Florida head coach Jim McElwain speaks to a packed room of reporters at SEC Football Media Days on Tuesday in Hoover, Ala. (Photo: Jimmy Mitchell/Southeastern Conference)
Media Picks Gators 2nd in SEC East; Now it's Fans' Turn
Friday, July 14, 2017 | Football, Scott Carter
The Gators have won back-to-back SEC East titles.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Since the birth of SEC Football Media Days in 1992, the media has correctly picked the eventual league champion six times in 25 attempts.
The Gators proved the media right on three occasions (1994, '95, 2008), Alabama twice (2014, '16) and LSU once (2007).
The SEC announced Friday that media voting at this week's event in Hoover, Ala., projects Alabama to claim its second consecutive conference crown in 2017. No real surprise there.
"They've done a heck of a job. And they've gotten a level of commitment that is unparalleled,'' Florida head coach Jim McElwain said. "They are just doing a good job and that's something all of us have to do. They've got a pretty good well-oiled machine there."
Meanwhile, coming off back-to-back SEC East titles, the Gators are projected to finish second in the division behind Georgia.
Same old story. In McElwain's first season two years ago, Florida was picked to finish fifth but won its first East title since 2009. A year ago, the Gators were picked to finish second behind Tennessee.
Instead, Florida finished 6-2 in the conference – losing at Tennessee and Arkansas – to claim its second consecutive division title.
The latest dis drew little more than a nod from junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey.
"That's nothing new,'' Ivey said. "Respect is earned, not given. We've been there the last two years so I guess we've got to go do it three times."
Fifth-year senior defensive back Marcell Harris paid little attention to what others were saying about the Gators in Hoover.
"We never get enough credit,'' Harris said. "I don't even hear it."
Preseason prognosticating is fun for media and fans, but in reality, it often means little by the time the SEC Championship Game ends in Atlanta.
SEC Network analyst Booger McFarland, speaking on "SEC Now" on Tuesday, said Florida fans are ready for the Gators to return to the top under McElwain, who has led the Gators to a 13-3 SEC record in his two seasons.
"The fan base doesn't want to just win the SEC East," McFarland said. "They want to win the SEC championship and they don't feel like they've had an opportunity no matter what field they stepped on."
The media has voted. Now it's your turn.
The Gators proved the media right on three occasions (1994, '95, 2008), Alabama twice (2014, '16) and LSU once (2007).
The SEC announced Friday that media voting at this week's event in Hoover, Ala., projects Alabama to claim its second consecutive conference crown in 2017. No real surprise there.
"They've done a heck of a job. And they've gotten a level of commitment that is unparalleled,'' Florida head coach Jim McElwain said. "They are just doing a good job and that's something all of us have to do. They've got a pretty good well-oiled machine there."
Meanwhile, coming off back-to-back SEC East titles, the Gators are projected to finish second in the division behind Georgia.
Media picks #Gators to finish 2nd in #SEC East. Where would you have picked them?
— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) July 14, 2017
Same old story. In McElwain's first season two years ago, Florida was picked to finish fifth but won its first East title since 2009. A year ago, the Gators were picked to finish second behind Tennessee.
Instead, Florida finished 6-2 in the conference – losing at Tennessee and Arkansas – to claim its second consecutive division title.
The latest dis drew little more than a nod from junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey.
"That's nothing new,'' Ivey said. "Respect is earned, not given. We've been there the last two years so I guess we've got to go do it three times."
Fifth-year senior defensive back Marcell Harris paid little attention to what others were saying about the Gators in Hoover.
"We never get enough credit,'' Harris said. "I don't even hear it."
Preseason prognosticating is fun for media and fans, but in reality, it often means little by the time the SEC Championship Game ends in Atlanta.
SEC Network analyst Booger McFarland, speaking on "SEC Now" on Tuesday, said Florida fans are ready for the Gators to return to the top under McElwain, who has led the Gators to a 13-3 SEC record in his two seasons.
"The fan base doesn't want to just win the SEC East," McFarland said. "They want to win the SEC championship and they don't feel like they've had an opportunity no matter what field they stepped on."
The media has voted. Now it's your turn.
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