The Gators averaged 36 points per game and finished sixth nationally in total offense last year with Tim Tebow at quarterback. While it’s impossible to replace all the things Tebow brought to the Florida football table, there’s no need to feel sad for the Gators, who will be able to put even more speed on the field this year than ever before.

Of course, the offense will change the way it does business. Tebow was such a threat in the running game that the Gators were a 60-40 or 65-35 percent run-pass team. With Johnny Brantley taking over, look for that to change a bit. Florida will still run the football but they’ll be throwing it around a bit more and the depth at receiver will allow them to add some wrinkles to the passing game that we haven’t seen in an Urban Meyer offense. We will also see Brantley under center some of the time and we’ll also see some I-formation. The option will still be a part of the offense although not as prominent as it was the past couple of years.

It might come as a shock to some of the experts who think the Gators won’t be as good or as explosive on offense as they were with Tebow, but this group has the potential to be one of the best offenses in Florida history.

Here are five reasons the Gators will be as explosive as they have ever been on offense in 2010.

1. A SENIOR DOMINATED OFFENSIVE LINE: There is something to be said about senior-dominated offensive lines, particularly when three of the starters have national championship starting experience under their belts. Mike Pouncey (28 consecutive starts on the offensive line) will be the best center in the nation. Mark it down. It’s going to happen.  Carl Johnson (24 consecutive starts on the O-line) at left guard and Marcus Gilbert (18 career starts, 14 consecutive) at right tackle will be among the two or three best at their positions in the SEC this year. Sophomore Xavier Nixon has seven consecutive starts at left tackle. He’s going to be a first rounder in the NFL someday. I like the situation at right guard where you have fifth-year senior Mo Hurt and fourth-year junior James Wilson. I love the depth and versatility, too. Mike Pouncey can play all five positions on the line while the coaches are confident that backup center Sam Robey could fill in at either guard slot or right tackle. Carl Johnson has starts at both left guard and left tackle and sophomore Nick Alajajian played center in the spring, so he’s another one trained to play all five positions. A guy to watch is sophomore Jon Halapio. If either Hurt or Wilson have injury problems as they have been prone to in the past, they’ll be seeing Halapio’s license plate in the future. When talking about the O-line you have to consider Matt Patchan, too. He’s coming off knee surgery and it might be too much to ask him to bulk up (he’s 6-6, 280) to play tackle again. He’s got the speed to play tight end. Will the coaches be tempted to leave him on the outside? The Gators will have 15 scholarship offensive linemen in the fall but it’s the seniors that make you think this group could be as good as Florida has ever had from top to bottom of the depth chart.

2. SMART QUARTERBACK WITH THREE YEARS OF PREPARATION: Johnny Brantley has what I consider the best and most accurate arm of any quarterback I’ve ever seen at Florida. He’s also got three years of training and preparation heading into this season, which is one of the chief reasons I think there will be little if any dropoff at the position. He won’t do the things that Tim Tebow could do but Tim wasn’t adept making some of the throws Johnny Brantley can, either. The Gators won’t use Brantley as the battering ram on short yardage this year, but just because he isn’t the go-to guy on third and two, don’t think he isn’t a capable runner. He will begin the season the third rated quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he isn’t the All-SEC quarterback when the season is over.

3. DEPTH AT RUNNING BACK: The Gators really could have used Chris Rainey in the slot last year but with Emmanuel Moody dinged up and Mike Gillislee an unproven freshman, the coaching staff decided the offense was better with Rainey and Jeff Demps as the two primary tailbacks. Now that Moody has had bone spur surgery, his ankles should be healthy for the first time since he’s been at Florida and that should make a significant difference. The way Gillisleee played in the spring should tell you he’s ready to play a big role in the offense, too, and Demps? Well, the fastest man in college football is back and once again that means safeties will have to play 25-30 yards off the line of scrimmage. Then there is the matter of freshman Mack Brown. He expects to play right away. In that he’ll be reporting at somewhere between 200-210, he will be ready to take on a prominent role from day one. Four tailbacks means the Gators can move Rainey to the Percy position, where he should quickly establish himself as one of the most dangerous players in all of college football. Don’t forget fullback Steve Wilks. He gives the Gators the same versatility they had when Billy Latsko was in the backfield.

4. RECEIVERS FOR EVERY KIND OF ROUTE: I think this is significant because the Gators have everything from deep strike guys with blow by speed like Deonte Thompson, Chris Dunkley and Andre Debose to physical guys who can operate in the middle of the field like Carl Moore and Omarius Hines to make you miss types like Chris Rainey, Solomon Patton and Robert Clark. Tight ends Jordan Reed and Gerald Christian will be heard from plenty. And speaking of tight end, there is that little matter of Matt Patchan, who has tight end speed to go with the dancing feet of a prime time left tackle. If some of the backups on the offensive line show up big in August, there could be more than just a little bit of temptation to put Patchan at tight end where he could excel as a pass and run blocker as well as use his 6-6, 280-pounds to be the nightmare matchup in the middle.

5. A SPECIAL PLAYER WHOSE TIME HAS COME: I can count on one hand the number of players I’ve seen over the years who have that ability to suck the air right out of an entire stadium every time they touch the ball. I put Chris Rainey in that category and believe strongly that this will be his year to literally take college football by storm. Everybody knows that if you give him a seam it’s see you later but now he’s moving to the slot where his combination of speed, moves and elusiveness will give the Gators the kind of explosion at the position that was sorely lacking last year. Brandon James gave the Gators 350 yards of rushing and receiving and one touchdown last year, quite a dropoff from the nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns the position averaged the three previous seasons. In the Sugar Bowl, Rainey gave the Gators four carries for 27 yards and a touchdown rushing to go with four catches for 71 yards. He also returned four kickoffs and a punt for 144 more yards. If Chris Rainey can give the Gators 200-plus all-purpose yards per game this season, the Florida offense is going to be all but unstoppable. Put that kind of explosiveness in the slot and the wideouts suddenly get more room to maneuver and the tailbacks don’t see eight in the box nearly as often.