Indulge me for a few minutes and play a game of connect the dots as we attempt to pinpoint the next football coach at the University of Florida. We know that athletic director Scott Stricklin is looking to make a home run hire, your basic wowser who will not only send enthusiasm among the players on the Florida roster through the roof but will resonate even stronger throughout the Gator Nation. When you consider the current emotional state of players, boosters and fans, plus the perception that Florida football is in tailspin and on the verge of crash and burn, Stricklin can’t afford to bring in a meh candidate. Stricklin knows he can’t do a Jeremy Foley and bring in someone for on the job training – Ron Zook and Will Muschamp might have had a chance to succeed if they had spent at least a couple of years at some outpost in the minor leagues of college football – so this has to be a home run hire. The new coach needs to be able to check some or all of the following boxes: 1. Head coaching experience is a must, so that would eliminate Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables (fine coach, just never been an HBC), Kendal Briles, Graham Harrel, Dan Lanning and a dozen other coordinators who do excellent work but have never run a football program. 2. The only way a current assistant could be considered would be one who was a successful head coach somewhere else but then rehabbed at St. Nick’s or one who was a head coach, then did time in the NFL before returning to the college game. 3. Former head coaches who did a rehab at St. Nick’s would be given strong consideration. 4. Coaches with ties to Nick Saban probably go to the top of the list. 5. Coaches with dynamic offensive minds should be at the top of the list. No offense to defensive coaches, but Florida fans will not be breaking another mirror (seven years of bad luck) that brought us the years of wandering through the offensive desert from 2011-17. 6. The only way it could possibly be a coach known for his defense would be someone who has a track record of hiring an offensive coordinator then giving him a free hand to design and call the plays. In other words, a defensive coach who has a history of putting his thumb on the offense is a no go. 7. It has to be someone who understands the impact of social media and knows how to use it to his advantage. Social media in the wrong hands can be poisonous, but a coach who understands how to make it work on every platform is a must. 8. The new head coach has to have a lightning rod personality that attracts attention. Some people say any publicity is good publicity, but that’s not true. In his last 15 months on the job, Dan Mullen went from a perky guy who you sensed was having fun into a surly guy who came across as arrogant and smug. Mullen’s personality in the last 15 months was a lightning rod for bad juju with media, fans and recruits. A coach whose personality can inspire recruits and get the fan base in a come to The Swamp and we’ll do a Go Fund Me to raise money so you can rehab your burst ear drums is an absolute must. 9. The new head coach has to have strong ties to the state of Florida. Let’s face it. One of the reasons why Dan Mullen failed is the state of recruiting in this state. In the three years before Mullen, you could say most of the coaches at the top high school programs in the state filed divorce papers with the Florida coaches. Mullen tried, but not hard enough to reconcile the relationships and to be perfectly honest, his personality didn’t mesh with the coaches at schools like American Heritage, St. Thomas Aquinas and other powerhouse programs throughout the state. 10. The new head coach has to be able to come to Gainesville immediately with a carefully constructed plan to (a) pump some juice into recruiting to salvage the 2023 class of freshmen, (b) convince some of the players who are seriously considering putting their names into transfer portal that they would be better off to stay, (c) convince some of the players who are seriously considering putting their names in the transfer portal that even though we hardly knew ya it’s been swell, and (d) ready to fill in the blanks with transfers who can step in and help immediately. It would help if said coach has already figured out how to use the portal and bring in players who made an immediate impact. The new head coach also has to come to UF with a plan for bringing in a dynamic staff, understanding fully that the last three head coaches have been done in, in part, by lousy assistant coaches. 11. The new head coach MUST understand how to make NIL work. It has been somewhat of a disaster here at Florida while at places like Alabama and Georgia, the process has gone smoothly. NIL makes cheating legal. There’s no other way to explain it. The new head coach must also have an agreement in place with the president of UF, the athletic director and the sometimes too hands on compliance department that rules will not be broken but the NIL rules will be used to UF’s advantage. 12. The new head coach can have a history of bad behavior, but that can be forgiven if he has shown contrition and has shown with his actions in recent years that he has learned from his mistakes. 13. The president of UF, the athletic director, compliance, the UAA and boosters have to understand that UF doesn’t need a home run hire – UF needs a GRAND SLAM. 14. With all the people who have to sign off on this hire on board, the new head coach should be in Gainesville at the earliest possible date. Given that criteria, let’s look at some candidates and figure out who connects enough dots to be UF’s head coach. BILLY NAPIER, HBC LOUISIANA: He’s young (42), he’s been mentored by Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban and he’s 38-12 as a head coach, 31-5 in the last three years. He is loved by high school coaches in Louisiana where he is known as a relentless recruiter. He did some recruiting in the state of Florida for Dabo and Nick. He’s a CEO type who gives his offensive and defensive coordinators plenty of latitude. He’s seriously well organized and puts great emphasis on academics, strength and conditioning and team discipline. Few if any off the field troubles for his team. Does he understand NIL? Can he command social media? Those questions should be answered. He’s got Louisiana in the Fun Belt championship game. Can UF afford to let him stay that extra week? HUGH FREEZE, LIBERTY: This would take some forgiveness on the part of UF compliance, but they have to understand that football has become such a business thanks to NIL that past sins can be forgiven since they are now legal. That being said, Hugh can coach. Period. He beat Nick Saban twice. Nobody else in the SEC has done that. He recruits extremely well. NIL might be a problem. Social media might be a problem since at Liberty the profile has to be very conservative. He would leave Liberty for one job and that’s Florida. He turned down Auburn and Tennessee last year. He makes $4 million at Liberty and folks in the know say he’s been washed in the blood and is not the lowlife he was at Ole Miss. BOB STOOPS: We’ve been down the Bob Stoops road a bunch of times before. Each time we end up feeling like Wiley E. Coyote when we discover that Acme doesn’t have the answers as the road ends and we fall off the cliff. He has a national championship, has a 190-48 record as a head coach, and his teams always score points. He knows Florida, still owns a condo over at Crescent Beach, and he’s best of buds with Steven Orr Spurrier, who would lend a helping hand gladly. No Nick Saban connection needed. He understands the dynamics of recruiting and builds staffs that get the job on the field and in the living rooms of recruits. He can get it done, but does he want to coach again? It’s being whispered that THIS TIME he will be glad to come to Florida. Will he? He’s 61, but a young 61 and it’s entirely possible he would bring in Brent Venables from Clemson to run his defense. MARIO CRISTOBAL, OREGON: He has a great gig at Oregon where Uncle Phil (Knight; Nike) will basically write a check for anything he wants. He’s coaching in the Pac-12 where it’s a lot easier to win the championship than it would be in the SEC. Nobody has more ties to the state of Florida. He’s from Miami, played at Miami, has coached at Miami and Florida International and has recruited the state hard for Nick Saban. Nobody believes in winning the line of scrimmage more. It is a lot easier to recruit great players to Florida than it is to Oregon so that’s going to be a plus. He learned how to organize and process things during his time with Nick Saban. He’s got plenty of personality and thanks to his time around Uncle Phil, he indeed understands NIL. That, of course, might keep him at Oregon because there isn’t a booster in America with deeper pockets. And there will always be a concern that when Mama calls (Miami) he just might bolt. He’s 51 years old and has never had any personal issues that have surfaced. MARK STOOPS, KENTUCKY: He knows the state having coached the secondary for Miami’s 2001 national championship team, perhaps the best secondary in college football history, and three years as Jimbo’s defensive coordinator at FSU. Although he didn’t coach for Nick, Jimbo did so he’s an extension of the Saban coaching tree. He’s won at Kentucky (57-53). Nobody does that. The Wildcats will go to their sixth straight bowl game this year, which is a school record. His teams are very physical on both sides of the line. His O-linemen make All-SEC and get drafted. Until 2021 his offenses were very bland, but his defenses have been very good. He’s going to win wherever he is, but can he deliver championships? Does he have the lightning rod personality that will super charge recruits? Can he inspire outstanding assistants to come with him to UF if he is the guy? JAMES FRANKLIN, PENN STATE: He won nine games twice and went to three bowl games at Vanderbilt. Vandy. Nobody does that. In the Big Ten East Penn State is always in a steel cage match with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. Essentially, he’s playing for second place in his division, which was evident when he won the Big Ten (2014) and yet Ohio State was chosen for the playoff (won the national title). In the SEC East there is Georgia. Can he go toe-to-toe with Kirby and win the recruiting battles? Franklin has no ties to the state of Florida but he’s a dynamic enough personality that he could be a lightning rod. He’s 7-4 this year. Is he too much like the guy who just had the screen door hitting him on the butt on the way out? Also, the Penn State compensation committee meets Tuesday to give him a Mel Tucker-like extension. LUKE FICKELL, CINCINNATI: Three things to consider before we go any further: (1) There is every good chance Cincinnati will make the playoff and become the first Group of Five team to do so, so he’s not going anywhere until the Bearcats’ fate is sealed for 2021, whether that’s in the American Athletic Conference title game in two weeks or in the playoffs in a month; (2) Would UF be willing to X out an entire recruiting class because that’s what could happen with a coach unavailable until January and leave Cincinnati for the SEC when it would be much easier to get to the playoff as a member of the Big 12 (it will happen PRIOR to 2024 and you can bet your bippy Okie and Texas will also be gone to the SEC by then) than it is in the SEC?; and (3) If Ohio State was to open, could UF keep him from answering the call of Mama? BRIAN KELLY, NOTRE DAME: First and foremost, he has a track record of winning everywhere he’s been. He won two Division II national championships at Grand Valley State, turned Central Michigan into a winner in three years, got to the Orange Bowl and the Sugar (12-0 regular season in 2009 … played the Gators in the Sugar) Bowl at Cincinnati, and at Notre Dame has made the national championship game (2012) and the College Football Playoff twice (2018, 2020). He’s 283-97-2 as a head coach, 112-40 at Notre Dame. He wins. When faced with adversity in 2016 after the only losing season he’s had at Notre Dame, he came up with a plan to totally restructure the recruiting organization and it worked. He loves the state of Florida and knows how to recruit the country. The realignment that is taking place throughout college football may make scheduling well difficult for Notre Dame so it might be time for a change. He is 60 years old, but talks academics as well as anyone in college football. Can he ignite the fan base? Would he leave Notre Dame, which is the most recognizable name in all of college sports? LANE KIFFIN, OLE MISS: He has a lightning rod personality, understands NIL, has the Florida and Nick Saban connection, and extensive head coaching experience. What he’s done at Ole Miss is remarkable but there is a ceiling at Ole Miss. There isn’t one at Florida or LSU, which also is very much in play. Is Florida willing to get into a bidding war with LSU? He was a dynamic recruiter at Tennessee, Southern Cal and during his time at St. Nick’s. The late John Reaves was his father-in-law. His dad is defensive genius Monte Kiffin and he’s been mentored by and has national championship rings with Pete Carroll and Saban. He’s 75-41 as a head coach. He had a bad boy image for years and he still has a brash personality, but when he’s your coach you love him and when he’s someone else’s you hate him. He may be the one coach out there who can give Kirby a real run and he has the kind of personality that could keep Florida kids from going north to Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. Is Florida willing to overlook past sins to bring in a coach who checks so many boxes? Kiffin’s final regular season game is Thursday night in the Egg Bowl in Starkville. He could be in Gainesville Friday and he does bring Arch Manning into play as a 2023 recruit. These guys are front and center as we know it in Florida’s coaching search. You’ve got the criteria now who connects the most dots in your mind?

The simple thing to do when we evaluate the now-ended University of Florida coaching career of Dan Mullen is to look at the losses. There were far too many close calls – seven straight one-score, one-possession losses since 2020 – and there were those back-to-back blowouts at the hands of Georgia (expected) and South Carolina (shocker there). It would be dishonest to say that the losses didn’t play a part in Mullen being relieved of his position as head coach of the Gators Sunday morning, but it turns out the losses weren’t what convinced Scott Stricklin that he had to tell a friend his services were no longer needed. “People look at losses as a cause to get rid of a coach, but a lot of times the losses or things that don’t go right on the field, those are symptoms of other issues,” Stricklin said. “I’m not going to get into all that because I don’t think that’s fair to everyone involved, but it’s a lot of little things you have to pay attention to. We have an opportunity here to go get someone who can really focus on those things.” Symptoms. Take a moment to ponder that word and then apply it to the Florida football program. Obviously, Scott Stricklin knows and understands that Mullen wasn’t necessarily done in by his own coaching but by things that happened on his watch. Lots of folks are already pointing to recruiting and that certainly is an issue that festered and became a running sore, but it’s more than just recruiting. Obviously. Stricklin didn’t arrive at this decision hastily. So many in the Gator Nation were calling for Stricklin to fire Mullen after the LSU loss, even more two weeks later when the Gators lost by 27 to Georgia. Once the Gators were hosed by South Carolina and then struggled to win with a D1AA team the following week, there was general consensus that Mullen needed to pull more than one rabbit out of the hat to save himself from going on college football coaching’s extinct species list. Mullen indicated at the postgame press conference at Missouri that he had been talking to Stricklin about the direction of the program, staff changes that needed to be made, assistant coaches he wanted to hire and probably dozens of other things he saw as solvable issues. Stricklin confirmed Sunday that the two had been meeting. Once again, Stricklin didn’t disclose the details of the conversation but gave a generic answer that protected Mullen, perhaps from some issues that happened on his watch that weren’t necessarily his fault, but the University of Florida as well. The last thing Scott Stricklin needs to be doing at a time when he has to make a coaching hire of this magnitude is to air the laundry in public, so the answer he gave was basically just confirmation that the talks had taken place. “You're constantly looking at things and there's some things, conversations Dan and I have had in that time about how we get back to where we want to be: competing at a high level and having sustained success,” Stricklin said. That answer should make it perfectly clear to everyone that whatever Mullen’s vision and whatever the solutions he offered to the problems were deemed inadequate and that it was time to move on. This was no time to allow personal feelings to determine the outcome. While Stricklin and Mullen were friends – and perhaps will remain friendly if not friends – Stricklin’s first duty was to the University of Florida. He is the CEO of a business that has a budget in the $140-150 million range and there are 20 other sports that rely on the income generated by the football program. So while the decision wasn’t made as quickly as some would have liked, it was made after careful calculation. Perhaps Stricklin knew where this was going to end a few weeks ago but he apparently gave Mullen opportunities to salvage his career. Then came the South Carolina loss. Then came the Samford debacle. And finally, there was the loss to Missouri. When Stricklin awoke Sunday morning, he knew exactly what he had to do. “I'll be honest, probably this morning is when I made that decision that we were ready to go a different direction,” Stricklin said. “So, I don't know that it's – I can’t say it was 70% on this day, and then 80% on the other day – it was just that Dan was our coach and I was fully supportive of him. But, once you get that feeling it's time to do something different you need to go ahead and do it. I woke up this morning with that feeling, so we moved ahead." Then came the hardest part – informing Mullen in a face-to-face Sunday morning that he could coach through the Florida State game next Saturday but after that his time was up. Rather than be a lame duck distraction, Mullen chose to exit gracefully. The look on Stricklin’s face as he talked about informing Mullen that it was over, said plenty. “Part of leadership is you’ve got to be able to identify that and be able to have those conversations,” Stricklin said. “It’s not a very fun part of the job. I wouldn’t think anybody in a leadership position enjoys doing that. It’s challenging. At the end of the day, you have to make the best decision for the organization that you’re leading.” The best decision for the University of Florida was to part ways with Dan Mullen and start immediately with finding a replacement. This is Stricklin’s second football coach search – Mullen was the first – since he became the UF athletic director. It’s the fourth such coach search since Urban Meyer retired from Florida after the 2010 season. Since the Meyer retirement, Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and now Mullen have failed to win at the consistent level that is expected. Muschamp got the Gators to a Sugar Bowl in his second year but had a losing season the next and a barely break even the year after when he was fired. McElwain got UF to consecutive appearances in the SEC Championship Game but then lied himself out of a job and the Gators into a losing record. Mullen was 29-6 in his first 35 games, 5-9 in the 14 games since. He got the Gators to New Year’s Six bowl games his first three years, winning in 2018 and again in 2019. Stricklin recited the University of Florida is a top five academic public institution spiel and then pointed out all the championships won – 251 SEC, 42 national including three in football – over the years. Championship-level consistency is what is expected. “We want someone who wants to be a part of that and feels like they have a plan and want to achieve at a high, high level and do so for a long period of time,” Stricklin said. The new coach, whoever he might be, will inherit a program that just a year ago was teetering on the verge of an SEC Championship and just three plays away from being the unbeaten No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. It’s funny how close Florida was then and how far away it seems now when UF is embarking on another nationwide search for the next Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer. Four years ago in December, we thought Mullen was that guy. Now, we know he wasn’t and we know why. It wasn’t just the wins and the losses. “Dan did a lot of good things and won a lot of games here and in his short time as head coach was part of record-setting offense, first-round draft picks, Heisman Trophy finalists, all those kinds of things,” Stricklin said. “Dan did a good job in a lot of areas, but what we are seeing this year is kind of symptomatic of some things we got to get cleaned up moving forward.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: SO WHO’S NEXT FOR THE GATORS? In one respect, the University of Florida has become just like the University of Alabama. If you recall, Bama spent years looking for its next Bear Bryant with only one small pocket of success (Gene Stallings won a national title in 1992) before striking gold with Nick Saban, who has won six national titles, equaling the number Bryant won in Tuscaloosa. Florida had its Bear Bryant in Steve Spurrier and with the exception of Urban Meyer (2005-10, national titles 2006, 2005) has been looking for the next Spurrier ever since. There was Ron Zook (2002-04), Will Muschamp (2011-14), Jim McElwain (2015-17) and the latest, Dan Mullen (2018-yesterday) all of whom went down in flames. Mullen’s firing was the official kickoff for the latest search for the next Steve Spurrier. Connor O’Gara, the columnist for Saturday Down South, entitled his column regarding Mullen’s demise, “Good luck to Dan Mullen’s successor: Florida just chewed up and spit out another coach.” Like it or not, that’s the reputation you get when you keep firing coaches while trying to recreate the good old days. We laughed when Tennessee went through every name on a Rolodex four times before settling in on the most recent HBC, Josh Heupel. They’re still looking for the next General Neyland and they have only one national championship (1998, won by Phil Fulmer) to show for a never-ending search. Ten coaches have come and gone since General Bob retired after the 1952 season. Heupel figures at some point to be the 11th. The question is can Florida find its next Spurrier, the one who can sustain success? Stevie Wonder you might remember was 122-27-1 in 12 years, won six SEC championships, played for the 1995 national title and then won it in 1996. In his 12 years, the Gators never won fewer than nine games and never finished worse than 13th in the final Associated Press poll. He beat Georgia 11 out of 12 years. No one else has come close at UF. The list of coaches out there who have track records of long term sustained success is very, very short. In the SEC there is Saban, who has been at Alabama since 2007. The next longest tenured SEC coach is Mark Stoops of Kentucky (since 2013) who has yet to win the SEC East. Dabo Swinney has two national titles to show for his 14 years on the job at Clemson. David Cutcliffe, who might get fired any day now at Duke, has also been on the job 14 years but he’s never won the conference title. Other than Kirk Ferentz at Iowa – 23 years on the job but no Big Ten Title since 2004 – Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern (16 years) is the only coach who’s been on the job more than 10 years but he has yet to win a conference title. The Big 12 dean of coaches – Gary Patterson – was pink slipped a few weeks ago after 21 years, leaving Mike Gundy (17 years, 1 Big 12 title) of Oklahoma State as the only coach with 10 or more years. Out in the Pac-12, Kyle Whittingham (17 years) and David Shaw (11 years) have experience, but Whittingham has never won a Pac-12 title (1 in the MWC) and Shaw has three but has never made the College Football Playoff. Brian Kelly has been at Notre Dame since 2010 and has made the playoff twice and the national championship game once. There you have it. Not many coaches have survived more than 10 years on the job and other than Saban and Dabo, none of them have won national championships. So who will Florida go after in its relentless search to find the next Spurrier? Here’s a list of potential coaches that check some or most of the boxes for Scott Stricklin, who needs a replacement as soon as possible: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: He’s grown up a lot since his Tennessee and Southern Cal days. He is a lightning rod for media attention which resonates with kids, understands social media and NIL, has a history of recruiting very well when he was at Tennessee, Southern Cal and Alabama, and he would crawl backwards from Oxford to Gainesville. His ex-wife is John Reaves’ daughter Layla. He is 75-41 as a head coach and has Ole Miss ranked No. 8 nationally. Billy Napier, Louisiana: A lot of people want him like TCU and Arizona State. He’s 31-5 the last two years and 38-12 overall. He’s apprenticed under Dabo and Nick Saban. He’s a tremendous recruiter and understands the CEO aspect of a head job. Is he ready for an SEC job or does he need a next step up job? That seems to be the big question. Hugh Freeze, Liberty: Forget past transgressions. That was then, this is now and we have NIL. And, if you want a Boy Scout, you won’t win. Not anymore. He’s 25-10 since being washed in the blood at Liberty. He beat Alabama twice (no one in the SEC has done it) when he was a bad boy at Ole Miss. He’s 94-42 as a head coach at four stops. Mario Cristobal, Oregon: He was the coach at FIU before he was fired. Then he rehabbed under Nick Saban. He’s 34-12 at Oregon. On the plus side, relentless recruiter who will bring in guys who can win the line of scrimmage and he’s from Miami. Smart enough to leave playcalling to someone who knows how to do it. Mark Stoops, Kentucky: He’s 57-53 at Kentucky where you measure football wins like dog years. In dog years, his Kentucky wins would be like 125 at Alabama. Not very exciting but stays within his wheelhouse and doesn’t try to be someone he isn’t. Ground and pound type. James Franklin (Penn State), Luke Fickell (Cincinnati) and Matt Campbell (Iowa State): They will get a lot of press from people who don’t know the SEC. In short, looks good on paper, not in reality so the answer is no, no and did I say no? The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Georgia 11-0; 2. Ohio State 10-1; 3. Alabama 10-1; 4. Cincinnati 11-0; 5. Notre Dame 10-1; 6. Michigan 10-1; 7. Oklahoma 10-1; 8. Ole Miss 9-2; 9. Baylor 9-2; 10. Oklahoma 10-1; 11. Oregon 9-2; 12. Michigan State 9-2; 13. BYU 9-2; 14. Texas A&M 8-3; 15. Texas A&M 8-3; 16. Utah 8-3; 17. Iowa 9-2; 18. Wisconsin 8-3; 19. Houston 10-1; 20. Pittsburgh 9-2; 21. Wake Forest 9-2; 23. Louisiana 10-1; 24. North Carolina State 8-3; 25. Arkansas 7-4 The Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Georgia 11-0; 2. Alabama 10-1; 3. Ohio State 10-1; 4. Cincinnati 11-0; 5. Notre Dame 10-1; 6. Michigan 10-1; 7. Oklahoma State 10-1; 8. Ole Miss; 9. Oklahoma 10-1; 10. Baylor 9-2; 11. Oregon 9-2; 12. Iowa 9-2; 13. Michigan State 9-2; 14. Texas A&M 8-3; 15. BYU 9-2; 16. 16. Houston 10-1; 17. Pittsburgh 9-2; 18. Wisconsin 8-3; 19. Utah 8-3; 20. Texas-San Antonio 11-0; 21. Wake Forest 8-3; 22. San Diego State 10-1; 23. Louisiana 10-1; 24. North Carolina State 8-3; 25. Kentucky 8-3 FLORIDA (BASKETBALL) VS. CALIFORNIA Former Georgia coach Mark Fox brings his Cal Bears (2-2) to face the 24th-ranked Gators (3-0) tonight in the Fort Myers Tip-Off (8:30, FS1 TV). This game will be a challenge for the Gators because the Bears go 6-9 across the front line and 6-9, 255-pound Andre Kelly (16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds) is an absolute beast inside. The key for the Gators will be to apply enormous pressure on Cal guards Joel Brown and Jordan Shepherd to force the Bears to set up their offense well beyond the arc, forcing the bigs to leave the paint, thus protecting Colin Castleton (17.3/10.3/4.8 blocks) and Anthony Duruji (11.7/7.0) from foul trouble. The Bears shoot the 3-ball quite well (37 percent), particularly stretch four Grant Anticivech (6-9, 230), who is hitting 40 percent and coming off a 3-5 game against Southern Utah. Win Monday night and the Gators face the winner of Ohio State-Seton Hall on Tuesday. SEC FOOTBALL WEEK 11 Alabama (10-1, 6-1 SEC): Alabama’s defense gave up 35 points to Arkansas but Bryce Young saved the day by throwing for 559 yards and five TDs without an interception. Next week: at Auburn (6-5, Arkansas (7-4, 3-4 SEC): Alabama had all sorts of trouble stopping the KJ Jefferson to Treylon Burks combination. Jefferson threw for 326 yards while Burks caught eight for 179 and two touchdowns. Next week: vs. Missouri (6-4, 3-4 SEC) Auburn (6-5, 3-4 SEC): The Tigers dominated the stats but not the scoreboard as they lost to South Carolina in Columbia. Tank Bigsby ran for 164 yards and a TD. No. 1 Georgia (11-0, 8-0 SEC): Georgia’s first touchdown in its 56-7 win over Charleston Southern was a 1-yard run by 6-6, 340-pound nose tackle. Next week: at Georgia Tech (3-8) Kentucky (8-3, 5-3 SEC): Wan’Dale Robinson made eight catches for 181 yards against New Mexico State to break the 1,000-yard barrier (he has 1,067 yards on 85 catches). Next week: at Louisville (6-5) LSU (5-6, 2-5 SEC): There is one week remaining in the Coach Oeaux era at LSU and there is no clearcut favorite to replace him. Everybody that was on the original short list – Jimbo Fisher, Mel Tucker and James Franklin – either has a raise and long term contract extension or is in the process of getting one. Next week: vs. Texas A&M (8-3, 4-3 SEC): Mississippi State (7-4, 4-3 SEC): Will Rogers warmed up for the Egg Bowl by completing 28-34 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Tennessee State. Next week: vs. Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2 SEC) Missouri (6-5, 3-4 SEC): Talking about the decision to go for two to win the Florida game, HBC Eli Drinkwitz tweeted out, “Go for 2! You play to WIN THE GAME!” Next week: vs. Arkansas (7-4, 3-4 SEC) Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2 SEC): In his final home game in Oxford, Matt Corral threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Next week: at Mississippi State (7-4, 4-3 SEC): South Carolina (6-5, 4-4 SEC): Shane Beamer should be SEC Coach of the Year now that the Gamecocks are bowl eligible thanks to their 21-17 win over Auburn. Next week: vs. Clemson (8-3) Tennessee (6-5, 3-4 SEC): Hendon Hooker was 17-20 passing for 273 yards and two TDs while running for another as the Vols became bowl eligible. Next week: vs. Vanderbilt (2-9, 0-7 SEC) Texas A&M (8-3, 4-3 SEC): The Aggies held Prairie View A&M to 154 yards of offense, only seven through the air. Offensively, the Aggies were efficient with no turnovers and 447 yards (279 on the ground). Next week at LSU Vanderbilt (2-9, 0-7 SEC): The Commodores had a 100-yard rusher (Rocko Griffin 117) and a 100-yard receiver (Cam Pierce Jr. 113) in the same SEC game. That’s a first this season. Next week: at Tennessee (6-5, 3-4 SEC) FOOTBALL IN THE MINOR LEAGUES ACC: What’s this? Clemson (8-3) has (a) found an O-line that can block and (b) ended the moratorium on decent offense. The Tigers racked up 543 yards (333 on the ground) and 48 points in their blowout win over Wake Forest Gump (9-2) … Pitt (9-2) won the Coastal Division by whacking Virginia (6-5). Big Ten: Is Ohio State (10-1) that good or is Michigan State (9-2) that overrated? It was 49-0 at the half and by that time QB C.J. Stroud had thrown for 393 yards and six touchdowns. He’s a redshirt freshman. Expect Quinn Ewers to transfer to Texas any day now … It will be a winner takes all game for the Big Ten East title Saturday when Michigan (10-1) faces the Buckeyes. The Wolverines hung 59 points and 502 yards on Maryland (5-6) … Wisconsin (8-3) and Iowa (9-2) are tied for the West Division lead with 6-2 league records but Wisconsin owns the tiebreaker over Iowa should both win their games next Saturday. Big 12: Regardless of what happens next week, Oklahoma State (10-1) will be in the Big 12 Championship Game because it owns the tiebreaker with Baylor (9-2). Oklahoma State shut out Texas Tech, 23-0, and held the Red Raiders to 108 total yards … Oklahoma (10-1) has to beat Oklahoma State to make the championship game, but if the Sooners lose, Baylor will be in since the Bears beat Oklahoma in their matchup a couple of weeks ago. Baylor beat Kansas State (7-4) 20-10 but may have lost QB Gerry Bohannon, who was in street clothes on the sideline in the second half after going down with a leg injury. Pac-12: You can forget a Pac-12 team in the playoff after Utah (8-3) tossed Oregon (9-2) like a ragdoll in Salt Lake City, 38-7. They meet again in a couple of weeks in the Pac-12 Championship Game but it will be too little and too late for the playoff if the Ducks get revenge … Chip Kelly’s job is safe for another year as UCLA (7-4) smacked cross-town rival Southern Cal (4-7), 62-33. Independents: It’s a longshot for Notre Dame (10-1) to make the playoff, but the Irish have a chance to move up. They should beat Stanford (3-8) in the regular season finale for their 11th win and then they don’t have a conference championship game ... BYU (9-2) is the second best team among independents, which has Cougar fans nervous that Washington might target HBC Kalani Sitake to fill its vacancy. Group of Five: SMU (8-3) wasn’t the least bit challenging for Cincinnati (11-0), which has a chance to move into the top four in the College Football Playoff poll this week after its 48-14 blowout win. The Bearcats will play Houston (10-1) in the American Athletic Conference championship game in two weeks … Texas-San Antonio (11-0) drove 77 yards in 1:03, scoring the game winning touchdown with three seconds left to beat UAB (7-4), 34-31 … San Diego State (10-1) leads the West Division of the Mountain West Conference by a game over Fresno State (8-3) after squeezing by UNLV (2-9). The Mountain Division is a bit more complicated. Boise State (7-4), Utah State (8-3) and Air Force (8-3) all have 5-2 conference records. If Air Force beats UNLV Saturday, then the Falcons will win the Division no matter what Boise and Utah State do … Troy has let Chip Lindsey go. He is 15-19 in three seasons. Expect him to do rehab at St. Nick’s Home for Wayward Coaches. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If you think Dan Mullen will stay unemployed long, then you are probably in for a surprise. If Dave Clawson leaves Wake Forest for Virginia Tech (expected) then Mullen is probably going to be the hot name in Winston-Salem. AD John Currie loves Mullen and that could be a great job for him. Expectations aren’t the same as Florida. It’s a lower ceiling where 7-9 wins a year will excite the fan base. If Mullen doesn’t resurface at a college job within three weeks, then best bet is that he’ll be an offensive coordinator in the NFL (say hellooooo Matt Rhule and the Carolina Panthers).

“I understand there is going to be a lot of activity and a lot of traffic, but this is a special place, and my guess is that it’s seen as a special place." I never thought I’d live to see the day again when a Florida football coach played for a tie. But Dan Mullen did in his final game Saturday night in a faraway land they call CoMo. And now we have a Requiem for a Coach who was once considered the brilliant Prodigal carrying the flag of The Gator Standard. A legacy helping sustain it. It’s always sad to see a coach go, but less sad when you see his saddlebags are stuffed full of millions, in this case $16M. It’s even sadder that Dan Mullen seemed to give up, or quit, even when he didn’t realize he was doing it. He tried, Lordie he tried, but he lost his place and couldn’t find it. We all pretty much hate ties. Bear Bryant said they were “like kissing your sister.” The game didn’t use to have overtime then, but does now, although it’s still mathematical possibility when an overtime comes up fruitless. Technically, Mullen was playing for the tie to get into overtime, eschewing the final minute and four seconds. Wait a minute? Dan Mullen the Einstein play-caller couldn’t dial up a play against one of the worst defenses in CFB? That was the second time this season he’s done that. I was just as incredulous when he ran out the clock right before half against Kentucky with three timeouts in his pocket as I was when I saw him kill the clock Saturday night. He was down to his last chance in what would become his last game, running short of coaches and running on empty. I agree with my colleague Carlton Reese, who wrote also perhaps Mullen has lost his nerve. After Saturday night I finally admitted that the Gator program was broken and Mullen was toast, even though I’ve stood by him relentlessly for 14 games. That’s when I decided to go on radio silence until there was some real news. The exception was when around lunchtime Sunday my texts started cascading in and I knew something was up. We heard there was and going to be a team meeting with Scott Stricklin, but without Mullen. Twitter was on fire. I decided to opt out until it became official. That’s when I called my longtime friend Steve Spurrier, who said he knew nothing, hadn’t heard about the team meeting and really didn’t have much to offer. Around 2 p.m. it was everywhere on social media and finally we received a notice of a 3 p.m. press conference. Everybody had their own personal favorite nominee. I chose not to play. Later the HBC and I spoke informally and lamented having to go through another coaching change. He is hopeful but really can't say he knows the best candidate. The last time I remember a Gator coach going for a tie was in 1959 and it cost Bob Woodruff his job. Florida was in Houston playing Rice and got the ball back at midfield, tied 13-13, as Otis Boggs described the final few minutes action on radio. I couldn’t wait to hear him broadcast the march downfield for the winning drive. Much to the aghast of Gator fans, the ultra-conservative Woodruff ran the clock out, settling for a tie. “I’ll gamble to win,” Woodruff told the press, “but never to lose.” What he did was give up. The next year, Ray Graves was the new coach of the 1960 Gators. I guess Dan Mullen didn’t read up on his University of Florida football history and was therefore doomed to repeat it. There’s an old joke about the pseudo-supportive alumnus who tells the head football coach, “Coach, I’m 100 percent with you, WIN OR TIE.” Remember when football had ties? The only football person I’ve known who became successful with ties was Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian, who manufactured those shiny garments that people wear around their neck. Nobody else likes them — the football kind, I mean. “A tie is like kissing your sister,” Bear Bryant reportedly once said. I’m not sure who said it first, but it was often quoted in the last 75 years of football, until they did away with ties – though technically they’ve been brought back as a last resort to fruitless overtimes. I wondered about Stricklin’s decision to act quickly given the pressure of the market. During the presser I asked the AD if he moved quickly because of the competition for coaches with so many other openings (12) -- including prime jobs like LSU and USC. He said, “I don’t want to sound pretentious here” but that UF has a “really good job” and that the process or timetable would not be impacted by what any other school does. “I understand there is going to be a lot of activity and a lot of traffic, but this is a special place, and my guess is that it’s seen as a special place,” he said. “And it’s seen that way because of all the things I mentioned earlier … commitments and resources and a facilities and access to talent … and the brand recognition of the Gators. I think we’re going to be a really significant entry into the coaching market. And we’ll be able to attract quality candidates.” Stricklin was forthcoming, except when asked about issues of the women’s basketball program (which really had no bearing here at this time, although it’s a story to be followed.) The newsiest thing he said about the Mullen decision was that he woke up Sunday morning and decided to pull the plug, although I suspect the plug was already loose in the drain. He characterized it as a friendly exchange with Mullen in which he offered Dan a chance to coach the final game, but he eventually opted out. Stricklin also said Mullen would get his full severance, which I’m told was $12M. There have been 14 Gator football coaches since Woodruff. On Saturday, Greg Knox will become the 15th UF coach since Woodruff and the 28th overall. Oddly enough, it’s the resumption of a series with a bitter rival, Florida State, with whom Spurrier once experienced a tie with Bobby Bowden now known as “The Choke At Doak.” Meanwhile, this advice to Greg Knox in his coaching debut and coaching finale: Go for it against FSU and don’t play for the tie.

Gators Part Ways with Mullen The University of Florida has parted ways with Dan Mullen after four seasons GAINESVILLE – The University of Florida has parted ways with football Head Coach Dan Mullen, Athletics Director Scott Stricklin announced Sunday. Special Teams Coordinator / Running Backs Coach Greg Knox will serve as interim coach for the FSU game. A veteran of 20-plus seasons in the SEC, including four at Florida, Knox has previously also served as interim coach at Mississippi State in 2017, leading the Bulldogs to a 31-27 win over Louisville in the TayxSlayer Bowl. Mullen finished with a 34-15 record at UF after four seasons at the helm. During his tenure at Florida, Mullen won 21 SEC games and led the Gators to three New Year Six Bowls and the SEC Championship Game in 2020. The Gators are 5-6 (2-6 SEC) in 2021. In what seems like an eternity ago, this Dan Mullen was called "genius." (Photo courtesy UAA) CARLTON REESE: Where's The Genius? To Save Himself Now Mullen Might Need The Game Plan Of His Life. It’s generally fun to write criticism, but this is not fun. Watching teams like South Carolina and Missouri celebrate as though they’ve actually accomplished something great in beating Florida makes me feel sorry for them in a way because they “just don’t know.” By CARLTON REESE GatorBait Columnist The best kicker in college football just awarded you a gift that no one expected. He never misses, yet Harrison Mevis pushed his 46-yard go-ahead field goal attempt with 1:04 remaining of a tie game wide right. Now it was Dan Mullen’s turn to give his team a chance. And what did Mullen do? Just like at the end of the first half of the Kentucky loss, Mullen decided to play patty-cake and go to the locker room. You see, 1:04 just isn’t enough time for an offense to gain around 40 yards when it is trying to win a game. This is a coach who now no longer seems to believe not only in his quarterback, but most importantly himself. Isn’t he supposed to be the offensive genius that can pull off such a feat: an average-length drive with over a minute to play. Anyone who cries about “no timeouts remaining” should try joining the rest of us in the 21st Century. So what did we see? A handoff for a 3-yard loss and the bleeding of the clock in order to play the Russian Roulette of college overtime. Are you a Gators fan? If so, then you are royally pissed beyond recognition – and with good reason. Mullen’s butt is on the hot seat, and this is how he prepares for one of the worst defenses in the conference? Does everyone realize Vanderbilt put 28 points on the board earlier this year against Missouri? North Texas, 35? Even Jim McElwain’s Central Michigan Chippewas hung 24 on Missouri – all in regulation time. The defense showed up and redeemed itself after embarrassing performances against Samford and South Carolina. And how was that rewarded? We all saw. In the second half, the Florida defense forced a 3-and-out, then scored to take the lead. Two more times the defense would get the ball back to the offense where the Guru could finally take over a game against a team blessed with so much mediocrity that a 2-score difference would take any life out of that “hotbed” in Columbia. But, no – the Florida offense needed a Division I-AA opponent on the other side. The calls for Mullen’s firing in what was yet another boxcar added to a train of embarrassments are certainly understandable. If the guy can’t put together a game plan to put more than 16 points on the board during regulation at Missouri, then just what is this guy good for? I thought he was “The Hacker,” “The Guru,” “The Game Planner.” No more. This Florida Gators team was handed a final four-game stretch to the season that would alleviate some of the pain felt in losses to Kentucky, LSU and Georgia. To have managed that stretch would be nothing to even write about – a Tennessee plastic record built on a weak homestretch. And what has Mullen done with this “gift” as well? Humiliations in two losses and even in a win over Samford. Every game is another opportunity for Mullen to prove this is just an aberration in the program, yet every game he seems to prove what is actually now the norm. Mullen isn’t going anywhere this week – there is too much at stake with Florida State coming to Gainesville Saturday. It’s one more chance for Mullen to keep some believing holdouts on his side by beating the Gators’ arch-rival, an abysmal team that is trending in the opposite direction as Mullen’s. For my money, a loss at home to FSU would be the greatest humiliation of the season. Think of where the ‘Noles were early in the year: 0-4 with a loss to Jacksonville State, a fanbase that wanted Mike Norvell gone, and absolutely no end in sight to just how deep a hole they could sink. Now FSU has won two straight games and in spite of how bad that team is, it believes it can win in Gainesville. And why not? Anyone think Vanderbilt would like another shot at Florida? It’s generally fun to write criticism, but this is not fun. Watching teams like South Carolina and Missouri celebrate as though they’ve actually accomplished something great in beating Florida makes me feel sorry for them in a way because they “just don’t know.” Somehow, they feel like they’ve beaten Florida, but this is just some ugly avatar in its place. There is enough talent on the University of Florida football team such that only two teams on its entire schedule can legitimately claim to be better. Four losses on this year’s slate are to teams with inferior talent and that is the most frightening prospect. Once in a season – maybe even twice – a team with superior talent will lose because, after all, it is a game. But four times? The number “4” says something altogether different: It says there is something wrong in Mudville. As a mere fan and pundit, I can only say what I see – I don’t have access to the film room or the practices or the weight room. One not need see any of these things when we witness what we do on Saturdays. What we see are failed game plans and uninspired play. For the Gators to lose to FSU it will come down not to being less talented, because Florida is most certainly the more talented of the two. To lose this game will come down to Dan Mullen and his staff being out-game planned and the FSU players simply wanting it more. From where I sit, those two elements look like very reasonable prospects. So is Saturday in Gainesville do or die for Dan Mullen? As bizarre as it may seem, that might actually be the case. Remember before the season, this was not supposed to be Florida’s year. To have made the trip to Atlanta would have been a huge surprise and more than a mild upset – in short, Dan Mullen’s greatest coup. The narrow loss to Alabama gave fans an overestimated feeling about this team and perhaps that was a bit unfair. But the losses to LSU, South Carolina and Missouri have turned this from a season in which everyone was hoping there would be a little over-achievement to one in which we are watching a gross under=performance. A loss at home to FSU and Dan Mullen is going to have a difficult time keeping his job. Better put together the game plan of your life, fellow.

Photo courtesy UAA I wrote this seven years ago. While it doesn't apply to Mullen on his head coaching resume -- and Will Muschamp DID get (and lose) The South Carolina job -- the narrative is eerily similar. At this hour, Dan Mullen is stll Florida's coach. What I think went wrong with Will Muschamp at Florida is: You can’t expect an assistant to kick off his training wheels and step into Big Boy Coaching Pants that fast. No matter his credentials By BUDDY MARTIN SouthernPigskin.com I never really knew Will Muschamp (Dan Mullen), and I’ve known most of the Florida coaches pretty well over the past half century. I’ve hung around the Florida program a long time and pretty much always enjoyed a good working relationship with most Gator coaches. I’ve interviewed every other Florida coach since the late 1950s for articles or for my radio show. But Muschamp and I never seemed to click. Guys like Bob Woodruff and Galen Hall were never easy. But I’ve dined and had beers and played golf or cards with Ray Graves and/or his staff members, Doug Dickey and Charlie Pell; befriended Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer. The latter three are still my friends. You can tell when a guy has time for you. I never felt Muschamp did, but on the other hand, I never made an effort, either. It always felt like Muschamp was guarded to anybody outside his immediate circle -- a page right out of the Nick Saban coaching handbook. On the other hand, my new world order and job paradigm shift haven’t taken me down that orange and blue road as much. Not that any UF coach owes me or any other media member anything but straight answers and maybe a little cooperation. However, the fact that Muschamp has come and gone without my ever connecting to him is a bit saddening to me. Not that it matters to anybody else. Guys who cover the beat regularly seemed to like him, but admit he wasn’t exactly a quote machine. In the past four years, as my role in the media changed and I spent less time in Gainesville, Muschamp and I never connected. Didn’t talk on the phone or text. Never spoke in private. The sense I’ve had about him is that if I’d ever gotten him away from The Job and into a fishing boat or on a golf course or even over a cold beverage, Will Muschamp is a guy I probably would have liked. And maybe he might even have liked me. But that’s not necessary to do your job. I just wonder how many Gator fans felt that disconnect. Maybe it was because of my close relationship with Meyer, having written his authorized biography and come up with the title “Urban’s Way.” That didn’t seem to be too popular a phrase after 2009. When Meyer left for ESPN and then Ohio State, it seemed everybody connected with him was pretty much persona non grata around the Gator program. Urban’s Way was kicked down the highway. I do remember in Muschamp’s first press conference he emphatically referred to it several times as “The Florida Way,” and I took it to mean The Muschamp Way, not Urban’s. Not having ever spoken more than 20 words at one time to Muschamp, or recalling anything he ever said as memorable, I eventually stopped going to his press conferences. Maybe it’s because some of us never felt he was the right fit for the Gators, even though I can see how Jeremy Foley would have thought that he was. On paper it looked great. Will grew up partially in Gainesville. Played and coached in the SEC. Mentored under Saban. Had NFL experience. And was next in line for the Texas job. He came with an impressive resume and promises of change. But it proved to be a one-trick pony: 11 wins in his second year proved to be the Fool’s Gold, as some have called it. In year three we could all see things were changing. Muschamp was complaining that Meyer had left the cupboard empty, even though two of the recent Meyer recruiting classes had been ranked among the ESPN Top Five. Meanwhile, many people were distancing themselves from the program. There was no offensive sizzle. There was no glue with “The Gator Nation.” And it was no fun. The fan base began to erode. Truthfully, part of that was because the economy and the stadium experience bottomed out all over in college football. And last year you could see it falling apart in Gainesville. Even before the loss to Georgia Southern, I felt so strong that he WASN’T the right guy that I wrote a column, “Ten Reasons Why Will Muschamp Should Be Fired.” But then I added: “And One Reason He Won’t.” That reason was because Foley would step in to save him. Which he did. Almost. By the way, I take no delight in Muschamp’s failure or bragging that I was right. Because by the time 2014 rolled around I had sort of stepped back, reconsidered and decided Muschamp was worthy of a mulligan. One reason was there were never any really hot candidates out there to replace him. Maybe Kurt Roper could transform Jeff Driskel into an All-SEC quarterback. We all knew the defense would be good again. And we all felt like down deep, Muschamp was a “good guy.” I did find myself rooting for Muschamp to succeed at the last part of his tenure. At the same time, I was having more interest in other programs and other teams coached by coaches I knew – Spurrier at South Carolina, Meyer at Ohio State, Charlie Strong at Texas, Steve Addazio at Boston College. Even interviewed some of them on my show. For the first time I can ever remember in more than a half century, Florida football felt irrelevant in much of my world. Who needed to go to the games when you could stay home and watch on HDTV? The stands were half full sometimes, and the crowd left early. All of this was not the fault of Muschamp of course, but it did happen on his watch. Despite all this, Muschamp nearly pulled it out after beating Georgia convincingly. Now with a win over South Carolina, there was a good chance he would salvage his job, a winning season and a bowl game. Foley would say later that Muschamp was on the clock after the embarrassing 42-13 loss to Missouri and that he needed to “run the table” to keep his job. After two Gator wins, in one of the most bizarre finishes I’ve ever seen, South Carolina blocked a field goal and punt in the fourth quarter and came back to win in overtime after being what Spurrier later described “dead in the water.” After that game, Spurrier almost apologized for beating Florida and costing Muschamp his job, even though the Head Ball Coach had been through a little piece of hell himself this season. He told me in a phone conversation that the football gods had decided this outcome, but that if he’d had a choice this season between losing to Tennessee or Florida he’d had rather it had been Florida. So we all sit around wondering what went wrong … what will happen to Muschamp … and who will be Florida’s next coach? What I think went wrong was you can’t expect an assistant to kick off his training wheels and step into Big Boy Coaching Pants that fast. No matter his credentials. There is as much difference between head coach and assistant coach as vice-president and president. As for what will happen to Muschamp: I see him either taking a year off or going somewhere else in the SEC as a defensive coordinator – but not South Carolina as some have speculated. I’ve heard one rumor that a team in the SEC West has inquired about him. As for who the next coach will be -- if we go by the parameters laid out by Jeremy Foley, the next hire will be a head coach with offensive acumen who has a proven track record as a winner and is a man of integrity. Anybody come to mind? Me neither.

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump In Dan Mullen’s box of chocolates existence as the head football coach at the University of Florida, he has lost eight one-score games since 2019. He’s oh-fer his last seven in large part because he has no idea what he’s going to get from the Gators who have turned inconsistency into an art form. Saturday’s 24-23 overtime loss to Missouri (6-5, 3-4 SEC) came down to the game’s final play and like so many of the previous one-score losses, the Gators had everything dialed up right to get a stop that would have won the game only to come up short when Connor Bazelac got off a high-arching lob just before he was hit into the end zone to uncovered Tyler Badie. “We got lined up and we got the call,” Mullen said wearily after the game. “We had a time out available and I said, ‘Hey, are we ready for what we expect they’re going to do out of that formation?’ They said yes. I said, ‘Do you want to take the time out and just go over it?’ and it was like, ‘No, I think we’ve got it covered.’ “We felt we had it defended. We had a guy right in the quarterback’s face (Khris Bogle) and obviously weren’t able to make that play and then we blew the coverage.” Another chocolate from a box that Mullen has to know will soon be empty if it isn’t already. It is mind-boggling the number of close calls that Mullen has had only to come up one score short. He’s now 34-15 as Florida’s head coach. With one more play in eight games, he could be 41-9. At 41-9 Florida fans are salivating at the possibilities that lie ahead. At 34-15 they’re asking Scott Stricklin who’s on the short list to take over the program and start winning those one-score games? This latest loss, most likely the one that is the final nail in Mullen’s Florida coaching coffin, was filled with things that should have happened and an equal number that could have happened. We can also point to a bunch of things that would have happened that didn’t. That’s the problem with shouldas, couldas and wouldas. They don’t equal wins and Dan Mullen desperately needed to win this football game. Well, maybe desperate isn’t close enough to describing just how badly Mullen needed to go into next Saturday’s game with Florida State (5-6) already bowl eligible and a rivalry-game win away from calming the growing number of Florida fans and boosters who believe he needs to be coaching in another zip code next year. Instead of being a win over FSU that injects a measure of hope into a Gator Nation that has grown weary of losing the close calls, next Saturday’s game is likely to be his swan song. If there is a silent majority of Gator fans who have been in favor of retaining Mullen next year, then they probably spit out the gags that have kept them from verbalizing their concerns that the 2021 season has been in a meltdown mode ever since October 2. That’s when the Gators found a creative way to lose a one-score game to Kentucky. If you have chosen to forget that nightmare in Lexington, then here’s a refresher. Florida committed 15 penalties, many of them on the offensive side that negated big plays and a tacky personal foul that set up the Wildcats with a short field for a touchdown march after an interception. There was a blocked field goal that UK returned for a TD. There were plays to be had on offense, but the combination of bad reads at quarterback and by the center making the line calls made Kentucky’s defense look far better than it actually was. The Kentucky game is perfect for describing the Florida’s box of chocolates season. Two weeks later in Baton Rouge, the defense was a no show, allowing LSU 321 rushing yards in a 49-42 loss, but that loss can’t be pinned completely on the defense because three Florida interceptions – one a pick six – gifted the Tigers 21 of their 49 points. Then there was Georgia when the Gators self-destructed in the final three minutes of the first half. Instead of 3-3 at halftime, Georgia led 24-3 thanks to a fumble and two interceptions, one of which was a pick six. It’s a 13-7 game if not for the turnovers. The defense showed. The offense gave it away. South Carolina? Absolutely, the worst Florida loss since Georgia Southern in 2013. The offense didn’t show. The defense certainly didn’t. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was pink slipped after that game as was offensive line coach John Hevesy. You can argue that the sell-by date with both Grantham and Hevesy expired long before the South Carolina loss, but has it really made a difference? Samford scored 52 points on the UF defense – 42 at the half – last week but the O-line did its job enough that Florida score 70 and put up 717 yards of offense. Against Mizzou, the defense played well enough to win, holding the Tigers to one TD and three field goals in regulation and just 286 yards for the entire game. If you want to point fingers, this is on the offense and that’s not necessarily Mullen’s fault. The O-line had all sorts of difficulty and Emory Jones made dozens of bad reads, especially in the passing game. How is it Trent Whittemore had only one catch (good for 45 yards) and yet he spent the game so wide open that you would have thought he had something contagious and everyone in the Mizzou secondary was afraid of spending the weekend in the infirmary if they came close? It's the inconsistency that has been the killer this season and last and is the reason why it will be one of the great upsets if Dan Mullen is given a chance to fix the problems. At the very worst, the Gators should be 9-2 right now. We can rationalize that if UF had gone into the half at 3-3 with Georgia they might have won. We can also argue that there is no way South Carolina could have beaten Florida if the Gators weren’t losers of three of their previous four prior to that game in Columbia. All the rationalizing doesn’t change a thing. Florida is 5-6, in danger of a third losing season since 2013 and likely to be seeking its fourth head coach since Urban Meyer retired after the 2010 season. Even if the Gators beat Florida State next week to finish the regular season at 6-6, they’ll still be in danger of a losing season if they can’t win the bowl game. Birmingham anyone? Lose in Birmingham and you’re required to stay an extra week. Shreveport? Well, at least they have casinos so you can drown out a loss by dropping some money at the blackjack tables and slots plus you can go to 2John’s for the Filet Oscar with crab meat and shrimp on the side. The odds that Mullen will be the head coach more than one day after the Florida State game diminished considerably Saturday. He tried to sound upbeat at his postgame press conference but he had the look of a beaten man and there was no confidence or energy in his words. He admitted that he’s had conversations with athletic Scott Stricklin about what has to be done to patch the holes in the program and make things better. “We had meetings last week about what direction we need to go in the future with assistant coaches and who we’re going to bring in here and what our candidates are looking for the future and changes we need to make,” Mullen said. The changes might have resonated if the Gators had found a way to make one more play to avoid a seventh straight one-score game Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. Losing, however, most likely signals the end of the road. Mullen’s coaching life at Florida has been a box of chocolates, particularly 2021. The fact that he’s never known what he’s going to get from this team can no longer be rationalized. He’s the head coach. He’s the one responsible for coaches who coach poorly and players who play badly. He hired the coaches. He recruited the players. Not all the problems are on Mullen, but since he’s the head coach, he is the one who takes the fall. If he could do it all over again, Mullen would probably do a lot of things differently but you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube once it’s been squeezed out. There are no do-overs and in the case of Florida football, no chance to do a fixer-upper either.

The story that ensued for the next 48 months began with what appeared to be an epic transformation of a once-great program into a torrid love affair with its new coach, but later sunk into an inexplicable free fall that now appears to be hovering over a Dempster Dumpster of flames. How Dan Mullen Was Hired It was four years ago this week -- somewhat by accident and maybe a little extra hustle by my son Brenden and our pal Bubba in Gainesville – that we struck upon the national news story about Chip Kelly having met with Scott Stricklin and his team, which was attempting to fly under the radar back to Ocala. Until we sort of unintentionally ambushed them. What we didn’t know that night was whether the deal had been struck with Kelly as verbal and non-binding, or whether the plane landing at Ocala International would contain Florida’s next coach all signed, sealed and delivered. Or that if Scott Frost or Chip Kelly was plan A or plan B. What we found out later was that the next coach of the Gators, Plan C, would arrive at the Gainesville Airport a few days later on Nov. 27, 2017, chomping, smiling and wearing his championship ring, ready to let the good times roll. It wasn’t so much a case of Stricklin feeling his former coach at Mississippi State was the third best candidate, but out of professional courtesy he didn’t want to steal Dan Mullen, his alma mater’s coach, until he was down to his third choice. And then it was suggested by his boss, President Kent Fuchs that he consider that option. When Stricklin called the Mullen household in Starkville and made the offer, Megan Mullen said she’d never seen such an expression of joy and radiance on her husband’s face -- and she knew right then “we were going to University of Florida.” That joy radiated throughout the house and became an infusion of badly needed fresh air into Gator Nation, seemingly beginning to offset the gloom and doom around a program that was the residue of the failed Jim McElwain experiment. The story that ensued for the next 48 months began with what appeared to be an epic transformation of a once-great program into a torrid love affair with its new coach, but later sinking into an inexplicable free fall that now appears to be hovering over a Dempster Dumpster of flames. (For the record, I am not among those endorsing the latter thought.) Are Gator fans better, or worse for it? Mullen and family arrive in Gainesville Dan Mullen’s team made a run at national champion Alabama not once, but twice. The first in the 2020 SEC Championship Game, losing only by a touchdown. Nay'Quan Wright got tough yardage vs. The Tide. Despite playing them tough twice, Dan Mullen's team got nothing out of it but respect. (Photo by Chris Spears) What Dan Mullen said after Florida lost the SEC Championship game against Alabama And again, in the third game of the 2021 regular season, losing only by two points. If there’s any calculus applicable here, one could deduce that the next time Florida played Alabama – which presumably would have been in this year’s SEC title game — the Gators would win. No. 1 Alabama hangs on, holds off No. 11 Florida's rally So what happened? What’s next? We’re still trying to figure it all out. Whatever the narrative might have been when Florida stepped up to challenge ‘Bama and nearly beat the national champions has not only changed, but went in the completely opposite direction. And now frustrated and confused Gator fans are living in a Cone of Uncertainty almost as big as when Stricklin stepped off that plane in Ocala empty handed four years ago. Did Dan Mullen become a lousy coach in just eight weeks? Will he survive if he doesn’t win one more game and make it to a bowl game? Any bowl game? Seven games later Dan Mullen is left fighting for his football coaching life. The same Dan Mullen that got off the plane that day in Gainesville smiling, chomping and flashing that 2008 national championship ring he earned as Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator. BTW, Mullen might eventually survive because of the shortage of great coaching candidates and the insane amount of money ($96M to Mel Tucker, Michigan State) being worked up for restructured contracts just to keep what they’ve got. When exactly did that school in East Lansing become Alabama? Report: Florida will not fire Dan Mullen during regular season Which causes me to wonder: If Mullen had beaten either Alabama or Georgia and won six of the remaining games, would Stricklin be forking over a couple more million just to keep him in Gainesville? Those who worship at the feet of Jimmy Sexton contracts gotta know: Jimmy may giveth, but Jimmy also taketh away. It's Jimmy Sexton's movie and the rest of CFB is just in it. (Photo Courtesy WKNO) Things are completely out of hand in the wild, wild west of college sports. I hear you disgruntled Gator Nation fans and I get it: You’re all sick of this morass of greed and wonder if there’s really any honor among thieves anymore. You can take your Name/Image/Likeness deals and stick them up your nostril! you are probably saying. Why can’t we recruit better football players? you ask. The transfer portal? Hey, if they can steal our players, we need to steal more of theirs! AND GET OFF MY LAWN! It’s called market price. If Mullen goes, Florida will be leveraged by the Jimmy Sextons of the world for even more than the $7.6 million a season by the next coach. And Dan Mullen will only be unemployed, maybe, through the Christmas holidays before he’s snapped up. Don't want Mullen? OK, are you prepared to pay the next guy 8-9 Million? (Chris Spears Photo) Let me explain “Market Price." I once took my beloved brother-in-law from Ocala to dinner in Denver with the caveat he’d pay for the four of us before I had to hustle out to cover an NBA game. My sister and wife decided the lobster looked good, so we all four ordered it, listed on the menu at “Market Price.” It was scrumptious, so when I finished early and departed for the arena, they brought the bill to my brother-in-law (may he rest in peace.) The “Market Price” was $45 apiece – and that was 40 years ago! He literally almost choked, but paid the bill. As punishment, every time we all went dinner for the next 25 years he’d be sure to shout out to the ladies: “MARKET PRICE!” Another example: How much is your home worth today vs. what it was two or three years ago? You can sell it at a huge profit, but then you’d have to find another place to live at about the same price unless you are willing to downsize. I don’t think the University of Florida is looking to downsize its football program. It’s not about money for the Gators? you say. Really? Then how come Florida was among the last to upgrade its facilities – which also was costly in the “Shiny New Thing” department of recruiting – and is only now finally closing in on a new one by next year. Where did that money come from? My experience says it’s always about the money. Yes, it’s true UF is a rich school with its coffers filled by TV dollars and more to come as the take grows through SEC and Playoff Expansion these next few years. That new money is already budgeted. However, shiny new things come from rich contributors who want their name on things and a seat at the table when it comes time to hire a new coach. Or to fire one. I don’t know the exact number of the buyout on Mullen – I’ve heard everything from $6M to $12M to $24M – but no doubt a conversation is taking place now among the muckety-mucks and the hat is being passed. Reluctantly, I share this tidbit as told to me by a muckety muck: They only need another couple million more in blood money to make it happen. But PLEASE don’t pass that along as fact – just as a topic of one conversation. It would be a sad day if Mullen is sent to the gallows, because he’s a good coach who got caught in an unexpected storm that resulted in a downward spiral. But it’s also a case of hard reality: He is to blame for the mess. If he loses the next two games he’s probably not going to survive. If he wins one of them then maybe. And then he would live to fight other day. He has to finish owning his part in this and rally a group of hot shot recruiters who can sell -- well, you know the one about selling ice. My best guess is that he'll hire a new DC with a longer contract than his for about $1.5M or more and get at least part of the 2022 season to prove he can -- or can't -- turn it around. Like Brian Kelly did at Notre Dame. And maybe like his basketball counterpart Mike White may yet do. Ironically, in the end, Dan Mullen might be protected by the unintended consequence of “Market Price.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: FRUGAL … “IT DON’T MEAN A DAMN THING EXCEPT TO SAVE” The old Cajun storyteller Justin Wilson used to tell one about this little boy named Dejean who was given a word by his teacher with instructions to use this word in an essay. The word was frugal. Dejean didn’t know the meaning of the word until his father explained that “it don’t mean a damn thing except to save.” Dejean’s essay involved a beautiful princess who fell into a pit while riding her horse. Along came a handsome prince who saw her in the pit and was ready to rescue when the princess hollered up, “Frugal me! Frugal me!” He frugaled her and they lived happily ever after. As the Gators (5-5, 2-5 SEC) travel to Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC) for their final SEC game of the season, will the team come up with a performance that will help rescue Dan Mullen’s Florida coaching career from going belly up? Back in September we might have laughed at the possibility of Florida needing a win over Missouri to keep Mullen off the Extinct Species List, but that was then and this is now. Now, Mullen desperately needs a win and not just any win, one that is clearly decisive. A rout would even be nice. How do the Gators make it happen? First of all, Missouri is likely without banged up QB Connor Bazelac and without him the Tigers almost certainly try the ground and pound route with the hope of dialing up a fifth 200-yard rushing game for Tyler Badie (1,239 yards, 12 TDs; 50-337 receiving, 4 TDs). When the Gators have the ball, they will be going against a Mizzou defense that is notoriously bad against the run (249.6 yards per game, 5.79 per carry). The Tigers will also be minus three starters in the secondary. The game plan defensively has to be load up the box to stop Badie from running the ball and put a spy on him to keep him from hurting the Gators on wheel routes. The best way to attack the Tigers is a run-first approach, throwing off play action. Quarterbacks have had success running the ball. This sets up as potentially a big game for Emory Jones, who is coming off a game in which he threw for 464 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 86 and another score. If the Gators find themselves in a halftime hole like they found themselves last week, Mullen should try the Justin Wilson approach and holler, “Frugal me! Frugal me!” It worked for the princess in Dejean’s story. The Gators are favored by 8.5. The Sayer says sooth: FLORIDA 41, Missouri 31 GATORS IMPROVE TO 3-0 WITH ROUT OF MILWAUKEE NBA scouts (39 of them) flocked to the O-Dome to size up Milwaukee freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. What they saw was a defensive clinic as Mike White kept Baldwin off balance the entire game by constantly switching defenders on him. Florida held Baldwin to 13 points and without a 3-pointer as part of an impressive 81-45 rout of the Panthers. The Gators held Milwaukee to 18-58 shooting overall (31 percent) and only 2-12 on 3-pointers (16.7 percent). Florida ran a 2-2-1 zone press and then dropped into a straight man-to-man defense. The Gators were quicker, more physical and rarely allowed the Panthers a clear shot at the basket. Although Milwaukee had a distinctive size advantage, the Panthers couldn’t get the ball inside against Colin Castleton and Anthony Duruji. On the perimeter, Tyree Appleby, Brandon McKissic, Myreon Jones and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. harassed the Milwaukee guards into bad shots, bad passes and way too much time getting into offensive sets. This is a Florida team that has the look of the best defensive team Mike White has had at the University of Florida and perhaps the best that Florida has put on the court since the 2014 Gators that made the Final Four. Castleton continues to impress. Coming off a performance against Florida State that earned him SEC Player of the Week honors, Castleton went off for 19 points and yanked down a game-high rebounds to go with one assist, two steals and a blocked shot to lead a balanced Florida attack. Appleby, who hit 4-7 from the 3-point line, contributed 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and a blocked shot to the UF effort while Anthony Duruji had another strong performance with 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot. Fleming came off the bench to score 12, his best scoring game as a Gator. Next up for the Gators will be California (2-2) at the Suncoast Federal Credit Union Arena in in the Fort Myers Tip-off Sunday evening. THE SEC SOOTHSAYER Charleston Southern (4-5) at No. 1 Georgia (10-0): We could have a JT Daniels sighting since this game will be all but over before the second quarter begins. Kirby Smart probably wants to get Daniels some work since he needs some recent experience at QB in case Bennett goes down with any kind of injury in the next couple of weeks. This will be dial-a-score no matter who’s playing quarterback. The Sayer says sooth: Georgia 61, Charleston Southern 3 No. 21 Arkansas (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at No. 2 Alabama (9-1, 5-1 SEC): Nick Saban has two weeks to get his defense playing at an efficient level and Arkansas is just the kind of team that will put them to a test. Can the Bama pass rush contain K.J. Jefferson (474 yards to go with 1,990 passing yards)? Can Will Anderson Jr. (12.5 sacks to lead the nation) dominate? He’s in a death star battle with Jordan Davis of Georgia for SEC Defensive Player of the year. A big game would help his cause. Expect the Alabama offense to go run first and throw off play action. Bryce Young has thrown for 33 TDs with only three picks. Alabama is favored by 20.5 points. The Sayer says sooth: Alabama 38, Arkansas 14 Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6 SEC) at No. 12 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): When you’re as banged up as Ole Miss, there’s nothing quite like a home game against Vandy. It’s like a second homecoming game. Midway through the third quarter fans will be leaving the stadium to resume eating and drinking in The Grove. Matt Corral isn’t going to be needed more than a half. Pity Vandy QB Mike Wright. The Ole Miss defense really gets after QBs (5th nationally with 35 sacks). Wright will be doing his feets don’t fail me now routine early and often. Ole Miss is a 36.5-point favorite. The Sayer says sooth: Ole Miss 54, Vanderbilt 14 Prairie View A&M (7-2) at No. 16 Texas A&M (7-3): The Aggies are on track to have two 1,000-yard rushers this season. Isaiah Spiller (914 yards, 5 TDs) needs 86 and Devon Achane (816, 7 TDs) needs 184. Spiller hits the 1,000 mark for sure. Achane might have to wait a week. This one will be over almost before Aggie fans get their seats warm. The Sayer says sooth: Texas A&M 51, Prairie View A&M 14 Tennessee State (5-5) at No. 25 Mississippi State (6-4): Former Ohio State Heisman Trphy winner Eddie George brings his D1AA Tigers to Starkville where Mike Leach has Mississippi State heaving the rock about 55 times a game. Will Rogers (3,724 passing yards, 29 TDPs) will go over the 4,000-yard mark for the season in the first half. The Sayer says sooth: Mississippi State 42, Tennessee State 10 New Mexico State (1-9) at Kentucky (7-3): Whoever is in charge of scheduling at UK needs a bonus for getting Vandy and New Mexico State back-to-back in November. There’s nothing like a 36-point underdog when you’re trying hard to get to nine wins and you’ve got two games to go. The goals for this game should be to get Wan’Dale Robinson past 1,000 receiving yards (he has 900), Will Levis to 20 TDPs (he has 19) and run for 400 yards (341 vs. Missouri is the best this season. Any win is a good win at Kroger Field but especially ones that you win by six or more touchdowns. The Sayer says sooth: Kentucky 49, New Mexico State 7 Auburn (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at South Carolina (5-5, 2-5 SEC): South Carolina needs a win to become bowl eligible and it might be the perfect time to spring an upset since Auburn is coming off a game in which it gave up 40 straight points to Mississippi State. The Gamecocks play very well at home and if they can run the ball (Auburn has allowed more than 200 yards on the ground in three SEC games) they’ll have a chance. Auburn will start LSU transfer T.J. Finley at QB. He’s got a big arm but will be going against a South Carolina zone that has picked off 14 passes, which is tied for fifth in the country this year. Can the Gamecocks mix up their coverages enough to confuse Finley, who is making his first start of the year? Can they stop Tank Bigsby his best game of the season running the ball? Auburn is a 7.5-point road favorite. The Sayer says sooth: Auburn 24, South Carolina 20 South Alabama (5-5) at Tennessee (5-5): Former South Carolina starting QB is injured but even if he were healthy, South Alabama would get clobbered. The Jaguars are second in the Fun Belt in total defense but it won’t matter. Tennessee will win this one easily and become bowl eligible. Nobody thought Josh Heupel could pull that off but he’s got an offense that runs the ball very well and puts points on the scoreboard. The Vols are 28-point favorites. They’ll win by at least that much. The Sayer says sooth: Tennessee 49, South Alabama 17 Louisiana-Monroe (4-6) at LSU (4-6): Just what the doctor ordered for an LSU team that has lost the last three games. Coach Oeaux needs two regular season wins to get the Tigers to a bowl game, which would be quite an accomplishment in a season that has seen LSU devastated by injuries and Coach Oeaux fired. It really doesn’t matter who will start at quarterback or that the LSU offensive line is banged up. The Tigers are favored by 29 and they could even show up bored and still win this one. The Sayer says sooth: LSU 44, Louisiana-Monroe 17 FOUR GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND No. 7 Michigan State (9-1) at No. 4 Ohio State (9-1): Mel Tucker has the big contract extension (10 years, $10 million a year) to stay at Michigan State. He probably will wish he were still talking to LSU by the time the Buckeyes take him to the woodshed. Ohio State is favored by 19. No. 10 Wake Forest (9-1) at Clemson (7-3): You don’t know which Clemson team will show up or if the Tigers have what it takes to stop Sam Hartman. The Tigers are shaky 4.5-point favorites. Dabo wouldn’t lose four in the regular season would he? SMU (8-2) at No. 5 Cincinnati (10-0): SMU is the best in the American Athletic Conference in protecting the passer and Cincinnati is very average when it comes to pass rush. Can SMU give Tanner Mordecai (37 TDPs) enough time to pick the Bearcats apart. Cincinnati is favored by 11 but this could be a big upset. No. 3 Oregon (9-1) at No. 23 Utah (7-3): Oregon has the ranking but Utah is home and favored to win by three. If Oregon loses the Pac-12 will go another year without a team in the College Football Playoff. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: This is the State of the State. The only Division I team in the state with a winning record is UCF, which has somehow pieced together a 6-4 record despite a devastating string of injuries. Florida (5-5), Miami (5-5) and Florida Atlantic (5-5) need a win to become bowl eligible. South Florida is 2-8 and Florida International is not only 1-9 but just fired head coach Butch Davis. Add them all together and the Division I teams in the state are a combined 24-36. It’s rather shocking when you consider that Miami (five), Florida (three) and Florida State (three) have combined for 11 national championships. Who would have thought this would ever happen?

Bennett Solomon's Letter Bennett Solomon is a sophomore journalism major at the University of Florida, following in the footsteps of his father Aaron Solomon and grandfather George Solomon. He has some big shoes to fill. His father is the coordinating producer of ESPN’s Around the Horn. His grandfather was the distinguished sports editor of the Washington Post. On Saturday, Bennett covered his first Florida football game and sat in the press box. He wrote this letter to his grandfather George. Earlier this season for the Alabama game, three generations from the Solomon Family, all Florida journalism products, gathered in front of the statues at Steve Spurrier Field. That's George, former sports editor of the Washington Post; Grandson Bennett, a UF Student; and Aaron, ESPN Coordinating Producer for Around The Horn. (Solomon Family Photo) Dear Pop, Buddy Martin, your former UF journalism classmate, wanted me to write you a letter from up here from the press box: It’s about an hour until kickoff and there’s a light drizzle. I see the Century Tower through the rain. But I’m really happy to be here. This press box is massive and I just hope I find myself back up here in the future. I know I will. The Swamp. This is what SEC football is all about. I’m amazed at how easy Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson make warmup throws look from the 45-yard line. Unfortunately, who knows if they’ll make the same throws during the game. It’s Samford, so let’s hope so. It’s cool, there’s a slight fog. This reminds me of the LSU game last year … not great vibes. We’re about ten minutes ‘til kickoff. The stands are beginning to fill up, but are nowhere close to being full. The Gators are about to come out of the tunnel, and hopefully play well. But the environment isn’t the same as Alabama or any SEC game. Yes, the fans still cheer and are loud, but you can tell that some of the fans don’t care as much anymore, because this can almost be considered a failed season. And after all, the opponent isn’t SEC caliber. It’s that tiny school from Birmingham, Samford. Bennett Solomon on his first assignment with GatorBait Sr. Columnist Franz Beard. (below) The Gators come out of the tunnel enthusiastically anyway, because they have a lot to prove in these last three weeks of the season. Two assistant coaches have already been fired and there is trouble in the air. There are rumors flying around about Dan Mullen’s future. Florida went on to win the game, 70-52, but now that the game is over, there’s mixed emotions. The Gators gave up 52 points to an FCS school, with 42 of those points coming in the first half – the most ever yielded by a Florida team. At one point they were trailing by double digits in what should’ve been a gimme game. But the UF offense played exceptionally well. Jones broke Tim Tebow’s school record for total yards in a single game. He had 464 passing yards and 86 rushing yards. He accounted for seven total touchdowns on the day and probably shouldn’t have needed to be in the game late in the fourth quarter, but the Gators were hanging on for the win. Kemore Gamble had a career high day, with six pass receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. I’m not really sure how to feel about this game. The offense failed to score on only about two or three drives but the defense looked lost in the first half. I guess the good news is that the Gators only need one more win to be bowl eligible, but now they play tougher teams – Missouri on the road and an improving FSU. Aside from the game, I had an awesome time in the press box. Seeing the other reporters putting their heart and soul into their coverage was a really cool thing, and hopefully I’ll be there more in the future. Just like you did, Pop Pop. See you soon. Love, Bennett Dear Grandpa George: Looks like you've got another writer in the Solomon family. -- Buddy

The situation Dan Mullen and the Gators find themselves into just a couple of days prior to a final two-game end of season parlay that could determine the direction of Florida football the next several years, isn’t all that different from the one Notre Dame faced back in 2016. Following a most respectable 10-3 2015 season in which the Irish were a possession away from wins over then 12th-ranked Clemson (finished 14-1 and lost to Alabama in the national championship game) and then 13th-ranked Stanford (finished 12-2, ranked third nationally), Notre Dame plummeted to a 4-8 record. Four games into 2016, head coach Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder because in Notre Dame’s three losses the defense gave up 124 points. All three of the losses were in one-possession games that the Irish scored enough points to win if only the defense had done its part. The Irish were one possession away from wins in seven of the eight losses. Only the 45-28 blowout loss to 12th-ranked Southern Cal in the season’s final game wasn’t a head-scratching close call. Notre Dame fans were calling for Kelly’s head on a platter and no one cared that the Irish were ever so close to an 11-1 record. There was enormous pressure on Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to fire Kelly. Everyone from media to boosters to a nation of fans saw the 22-16 record from 2014-16 as proof the program was broken and tail spinning toward a crash of Gerry Faust proportions. A savior was needed, they thought. Before giving in to the endless array of critics, none of whom seemed all that supportive of retaining Kelly for another year much less beyond, Swarbrick and Kelly had what is best described as a “Come to Jesus” meeting in which it was up to Kelly to convince his boss why he should be given a chance to right the sinking ship. For Kelly it was time for a Hail Mary. For Swarbrick it was time to hold back on any instinct to fire his coach. Kelly didn’t arrive at the meeting unprepared and Swarbrick caught the vision and gave him the go-ahead to implement. Kelly brought in five new coaches including new coordinators on both sides of the ball – Chip Long on offense, Mike Elko on defense – along with a new strength and conditioning director in Matt Balis and a director of scouting in Bill Rees. Long changed the offense from pass happy to a run-first, play action attack out of a spread. Elko ditched VanGorder’s complicated NFL style defense for a more player-friendly 4-2-5 that is flexible enough to handle the spread and tough enough to deal with the dinosaurs still stuck in ground and pound. Thanks to the renewed strength and toughness brought by Balis, the Irish started winning both lines of scrimmage, something that had been sorely missing the three previous years. Rees, armed with a new recruiting staff and a larger budget, energized recruiting. Academics at Notre Dame have always made recruiting difficult, but Rees and his larger staff were able to pinpoint athletes who could not only deal with the rigors of the classroom but were capable of playing at the highest levels. Given a second chance to make things good, Kelly delivered. In the years since he staved off firing with his makeover plan, Notre Dame is 52-9. If Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin intends to keep Dan Mullen as the football coach beyond the Florida State game in a couple of weeks, then he and Mullen should arrange a Zoom meeting with Swarbrick and Kelly for a blueprint to save Dan Mullen and the Florida football program from its third head coach firing and fourth coach search since Urban Meyer retired from UF after the 2010 season. No doubt about it, Mullen needs a plan to not just save his job for one more year, but to put Florida on a success track well into the future. What Mullen is doing right now isn’t going to work. Critics question that he fully understands the hole he’s dug and other critics say while he may know the hole, he is incapable of digging his way out. But, if he is to remain Florida’s head coach, then he’s got to come up with a plan to address the shortcomings in the program and that includes a look in the mirror and the understanding that if he’s pointing a finger at assistants, staffers, etc., he also must realize that he has three fingers pointing back at the guy looking back at him. Mullen’s detailed plan for success that starts with the notion that there are very few on his staff – whether that’s coaches or support – with sacred cow status. Perhaps the only assistant coaches who shouldn’t have a worry in the world are wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales and defensive line coach David Turner. Everybody else needs to be scrolling through their Rolodex to prepare for that next job wherever that might be. If he is to return, the new coaching staff can’t be made up of old buddies but instead new faces, among them coaches confident enough to say no. It has been said by many who observe the Florida football program that Mullen suffers from an abundance of staff familiarity that has stifled growth and kneecapped the recruiting efforts. He needs new faces, new energy and guys who are as good in a recruit’s living room as they are teaching fundamentals on the practice field. Kids want a plan for their success and new assistants need to show an enthusiastic plan that will convince them and their parents that the University of Florida is the best place for them to spend the next 4-5 years. Mullen especially needs a bright young defensive coordinator whose schemes aren’t so predictable. There was a reason why former coordinator Todd Grantham was called “Third and Grantham” and that is because the element of surprise had long since taken the last bus out of Gainesville. A coach like Houston’s Doug Belk (age 32) makes a lot of sense. A Valdosta native, he has transformed the Cougars into an attacking defense that allows only 27.9 percent conversions on third down. Florida opponents this year convert 37.1 percent of the time. When it comes to getting your defense off the field, that 10-point difference is huge. Imagine if Dan Mullen gets an extra 10-12 plays per game the way he calls an offense. Another coach that makes plenty of sense is Marquand Manuel, a former Gator captain under Steve Spurrier, who spent eight years playing in the NFL and has spent the last 10 as an NFL coach, earning a Super Bowl ring coaching the secondary of the Seattle Seahawks and two years as the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. His experience from growing up in inner city Miami to three-year starter at safety at UF while making All-SEC Academic four years and earning a master’s degree in counseling will resonate well in the living rooms of recruits. The new defensive coordinator will have to have carte blanche to bring in a staff that can transform the Gators from the nation’s 59th-ranked defense (8th in the SEC) to one that can get the Gators off the field so Mullen can put more points on the board with his offense. There is no question Mullen can put up the points. Hopefully, he will understand that a better coordinator and better defense will result in more possessions and more opportunities for him to show the world that Dan Mullen can scheme and call plays as well as anyone in college football. Mullen replaced long time offensive line coach John Hevesy when he pink slipped Grantham after the South Carolina loss. Mullen and Hevesy had been working together since they were on Urban Meyer’s first staff at Bowling Green in 2001, the last 13 with Mullen as a head coach. Hevesy was never a great recruiter but his gruff, in-your-face ways grew old and stale even if O-line productivity (7.07 per offensive play, only 9 sacks allowed) remained at a high level. For Florida to dominate the lines of scrimmage in a line of scrimmage league, recruiting has to improve, which means it’s a necessity to find a fresh face O-line coach who is tough but maybe not so in-your-face. If he is retained, Mullen has to assemble a new staff in a hurry because the early signing window will open for a few days on December 15. It’s generally assumed that unless Mullen is the greatest flipper since the Miami Dolphins had that tank in the Orange Bowl end zone, Florida’s 2022 recruiting class is going to finish way outside the top ten. So how will he compensate? The answer to that will be the transfer portal, which Mel Tucker used to bring in 21 players who have helped flip Michigan State from 2-5 in 2020 to 9-1 and a national top ten ranking in 2021. Tucker has handled the portal the way an NFL general manager deals with free agency, finding players who can fit the Michigan State profile from lesser known outposts such as running back Kenneth Walker III (from Wake Forest) and left tackle Jarrett Horst (from Arkansas State). Walker leads the nation in rushing and is considered the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Horst, who was All-Sun Belt at Arkansas State, is considered the best left tackle in the Big Ten. The NCAA has enacted a waiver that will allow Division I teams to replace up to seven players who transfer out with players from the transfer portal without it counting against the 25-limit of signees for 2022. Mullen currently has 13 high school players committed to a 2022 recruiting class that ranks 23rd nationally and 9th in the Southeastern Conference. Assuming he can hold on to those 13 and add perhaps five more high school/junior college players, Mullen could bring in 15 transfers who could fill immediate needs and add some maturity to a team that by most accounts will have only 13-15 seniors next year. Many are already seeing the portal as the next step in recruiting. High school kids will still be the foundation of the program, but with few exceptions they aren’t ready to play immediately. The transfer portal, as Mel Tucker has proven at Michigan State, can give immediate relief with plug and play types. In the case of Dan Mullen, if he is to remain at Florida not just next year but for years to come, then it will be a necessity to use the transfer portal judiciously. He needs speed at wide receiver, at least one running back, replacements for three offensive linemen, some stout D-linemen, inside linebackers with size and a safety or two. Can he find enough kids who are capable of playing and succeeding in the Southeastern Conference? All this is based on the possibility that Dan Mullen will return for at least one more season at the University of Florida. There is the possibility that he will be fired after the Florida State game, whether he wins, splits or loses the next two games. If that’s the case then it will be up to Stricklin to have his own plan in place for an immediate replacement, not an easy job in the ever-changing coaching landscape where schools like Michigan State are offering Tucker a re-written 10-year, $10 million a year contract to stay put and where Texas A&M, in anticipation of interest in Jimbo Fisher re-wrote his deal with a $1.6 million raise to $9.1 million with at least $100,000 incremental raises each year of the 10-year deal. With Tucker getting that big raise (from $5 million), anticipate the Aggies will up the ante even more. Florida wants to be considered an elite school with championship possibilities, but the number of elite coaches who aren’t locked in with big deals is shrinking quickly. Mullen makes $7.6 million a year and to lure the kind of coach who is perceived capable of turning Florida into an instant big winner and challenger to the SEC title, Stricklin is going to have to offer a lot more money. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who many believe would jump at the opportunity to come to Florida (the late John Reaves was his father-in-law), will also be on the LSU radar now that Tucker, Fisher and Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley have said thankee but no thankee to a move to Baton Rouge. LSU reportedly was ready to pay Riley $11-12 million a year and may offer Kiffin something similar. Is Florida prepared to pay that kind of price for a new head coach? Dave Aranda, the Baylor coach who was the defensive coordinator for LSU’s national championship team in 2019, is thought to be on the short list at Southern Cal, which is expected to offer in excess of $8 million. Billy Napier, who has turned Louisiana into a power and has a coaching pedigree of Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban, can have the TCU job if he wants it, is more than a blip on the Virginia Tech radar, and may be the guy LSU turns to in the event Kiffin joins the just say no crowd. Each mention of his name raises his price tag. Hugh Freeze (Liberty) is out there, but does he want to leave the security of Liberty where he makes $3 million a year for the pressure of winning in the SEC? And, would Florida be willing to overlook the indiscretions that cost Freeze his job at Ole Miss? Hugh Freeze can coach. We know that. He had, shall we say, a not so pristine reputation as a recruiter at Ole Miss but he landed highly regarded classes loaded with talent. That so many schools are locking down coaches with big financial deals shrinks the talent pool considerably. Does Florida want to get into a bidding war to land a coach like Kiffin, Aranda or Napier? Is Stricklin willing to overlook the baggage of a Hugh Freeze? Or would he be better off to work hand-in-hand to come up with a plan for saving Dan Mullen? These next two weeks are going to tell us a lot about the direction of the Florida football program. The odds at the moment seem to be more in Mullen’s favor to stay another year based on the shrinking talent pool and the escalating cost of doing business, but the situation is fluid. What might seem inevitable today may turn out to be fake news tomorrow. So, buckle your seat belt. We may be in for turbulence the next two weeks.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: MOST IN THE MEDIA THINK DAN MULLEN HAS ONE FOOT OUT THE DOOR You would be hard pressed to find someone in the media who truly believes Dan Mullen will live to coach the Florida Gators another year even if he finishes the season on a three-game winning streak. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports writes, “The train is completely off the rails in Gainesville and it seems unlikely Florida is able to get things back on track under Dan Mullen.” Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated offered this after the Gators beat Samford, 70-52: “With Mullen’s future in the balance, his players answered the question on Saturday afternoon. They laid down for a historically bad performance. Much like Ron Zook’s tenure will be tied to losing to Mississippi State and Will Muschamp never got over losing to Georgia Southern, Mullen’s first half against Samford will reverberate in Florida infamy.” Paul Finebaum, on WJOX in Birmingham Monday morning, said, “I’ve lost track of the record now. You have a .500 record. I don’t really know how you can convince anyone that your program is heading in the right direction. I think it’s serious. I do … But in this case, because this thing is spiraling, if it’s spiraling now and Scott Stricklin and Mullen meet at the end of the season, what is he going to say that would convince you or Scott Stricklin or anyone else that he really has control. Sometimes things just fall apart and the best thing to do is let it go. It’s not like Dan Mullen couldn’t find a job because he can, and you’re sitting in Dan Mullen’s shoes right now, is that not the better choice because he still has capital from a professional standpoint?” Mullen is currently 34-14 and if he beats Missouri and Florida State in the final two games to finish at 7-5, the worst he will have is the third best record of anyone in the SEC since 2018 and a record that ranks no worse that 10th nationally. Firing coaches is serious business, but particularly when they’ve had that kind of success even without a dedicated football facility that should have been built and open years ago. We can rationalize that it’s Florida and great coaches will crawl backwards for the UF job if and when it’s open, but you don’t see great coaches clamoring for the LSU job, do you? LSU might be down to its fourth or fifth choice already. It is being speculated that Southern Cal, with all its history plus the Los Angeles metro area for recruiting, could be down to its third or fourth choice and none of them are going to make the alumni base salivate. I’m not at all involved with the hiring and firing process at Florida, but this much I do know: If Scott Stricklin is going to fire Dan Mullen, then he needs to have a BETTER coach lined up and ready to come to Gainesville from the moment the clock at The Swamp flatlines at ZERO on November 27. Stricklin cannot afford for Florida to be turned down by three or four coaches. He got away with it in 2017 when Mullen was the third choice. Tennessee, at the same time went through a nightmare scenario before hiring Jeremy Pruitt, who lasted three years before he got the axe. If the decision is made to give Mullen a chance to fix things, then Stricklin has to ensure the tools are there for success – a personnel budget that is double or triple current levels and allows for hiring a director and staff that eat, breathe and sleep recruiting; at least 10 analysts (Alabama has 15); and a revamped staff of assistants who are as good recruiting as they are coaching. GROWN MEN WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR WHITE, GATORS We saw it Sunday when the 24th-ranked Gators took Florida State to the woodshed. Those were grown men the Gators sent out to face the Seminoles and they didn’t flinch when FSU tried to get physical. Unlike the Florida teams of recent years, this bunch of Gators was all too happy to push back. When it came to tough, Florida was the tough team and the Seminoles wilted under the pressure. These aren’t kids that White sends out on the court one through six – Colin Castleton, Anthony Duruji, Tyree Appleby, Brandon McKissic, Myreon Jones and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. They’re all at least 21 years old and legal adults in every sense of the word. They are physically stronger than perhaps any Florida team we’ve seen since the 2014 team that made it to the Final Four and they’re definitely bought in on the defensive end. This isn’t the tallest team Mike White has had by far, but it is potentially the best defensive team he’s had. Against FSU, the Gators got after the Seminoles on the perimeter and pushed their offense out so far that it kept the lane clear for Castleton and Duruji. When FSU did venture inside, Castleton blocked six shots and Duruji two. The foursome of Appleby, McKissic, Jones and Fleming hounded the FSU guards and rarely gave up a decent shot, particularly in the final 10 minutes of the game when the Gators took complete control and ran away with it. The Gators will be tested tonight when they play host to Milwaukee (1-1) of the Horizon League (6 p.m., SEC Network +). The visiting Panthers, led by 6-9 freshman phenom Patrick Baldwin Jr. (20 points, 10.5 rebounds), go 6-10, 6-9 and 6-9 across the front with a pair of 7-footers coming off the bench. It will be imperative for Florida’s grown men to play tough, physical defense on the perimeter once again to keep the Panthers from pounding the inside to wear down Castleton and Duruji, who plays the power forward at 6-7. Las Vegas favors the Gators by 14 over Milwaukee. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL) Alabama (9-1, 5-1 SEC): Biletnikoff semifinalist Jameson Williams, who transferred in from Ohio State, says Ohio State fans “don’t claim me. I don’t claim them. Ohio State fans be tripping. They disowned me. I went to Bama. When I graduate, I will have graduated from Bama.” Williams has 51 catches for 1,028 yards and 10 touchdowns. Arkansas (7-3, 3-3 SEC): To beat Alabama, HBC Sam Pittman says, “We have to play solid football. You can’t turn the ball over, can’t have special teams blunders.” Auburn (6-4, 3-3 SEC): Edge rusher Romello Height, who has missed the last three games for undisclosed reasons, will be available Saturday when the Tigers play South Carolina in Columbia. T.D. Moultry, who has three sacks, will miss the first half because of a targeting call in the second half of the Mississippi State loss. Georgia (10-0, 8-0 SEC): Starting linebacker Adam Anderson, who was jailed on charges of felony rape, was released on bond but is now facing a second rape charge. Kentucky (7-3, 5-3 SEC): The Wildcats will be favored to win their final two games to finish 9-3, but HBC Mark Stoops isn’t worried so much about winning as much as improving. “The challenge is to get better every week,” Stoops said. “It doesn’t matter who you play.” LSU (4-6, 2-5 SEC): Although rumors persist that Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has a serious interest in the LSU job, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic says he is “hearing that is not gonna happen.” Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M) has emphatically said no and Mel Tucker is about to sign a 10-year contract extension to stay at Michigan State. Mississippi State (6-4, 3-3 SEC): Asked on the SEC Coaches Teleconference why there is such turnover among college football coaches, HBC Mike Leach replied, “Because people are nuts … general societal mental illness.” Missouri (5-5, 2-4 SEC): Florida QB Emory Jones is a focal point of the Mizzou defense this weekend. Speaking on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday, HBC Eli Drinkwitz said Jones “presents an extra hat that we’ve got to tackle. Emory’s throwing the ball really well, so that adds a whole other dimension to their offense, with his ability to run but also to stretch the field vertically.” Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): Disgraced Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, who went to prison for securities fraud and money laundering, is tweeting that Ole Miss HBC Lane Kiffin is Miami’s top candidate to replace Manny Diaz if and when Diaz is pink slipped. South Carolina (5-5, 2-5 SEC): Auburn will be starting 6-7, 246-pound T.J. Finley at quarterback against the Gamecocks Saturday. Asked on the SEC Coaches Teleconference what impresses him about Finley, HBC Shane Beamer said, “The size and the arm strength. If there’s a quarterback in the country with a stronger arm than this guy, I’d like to see it … He’s hard to bring down, has got experience, going back to last year at LSU, obviously.” Tennessee (5-5, 3-4 SEC): Running back Tiyon Evans (552 yards) missed last week’s game with Georgia due to an injury. His status for South Alabama Saturday isn’t known. HBC Josh Heupel would only say that Evans’ injury probably won’t be season ending. Texas A&M (7-3, 4-3 SEC): The Aggies, whose facilities are already among the top five in the nation, have committed another $125 million toward re-developing the Bright Football Complex and construction of another indoor practice facility. Additionally 31 new suites will be added to 102,000-seat Kyle Field and $55 million will be spent on a brand new indoor track facility. There are also plans for a brand new academic support facility. Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6 SEC): The Commodores, who have only eight sacks in ten games, have to figure out a way to get pressure on Ole Miss QB Matt Corral, who has thrown for 2,774 yards and 17 touchdowns while running for 523 and 10 more. SEC BASKETBALL Wednesday’s scores: No. 16 Arkansas (3-0) 93, Northern Iowa (1-3) 80; VCU (2-1) 48, Vanderbilt (2-1) 37; Mississippi State (3-0) 77, Detroit Mercy (0-3) 60; Texas A&M (4-0) 73, Houston Baptist (1-2) 38 Thursday’s games: Milwaukee (1-1) at No. 24 FLORIDA (2-0); UAB (3-0) at South Carolina (2-1); Marquette (3-0) at Ole Miss (2-0); McNeese (1-2) at LSU (3-0); Northern Illinois (1-1) at Missouri (1-1) THESE FOUR SEC FOOTBALL ASSISTANTS WILL BE HEAD COACHES SOMEWHERE IN 2022 Dan Lanning, Defensive Coordinator, Georgia: Georgia’s defense is being called “generational.” Lanning is 35 years old and he’s a lights out recruiter. He grew up in the heart of Big 12 country. If Dave Aranda leaves Baylor for either LSU or Southern Cal and Sonny Dykes leaves SMU for TCU, Lanning will be on speed dial. He’ll get shoved out of the nest by Kirby Smart because he’s got Will Muschamp ready to take over. Bill O’Brien, Offensive Coordinator, Alabama: He’s been a head coach at Penn State and the NFL and has working for Bill Belichick and Nick Saban on his resume. Alabama’s offense is third in the country in scoring and QB Bryce Young might win the Heisman. He could surface as the HBC at LSU now that the top three choices (Jimbo, Lincoln Riley, Mel Tucker) apparently aren’t going anywhere. With the NCAA targeting Arizona State, O’Brien will be very attractive there since he did clean up the Penn State mess after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Kendal Briles, Offensive Coordinator, Arkansas: He won’t get the call at Baylor if Aranda leaves, but he will be on a lot of short lists because his Arkansas offenses light it up. He might be the answer at Louisiana if Billy Napier leaves for Virginia Tech or at SMU if Dykes. Mike Elko, Defensive Coordinator, Texas A&M: He is going to be very attractive, not only because he’s an exceptional defensive mind but because he can recruit. His Ivy League education (Penn) doesn’t hurt. Because he spent 12 years working for Dave Clawson, expectations are that he will make a nice hire for OC. There is a growing rumor out of Blacksburg that if Billy Napier turns down VaTech that Elko will be the next call. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The one name I keep expecting to hear – but haven’t – as one Division I school after another pink slips its head football coach is Hugh Freeze. I do understand why folks hesitate because of what happened when he was at Ole Miss. Believe it or not, when he was canned back in 2016, it wasn’t for the NCAA violations that happened on his watch, but a morals clause. Apparently he had this thing for escorts. Well, he’s cleaned up his act considerably and is 25-9 at Liberty, which extended him to 2026 and raised him to $3 million. Maybe he’s found peace and a home at Liberty, but at some point I think someone at a Power Five job is going to hire him. He’s too good a coach not to at least get serious looks.