There is a common sentiment shared among the coaches here at Texas since leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference — nothing can be taken for granted in this league.
While it can be interpreted as a copout for poor play or not living up to a team’s full potential, there is a definite truth that the SEC is a tough conference to succeed in.
Just last week, Georgia fell at home to Alabama, and Ole Miss held it down in Oxford to take LSU’s No. 4 ranking in the most recent AP poll.
Even Tennessee and Texas A&M, which won their favored matchups last weekend, were all one touchdown away from tipping the scales in the opposite direction.
After a nice send-off against Sam Houston State and a much-needed open week, the conference slate has officially commenced for the Longhorns; no more alphabet soup schools to beat up on at home.
On paper, the Gators have a talented roster, with multiple playmakers on the field at any given moment. Despite the losses to LSU and Miami, two of the better teams this season, Florida competed with them for large swaths of the game.
Here’s the thing: the most dangerous team in the world is the one with a boatload of talent with a desperation complex. This is a very rare phenomenon within modern college sports and it’s not to be treated lightly.
Florida head coach Billy Napier and his Gators have nothing to lose this weekend. Already with a 1-3 record on the season, the hope of making a proper run to the playoffs is out of the question unless an incredible run can begin starting this weekend.
This will be the first home game for the Gators since the fateful USF loss four weeks ago. “The Swamp,” a notably hostile environment, will only be amplified with the first big-time matchup of the season.
It’s also the Longhorns’ first of four games on the road before coming back to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in November. Establishing good habits and momentum is of the utmost importance in thriving during this grueling conference road schedule.
Texas has the tools to win this game. It has the experience of playing in a tough road environment and has found some moxie during matchups between Group of Five programs.
But Florida is not going to be a guaranteed win or an easy win, as some suspect it will be. Never underestimate an SEC game because, as we saw last week, anything can happen when you go down in the south.
