A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: The nitpickers will look at Florida’s 88-82 win over Georgia Saturday and find way too much fault, overlooking the fact that any road win in the Southeastern Conference is to be treasured. Sure, Georgia is a team in a tailspin and the Gators are a team on the rise, but the Southeastern Conference is so tough that even the bottom feeders can be formidable, especially on their own court. Florida got the win and that’s all that matters, improving to 18-7 overall, 8-4 in the SEC. Florida has already won two more games than last year and is within one win of last year's SEC total. With six games to go in the regular season – three at home, three on the road – as long as the Gators avoid going in the tank, they’ll make the NCAA Tournament. Win three or four more prior to the SEC Tournament and they’ll probably find themselves on the six or seven line when the brackets are revealed on Selection Sunday four weekends from now. This has been a season of measurable growth for Todd Golden and the Gators, who lost three games in the non-conference portion of the schedule in large part because of a three-game NCAA-imposed suspension of point guard Zyon Pullin and an ankle injury to 7-1 Micah Handlogten. With Pullin in the lineup, it’s unlikely the Gators would have lost by three to Virginia. Handlogten’s presence could have turned losses to Baylor (by four) and Wake Forest (on the road) into wins. The Gators got off to a rocky 1-3 start when the SEC portion of the schedule kicked in but they’re 7-1 since then, the only loss in Knoxville to a Tennessee team that could be ranked as high as No. 4 when the Associated Press rankings come out at midday. The  Gators will probably find themselves just outside the top 25 when the polls are released. What has changed for the Gators since mid-January can be summed up with one word: Experience. It takes time for teams to mesh. It’s one thing to develop chemistry off the court and in practice, something altogether different for that chemistry to begin to blend in once the games begin for real. To understand why it took awhile for the nine players in Golden's rotation on gameday to figure things out, just take a look at where they came from. Florida’s five starters – Tyrese Samuel (Seton Hall), Micah Handlogten (Marshall), Will Richard (Belmont), Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona) and Zyon Pullin (Cal-Riverside) – all began their careers somewhere else. First man off the bench Riley Kugel originally signed with Mississippi State but when Ben Howland was fired he got a release from his LOI and signed with the Gators. Denzel Aberdeen hardly played as a freshman last season. Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, the two bigs who back up Samuel and Handlogten, are freshmen. It took until mid-January for this team to begin its ascent. Now that they've built that on the court chemistry, the Gators are that team NOBODY wants to play. Good examples of how Golden has brought this team along are road games at Kentucky and Georgia. Six weeks ago, hostile, boisterous crowds might have given the Gators the jitters, but Florida beat Kentucky by three in overtime and Georgia by six at Stegman on Saturday. Another good example was the final five minutes against Georgia when Golden had the confidence to leave his freshman bigs in the game and veterans Samuel and Handlogten on the bench. Both Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon came up with difference making plays when it was white knuckles time. Haugh and Condon combined for 27 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocked shots and a steal in their combined 45 minutes on the floor. Samuel and Handlogten played a combined 34 minutes, scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds between them. That wouldn’t have happened six weeks ago. Golden will be the first to tell you the Gators still haven’t arrived. Where they are and where they can be are two different things, but this is a team that hasn’t plateaued. The Gators make progress every game, yet every game they show there are areas in which they are capable of improving. The Gators will face one of their bigger tests Wednesday night when they travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama, which leads the SEC with a 10-2 record, not to mention is tied for the national lead in scoring at 90.7 points per game. SEC Basketball No. 15 Alabama (18-7, 10-2 SEC): Alabama has scored 100 or more points in a game eight times this season, six times in the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide averages 11.8 made 3-pointers per game. Arkansas (12-13, 3-9 SEC): The Razorbacks have lost six of their last eight games. It’s hard to imagine that this is a team that beat Duke earlier in the year. No. 13 Auburn (20-6, 9-4 SEC): The Tigers win this week’s Saddam Hussein Award after their SCUDfest against Kentucky. Auburn was 17-55 from the field overall and 4-22 from the 3-point line in the loss to Kentucky ... Jaylin Williams will miss some games after injuring his knee against UK, but he will be back before the end of the season. FLORIDA (18-7, 8-4 SEC): The Gators are only two games off first place in the SEC. If they can find a way to go 4-2 the rest of the way they could get the double bye at the SEC Tournament. Georgia (14-11, 4-8 SEC): Wednesday’s game with Vanderbilt is critical for the Bulldogs, who have lost six in a row. The NIT is about as good as it will get for Georgia and it’s going to take at least four more wins. No. 22 Kentucky (18-7, 8-4 SEC): Kentucky’s Final Four talent finally played a game at a Final Four level in stomping Auburn. The Wildcats did it with smothering defense and without best player Tre Mitchell, who has back and shoulder issues. Mississippi State (17-8, 6-6 SEC): The Bulldogs who were at one point mired in a 1-5 SEC slump, have won their last three games to get back into the NCAA Tournament picture. Missouri (8-17, 0-12 SEC): The Tigers are six games away from running the SEC table in reverse. Ole Miss (19-6, 6-6 SEC): The Rebels are 14-1 at home, 3-5 on the road. They need a 4-2 finish on a schedule that has three homers and three roadies remaining. No. 11 South Carolina (21-5, 9-4 SEC): Has the bubble burst for the Gamecocks? After making it all the way up to the No. 11 ranking nationally, South Carolina was blown out by Auburn on the road and then stunned by LSU at home. No. 8 Tennessee (19-6, 9-3 SEC): The Vols close out the regular season with No. 13 Auburn, at No. 15 Alabama, at No. 11 South Carolina and No. 22 Kentucky. That might be the toughest four-game stretch to close a season as there is in the country. Texas A&M (15-10, 6-6 SEC): The Aggies went 0-2 last week. The Vanderbilt loss was shocking. In losing to Alabama by 25 in Tuscaloosa, it was obvious the Aggies left their defense back in College Station. Vanderbilt (7-18, 2-10 SEC): Just when the Commodores looked like they’re coming alive by beating Texas A&M, they were jolted back into reality by Tennessee, which delivered a 35-point knockout blow Saturday. Tuesday’s games: No. 8 Tennessee (19-6, 9-3 SEC) at Missouri (8-17, 0-12 SEC); Arkansas (12-13, 3-9 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-10, 6-6 SEC) Wednesday’s games: FLORIDA (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at No. 15 Alabama (18-7, 10-2 SEC); No. 22 Kentucky (18-7, 8-4 SEC) at LSU (13-12, 5-7 SEC); Ole Miss (19-6, 6-6 SEC) at Mississippi State (17-8, 6-6 SEC); Georgia (14-11, 4-8 SEC) at Vanderbilt (7-18, 2-10 SEC) SEC in NCAA NET Rankings: 5. Alabama; 6. Tennessee; 7. Auburn; 21. Kentucky; 29. FLORIDA; 37. Mississippi State; 46. Texas A&M; 57. South Carolina; 64. Ole Miss; 88. LSU; 96. Georgia; 135. Arkansas; 147. Missouri; 218. Vanderbilt SEC in KenPom analytics: 5. Tennessee; 6. Auburn; 7. Alabama; 21. Kentucky; 26. FLORIDA; 36. Mississippi State; 43. Texas A&M; 57. South Carolina; 62. Ole Miss; 78. LSU; 87. Georgia; 123. Arkansas; 147. Missouri; 201. Vanderbilt UF BASEBALL: Gators face North Florida, Columbia this week Rain forced cancellation of the final two games of their weekend set with St. John’s so the Gators will regroup with five games this week. Florida (0-1) will face North Florida in Jacksonville Tuesday, then return to Condron Family Ballpark for a second game with the Ospreys on Wednesday. The Gators will play host to Columbia of the Ivy League for three games starting Friday. UF SOFTBALL: Gators will host Oklahoma State tonight Weather cancelled Saturday and Sunday action in the Bubly Invitational  for the Gators (8-1) and prevented 6th-ranked Oklahoma State from completing play in the Shriner’s Children’s Clearwater Invitational. So Florida coach Tim Walton and his former assistant Kenny Gajewski, the Oklahoma State coach, got together to arrange a Monday night showdown at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium (6 p.m.). The Gators come into the contest on a seven game winning streak after taking out Georgia Southern and Loyola in the two games they did get to play Friday in the Bubly Invitational. Through their first nine games, the Gators are hitting .364 as a team, led by Kendra Falby (.543, 7 RBI), Skylar Wallace (.538, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7-7 stolen bases) and Jocelyn Erickson (.433, 1 HR, 16 RBI). Gator pitchers have an 0.37 ERA led by Ava Brown (4-0, 0.39 ERA) and Keagan Rothrock (3-1, 0.68 ERA). COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY, BASKETBALL EDITION Extinct Species List Tony Stubblefield, DePaul: The juicy rumor is Oklahoma’s Porter Moser, the former Loyola coach, will return to his Chicago roots. Chris Holtman, Ohio State: Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May is at the top of the replacement list. Endangered Species List Andy Enfield, Southern Cal: The luster has worn off. The Trojans stink. Jerod Hasse, Stanford: Eight years, one time to the NIT. It’s make the NCAA or be gone. Juwan Howard, Michigan: Does he get a sympathy year because he had heart surgery? Kenny Payne, Louisville: Patience has run out at a place where they expect to be top 10 every year. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State: Goner. We know that because the AD gave him a vote of confidence. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State: A 45-point loss to archrival Arizona doesn’t settle well with the alums. Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt: COLLEGE FOOTBALL STUFF In Texas they say only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies. The Longhorns must think they’re on to something big with the move to the SEC because they just gave Steve Sarkisian a raise to $10 million a year. George Kliavkoff, who oversaw the destruction of the Pac-12 Conference, whose roots trace back more than 100 years, has been pink-slipped. His last day on the job will be February 29. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The College Football Playoff Board of Managers will meet this week to resolve some of the issues as the playoff expands from four to 12 teams. The biggest problem involves the format, which was agreed to 6-6 back when there was a Power Five – the champs from each of the power conferences plus one from the Group of Five and six at-large teams fill out the bracket. The demise of the Pac-12 is the dilemma facing the managers. Washington State and Oregon State, by contract with the NCAA, are still a power conference but they won’t play a conference schedule or a championship game at least until they negotiate a merger with the Mountain West. Meanwhile, the Pac-2 won’t work. So four power conferences leaves two automatic bids. The Group of Five will certain make a strong case that they deserve two bids. The four power conferences will lobby for a 5-7 format which would all but guarantee only the most highly ranked Group of Five conference champ would get in. Nobody will be satisfied no matter if it’s a 6-6 or a 5-7. Probably the only practical solution would be to expand the playoff to 16 teams with the nine conference champs automatic and seven at-large teams.

Texas vs. Florida meeting on the field of competition again for just the third time. I knew it was coming. But I guess until I saw it right there in print, I couldn’t grasp the concept that this was really happening. Not only was CFB finally expanding to a 12-team playoff in the fall and the SEC adding two storied sports programs in 2024, but one of the most iconic football schools in history was already on the Gators’ fall schedule: “The Florida Gators will travel to Texas in 2024 during the Longhorns' first season in the SEC,” the conference announced Wednesday evening. “It will be their first meeting since 1940.” Was I dreaming this or what? Surely this was going to be a good thing — if not great — for the greatest game: Texas vs. Florida meeting on the field of competition again for just the third time. I have a confession to make. I guess I have always been sort of a closet Texas admirer. It started when I heard the Longhorns coach, Darrell Royal,  speaking at a seminar in Gainesville when I was a sports writing puppy. Just out of high school and college and only a few years removed from the athletic fields myself, I got so fired up hearing the stories about his 1963 national championship team that I’d have given anything to have found a year or two of eligibility to walk on and play for him. Then he proceeded to win another natty in 1969. The following spring I was invited to take part in an NCAA media seminar in Austin. And while I was disappointed not to have seen or talked to Coach Royal, I did in fact win a media ping-pong tournament and was awarded a burnt orange, Texas golf shirt, which I probably wore until it fell apart. In between I covered a couple of significant games involving the Longhorns — the biggest being their 1965 Orange Bowl classic meeting vs. Alabama and Joe Namath, a game that sent about 18 players to the NFL. The game ended when LB Tommy Nobis stopped a gimpy Namath at the goal line. Seemed the Texas Longhorns were destiny’s darlings back in those days, always around glory. So while I could never call myself a Texas fan, I was certainly an admirer. On subsequent trips there, I found Austin to be a very desirable city, with excellent Tex-Mex food, a sophisticated blend of American music and colorful eccentric characters among the intelligentsia. I  now have many friends from Texas, including my longtime talk show colleague and iconoclastic Denver pal Joe “The Hitman” Williams, who shamelessly refers to all things from Texas as superior and perhaps even divinely intervened. He loves the hype about Texas quarterbacks being the most gifted in the universe. So naturally he couldn’t’ wait to gig me about the Gators landing 5-star prospect DJ Lagway from Willis. “I see y’all finally got a Texas quarterback,” Joe said a few months ago. “Well now maybe you’ve got a chance to win.” I am sure between now and Nov. 9 when The Mighty Gators cross Austin City Limits that Joe and I will have many conversations about the outcome of this future epic maiden voyage. Of course Joe has the advantage with the Longhorns having gotten their act together under Steve Sarkisian, while the Gators still haven’t learned how to get the proper number of men on the field under Billy Napier. There is still time to sort that stuff out, however, and being a believer that you play up to your level of competition, it gives me hope there are better days ahead. So no “Horns Down” from this correspondent. And get our seats warm in the press box at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. We’re coming.

Kevin O’Sullivan summed up what happened Friday night in 14 words: “We walked eight and we hit a guy so we gave nine free bases.” Add nine baserunners who didn’t earn their way on and it’s a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what opening night turned into for the No. 2 Florida Gators, who dropped a 9-5 decision to St. John’s before 7,898 at Condron Family Ballpark, the largest crowd in school history for a season opener and the fifth largest crowd ever for a Florida baseball game in Gainesville. Game two of the three-game weekend set was moved up to 10 a.m. today (SEC Network+) in an attempt to dodge a front of bad weather coming through Gainesville in the afternoon. Freshman Liam Peterson will get the start for the Gators. The Gators spotted St. John’s a 7-0 lead in the first three innings when starter Cade Fisher struggled mightily with his control. The Red Storm scored two in the first, added three in the second and for good measure pushed across two more runs in the third. That was just too big a hole for the Gators to dig their way out of. “It looked like the game got sped up on him,” O’Sullivan said. “He got two quick outs with nobody on [in the first], then I think he hit a guy and then gave up a double. I think things just kind of got quick on him.  You know giving up two in the first, you can live with that but then you go back out in the second and walk the leadoff man, you create more issues. You know we really didn't have a chance to get settled offensively and I know opening night's different, I get that. You haven't played somebody else for quite some time, but we really put our offense in a tough situation to try and battle back from seven runs early." The Gators fought back with three in the bottom of the third and single runs in both the fourth and fifth, but they couldn’t string enough hits together to make a difference. In the third, Dale Thomas led off with a double off the wall in the gap in left field and one out later was driven home by Michael Robertson’s soft liner over the shortstop’s head. A Cade Kurland single to center scored Robertson and following a Jac Caglianone single to right field, Luke Heyman hit a towering fly ball to center to score Kurland. A pair of walks, a Thomas sacrifice bunt and a fly ball to center field by Jaylen Guy cut the margin to 7-4 in the fourth. The Gators’ chances for a big inning in the fifth were erased by a double play. Caglianone singled up the middle to lead things off, but Heyman’s bouncer up the middle made for an easy second base unassisted to first double play. Colby Shelton followed with a monster home run over the berm in right field. “There were a couple 3-1 counts that we did not put great swings on, but, once again, it is opening night and you're down seven after three,” O’Sullivan said. “Guys are just starting to get their feet wet and put together some quality at bats. Offensively, I do not have any issues. We got double-digit hits and we pulled ourselves within two and it could've gotten uglier in that game, at some point, when you are down seven." St. John’s, meanwhile, kept applying the pressure, forcing O’Sullivan to go to his bullpen far more than he intended. Beginning with Ryan Slater, who relieved Fisher in the third, O’Sullivan had to use five relievers and none of them was able to shut St. John’s down. St. John’s pushed across a couple of runs in the eighth to pretty much douse any hopes of a Florida comeback. “I felt like every inning we were pitching with runners on, and fell behind seven runs after three,” O’Sullivan said. “And we got within two through seven, that's obviously a difficult thing especially on opening night. The crowd was outstanding, but when you fall behind that early, it amplifies the pressure that you put on yourself.” Shelton, Caglianone and Thomas each had two hits to pace Florida’s 10-hit attack. UF SOFTBALL: Gators get two run-rule wins The Gators improved to 8-1 with a pair of run-rule wins to open the annual Bubly Invitational at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Friday. The Gators backed Keagan Rothrock’s 2-hitter with an 11-hit attack for an 8-0 win over Georgia Southern and followed that up with a 10-1 win over Loyola as Ava Brown and Olivia Miller combined to limit the Ramblers to four hits. Rothrock (3-1) lowered her ERA to 0.57 while striking out eight and walking just two. She threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes. Skylar Wallace (2-3) hit her third home run of the season and drove in three while Jocelyn Erickson (2-2) hit her first homer of the season and also drove in three. Reagan Walsh hit her third homer of the year and Kendra Falby went 4-4. In game two, Brown raised her record to 4-0, giving up one run and three hits in four innings. Brown (0.39 ERA) struck out five and walked two before handing the ball over to Miller, who went the final inning, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two. Erickson led Florida’s 10-hit attack with a single, a double, a sacrifice fly and five RBI. Emily Wilkie and Mia Williams each drove in two runs. The Bubly Invitational Tournament continues today with the Gators facing College of Charleston at 10:15 a.m. and Georgia Southern at 12:30.

Florida continues its streak of scoring higher every week in week six.

Winners of six of their last seven games, the Gators (17-7, 7-4 SEC) find themselves in the unexpected position of SEC contender with seven regular season games remaining. The Gators, who head to Athens Saturday (1 p.m., SEC Network) to face Georgia (14-10, 4-7 SEC), are just two games in the loss column behind SEC leader Alabama (17-7, 9-2 SEC) and one game in the loss column behind Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC) and Auburn (21-5, 9-3 SEC). Florida has played itself firmly into the NCAA Tournament conversation. CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm has moved the Gators up to a No. 7 seed facing No. 10 Northwestern in a first round Midwest Region game in Pittsburgh. Joe Lunardi if ESPN, whose brackets haven’t been updated since Tuesday, has the Gators a No. 8 in the Midwest, facing No. 9 Washington State in Detroit in the first round. Both Palm and Lunardi have nine SEC teams making the NCAA Tournament: Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Florida, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. The remaining schedule seems conducive to an 11-win finish in the SEC. The Gators will be favored in four games: Georgia, Vanderbilt (7-17, 2-9 SEC) both home and away, and Missouri (8-16, 0-11 SEC). The remaining three games are against ranked teams, two on the road. Florida plays at 15th-ranked Alabama next Wednesday and at 11th-ranked South Carolina (21-5, 9-3 SEC) March 2. The Gators have a homer with Alabama on March 5. Combine a 4-0 record in the games in which the Gators are favored with stealing one of the three with Alabama and South Carolina and the Gators could find themselves in the running for a No. 5 seed. Florida leads both the SEC in rebounding (44.38 per game). The Gators are second in both the SEC and nationally in offensive rebounds (16.17 per game). Point guard Zyon Pullin leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in assist-to-turnover margin (3.92-1) on 102 assists and just 26 turnovers. UF BASEBALL: Gators open season with St. John’s The 2nd-ranked Gators open their season tonight (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+) with St. John’s at Condron Family Ballpark. Sophomore lefty Cade Fisher will get the start and will be the scheduled Friday night starter this season. The Saturday and Sunday starters will be freshman Liam Peterson and Jac Caglianone. Caglianone, a unanimous first team preseason All-American first baseman/starting pitcher, is ranked the No. 1 prospect in the country by Major League Baseball. Caglianone, who can hit 100 on the radar gun on the mound, hit an NCAA-leading 33 homers with 90 RBI last year. Closer Brandon Neely (13 saves in 2023) was a second team preseason All-American by most media outlets. Expected Friday night starters: P Fisher; C Luke Heyman; 1B Caglianone; 2B Cade Kurland; SS Colby Shelton; 3B Dale Thomas; LF Tyler Shelnut; CF Jaylen Guy; RF Michael Robertson UF SOFTBALL: Gators host Bubly Invitational Seven games into the season it’s already evident that the kids Tim Walton parades into the pitching circle are special. Freshmen Ava Brown (3-0, 0.00 ERA), Keagan Rothrock (2-1, 0.84 ERA) and Olivia Miller (1-0, 1.11 ERA) have combined for a team ERA of 0.30 which ranks second in the SEC and sixth nationally. A year ago, the Florida pitching staff posted a 3.69 ERA, the worst by a UF pitching staff since Walton became the head coach. The freshmen will have a chance to strut their stuff five times this weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium as the 16th-ranked Gators (6-1) host Georgia Southern, Loyola and College of Charleston for the annual Bubly Invitational. The Gators take the field twice today, facing Georgia Southern at 3 p.m. and Loyola at 5:30. Saturday, it’s College of Charleston at 12:30 and Georgia Southern at 3 p.m., finishing up Sunday with College of Charleston at 11:30 a.m. The Gators sport a .343 team batting average, led by All-American shortstop Skylar Wallace, hitting .545 with two homers, two doubles, a triple and nine RBI to go with 5-5 in stolen bases, and left fielder Kendra Falby, who is hitting .464 with two doubles, a triple, seven RBI and 2-3 in stolen bases. UF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Gators fall to Ole Miss in overtime Ole Miss, which trailed for 38 of the 40 minutes Thursday night, forced overtime with a buzzer-beater jumper then outscored the Gators 13-3 in the extra period for a 77-67 win at the O-Dome. The Gators (13-10, 4-7 SEC) got a 3-point play by Aliyah Matharu with 11 seconds to go for a 64-62 lead but the Rebels (17-7, 7-4 SEC) were able to send the game into overtime when Marquesha Davis scored at the buzzer. Matharu led the Gators with 24 points while Faith Dut had 11 and Leilani Correa 10. The Gators will be on the road Sunday to face Kentucky in Lexington. OTHER UF SPORTS THIS WEEKEND The 6th-ranked Gator gymnastics team will be in a quad meet in St. Charles, Missouri (7 p.m., SEC Network) that features SEC opponent and 14th-ranked Missouri along with 27th-ranked Illinois and Lindenwood … Florida men’s golf hosts the 47th Annual Gator Invitational starting today. The teams will go 36 holes today and 18 on Saturday, weather permitting … The women’s golf team will be in Melbourne starting Sunday for the Moon Golf Invitational … Florida’s 12th-ranked lacrosse team (0-1) will be in Chapel Hill Saturday to face 6th-ranked North Carolina. PEARSALL, EGUAKUN INVITED TO NFL COMBINE Strong performances at the Senior Bowl by wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and center Kingsley Eguakun helped seal invitations to the NFL Scouting Combine which will be held in Indianapolis from February 26-March 4. Pearsall’s sharp route running elevated him into conversations that he might go as high as the late second or early third rounds. Eguakun, who spent most of 2023 injured, impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his ability to recognize defenses and get the proper line calls announced. COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS LSU running back Trey Holly, arrested in connection with a February 9 shooting, has been charged with attempted murder. As a freshman in 2023, Holly gained 110 yards on 11 carries in three games. Holly is a former 3-star prospect. Iowa megastar Caitlyn Clark scored 49 points Thursday night against Michigan, along the way setting the all-time women’s basketball career scoring record. Clark has scored 3,569 points in her Iowa career. Georgia State head football coach Shawn Elliott has resigned his position to return to South Carolina where he will coach tight ends and serve as the running game coordinator. Elliott previously served as the offensive line coach at South Carolina for both Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp. At Georgia State, Elliott compiled a 41-44 record that included four bowl game victories. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Darnell Stapleton is leaving the University of Florida where he has been gainfully employed the last two seasons as the Robin to Rob Sale’s Batman in Billy Napier’s two offensive line coach approach. The fourth coach to depart Napier’s staff since December and the first on the offensive side of the ball, Stapleton leaves for the NFL Washington Commanders where he will be an assistant to the offensive line coach. With a vacancy to fill on his coaching staff, Napier has at least three directions he can go, the three most prominent: (1) Stick with his two O-line coach approach and stay with a grind it out, run-oriented offense; (2) elevate James Houston from special teams analyst to on-field coordinator; and (3) hire an experienced assistant who has had success coaching quarterbacks and calling plays. Of the three, the least likely seems to be sticking with two offensive line coaches. It worked well for Urban Meyer’s first four years at Florida but there were declining results in 2009 and again in 2010. Napier used the two O-line coach approach all four years at Louisiana where the Ragin Cajuns went 40-12. Florida’s offense was very good in 2022 when the Gators averaged 5.51 yards per rush and 6.58 per offensive snap while giving up only 17 sacks. In 2023, the Gators dipped to 4.27 per rush, 6.05 per play and the line gave up 39 sacks, which ranked 115th nationally. Do two O-line coaches make that big a difference? If they do, then Napier will stick with what he’s always done and hire another O-line coach to work with Rob Sale. Special teams blunders have been a routine occurrence the last two seasons. It’s not a lack of talent. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw and placekicker Trey Smack are among the nation’s best, but special teams units have been plagued by penalties, coverage issues and not having 11 players on the field. James Houston was hired from the New England Patriots as a special teams analyst just a couple of weeks ago. The timing of Houston’s hiring combined with Stapleton leaving for the NFL could mean the analyst role was always going to be temporary. Ever since the 2023 season ended there have been a growing number of calls for Napier to give up coaching the quarterbacks and calling the plays in favor of becoming a CEO type of head coach. In the Southeastern Conference, Napier is the only head coach calling the offensive plays. Lane Kiffin, widely regarded as the most innovative offensive mind in the SEC, has Charlie Weis Jr. calling the plays. During his national signing day press conference, Napier seemed to leave the door cracked for stepping down as the quarterbacks coach and play caller. “I do think that we will … there’ll be different responsibilities to some degree,” Napier said, later adding that changes would be determined in the future. Twice Napier said, “I think we’ve got time to figure those things out.” So, 15 days later Florida football stands at the crossroads, a vacancy on the coaching staff and an opportunity for Napier to bring in someone with fresh ideas to run the offense. Before the December early signing period, the hot and juicy rumor had Napier grabbing Willy Korn from the Coastal Carolina coaching staff. Korn and Napier have a lengthy relationship dating back to 2007 when Napier coached wide receivers and served as recruiting coordinator for Dabo Swinney at Clemson. As the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Liberty in 2023, Korn called the plays for the No. 4 offense in the country (499.1 yards per game) and developed quarterback Kaiden Salter into a dual threat who produced 44 touchdowns (32 passing and 12 rushing). On the surface, Korn would seem to be the home run hire that Napier needs to change perceptions about the Florida offense. It’s not that the offense has been bad in Napier’s two years in Gainesville. It’s vastly superior than the offenses Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain trotted out during their combined seven years, but it has lacked the creativity of Dan Mullen’s four years on the job. Fans would like to see more explosiveness, too. The Gators finished 46th nationally in long plays from scrimmage in 2023, 40th the year before. Korn’s 2023 offense at Liberty was sixth nationally in long plays. But what if it isn’t Willy Korn? Brian Johnson, who coached the quarterbacks for Dan Mullen and spent last season as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles is available, but is he interested in a return to college football after getting a taste of the NFL? Prediction: Napier brings in an offensive coordinator to integrate freshman DJ Lagway into an offense that will be led by Graham Mertz for a 1-2 punch that closely resembles Florida in 2006 when freshman Tim Tebow complemented Chris Leak as the Gators won the national championship. The year will be well spent as it will prepare Lagway for a breakout 2025 in which he ranks with the best quarterbacks in the country.

Darnell Stapleton, an integral part of the University of Florida's football coaching staff, is departing from his role as co-offensive line coordinator to join the NFL's Washington Commanders. Stapleton, who arrived at Florida in 2022 alongside head coach Billy Napier, has served as one of two full-time offensive line coaches for the Gators. His journey to Florida began with Napier at the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, where he was an off-field assistant for the offensive line in 2021. Despite recently extending his contract with Florida, Stapleton has opted to take on a new challenge with the Commanders. Before his coaching career, Stapleton had a notable stint as a player. He played in the NFL for a single season but left a lasting impression as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster for the 2008-09 season and starting as a right guard in the 2009 Super Bowl. Additionally, his college career was distinguished by being a finalist for the 2006 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation's top collegiate center. With Stapleton's departure, the Gators face the task of filling the gap he leaves behind. Sale, who remains with the team, but the strategy for replacing Stapleton and the future direction of the offensive line coaching is yet to be clarified by Napier and his staff. UF's offensive line took a drastic step back under Sale and Stapleton's tutelage in 2023, however. The group surrendered 39 sacks and helped rushers garner 4.3 yards per attempt, after Florida lost guard O'Cyrus Torrence and tackle Richard Gouraige to the NFL and other contributors to the NCAA transfer portal last offseason. According to SI.com, Stapleton and Sale. revitalized the Gators' offensive line in 2022, as the unit allowed only 17 sacks and paved the way toward 5.5 yards per team rush during their debut season in Gainesville.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning:

As the clock whittled down to the final seconds Tuesday night at the O-Dome, LSU ran a little give-and-go between 6-6 Jordan Wright and 7-footer Will Baker. Wright to Baker, who drew the attention of Riley Kugel and Walter Clayton Jr. Baker to Wright, who found himself unguarded in the lane, just a step or so outside the block/charge semicircle because Alex Condon took two steps toward LSU’s long range bomber Tyrell Ward all alone on the left wing. Perhaps Wright was startled that he was so wide open or maybe he panicked, thinking he didn’t have enough time to take a step forward for a layup or a dunk. Instead, with two seconds remaining in regulation he tossed up a floater that grazed the rim. There was still time to try to tip it back up but by then Florida defenders convened and somehow the ball wound up in Condon’s hands as time expired. Disbelief among the LSU players and bench. Incredulous joy on the part of the Gators who somehow had pulled off a great escape, 82-80, victory. “He had enough time for an easy layup and he missed” is how Tyrese Samuel described Wright’s moment of indecision. Probably any other night, Wright jams it home to send the game into overtime. But not this one. Missed buzzer beater jumpers are part of the nightly college basketball landscape, but taking a floater in the lane when there’s more than enough time for a surefire layup or a dunk? That’s a new one, even for a team that has routinely turned almost certain blowout wins into the kind of affairs that bring about heart failure, apoplexy or whatever else leaves fans clutching their chests. This was a 20-point lead the Gators squandered, not the record this season, mind you – the Gators blew a 21-point lead the day they beat Georgia in overtime back in January – but a grim reminder that a team that can look Final Four capable can, in the same game, look like it took its basketball lessons by email and the email inexplicably wound up in the spam filter. “Obviously really pleased with the outcome,” Todd Golden said. “Not pleased with the recurring theme of some of our second halves lately, but it’s just not as simple as ‘Hey, you know, we got to do some things better.’ In the big picture, you know, we’ve been playing really good ball, won six out of the last seven in one of if not the best leagues in America, and we’re building these double-digit leads against really good teams.” Back on Saturday, the Gators led Auburn by 29 but they finished with a 16-point win. The Gators have held and blown big leads against Kentucky, Mississippi State, Wake Forest and Texas A&M, four teams that figure to play in the NCAA Tournament in March. So, yes, the Gators are building big leads against rather good teams but they need to finish the job. They seem to lack the will to remove the 9-inch stiletto from their bag and repeatedly stab the life out of opponents ready to take that last gasp. Florida led LSU 60-40 with 15:31 left in the game on a 3-pointer by Clayton. At the under-16 media time out, LSU coach Matt McMahon changed the dynamics of his zone defense. The change in tactics made penetration by Florida’s guards more difficult, but there were still open shots to be made. The problem was the Gators missed them. The Gators launched 11 threes in the second half, nine of them SCUDs. LSU, meanwhile, began to heat up after McMahon altered his defense. The Tigers mounted their comeback from the 3-point line – 6-9 in the second half – put themselves in position to leave the O-Dome with a miracle comeback win when Ward’s high-arching 3-pointer from just left of the top of the key tied the score at 78-78 with 1:33 left. Ward gave the Tigers a shot at the lead on the ensuing possession when he came up with a steal but he missed a contested layup that Alex Condon rebounded for UF. Down at the other end, Samuel was fouled trying to stick back a Riley Kugel miss but only one of his two free throws found the mark. Looking to take the lead with a score at its end of the court, LSU’s Jalen Cook tried to break down Zyon Pullin on the left wing, but Pullin’s quick hands flicked the ball away. Diving on the floor to recover possession, Pullin raised up enough to pass the ball forward to Samuel who sprinted ahead of the pack. Two dribbles later, Samuel gave it up to Clayton barreling down the right side for a layup and an 81-78 lead with 20.9 seconds to go. “I thought Tyrese was going to take it, but he dishes to Walt, and made a really tough contested layup that could have been an and-1, probably, and just a winning play down the stretch by a winning player,” Golden described the play. From outstanding defense to a defensive breakdown, the Gators gave up an all-but uncontested layup to Wright with 10.9 seconds to go, cutting the margin to 81-80. On the inbounds play, the Tigers fouled Condon and the freshman managed only the first of two, setting up the floater that wasn’t. For 25 minutes in this one, the Gators played like a team that will pillage and plunder whoever stands in their way. In the final 5:29 of the first half, starting with a 3-pointer by Will Richard that gave the Gators a 33-26 lead, Florida erupted for an 18-8 run to close out the half. A monster windmill dunk by Clayton and a two-handed stuff by Kugel energized the crowd that nearly blew the roof off the O-Dome when Pullin nailed a 3-ball with a little more than two seconds left for a 48-34 lead at the intermission. The talk in the locker was about a fast start offensively to keep the pressure on the Tigers and running LSU off the 3-point line at the defensive end. The 12-6 start out of the gate that gave the Gators a 60-40 lead accomplished the fast start Golden was looking for but defending the 3-point line was problematic. “I thought we did a really good job probably from like the 12-minute mark in the first half to the end of the first half to really guard them and score, built that 14-point lead,” Golden said. “And then again, second half. I think they made five threes in the first half, five of 12, and I said I don’t want any more threes in the second half, we can’t give them any more threes. “Well, they got six, and it almost cost us the ballgame, so, I just think we were a little fatigued down the stretch. We got away from ourselves a little bit but found a way.” The Gators are now 17-7 overall, 7-4 in Southeastern Conference play. With seven games remaining in the regular season, the bare minimum for the Gators to get into the NCAA Tournament is three wins. That would put Florida at the 20-win threshold in the regular season and 10 in SEC play. Both Joe Lunardi of ESPN and Jerry Palm of CBS Sports project the Gators as a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Next up: The Gators travel to Athens Saturday to face former UF coach Mike White and Georgia (14-10, 4-6 SEC) in a 1 p.m. encounter (SEC Network). Game notes: Clayton led the Gators with 21 points on 9-15 shooting but only 1-6 on threes. Samuel finished with 15 points, seven rebounds three assists, a steal and a blocked shot, while Pullin had 14 points, four rebounds three assists and two steals. Condon had nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots … The Gators were 33-68 shooting from the floor but only 4-17 from the 3-point line. From the foul line, the Gators were 12-20 … Florida outrebounded LSU 43-29 including 19 offensive rebounds … The Gators finished with nine blocked shots and six steals … UF limited turnovers to eight while forcing 10 LSU miscues … The Gators had a 46-28 advantage scoring in the paint and a 20-12 margin on second chance points … LSU shot 28-55 overall, 11-21 from the 3-point line and just 13-21 from the foul line … Wright and Baker led LSU in scoring, each with 16 while Ward and Cook each scored 12. SEC BASKETBALL Tuesday’s scores: FLORIDA (17-7, 7-4 SEC) 82, LSU (14-10, 4-7 SEC) 80; No. 22 Kentucky (17-7, 7-4 SEC) 75, Ole Miss (18-6, 5-6 SEC) 63; Vanderbilt (7-17, 2-9 SEC) 74, Texas A&M (15-9, 6-5 SEC) 73 Today’s games: No. 11 South Carolina (21-3, 9-2 SEC) at No. 13 Auburn (19-5, 8-3 SEC); No. 8 Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC) at Arkansas (12-11, 3-7 SEC) SEC in KenPom analytics: 5. Auburn; 6. Alabama; 7. Tennessee; 26. Kentucky; 29. FLORIDA; 32. Mississippi State; 42. Texas A&M; 44. South Carolina; 62. Ole Miss; 83. LSU; 84. Georgia; 119. Arkansas; 144. Missouri; 198. Vanderbilt

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: Now comes the tough part for the Florida Gators (16-7, 6-4 SEC). The Gators showed with their 81-65 win over Auburn Saturday that they’re perfectly capable of dominating a ranked opponent bell-to-bell while holding on to a big lead. LSU (12-11, 4-6 SEC) comes to the O-Dome tonight (8 p.m., SEC Network) and the natural tendency is a less intense effort, sort of a big game hangover. Avoiding an emotional and physical letdown is a daunting task for Florida coach Todd Golden. The Gators are working on a short turnaround. Wednesday would have offered an extra day to get past the Auburn win and turn full focus to LSU, but the people in Birmingham who make up the schedules penciled in this one for a Tuesday. “We had Saturday night to enjoy, got together yesterday, watched some film and worked out and today is going to be a really important practice,” Golden said Monday afternoon. Although the win over Auburn was Florida’s most complete game of the season at both ends of the floor, mistakes were made that had to be corrected in practice while at the same time going through a scouting report and working on a game plan to deal with an LSU team that doesn’t lack for talent. The Tigers may have lost four of their last five games, but they have a very capable lineup. “They have multiple guys who can score,” Golden said. “Jalen Cook is really good offensively. Will Baker, really good offensively. Point guard and center. Those are the two important parts on the floor, so they don’t have to be crazy complicated with what they run to effective, so that concerns me. And, obviously, coming off an emotional win Saturday and making sure we have a really good effort. “LSU is good. They beat A&M by 15 on A&M’s home floor. That shows a little bit of what their ceiling is. This league is so good, they can come in here and just pop you. So just making sure our mentality is where it needs to be and respecting everyone and fearing no one is where we need to be going into tomorrow night.” Anticipated starters FLORIDA (16-7, 6-4 SEC): 6-10 Tyrese Samuel (13.0 points, 8.1 rebounds); 7-1 Micah Handlogten (6.9 points, 7.7 rebounds); 6-4 Will Richard (11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds); 6-2 Walter Clayton Jr. (16.0 points, 3.7 rebounds); 6-4 Zyon Pullin (15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds. 4.9 assists) LSU (12-11, 4-6 SEC): 6-10 Jalen Reed (8.0 points, 4.6 rebounds); 7-0 Will Baker (12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds); 6-6 Jordan Wright (15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds; 6-3 Mike Williams III (7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds); 6-2 Trae Hannibal (5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds) Bracketology: Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has the Gators a No. 8 seed facing No. 9 Saint Mary’s (Golden’s alma mater) in a first round South Regional game in Memphis. The Gators are one of nine SEC teams that Palm projects into the tournament. The others are: Tennessee, No. 2 East; South Carolina, No. 3 Midwest; Alabama, No. 3 South; Auburn, No. 5 South; Kentucky, No. 7 Midwest; Texas A&M, No. 10 South; Ole Miss, No. 10 East; and Mississippi State, No. 11 East. SEC Basketball Tuesday’s games: LSU (12-11, 4-6 SEC) at FLORIDA (16-7, 6-4 SEC); Texas A&M (15-8, 6-4 SEC) at Vanderbilt (6-17, 1-9 SEC); Ole Miss (18-5, 5-5 SEC) at No. 17 Kentucky (16-7, 6-4 SEC) Wednesday’s games: No. 6 Tennessee (17-6, 7-3 SEC) at Arkansas (12-11, 3-7 SEC); No. 15 South Carolina (21-3, 9-2 SEC) at No. 12 Auburn (19-5, 8-3 SEC) Associated Press top 25: 1. UConn 22-2; 2. Purdue 22-2; 3. Houston 21-3; 4. Marquette 18-5; 5. Arizona 19-5; 6. Kansas 19-5; 7. North Carolina 19-5; 8. Tennessee 17-6; 9. Duke 18-5; 10. Iowa State 18-5; 11. South Carolina 21-3; 12. Baylor 17-6; 13. Auburn 19-5; 14. Illinois 17-6; 15. Alabama 17-7; 16. Dayton 19-4; 17. Creighton 17-7; 18. Saint Mary’s 20-6; 19. BYU 17-6; 20. Wisconsin 16-8; 21. Virginia 19-5; 22. Kentucky 16-7; 23. Indiana State 22-3; 24. Florida Atlantic 19-5; 25. Oklahoma 18-6 Coaches top 25: 1. UConn 22-2; 2. Purdue 22-2; 3. Houston 21-3; 4. Marquette 18-5; 5. North Carolina 19-5; 6. Arizona 19-5; 7. Kansas 19-5; 8. Duke 18-5; 9. Tennessee 17-6; 10. Iowa State 18-5; 11. South Carolina 21-3; 12. Auburn 19-5; 13. Baylor 17-6; 14. Illinois 17-6; 15. Alabama 17-7; 16. Creighton 17-7; 17. BYU 17-6; 18. Dayton 19-4; 19. Saint Mary’s 20-6; 21. (Tie) Wisconsin 16-8 and Oklahoma 18-6; 23. Virginia 19-5; 24. Indiana State 22-3; 25. Colorado State 19-5 UF BASEBALL: Kevin O’Sullivan gets contract extension through 2033 Kevin O’Sullivan was rewarded Monday with a contract extension through 2033 that will pay him on average $1.84 million per year, up from $1,220,598. O’Sullivan is the winningest baseball coach in Florida history with a 681-319 record that includes the 2017 national championship, eight trips to the College World Series, six Southeastern Conference championships and two SEC Tournament titles. The Gators, who open their season Friday night against St. John’s, begin the 2024 season ranked No. 2 nationally. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the head baseball coach at the University of Florida, and I am excited to continue the challenge of bringing a National Championship back to Gainesville throughout the foreseeable future,” O’Sullivan said in a statement. With the raise that comes with the extension, O’Sullivan becomes the second highest paid baseball coach in the SEC behind Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin ($2.44 million). In addition to Corbin and O’Sullivan, seven SEC coaches are paid in excess of $1 million per season: Mike Bianco, Ole Miss $1.625 million; Jim Schlossnagle, Texas A&M $1.58 million; Tony Vitello, Tennessee $1.5 million; Dave Van Horn, Arkansas $1.35 million; Chris Lemonis, Mississippi State $1.27 million; Jay Johnson, LSU $1.25 million; and Butch Thompson, Auburn $1.25 million. UF SWIMMING: UF women No. 3, UF men No. 4 CSCAA men’s top 25: 1. Arizona State; 2. California; 3. North Carolina State; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Indiana; 6. Stanford; 7. Georgia; 8. Texas A&M; 9. Texas; 10. Auburn; 11. Notre Dame; 11. (Tie) Tennessee and Notre Dame; 13. Ohio State; 14. Louisville; 15. Virginia Tech; 16. Florida State; 17. Southern California; 18. Michigan; 19. Alabama; 20. Virginia; 21. Wisconsin; 22. Harvard; 23. Arizona; 24. Georgia Tech; 25. Princeton CSCAA women’s top 25: 1. Virginia; 2. Texas; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Southern California; 5. Stanford; 6. Indiana; 7. California; 8. Ohio State; 9. Louisville; 10. North Carolina State; 11. Texas A&M; 12. Tennessee; 13. Georgia; 14. Wisconsin; 15. Auburn; 17. Alabama; 18. North Carolina; 19. Duke; 20. Virginia Tech; 21. Arizona State; 22. Princeton; 23. Minnesota; 24. South Carolina; 25. LSU UF TRACK AND FIELD: Women No. 3, Men No. 5 USTFCCCA men’s top 25: 1. Texas Tech; 2. Northern Arizona; 3. Texas; 4. Arkansas; 5. FLORIDA; 6. Washington; 7. Southern California; 8. Florida State; 9. Nebraska; 10. Wisconsin; 11. Alabama; 12. Kentucky; 13. Texas A&M; 14. Georgia; 15. Stanford; 16. Harvard; 17. Oklahoma State; 18. Arizona State; 19. Louisville; 20. North Carolina; 21. Iowa; 22. Virginia; 23. Illinois; 24. Houston; 25. South Carolina USTFCCCA women’s top 25: 1.  Arkansas; 2. Oregon; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Oklahoma State; 5. Texas Tech; 6. Texas; 7. BYU; 8. Washington; 9. Southern California; 10. Texas A&M; 11. Georgia; 12. LSU; 13. Ole Miss; 14. Illinois; 15. South Carolina; 16. Tennessee; 17. Stanford; 18. Alabama; 19. Notre Dame; 20. Harvard; 21. Clemson; 22. Northern Arizona; 23. Oklahoma; 24. Baylor; 25. Colorado State UF SOFTBALL: Olivia Miller SEC Freshman of the Week Lefty Olivia Miller, who became the first freshman in Florida history to pitch a perfect game, was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Miller faced and retired all 15 batters she faced in a 16-0 run-rule win over Bethune-Cookman Sunday, five by strikeout, five by groundout and five by fly out. The Gators travel to face Jacksonville University this weekend, then the two teams face off again Wednesday evening in Florida’s home opener (6 p.m., SEC Network+). The Gators have a team ERA of 0.21, which ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally. SoftballAmerica top 25: 1. Oklahoma 4-0; 2. Texas 5-0; 3. Tennessee 3-0; 4. Georgia 5-0; 5. Duke 3-1; 6. Clemson 4-1; 7. Florida State 4-1; 8. Washington 3-1; 9. Stanford 3-2; 10. Oklahoma State 5-0; 11. LSU 5-0; 12. Arkansas 4-1; 13. Missouri 5-0; 14. Utah 4-1; 16. Baylor 0-2; 17. Virginia Tech 4-0-1; 18. Kentucky 4-1; 19. Texas A&M 4-0; 20. Oregon 3-2; 21. South Carolina 5-0; 22. FLORIDA 4-1; 23. Louisiana 4-1; 24. Indiana 4-1; 25. Auburn 1-1-1 D1Softball top 25: 1. Oklahoma 4-0; 2. Texas 5-0; 3. Tennessee 3-0; 4. Oklahoma State 5-0; 5. Georgia 5-0; 6. Washington 3-1; 7. Duke 3-1; 8. Florida State 4-1; 9. LSU 5-0; 10. Clemson 4-1; 11. Missouri 5-0; 12. Alabama 5-0; 13. Stanford 3-2; 14. Kentucky 4-1; 15. Utah 4-1; 16. Virginia Tech 4-0-1; 17. Baylor 0-2; 18. Arkansas 4-1; 19. Oregon 4-2; 20. South Carolina 5-0; 21. Indiana 4-1; 22. UCLA 2-3; 23. FLORIDA 4-1; 24. Northwestern 4-1; 25. Texas A&M 4-0 UF GYMNASTICS: Wong National Gymnast of the Week Leeanne Wong, who scored the seventh perfect 10 of her collegiate career on bars in Florida’s win over Arkansas last Friday night, was named Gymnast of the Week by Inside Gymnastics. Wong had a season best 39.725 for the 11th all-around win of her career. Road to Nationals top 25: 1. Oklahoma; 2. California; 3. LSU; 4. Utah; 5. Kentucky; 6. FLORIDA; 7. Denver; 8. UCLA; 9. Alabama; 10. Michigan State; 11. Michigan; 12. Auburn; 13. Ohio State; 14. Missouri; 15. Minnesota; 16. Arkansas; 17. Arizona; 18. Georgia; 19. Oregon State; 20. Arizona State; 21. Ball State; 22. Clemson; 23. Penn State; 24. Iowa State; 25. Maryland UF LACROSSE: Gators No. 12 ILCA top 25: 1. Northwestern 1-0; 2. Boston College 1-0; 3. James Madison 1-0; 4. Denver 1-0; 5. Syracuse 0-1; 6. North Carolina 0-1; 7. Loyola 1-0; 8. Notre Dame 2-0; 9. Maryland 1-0; 10. Michigan 1-0; 11. Stony Brook 0-0; 12. FLORIDA 0-1; 13. Johns Hopkins 2-0; 14. Pennsylvania 0-0; 15. Southern California 2-0; 16. Virginia 2-0; 17. Penn State 0-0; 18. Army 0-1; 19. Navy 1-0; 20. Richmond 1-0; 21. Clemson 1-0; 22. UMass 0-1; 23. Albany 0-1; 24. UConn 0-0; 25. Duke 1-1 COACHING MOVES AND GROOVES IN THE SEC Offensive line coach Scott Huff’s stay in Tuscaloosa didn’t last long. Like Ryan Grubb before him who left Alabama to become the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, Huff will be the new O-line coach of the Seahawks. Meanwhile, there are reports that tight ends coach Nick Sheridan and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard will be named co-offensive coordinators at Alabama. Bush Hamdan, who coached wide receivers for Will Muschamp at Florida in 2012, is expected to be named offensive coordinator at Kentucky. Hamdan is currently the offensive coordinator at Boise State. LSU director of football operations Harris Bivin has accepted a position as an offensive analyst at Notre Dame where he will be working with former LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbock. The Jacksonville Jaguars are ironing out the details on a contract to hire University of Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: College football coaches will universally say they don’t pay attention to recruiting rankings, but a look at the schools that won national championships starting with Florida in 2006 tend to be the ones that stockpiled 4- and 5-star athletes. Recruit rankings aren’t always the most accurate measure, however. All you have to do is look at Sunday’s Super Bowl where the two most important starters were 3-star recruits at schools that haven’t sniffed championships since Moby Dick was a minnow. Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, who is being compared to the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, was a 3-star recruit out of Whitehouse, Texas where he was ranked as the 33rd best quarterback in the country. Mahomes signed with Texas Tech. He was recruited but not offered by LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas from the SEC. He’s won three Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, is perhaps best known for being Mr. Irrelevant, the last player taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. A 3-star recruit out of Gilbert, Arizona, Purdy did have SEC offers from Alabama and Texas A&M in 2018 when he was ranked the 64th best high school QB in the country. He signed with Iowa State. It takes accumulating outstanding players to bring home championships in college football, but the rankings aren’t always the ultimate indicator of future greatness.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

Craig Fitzgerald, the recently appointed Director of Football Performance at the University of Florida, has decided to leave for Boston College. His departure was reported by Nick de la Torre of On3 Sports,