Another Florida football season has come and gone. Coming off of two losses in a row, there has been quite a bit of negativity regarding this season. A few of our own UF fans at the SEC Championship this game even went through the trouble of making a sign reading, "We Suck" in orange and blue. And without question, the vast majority of criticism and overall negativity has been directed toward quarterback Treon Harris.

I get it...ending the season on a two-game losing streak, including the utter blowout to bitter rival FSU, is disheartening. It's also tough to fully love a quarterback who's stats include five sacks, an interception, and only nine completions out of 24 against Alabama alone. But, unlike the majority of my fellow student body here at the University of Florida, I can't be mad at Treon. I can't even put the bulk of the blame for our string of losses on the guy. While everyone else may be condemning him, I want to thank him.

Through everything, let's not forget that Treon stepped up when we needed him. Treon was not the one to overlook the label on his supplements; Treon was not the one to take something without clearing it with his trainers first. Treon, however, was the one to take over when a certain someone else did. Let's never forget that without Treon, we would have been left high, dry and quarterback-less when Will Grier screwed up.

Sure, we would have been much better off had Grier stayed in the driver's seat this whole season. But I don't think Treon's shortcomings can be entirely blamed on him.

For one, it is a known fact that Treon is short and small for a quarterback. No amount of practice or hard work will make you taller. While I can't say I have any experience playing on the field, it's not difficult to imagine that trying to complete passes surrounded by linemen who have a few inches on you is pretty hard. Can we really blame Treon for not being able to spot his receivers over his taller opponents?

Well, why not run the ball more often? Why not run plays around this issue? Again, people are putting an unfair amount of blame on Treon for this shortcoming. Jim McElwain himself has admitted that he favors the current offensive design (one that insists on Treon throwing from the pocket) because of the long-term implications. Coach's argument here is that it's more beneficial to establish a culture with the majority of the team that will carry over in the long run than to adapt to one player's weaknesses. I don't necessarily disagree with this philosophy--a new quarterback with height and passing capabilities will come soon enough, but the majority of our offensive players are here to stay for a while, so why not use this "re-building" season to get them used to running the routes that we will eventually be able to complete successfully? But nevertheless, this isn't a fault of Treon's. He has been forced to adapt to a team looking toward the future rather than to his own strengths. It's not an easy job, yet he has done it every week for seven weeks straight.

Well what about LSU? We lost by only one score to the number 2 team in one of the most hostile environments to play in--how could Treon go from that to being forced to escape FAU in overtime? While many will attribute this to a fluke, or even call Treon out for getting lazy over time, I have a different rationale; for one, LSU had no film on Treon going in to that game. But second, Treon came in to that game hot. The Gators had come off several wins that they didn't expect to win at the beginning of the season. The team was hyped.

And that leads me to my last point--Treon's confidence. I am a huge believer that non-physical aspects of the game have just as much, if not more, impact on a team than their stats, records, etc. After an LSU loss and a shaky offensive performance against Georgia, Treon began to lose confidence. The Gators began losing steam. And when a defensively-aggressive Vanderbilt team surprised them at home during what should have been a quick wake-up-and-get-it-over-with noon game, the Gators' momentum went down the tubes.

You'll notice that Florida's initial performance this season wasn't particularly spectacular--ECU and Kentucky weren't all that pretty and Tennessee took a miracle to overcome at home. It wasn't until that miraculous Volunteer victory that the Gators got their swagger. It was all about their momentum and their morale. And that principle works both ways--after hearing nonstop criticism from the media and, even worse, the fans, how could Treon possibly be expected to keep up? Imagine having to go out on the field every day after hearing about how terrible you are and how badly everyone wants you replaced. Try doing any task (that don't require leading a multi-million dollar football team against thousands of screaming fans) where you've been told you aren't good enough--are you going to do that task particularly well?

Treon, I can't blame you for being a victim of circumstances out of your control. I can't blame you for being short. I can't do anything to boost your morale and shield you from all the negativity that would bring you down. What I can do is commend you for playing your heart out each and every game. You stepped up when we needed you. You kept going with your all even when the plays were designed to your disadvantage. You stood up and never gave anything less than your best while being consistently told your best was sub-par. Let's not forget that we were predicted to be one of the worst teams in the SEC this year--instead, we came out 3rd. How can you be mad at that?

For that, I want to thank you, Treon. While the record books may not remember you fondly, I'll always be grateful for everything you've done for us in the season where everything was working against you.