Dooley’s Back Nine: What Happened To Strength Of Schedule In Selecting Gator Bowl?

The Back Nine comes at you now that we have adjusted to no Gators football or basketball games over the weekend:

10. Yeah, it was kind of weird, but free of tension in my house. The championship games were good and some were great and please don’t get rid of these games. There is a movement to do that, but I don’t think it will ever happen because they generate incredible revenue, put your conference on a big stage and help a team sneak into the playoffs. Just ask Clemson if they want to discontinue them.

11. I bring this up on the lead to Dooley Noted because there was a lot of talk leading up to the title games that they should get rid of them. Joe Tessitore made a comment that left 30 seconds of dead air because Jesse Palmer was confused and probably liked going to SEC Championship Games. Anyway, don’t ask me, I have no idea what football is going to be like in five years.

12. Think about the power the players have right now and how it will lead to a Collective Bargaining Agreement. Will that lead to coaches having the ability to trade players. Look, the academic part of being a student-athlete is floating away like dandelion puff in the breeze. Your father’s football is gone, players can celebrate pretty much anyway they want and cheating is not cheating anymore, And get off my lawn.

13. Florida is going to the Gasparilla Bowl because the SEC stayed with its usual inconsistency. Yes, Ole Miss had a better record, but the league that was touting Alabama’s strength of schedule kind of let that go when it came time to pick who would go to Jacksonville. Florida wanted to stay in state and the Gator Bowl was salivating for Florida vs. Duke in the Spurrier Bowl. Florida went 3-1 to Ole Miss’ 2-2 against common opponents and Florida beat Ole Miss and Florida had a much tougher schedule, but, hey, that only matters when we’re talking about the CFP.

14. It is difficult to feel sorry for Alabama being left out, but remember when people thought the SEC could get five teams in? It was like they never looked at who would have to play who. Now, respected Alabama AD Greg Byrne is rethinking the scheduling path he took, as are many athletic directors. Do you want us to play a hard schedule or just pile up wins.

15. Because I went 3-1 on the championship game picks, the record for the season is 39-31-2 which means we won a lot of Monopoly money. Next week we will pick the four first-round play-in games (I’m calling them that just to make people irritated).

16. What a gutsy performance by the Florida volleyball team, going on the road and taking care of bidness. That’s what I’m talking about. Florida won in Lawrence against host team Kansas in a dramatic five-setter that distracted me from football. What an up-and-down season for Mary Wise, but she usually ends up still playing this time of year. Kennedy Martin is ridiculous, and Alexis Stuckey came off the bench to provide the spark. Next stop: Louisville, Ky., and a Sweet 16 matchup with Stanford. I have seen Stanford play and it is really good. Yes, I need to get out of the house more.

17. I sent my Heisman Trophy ballot off today and thought for a long time about it. I can’t reveal it, but I can tell you there are no Gators on the ballot this season although I considered it. Not really. If I was selecting award winners for this team, it would go like this:

Offensive MVP: Jake Slaughter. DJ Lagway changed the direction of the team and I get that, but he doesn’t do it without a leader like Slaughter.

Defensive MVP: Tyreak Sapp. Pressure leads to turnovers. Florida was plus-5 in turnover margin.

Special teams MVP: I’m going with Chimere Dike. Florida finally had a dangerous punt returner who flipped fields.

18. It was a pretty low-key weekend with the chill showing up to make me realize I don’t HAVE TO play golf when it’s uncomfortable. Hey, we have 48 other weeks. And then I still went and played nine holes and listened to this playlist:

• “Hole In Your Life” by Sister Hazel and make sure you catch my friend Drew Copeland on Another Dooley Noted Podcast this week talking about the new album.
• “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” by the Smiths. I don’t think they will be on the podcast.
• “Sure Gonna Miss Her” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys. That’s the late great studio player Hal Blaine on Spanish guitar.

WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.