Thoughts of the Day: September 7, 2022

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:

1969, 2022 AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL

The Ray Graves-coached 1969 Florida Gators led by John Reaves, Carlos Alvarez and a bunch of sophomores nobody really knew about were unranked when they destroyed 7th-ranked Houston 59-34 in the season-opener at Florida Field. When the Associated Press poll came out after opening weekend, the Gators found themselves ranked 12th.

Fast forward 53 years. The Billy Napier-coached 2022 Gators led by redshirt sophomore QB Anthony Richardson and a bunch of freshmen and sophomores nobody really knew much about opened the season with a 29-26 win over 7th-ranked Utah, the reigning Pac-12 Conference champions. The new AP poll came out Tuesday. The Gators are ranked 12th. They’re also ranked 19th in the Coaches poll.

Those 1969 Gators went on the road in week two to face a Mississippi State team that won only three games all season. Perhaps the euphoria of the previous week took a toll because Florida’s 47-35 victory bore resemblance of a team still celebrating the week before. The 2022 Gators will be home for game two and the opponent is 20th-ranked Kentucky, a team that has beaten the Gators two of the last four years. When the Wildcats beat the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2018, it broke a losing streak that dated all the way back to 1986. To put it mildly, the fear factor that once existed for UK when it came to playing the Gators, has disappeared.

What Billy Napier, winner of the weekly Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Week award, has to be sure of is that the Gators have gotten over beating Utah and are 100 percent focused on a Kentucky team that is quite similar to Utah. The Wildcats are very physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage, love to run the ball last week’s 50-yard output against Miami (OH) notwithstanding. Like Utah, which was led by transfer QB Cameron Rising, Kentucky has an outstanding transfer QB in Will Levis, who began his career at Penn State. Last Saturday, Levis threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns. A season ago he showed has has good wheels by running for nine touchdowns in addition to his 24 TDPs.

So how does Napier keep the Gators feet on the ground and eliminate the noise in the system that a high ranking can give a young team?

“I think sometimes we hear the things we want to hear and we don’t hear the things we need to hear,” Napier said at his Monday press conference. “So just remaining objective, evaluate it for what exactly it is. I think sometimes we get consumed with the results. Reality is we need to always evaluate, win or lose, independent of the result. What does the film look like and what can we do better?”

The film doesn’t lie. Napier knows it. His coaching staff knows it. He’s hoping his young team knows it, too.

“I think we’ve got some momentum but we also have a team that is very self-aware,” Napier said. “I think we’ve got a smart group. I think they understand good football. They watched the tape. They know they can do better.”

Quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding effort against Utah, will be the toughest on himself when it comes to believing he can do better.

“He’s going to watch the film three times and tell you everything he could have done better, but he rose to the occasion is what I would say,” Napier said.

If the rest of the team is as determined as Richardson to correct the mistakes and improve, then the Gators should be very well-prepared for Kentucky Saturday night.

Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Alabama 1-0; 2. Georgia 1-0; 3. Ohio State 1-0; 4. Michigan 1-0; 5. Clemson 1-0; 6. Texas A&M 1-0; 7. Oklahoma 1-0; 8. Notre Dame 0-1; 9. Baylor 1-0; 10. Southern Cal 1-0; 11. Oklahoma State 1-0; 12. FLORIDA 1-0; 13. Utah 0-1; 14. Michigan State 1-0; 15. Miami 1-0; 16. Arkansas 1-0; 17. Pittsburgh 1-0; 19. North Carolina State 1-0; 20. Kentucky 1-0; 21. BYU 1-0; 22. Ole Miss 1-0; 23. Wake Forest 1-0; 24. Tennessee 1-0; 25. Houston 1-0

Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Alabama 1-0; 2. Georgia 1-0; 3. Ohio State 1-0; 4. Clemson 1-0; 5. Michigan 1-0; 6. Texas A&M 1-0; 7. Oklahoma 1-0; 8. Baylor 1-0; 9. Notre Dame 0-1; 10. Oklahoma State 1-0; 11. Michigan State 1-0; 12. Southern Cal 1-0; 13. North Carolina State 1-0; 14. Pittsburgh 1-0; 15. Utah 0-1; 16. Miami 1-0; 17. Arkansas 1-0; 18. Wisconsin 1-0; 19. FLORIDA 1-0; 20. Kentucky 1-0; 21. Wake Forest 1-0; 22. Texas 1-0; 23. Ole Miss 1-0; 24. Oregon 0-1; 25. BYU 1-0

SEC football (AP rankings)

#1 Alabama (1-0): Alabama ranks #1 in the SEC in total defense. In the Crimson Tide’s season opening win over Utah State, Alabama gave up 79 rushing yards and 57 through the air.

#16 Arkansas (1-0): HBC Sam Pittman says the reason the Razorbacks are winning games and showing up in the rankings is because “they believe in what we’ve done, what we do at practice and how we play is the only reason why we’re winning.”

Auburn (1-0): Tank Bigsby (147 yards, 9.19 per carry) leads the SEC in rushing. The Tigers are third in the SEC in rushing at 285 yards per game.

#2 Georgia (1-0): Kirby Smart was none too pleased with Georgia’s Tuesday practice. “Thought we had one of our best practices of the year yesterday,” Smart said. “Thought we had one of our worst practices of the year today. Not sure where we are today.” Kirby is sounding a lot like Lou Holtz. Georgia plays D1AA Samford. This will be over before the end of the first quarter.

#20 Kentucky (1-0): There is still no word on the status of All-SEC running back Chris Rodriguez, who missed game one on suspension from a summer DUI. Kentucky’s running back room is quite thin even if Rodriguez can play. JuTahn McClain may not be available to play and Ramon Jefferson is done for the year with an ACL tear … Former Kentucky and Baylor head coach Guy Morriss passed away from complications from Alzheimers. He was 71.

LSU (0-1): All-American wide receiver Kayshon Boutte caught just two passes for 20 yards against FSU. He was clearly perturbed on the sideline and during the game. Brian Kelly said Tuesday, “His standard is so high. It wasn’t his best game but he’s going to have great games. He’s the least guy I’m concerned about on our offense.”

Mississippi State (1-0): Ahead of Saturday’s road trip to Arizona, HBC Mike Leach said he’s looking for improvement from his receivers after the 49-23 opening game win over Memphis. Leach said, “I thought the receivers have to be faster and more precise with their routes, although I saw improvement and occasionally guys did what I thought they would do.”

Missouri (1-0): Wide receiver Chance Luper is home from the hospital after being diagnosed with an undisclosed illness that could keep him out six to eight weeks or longer. Luper is the son of Mizzou running backs coach Curtis Luper … Mizzou has the #1 run defense in the country. The Tigers gave up only eight rushing yards in the season opening win over Louisiana Tech.

#22 Ole Miss (1-0): Lane Kiffin, discussing the lack of second half enthusiasm from the Ole Miss crowd in the win over Troy, said, “It seemed like it was really good, especially in the first half but they probably got bored in the second half. I would be too with our offense.”

South Carolina (1-0): Wide receiver Corey Rucker is considered doubtful for Saturday’s game with 16th-ranked Arkansas while offensive lineman Jake Moore and defensive back RJ Roderick are listed as questionable. Wake Forest transfer running back Christian Beal-Smith is expected to be ready to play.

#24 Tennessee (1-0): Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi keeps fluffing up Tennessee ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Pittsburgh. Narduzzi said Tuesday, “There’s only two real Power Five conferences in the country, the SEC and the Big Ten, so we’re in the pee-wee league and we’re going to line up and see if we can play.”

#6 Texas A&M (1-0): Asked if he’d ever coach at West Virginia, Jimbo Fisher responded, “You never say never in this business and home is home. West Virginia’s always dear to my heart. I love ‘em and always have, always rooted for ‘em my whole life. Hey, you never say never in this business where it takes you. I’m happy where I’m at and I love where I’m at, but home is home.”

Vanderbilt (2-0): Quarterback Sam Hartman, who was thought to be out as long as the entire season, has been cleared to play Saturday when Wake Forest travels to face Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Our SEC orphans in the Big 12

#7 Oklahoma (1-0): Saturday opponent Kent State will be guaranteed $1.8 million to take its beating against the Sooners Saturday. Kent State will be paid $5.2 million in paycheck games this season after getting $5.25 million in 2021.

Texas (1-0): HBC Steve Sarkisian, a graduate of St. Nick’s Rehab Center for Wayward Coaches, says he would not be a head coach today except for Nick Saban. Speaking to ESPN, Sarkisian said, “He gave me a chance when I had a hard time getting an interview, never mind a job. There were days I thought, ‘Man, I’m never going to be a head coach again. I’m never going to get another job’ but Coach Saban took a chance on me when I needed somebody to believe in me again.”

Coach O discussing the negotiations of his LSU contract buyout

Speaking at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, former LSU coach Ed Orgeron explained just how tense the negotiations were for the buyout of his contract.

Coach O explained, “They said, ‘Coach, you’ve got $17.1 million on your contract. We’re going to give it to you. I said, ‘What time do you want me to leave and what door do you want me out of, brother?’”

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: When it comes to the quarterback position consider the NCAA’s transfer portal to be the great equalizer. Take a look at the Southeastern Conference, for example where six of the league’s 14 starting QBs are transfers – Hendon Hooker, Tennessee; Will Levis, Kentucky; Spencer Rattler, South Carolina; TJ Finley, Auburn; Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss); and Jayden Daniels (LSU). According to the research done by Mike Hugenin of On3Sports, there are 11 former SEC quarterbacks starting somewhere else and with the exception of Texas A&M, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, every school in the SEC has a former quarterback starting somewhere else.

Of the 131 Division I football schools, 61 have a starting quarterback who began his career at another school. By conference it breaks down like this: Sun Belt 8, Pac-12 and Mountain West 7 each, Big 12 and SEC 6 each, ACC 5 and Big Ten 5 each, MAC 4, and independents 2.

Of the Associated Press top 25 teams here are the ones with transfer quarterbacks: 7. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma; 10. Caleb Williams, Southern Cal; 13. Cameron Rising, Utah; 17. Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh; 20. Will Levis, Kentucky; 24. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee. Eight of the next ten teams in the top 25 voting have transfers starting at QB.

Before there was a transfer portal, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray found a home at Oklahoma where they won back-to-back Heismans (2017-18). Joe Burrow left Ohio State as a grad transfer, resurfaced at LSU and won the 2019 Heisman while leading the Tigers to the national championship. They are the poster children for quarterbacks in Division I who believe there must be greener grass and stardom somewhere else if someone will only give them a chance.

So, when you survey the quarterback room at Florida or any other Division I school, you can figure that at least half of them will be finishing their careers somewhere else. Get used to it. It’s the way of today’s world.