Gut Re-Check: Gators ARE a Top 5 Team

Editor's note: my father, Robert Ferguson, has taken over my NCAA Fanhouse Florida blog. Upset with my notion that Florida wasn't, in fact, a Top 5 team, he decided to take it upon himself to counter my article with his own thoughtful and insightful musings. (Hey, like father, like son.) Take it away, Dad.

I must take issue with a column recently posted by Ryan Ferguson, who also happens to be my son. I challenged him to write a counterpoint column to his article on why Florida is not a top 5 team. He said, "Why don't you do it, Dad?" So here goes nothin'.

Florida is indeed a legitimate top 5, national championship caliber team.

How do I know this? In one word: grit. This team has more grit than the last 10 Gator teams combined. Against Tennessee, and then Alabama, down at halftime, they came out and took control of the second half, and in particular the fourth quarter. Like a good running back, the entire team seemed to get stronger, faster, and more determined as the game wore on. Or maybe it was just in contrast to the other team wearing down. Either way, it is a sight to behold, and in stark contrast to the Zook era.

In fact, in many ways, this is the anti-zook team. Zook's teams started fast and faded late. Urban's team this year starts slow and finishes strong.

Better conditioned? Sure. But there is something else about this team. The hard work they have gone through during the off-season combined with Meyer's insistence on a family atmosphere complete with tough love has instilled a strong center to this team, a strong bond among the players, and a toughness that has not been seen around these parts since maybe the mid 90's.

All you have to do is look at DeShawn Wynn. Did you ever think you would see him dive (it looked like he was trying to fly) to gain a few yards at midfield?

These guys expect to win. They demand it. They literally beat the other guy into submission. Alabama was done long before the final whistle. Tennessee fought to the end but UF dominated the line of scrimmage. Who predicted negative rushing yards at Tennessee? Not me.

OK, can we win 'em all? Sure we can. It'll take some luck and some breaks here and there. But I like our chances as much as any of the top contenders. Do we have any warts? Sure we do. My son did a good job of pointing them out. Are they fatal flaws? No, I don't believe so.

OK, here are my top 10 reasons the Gators are a top 5 team and will contend for the MNC:

Grit. Nuf said.
Reggie "beam of light" Nelson.
Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, the best QB combo in the nation.
The coaching staff, in particular their flexibility to modify the offense to suit the players talents, their game planning, motivating, and half-time adjustments.
Overall talent level and depth is on a par with the top teams in the country.
The remaining schedule is not as bad as some would make it to be; Georgia is a fraud; LSU has talent but they haven't played anyone except Auburn so we don't really know yet how good they are; and FSU has no offense.
An improving secondary; Reggie Lewis made an incredible break-up of a Bama touchdown pass that might have been the pivotal play of the game, and Ryan Smith made two picks (and should have had a third);
Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit said so;
LSU is favored to win at the Swamp; this will light a HUGE fire under the guys.
Grit.