If you are a Gator fan, stop all the hating on Chris Leak. He’s going to be the QB this year. Tim Tebow’s potential looks good right now. Potential don’t put points on the board in the SEC.
Obviously there are some holes and strength on both sides of the ball. They are workable though and shouldn’t have that tough a time getting adjusted.
If you have looked at schedules of Top 25 teams, I don’t think you will find one as tough as Florida’s. Eight of the twelve teams that Florida will play participated in a bowl last year. That’s not counting Tennessee, which everyone will agree had a fluke season and couldn’t play up to their schedule. Florida has a three week span where they play Alabama, LSU, and at Auburn. The hopes are high, but with the schedule, there is not a team that could make it out unscathed.

Here’s a look at the upcoming 2006 Florida Gator schedule:

Week 1
Southern Miss – Florida’s warm up games are getting a little bit rougher. I guess Western Carolina was already booked. I don’t see them losing, but I don’t see them putting up their normal week one 70-3 win here either. I see Urban Meyer working hard on getting his running game in order here. You may see a mixture in the first half of pass and rush, but second half you will see the running backs vie for that starting position. This may also be where you see Tebow for the first time. Predict: Win

Week 2
UCF – You will see plenty of what you saw in the first week. Meyer trying to right his offense with his balanced spread attack. He knows he will see stronger and faster defenses in the upcoming weeks of SEC play. Predict: Win

Week 3
@ Tennessee – This is where two things will happen. We will see if Florida is legit and ready to climb back to the top of the SEC or if Tennessee is ready to shrug off last season. This game is being played in Neyland Stadium. So expect it to be a hostile environment. If either team goes up by more than 10, I think they win. Florida has to score early, get the crowd out of it and let their defense handle. Predict: Win (by late field goal or perhaps OT)

Week 4
Kentucky – After the battle with the Volunteers, the Gators will rip apart whoever they play next. Whether they win or lose, look out Wildcats. They will be hyped and ready to knock some teeth down some throats. Predict: W (first big blowout)

Week 5
Alabama – This is the game a lot of Gator fans have been looking forward to. A rematch from the debacle at Bryant Denny Stadium last year where Alabama jumped out ahead and never looked back. This game will not resemble that one. Which I’m sure that’s what everyone though last year as well. Predict: W (Florida is rolling, but the two toughest weeks are ahead)

Week 6
LSU – Florida played them tightly last year and lost by four points. Les Miles has one of the more talented teams in the nation and they may be looking for a title outside of the Southeast themselves at this point (if they beat Auburn). This game will be won or lost by the offensive line. If they can handle the defensive pressure by LSU, they could put LSU’s hope out to pasture. Predict: W (a tough battle but Florida pulls this one out in The Swamp)

Week 7
@ Auburn – This is a UF fan’s biggest nightmare. Coming off two hard fought games against SEC West foes, they play Auburn @ Jordan Hare (which sounds like a dyslexic talking about the Jordan VIIs). This will be the one game that will turn National Championship dreams into the SEC Championship race. Predict: L (If this game is played in The Swamp, it may be a different story)

Week 9
@ Jacksonville – The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (is this an actual Guinness World Record, I may have to do more leg work for this one). Georgia is coming off back to back years with senior QBs. Joe Tereshinski is not the answer that many a fan is Athens is looking for. I’m sure down the road there will be some tremendous QB battles between Tim Tebow and Matt Swafford, but those days just aren’t here yet. Predict: W

Week 10
Vanderbilt – This game is going to be like me play NCAA against my wife, just unfair. Predict: W

Week 11
South Carolina – What kind of reaction will Steve Spurrier receive in Gainesville? What kind of reaction will he get if he wins or loses in Gainesville? I don’t think he will squeak one out in the Swamp. Though I do think about what Chris Leak would have done in his offense had he been there. (I know Ron Zook recruited him after Spurrier left) Predict: W

Week 12
Western Carolina – Never mind, they scheduled them for Week 12. This will be a game where the beat up get healthy and those freshmen and sophomores see a lot of time mixing in with juniors or seniors. Predict: W (Blowout)

Week 13
@ Florida State – The Seminoles are coming off a down year which saw them win the ACC title. Not a bad down year. Bobby Bowden doesn’t mind conference titles, but he aims higher than that. This one could go either way. Like most games against these two, you don’t know who will win. You could flip a coin and be just as likely to pick a winner. Florida State’s looks to be recruiting like the Bengal’s draft, nothing but trouble. For that, I will give the nod to the Gators. Predict: W

This could work out a lot of different way. I could also see Florida losing to Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina (if they aren’t careful), and Florida State. Their schedule is gruesome. They could easily be Tennessee from last year or an At Large BCS team. That’s what makes football so great and so frustrating. I’m sure Oklahoma, USC, Texas, and Ohio State couldn’t go through this schedule either. Some years just aren’t your year. This looks like it won’t for the Gator Nation. We’ll try it again in two years.