A decision is expected about the fate of the washed out Idaho vs Florida season opener in the next couple of days. The schools are still weighing their options and seeing what works best for both schools.
But this seems to be the million dollar question:
What is best for the GATORS?
The possible rescheduling of this game has turned into a pretty heated debate. It appeared that the only available date that lined up for both schools would been October 25th. That would eliminate the open week that the Gators currently have before they play rival Georgia.
Should the Gators give up their bye week to reschedule Idaho? Many fans will chuckle and argue that going through the motions against Idaho would be essentially a bye week anyway. In the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friends!
Ron Zook, also saw an early season game get washed out during his tenure as the head coach of the Gators as well. In fact, it happened in a similar “put up or shut up” season that Muschamp is currently facing right now.
The Gators had their 2004 season opener against Middle Tennessee State wiped out because of Hurricane Frances, causing the game to be moved to their bye, the week before Mississippi State, and leaving the Gators without an off week. The lack of rest would take it’s toll, the Gators would drop that game in Starksville to Mississippi State, and Zook would be fired the next week.
Surely Muschamp wants to avoid similar fate. Maintaining that bye week at all costs would be the preferable solution. However, most Gators fans don’t want an 11 game season either. Thus, what is the solution?
I have heard the suggestion of playing during the bye week, but having the game take place on Thursday night, October 23rd. This would allow the Gators to keep the scheduled night game, still play the game against Idaho, and still get 10 days of rest before Georgia.
That may not be possible because of class schedules, travel considerations, television accommodations, or any number of things, but it is a suggestion.
The other suggestion thrown out on the Sun-Belt conference call this week was playing the game on December 6th. Most of the major schools will have finished up their schedules, but there will still be teams from the American Conference and Big 12 will be playing, as well as conference championship games. This would of course would be conditional on the Gators not reaching the SEC Championship game, and would just give the players a chance to play that twelfth game.
The other solution would be to cancel the game all together. Only play an 11 game season and keep the bye week.
I don’t think that would be fair for the seniors of either team. I prefer the Thursday night game in October myself, but if that cannot happen then I hope they make every effort to get this game in during the month of December. The fans deserve it, the schools deserve it, and most importantly, the players deserve it.
The decision should be coming this week and we will have more when it is announced.
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