Florida's backups could beat Charleston Southern on Saturday.
I don't think anyone would consider that much of an outlandish statement, but to drive the point home, here's the score from the Buccaneers' 2008 season opener:
Miami 52, Charleston Southern 7.
The same Hurricanes team turned around a week later and lost 26-3 inside The Swamp.
So there will be no Appalachian State-Michigan repeat here. Not even a hint of it.
Charleston Southern is much worse than Appalachian State, and the Gators are a lot better than the Wolverines (Florida isn't a 63-point favorite for nothing).
So Tim Tebow doesn't need to be on Florida Field past the opening 15 minutes. Neither do Brandon Spikes, the Pounceys or any other veteran starter. In fact, anyone with a hint of an injury (the things football players routinely play through) should watch the last three quarters from the bench.
The reasoning is the same as the Orange and Blue Debut or a preseason NFL game - why risk an injury? Why show wrinkles or tricks up your sleeve?
Obviously Florida-Charleston Southern will count in the record books, and spring games and pro preseason games do not, but the outcome is not in doubt here.
That's why the Gators shouldn't waste anything special on the Buccaneers. No fake punts, double reverses or anything of the sort. These plays depend on the element of surprise, and that is worth more than the ability for coaches to see how something would work. Don't give opponents the film. Save the tricks for a key moment.
Just let the basic offense and defense do the work. Run the spread and show off the ridiculous speed Florida has. Let the defensive line rush four guys and pressure the quarterback. Maybe even sprinkle in a basic blitz to give the defense a chance for a big play. But nothing more.
I'm not calling for players to play scared, but smart. Tebow, it really is OK to slide. The following 13 games are much more worthwhile than running over a Charleston Southern linebacker for a few extra yards.
Keep it controlled. The Gators don't need SportsCenter Top 10 plays after Saturday's game. They need a team healthy and focused enough to continue one of the most anticipated seasons in program history.
A win against Charleston Southern won't make the team any more focused, but erring on the safe side can help ease the risk of trainers having to tend to an injured Gator.
I realize injuries can happen at any given moment in a season, but with a veteran team that's been there before, the Gators don't need to open themselves to any more liability than necessary.
Get Tebow and the first-team offense a few series to sync and see kinks that need to be worked out in practice.
Let the starting defense show how ferocious it is going to be. Then have the very-capable backups (and third-stringers for that matter) do the work and see if they can keep the shutout going.
There will be plenty of plundering against the Buccaneers on Saturday.
Just let the backups do the heavy lifting.
