher Fan’s argument that Penn State can roll through the season undefeated.
Folks, it’s getting to be the time where we really can start to get excited about the start of football season. The Sports Debates is especially excited about it. I hope you enjoy our football debates over the coming months.
Today, we are discussing which team has the best chance to go undefeated in 2009. After doing a little research, I have determined that I think the defending national champion Florida Gators have the best chance to go undefeated. There’s no doubt that expectations are high down in Gainesville this year. That’s the case pretty much every year. But, this year is different. Mr. Everything Tim Tebow (you may have heard of him) is back for his senior season, and the team as a whole returns 18 starters including all eleven on defense. In fact, the Gators have 12 players on the preseason All-SEC first and second team. Anything less than a national title will likely be viewed as a disappointment.
The offense was ranked fourth nationally last year with an average of 43.6 points per game. While losing athletic wide receiver Percy Harvin and wide receiver Louis Murphy, the Gators still return a plethora of running backs including Jeffrey Demps, Chris Rainey, Emmanuel Moody, and others. You might as well consider Tebow a running back also.
There’s also strong leadership on this team with Tebow and with Brandon Spikes on defense. Both guys passed up a chance to enter the NFL Draft so they could come back and attempt to win a second consecutive championship. Together, the two of them have posted an outstanding 35-6 record in their three years at Florida with two national championships in, arguably, college football’s toughest conference (though Bleacher Fan would not agree!).
In a short time frame, head coach Urban Meyer has developed into one of college football’s most revered coaches. Loved by some and hated by others, Meyer quickly has put the Gators back on top, as he has achieved a 44-9 record in four years. He gets under the skin of Gator haters, though I believe that new Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin may have replaced him as the conference’s most hated coach – which is strange considering Kiffin has yet to coach a game yet. I also don’t think these two will be playing a round of golf together anytime soon after Kiffin’s mouth got him in trouble (and it wasn’t the only time.).
There’s no getting around the fact that the Gators have a tough schedule this year. There’s also no getting around the fact that every SEC team has a tough schedule every year and they know that going into the season. That makes it really difficult to go undefeated. The Gators have a potentially rough trip to Baton Rouge on October 10th to take on LSU. Chances are that game will be a night game, which makes it extra tough. A night game at Death Valley is really rough on the opponent and its fans! But, the Gators may catch a break as they have an off week to prepare for that game. Their other tough games are the neutral site games (though the neutrality of the site is debatable) against Georgia and a November trip to South Carolina. It will be extremely tough, but an undefeated season is not out of the question.
I’d be stupid to truly predict anything, especially since we, at the Sports Debates, try to stay away from any type of prediction – it’s just not what we do. But, out of all of the teams that I have looked at, I believe the Florida Gators have the best chance to run the table. The experience they have coming back with 18 starters offsets any concerns I have about the rugged schedule.
They’re certainly not as big a name as the 3 teams mentioned here, but what about Rutgers? They’ve got perhaps the easiest schedule of any BCS team.
You think Rutgers has a better chance to go undefeated this year? A better chance than Texas, Florida or Penn State? State your case, friend!
Well, with an already weak schedule in conference (only tough game against WVU and even that’s a home game), the OOC opponents for Rutgers are Howard, Florida International, Maryland, Texas Southern, and Army. WEAK.
Whoa! Coach Schiano really pulled out the stops for this schedule!
There’s no denying that Rutgers has a weaker schedule. However, it takes more than a weak schedule to complete the college football season (bowl included) undefeated. Maryland is no cakewalk (in fact, there’s no cake at all on account of the head coach). And, the Tigers of Texas Southern are known more for their law school than their football.
Rutgers also lost important players, including the quarterback, from last season. No matter how weak a schedule is, teams lose when they do not play well together, and replacing key positions is just one way poor play manifests itself over the course of the year.
Do you believe that a weak schedule is the only factor to consider for this debate?
Ok Sports Geek, you just made me literally laugh out loud with the cake comment. You wouldn’t believe how much Ralph supposedly ate at the Varsity when he was at Georgia Tech. But to his credit, ole Ralphie has lost a lot of weight this offseason!
Rutgers? Really? (Hahaha Sports Geek). I appreciate the fact that Greg Schiano has brought respectability to Rutgers! But come on!