Florida Quarterback Will Grier’s suspension for performance enhancing drugs now calls into question the Gators’ 28-27 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers.
Jim McElwain famously said after his Gators came back from 27-14 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Vols, “You just don’t lose to Tennessee.”
Yeah, if you’re quarterback is cheating.
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Tennessee Vols fans might have every right to be beyond upset about this one.
It is more than just a built-in excuse. It could be cheating on levels worse than anything Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have done.
On Monday, it was revealed that Florida Gators quarterback Will Grier would be suspended for the season for his use of performance enhancing drugs, according to multiple reports.
He will be gone for the year.
When Grier started taking those drugs, or exactly what he was taking, is being called into question. But he was taking an illegal substance.
I have always said putting something in your body to gain a physical edge is the worst kind of cheating, beyond stealing signals, deflating footballs, or anything like that.
And with this new revelation, Tennessee’s 11th straight loss to the Florida Gators looks like it should have been a win.
The Kentucky Wildcats cannot claim this, because Florida won that game due to defense.
The Ole Miss Rebels and Missouri Tigers can’t claim this because they were just blown out on both sides of the ball.
But the Vols can claim foul play if he was using them in that game. Tennessee had a 27-14 lead on the Gators in the fourth quarter, and Grier then inexplicably got red hot. He finished the game 23 of 42 for 282 yards and two touchdowns, and he was 11 of 17 for 137 yards with two touchdowns after the Gators got down 27-14.
One of the reasons this is so egregious is because there were multiple fourth down conversions in which Grier managed to stay up despite Tennessee tacklers going after him. That is a direct physical advantage he had, and it is completely unfair if he was on any PED’s at the time.
And his play overall was by far inexplicably better than anybody would have thought it to be.
Tennessee’s loss to Florida is what nearly sent the season in a tailspin before they recovered vs. Georgia. The Vols would likely not have blown that game to Arkansas the next week had they beaten the Gators.
And they could be in contention for a lot of things right now were it not for that loss.
So yes, Vols fans should be livid. This was not a bad call or some signal stealing. If the PED use traces back to this game and is something legitimate, this was a blatant physical advantage for the most important player on the opposing team who is the sole reason his team beat the Vols.
Butch Jones should raise hell over this one.
Next: Five Things for Vols to Address During Bye Week
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