It was a well-known fact that Billy Napier faced an uphill battle in his second year as the head coach of the Florida football program and that narrative has played out so far exactly as expected. The Gators head into their final two games with an even 5-5 record with a trip to a bowl game hinging on whether or not they can earn another win.
While patience has been preached in Gainesville — especially with the terrific job he and his staff have done on the recruiting trail — the natives have been getting restless as their beloved Orange and Blue face a third-straight losing season. If Florida fails to win another game, it would be the first time since the mid-1940s that the Gators experienced such futility.
As things go in college football, the buck stops with the head coach whether or not they are wholly responsible for not meeting expectations. CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd put together his 2023 hot seat rankings following Week 11 with Napier moving up a tier following the LSU loss and among the “not as cool” group.
“Napier will be given time,” Dodd begins. “There has been progress in building the program, but the last three weeks haven’t been good (combined 134 points given up to Georgia, Arkansas and LSU).
“The Gators won’t make a rash decision given their immensely tough schedule to close the season, but Napier does need to show well against Missouri and Florida State — and keep as much of his (previously ranked No. 3) recruiting class together as possible.”
Next up for Florida are the Missouri Tigers, who host the Gators in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, Nov. 18, inside Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/where-billy-napier-sits-cbs-165444242.html
Author : Gators Wire
Publish date : 2023-11-17 16:54:44
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