No respect: Lindy's predicts the Gators finish 12th in the SEC

The new Lindy's Sports preseason mag is out and Napier and the Gators get no respect (Gator Bait photo by Chris Spears)

“When I was a kid I got no respect. I played hide-and-seek. They wouldn't even look for me.” – Rodney Dangerfield

The doom and gloom season has officially kicked off. Lindy’s Sports has once again beaten everyone to the newsstands with their 2024 preseason football edition that predicts a 12th-place finish in the Southeastern Conference for the Florida Gators.

In a section called Temperature Check, Anthony Gimino of Lindy’s says Billy Napier’s seat is scorching hot. Gimino writes, “’Boosters need way more bang for their Gatorbucks than two losing seasons.” Expect something similar when Athlon comes out with its preseason magazine.

Think of Billy Napier as the Rodney Dangerfield of the Southeastern Conference. No respect at all, but Napier doesn’t seem to mind because he’s transforming the lack of respect into this gigantic chip the Gators are going to be carrying on their shoulders this season. A couple of weekends ago at a Florida softball game where he was in attendance to watch his girlfriend Reagan Walsh play for the Gators, Austin Barber was asked the size of the chip on the shoulder of every player on the team.

“Enormous,” was his one-word answer. After a pause he added, “We know nobody is respecting us and we know how to change that. They’ll respect us when we win.”

Right now, the general consensus is that Florida’s schedule – ranked the toughest in the nation – will be too great an obstacle for the Gators to overcome in the fall. Under their Conference Picks section of the SEC preview, Lindy’s writes, “Facing the nation’s toughest schedule … a third straight losing season for the Gators.”

One more sign of disrespect. Under that same section, it says, “Looks like you could build a program around 5-star freshman DJ Lagway.” Lagway does have program changing talent, but Graham Mertz is a former 5-star himself and he’ll have a re-worked offensive line, three outstanding receivers (Tre Wilson, Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger) and running back Montrell Johnson Jr. Johnson was the only preseason first team All-SEC Gator picked by Lindy’s. Wilson and punter Jeremy Crawshaw were second teamers.

No UF defenders were selected, predictable considering Florida’s lousy showing the last two years, but improvement is on the way. Ron Roberts was not selected among the impact new coordinators/assistant coaches.

Lindy’s predicts the SEC with personal commentary

1. Georgia: Georgia has the best quarterback in Carson Beck, the highest paid coach in Kirby Smart and a tougher than usual schedule that includes roadies to Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss.    

2. Texas: The Longhorns probably should be ranked ahead of Georgia, in part because of a kind SEC schedule that doesn’t include Ole Miss or Alabama and has homers with Georgia, Florida and Kentucky. If Carson Beck is Heisman favorite No. 1, then Quinn Ewers is No. 1A.  

3. Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin loaded up on defensive talent for Pete Golding. The Rebels are going to score on everybody, but Lane with a defense? Be very afraid. Ole Miss gets Oklahoma and Georgia at home with no Alabama or Texas.

4. Alabama: New coach Kalen DeBoer has a history of winning big (104-12 record including 25-3 at Washington). Wait until he loses a game and discovers just how nasty and impatient Bama fans can be. Can he bring out the best in QB Jalen Milroe? Georgia and Missouri are homers and there are road trips to Tennessee and LSU.

5. Missouri: Mizzou outperformed expectations by a wide margin a year ago. They can score points but can the defense stop anybody? Five of the first six games are Murray State, Buffalo, Boston College Vanderbilt and UMass. It’s one of the easiest schedules in the SEC.

6. LSU: Jayden Daniels and those stud receivers are gone and the D-line talent is lacking. A step back is very possible. Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma are homers. The tough roadies are at Texas A&M and Florida.

7. Tennessee: Is the $8 million dollar man (Nico Iamaleava) the Vols’ equivalent of Moses, ready to lead them to the promised land? There are a lot of new faces for Josh Heupel to blend in successfully and a schedule that includes road trips to Oklahoma and Georgia, plus a homer with Alabama.

8. Oklahoma: The defense promises to be better. The offense has a newbie at QB in freshman Jackson Arnold. He is talented but can he handle the pressure? There are home games with Tennessee and Alabama, road trips to Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU. They will need a break or two to get past the 7-8 win threshold.

9. Texas A&M: Can the Aggies keep Conner Weigman upright and healthy? He’s never done it before. The Aggies get Missouri, LSU and Texas at home. No Georgia or Alabama.

10. Auburn: QB Payton Thorne is good enough to get the Tigers beaten and bad enough to get them poleaxed. Can they play enough defense to get past the 6-7 win threshold. Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri are on the road in consecutive weeks and Bama is a roadie. Break even. At best.

11. Kentucky: Brock Vandagriff waited as long as he could at Georgia before bolting for a chance to start. He’s a question mark. The defense isn’t. The schedule includes Georgia, Ole Miss, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Texas. Seven wins should be considered an accomplishment.

12. FLORIDA: Improved and more experienced than the past two years. Is that good enough to overcome the nation’s toughest schedule? Napier seems very confident.

13. South Carolina: They need to hope and pray running back Raheim Sanders is back to health because a break even season is going to depend on a running game capable of keeping the defense off the field. LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Mizzou are homers.

14. Arkansas: Not even Bobby Petrino can save this team or the job of Sam Pittman. A schedule that includes Florida, Texas and Georgia on the road, the Aggies, at Tennessee, Missouri and at Ole Miss won’t help save Sam from getting pink slipped.

15. Mississippi State: Jeff Lebby was ready to be somebody’s head coach. Let’s just say he didn’t choose wisely and leave it at that.

16. Vanderbilt: Everybody deserves a good homecoming opponent. Vandy gets Alabama, Texas and Tennessee at home.

Lindy’s top 25: 1. Georgia; 2. Ohio State; 3. Texas; 4. Oregon; 5. Ole Miss; 6. Michigan; 7. Alabama; 8. Notre Dame; 9. Missouri; 10. Florida State; 11. Penn State; 12. Oklahoma State; 13. LSU; 14. Clemson; 15. Tennessee; 16. Utah; 17. Miami; 18. Oklahoma; 19. Texas A&M; 20. Kansas; 21. Kansas State; 22. North Carolina State; 23. Arizona; 24. Iowa State; 25. Liberty

Others of interest: 34. Auburn; 35. Kentucky; 37. FLORIDA; 42. Georgia Tech; 43. UCF; 44. South Carolina; 45. Arkansas; 52. Mississippi State; 60. South Florida; 67. Vanderbilt; 102. Georgia Southern; 106. Florida Atlantic; 125. Georgia State; 127. Florida International

Kendra Falby won a Rawlings Gold Glove for her play in center field (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears)

UF SOFTBALL:

When Kendra Falby leads off for the Gators tonight against Oklahoma State in the final game of the day at the Women’s College World Series, you might detect a slight but momentary grin on the face of Florida’s gold glove center fielder.  It is entirely possible that Oklahoma State All-America pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl will nod or return the grin, but that will be the end of the pleasantries at least until the game is over.

There is a relationship that extends beyond their prep softball days in Florida and Kilfoyl’s time at Alabama that predated Oklahoma State.

“So Lexi's mom's actually my sister's godmother,” Falby explained Wednesday afternoon at Florida’s pre-WCWS press conference. “So we go way back, but I mean, she's a really good pitcher. I've, I've faced her since I was like, since the days that I started playing softball.”

Collegiately, Falby is 0-5 against Kilfoyl (26-3, 1.06 ERA). Falby was 0-2 off Kilfoyl in 2022 when Alabama beat the Gators 2-1 in nine innings in Gainesville. When Oklahoma State beat the Gators 3-0 back in February, Falby went 0-2.

Getting Falby untracked will be a key for the Gators against Oklahoma State tonight (9:30 p.m., ESPN2) but also for UF to make a run at a third NCAA championship, Florida’s first since 2015. Falby comes into Oklahoma City hitting .378 with 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts, but she has struggled at the plate lately. Since going 5-9 in the final two games of Florida’s sweep of Texas A&M in the final regular season series of the season, Falby is 5-32 including 0-11 in the super regional win over Baylor.

When Falby and Skylar Wallace are getting on base, the Gators are one of the more difficult lineups to contain in all of collegiate softball.

“When Skylar scores and Kendra scores, what is our record?” Walton asked rhetorically on Sunday. “29-1? It's a pretty good record. Kendra is by far the most important ingredient to our offensive success.”

There are few players in all of college softball that can match the speed of Falby and Wallace, who is hitting .421 with a nation-leading 87 runs scored, a .421 batting average and 36-38 on stolen bases. When they’re on base together it puts tremendous pressure on opposing defenses.

“Kendra is by far the most important ingredient to our offense,” Walton said. “When Kendra and Skylar are on base, with our lineup we’re very hard to beat.”

Gators on All-America teams

D1Softball: Skylar Wallace, SS, and Jocelyn Erickson, UT, first team; Korbe Otis, OF, second team

Softball America

First team: Skylar Wallace, SS, Jocelyn Erickson, UTL, and Korbe Otis, OF

Second team: Kendra Falby, UTL

Freshman All-America

First team: Keagan Rothrock, P

NFCA

First team: Jocelyn Erickson, C; Korbe Otis, OF

Second team: Skylar Wallace, SS

Third team: Reagan Walsh, DP; Keagan Rothrock, P

Taylor Shumaker: The nation’s best power hitter with 18 in Orange County, California.

Layla Lamar (SS, Cary, NC Panther Creek):

Townsen Thomas (OF Humble, Texas):

Gabi Cormia (SS/2B Indiana):

Katelynn Oxley (RHP, Bartow):

Rawlings Gold Glove recipients: Jocelyn Erickson, C; Kendra Falby, CF

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The elephant in every room where conferences meet in the spring to discuss the year they’ve just endured and talk about the issues of matters they expect to face in the year ahead is Title IX. Title IX has served a good purpose in that it has forced college athletics to offer more opportunities for young women. We saw a couple of months ago how Caitlyn Clark elevated the popularity of women’s basketball. Starting today, we’ll see record breaking crowds and viewership for the Women’s College World Series. Those gains for women’s sports have happened are a direct result of Title IX.

With the recent anti-trust settlement with the NCAA, there is a movement to ditch the NCAA and eliminate the current scholarship guidelines for football and men’s basketball. Baseball has also entered the discussion. Division I schools are currently limited to 11.7 scholarships that can be spread among 27 athletes. Under current Title IX executive orders, every increase in women’s college sports requires a greater or at least equal number of scholarships available to women’s sport. Now the government wants more involvement, championing the rights of transgender athletes to compete. The way the government has worked in the past, transgender bills are going to be introduced sooner and not later.

It seems impossible to come with an equitable solution to these problems with the NCAA in charge, but ditching the NCAA is easier said than done. There is no infrastructure in place or in the planning stages and there is no maximum supreme leader with the guts to tell the NCAA to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. If the NCAA has proven anything in the 100-plus years of its existence it is inept at coming up with practical solutions.  

The problems of today are not going to simply go away and the continued presence of the NCAA is only going to make matters worse. The NCAA’s idea of dealing with a problem is to either ignore it completely or come up with a new set of guidelines that require a whole new layer of bureaucracy to make up rules that are impossible to follow. Therefore, the NCAA has to be ditched. It will have to be a gradual move, otherwise it will fail mightily.

The time is now to start planning the move to a post-NCAA organization to run college sports, otherwise we’re going to end up with the government in charge. I can’t think of anything worse, can you?