Florida vs. Ohio State Predictions & Analysis: 2012 Gator Bowl 1/2
December 30th, 2011 by | Posted in College FootballThe Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes have a ton of strange connections to one another, including a National Championship Game and a head coach. Now, they share the 2012 Gator Bowl as well, and we are set to give our Gator Bowl analysis so you can make your 2011-2012 bowl picks.
Gator Bowl: Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Gator Bowl Location: Ever Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Gator Bowl Date/Time: Monday, January 2nd, 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Gator Bowl Television Coverage: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
Click Here For The Rest Of The 2011-12 Bowl Game Schedule And Other Bowl Game Previews
Key #1: DeVier Posey has to become a force in this game
The combination of QBs Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller weren’t exactly superstars this year for the Buckeyes, though we do trust that they will be in better shape once Miller really gets the hang of the new offense that Urban Meyer is going to bring to the table. Getting the ball out to wide receivers this year was tough, as there wasn’t a man on the team that caught even 15 passes on the whole season. WR Devin Smith led the team in receiving with 247 yards. Of course, Posey only ended up playing in two games in his senior season, one of which came against the hated Michigan Wolverines. That day, he came up with easily the only notable game that an OSU receiver has had all season long, catching three passes for 58 yards and a TD. He now has seven catches in these two games. Now that he would have had a full few weeks of practice, the time is here for Posey to have an impact on this game. The Gators DBs have been burned a few times in the past by a number of the solid receivers in the SEC, so they can be had, and it will be up to Posey to take advantage of the situation and his extra practice time to make himself a threat.
Gator Bowl Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Florida Gators -2
Ohio State Buckeyes +2
Over/Under 44
Click Here to Bet The Gator Bowl Picks!
Key #2: Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have to use their world class speed to their advantage
Over the first few games of the season, it looked like the new look Florida offense was going to be fantastic with both Rainey and Demps doing damage as rushers and receivers. Now, it is true that the two did have over 1,300 rushing yards between them and might finish off the season with over 2,000 all-purpose yards between them, but the fact of the matter is that neither one really was able to showcase their tremendous speed all that often. They both averaged fewer than six yards per carry this season, a real stretch for a duo that averaged over seven yards per carry over the course of the last three seasons (under Meyer, no less). The Buckeyes might not have been the greatest team on the face of the earth this year, and they might have struggled against a somewhat similar offense that the Michigan Wolverines run at the end of the season, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is some ridiculous speed on the field. If Demps and Rainey don’t get a chance to show what they can do in the open field, the rest of the Gators are just too slow to put points on the board.
Key #3: Both teams need to keep focus
Focus is really going to be the key of this game. The Buckeyes are playing in their last bowl game for two years, as they are going on bowl probation in the 2012 season when this one is said and done with, and they are going to be bringing in a new head coach next year. The Gators have to feel a bit shaken by the fact that the man that led them to two national titles and then skipped town supposedly for retirement is going to be coaching the team that they face on the other side of the field in this bowl game. On top of that, OC Charlie Weis, who grew noticeably upset on the sidelines with his offense as the season wore on, moved on to become the head coach for the Kansas Jayhawks. Both of these teams were known to take stupid penalties this season, especially Florida, and that is why both teams are playing in the Gator Bowl and not some of the more illustrious bowl games that this season has to offer. The team that keeps its cool will probably finish the year off above .500, while the loser will sadly end up below .500.
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