By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
We are down to the final two! The Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats are set to do battle tonight to decide which team will be crowned the Season 19 Champion. Before we get into what should be a great game, let’s take an in-depth look at both of these teams.
History
The Florida Gators have been in the CFSL since Season 5. Despite having good teams, Florida didn’t make their playoff debut until Season 16. However, they have made the playoffs every year since their debut.
Season 17 was their best finish until this season. That year they made it to the final four and were one point away from making it to the Championship Game. Tonight will be the first time that Florida has ever played in a National Championship Game.
The story has been very different for Kentucky. The Wildcats joined the CFSL in Season 13 and made their playoff debut later that season. Kentucky has made the playoffs every year that they have been in the league.
In Season 15 the Wildcats won their first playoff game and made it to the final four for the first time. They followed that up with their first National Championship appearance and win in Season 16. Kentucky became one of the few teams to win two National Championships in Season 18. With a win tonight, Kentucky could become the second team in the CFSL to win three Championships and the only team to win three in four seasons.
Season 19
Florida started Season 19 off with back-to-back wins over Auburn and LSU. They jumped to 5th in the league rankings and looked like they could be the team to beat. However, they lost each of their next three games to Alabama, USC, and Kentucky. That dropped them to 14th in the polls and appeared to be killing their chances of making the playoffs.
However, Florida won two of their last three games and stole an automatic bid after finishing third in the SEC. The Gators started the playoffs as the 11th seed, so they knew the road to the Championship Game would not be easy.
Florida shocked the league with an upset win over Florida State in the opening round. They had lost to Florida State by 18 points just two weeks before. Florida followed that win up with a 16-point win over powerhouse Texas to move on to the final four. Last week they dominated USC in the Rose Bowl to earn their spot in the National Championship Game.
Kentucky started the season with a loss to LSU. They bounced back with a big win over Boise State but dropped their third game to Notre Dame. The Wildcats, who many called a preseason contender, were 1-2 and ranked 13th in the polls.
Then Kentucky found their groove. They won their next five games to finish the regular season 6-2. That was good enough to give them their third SEC title and a top-four seed.
The Wildcats would once again have to play LSU in the first round of the playoffs. This time, however, Kentucky would come out the victor. They then beat Michigan to make the final four. This set up a Gator Bowl matchup with undefeated Miami.
Many thought the Hurricanes were unbeatable, but Kentucky proved to the league that that wasn’t true. Kentucky outlasted Miami to win 49-42 and punch their ticket to the National Championship Game.
Coaches
Justyn Veneklasen (aka Vennom) has been an AD in the CFSL since Season 12. He spent two seasons with Oregon and two with Michigan. In Season 16 he arrived in Gainsville and has been with the Gators ever since.
Veneklasen has 47 wins as an AD (24 of them with Florida) and a win percentage of .595. He has taken Florida to new heights and has made them a perennial contender. Tonight is a chance for Veneklasen to win his first National Championship and to win eight games in a single season for the first time in his career.
Devan Davis (aka 14rDavis) also began his coaching journey in Season 12 with Kent State. After one season with the Golden Flashes, Davis brought Kentucky into the CFSL. He stayed the head of the Wildcats for five seasons and stepped down after winning the National Championship in Season 16. However, Davis came back to the AD ranks this season to take over his beloved Wildcats once again.
Davis has 45 career wins as an AD/MAC Head Coach (41 with Kentucky) and a win percentage of .790. He brought Kentucky into the league and made them a perennial contender almost immediately. Tonight is a chance for him to win his second National Championship as a coach and cement Kentucky as the greatest dynasty the league has ever seen.
Interestingly enough, both of these ADs were coaches under Frosty before becoming ADs and belong to the Frosty coaching tree.
Best of luck to both of these teams tonight!
