The next four games

I think you have confused yourself. It wasn't my list. I was responding to a list.

If you want to call every coach who starts his career a "project" Coach, I guess you can. Makes no sense but go ahead. Of course then those named are a very small and special sampling of the whole of "project" coaches.

The OP implied that the small sampling of "project" coaches listed meant that"project" coaches were somehow more successful than what I can only assume would be non"project" coaches. Notwithstanding the fact that saban was listed as a project coach (he's not for the purpose of the original post but I believe he is the closest to what I consider a project coach) I compared the championships of non"project" coaches using the list I gave.

My original point was based on the fact that I didn't consider a first time coach to be a project. That seems weird to me. To me a project coach would be one that doesn't have a particularly impressive coaching record but a school gives them time to develop.

But even using your "project" coach definition they are not more successful and frankly they are a huge minority when you look at first time HC across college football.

 

Summary: Some prosper, some fold.

 

Devour was in the playoffs last year. Not such a reach.

 

That list is almost every national championship in the last three decades. They all established themselves firmly before getting a major job. The guys we’ve hired wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity at most top schools.

 

He was a project when Washington hired him is what he was saying.

 

Ahh, Washington is a football school no doubt but top five schools don’t make that hire. They wait on Washington to prove he can coach and promptly take him away. I wish we would take a page out of that book and take a coach from someone who doesn’t want to lose him…. And not from a small nonfootball powerhouse. I know we can’t just take Kirby and I hate that stooge anyway but you get the idea. Kiffy? Damnit man, I’ll take it and I don’t like him either.

 

He was a little reach for udub

 

Yep, I thought it was referring to Bama. First time Washington has been a playoff team though, one more than us. I would hope we have more dedication than they do but our coaching hires tge last 15 years say otherwise.

 

PAC-12 is not the sec

 

Nope but they would trash us.

 

Samford may trash us. We ain’t very good right now.

 

So, with 2 weeks of data. We SHOULD beat MSU, UK. aTm and UCF seem winnable. TENN is gonna probably boat race us.

 

Two years ago Tenn had 59-10 and 63-6 wins (plus a close win at ranked Pittsburgh.)

We went there and lost 38-30. Lots of years it feels like they're gonna kill us and it doesn't work out that way. Are we worse than we were 2022? Are they better?

 

Ill be honest, the presser didnt sound very optimistic in that regard.

And yeah Im of the opinion that we should fire Billy either way because even if DJ makes us go 11-1, that just proves he's a Grier/Winston/Burrow level talent in that he can raise a team to national title contender by himself and I would still, unless I saw massive change indicating Billy had become less stubborn like hiring an OC, consider Napier to be a Mac/Orgeron level coach.

But if Billy IS to sway enough people to stay one more year, he's gotta pull a rabbit out his butt. Like 9-3 at minimum if not 10-2 and in the CFP. And Lagway quite simply is the ONLY path to even have a puncher's chance at that. He's just gotta start Lagway, apologize to Mertz, and hope DJ is a Grier level talent that can elevate the entire team to elite.

But as stated in the beginning it really doesn't sound like it. The only "hope" I have of being wrong right now is he just wants to make TAMU scheme for 2 QBs, but inside he knows he has to start Lagway.

 

After ND lost to NIU, I don't necessarily know that aTm is any better.

 

aTm is not great. ND just lost and beat aTm in College Station so there is zero reason why Florida shouldn’t win this game. Then go beat the Cowbells and Knights and all of the sudden, we might have something. We own Tennessee too and have beach front real estate in their heads so I absolutely see that one being winnable.
One game at a time but I’m seeing some light at the end of the tunnel

 

There is no doubt that Napier is going to start and play Mertz most if not all of the game. You know it, I know it, the dog knows it…Heck, we were up by 31 points 10 plus minutes to go in the fourth quarter and he kept sending DJ out instead of developing his third string quarterback. Wegmen finally got into the game but should have been in earlier IMO.

 

First, congratulations to UF, staff and players. 45 - 7.

Second the "who starts" Mertz or DJ will rage until Saturday.

There is this little issue of will Mertz definitely be cleared and "Practice Performances" if he is cleared.

Billy said in his presser DJ will be part of the plan and will play. Some opinions suggest "only in the clean up role if we are
winning or losing", I personally don't think so.

Whichever QB is struggling I see the other coming in rather quickly.

Quality of competition - still early, hard to tell, clearly Samford is no SEC caliber squad.

ND, whom beat tamu lost at home to N Illinois.

UF is still struggling with penalties and line play. Despite the fumble at the goal line, #13 looks pretty darn good.

Special teams was good again.

Did UF improve / make the leap in game 2?
Hard to tell given the level of competition, but they did win by 38 against a lesser opponent. (See N Dame).

UF also discovered DJL is really good. TANK caught a gorgeous pass. The recievers did well.

Do the Gators have a chance against tamu, YES, I think the fan base will show up big.

Speaking only for myself, I can't wait, Napier is hanging by a thread, he has a chance to climb out of the pit a little, make a,deposit into the fan and booster loyalty,
account, I hope it happens!

 

A & M, Moo U (road) and UCF, the next three weeks, will determine if Napier has a shot at getting to a bowl game and keep his job.

Looking at the schedule the rest of the way, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss (home) still look to be overwhelming.

At the other end, Kentucky, LSU and F$U (road) all are potentially winnable.

Is there a path to six wins, yes, but the next three weeks are critical.