(Photo by Chris Spears) “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” A guy named Billy – Shakespeare not Napier – wrote that line for Act II, Scene II of “Romeo and Juliet.” College football was still three centuries in the making when Shakespeare penned those words but they do sound a lot like a coaching epitaph, don’t they?   Rumors swirl that prominent University of Florida boosters have raised the more than $21 million it will take to tell Billy Napier that he has a headstart on retirement. Allegedly it’s a matter of when not if the pink slip arrives. Because he’s one of the nicest coaches on planet football it is going to be sweet sorrow when the time comes for Napier’s gainful employment to cease. Everybody loves the football culture Napier has established where accountability and good citizenship are stressed, but there is this teensy little problem called winning and that supercedes all the good will accumulated since December of 2022 when he was hired.   Billy Napier is paid more than $7.2 million to win football games not run a social experiment. While Napier may have transformed Florida football into a Boy Scout troop, he is paid to win and contend for national championships. This is a very violent game and the teams that win championships tend to be comprised of a few Boy Scouts and a majority of borderline psychopaths. The Gators have a lot of nice guys but not enough borderline psychopaths.   So far, the closest Billy Napier has come to winning a championship is taking home the Gasparilla Bowl trophy to cap off a 4-game winning streak at the end of 2024. Instead of building upon last year’s one step forward, the Gators have followed with two steps backward. Through 44 games as the UF head coach, Napier is 21-23. Barring something completely unforeseen, Napier will become the first coach since Raymond “Bear” Wolf to finish his Florida coaching career with more losses than wins.   The Gators will play Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2 SEC) at The Swamp Saturday, perhaps the last chance Napier will have to add another win to his coaching resume since Georgia follows. Although it is possible the Gators can win these next two games, the likelihood that happens falls into the donkeys may fly first category.   This is a cold, cruel business that doesn’t tolerate losing. Billy Napier has had adequate time and resources to build a winner. He hasn’t won often enough so now it’s time to part company.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Ohio State 6-0; 2. Miami 5-0; 3. Indiana 6-0; 4. Texas A&M 6-0; 5. Ole Miss 6-0; 6. Alabama 5-1; 7. Texas Tech 6-0; 8. Oregon 5-1; 9. Georgia 5-1; 10. LSU 5-1; 11. Tennessee 5-1; 12. Georgia Tech 6-0; 13. Notre Dame 4-2; 14. Oklahoma 5-1; 15. BYU 6-0; 16. Missouri 5-1; 17. Vanderbilt 5-1; 18. Virginia 5-1; 19. South Florida 5-1; 20. Southern California 5-1; 21. Texas 4-2; 22. Memphis 6-0; 23. Utah 5-1; 24. Cincinnati 5-1; 25. Nebraska 5-1   AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Ohio State 6-0; 2. Miami 5-0; 3. Indiana 6-0; 4. Texas A&M 6-0; 5. Ole Miss 6-0; 6. Alabama 5-1; 7. Georgia 5-1; 8. Texas Tech 6-0; 9. Oregon 5-1; 10. LSU 5-1; 11. Tennessee 5-1; 12. Georgia Tech 6-0; 13. Oklahoma 5-1; 14. BYU 6-0; 15. Notre Dame 4-2; 16. Missouri 5-1; 17. Texas 4-2; 18. Vanderbilt 5-1; 19. Virginia 5-1; 20. Memphis 6-0; 21. Southern California 5-1; 22. Utah 5-1; 23. South Florida 5-1; 24. Cincinnati; 25. Illinois 5-2   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: MIDSEASON EDITION Extinct Species List Brent Pry, Virginia Tech: They would love for Shane Beamer to do a return of the native, but why leave the SEC with its money and prestige for the ACC? Michael Vick was getting a lot of attention but he’s 1-6 as a first time coach at Norfolk State.   Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: Keep an eye on Dana Holgorsen, who has revived the Nebraska offense. When Holgorsen was the OC for Gundy, Oklahoma State was dynamic.   DeShaun Foster, UCLA: Tim Skipper as the interim and Jerry Neuheisel as the OC have won two games and lit up the scoreboard for 80 points and 853 yards. If they keep up the winning and scoring they might be the permanent replacements.   James Franklin, Penn State: First off, Franklin is owed $49 million because he was fired without cause. Hope he can squeeze by in the future. Trent Dilfer, UAB: It wasn’t so much the losing as it is the empty seats. There is a lot of very young talent if they can keep it for whoever the Dilfer replacement might be.   Trent Bray, Oregon State: He was 0-7 this year, 5-14 for his tenure. This is a very difficult situation. Oregon State was orphaned by the Pac-12, has very little money and a weird remake of the Pac-12 starting next year.   Sam Pittman, Arkansas: Bobby Petrino is the interim and he’s making a case to be the replacement. His offense is lights out. Jerry Jones wants Rhett Lashley of SMU.   On Life Support Billy Napier, Florida: Buzzards are circling The Heavener Center.   Bill Belichick, North Carolina: This is not going well. Consider the legend seriously tarnished. He got the dreaded vote of confidence from the AD. Is firing day far off?   Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: The blowout loss to Iowa hasn’t helped his situation. He could get the axe after Ohio State on Saturday. If not then, the week after the loss to Oregon.   Joe Moorhead, Akron: A 2-10 or 3-9 season seems imminent.   Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: He’s living proof that you can lose wherever you are. Fine defensive coordinator who should have never been a head coach.     Endangered Species List Butch Jones, Arkansas State: The Red Wolves are 2-4 with a tough second half of the schedule ahead. He’s taken Arky State to two straight bowl games so he probably doesn’t get pink slipped if he can get to five wins somehow.   Hugh Freeze, Auburn: There is a faction that wants him gone, but AD John Cohen seems to be standing by his man.   Dell McGee, Georgia State: The Panthers have lost three in a row and they’re 1-5. They don’t have a lot of money at Georgia State so he is hanging by a thread.   SEC FOOTBALL (Associated Press rankings) 6. Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC): For all the talk about Ty Simpson, the difference-maker is Jam Miller, who gained 136 in the win over Vandy and 85 in the win over Mizzou … Alabama is a 9.5-point favorite at home Saturday. Saturday: No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC)   Arkansas (2-4, 0-2 SEC): Taylen Green continues to lead the country in total offense, averaging 359.7 yards per game. Green has accounted for 17 touchdowns, 14 through the air and three on the ground … Arkansas is a 7.5-point underdog for the Aggies. Saturday: No. 4 Texas A&M (6-0, 3-0 SEC)   Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC): It will be interesting to see the SEC’s commentary on the questionable call of a fumble at the goal line against Georgia. Video evidence seems conclusive that Jackson Arnold was in the end zone when a Georgia player punched the ball out Saturday night. This is the second time Auburn has lost a football game in large part due to bad SEC officials …   Despite three straight SEC losses, Auburn is a slight 2.5-point favorite at home against Mizzou. Saturday: No. 16 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 9 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC): Georgia allowed only 50 yards in the second half of its win over Auburn … The early line has Georgia a 6.5-point favorite over Ole Miss. Saturday: No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC)   Kentucky (2-4, 0-2 SEC): Barring an injury, the Wildcats will either sink or swim with redshirt freshman Cutter Boley at QB the rest of the year … The Wildcats are a 10.5-point underdog at home against Texas. Saturday: No. 21 Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC)   No. 10 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC): Defensive linemen Jimari Butler and Bernard Gooden left the South Carolina game with injuries and did not return. Their status for Vanderbilt has yet to be determined … LSU is a 2.5-point underdog on the road this week. Saturday: at No. 17 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC)   Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2 SEC): Due to the advent of the 9-game SEC schedule, Mississippi State has canceled its home and home with Washington State for 2030-31 … The Bulldogs are 9.5-point underdogs at Florida. Saturday: at FLORIDA (2-4, 1-2 SEC)   No. 16 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC): A pair of interceptions thrown by Beau Pribula turned out to be the difference makers in the Tigers’ loss to Alabama … The Tigers are ranked and Auburn is not, but Auburn is a 2.5-point favorite this weekend. Saturday: at Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC)   No. 14 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC): The Sooners are still the No. 1 team in the country in total defense, giving up just 211.2 yards per game … Oklahoma is a 4.5-point favorite on the road Saturday. Saturday: at South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC)   No. 5 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC): Lane Kiffin was not pleased with the way Ole Miss finished its win over Washington State. “I told them I hope they don’t feel good about the way they played. I let them know I was disappointed in that effort. We have got to learn that when we get up to go ahead and finish them off. We have not learned that lesson yet.” … Ole Miss is a 6.5-point underdog on the road at Georgia. Saturday: at No. 9 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC)   South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC): Offensive line coach Lonnie Tinsley has been removed of his duties. He is being replaced by former Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliott … The Gamecocks are 4.5-point home underdogs this week. Saturday: No. 14 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC): Tennessee beat Arkansas despite giving up four explosive running plays that combined for 108 rushing yards. The Vols allowed nine other runs for 10 or more yards … The Vols go on the road as 9.5-point underdogs for Alabama. Saturday: at No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC)   No. 21 Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC): Texas held Oklahoma to 48 rushing yards and 258 yards of offense … The Longhorns are 10.5-point favorites over Kentucky. Saturday: at Kentucky (2-4, 0-2 SEC)   No. 4 Texas A&M (6-0, 3-0 SEC): After giving up 157 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, the Aggies allowed only three points and 162 yards the rest of the way against Florida … The Aggies are 7.5-point favorites on the road this week. Saturday: at Arkansas (2-4, 0-2 SEC)   No. 17 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC): The Commodores need only one win in their last six games to be bowl eligible for the second straight year … Vanderbilt is a 2.5-point favorite to beat LSU Saturday. Saturday: No. 11 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC)

Billy Napier: Is he about to go the way of James Franklin?

(Photo by Chris Spears) It seemed like a good idea at the moment, that decision Billy Napier made with less than 13 minutes left in the game Saturday night and the Florida Gators trailing Texas A&M, 24-17. Following a run up the gut in which Jadan Baugh was stuffed for no gain, the Gators faced fourth-and-6, the ball sitting on the Aggie 49, a situation that calls for a punt.   Well, it should have been a punt. In retrospect, Napier should have sent Tommy Doman out there with orders to hang one high enough that the ball came down wet and inside the A&M 10. Emphasis on should have.   What’s that they say? Discretion is the better part of valor? Any discretion that might have been urging Napier to send in the punt team was overruled. When DJ Lagway misfired on a pass over the middle intended for Vernell Brown III Florida’s chances to spring an upset over the 5 th -ranked Aggies (6-0, 3-0 SEC) dissipated into the atmosphere.   Taking over with 12:48 left, the Aggies ran off 12 plays and 8:09, turning it into a 2-score game with 4:39 left on a 2-yard run by Rueben Owens. During the game-clinching drive that made it a 31-17 game, the Aggies were in no hurry to squeeze off the next play and the Gators, it seemed, were in no hurry to make a stop. There was no stopping the Aggies from grinding the Gators into submission.   Owens’ TD made it a 14-point crater, deep enough that the Gators needed a miracle of parting the Red Sea proportions to stage a comeback but on this night no miracles were to be had.   “ I think that the analytics would say at that point you go for it, but in general, yes that's one you think about,” Napier defended his decision following Florida's 34-17 loss. “I think we got to execute the third-down play a little bit better. In general, we got to execute on first and second to stay out of some of these third and longs, but  yeah, you always look back at those when they don't work. I think sometimes they do and you're happy with them, but when they don't you second guess yourself."     This was a night when there was plenty of second guessing to go around, particularly after the Gators had a house on fire first quarter. In the first quarter, the Gators lit up the Aggie defense for 14 points and 157 yards. DJ Lagway was 10-12 passing for 128 yards and two touchdowns.   How is it that in quarters two through four the Gators managed only 162 yards and three points? Obviously, the Texas A&M defense adjusted, but why didn’t Napier and the Florida offense counter with adjustments of their own? After a rather impressive first quarter, Lagway completed only 7-25 of his passes for 117 yards the rest of the way. The Gators managed to convert only 1-11 on third down.   A week ago against Texas, the Florida offensive line gave Lagway all the time he needed to find open receivers. Against the Aggies the UF offensive line did a dandy impersonation of the guys who resembled matadors in losses to LSU and Miami.   This is how Napier described the meltdown after the first quarter: “ They showed up playing a little more man coverage, man pressure, they played bracket to mixed bracket with that. Obviously, a lot of those throws were runs that were tagged with run pass options and we were attacking the corners in cover one. Once we proved that we could win outside, I think they settled down and played a little bit more post safety zone. We were running into light boxes at times we just weren’t, it was muddy in there, we got six for six and we’re getting three. In general, we got to be cleaner in the run game when we’re handing it off in the boxes that are light. And we threw some great RPOs, I thought DJ did a good job in that regard. Our guys made plays outside but not just enough consistency to move it once we got into the scoring area. We got to finish those possessions.”   Got it? Now we know.   After the first quarter, the offense went in the tank. The defense was in the tank from the beginning and, for the most part, stayed in the tank the entire game. This wasn’t the same defense that made life miserable for Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns a week ago. That defense sacked Manning six times, hit him eight others and hurried him 22 times. The defense that took the field against the Aggies couldn’t lay a hand on Marcel Reed, who completed 16-26 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown and ran seven times for 38 yards and another TD. Texas, a week ago, managed only 52 rushing yards. The Aggies pounded away for 183.Texas converted 3-11 on third down. The Aggies converted 9-16.   Was Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein simply in a playcalling coma in which everything he dialed up worked, or did Florida’s defense leave its game at the team hotel? Whatever it was, the Gators had their worst defensive showing of the season. Couple that with three miserable quarters on offense and it adds up to the fourth loss at the midway point of the 2025 season.   One bad decision didn’t determine the outcome Saturday night, but it was all too reminiscent of what has been going on for the 44 games of the Billy Napier era at the University of Florida. Napier is 21-23 and at least 14 times the Gators have been within a touchdown or a fourth quarter field goal of tying or taking the lead. Too often the final outcome has come down to a decision that seemed like a good idea at the moment.   It happened one more time against the Aggies. How many more times does it happen before someone in charge says no more?   SEC FOOTBALL No. 4 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) 24, Washington State (3-3) 21: The Rebels won to remain unbeaten but they might tumble a couple of places when the polls come out after struggling to beat Washington State. A 32.5-point favorite, Ole Miss had to hold on for dear life in the fourth quarter to avoid a stunning upset. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran for one more. Kewan Lacey ran for a career-high 186 yards. Afterward, Lane Kiffin said, “We are ranked fourth but we played like the 84 th -ranked team in the country. Quit reading the rat poison and make plays.”   Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC) 23, No. 6 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC) 6: Lots of credit will be given to Arch Manning but it’s the Texas defense that came up big against Oklahoma, forcing three turnovers and sacking John Mateer five times for -32 yards. Manning was sacked only once and he was a very efficient 21-26 throwing the ball for 160 yards and a touchdown. With no running game to rely on (Oklahoma had 48 yards), Mateer was a sitting duck. Texas avoided the dreaded third loss that would have all but eliminated the Longhorns from eventually making the College Football Playoff field. With only one loss, Oklahoma is still in the running.   No. 8 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) 27, No. 14 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC) 24: Dijon Lee Jr. intercepted Beau Pribula with 37 seconds remaining to preserve Alabama’s win over Missouri. Alabama turned the tables on Missouri by controlling the football for 38 minutes. Mizzou came into the game leading the nation in time of possession, but the Tigers couldn’t get their defense off the field against Alabama. Missouri’s conservative game plan played right into Alabama’s hands. The Tigers never got Ahmad Hardy (12 carries, 52 yards) untracked and Pribula averaged only six yards per pass attempt. Ty Simpson completed 23-31 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns without throwing a pick. Look for Alabama to move into the top five when the polls come out.   No. 10 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) 20, Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC) 10: Georgia was on the verge of going down 17-0 when Jackson Arnold fumbled at the goal line with 1:32 remaining in the first half. Georgia marched 99 yards in 1:19 for a field goal, then dominated the second half. Auburn racked up 237 offensive yards in the first half, but only 40 in the second. Georgia, which had only 78 yards in the first half, had 218 in the second. Gunner Stockton was 17-24 for 158 passing yards in the second half.   No. 11 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC) 20, South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC) 10: LSU’s defense sacked LaNorris Sellers five times while forcing two turnover in handing the Gamecocks their third SEC loss. LSU’s pressure forced Sellers into a terrible 4.59 yards per pass attempt and only 19 net rushing yards in 22 carries. The Tigers were able to generate 166 rushing yards which helped keep the heat off Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, although he was picked off twice.   No. 12 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) 34, Arkansas (2-4, 0-2 SEC) 31: The Vols sealed the win over Arkansas by running the ball for two first downs in the last three minutes. Tennessee built up a 34-17 lead then held on in the fourth quarter as Taylen Green threw for a pair of touchdowns to lead the Arkansas comeback. Green finished the day with 256 passing yards and two touchdowns, 63 on the ground with another TD. Mike Washington ran for 131 yards as the Razorbacks went off for 496 yards on the UT defense. Tennessee got 485 yards including 264 on the ground. DeSean Bishop ran for 146 and Joey Aguilar threw for 221 and ran for 59.   NEXT SATURDAY Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2 SEC) at FLORIDA (2-4, 1-2 SEC) No. 4 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) at No. 10 Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC) No. 5 Texas A&M (6-0, 3-0 SEC) at Arkansas (2-4, 0-2 SEC) No. 6 Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC) at South Carolina (3-3, 1-3 SEC) No. 12 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 8 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) No. 11 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 20 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC) No. 14 Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-3, 0-3 SEC) Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC) at Kentucky (2-4, 0-2 SEC)

Florida starts fast but sputters again as Napier falls to 0-14 against ranked teams on the road where a questionable fourth down call leads to lopsided loss. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows Not much time for Billy Napier? (Chris Spears photo) What We Thought: Could it be? Maybe? Once again in articles and podcasts this past week many questioned was the team that folks saw against Texas going to be the standard the Gators would play to for the remainder of the season with several monumental games left in the nation’s toughest schedule. While the Gators were a little over a touchdown underdog, many thought that the week off prior to Texas had allowed the offense to grow to DJ Lagway’s strengths and the addition of Dallas Wilson had given the offense life. Add to the fact that Florida’s defense was coming off their best defensive performance of the season forcing two turnovers along with six sacks against Texas. Would we see a run of seven straight wins? 6 of the next seven? An actual Cocktail Party that means something? If last week was a measuring stick well, maybe? Florida definitely has the roster to compete with most teams in the country, particularly in a very crowded SEC. Yet here we are yet again to unpack another double-digit road loss, on national TV, at prime time, and correct me if I’m wrong, this is the University of Florida correct? What We Got : Florida received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard pass from Lagway to Amir Jackson. A&M would get the ball and return the slap in the face in just two plays which began with a 67-yard pass from Marcel Reed to Mario Craver which led you to think, I thought defense traveled? It was evident as Florida then answered with a lackluster three and out that unfortunately we were in for more of the same as A&M bullied the Gators with another diverse attack that this was going to be another one to add to the “Fire Napier” resume’. Florida would fight and make enough plays to keep it interesting going into the fourth quarter trailing just 24-17 but it was clear that Gig Em’ was the better crew. The final blow was not dealt by the hands of Mike Elko’s Aggies but a self-inflicted wound that must have come from the many Florida analyst that thought a fourth and go with 13 minutes left in the game from the Texas A&M 49 was a good idea instead of pinning the Aggies deep and flipping field position. Instead, the Aggies used eight minutes to go 51 yards and deal a death blow on a Rueben Owens 2-yard run. There will be 11-year-olds with game controllers in their hands today that will think about punting against their online friends in that situation, but the Jordan shirts and Napier thought otherwise. Florida had punted four times up to that point, what’s wrong with one more? The Skinny: I said it before and I’m sticking to it. This is a coaching change waiting to happen, and as a former coach it is not something I take any pleasure in watching. The fact still remains that there are too many head scratching performances and decisions that have led to a historically bad four-year stretch to continue down this road with Napier at the helm. Is Lagway the problem? Well Napier recruited him. Is the offensive line not great?  That’s on Napier too? Is the offensive system, practice, and preparation flawed? Napier too. All while holding court in the most fertile recruiting grounds in all of football with a Top 5 brand and the most recognizable arm motion in sports. If you can’t get 8 wins a year in Gainesville, the problem is you. The players conduct themselves like gentleman off the field.  They are approachable, they go to class, and they are lock stock and barrel dedicated to the football program. Unfortunately, when in three of the four losses you lose the line of scrimmage badly and the fourth loss is to USF, its time. When Dan Mullen was relieved of his duties in 2021, I cautioned that if Florida was not careful, they would end up like Nebraska who last won a title in 1997 and are on their sixth coach since the great Tom Osborne. Florida will soon be looking for their seventh coach since the departure of Steve Spurrier and there has only been a handful of seasons after where the Gators have been truly relevant at the national level. All due respect to Pope Urban. At the end of the day, this goes further than who is calling the plays, how many Jordan shirts walk the building, or when you go or don’t go. You are judged by twelve Saturdays in the fall and the work or lack thereof is not being done at a level to win games in the nation’s toughest league at its most competitive time in history. Napier has been gracious to many and seems to be genuinely a nice guy but 21-23 just won’t get it. There will be a lot of speculation of who will lead the charge next year but what is evident is it will be someone other than Billy Napier.   Final Score: Florida 17 Texas A&M 34

By Carlton Reese GatorBait Media Despite falling at Texas A&M, with a healthy D.J. Lagway there should be high expectations the rest of the way for Florida. Hopes were much higher than expectations heading into Saturday night’s game in College Station, so there were very few surprises for Gator fans.  The Texas A&M Aggies, ranked No.5 and likely the most complete football team in the country, took control of a tight game with about five minutes to play and unmercifully put an end to Florida’s recent Murderer’s Row of a schedule. The end of four straight games against top 10 opponents, three on the road, is some of the good news for Florida. Winning one of the four games is sure to disappoint, but not altogether embarrassing and this season has a very real chance of being salvaged based on the improvements made the last two weeks. The Aggies won by a score of 34-17, but that did not properly explain the competitive battle that took place between what looked like two very good football teams. Florida’s opening drive that went 75 yards likely stunned A&M with its efficiency – the Aggies haven’t witnessed too many sustained drives such as this against their defense this season. Florida QB D.J. Lagway found open receivers and had time to throw, but the rest of the way he would be a helpless harp seal amid hungry orcas. He was sacked four times, was chased or harassed on nearly every other throw, yet still completed 20-for-36 for 229 yards and two touchdowns. The bottom line is that Texas A&M wasn’t going to be beaten by anybody, not even Florida had it brought its best, which it did not. But, Florida did bring something that looked much different from what it took to Baton Rouge and Miami in September. This Florida team belonged on the field with that Texas A&M team, which is saying a mouthful. There are no moral victories at the University of Florida, but on Saturday night the Gators looked the part of a team that is not finished beating high-ranked opponents. Texas A&M has no weak spots to exploit, and Florida discovered that first-hand. Even so, the Gators trailed just 24-17 when Jordan Castell intercepted Marcel Reed in the end zone to start the fourth quarter. That set Florida up with a potential game-tying drive which seemed promising when the Gators moved to the Aggie 49. On fourth-and-six, however, coach Billy Napier made the decision to eschew the punt and go for the first down, which ended up in an incompletion. Fifty yards, 13 plays and over eight minutes later, Texas A&M was in the end zone and any chance of a Florida upset was snuffed. That Florida was within such close reach in this one late in the game and with A&M’s offense seemingly unstoppable at one point, one has to wonder just what this Florida team is capable of accomplishing. It’s no fun to dwell on a loss, but this was likely the toughest one on the schedule, and now we can simply look to what’s ahead. At 2-4, the Gators are not where they want to be, but if anyone thinks Florida will be a prohibitive underdog in any game from here on out, they haven’t been watching. Lagway is not the blind man that threw five picks at LSU – he is the leader of an offense that possesses weapons necessary to score a lot of points no matter who is calling the plays. Why only 17 against A&M? That may be the toughest team in the country to block right now. So, there’s no more hoping the rest of the way; it’s all expectations from now on. Expectations that Florida will send out a scary team for each of the remaining games is imminent. In two of the next three games, the Gators will be favored: at home against a good Mississippi State team and on the road against a Kentucky team decidedly at its weakest under Mark Stoops. What stands in between those two games is Florida’s season. That would be the Georgia Bulldogs, not the juggernaut their record or ranking seem to portray. Dare I say, Florida is better and had damn well better prove it at the annual cocktail party. At Ole Miss could be fun if Florida decides to show up – lowly Washington State went to Oxford and nearly embarrassed the Rebels and Lane Kiffin, who escaped by the skin of their teeth Saturday. Florida could very well be on a roll when it faces Ole Miss and there are light years between the Cougars and the Gators. Tennessee and Florida State at home – by this point, Florida may very well be darlings of Vegas and be giving the Vols points. The Noles may be playing with a lame duck coach when they come to Gainesville. So why all this optimism and armchair prognostication following yet another loss? Makes no sense, I’ll admit, but Florida has come to the crossroads of the season and despite falling at Texas A&M there is still some momentum left over from the Texas victory a week ago. The crossroads represent the movement from carrying hopes into games to carrying expectations into games. Facing a team as good as Texas A&M on the road was an exercise in hope. There is no more hope, only expectations, and I for one am expecting good things to happen. The season did not turn around with the victory over Texas, and the season was not flushed with the loss at A&M. What those two games did was set the table for what kind of team the Florida Gators are moving forward, and I think looking back at those two games in total, this is still a team moving in the right direction. Now, it’s time to live up to those expectations.

AqKeep your eyes on No. 25 at Kyle Field. Cormani McClain could be the key. (Chris Spears Photo)

DJ on the move -- no matter his gimpy leg. What a game! (Chris Spears photo)

(Photo by Chris Spears) A year ago, Marcel Reed burst onto the college football scene by lighting up the Florida Gators in The Swamp. In his first collegiate start, Reed threw for an efficient 178 yards and two touchdowns without a pick, plus ran for 83 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries as Texas A&M handed the Gators a 33-20 defeat that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score would seem to indicate.   A year later and Reed finds himself mentioned among Heisman Trophy candidates. Already he has thrown for 1,256 yards (8.7 per attempt) and 11 touchdowns while running for 149 yards and two more scores. Reed benefits from a huge offensive line that paves the way for a running game that averages more than 195 yards and gives him time to throw to two of the best deep threat receivers (Mario Craver, 30-557, 5 TDs; KC Concepcion (24-401, 5 TDs).   With Reed in control of the offense, the Aggies (5-0, 1-0 SEC) have as much or more firepower than any team the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) have faced this season but they can be slowed down as Auburn proved three weeks ago. Auburn gave up 414 yards, but held the Aggies to a touchdown and three field goals. Reed didn’t throw a TDP, threw an interception and was sacked for -23 yards in losses. Had Auburn generated any kind of offense, the Tigers could have sprung the upset. Texas A&M played very good defense in that game, but Auburn’s offense was almost as dismal as Florida’s was against Miami.   There are some similarities here between the Aggies and Miami. Both have outstanding skill people and great size and strength on both lines of scrimmage. Florida was worn down by Miami, but, like Auburn, had the Gators generated any kind of offense, they could have won the game. The defense played well enough to win but finally gave way in the fourth quarter in large part because the offense couldn’t keep them off the field. The Aggies have some explosive players, but the real secret of their success is their ability to pound away and wear out their opponents in the fourth quarter.   Two weeks after the Miami debacle the Gators finally played like the team Billy Napier and the rest of the civilized world expected in beating Texas. After three straight below par performances, the offense went off for 457 yards including 298 through the air by DJ Lagway. The defense, meanwhile, totally shut down the Texas running game while harassing Arch Manning for four full quarters. Florida’s relentless pass rush sacked Manning six times, hit him eight others and hurried him 22 times. The Florida secondary came through with a pair of interceptions and quite frankly, should have had three others. Special teams blocked a punt and converted two field goals.   A similar effort is what it will take for the Gators to beat the Aggies at Kyle Field (7 p.m., ESPN) Saturday. Texas A&M comes into the game ranked 5 th nationally while looking every bit capable of making it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game as well as the College Football Playoff. Florida comes into the game looking like a team every bit as  capable leaving its game at the team hotel as showing up beast mode.   That is the dilemma that is 2025 Gators. With seven games to go, there isn’t a team on the schedule the Gators can’t beat. At the same time, there isn’t a team remaining they can’t lose to.   It is anybody’s guess which team will show up Saturday night. If it’s the one that played so poorly against LSU and Miami, it will be a long, long night in College Station. If it’s the one that was snorting fire last week, Texas A&M could find itself in trouble. A week ago against Texas the Gators could have beaten any team in the country.   To beat the Aggies and even their record at 3-3, here are the keys for the Gators:   Cut the head off the snake: That's an Al McGuire basketball term that applies to this football game. The snake is Marcel Reed and it is imperative of Florida defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to dial up a game plan that makes him feel like he just earned an F- on his Romper Room report card. A week ago Roberts creeper defense had Arch Manning feeling dazed and confused. Arch was seeing ghosts where he thought the blitz was coming from, particularly in the second half. Cut the head off the Aggie snake and the Gators will be in the hunt for a win.   The O-line has to keep DJ Lagway’s jersey clean: Texas couldn’t get to DJ Lagway even one time last week because the offensive line had perhaps its best game in two years. Given a clean pocket and time to throw, Lagway sliced and diced the Texas defense. With adequate time, Lagway rarely needed to force anything downfield. CJ Carr of Notre Dame had time and he torched the Aggies for 293 yards so they are vulnerable. CJ Carr only throws the ball like Lagway in his dreams.   Napier has to be willing to take chances throwing the ball downfield: Against Texas, the Florida offense shed its predictable mode. Sure, there was a concerted effort to run the ball and take time off the clock, but Napier showed a willingness to let freshmen Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III run free as banshees in the Texas secondary. These guys are better than the Notre Dame receivers by a wide margin, but Napier has to be willing to cut the passing game loose. If the Aggies are on their heels in the secondary, Jadan Baugh will have a big game running the ball, too.   Play to win, not to lose: That means an aggressive game plan on both sides of the ball from bell to bell. To win this game at Kyle Field with 108,000 doing their best to make life miserable for the Gators, it’s going to take an aggressive style both offensively and defensively to take the crowd out of the game. Florida’s margin for error is slim so the Gators cannot allow the Aggies to get juiced up by the crowd. If its crickets in the stadium in the fourth quarter, then Billy Napier will have defied the odds for another week.   The pick: Florida in a stunning white knuckles upset.   SEC FOOTBALL Washington State (3-2) at No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): For Ole Miss, this is a tuneup game because next week the Rebels will be in Athens to face Georgia. Washington State isn’t very good so unless Ole Miss leaves its game in The Grove, this one will be over by halftime. The Rebels are favored by 32.5 points and they could cover the spread by halftime. Trinidad Chambliss will get the start at QB, but he should be wearing a ball cap in the second half as Austin Simmons sees his first playing time in weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain against Arkansas. Whoever is at quarterback should put up some big numbers because Wazzoo gave up 118 points, 545 yards and eight TDPs in losses to North Texas and Washington. The pick: Ole Miss   No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC), in Dallas: This is an elimination game for Texas. Three losses at midseason and an 0-2 start in the SEC will constitute an early exit from championship contention for the team that was supposed to win it all. Two things to think about. All eyes will be on John Mateer. If he plays and he is throwing the ball accurately, it’s going to be a long afternoon for the Longhorns. Second, for all the talk about Mateer, Oklahoma’s defense is ranked No. 1 in the nation, giving up 193 yards per game. Unless Texas suddenly discovers a heretofore dormant running game, Arch Manning is going to think the pass rush he saw against Florida last week was Romper Room. For Texas to win this game, Mateer has to sit the game out, its defense has to consistently give the Longhorns great field position and the offensive line is going to have to figure out how to actually block a pass rusher. The pick: Oklahoma   No. 8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) at No. 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Probably the best game of the day will be played at noon, 11 a.m. Central time. The number that should be on everyone’s mind is 37:29:40. As in time of possession. Missouri leads the country in time of possession by a wide margin. When the Tigers get the ball they drive it relentlessly down their opponents’ throats with the best stable of running backs in the SEC led by Ahmad Hardy, who leads the country in rushing. When opponents load up the box to stop the run, Beau Pribula throws it over the top. Missouri’s ability to control the clock is one reason the Tigers have the No. 2 defense in the country. The trick for Alabama will be to (a) get the Tigers off the field and (b) get the lead, forcing Mizzou to play from behind. Ty Simpson, who is completing 70.4 percent of his passes and has 13 TDPs against only one pick, has to have a big game. If he gets some help on the ground from Jam Miller, Alabama can hand Mizzou its first loss. If this game were in Tuscaloosa, picking Alabama would be a no brainer. The game is in Columbia. The pick: Missouri   No. 10 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Auburn can’t run the ball. Stopping the run is the one thing Georgia’s defense has done exceptionally well, so the question for Auburn is can Jackson Arnold mount enough of a threat throwing the ball to make this game interesting? He’s averaging only 6.3 yards per attempt so it’s not like he’s a real threat to light up a Georgia secondary that is average at best. Auburn’s defense is rather good and the Tigers do get after quarterbacks (16 sacks). For the Tigers to have any kind of chance to spring the upset, the defense will have to get the job done by making Gunner Stockton seem ordinary. For Auburn to win this game fewer than 35 points can be scored by both teams combined. The pick: Georgia   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) at No. 11 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC): This could wind up being the most boring game of the day. South Carolina’s offense stinks and LSU’s isn’t much better. South Carolina ranks 127 th nationally in total offense. LSU’s only game with more than two offensive touchdowns was against D1AA Southeastern Louisiana. Neither Garrett Nussmeier nor LaNorris Sellers are playing like the Heisman Trophy candidates they were predicted to be. Neither team can run the ball. Nussmeier and Sellers aren’t turning the ball over, but they aren’t exactly wearing out opposing secondaries with their pinpoint passing either. So, it’s going to come down to who plays the best defense. If this game were in Columbia the Gamecocks would have the edge, but it’s not. The pick: LSU   Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC) at No. 12 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Tennessee has scored at least 41 points in all five games. The Vols might get 60 against the very bad Arkansas defense. Tennessee is going to have all sorts of issues trying to contain Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green, the national leader in total offense. Green is the perfect fit in a Bobby Petrino offense, so scoring points will be the least of the worries for the Hogs. Can they stop someone? That’s the problem. Probably not, but against the Razorbacks it shouldn’t really matter. The pick: Tennessee

It's a Homegoing for Lagway and Billy sees it as "another opportunity” for the Gators (Chris Spears photo)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Give Billy Napier and the Florida Gators an A+ for handling adversity as evidenced by the 29-21 win over Texas that not only broke a 3-game losing streak but knocked the Longhorns completely out of the Associated Press top 25 poll. Had the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) lost that one, the calls for Napier’s coaching head on a platter would have sounded something close to the crowd at The Swamp in the fourth quarter of the win over the Longhorns.   Three days later, the euphoria of the Texas win is beginning to wear off. The warm and fuzzies are being replaced by the here and now of a road trip to College Station to face 5 th -ranked Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC) Saturday evening (7 p.m., ESPN). This will be Florida’s fourth consecutive game against a top ten team and the third time in the last four the Gators have faced a top five. Nobody in the country has had to deal with a schedule like this and beyond Saturday, it’s only going to get worse. Beyond the Aggies, the Gators still have games remaining with No. 10 Georgia (in Jacksonville), No. 4 Ole Miss (in Oxford) and home games with No. 12 Tennessee and No. 25 Florida State. Mississippi State and Kentucky are the only unranked teams remaining.   “Every time you’re waking up it's like you’ve got another mountain to climb,” Napier said Monday.   The Aggies are a mountain. They might just be the best team in the Southeastern Conference and when they’re at home with 108,000 or so shoehorned into Kyle Field, they are as tough to beat as any team in the country. The Gators can come close to matching the Aggies when it comes to personnel, but the Aggies have found a measure of consistency on both sides of the football, while the Gators have had their struggles.   In beating Texas, the Gators found success in all three phases of the game. The Gators played well enough defensively to beat both LSU (then No. 3) and Miami (then No. 4, now No. 2), but the offense was a no show in both games. Against Texas, the Gators racked up 457 yards and dominated time of possession by more than eight minutes. Perhaps feeding off the energy of the offense, the defense made life miserable for Arch Manning with six sacks, eight quarterback hits and 22 hurries, plus two interceptions. Special teams blocked a punt.   Florida quarterback DJ Lagway finally looked like the quarterback he was expected to be against Texas, throwing for 298 yards and two touchdowns, both to freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson, who made his collegiate debut against the Longhorns. Wilson caught six passes for 111 yards. Jadan Baugh ran for 107 yards and a TD.   What made it all work was an offensive line that didn’t give up a sack and dominated the Texas front seven.   Napier has been saying for the last three weeks that the quarterback would play better when everyone around him played better. That’s a two-way street.   “The quarterback gets the praise when the other players play really well and we played better around the kid … and DJ played better, so it’s a combination of all of them,” Napier said.   To beat the Aggies in College Station, the Gators will have to execute in all three phases of the game once again. The Aggies are very good, but by no means invincible.   They run the ball well (195.4 yards per game), throw the ball with consistency (271.4 yards per game) and they do a good job of protecting quarterback Marcel Reed. Defensively, the Aggies give up just 289 yards per game and they have 18 sacks, but Notre Dame threw for 293 yards against them while allowing only two sacks.     “We know what it’s going to be like, so we’re capable,” Napier said. “I think that’s the big thing. You wake up knowing that you’ve got the tools to do it. It’s just going to be who plays the best that day and that’s the reality in college football right now. You got to be ready to go each week independent of the opponent.”   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC): Speaking about Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy (730 yards) Jamal Roberts (350 yards), defensive coordinator Kane Womack said, “They’ve got two running backs that are as good as anybody we’ve seen the last year-and-a-half here.” … Linebacker Justin Jefferson was selected SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the win over Vanderbilt. Selected as SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week was center Parker Brailsford … Alabama is a 2.5-point favorite on the road at Mizzou. Saturday: at No. 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC)   Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Interim head coach Bobby Petrino is looking at the final seven games as a second chance after the way he departed the Arkansas program 13 years ago. “I felt like I had a lot of unfinished business here and I still feel that way,” Petrino told Chris Low of On3 … The Razorbacks are 11.5-point underdogs on the road in Knoxville. Saturday: at No. 12 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC)   Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Looking back on the last couple of losses in which the offense under-performed, HBC Hugh Freeze said, “When you don’t perform in a manner that gives your kids a chance to win a game like a couple of weeks ago against a really good football team, it’s sickening and disappointing.” … The Tigers are 3.5-point underdogs against Georgia. Saturday: No. 10 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC)   Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC): The Bulldogs have made a change at corner ahead of Saturday’s game at Auburn. Daniel Harris has been replaced by Ellis Robinson IV. Additionally, Demello Jones will see more playing time at corner as Georgia tries to tighten up a pass defense that ranks 13 th in the SEC … Georgia is favored by 3.5 points over Auburn. Saturday: at Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC)   Kentucky (2-3, 0-3 SEC): Despite growing angst among the fan and booster base with HBC Mark Stoops, he’s safe because of a $38 million buyout … Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan is hanging by a thread.   No. 11 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier essentially took the bye week off to rest and get back to 100 percent for the remainder of the season … Running back and leading rusher Caden Durham, who missed the Ole Miss game with a sprained ankle, will be back against South Carolina … The Tigers are 9.5-point favorites to beat South Carolina. Saturday: South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC)   Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2 SEC): The Bulldogs have now lost 14 consecutive Southeastern Conference games. The last time they won an SEC game was against Arkansas in 2023.   No. 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Heading into the Alabama game, Missouri ranks No. 2 in the country in total defense (203.8 yards per game) and No. 4 in total offense (547.6 yards per game) …The Tigers are 2.5-point underdogs. Saturday: No. 8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC)   No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC): When asked if quarterback John Mateer will be able to play Saturday against Texas, HBC Brent Venables answered, “I’m assuming can’t” … Placekicker Tate Sandell, who kicked three field goals against Kent State, was selected SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week … It’s rather surprising, but the Sooners are 1.5-point underdogs to Texas. Saturday: Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC), in Dallas   No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Lane Kiffin says Austin Simmons is improving but still not 100 percent, which means Trinidad Chambliss is the likely starter against Washington State Saturday … Ole Miss is a 32.5-point favorite. Saturday: Washington State (3-2)   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC): A home and home series with Miami for 2026 and 2027 has become a casualty of both the SEC and ACC going to 9-game conference schedules … The Gamecocks are 9.5-point underdogs. Saturday: at No. 11 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 12 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Although the Vols are 11.5-point favorites they’re not taking Arkansas lightly. A year ago the Vols were heavy favorites, but they fell to Arkansas 19-14. Saturday: Arkansas (2-3, 0-1)   Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC): After a disastrous game against Florida in which they allowed six sacks, eight QB hits and 22 hurries, the only sure starters on the O-line against Oklahoma are left tackle Trevor Goosby and right guard D.J. Campbell. Additionally, Steve Sarkisian has brought in Tim Drevno as an offensive line consultant … Despite their loss to Florida, the Longhorns are 1.5-point favorites in the Red River rivalry game. Saturday: No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC), in Dallas   No. 5 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Linebacker Daymion Sanford was selected SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Mississippi State. Defensive end Cashius Howell was selected SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week … A couple of former Gators will be starting for the Aggie defense, linebacker Scooby Williams and defensive end T.J. Searcy …  Aggies are 7.5-point favorites. Saturday: FLORIDA (2-3, 1-1 SEC)   Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC): In the loss to Alabama, quarterback Diego Pavia had two critical turnovers in the red zone, a fumble in the first quarter and a fourth quarter interception.   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: OCTOBER 8, 2025 Extinct Species List Brent Pye, Virginia Tech: Bud Foster and Bruce Arians are on the search committee. Do they convince Shane Beamer that mama is calling?   DeShaun Foster, UCLA: Former Florida assistant Tim Skipper is the interim and Rick Neuheisel’s kid Jerry is the interim offensive coordinator. They just teamed up to beat Penn State.   Sam Pittman, Arkansas: Bobby Petrino is the interim. He’ll need some wins to get the job. Jerry Jones wants SMU coach Rhett Lashley.   Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: Since T. Boone Pickens croaked one oil gozillionaire with clout hasn’t emerged. Stillwater is a long way from civilization. This isn’t going to be an easy hire.   On Life Support Billy Napier, Florida: Will a 7-5 regular season record keep Napier gainfully employed?   Joe Moorhead, Akron: Really good assistant coach who made a dumb move by taking the Akron job. It’s a total dead end.   Bill Belichick, North Carolina: Sure, it’s year one, but this isn’t working out at all. By the second quarter in the loss against Clemson you would have thought Kenan Stadium was under Covid seating protocols. There is a very good chance the Tar Heels won’t win another game and will finish an embarrassing 2-10.   Trent Dilfer, UAB: Buzzards are circling. They love football in Birmingham and they have a beautiful 47,000 seat stadium that gets 20,000 on good Saturdays.     Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee State: Fine defensive coordinator, lousy head coach. He lost at Vandy and is losing at MTSU. They’re paying him $1 million and folks are wondering why?     Endangered Species List James Franklin, Penn State: This was supposed to be THE year, but the Nittany Lions have not only lost twice, but one of the losses was to UCLA. He is being encouraged to find a new job someplace else.   Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: He was supposed to be the answer, but he went 5-7 last year and will struggle to get to five this season.   Hugh Freeze, Auburn: He was hired because his teams win with exciting offenses. His offense is offensive. He needs to get to seven or eight wins.   Butch Jones, Arkansas State: Last year’s 8-5 record spoiled everyone. The Red Wolves are 2-4. A 6-6 record will calm the masses who want him gone.   Dell McGee, Georgia State: He’s 4-13 in season two. He needs some wins this year to have a season three.

(Photo by Chris Spears) History says the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) are in deepest and darkest when they take the field Saturday evening (7 p.m., ESPN) in College Station to face 5 th -ranked Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC). The Aggies are only 7.5-point favorites, so the oddsmakers in Las Vegas must think the Gators go into the game within striking distance of a second straight upset over a top ten-ranked team from Texas.   Could the Gators actually pull it off?   They stuck it to then 9 th -ranked Texas last Saturday, but that game was in The Swamp. Florida in The Swamp is a whole lot different than Florida on the road, especially against a ranked opponent. In Billy Napier’s 43-game tenure at the University of Florida, the Gators are oh-fer against ranked teams away from The Swamp. They are 0-9 against ranked teams in true road games, 0-4 in neutral site games.   This season alone, the Gators are 0-2 on the road against ranked teams. They lost to then No. 3 LSU, 20-10, at Tiger Stadium and 26-7 to then No. 4 (now No. 2) Miami at Hard Rock Stadium. Saturday, it’s a Texas A&M team that might very well be the best team in the Southeastern Conference, one that will have the electricity of 108,000 or so fans crammed into Kyle Field making this one of the most inhospitable venues in sports to be found anywhere on the planet.   On paper, this is a no-brainer. It’s Texas A&M all the way. The Aggies have superb size, strength and depth on both lines of scrimmage. Quarterback Marcel Reed beat the Gators in The Swamp last year and he’s playing better this year. The running backs are exceptional and the two transfer wide receivers are big plays looking for a place to happen. The defense has been getting better every single week.   All the favorables point to the Aggies. It’s hard to find anything but unfavorables when it comes to the Gators. The Gators have enough ability to spring an upset but they aren’t very good on the road, particularly against a ranked team. Still, there are a couple of weird variables that might factor into the final equation Saturday night.   First off, the Gators love Billy Napier a whole lot more than big money boosters who think 43 games (21-22 record) is more than enough of a sample size to determine future success. Following the Texas game last November, Napier was supposed to be one more loss away from hitting the buyout lottery but the Gators rallied on his behalf, won four straight games and kept him gainfully employed. Well, for a second straight year, this is the game following Texas and even though the Gators beat the Longhorns last week, Napier is supposed to be one more loss away from the buyout lottery, something in the neighborhood of $21 million.   The Gators are VERY motivated to win one for Billy. If they’re able to duplicate the focus and effort in College Station, they might just take the crowd out of the game and turn this into a street fight. The Gators have their backs to the wall. That makes them extremely dangerous.   The second and perhaps weirder variable is the fact that whenever the Aggies narrow the gap between their historical reality and the possibility of winning a championship they tend to lose a game or two that they have no business losing. A year ago, for example, the Aggies traveled to Columbia, South Carolina 7-1 and ranked 10 th nationally. The Aggies limped out of Willy Brice on the short end of a 44-20 blowout. Two weeks later with a shot at the College Football Playoff still a possibility, the Aggies lost in overtime to a bad Auburn team. They lost to Appalachian State and Mississippi State in 2022 and to Mississippi State in 2021.   Just when the Aggies seem to have everything going their way, they have one or more of those Murphy’s Law games where everything that can go wrong does go wrong and precisely at the least desirable moment.   Can it happen again? Can the Gators score a second straight upset win over a top ten team? Can the Aggies do what they’ve always done before and lose a game they aren’t supposed to?   Florida’s formula for success is fairly simple: (1) Stuff the run and make the Aggies one-dimensional; (2) make life miserable for Marcel Reed by keeping him confined in the pocket and hitting him on a regular basis; (3) no stupid penalties; (4) keep the Aggie pass rushers out of DJ Lagway’s face for a second straight week; (5) take shots downfield to stretch the field vertically; (6) be the more physical team on both sides of the ball; and (7) get the lead and make the Aggies play from behind.   NAPIER ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO SPRING AN UPSET AND KEEP ON WINNING   On the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday morning, Napier said, “ I think when you're going through struggle, you gotta narrow your focus and that circle becomes smaller. And I think that this group has good chemistry, they have good connection, and they played for each other this past week. So, we got good people. I think that's the No. 1 ingredient to be able to handle adversity and turn things around is you gotta have quality people and you have to have invested in each other and build good relationships throughout the offseason."   FLORIDA INJURY LIST FOR TEXAS A&M Questionable: WR Aidan Mizell; RB Ja’Kobi Jackson; OG Roderick Kearney; TE Tony Livingston; DT Joseph Mcatchou; OT Devon Manuel; WR Muizz Tounkara   Out: RB Duke Clark; DL Caleb Banks; DB Aaron Gates; DB Dijon Johnson; EDGE LJ McCray; RB Treyaun Webb   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC): Ty Simpson, who has completed 70.4 percent of his passes while throwing 13 touchdown passes, will be going against a Missouri secondary that allowed 302 passing yards to South Carolina a couple of weeks ago … Out for Missouri are DL Jeremiah Beaman, LB Cayden Jones, LB Jah-Marien Lathan and LB Qua Russaw. Questionable is WR Jaylen Mbakwe. Wide receiver Ryan Williams is listed as probable.     Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Out for Tennessee are DB Quentavius Scandrett, WR Monte Harrison, WR Ismael Cisse, WR Jalen Brown, RB AJ Green, TE Jeremiah Beck Jr., TE Andreas Paaske and DL David Oke.   Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Although the Tigers have lost two in a row, HBC Hugh Freeze said Wednesday, “We don’t blink. Everything is still in front of us to go out and have an outstanding season” … Listed as questionable for Georgia are running back Durell Robinson and wide receiver Horatio Fields. Fields is the third leading receiver on the team with 12 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.   No. 10 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC): Out for Auburn are WR Talyn Taylor, C Malachi Toliver, WR Thomas Blackshear and TE Ethan Barbour. Starting offensive tackles Earnest Greene and Monroe Toliver are listed as questionable.     No. 11 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Listed as doubtful for South Carolina is LG Paul Mubenga. Listed as questionable is wide receiver Aaron Anderson. Running back Cade Durham and defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux are listed as probable. Anderson is the team’s leading receiver with 23 catches for 305 yards while Durham leads the team in rushing with 213 yards and two touchdowns.     No. 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): The Tigers will look to exploit an Alabama run defense that is giving up 155 yards per game. Missouri has the SEC’s leading rusher in Ahmad Hardy (730 yards, 9 TDs) while backups Jamal Roberts and Marquise Davis have combined for 550 yards and five TDs … Out for Alabama are placekicker Blake Craig, QB Sam Horn and OL Logan Reichert.  Offensive tackle Cayden Green is listed as questionable.   No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback John Mateer’s status for Texas is listed as “questionable.” In four games before breaking his thumb, Mateer threw for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns while running for 190 yards and five TDs. Out for Texas are offensive linemen Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor. Also out is tight end Kade McIntyre. Listed as questionable are offensive lineman Logan Howland and wide receiver Keontez Lewis. Lewis has 17 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns.   No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Kewan Lacy, who only got 23 carries as a true freshman at Missouri a year ago, has run for 445 yards and eight touchdowns in 102 carries through five games. Trinidad Chambliss, who was the QB at Division II national champ Ferris State a year ago, is the second leading rusher with 266 yards. He has also thrown for 1,033 yards and five touchdowns.   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC): Out for LSU is offensive lineman Markee Anderson. Listed as doubtful are OL Nolan Hay and OL Carson Henry. Questionable are CB Myles Norwood, CB Judge Collier and DL Troy Pikes.   No. 12 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Out for Arkansas are DB Rickey Gibson III, DB Jermod McCoy and WR Radarious Jackson. Questionable is tight end Ethan Davis.   Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC): Listed as probable for Oklahoma are wide receiver Parker Livingstone and defensive back Malik Muhammad. Listed as doubtful is running back CJ Baxter. Livingstone has caught 13 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Baxter has run for 110 yards.   No. 5 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Safety Jarred Kerr is out for Florida while former Gator linebacker Scooby Williams is listed as questionable.   HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATES John Mateer, Oklahoma: Before the broken thumb he was the favorite. He can still make a comeback.   Dante Moore, Oregon: He’s the favorite now. Indiana this week is the only game against a ranked team left on the schedule.   Ahmad Hardy, Missouri: Longshot. Running backs rarely win the Heisman but he’s a stud.   Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: Probably the best football player in the country and he will have games against Penn State and Michigan to show off.   Carson Beck, Miami: He had a great game against Florida State to move back into the picture.   Fernando Mendoza, Indiana: The best player you’ve never heard of. If he lights up Oregon and the Hoosiers win Saturday he might emerge as the Heisman favorite. How did a Miami kid this good spend two years at California before winding up at Indiana?   Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss: He’s the best story out there. If he keeps on winning and Ole Miss makes it to Atlanta, he could spring the upset.   Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt: A bad second half against Alabama may have killed his chances to make the podium.   Ty Simpson, Alabama: One to keep an eye on. He’s playing great and Alabama is a very hot team.