The storyline for Will Muschamp is sitting on the hot seat. Fair enough — it’s something I think we all have in the back of our heads.
However if you didn’t know who Muschamp was on Monday you would have never been aware of the hot seat from him or his players at SEC Media Days.
I walked away proud for how they handled the pressure. They were simply honest about last year but what stood out was everyone is confident in the upcoming season and ready to go.
Dante Fowler and Jeff Driskel had me ready to strap on my gear and get out there because of their message and their support for Will Muschamp.
While I don’t expect them to be anything but supportive, I didn’t expect them to sound passionate and honest about it.
“It’s business as normal at Florida,” Fowler said. “ That’s what I’m going to use now because we don’t listen to the outsiders. My team we are all we got, my brothers, my coaching staff and that’s how it’s going to be. Our job is to get Florida back on top where it use to be and that’s what we are going to do.”
When Fowler said that, he looked like a man on a mission to kick some butt this year.
“My expectation for Dante Fowler is be leader, puts his team on his back when he needs to and being able to get my team to the SEC championship and get my team the W’s we need,” Fowler said. “That’s my job.”
While Fowler was his usual dominating self conducting interviews with passion and honesty, I saw a side to Jeff Driskel I haven’t seen before.
It was an understanding that last year sucked, that this year must be better, and anything is possible as we saw from Auburn last year.
“Every year is different and this year will be different for us,” Driskel said. “Two years ago Auburn didn’t have a great year and the next year they came back to win the SEC. Every year is different and there is such a fine line in the SEC between winning and losing. It’s going to come down to a couple of games but I feel like we have the players and coaching staff to do that and as a player that’s all you can ask for.”
That’s not cheap talk — it’s an honest response because Auburn and Missouri both showed it’s possible. If the Gators stay healthy who knows what happens this year with Kurt Roper running the offense.
Back in Gainesville, the next big thing on the menu for the team is the start of football season and I think it’s coming at the right time because Fowler (and his chucky doll) looks like he’s ready to steamroll opponents.
“I’m excited to go against everybody this year because I’m searching for wins,” Fowler said. “I know when we run into each team that it’s going to be on. I’m really ready to hit any quarterback and I want that to be known to the world. Me and my team are ready to go out there and play.”
Talk may be cheap but these guys showed up in Hoover on a mission and Fowler says the motto this year is all about business.
“Toughness, effort, attitude and team chemistry — that’s our motto,” Fowler said. “Of course GRIND too.”
Well that’s great Mr. Fowler. I hope you show up for the LSU game this year because you didn’t last year. La’el Collins made you look like you were wearing roller skates. I hope you read this and get really mad, then go watch the film to try and figure out why he dominated you and put his picture on your door to remind you every day that you need to get better and make Collins know things are going to be different this year on the first play. There are also other times you didn’t do your job, but that’s the most obvious one. Maybe Collins is just too good, what do say about that? Or better yet, don’t say anything, just show me.