By: Dan

Ever since Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin as its football coach, there has been a
never-ending supply of sound bites emanating from Knoxville.
Kiffin has wasted little time ruffling the feathers of the big dogs in the SEC, and
Florida has been no exception. First he said that fans would be singing “Rocky Top”
all night long after the Vols beat UF. Then there was the infamous comments
regarding Urban Meyer and Nu’Keese Richardson that proved Kiffin still had a lot to
learn about college football recruiting and NCAA rules.

While some people might view Kiffin’s comments as harmless drivel, it’s clear that
he has caught the attention of the Florida football players. In a story written by
ESPN.com’s Chris Low, several UF players expressed their displeasure about Kiffin
coming after their head coach. In fact, they told Low that pictures of Kiffin have
been posted in the locker room.

“I couldn’t believe what he said,” Ahmad Black said in Low’s story. “Not trying to
be cocky or anything, but we’ve beaten them four years in a row … by a lot, too. But
taking shots at our coach is like taking shots at us. We’re family. It’s definitely
personal now.”

Now I’ve heard several sports talk radio hosts say that comments like Kiffin’s have
no bearing on the outcome of a game, and if college football players feel that they
need that extra motivation, then there’s something wrong with them.
I disagree 100 percent. The modern athlete, especially in college, is all about
respect. If a team feels like it has been disrespected, then you can bet that the
players will be especially motivated to correct the disrespect.

You don’t have to look any further than last year’s game against Georgia for
evidence of this. In 2007, the Bulldogs performed the “Gator Stomp” after their
first touchdown and went on to win the game. The memory of Georgia’s celebration
stayed with the Gators for an entire year. Meyer even wrote about it in his book.
And when the two teams lined up in 2008, Florida took out all its frustration on the
Bulldogs and gave them a 49-10 beatdown, complete with timeouts at the end of the
fourth quarter that sent a strong message.

Just looking at the rosters, I don’t think that anyone would pick Tennessee to beat
Florida in the Swamp Sept. 19. But with Kiffin’s comments adding fuel to Florida’s
fire, expect the Gators to come out and pummel the Vols.