By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:
CAN THE GATORS STOP THE BLEEDING AGAINST NO. 12 LSU TONIGHT?
For a team that has been struggling to get the ball in the basket consistently – Florida (9-5, 0-2 SEC) is shooting 42.9 percent this season, 12th in the SEC; 31.2 percent from the three-point line, 11th in the SEC – the last thing you want to see is a team that gets in your face and stays there. That’s 12th-ranked LSU (14-1, 2-1 SEC), the top team in the nation for defensive efficiency according to the Kenpom.com rankings. The Tigers give up only 34.9 percent overall from the field and 26.6 percent from the three-point line.
The Gators have their work cut out for them against an in-your-face team that forces a lot of bad shots and turnovers. For Florida to win this game tonight at the O-Dome (7 p.m., ESPN2), the Gators have to find someone other than Colin Castleton (15.6 points, 9.1 rebounds per game) to score. If someone can’t hit some outside shots, the Tigers are just going to surround Castleton and shut down the inside game.
Since going 4-9 on three-pointers against Oklahoma, Myreon Jones is 10-46. Tyree Appleby is 1-15 since a 5-8 showing from beyond the arc against Maryland. Brandon McKissic his hit five of his last 18. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. has hit 9-14 on threes in his last six games, but he’s only 14-39 for the season.
Additionally, the Gators have turned it over 188 times this season and they have only 181 assists.
If the Gators are going to stop the bleeding of two straight SEC losses LSU tonight they’re going to have to make some shots and they can’t have a negative assist-ot-turnover game. Right now, that seems impossible.
SEC BASKETBALL
Tuesday’s games: No. 18 Kentucky 13-2, 3-1 SEC) 78, Vanderbilt 9-6, 1-2 SEC) 66; No. 22 Tennessee (11-4, 2-2 SEC) 66, South Carolina (10-5, 1-2 SEC) 46; Texas A&M (13-2, 2-0 SEC) 67, Ole Miss (9-5, 1-1 SEC) 51; No. 4 Auburn (15-1, 4-0 SEC) 81, No. 24 Alabama (11-5, 2-2 SEC) 77
Wednesday’s games: No. 12 LSU (14-1, 2-1 SEC) at FLORIDA (9-5, 0-2 SEC); Georgia (5-10, 0-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (10-4, 1-1 SEC); Missouri (7-7, 1-1 SEC) at Arkansas (10-5, 0-3 SEC)
ROB SALE OFFICIALLY HIRED AS OL/OC
The worst kept secret in all of football was that Rob Sale was going to leave the New York Giants to become the offensive line coach at the University of Florida. Long before players and others in New York tweeted out that Sale was Florida-bound, only the stand-ins for the Tommy movie were unaware that Sale was leaving the pros for the Southeastern Conference. The University of Florida made it official Monday, but the timing of the announcement almost makes it seem as if Sale was on the next plane out of LaGuardia just moments before the Giants pink slipped head coach Joe Judge.
In addition to being the offensive line coach, assisted by Darnell Stapleton, Sale will take on his familiar offensive coordinator role which he held three years at Louisiana when he was working for Billy Napier. Sale held the coordinator title, but Napier called the plays, which is likely the arrangement in Gainesville. During the three years they worked together at Louisiana (2018-20), the Rajin Cajuns had balanced offenses that got more than 50 percent of their yardage from a running game that averaged more than 213 yards per season each year. Their 2019 offense, which ranked eighth nationally (494.1 yards per game), was good for 257.43 yards per game on the ground, which ranked sixth nationally.
Sale played on the offensive for Nick Saban at LSU from 2000-02. He worked for Saban at Alabama from 2007-11 on the strength staff and was the O-line coach for Mark Richt at Georgia in 2015. He hooked up with Napier in 2011 when Napier was an analyst for Saban and again in 2017, when Napier was the offensive coordinator for Todd Graham at Arizona State.
SOME NAMES IN THE PORTAL TO BE WATCHING
WR Kyren Lacy, formerly Louisiana: He’s 6-3, 213, with three years remaining eligibility. He’s a YAC specialist who had 50 catches for 683 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons playing for Napier.
Dwight McGlothern, DB, formerly LSU: He is a big corner (6-2, 185) who spent the last two years being coached by now UF corners coach Corey Raymond. He had pick six, 32 tackles, five pass breakups and a forced fumble in 2021.
Latrell McCutchin, DB, formerly Oklahoma: He’s a former 4-star out of Austin, who the Gators were recruiting in 2021. He played in nine games in 2021, mostly on special teams but had nine tackles, a pass breakup and two forced fumbles. He’s 6-1, 185 and has three years eligibility remaining.
Ryan Swoboda, OT, formerly Virginia: He was a 3-star recruit out of Windemere Prep in 2017 who has great size (6-10, 325), 24 career starts at right tackle and a year of eligibility remaining. Plug and play guy at a position of need.
Mason Brooks, OT, formerly Western Kentucky: He’s 6-6, 305, and a first team All-Conference USA right tackle with two years of eligibility. He has started two seasons and didn’t give up a sack in 12 of 14 games in 2021 in an offense that threw nearly 700 passes.
Tommy Brown, OT, formerly Alabama: When he was a four-star prospect at Mater Dei in LA, Napier and Sale recruited him. He’s 6-7, 325 with two years eligibility remaining.
West Weeks, LB, formerly Virginia: He was a skinny high school senior in North Georgia (3-star recruit) who has filled out to 6-2, 220. As a true freshman playing inside linebacker, he had 31 tackles with five pass breakups and two QB hurries. LSU, Southern Cal and South Carolina have already offered. VERY bright kid.
FINAL TOP 25 FOOTBALL POLLS
Associated Press: 1. Georgia; 2. Alabama; 3. Michigan; 4. Cincinnati; 5. Baylor; 6. Ohio State; 7. Oklahoma State; 8. Notre Dame; 9. Michigan State; 10. Oklahoma; 11. Ole Miss; 12. Utah; 13. Pittsburgh; 14. Clemson; 15. Wake Forest; 16. Louisiana; 17. Houston; 18. Kentucky; 19. BYU; 20 North Carolina State; 21. Arkansas; 22. Oregon; 23. Iowa; 24 Utah State; 25. San Diego State
Coaches: 1. Georgia 14-1; 2. Alabama 13-2; 3. Michigan 12-2; 4. Cincinnati 13-1; 5. Ohio State; 6. Baylor; 7. Oklahoma State; 8. Michigan; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oklahoma; 11. Ole Miss; 12. Utah; 13. Pittsburgh; 14. Wake Forest; 15. Kentucky; 16. Clemson; 17. Houston; 18. Louisiana; 19. North Carolina State; 20. Arkansas; 21. Oregon; 22. BYU; 23. Iowa; 24. Utah State; 25. Texas A&M
EARLY 2022 TOP 25 POLLS TELL US IT’S TIME TO EXPAND THE PLAYOFFS
When you read the all too early top 25 polls listed below, you’ll notice a certain amount of familiarity at the top. Alabama should be there because Bryce Young and Will Anderson, the best offensive and defensive players in the nation, are returning along with most of the 2021 team that beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game but lost to Georgia for the national championship.
Beyond Alabama it is the usual suspects: Ohio State and Georgia two and three with three of the five polls placing Clemson and Oklahoma at No. 4. What this and the second lowest television ratings ever for a College Football Playoff national championship game should tell us is that the commissioners need to agree in a hurry on a plan to expand the playoff and get it on the market. They say that familiarity breeds contempt and while college football was welcomed back with open arms after a pandemic season, contempt isn’t far off if we keep seeing the same faces in the playoff. You remedy that with expansion.
Mike DeCourcey of Sporting News makes a great observation when he points out that the UCLA dynasty in basketball occurred at a time when only a limited number of conference champions and select independents got in. From 1964-76 UCLA won 10 NCAA championships. The Tournament was open to 22-25 teams until 1968, after which it expanded to 32 where it remained until expansion to 40 teams. The tournament expanded two more times before getting to 64 teams in 1985. Since expanding beyond 32 teams, UCLA has won only one national championship.
From 1975-2014 there were 23 different teams that have earned at least a share of a national championship in football. The state of Florida, which never had a national championship prior to the one Miami won in 1983, has 11 championships – Miami 5, Florida 3, Florida State 3. Since the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014, we keep seeing the same teams in the Final Four.
Since 1975, 22 different schools have won the NCAA basketball championship. Since 2014, which was when the CFP began, seven different teams have won a national championship (no tournament in 2020) and Villanova is the only team with two. Since Florida won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006-07, 10 different schools have won championships in 16 years.
March Madness is an event because the same teams don’t win the national championship every year and teams like Butler and Gonzaga have played for the national title and Cinderellas like VCU and Loyola Chicago have made the Final Four.
March Madness is also a cash cow. At a time when too many Division I football schools are wondering how they’re going to stay afloat, the solution is a 12-team playoff that will move the needle and bring in billions.
If only the “alliance” would quit its attempted power play. They aren’t hurting the SEC, but they are hurting everyone else in college football.
Early Top 25 Polls
Sporting News: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Clemson; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Baylor; 9. Oregon; 10. Utah; 11. Wake Forest; 12. Kentucky; 13. Arkansas; 14. Cincinnati; 15. Michigan State; 16. Oklahoma; 17. Iowa; 18. Oklahoma State; 19. Ole Miss; 20. Texas; 21. Southern Cal; 22. FLORIDA; 23. LSU; 24. Pittsburgh; 25. Coastal Carolina
ESPN: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Texas A&M; 5. Michigan; 6. Notre Dame; 7. Utah; 8. North Carolina State; 9. Oklahoma State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Clemson; 12. Oregon; 13. Houston; 14. Wake Forest; 15. Iowa; 16. Baylor; 17. Oklahoma; 18. BYU; 19. Cincinnati; 20. Arkansas; 21. Kentucky; 22. Southern Cal; 23. Ole Miss; 24. Wisconsin; 25. South Carolina
CBS: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Texas A&M; 6. Baylor; 7. Notre Dame; 8. LSU; 9. Clemson; 10. Arkansas; 11. Michigan; 12. Miami; 13. Utah; 14. Southern Cal; 15. Tennessee; 16. Texas; 17. Wake Forest; 18. Oregon; 19. Wisconsin; 20. Michigan State; 21. BYU; 22. South Carolina; 23. Cincinnati; 24. Penn State; 25. Oklahoma State
Sports Illustrated: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Clemson; 5. Utah; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Wake Forest; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oklahoma State; 11. Michigan State; 12. Baylor; 13. Southern Cal; 14. Arkansas; 15. Oklahoma; 16. Tennessee; 17. Wisconsin; 18. Houston; 19. North Carolina State; 20. Oregon; 21. Kentucky; 22. Iowa; 23. Cincinnati; 24. Purdue; 25. Coastal Carolina
The Athletic: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Utah; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Clemson; 9. North Carolina State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Pittsburgh; 12. Baylor; 13. Tennessee; 14. Oklahoma State; 15. Wake Forest; 16. Oregon; 17. Arkansas; 18. Minnesota; 19. Wisconsin; 20. Cincinnati; 21. Kentucky; 22. Houston; 23. Iowa; 24. Kansas State; 25. Oklahoma
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: We’re only in the foundational stage of the rebuild. Billy Napier still doesn’t have a full coaching staff, nor has he completed his “army” although each day new faces appear in the building ready to go to work for the new boss. There is no doubting the enormity of this job, proof is in this number: 64. That’s where the Florida Gators rank in The Athletic’s final power ranking for all 130 Division I football teams. Think about that a moment. Sixty-three teams including such heavyweights as Georgia State (63), Central Michigan (60), Nevada (47) and Northern Illinois (42) are thought to be better than UF. The school Napier left to coach Florida – Louisiana – is 16th in The Athletic and Associated Press rankings. Where the Gators are perceived is not rock bottom, but it is only one or two notches above. The task ahead for Billy Napier is monumental.
A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:
CAN THE GATORS STOP THE BLEEDING AGAINST NO. 12 LSU TONIGHT?
For a team that has been struggling to get the ball in the basket consistently – Florida (9-5, 0-2 SEC) is shooting 42.9 percent this season, 12th in the SEC; 31.2 percent from the three-point line, 11th in the SEC – the last thing you want to see is a team that gets in your face and stays there. That’s 12th-ranked LSU (14-1, 2-1 SEC), the top team in the nation for defensive efficiency according to the Kenpom.com rankings. The Tigers give up only 34.9 percent overall from the field and 26.6 percent from the three-point line.
The Gators have their work cut out for them against an in-your-face team that forces a lot of bad shots and turnovers. For Florida to win this game tonight at the O-Dome (7 p.m., ESPN2), the Gators have to find someone other than Colin Castleton (15.6 points, 9.1 rebounds per game) to score. If someone can’t hit some outside shots, the Tigers are just going to surround Castleton and shut down the inside game.
Since going 4-9 on three-pointers against Oklahoma, Myreon Jones is 10-46. Tyree Appleby is 1-15 since a 5-8 showing from beyond the arc against Maryland. Brandon McKissic his hit five of his last 18. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. has hit 9-14 on threes in his last six games, but he’s only 14-39 for the season.
Additionally, the Gators have turned it over 188 times this season and they have only 181 assists.
If the Gators are going to stop the bleeding of two straight SEC losses LSU tonight they’re going to have to make some shots and they can’t have a negative assist-ot-turnover game. Right now, that seems impossible.
SEC BASKETBALL
Tuesday’s games: No. 18 Kentucky 13-2, 3-1 SEC) 78, Vanderbilt 9-6, 1-2 SEC) 66; No. 22 Tennessee (11-4, 2-2 SEC) 66, South Carolina (10-5, 1-2 SEC) 46; Texas A&M (13-2, 2-0 SEC) 67, Ole Miss (9-5, 1-1 SEC) 51; No. 4 Auburn (15-1, 4-0 SEC) 81, No. 24 Alabama (11-5, 2-2 SEC) 77
Wednesday’s games: No. 12 LSU (14-1, 2-1 SEC) at FLORIDA (9-5, 0-2 SEC); Georgia (5-10, 0-2 SEC) at Mississippi State (10-4, 1-1 SEC); Missouri (7-7, 1-1 SEC) at Arkansas (10-5, 0-3 SEC)
ROB SALE OFFICIALLY HIRED AS OL/OC
The worst kept secret in all of football was that Rob Sale was going to leave the New York Giants to become the offensive line coach at the University of Florida. Long before players and others in New York tweeted out that Sale was Florida-bound, only the stand-ins for the Tommy movie were unaware that Sale was leaving the pros for the Southeastern Conference. The University of Florida made it official Monday, but the timing of the announcement almost makes it seem as if Sale was on the next plane out of LaGuardia just moments before the Giants pink slipped head coach Joe Judge.
In addition to being the offensive line coach, assisted by Darnell Stapleton, Sale will take on his familiar offensive coordinator role which he held three years at Louisiana when he was working for Billy Napier. Sale held the coordinator title, but Napier called the plays, which is likely the arrangement in Gainesville. During the three years they worked together at Louisiana (2018-20), the Rajin Cajuns had balanced offenses that got more than 50 percent of their yardage from a running game that averaged more than 213 yards per season each year. Their 2019 offense, which ranked eighth nationally (494.1 yards per game), was good for 257.43 yards per game on the ground, which ranked sixth nationally.
Sale played on the offensive for Nick Saban at LSU from 2000-02. He worked for Saban at Alabama from 2007-11 on the strength staff and was the O-line coach for Mark Richt at Georgia in 2015. He hooked up with Napier in 2011 when Napier was an analyst for Saban and again in 2017, when Napier was the offensive coordinator for Todd Graham at Arizona State.
SOME NAMES IN THE PORTAL TO BE WATCHING
WR Kyren Lacy, formerly Louisiana: He’s 6-3, 213, with three years remaining eligibility. He’s a YAC specialist who had 50 catches for 683 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons playing for Napier.
Dwight McGlothern, DB, formerly LSU: He is a big corner (6-2, 185) who spent the last two years being coached by now UF corners coach Corey Raymond. He had pick six, 32 tackles, five pass breakups and a forced fumble in 2021.
Latrell McCutchin, DB, formerly Oklahoma: He’s a former 4-star out of Austin, who the Gators were recruiting in 2021. He played in nine games in 2021, mostly on special teams but had nine tackles, a pass breakup and two forced fumbles. He’s 6-1, 185 and has three years eligibility remaining.
Ryan Swoboda, OT, formerly Virginia: He was a 3-star recruit out of Windemere Prep in 2017 who has great size (6-10, 325), 24 career starts at right tackle and a year of eligibility remaining. Plug and play guy at a position of need.
Mason Brooks, OT, formerly Western Kentucky: He’s 6-6, 305, and a first team All-Conference USA right tackle with two years of eligibility. He has started two seasons and didn’t give up a sack in 12 of 14 games in 2021 in an offense that threw nearly 700 passes.
Tommy Brown, OT, formerly Alabama: When he was a four-star prospect at Mater Dei in LA, Napier and Sale recruited him. He’s 6-7, 325 with two years eligibility remaining.
West Weeks, LB, formerly Virginia: He was a skinny high school senior in North Georgia (3-star recruit) who has filled out to 6-2, 220. As a true freshman playing inside linebacker, he had 31 tackles with five pass breakups and two QB hurries. LSU, Southern Cal and South Carolina have already offered. VERY bright kid.
FINAL TOP 25 FOOTBALL POLLS
Associated Press: 1. Georgia; 2. Alabama; 3. Michigan; 4. Cincinnati; 5. Baylor; 6. Ohio State; 7. Oklahoma State; 8. Notre Dame; 9. Michigan State; 10. Oklahoma; 11. Ole Miss; 12. Utah; 13. Pittsburgh; 14. Clemson; 15. Wake Forest; 16. Louisiana; 17. Houston; 18. Kentucky; 19. BYU; 20 North Carolina State; 21. Arkansas; 22. Oregon; 23. Iowa; 24 Utah State; 25. San Diego State
Coaches: 1. Georgia 14-1; 2. Alabama 13-2; 3. Michigan 12-2; 4. Cincinnati 13-1; 5. Ohio State; 6. Baylor; 7. Oklahoma State; 8. Michigan; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oklahoma; 11. Ole Miss; 12. Utah; 13. Pittsburgh; 14. Wake Forest; 15. Kentucky; 16. Clemson; 17. Houston; 18. Louisiana; 19. North Carolina State; 20. Arkansas; 21. Oregon; 22. BYU; 23. Iowa; 24. Utah State; 25. Texas A&M
EARLY 2022 TOP 25 POLLS TELL US IT’S TIME TO EXPAND THE PLAYOFFS
When you read the all too early top 25 polls listed below, you’ll notice a certain amount of familiarity at the top. Alabama should be there because Bryce Young and Will Anderson, the best offensive and defensive players in the nation, are returning along with most of the 2021 team that beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game but lost to Georgia for the national championship.
Beyond Alabama it is the usual suspects: Ohio State and Georgia two and three with three of the five polls placing Clemson and Oklahoma at No. 4. What this and the second lowest television ratings ever for a College Football Playoff national championship game should tell us is that the commissioners need to agree in a hurry on a plan to expand the playoff and get it on the market. They say that familiarity breeds contempt and while college football was welcomed back with open arms after a pandemic season, contempt isn’t far off if we keep seeing the same faces in the playoff. You remedy that with expansion.
Mike DeCourcey of Sporting News makes a great observation when he points out that the UCLA dynasty in basketball occurred at a time when only a limited number of conference champions and select independents got in. From 1964-76 UCLA won 10 NCAA championships. The Tournament was open to 22-25 teams until 1968, after which it expanded to 32 where it remained until expansion to 40 teams. The tournament expanded two more times before getting to 64 teams in 1985. Since expanding beyond 32 teams, UCLA has won only one national championship.
From 1975-2014 there were 23 different teams that have earned at least a share of a national championship in football. The state of Florida, which never had a national championship prior to the one Miami won in 1983, has 11 championships – Miami 5, Florida 3, Florida State 3. Since the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014, we keep seeing the same teams in the Final Four.
Since 1975, 22 different schools have won the NCAA basketball championship. Since 2014, which was when the CFP began, seven different teams have won a national championship (no tournament in 2020) and Villanova is the only team with two. Since Florida won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006-07, 10 different schools have won championships in 16 years.
March Madness is an event because the same teams don’t win the national championship every year and teams like Butler and Gonzaga have played for the national title and Cinderellas like VCU and Loyola Chicago have made the Final Four.
March Madness is also a cash cow. At a time when too many Division I football schools are wondering how they’re going to stay afloat, the solution is a 12-team playoff that will move the needle and bring in billions.
If only the “alliance” would quit its attempted power play. They aren’t hurting the SEC, but they are hurting everyone else in college football.
Early Top 25 Polls
Sporting News: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Clemson; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Baylor; 9. Oregon; 10. Utah; 11. Wake Forest; 12. Kentucky; 13. Arkansas; 14. Cincinnati; 15. Michigan State; 16. Oklahoma; 17. Iowa; 18. Oklahoma State; 19. Ole Miss; 20. Texas; 21. Southern Cal; 22. FLORIDA; 23. LSU; 24. Pittsburgh; 25. Coastal Carolina
ESPN: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Texas A&M; 5. Michigan; 6. Notre Dame; 7. Utah; 8. North Carolina State; 9. Oklahoma State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Clemson; 12. Oregon; 13. Houston; 14. Wake Forest; 15. Iowa; 16. Baylor; 17. Oklahoma; 18. BYU; 19. Cincinnati; 20. Arkansas; 21. Kentucky; 22. Southern Cal; 23. Ole Miss; 24. Wisconsin; 25. South Carolina
CBS: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Oklahoma; 5. Texas A&M; 6. Baylor; 7. Notre Dame; 8. LSU; 9. Clemson; 10. Arkansas; 11. Michigan; 12. Miami; 13. Utah; 14. Southern Cal; 15. Tennessee; 16. Texas; 17. Wake Forest; 18. Oregon; 19. Wisconsin; 20. Michigan State; 21. BYU; 22. South Carolina; 23. Cincinnati; 24. Penn State; 25. Oklahoma State
Sports Illustrated: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Clemson; 5. Utah; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Wake Forest; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Oklahoma State; 11. Michigan State; 12. Baylor; 13. Southern Cal; 14. Arkansas; 15. Oklahoma; 16. Tennessee; 17. Wisconsin; 18. Houston; 19. North Carolina State; 20. Oregon; 21. Kentucky; 22. Iowa; 23. Cincinnati; 24. Purdue; 25. Coastal Carolina
The Athletic: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Utah; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Michigan; 8. Clemson; 9. North Carolina State; 10. Michigan State; 11. Pittsburgh; 12. Baylor; 13. Tennessee; 14. Oklahoma State; 15. Wake Forest; 16. Oregon; 17. Arkansas; 18. Minnesota; 19. Wisconsin; 20. Cincinnati; 21. Kentucky; 22. Houston; 23. Iowa; 24. Kansas State; 25. Oklahoma
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: We’re only in the foundational stage of the rebuild. Billy Napier still doesn’t have a full coaching staff, nor has he completed his “army” although each day new faces appear in the building ready to go to work for the new boss. There is no doubting the enormity of this job, proof is in this number: 64. That’s where the Florida Gators rank in The Athletic’s final power ranking for all 130 Division I football teams. Think about that a moment. Sixty-three teams including such heavyweights as Georgia State (63), Central Michigan (60), Nevada (47) and Northern Illinois (42) are thought to be better than UF. The school Napier left to coach Florida – Louisiana – is 16th in The Athletic and Associated Press rankings. Where the Gators are perceived is not rock bottom, but it is only one or two notches above. The task ahead for Billy Napier is monumental.
