Because Florida lost to Alabama I’m actually getting a few days off. No special section to worry about. But I felt a need to share because so many of you are down in the dumps. Some are sad for Timmy, some for Urban, some for the whole Gator team.
It was a devastating loss, one that put Urban Meyer in the hospital and reduced Tim Tebow to tears. How bad was it? It makes my top 10 of the toughest losses for Gator fans since I have been following Gator football. Here’s the list:
1. Georgia, 1980. Trip, Lindsay, trip!
2. Tennessee, 2001. Another Rose Bowl trip shot down.
3. Alabama, 2009. Just a miserable showing.
4. FSU, 1996. We thought it was over.
5. Georgia, 1976. Fourth and Dumb.
6. Georgia, 1966. Nobody could believe it.
7. Auburn, 1994. One of the best games I ever saw.
8. Auburn, 1969. John Reaves threw nine picks.
9. South Carolina, 2005. Knocked UF out of the SEC East race.
10. Tennessee, 1998. How did Gators lose that game?
Honorable mention: Alabama, 1999 (regular season); Auburn, 1989; FSU, 1993; Miami, 1984; Nebraska, 1996; Ole Miss, 2008; Georgia, 2007.
Where is Nebraska 1995?
What about the ‘1994 choke at doak’ and ‘Nebraska 1995 NC’?
I think the 1985 Georgia game belongs on that list. Remember Dawg Scum chanting “4 whole days” (the length of time the Gators got to enjoy being #1 for the first time)?
I think the Nebraska “95 was played in early ’96. One of the toughest ones for me was Georgia ’75 when we were outsmarted by the halfback pass for a winning TD. I believe I had a Tebow moment ( I was living in Atlanta at the time).
Pat
I spoke to you outside the stadium in Atlanta. Like I knew you!! I just recognize you and little surprised to see you.
Make a list of times we were beat….whipped in big games and this would be number 2. Nebraska in Championship game may have been worst. Not sure of others Ala in Atlanta…like 31-3, maybe 3
Cato
Coach Meter naming Steve Addazio ofensive coordinator and play caller which caused your number 3
Nebraska 1996 is the championship game after the ’95 season.
The signs were there all season long. Losing Mullen and Harvin showed early and often. It was easy to ignore or, hope it wouldn’t make a real difference. Alabama didn’t show that much all season. If you thought about it you might think that they were pointing to one game but, they may just have not been THAT good. It was such uncharted territory on the face of it; repeating as national champs, the three-peat, it was all too much. Sure, it had never been done. You might have understood that in August but, with the great defense, and, the greatest player in the history of college football, it seemed possible, likely even. Looking back, you can see the train coming but, it doesn’t make it any easier. Where does the program go now, with Tebow?
Hey Pat, I think you overlooked one…how about when the reptiles were Homecoming patsies for the Vols in 1990? As I recall, 45-3 was one of the worst beatdowns in the Spurrier era…
2002 or 2003 Miami, whichever one that we were up 4 TD’s and Brock Berlin of all people led Miami back to win.
I would actually put the 1967 loss to FSU in Gainesville right there with some of yours.
I do not see how you guys didn’t see this coming. Arkansas,Mississippi state check what bama did to them. virginia tech?
Julio,Mark Ingram,Trent Richardson,Javiar Arenas. The bama defense and you were going to win with one man. I called this in to the Steve Russell show the week before.
steve smith
come on golfhog you make it sound as if all is lost here we still have the best head coach in college football, and John Brantley will get his chance to shine next year this will still be a pretty damn good football team.
How about 1992 when we were ranked #3 and had to play ND in the Sugar. I was upset that the bowl chose them since they were ranked 18th. We were slapped around the whole game and lost it 39-28. That was tough to swallow.
What about LSU in 2007 when they converted EVERY 4th down. That was insulting. I agree with the Nebraska in 1995/6. Tennessee in 1998 was because of the recievers dropping passes. Tennessee in 2001 showed that we had only one running back, Graham. We lost when Graham was out against Auburn not because of the strong crosswinds on the field. Ironic how these losses show one critical part of the team that was lacking, with the other team exploiting it.
Nebraska 1995 (season) was played in 1996 and is listed as an honorable mention, although I think it deserves a higher ranking too. The only other time we played NEB was when one of our SEC refs called Tony Green out of bounds on the winning TD run in the bowl game (wonder if it was Doyle Jackson who now graces us in the replay booth?).
I would have rated the Nebraska debacle third and then Sat Bama loss 4th on the list because of all that was at stake. As far as this Bama game, I was stunned not by the fact Bama beat us, but how poorly we played from from start to finish in such a huge game. Bama has now clearly established itself as the new ruler of the SEC. But I never thought I’d EVER see an Urban Meyer team play that bad when it was for all the marbles. I’m sure Urban will be spending the next year getting it figured out.
Jim. G – Neb of 95 is listed in honorable mention. I thought for sure that would have been #1. That would have been at the top of my list being that we were still looking for our 1st championship and that looked like our year. Talk about a “D” not showing up? That game was textbook no show. I still see T. Frazier running wild in my sleep! But oh well. Having this problem that we now have is a good one. Not easy by any means though.
2001 UT is still the worst loss of all time for me.
I was at the 98 UT game. If only gillespie could have gotten into the end zone. We had 5 turnovers that game and we kept getting sacked. That is why we lost.
Another one that I would have to add is the 99 home game against Bama. DJ, just catch the punt… I think we were favored by 21 or something like that.
I guess we just have to realize winning wouldn’t feel so damn good if losing didn’t hurt.
What burns me up about this game is that I am convinced from reports here and elsewhere that not all of our players were “all in” as Bama was, and that this created a divide on our team, and a poor performance(missed tackles by the bushel, dropped passes, dunderheaded penalties at critical moments, no pressure on the QB, etc., etc.) in one of the biggest games in the program’s history.
We had a saying at UF back in the 80’s, “another classic Gator choke”…but we hung with them through all the rough years and losses.
Looking back at this year, we were living on the edge the entire season (at least in SEC play). The thing I can’t figure out is we’d have a great offensive game (GA, FSU) mixing up plays, opening the offense, and then next week “poof”, gone. Our strength all year was rushing…so what do we do over and over in the AL game…pass.
Oh yeah, and PLEASE tank those white helmets!
Auburn 2001 and 2006. I still can’t believe we lost either of those games. The first kept us from a SEC title (your #2, the 9/11 game) and the second almost kept us out of the national championship. As far as games I was in attendance Auburn 1989, FSU 1996 (swore off Doak after that), Auburn 1994 and LSU 1997, just miserable.
Let’s face it. Our offense was questionable and unpreditable all season. My husband and I were at the game and it seemed to me the main factor was Alabama played like they wanted to win more than the Gators did. Even the cheerleaders stood there, cheering at times, but not involving the Gator fans and without keeping the Orange and Blue chant going during the game, which I’ve heard Coach Meyer say he and the team love the fans participation in the game. We even had one guy in our section stand up at one point and start the Orange and Blue Chant. After being number one all year I hated to see the Gators have such a poor showing. I think we all (Coaches, Players and Fans) left with a sick feeling!
bama 99 is still stuck in my craw. We could have won that with a made PAT.
unexcusable.
in the 60’s Graves led Duke in the Gator Bowl by 20 0r 21 pts and lost.
I’m 28 now and I’ve been going to gator games since 1992. I’ve seen it all (live I might add ) and this alabama game was definitely one of the worst defensive games i’ve seen the gators play. It’s like they didn’t care. I’m one of the people that lives for gator football , I base my life around the season and have for 17 years. I would have to say this is a top 5 horrible game . #1 has to be the neb. championship game (cause of the importants ), #2 I would say is 01 tenn. because we were right there for the title , #3 probably 31-31 tie vs fswho or the imbarrasment in miami when we were up by 24 and blew it ( i was there and didnt want to walk out of there !) I’m sure there are others but whatever….this one hurts very bad.