The Gators started out the game exactly the way Billy D wanted them too. They played stingy defense, rebounded aggressively, and hit the three. The Kentucky Wildcats opened up the game going 0-7 from the field. The Gators were up by six and looking good. Then it happened. Kentucky began to play like Kentucky. Aggressive defense, shot blocking, driving layups and so on. After their poor start, they went 9-13 and were up by 6 with 6 minutes remaining in the first half. The Gators scored a season low in the first half with 26 points and made only two 3pt FG’s. This is pretty bad being that Florida leads the NCAA in 3 pt. FG’s made with a total of 241. We went into halftime deflated. It was clear we were overmatched. But just maybe, maybe Coach Donavan would be bale to rally the troops and out on a clinic in the second half with a barrage of threes and so on. I was optimistic.

The second half started out exactly how the first half started out, well kind of. The Gators went on a monstrous run, 4-0, and Kentucky was scared. Not really. The onslaught began. Kentucky picked up right were they left off and never looked back. They basically dominated the game the entire night. And it didn’t help the gators that they were atrocious from behind the arc. So chalk this game up as nothing more than a loss. We can’t focus to much on this… But if we want to for just a second, we could come to the realization that the gators were playing basketball with 5 potential NBA caliber players. They were overmatched from the beginning and Kentucky is going to win it all this year. Fact is Fact. I hated to write that but no one can think anything different once they see this team play. There is just to much talent and everyone coming off the bench is like a starter for most other teams. Good for Cailipari (Kentucky coach). Any man who can avoid scandal in one program, bail out of it and start fresh from another program, while still recruiting the top talent in the nation has got to be doing something right.

….So what if he cooked the books so Derrick Rose’s SAT scores were good enough to play.

According to Rivals.com, Florida finished third in the overall class rankings, behind Texas and Alabama. ESPN had Florida sitting in the fourth spot. But to be honest, all of this ranking stuff means nothing unless you are the 2007 class of the Florida Gators who had Aaron Hernandez, Joe Haden, Major Wright, Both Pouncy boys and someone that goes by the name of Cameron Newton. That class was ridiculous and very few can compare. Nonetheless, let’s get serious for a second about these rankings. If you really do some research you would be shocked. Some of these recruits never pan out especially the five star ones. They have huge ego issues and have to enter a place where somebody else is in charge. These recruits go from being seniors and on top of their high school to the bottom rung of the ladder. They are freshmen all over again. They now have to compete with the best of the best, especially if it is one of these top programs (that is why they are going there right?). Some of them keep thinking they will get by on shear talent and don’t work hard at all. They usually transfer or go home after the first season. Some of them have actually already peaked in high school and don’t have much room to grow. And some of them just don’t ever do anything except suck the lifeblood out of the program and poison the locker room. They ride the bench all year long. You also can’t forget the ones that leave early, because they are just too good. I would rather have a four year starter that peaks as a senior than a freshman wonder kid that leaves after one year. So you really can’t put to much stock into these rankings.

On to our class. The Gators had a total of 17 signed letters of intent on Wednesday and had six early recruits who had already enrolled at Florida for spring Classes. That brings the total to 23. Not bad for Muschamp’s first real recruiting season. 12 out of the 23 are listed as either a Tight End, Offensive Tackle, Defensive End, or Defensive Tackle. I love to see a reload at the line of scrimmage. God knows we need it. The remaining 11 are made up of 4 Defensive Backs, 2 Wide Receivers, 2 Linebackers, 1 Quarterback (watch out Driskel and Brissett), 1 Kicker, and 1 Running Back.

Lets go right into the running back. His name is Matt Jones and his new nickname is “Beast”. He is 6-3, 210 pounds and runs a 4.7 in the 40 yard dash. He’s like a young Brandon Jacobs form the NY Giants. I can’t wait to see what he can do. Goodbye Scat-back. Hello Freight Train/Bullet Train. We have 2 monster tight ends in Kent Taylor (6-5, 225 lbs) and Colin Thompson (6-5, 255 lbs). We have a total of five defensive ends, which is headlined by Jonathan Bullard (6-4, 255 lbs) and Dante Fowler Jr. (6-3, 232 lbs). Fowler was a wonderful surprise. He committed to that Tallahassee School over a year ago. It is nice to see that some of these recruits do the right thing. Included in that group is Bryan Cox Jr. (6-3, 240 lbs), the son of Former Miami Dolphin, Bryan Cox. As for our offensive line, I personally don’t think we could have done any better. We landed 2 of the top 5 recruits in the nation. D.J. Humphries (6-5, 265 lbs) enrolled at Florida for Spring classes in order to get a step up for this upcoming season. Jessamen Dunker, aka “Goliath”, is 6-6 and weighs close to 320 lbs. He is a giant and is only going to get bigger and stronger. Out of the four defensive backs, Marcus Maye (6-1, 195 lbs) and Brian Poole (5-11, 187 lbs) will look to make an impact early. Both of these recruits were at the top of their class in the nation for their position. Our 2 linebackers are Antonio Morrison (6-3, 220 lbs) and Jeremi Powell (6-2, 200 lbs). They will probably need a year or two underneath their belts in order to get stronger and faster although Antonio seems a little farther ahead. Everything changes though once they step onto the practice field. We received a very nice surprise on signing day with the pickup of wide receiver, Raphael Andrades (6-0, 190 lbs, 4.5sec 40 yard dash). He was coached by former Gator Jacquez Green. The other wide receiver in the group is Latroy Pittman (6-1, 190 lbs). Our one kicker is Austin Harden (?-?, ??? lbs) and to be honest, they shouldn’t even list his height and weight. They should list the size of his leg, girth, and field goal statistics. Some of the smallest guys have been the best kickers. Just ask Jason Elam. Rounding out the group are three solid defensive tackles and a quarterback. The tackles are Damien Jacobs (6-4, 290 lbs), JaFar Mann (6-4, 275 lbs) and Dante Phillips (6-6, 268 lbs). Phillips was ranked as the number 9 defensive tackle in the nation. The quarterback is a late commitment, being that he had always planned on attending Penn State in the fall (we all know what happened there). Instead, he flipped his decision once the Gators hired offensive coordinator, Brent Pease. His name is Skyler Mornhinweg (6-3, 215 lbs). He isn’t terribly polished and needs some work, but has great size, is athletic and has a nice arm.

And that does it. The class of 2012. Finally its over. Finally we can get back to real tangible business like…next years class. It never ends in college football. You finish with one recruiting class and you are already on to the next. Its the nature of the beast. Just look at the Gators who received two verbal commitments for the 2013 signing class on National Signing Day of the 2012 class. Recruiting is what gives a program a great start. However its the coaches and administration that really molds them into the players they will become. Good thing for us we have one of th emost talented young coaches in the nation in Will Muschamp. Looking forward to this upcoming season.

Photo: Rogelio V. Solis / AP

The Florida Gators (15-4, 3-1 SEC) defeated the LSU Tigers (12-7, 2-3 SEC) 76 -64 on Saturday night in Gainesville to extend its home winning streak to 16. The Gators had five players in double figures in scoring. Eric Murphy led the Gators with 15 points, Erving Walker had 12 and Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal and Mike Rosario each chipped in with 11 points. Throughout this entire season Florida has killed teams with the three ball. On nights where the Gators were dismantling teams with the three, which they lead the nation in makes per a game, they very rarely have to rely on a balanced offensive effort inside the arc. LAst night, this was not the case. The Gators shot only 7 – 21 from beyond the arc and still managed to put perform admirably. They dominated the field shotting 74% from inside the three line and cruised to a victory eventhough LSU pulled within 8 with 3 minutes remaining. Erving Walker hit a go ahead three after that which put the game on ice. The Gators next matchup will be against Ole Miss on January 26, at 7:00pm.

The Florida Gators Head Coach, Kevin O’Sullivan returns 11 players that look to make a very big impact on the 2012 season. Right-hander Karsten Whitson  (So.) who was a 2011 Perfect Game Freshman Pitcher of the year, will be returning as well as  Left-hander/first baseman Brian Johnson (Jr.),  right-hander Hudson Randall (Jr.) and left-hander Steven Rodriguez (Jr.). The 2011 SEC Player of the year, catcher Mike Zunio (Jr.) and the 2011 SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, outfielder Daniel Pigott (Sr.)  will be returning as well. Rounding out the remaining players are outfielder Preston Tucker (Sr.), catcher/right-hander/infielder Austin Maddox (Jr.), the 2011 College World Series All-Tournament Team Third Baseman Cody Dent (Jr.) and Zack Powers (So.), a 2011 SECC All-Freshman Team third basemen rounds out the group.

As for the new members of the Florida Gators Baseball team, they will be the fourth straight incoming freshman class that are ranked in the top 10 nationally as a recruiting class as a whole.

Keep an eye out on the Gators pitching squad as they look to improve on there already gaudy statistics from last year.  Florida led the nation in walks allowed per nine innings with an average of 1.82. As a team, they collectively had an ERA (Earned Run Average) of 2.95 and had 547 strikeouts and 130 walks. The Gators offense ranked No. 1 last year in hits, with 755. They ranked 5th  in doubles and homers.

In 2011, the Florida Gators finished with a 22 – 8 record in the Southeastern Conference, which was tied for a conference best with Vanderbilt and South Carolina. The Gators defeated Vanderbilt 5 – 0 in the SEC Championship game to win their sixth league title and first in 20 years.

The Gators open up their season on February 17, 2012 against Cal State Fullerton, which will be the first of a three game series. Cal State is ranked 21 in Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason Poll. It should be a great start to the 2012 season.

Nonetheless, you still have to win by scoring, and the Gators had some help from freshmen Bradley Beal who scored 17 points, had a double double and went 4-6 from behind the arc. Beal finally broke out is four game slump (shot 30 percent and was 2-16 from 3 point range) where he was often benched at times due to poor performance. The Gators Kenny Boynton finished with 17 points. This is the 15^th consecutive home win for the Gators.

The Gators next matchup will be against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, January 14.

Urban Meyer’s team will once again take the field in Jacksonville, Florida. This time, that team is the Ohio State Buckeyes. In the eyes of Gator fans, this brings the necessity of victory to a new level. Granted, Meyer himself has opted to not coach the bowl game, the principal of the matter is what counts in the minds of many diehard Gator fans… this is personal.

Not only did the Gators struggle offensively all year, but the departure of Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weiss will undoubtedly affect next year’s recruiting. If 1^st year HC Muschamp is to have any chance at reconciling this year’s dismal season in the minds of fans and potential recruits, this game is where his Gator team needs to shine. Hopefully, this Gator team will take the field with a true desire to obtain victory. Seniors John Brantley, Chris Rainey, and Jeff Demps undoubtedly have something to prove and will be crucial to the Gator’s game effort.

Ohio State, has also endured an exceptionally difficult season; the firing of decade long coach Jim Tressel, and a regular season record of 6-6 is anything but the norm in Columbus. Honing in on gossip taking place on the Ohio State online message boards, fans vividly remember the staggering defeat of 2007 at the hands of the Gators. This sentiment is clearly exasperated by the Buckeyes securing Urban Meyer as their head coach. Victory would simply be bittersweet icing on the cake.

According the CBS.com, their panel of experts overwhelmingly feels that this game will result in a Buckeye victory. However, glancing at each team’s statistics, the match-up is relatively even. Ohio State has 124.1 yards in pass offense, 195.7 yards of rush offense, 186.2 yards of pass defense, and 142.4 yards in rush defense. Respectively, the Florida Gators have 190.2 yards of pass offense, 144 yards of rush offense, 167.3 yards of pass defense, and 132.3 yards of rush defense. Florida’s defense will most likely be the biggest challenge for the Buckeyes. Merely stopping the Buckeyes will not be enough, forcing turnovers is a must. However, if Florida is to emerge victorious, the Gator offense needs to get out of their current slump, and move the ball into the end zone.