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The Swamp is #1

Discussion in 'RayGator's Swamp Gas' started by plantado, Jul 11, 2025 at 9:39 AM.

  1. plantado

    plantado All American

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  2. gatorlips

    gatorlips Sophomore

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    Most of these" Stadium Rankings" polls are warped by the teams recent record or long term rep. This one got it right.
     
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  3. WESGATORS

    WESGATORS Moderator VIP Member

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    Great! Let's "fix" it!

    Go GATORS!
    ,WESGATORS
     
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  4. Skink

    Skink GC Hall of Fame

    Unfortunately anything from Newsbreak tries to force me to download yet another app and probably sign up — that’s where it ends for me
     
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  5. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    So profound... in unspoken truth.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. g8trdave

    g8trdave It's Great to Be a Florida Gator!!!

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    All of college football is going to look much more like NFL going forward. Those of us that grew up with the college football traditions based on amateur athlete status and the true student-athlete are not going to recognize college football in 15 years (or sooner).
     
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  7. gatorchamps0607

    gatorchamps0607 Always Rasta VIP Member

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    Since when have we not been a "traditional powerhouse" as a school and as a stadium?
     
  8. GatorFanCF

    GatorFanCF Premium Member

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    B.S. = Before Spurrier
     
  9. DieAGator

    DieAGator GC Hall of Fame

    Apr 3, 2007
    Known to football historians as BC.
     
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  10. RD_gator

    RD_gator GC Hall of Fame

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    Florida took down many a foes at Florida field even before SOS had arrived in 1990 as the head Coach.
    For instance,
    - UF defeated national power Southern Cal in 1982 at Florida Field (as known then),
    - Miami in 1983 (UF defeated the hurricanes 28-3; Miami would later win the NC that same season)
    Bumpers Stickers read
    "State Champions 28, National Champions - 3"
    - an undefeated 7-0 Auburn team in 1986 met a Florida defeat after injured star Kerwin Bell came off the bench to lead the Gators to victory.
    - Florida had a long streak of 1st RD NFL draft picks from the late 1970s extending into the 1990s & beyond.

    So, plenty was accomplished at Florida even before SOS's arrival.
    Even in the 1980s, Florida had one of the highest winning percentages in the SEC which gave the Gators their great reputation for being so tough at home.

    Steve Spurrier capitilized on this reputation by giving the Florida home field advantage the catchy nickname, "The Swamp" 'where only gators get out alive with a victory'. During the 1990s, SOS's UF teams were wildly successful at home and solidified & reinforced that tradition of home success.

    From 1983-1985, Florida had the school's longest unbeaten streak (18 games without a loss, 16-0-2);
    UF had 3 straight top 5/6 finishes (a school first as UF had never finished in the top 10 before much less doing that feat for 3 straight years);
    Florida would win two 'unofficial' SEC titles on the field ('84, '85), and also recorded their first ever #1 ranking (in 1985) after defeating top 10 SEC foe at Auburn
    - a terrrible loss to Georgia would have denied the probation/SEC penalized Florida from winning their first ever AP NC in 1985.

    That unbeaten record held up for about 25+ years before the Urban Meyer UF teams had a 22-game unbeaten streak (from 2008 to 2010). This winning streak began immediately after Ole Miss had defeated then undefeated Florida in the Swamp (2008) and Tim Tebow gave his impassioned speech to keep pursuing excellence and the championship.
     
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
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  11. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    Do you recognize is now? The days of Rudy left the building long ago. Its being seen now for what it already became. Theres still some students though, its just a mix.
     
  12. GatorFanCF

    GatorFanCF Premium Member

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    All that’s true but hardly qualifies as anything close to “a traditional powerhouse” A great effort and spectacle here and there (my favorite game was ‘86 over Auburn) but “traditional powerhouses” won national championships and SEC titles.