Florida Gators football coach Billy Napier may have revived hope in UF, after a 1-3 start and a lone win against the LIU Sharks, with their 29-21 win over the Texas Longhorns at the “Swamp” this past Saturday.
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg believes the Gators can find at least four wins among matchups against the Oklahoma Sooners, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt Commodores, Georgia Bulldogs, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Texas A&M Aggies.
Bromberg doesn’t hold an 18-16 loss to the USF Bulls, a 20-10 loss to the LSU Tigers, or a 26-7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes against Florida.
“…the jury may still be out on just how good Florida is. Two of the Gators’ three losses are to teams currently ranked in the top 15 and South Florida appears to be one of the best teams in the American Conference. The Gators could still finish at .500 or better despite a schedule that includes eight ranked opponents,” Bromberg wrote.
The Napier whiplash in Gainesville has been severe. But the Gators come and go as DJ Lagway does. Lagway came in a big way with Texas in town after throwing one touchdown to five interceptions against LSU and The U.
Are Gator fans happy with a six-win season? Even if the wins continue to be spectacular? At some point, Napier needs to produce a season that amounts to more than just moments and Gasparilla Bowl appearances.
It appears he has the confidence to hold off an imminent firing if Bromberg’s projection comes to fruition. It’s a stop-and-start result that doesn’t build on the strong finish to the 2024 season, but it’s justifiable in shark-infested SEC waters.
Barely justifiable, but $19 million on his buyout after being one of the top NIL spenders is an expensive bill that doesn’t guarantee success in the post-Napier era. Whenever that is.