Gosh, I wish I could put the folks who are worried about Florida playing too many close games in a time machine to 2013. Or 2012. Or 2010. As long as it gets them away from me, and gets them some perspective, that would be great.

I find the narrative that we win too many close games funny in light of last season. — Chris (@cjdyal) February 26, 2014

Yes, Florida is playing a ton of close games. Tuesday night's win over Vanderbilt came in Florida's 15th game decided by single digits in 2013-14 — and its 13th win. Florida's been even better in the closest of close games.

Gators improve to 6-1 this season in games decided by 5 points or less. Were 0-4 in games decided by 5 or less last year. — Kevin Brockway (@gatorhoops) February 26, 2014

Yes, teams playing close games, especially repeatedly, is a recipe for fan dyspepsia. But Florida's also winning those games, and in a subjectively better style that may be objectively better, too. These Gators know better what to do late in games this year than they did last year, even if it's still very much possible for them to have cold stretches. There are go-tos that reliably work, like Scottie Wilbekin in isolation — I'm practically ready to deem him Florida's best isolation player ever right now — and there are so many proven possibilities for big shots and big plays that watching Florida play these close games makes me wonder, just like SID extraordinaire Denver Parler did, which Gator will step up — not how Florida was going to blow it.

Last year was different. Even though I still think Florida was tripped up by bad luck more than anything else in those close games, the Gators didn't do enough to compensate for that bad luck, especially late in games: They bricked free throws and let teams back into games, and let other teams hit big shots, and turned it over again and again, and timed the cold spells for maximum pain. It was excruciating to watch last year's Florida scorch the earth against some teams, and then wilt in five — well, four; I was at a wedding and missed almost all of the Kansas State game — big games against good teams.

And, yes, it felt a little like this year's team was going to suffer the same fate over and over again when Shabazz Napier hit that foul-line shot in December. But Florida's executional excellence, especially late in games, has all but erased these game-winning opportunities for other teams. Florida State nearly had an Ian Miller buzzer-beater fall and crush the Gators, in a game I apparently never recapped (whoops); Memphis couldn't get a bucket on its final possession; Vanderbilt's Kyle Fuller missed his three, and didn't get a kickout despite being wide open, on Vandy's final possession last night. Florida won those games, and has won 20 in a row, because it has done enough to win those games.

The best reason to be internalizing worries about Florida being in trouble because it plays too many close games, instead of enjoying Florida winning games, is to be that one jackass who yells "I TOLD YOU SO!" at the bar and/or on Twitter when Florida loses. Do you really want to be that person?