HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RON ZOOK

Five months after the end of the Will Muschamp era at Florida, look back and try to find anyone affiliated with the Gators who can say things really improved for them because of Muschamp. It's not Jeremy Foley, who was forced to stay over at Jim McElwain's house for Scattergories night, gave Colorado State three million in cash and another two million for a future non-conference game, and then had to watch helplessly as Muschamp took the Auburn DC job because somebody forgot to add the "hey if you go work for someone else (especially one of our most hated rivals who we WOULD piss on if they were on fire but only after praying for kerosene urine abilities) you don't get paid by us" contract provision. It's not Urban Meyer, who got directly blamed for every bad thing that happened in the first two Muschamp seasons and then just generally hated for the last two. And it wasn't most Florida players; the number of Gators drafted in the first three rounds dropped from ten in 2009-11 to five in 2012-14. Unless you think Jeff Driskel was just looking for the most painful and frustrating route to Louisiana Tech.

There is one man who emerged from Will Muschamp's tenure looking just a little bit shinier, though, and today he turns 61: Ronald Andrew Zook.

Think how good this looks after four years of Muschamp.

- 2-1 against Georgia, never lost to Kentucky, Vandy, or South Carolina
- 16-8 in SEC play
- Upset road wins over #4 Tennessee, #6 LSU, #11 Arkansas, and, most deliciously, #10 Florida State
- Never finished 4 and 8
- Brought Charlie Strong to Florida
- Dammit we miss you Charlie Strong
- Two Outback Bowl losses, helping to discourage America's youth from attending the Outback Bowl
- Never hired Charlie Weis

A Hall of Fame resume? Hardly. But I'd say it's worth throwing on a cookie cake today, Ron.