Florida Gators (12-1)
VS.
Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0)
Tale of the Tape:
| Gator | Bearcat | |
| American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis | Species | Binturong
Arctictis binturong |
| Reptile | Class | Mammal |
| 13' / 800 lb | Height / Weight | 2'6" / 25 lb |
| Swamp | Natural Habitat | Forest |
| Anything it can get it's jaws on | Diet | Fruit, eggs, small rodents & birds |
| ...scales | Skin covered with... | ...fur |
| Hiss, grunt, growl | Vocalization | Chuckle, whine |
| Spiked | Tail | Prehensile |
| 18 total (5 each front foot, and 4 each rear) | Claws | 20 total, retractable (5 each foot) |
| ...the swamp | Smells like... | ...popcorn |
| 30" (estimated) | Vertical Jump | 42" (estimated) |
| Gatorade | Favorite Sports Drink | Civet Coffee |
Preview:
The well-known American Alligator is a familiar character in the swamps, bogs, and otherwise hot, humid, mosquito-infested wetlands of the southeastern U.S. It's ferocity is understood, respected, and the source of many tragic stories about family pets, relatives, and sometimes children. Surprisingly, it is relatively uncommon as a mascot.
Bearcats on the other hand are comparatively misunderstood, even though they're more common mascots. "Bearcat" is a colloquial term for the binturong, an animal that is in fact neither bear nor cat. Native to southeast Asia, the binturong is one of the larger members of the Viverridae family, which also includes the relatively unknown civets and genets. All are carnivorous or omnivorous, cat-like creatures with long bodies and short legs, best known for retractable claws, penis bones, and pungent butt glands. The Bearcat's butt gland produces a distinctive odor said to resemble that of warm, buttered popcorn. Implications for social norms on the Cincinnati campus are left to the reader's imagination.
Both the Gator and Bearcat have long, large tails. The Gator uses it for swimming, and the Bearcat for balance while hanging and jumping about on trees. Thus, expect the tailback position to be a key to this game. Florida will plow straight ahead with Tebow and Demps, while Cincinnatti will mix up different looks from Isaiah Pead and speedy receivers coming out of the backfield.
The Gators have a major size and speed advantage. They need to be quick, explosive, and aggressive in taking the game to the Bearcats. Florida wants this to be a physical game in the trenches. They'll be wise to emphasize the the run game, as going to the air favors the Bearcat. With hind legs that can rotate backward, the Bearcat DBs can turn on a dime.
For the Gators this is all about the chomp. Their bite is among the strongest of all animals. Don't believe me? Just ask this guy:
Despite what might seem at first to be a decisive advantage, the Gators have a little-known fatal flaw, namely that the muscles used to open the jaw are quite weak. This allows the dangerous Gator jaws to be held shut with as little as a clenched hand or wrapping of duct tape, rendering the otherwise vicious predator a pathetic, wriggling sack of scales. Thus it's critical for the Gators to keep their jaws open. Expect a lot of trash talk, including repeated references to the Bearcats' "popcorn ass."
The Bearcats cannot compete in the trenches against the Gators. Cincinnati must employ great schemes and technical execution. What they lack in speed and strength is mitigated by superior hearing and field vision. As arboreal mammals, the Bearcats need to spread the field like the branches of a tree. Stay in the air. Bearcats are great at climbing trees and leaping branch-to-branch. Thus they'd be wise to employ the swing pass. Defensively the best move is probably just to get out of the way. One exception is the need to counter the Gators' vocal leadership. The Bearcats must take chances at getting to the quarterback and using their prehensile tail to clamp the Gator jaws shut.
A night game favors nocturnal Bearcat, but the indoor venue (Louisiana Superdome) may negate this advantage. On the other hand, it protects against rain and thus swamp-like conditions that would favor the Gator. Home field advantage definitely goes to the Gator.
Though the Bearcats come in 12-0, they haven't really been tested against an apex predator, and had close games against carnivorous mammals including Huskies, Mountaineers, and Panthers. The Gators have a strong resume against dudes wielding weapons and carnivorous mammals, but haven't faced a real vertical threat. There are no flying animals or specialized climbers on the schedule, and the only bird is a ground-dwelling fighting chicken. They were stampeded by an ambiguously crimson tide of elephants in the SEC championship game. Common opponents are dogs - specifically Bulldogs, against whom the Gators went 2-0 with a 17 point average margin of victory. The Bearcats beat Fresno Bulldogs by 8, and dominated Salukis 70-3.
Outlook:
MMM expects this one to be a high-scoring shootout, with the Gators running roughshod over the Bearcat D, and the nimble Bearcat offense wreaking havoc on the ground-dwelling reptiles. The defense that shows up for the 4th quarter wins this one. The Bearcats have less margin for error, and thus a slight edge goes to the Gators.
Gators, 42-38.
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