The Madness Title Game
Posted by Frazier
Wow. It's hard to believe that it's finally come to an end. The most insane, stressful, exciting tournament in college sports history has wound to a close. Seeing the glee on the faces of the victors, and the utter devastation of the losers was incredible. But when it was all said and done, only one team remained. Only one could triumph. There's only one champion. Today, the 323 congratulates the winners of the first ever Madness tournament, your champion:
THE FLORIDA GATORS!
Basketball outcome: Florida comfortably.
Football outcome: Florida comfortably.
Frazier - Well, duh. The Gators are the defending champs in both sports. Frankly, this wasn't a tough call. Texas may have the most young talent in the country, but that doesn't mean they're ready for prime time (in either sport) yet. In basketball, Durant simply wasn't enough. Green and Brewer were able to force Augustine into plenty of mistakes, and the Florida size underneath was too much for Durant. He got his points, as always, but the athleticism of Horford and Noah gave him fits. This was a team simply not ready for the biggest stage against a veteran squad firing on all cylinders. The football game was much of the same. McCoy may have plenty of talent, but he made some foolish mistakes against a Florida defense that wasn't about to let him get away with even one. Also, while Texas has many great athletes, Florida is one of the few teams capable of matching up to them in that department. A Gator team that always found a way to win was more than enough for a Texas team that really underperformed. The scoreboard may have seemed close, but the game certainly wasn't. Gator domination on both the hardcourt and the gridiron.
Walter - Hard to argue with my esteemed co-blogger on this one. What would be even more interesting, though, would be if the same cast of characters on these teams met up again in a year or two. On the hardwood Florida has the clear advantage in both talent and experience. While Durant, Augustine and Co. can put points on the board, the Gators offensive threats are nightmare matchups for the Longhorns. Al Horford is way too much man for the Horns to stop, and he would have his way offensively matched up against Durant. Similarly, Texas has nobody capable to even slowing down Noah on the blocks, and he'd make a living with putback dunks. The backcourt play would be far more even, but Taurean Green and Corey Brewer are just more polished players at this point. Durant would keep the game close for a half or so, but Florida would pull away late making this a route. On the gridiron the matchup is a little better.....or is it. Texas' clear advantage over the Gators would be on the offensive and defensive lines where the Longhorns appear to have much stronger and more physical players. But isn't that the same thing we said about Ohio State? Bottom line is that what the Gators lack in size and strength, they more than make up for with athleticism. Just like the Buckeyes, the Longhorns defense would be a step slow all game, and those big lumbering defensive lineman would tire out very quickly. On the other side of the ball, Justin Blalock is a good enough athlete to carry his weight, but the rest of the Texas O-line would struggle with the quickness of Jarvis Moss and company. In the end, this game would resemble the National Championship Game quite a bit, although I would imagine Colt McCoy's performance would have been better than Troy Smith's. Still, Florida wins very comfortably.
Walter - Hard to argue with my esteemed co-blogger on this one. What would be even more interesting, though, would be if the same cast of characters on these teams met up again in a year or two. On the hardwood Florida has the clear advantage in both talent and experience. While Durant, Augustine and Co. can put points on the board, the Gators offensive threats are nightmare matchups for the Longhorns. Al Horford is way too much man for the Horns to stop, and he would have his way offensively matched up against Durant. Similarly, Texas has nobody capable to even slowing down Noah on the blocks, and he'd make a living with putback dunks. The backcourt play would be far more even, but Taurean Green and Corey Brewer are just more polished players at this point. Durant would keep the game close for a half or so, but Florida would pull away late making this a route. On the gridiron the matchup is a little better.....or is it. Texas' clear advantage over the Gators would be on the offensive and defensive lines where the Longhorns appear to have much stronger and more physical players. But isn't that the same thing we said about Ohio State? Bottom line is that what the Gators lack in size and strength, they more than make up for with athleticism. Just like the Buckeyes, the Longhorns defense would be a step slow all game, and those big lumbering defensive lineman would tire out very quickly. On the other side of the ball, Justin Blalock is a good enough athlete to carry his weight, but the rest of the Texas O-line would struggle with the quickness of Jarvis Moss and company. In the end, this game would resemble the National Championship Game quite a bit, although I would imagine Colt McCoy's performance would have been better than Troy Smith's. Still, Florida wins very comfortably.
Like you even had to ask........
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