**Buzz Buzz Buzz** - How did we get here?

Two teams above .500 is just a damning stat IMO.

 

Upon further review...

This is as good a place as any to post this (and help get it to "its proper place in history"). I just got finished watching the aTm-LSU and the FSU-Miami games. I also got to see the score of the Kentucky-Auburn game. This post is mostly about the quality of our wins and the possible outcomes from our losses (past ones mainly). Obviously, the Samford and UCF wins were against lesser competition. But a win is a win and they count. Miss State felt better since it was against an SEC team, but still is not a very good team (as their record indicates). Now on to the nuances.

IMO, aTm is a MUCH better team with Reed in as QB and we all got blindsided as to what it meant to play a team with their backup. It sort of explains our defensive shortcomings, although it does not explain our offensive limitations against them. They did make some good defensive plays against LSU and Nussmeier. Not a tragic loss, in hindsight.

Tennessee has continued to survive and move on. It should have been a win but it wasn't and so let's call it a "learning moment" game. Their clock may strike midnight before the end of the season. But not yet. Frustrating (coaching mistakes again) but not tragic...yet.

Miami is still an enigma. Ward looks like the new incarnation of Jayden Daniels and so he changes the complexion of the team. Truly the definition of a team's MVP, although he showed some chinks in his armor against the FSU pass rush. But he did NOT threaten to lose the game like Nussmeier pretty much did against aTm. IMO, while our loss to them/him isn't looking as bad as it did at the time, I don't see any way not to mark it down in the seriously bad loss column. Napier had all off-season to craft a plan and the results were AWFUL.

And now to the "quality win". Kentucky is NOT a good team, even though they have a good win against Old Miss. You play Auburn at home after a bad loss and you do that? Truly a "feel good win" that is quite different one week later. Call it the old "to be determined" game result.

And now to the future. Notably, the losses. Unless Napier has been changed into something I have not seen before, we will lose against UGa and UTx. They have too much horsepower to be beaten this year by this version of UF football. Napier is NOT a surprise game winner. If anything happens, it would have to be UTx patently losing the game rather than us winning it. UGa next week? That is a laugh...

Old Miss is not a loss, per se. I am not believing they have what it takes. Dart is a decent to quite good QB. And it is at home, although that isn't a big advantage these days. LSU is going to be a tough game. They have some real holes (probably the coaching) and I am not going to say they will win. These games come down to what is the UF team after the Kentucky win, the UGa loss and the UTx...?

And now to the "guaranteed win or else" game: FSU. In some weird way, they are reminding me of this UF team. Not good results early but the defense seems to have turned the corner and their true freshman QB has some skill. He did not pull a Reed but he was playing Miami away from home. We shall see how they/he matures in the coming weeks.

Now to the "state of the program" as it relates to who we are versus what we thought we were after more data points. Napier has his fourth year firmly in focus...or at least he should. He HAS to know what is the makeup of this team...finally...and the team needs to represent against UGa and UTx. I want a win against Old Miss and I would definitely take a win against LSU. It just feels like winning both is too optimistic. Again, it will depend on what is the team after UTx.

Win against Old Miss or LSU and win against FSU, then I believe he gets his fourth year, mainly because of the need for a new President and who will choose a new AD (likely). That takes time and the optics will be "less awful" by winning 6 games. Lose against FSU or fall short of 6 wins or seriously brain farting in the bowl game will change that optic. I know it will be "too late" to get who you want as the new HC after a bad bowl loss, but this is all about getting it right and not knee jerking. And if that means missing the early selections then so be it. Same goes with recruiting. It is what it is.

I will just leave you with what I see is THE best line for the remaining season:

 

we all know we have to wait to see the next 5 games. If he wins a couple he stays if he loses the last 5 like the last 2 years he is gone.

 

Yes, you can win immediately, but I don't think it should be the standard.

 

It's not ok, but was that even the discussion we were having? I don't believe we were talking about the margin of defeat. Any loss is bad, and I expect UF to return to beating good opponents, but if you are going to specifically call out the quality of the opponents we defeated, it's only fair to do the same with opponents we lost to.

 

You think the fsu qb has "some skill" and that fsu reminds you of UF?? Lmao. No. Just no.

 

Recruiting fortunes can change quickly, and as we know kids today are watching for changes in the college football landscape, and are ready to flip. One or two players on each side of the ball can completely change a team. You would see a big team improvement from just a stud QB and a stud LB. Also, there are diamonds in the rough if you have a good eye for talent. Those are my thoughts on making a tough recruiting situation better.

 

As much as I'd like BN to turn it around, and like everyone else, I've seen the difference in the team the last few weeks, I think he's more likely to lose to fsu as he is to beat one of the other four teams we have left. Tennessee showed us he can coach us out of a victory. He can't beat a team with a pulse, even when we outplay them.

 

Your opinion. You apparently did not see the Miami game. Both he and their defense showed real improvement from early in the season. How is that any different than us?

You think we are the only team who can upgrade over the entire season? See Tennessee, Fulmer editions.

 

Recruiting has little to do with improvement next year or the following year. Barring everyone on the roster transferring he has plenty of talent.

Napier can turn it around by practicing the attention to detail he says is part of his process. That includes coaching decisions. Pay attention to the clock. Know rules. Have the little things down well enough you don't have 12 guys in on a kick or people wearing the wrong numbers. Put players in the best place to succeed.

Tackle soundly. Run crisp routes. Line up correctly. Don't have 900 pound lineman. If your staff isn't doing that after mentoring then fire them.

 

For those who don't know if there is a better coach available, what does BN as a coach do that is even above average? UF would truly be hard pressed to find a worse coach.

 

It’s not about finding the guy who is better than Napier. It is all about finding the ‘right’ guy.

 

Lol. You don't even know that HE is their third QB and didn't play early in the season. He is a freshman thrown to the wolves.

I'm critical of the Gators but there is not even remotely a comparison.

 

This same thing has been said after Muschamp/McElwain/Mullen. That's not to say we shouldn't move on from Billy but the "another guy must be better" notion has been proven wrong multiple times already.

 

Its gross

 

"Hard pressed"? LOL, no.

Tallahassee is just a short drive away.

 

Again, your opinion. He has looked WAY better than Plan A or Plan B.

You think he and the defense/team can't grow between now and our game? Yes, Lagway is a better option as we speak but to presume their option isn't viable is just plain....fan-ish?

 

I like the guy, it would be a gamble but one i would take. The ONLY thing that pops out to me as a negative is he will be 64 years old before the start of next season. He would be here for showing is the question I would have. We've seen other programs start trending down with talent when a coach gets up in age, FSU (Bowden) ,VT (Beamer), USCe (Spurrier). Otherwise I like the guy, his swagger, offense, etc. Not sure about his recruiting but he can hire for that.

 

Its all about game film to identifies strengths and weaknesses

Game planning is much easier with several games worth of tape to use

how many times in the last decade have we been in the same position wrt our qb? Only to get exposed in subsequent games as the tape piles up?