The Florida Gators wanted 2009 to be the season where they proved that they were one of the best college football teams of all time. Unfortunately for the Gators, there was one hiccup and that happened to be in the SEC title game against Alabama. The Crimson Tide thumped the Gators and went on to win the BCS Championship. The Gators did a nice job of getting back on their feet and wiping the floor with the Bearcats of Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl. A 13-1 season was a great success, but some Florida faithful were a bit disappointed, because their sights were set so high.

The 2010 Florida Gators will have a whole new look. John Brantley will be the signal caller, and one would assume they will have an entirely different game plan on offense. Urban Meyer is the king of coming up with offensive schemes that utilize his talent, so I suspect we’ll see some new tricks from this team. Meyer has done such a great job recruiting that this team must be considered national title contenders even in a rebuilding season.

College Football Predictions: Florida Offensive Preview

The Gators offense will certainly look different, but they will be very good in 2010. The offensive line returns four starters from a unit that could shove just about any defensive line around. As is normally the case at Florida, there is plenty of speed to go around. Running back Jeff Demps is as fast as anyone in college football, and Chris Rainey is likely to move into a Percy Harvin-type of role for the Gators with his amazing quickness and slashing ability. Brantley doesn’t have the running ability that Tim Tebow did, but he is a great passer. I fully expect the Gators to become a more powerful passing attack in 2010 than they were in the past couple of years. Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody will both get plenty of carries, and the rushing game should be solid. The Florida offense won’t have their proven leader in Tebow, but they will have great balance and a ton of talent.

Florida Defensive Preview

The Gators lost six starters from last year’s team, but the young talent stepping in appears destined for greatness in their time at Florida. It will all start with the tackles up front, who should do a terrific job of clogging the running lanes. Florida will go five deep in the defensive tackle spot, so they’ll be rotating in and out constantly. The defensive ends are young, but they should benefit greatly from such a strong middle of the line. The loss of Brandon Spikes will hurt the linebacker unit, but Brandon Hicks should have a big year. The secondary is loaded with speed, as it always is. Will Hill and Ahmad Black will form one of the best safety tandems in the country. The defense will be young, and some assignments will likely be missed, but this unit will be one of the best in the league.

Florida Question Marks

The Gators have to be a little worried about the lack of an experienced leader on either side of the football at this point. Tebow was their clear leader on offense, and Spikes was the leader of the defense. They have plenty of talent and someone will eventually step up, but if they want to win it all they’ll need to step up quickly.

Brantley is a tremendous passer, and he has the tools to sling it all over the field, but the Gators lost a lot of talent at the wide receiver spot. There is still talent there, but some questions remain as to whether this unit provides the playmakers that will compliment Brantley.

Florida Football Futures Odds

The oddsmakers are still giving the Florida Gators a good chance at making noise with their young squad in 2010. The Gators are listed at +1,200 on 5Dimes to win the BCS Championship this year. The Gators are posted at -185 to win the SEC East and +240 to win the SEC Championship. What about the college football team total wins in 2010 for the Gators? Sportsbook.com has listed the number at 10 wins. The ‘over’ is currently at -120, while the ‘under’ is listed at +100.

2010 Florida Football Schedule- Key Games

The 2010 Florida football schedule is filled with cupcakes when it comes to the nonconference games, but inside the SEC there will definitely be some tough battles. On Oct. 2, the Gators travel to Alabama in what will probably be the biggest game of the year in the SEC. The Gators need to be careful not to slack off after that week, as they will host a tough LSU team the following week. There is a good chance Florida will meet Alabama a second time in the SEC Championship Game in early December, and that one could determine who will play in the BCS Championship Game.

2010 Florida Football Betting Predictions and Picks

The Florida Gators are loaded with talent, but I do think their inexperience will hurt them at some point this season. John Brantley should be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and the defense will be solid. I think this is a team that could beat anyone in the country, but I also believe they will probably lose a couple of games because of their youth. In a couple of years this will definitely be the team to beat.

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