Saturday’s showdown between Florida and Georgia has a lot riding on it, both immediately and as it relates to the future.
For coach Will Muschamp, this game means everything, and not because he played at Georgia. The “wasted ink,” as he called it, spent on the storyline is largely just that.
Every game has had sentimental significance for Muschamp. Against Tennessee, he faced good friend Derek Dooley. Against Auburn, he returned to the school where he served as a graduate assistant. Against Alabama, he faced mentor Nick Saban, and against LSU, he was going back to the stadium where he coached for four years.
This game is huge for Muschamp because rivalry games are the measuring sticks by which coaching careers are judged. The Gators have won 18 of their last 21 against the Bulldogs, and Muschamp is going to be expected to continue that streak, or else.
Just look at Mark Richt. In his 10 seasons as Georgia’s top dog he has won two Southeastern Conference championships and finished in the top 10 of the final AP poll five times. But, because he hasn’t won a national title and is 2-8 against the Gators, he’s sitting on the hot seat. Muschamp has to keep UF’s run versus UGA going, because if he doesn’t, he’ll be the orchestrator of Florida’s first four-game losing streak since 1988.
Think back to last season.
The Gators won their first four games, suffered three consecutive losses and then pulled off a thriller against the Bulldogs. That wasn’t nearly enough to satiate outraged fans, but to some extent it salvaged the season.
An 8-5 year with an Outback Bowl win against Penn State may not look like much on the surface, but it’ll seem pretty damn good compared to what could happen if Florida loses this game.
A defeat drops the Gators to 4-4, silences the SEC title murmurs and makes bowl eligibility a legitimate question, especially with a surprisingly average Vanderbilt team primed to catch UF at its lowest point.
A win brings Florida to 3-3 in the conference, which would put it one game behind Georgia and two behind South Carolina in the East. With a matchup against a Lattimore-less Gamecocks still upcoming, that margin would hardly be insurmountable.
Even if it doesn’t lead to an East title, a win keeps Florida on the map. There’s no such thing as an off year or rebuilding season in college football — boosters and recruits are always watching. For the sake of their image alone, the Gators need to prove something against a winning team.
The four floundering groups Florida has beaten are a combined 7-21, including 0-11 against SEC opponents. The three legitimate teams the Gators have lost to are a combined 21-3, 13-2 in the SEC.
The Gators need to win Saturday to prove that they, and their coach, truly belong.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
