Gator Bowl

To cap off our holiday break, we drove back up to Jacksonville to attend the Gator Bowl (Florida vs. Ohio State) with Robert's brother Austin and his girlfriend Mel. Not only was it my first bowl game, but our tickets were free! We had such a great time and the seats were amazing.

To start off the drive into downtown, we followed the team in. Following the buses really helps you get pepped up for game day.

Outside the stadium ready to go in. Mel is a big Ohio State fan, so she proudly wore her colors amongst all the local Gator fans. This was Austin's first college football game!

Before the game started we enjoyed all the pre-game festivities at the tailgate party. We listened to Florida's band and cheerleaders, played skill challenge games like: how fast can you throw a football (Austin won this with 50 mph - one off from the top record that day), how high you can jump (Austin again won this challenge), throw the football through hole and obstacle while moving, etc. We were workin' up quite the sweat before we decided to head in for the game.

We enjoyed being a part of the college atmosphere again. It was entertaining to watch each school and witness the team spirit and passion each fan has for their schools.

My favorite and vote went to Ohio State with their marching band. This baton twirler stole the halftime show. He was quite the entertainer and it really sparked the atmosphere, even if they lost.

More fun from our pre-game tailgate. We received one free photo. This is a classic shot.

Game highlights for those that are interested:

FL Gators 24 - Ohio State 17

1:00 PM ET, January 2, 2012

Everbank Field, JACKSONVILLE, FL

For the second consecutive year, Florida used superior special teams and opportunistic play to beat a Big Ten opponent in a bowl. Two of the Gators' three touchdowns came in the kicking game, as Andre Debose had a 99-yard kickoff return and Graham Stewart scored following Chris Rainey's blocked punt. Neither offense was overly impressive, but the Gators limited Ohio State's rushing attack and forced a pair of turnovers, including a DeVier Posey fumble in Florida territory. The Gators responded to every Buckeyes surge and nearly kept Ohio State off of the scoreboard in the second half.

Needless to say, we had a fun time.