How did Missouri get to be so good?

Much lower expectations from their fan base due to virtually no history of winning championships in modern times.

 

It’s really depressing to see how accepting much of the the fanbase has become. When the response to me asserting we shouldn’t be looking to programs like Missouri or Kentucky for evidence we should be “patient” is to post stats to demonstrate how comparable we’ve been over the past decade to one of them, stick a fork in us. We’re done.

 

Not a matter of accepting reality as an aspiration, Hank. It is more an expectation that we should be top 5 every year, particularly when you thumb your nose at a "lesser" program like Mizzou.

We ALL aspire to be great, but to expect consistent greatness leads only to endless disappointment, coaching carousels, expensive buyouts, and diminishing crowds.

Believe it or not, the SOS and Meyer years were not the norm, but the exception. To expect SOS and Meyer to be the standard is to blow off how exceptional SOS and Meyer really were...

 

Wow. The “SOS and Meyer years” comprised 17 of the last 34, and we had appearances in the SECCG three additional times within the last eight years. Anyone saying those years were the “exception” for us might as well be parroting FSU talking points. Jesus.

 

Drinkwitz was very much considered on the hot seat entering this season. Just this August, College Football News ranked him as having the 14th hottest seat in the country.

14. Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri
Coaching Record At Current School: 17-19

Mizzou canned Barry Odom after going 25-25 in 4 seasons. Drinkwitz has a losing record after 3.

https://collegefootballnews.com/cfn/preseason-hot-seat-rankings-of-all-133-college-football-coaches

As it says, Barry Odom was fired after 4 years that went pretty much exactly like Drinkwitz's first 3 seasons went so it is not like Mizzou has some long track record of patience.

 

It's just doesnt seem to be as big of a deal. Neither of those were in the national news after one year on the job with projections and fans clamoring about firing the coach.

 

You say 17 of the last 34? Why not the last 119? Did Florida football begin with Spurrier in 1990?

When was the last one? 2010? Or was it really 2009? As for our last three SECCG appearances, we were 8-4, 9-4 and 10-4. The outcomes were 0-3. We were like Arkansas representing the West.

My Gator years go back to the graves Era and graduated from Florida 41 years ago, so please don't brand me a Nole. Florida began in 1904. Our first SEC title was 1984, eighty years later. But since 2010, we are deeply in the middle of the SEC pack. That is reality.

Do I WANT Florida to return to those heady years? Of COURSE I do! But we aren't CLOSE to being there, any more than Nebraska or Miami is. Crawl, walk, run, then sprint.

 

They have a very good hc and it took time for him to turn things around.

 

There is absolutely no reason a school like ours has to “crawl” to get back to being a good program. It’s that kind of mentality that will ensure we never get back. If people are fine thinking we’re a program on par with a Missouri or a Kentucky, that’s probably what we’re going to be. There’s no excuse for a coach to go .500 at Florida. None. Zero. Zilch. There isn’t even an excuse to win fewer than eight games in a season. But not everybody is comfortable with the commitment to excellence required to maintain a winning program at the highest level. It means being hard-nosed, uncompromising, and willing to fire anyone who doesn’t perform, no matter how likable they are or nice they seem.

And it takes a lot more than simply hoping for the program to be successful. You have to be willing to accept nothing less, and that means as alumni, too, because we set the standard of what’s acceptable and what isn’t for the administration. The school would LOVE the fanbase to think like you, because that means no pressure, just lots of patience and understanding. But that rarely if ever results in anything but extended mediocrity.

Championship coaches invariably hit the ground running, they don’t crawl then walk then run. They may not dominate their first season, but they don’t take years to post a winning record. Kentucky will never win a NC under Stoops. Neither will Missouri under Drinkwitz. But unlike those programs, there’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be competing for one annually, given our resources, pedigree, and unparalleled recruiting environment in our backyard. All it will take for that is the right coach. If Napier wins at least 8 next year, then he may well be an outlier and turn out to be the guy, but if he can’t, there’s no reason to keep pretending all it will take is “patience” when what it really takes is a coach who’s up to the challenge.

 

You’re from that entitled generation aren’t you?

 

Crossroads, Satan, and whatnot. Ole Hellhound Drinkwitz.

 

Drink and Mizzo weren't even good in his 3rd year (6-7), Billy hasn't even gotten there. Let's be real

 

I guess expecting 7 wins, including a win at home against a 2 win Arkansas team, is the new definition of greatness now.

 

That’s easy:

great coaching

Great portal work- look at receivers

Urgent attitude from HC about winning

Coach that reflects and makes changes- removed himself as OC.

I don’t feel Billy needs to remove himself as OC but why not acknowledge special teams issues and make changes. Not acknowledging issues when asked a concern. Shouldn’t even need to be asked.

 

In terms of talent, did you know:

Thought this was interesting:

Looking at 247 team Talent for Florida over the last 9 seasons compared to actual record, what takeaways can we draw from where things are at currently with Napier and where things are heading?

Added # of teams played against with better talent for those who would like to see it.

2023 - #15 (5-5) Napier (2)
2022 - #14 (6-7) Napier (3)
2021 - #7 (6-7) Mullen (3)
2020 - #7 (8-4) Mullen (3)
2019 - #15 (11-2) Mullen (4)
2018 - #12 (10-3) Mullen (4)
2017 - #17 (4-7) Mac (6)
2016 - #16 (9-4) Mac (5)
2015 - #15 (10-4) Mac (6)

So over last 2 years, we’ve played 5 teams with better rosters than us yet we have lost 12 games.

If he doesn’t hit portal hard, we lose 5-6 next year- definitely. Hit portal hard maybe lose 3-4.

 

Frankly, you're spoiled rotten. Are you a Spurrier Gator? Or a Meyer Gator? Try being a Dickey Gator and move forward from there...

 

4th and dumb

 

Spot on. When you look at the SEC since 1990, only 6 teams have won the conference title.

Bama - 10
Florida - 8 (last time was 2009)
LSU - 5
Georgia - 4
Auburn - 3 (last time was 2013)
Tennessee - 3 (last time was 1998)

Everybody else - 0

 

Missouri isn't that good, so stop the love fest for them and their coach. We are not good, and should have beaten them at home.

 

Mizzou isnt