Must win

[tapsgator]

After going down one too many rabbit holes I'm going to probably go overboard and say that RDB needs to win this game to have a real shot at being successful at UF. We cannot have another SEC East program jump us, we have a decent talent advantage (14 in Team Talent Composite to 21) and Beamer is considered a better but comparable coach to Napier (CBS has Beamer at 9 in SEC and 40 in the country and RDB is 11/42). Lists like this from National Media tell me what I already know, the national/objective evaluation of Napier is not close to the subjective/local one:

bleacherreport.com/articles/10092698-top-9-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-after-week-6-of-college-football

The presumption locally seems to be "he's going to bring in an OC and then with Lagway running a better offensive scheme we'll be unstoppable." I'll believe it when I see it on the OC, and if Lagway sticks do we really think he's going to cure the offense that held Anthony Richardson down? RDB is blowing past a lot of glaring red lights for example: losing record, bowl game debacle, not being able to get a QB on campus, game changing analysts over actual coaches, not scoring with the #4 pick in the draft under Center, averaging 20 points a game with a mediocre QB completing 80% of his passes, etc. dropping in the rankings after a win, being an underdog to a 2-3 South Carolina team whose coach is on the hot seat. End of the day, he's very resistant to change and seems scared to do anything that would even suggest that his approach is lacking despite lots of evidence to support that conclusion.

I don't think he's going to change. He's a guy who I'm looking for a reason to root for and believe in unlike his predecessors who were mpossible to root for (for me anyway), but I'm running out of straws to grasp at. I am hoping he gives us something Saturday.

[soflaisgatorcountry]

I agree, Tenn was a must win game bc Napier needed an SEC win over a rival. Vandy was a must not lose game for obvious reasons. At SC is a must win bc Napier needs to get an SEC road win and stop the other SEC East programs (even if there's no East next season) from surpassing Fla.

Sadly im going to go with 27-23 SC. As much as i want to say Fla will win, the 1-7 road record has me skeptical and in a "i'll believe it when i see it" and "I hope to be proven wrong" mode.

Im with you on the whole OC and Lagway situation. I think Napier will promote Russ Callaway rather than hiring an outside OC and especially don't see him hiring any hot name/proven OC because that would take a hit to Napier's ego. Even if RCallaway turns out to be good, Napier can feel/say he played a part in that.

I agree with you on Lagway. Im excited for him to arrive but far too many people think he (1) should just be given the job, (2) will be SEC ready day 1 and (3) Napiers offense will immediately be better with him in it.

My thoughts on those topics are:

(1) You must earn your starting position at high level football. the 2024 schedule is brutal and Mertz will have over 40+ games of experience combined between B1G and SEC. That experience matters and i see a Leak Tebow 06 type of a situation rather than a true freshman starting over a 5th year SR.

(2) True freshman don't just come into the SEC and start/dominate at the QB position. E.Manning, R.Grossman, T.Tebow, C.Newton, MJones, K.Trask, AR15, BYoung etc. all either redshirted or were not year 1 starters.

(3) Even if Lagway is a megastar he may be great but can/will Napier get the production out of him because just as you said, AR15 didn't really have all that great of a season in 2022 and we know he is much more talented than Mertz.

[tapsgator]

Yeah it all comes down to the offensive coordinator and system. I keep hearing this is "how he wants to play." Again, how do people keep a straight face when he says shit like that? When you're running an offense where the QB is completing damn near 80% of his passes and you can't convert 3rd downs or score more than 26 against a real Defense, and you're playing your ideal style you should be fired immediately because there is no way to salvage that. Graham Mertz cannot play better than he has. He's never played close to this well. We've got guys that can go get it and Etienne is maybe the biggest game breaker in the country and we have no

I agree on Lagway and think we need to get back in the portal to have a real QB room. I've got to assume Miller is gone unless he thinks he can beat out Mertz which is fine because right now we basically have the same guy wearing different numbers (points for that) at 1 & 2 on the depth chart. I don't think Napier will go into the portal and if he does I doubt he comes out with one of the front line guys.

Either RDB's confidence is real and borderline arrogance and he's irrationally holding onto the concept that because he kicked ass in the Sunbelt it will happen in the SEC, or it's false bravado and he's scared to admit it. Either he's sure he's right (he's not) or he's scared to be wrong (my bet). If you take out his press clippings like "scared money don't make money" we've got a guy who has used the biggest support staff in the country to assemble a coaching staff that has no OC, QB Coach, or Special Teams coach and does not include one realistic Power 5 head coaching candidate for at least the next 5 years. Maybe 10.

[g8rfan]

Im really curious to see if Etienne sticks around seeing how Johnson is a Jr and RDB seems like he’s going to die on that hill.