*Sign of the times: Imagine Florida Gator fans being disappointed in a mere 10-point win against Tennessee.
*Sign of vulnerability: Respected color analyst Gary Danielson, who did the UF-UT game for CBS, noted emphatically that the Gators have serious issues with their wide receivers, which is code for serious issues with their defense of their national championship. Not only don’t the Gators have the departed Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy (who have moved on to the NFL), pointed out Danielson, but no one near their ability is around for Tim Tebow to throw to in 2009.
Yes, the receiver corps has been depleted, but the cupboard is not bare, especially with Clearwater’s Riley Cooper back for his senior season. But the Gators were expecting a Harvinesque presence out of top recruit Andre Dubose, the Sanford Seminole freshman who’s out injured for the season. They were also missing highly touted sophomore Deonte Thompson, who was hurt for the UT game.
*Is that Gaines Adams or the ghost of Booker Reese at defensive end for the Bucs?
*Special anniversary: Not only did Florida State re-establish itself among the nationally ranked by routing Brigham Young last Saturday, but ‘Noles head coach Bobby Bowden also celebrated the golden anniversary of his first collegiate victory. The first of his 384.
It came — when he was coaching Howard (now Samford) — against Maryville.
Amid the controversy over whether Bowden, who trails Penn State’s Joe Paterno by two wins, will lose as many as 14 victories (over an FSU cheating scandal), is this often overlooked footnote. Among Bowden’s 384 wins, 31 are against small-college competition (while he was at Howard). All of Paterno’s are against major schools. Bowden’s initial victory was against aforementioned Maryville, Paterno’s was against Maryland. Bowden gets to count Millsaps as if it were Michigan.
For the record, a disclaimer: Yes, I’m a Penn State grad.