(Photo by Chris Spears) Not that anyone should be even slightly surprised, but DJ Lagway will start at quarterback Saturday when 15 th -ranked Florida opens its season against the Long Island University Sharks of the vaunted Northeast Conference.   “Yeah, DJ’s the starter,” Billy Napier said at his Monday press conference. Hampered by a calf injury that has kept him in a non-contact jersey since fall practice began, Lagway has been a 100 percent participant in practice the last few days. Because he missed spring football while rehabbing a shoulder injury, Lagway needs reps in the worst way.   So, what better way to get the sophomore quarterback live reps than a game against a D1AA opponent coming off a 4-8 season? The Sharks aren’t going to provide a whole lot of competition, but they will be different folks in different jerseys than the ones Lagway can see every day in practice. The looks the Sharks give him will be different than the ones he can see on the practice field.   Think of this as a win-win situation. The Gators get to break a sweat against guys they don’t share a locker room with and Lagway gets to work on timing and reading defenses, skills he will need polished up by the time week three rolls around. Against a team like LIU, the Gators can get away with the kind of mistakes that would cost them in an SEC game like the one in Baton Rouge the third week of the season.   Apparently the daily drudge of going to practice and throwing the ball around a little bit while three other quarterbacks take all the live reps has worn down even a positive thinker like Lagway. Apparently practice last week rejuvenated him.   “ I think he's having a lot of fun playing football and competing,” Napier said. “You know, he's smiling a lot more often now, so I think he truly enjoys practice and preparing, just the opportunity to get better. You know, I think the kid is consumed with improvement, and he knows the value of practice, so him getting to do that I think he’s happy.”   True football junkies love every phase of the game, from the work in the weight room to film sessions to days in the hot sun practicing the same play over and over again until the timing is just right. By missing all of spring football and almost all of the live work in August timing might be an issue. It’s one thing to throw when there is no pass rush in your face and you know the defensive back so well that you can anticipate how he will react to a certain pass route. It’s something altogether different when it’s an entirely new football team.   Even a bad one like Long Island.   What should make Lagway happiest is the chance to go live Saturday evening. He may only play the first half, but he will get to read defenses, anticipate what his receivers will do and put the ball in a place where only his receiver has a chance to catch it. Lagway is 6-0 in games he has started and didn’t have to leave because of an injury. He is almost certain to be 7-0 when the clock strikes midnight Saturday.   Lagway just turned 20 years old. Like every young quarterback, there is no substitute for missed reps in practice. As much as Napier may wish Lagway could have gotten the spring and August reps, there is a silver lining to this ordeal. The injuries have forced Lagway to learn to deal with adversity.   “There’s players every year at every level of football that go through things like this,” Napier said. “He just happens to be a quarterback and then obviously he had a heck of a freshman year. There’s a ton of attention that comes with it. Look, I think that it’s healthy in some regards to be uncomfortable, to go through adversity. If you can frame it the right way and have the right mind-set towards it, I think it causes you to be creative in terms of how you create experience for yourself.   “Look, patience is something that needs to be developed at times, right? His attitude towards teach process is important. Can he be process-oriented? Look, a lot of times things happen to you that you can’t control, so there’s opportunities to get better as a result of what he’s going through. I think he’s learned a lot about himself. This won’t be the first time he goes through something like this. You play this game, you’re going to get injured. How you manage that not only physically but mentally. I think the battle begins in the mind. I think for him, that’s been a little bit of a challenge. I think it’s been healthy.”   Despite the protracted absence of Lagway during August, Napier believes the Gators accomplished most of their preseason goals. Chief among the preseason outline was getting young guys integrated into the depth chart ready to be the next man up if and when injuries cost somebody a game. From Napier’s standpoint it was mission accomplished.   He has admitted on several occasions that this is the deepest and most complete roster he’s had since arriving at the University of Florida.   "Yeah, I feel good about it,” Napier said. “Obviously, I think we did a good job developing depth where we needed it. I'm proud of some of the players that kind of surfaced as we were looking for competition to build depth. Now that is ongoing, I would say with some of these positions that we talked about. I think that the development of the young players, because a lot of these guys haven't played significant roles - maybe they played at the end of the game at certain points throughout last year - but I think those are the players that I think we need to see to continue to improve.   “That's going to be important for our team. We know in this league that depth will be really, really important. So, you're always coaching your team. You have different capacity in every room, but you got to continue to coach all parts of the team throughout the year. But I do feel good about the progress a lot of those players that we talked about in the very beginning."   Asked where he has seen the most improvement, Napier pointed to his EDGE rushers and inside linebackers. After a fast finish last season in which the Gators played exceptional defense in winning four games, expectations are that Florida’s pass rush could be lethal this year, led by veterans Tyreak Sapp, George Gumbs Jr. and Kamran James. Freshman Jayden Woods continues to turn heads. Inside linebackers Myles Graham, Jaden Robinson and Aaron Chiles have had very good August camps.   There remains competition for the fourth corner (top three are Devin Moore, Cormani McClain and Dijon Johnson) and for the fifth and sixth safeties (top four are Jordan Castell, Bryce Thornton, Aaron Gates and Southern Miss transfer Michael Carraway Jr.).   Napier’s demeanor is one of confidence. He’s picking and choosing his words carefully. He doesn’t come across boastful, but rather self-assured. He has a good roster which is the making of a very good football team. Now it’s a matter of showing up every day at practice and leading the entire team – players, coaches and staff – to prepare to play winning football on Saturday.   "I think that what I've learned is that my confidence level – you know, I think it's important for me, big-picture-wise, to live day-to-day in that regard,” Napier said. “I've got to show up and fight for what I expect of the staff and the players every day. I think your team is always close to being average or above-average, right? At any point in time. And I think with the level of competition that we play, we have to fight for the intangibles that we need on Saturday and the execution that we need on Saturday every week. So I think – the season is here, and I think for me, it's about getting a singular focus on the matchup for that week, the players that are available, the personnel, the scheme, the leadership challenge, pushing the right buttons, getting the team ready to peak, build momentum towards Saturday. And then, hey, having the mental toughness to do that again week after week. So, you know, literally, I think what I've learned over time is just like, hey, who do we play this week, and what do we need to be well-prepared?"

Florida faces seven ranked teams with nation’s toughest schedule. Should the Gators knock a few off, could the playoff be a reality? By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host-The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Florida receiver Aiden Mizzell (Chris Spears photo) With the season on the horizon many have weighed in on where the Gators will land in the win column this year. Most outlets place the Gators prospective win totals at 7-7.5 games but, just as last year showed, the Gators are poised to eclipse the projections of oddsmakers once again.  While many may look at Florida’s 2025 opponents and think there is no way the Gators can navigate what my 16-year old nephew dubbed as “The Avengers,” many had the Gators as dead men walking after they returned from Austin last season as low as ever. The Gators righted the ship to play some of their best ball under Billy Napier. So the question is not IF the Gators will eclipse last season’s win total , but IF nine wins and the right nine will be good enough to get the Gators to a meaningful December game for the first time since 2020.  First let’s look at the basics. How do we get to nine REGULAR SEASON wins in 2025. How will the team navigate the road of the SEC to hit that magic number and possibly slide into the side door of the College Football Playoff. Game 1 Long Island-The Gators should have very little issue with the artists formerly known as CW Post. WIN (1-0) Game 2 USF-The Gators could face a tougher challenge than expected and will look to show they can handle mobile quarterbacks with the Bulls’ Byrum Brown. WIN (2-0) Game 3 LSU-Florida has not won at night in Baton Rouge over since 2009 and unfortunately that streak continues as the Gators will play hard but come up short. LOSS (2-1) Game 4 Miami-The Gators will make the trip to the 305 and take down the Canes in what should be a pseudo-home game and the biggest in-state game of the year.  WIN (3-1) Game 5 Texas-Gameday should be in the house for a showdown between two of the nation’s top QB’s. Lagway and company play well but the Longhorns prevail. LOSS (3-2) Game 6 Texas A&M-All of Willis will be in the house to cheer on their favorite son in his homecoming as Lagway outduels Reed and gets the win in College Station. WIN (4-2) Game 7 Mississippi State-Homecoming is grand once again as the Gators continue their winning ways as they head into the second bye week. WIN (5-2) Game 8 Georgia-Last year had the makings of a classic prior to Lagway leaving the game. This year’s game lives up to the hype but the Gators fall in a close one. LOSS (5-3) Game 9 Kentucky-A November season trip to Lexington has trap written all over it. But unlike years before, the running game travels under Napier and the Gators lean on the ground effects crew to get it done. WIN (6-3) Game 10 Ole Miss-The Gators unfortunately missed the hospitality of The Grove the last time they traveled to Oxford. This time the party continues into the night as the Gators get another ranked win on the road. WIN (7-3) Game 11 Tennessee-Last year’s overtime win was a big part of the Tennessee’s playoff resume’. The Gators do the same but this time in regulation. WIN (8-3) Game 12 FSU-The Seminoles will be improved but Thanksgiving weekend is long way away. Who knows where they will be. The Gators roster and plan is more fluid right now. WIN (9-3) So there you have it, nine regular season wins, that barring someone running the table should make the Gators one of 12 teams in search of the national title. It will be interesting if the committee agrees. Florida has its best roster in five years and should compete with every team on its schedule. If consistency can be the focus, this could be the season that puts the Gators back on the map permanently.

Florida’s football schedule is brutal. Nothing new there. It was brutal last year, too, but there is a difference. This Florida team – ranked 15 th in the preseason by the Associated Press – has experience and depth that it didn’t have a year ago, not to mention as good a collection of skill people as you will find in the SEC, which is to say as good as you’ll find in the entire country. Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has had a year to teach the creeper to his troops. If they play like they did the final four games last year, opposing quarterbacks and offensive tackles will see ghosts.    We should stop short of calling the Gators loaded. For now, at least. If they go 2-0 with those back-to-back September roadies at LSU and Miami, then No. 1 Texas could be in a heap of trouble the first Saturday in October when the Longhorns pay a visit to The Swamp. The joint will be rocking. Arch Manning has never played before a crowd this loud or hostile. Yes, he goes to Ohio State game one, but the Horseshoe is Romper Room compared to The Swamp.   To go 5-0 out of the gate goes beyond reasonable expectations, but don’t for a second believe it’s impossible. If DJ Lagway is healthy and there are no significant injuries on either the offensive or defensive lines, the Gators are going to be good. Damn good.   Good enough to make it to Atlanta? It would be foolish to predict Florida will play for the Southeastern Conference championship, but any team that has as many good players as the Gators has a chance. Billy Napier says he has a team that parks egos at the door and goes to work with a sense of purpose, maybe even with a chip on the shoulder.   Jake Slaughter is an All-American center. The coaches didn’t even vote him first, second or third team All-SEC a year ago when he made first team All-America. The coaches loaded up their preseason All-SEC team with a lot of folks from Georgia, Alabama and Texas. Very few from Florida.   Billy Napier needs to channel his inner Todd Golden. Walter Clayton Jr. made every first team All-America known to college basketball, but some SEC coaches didn’t have him on their first team ballots. The SEC coaches didn’t think much of Will Richard or Alijah Martin, only the best tandem of perimeter defenders in the country. There were other slights. Golden put a chip on the Gators’ shoulders that stayed in place for a 12-0 finish to the season and a national championship.   There is something to be said about playing with a chip on your shoulder. If Billy Napier can put a two-ton chip on the Gators’ collective shoulders, the Gators might find themselves sniffing championships.   So, yeah, the schedule is tough, but Napier has enough talent to maneuver through it.  A chip on the shoulder wouldn’t hurt matters in the least.   THE REST OF THE SEC   No. 8 Alabama: If Ty Simpson struggles Saturday and Florida State puts up more than a fight, we’ll know Alabama could be in for trouble. Two weeks later Wisconsin comes to Tuscaloosa, but the real litmus test will be September 27 at Georgia. Alabama should be 3-0 going into that game. If the Tide leaves it 4-0 and Simpson makes few mistakes, then we’ll know that Alabama is the real deal. The Crimson Tide gets the benefit of the scheduling doubt because Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma all have to play at Bryant-Denny Stadium. But, if Alabama fares poorly in September it will be a bad omen. Saturday: at Florida State   Arkansas: The Razorbacks should have no problems with Alabama A&M and Arkansas State in the first two games. Game three is at Ole Miss followed by a roadie at Memphis and a homer with Notre Dame. The rest of the schedule isn’t kind. Expect the Hog faithful to be calling for Sam Pittman to be skewered and barbecued by the time October rolls around. Saturday: vs. Alabama A&M   Auburn: We will know plenty about Auburn in game one. If Dave Aranda’s version of the creeper defense has Jackson Arnold seeing ghosts, the Tigers will be in deepest and darkest. Even if Arnold plays well, he will still have to contend with a gauntlet of back-to-back roadies at Oklahoma and Texas A&M followed by homers with Georgia and Missouri. The key to success is Arnold remembering that it’s best if he completes passes to his own team. If Auburn is 4-3 after the first seven games, the Tigers will be in for seven or eight wins. Friday: at Baylor   No. 5 Georgia: Folks are snickering that once the SEC goes to a 9-game conference schedule Georgia won’t be able to duck the tough teams in the league home or on the road. This year the Poodles get Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas in Athens. The Poodles do have to go to Tennessee in game three. If Gunner Stockton struggles against the Vols and the next week against Alabama, then Kirby Smart might be making the switch to true freshman QB Ryan Puglisi out of necessity. Georgia could just as easily lose three games this year as go 11-1. Saturday: vs. Marshall   Kentucky: Wildcat fans will be scrambling for Midnight Madness tickets game two when Ole Miss comes to town. Starting game four Kentucky’s schedule is at South Carolina, at Georgia, Texas, Tennessee at Auburn and Florida. If Mark Stoops can go 4-8 this year he might be a serious candidate for SEC Coach of the Year. Things are that bleak in Lexington. Saturday: vs. Toledo   No. 9 LSU: We’ll know plenty about LSU Saturday at Clemson. A road win against a Clemson team that a lot of folks have penciled in for the national championship game and we know LSU is legit. Florida comes to Baton Rouge two weeks later so if there is a hangover from the Clemson game, it’s quite possible that LSU’s national championship hopes will take a second torpedo to the bow. Nobody seems to be concerned that Garrett Nussmeier completed 12 passes to the other team last year when Brian Kelly told the world he had the best O-line in college football. The best O-line is now in the NFL. Nussmeier will be seeing ghosts Saturday and again two weeks later. Two weeks after Florida, LSU has to go to Ole Miss. LSU will know what kind of season it is going to have by October 1. If LSU has two or three losses by that time the fan base is going to make life miserable for Kelly, who they already don’t like. Saturday: at No. 4 Clemson   Mississippi State: Two weeks after the Bulldogs travel to Southern Miss they get Alcorn State at home. MSU fans should savor those two games because the odds are good they won’t win another one. The situation in Starkville is bleak.  Saturday: at Southern Miss   Missouri: The Tigers don’t have to play a single team that is ranked among the 12 top teams in the preseason AP poll. They get South Carolina at home game four plus they have homers with Alabama and the Aggies. If you’re looking for a team that could surprise and go 9-3, Missouri is that team, especially if Penn State transfer QB Beau Pribula proves capable of playing winning football in the SEC. Thursday: vs. Central Arkansas   No. 18 Oklahoma: If John Mateer is as good as the hype, then the Sooners are going to be a team nobody wants to play. The schedule isn’t favorable with a pre-November gauntlet of Texas (in Dallas), at South Carolina and Ole Miss leading to a final month of at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri and LSU. Mateer better be that good. If he isn’t then Brent Venables will be standing on a street corner holding a sign that says “Will coach for beer.” If Mateer is that good Okie could shock the world. Saturday: vs. Illinois State   No. 21 Ole Miss: Most teams with 31 transfers and an inexperienced sophomore quarterback would be guaranteed toast in the SEC. Somehow Lane Kiffin has figured out how to navigate winning seasons in spite of the constant roster turnover. The Rebels should be 4-0 when LSU comes to town September 27. Win that one and the next week against Washington State and LSU will be bowl eligible before mid-October. Ole Miss doesn’t have to play Alabama or Texas. An eight or nine-win season seems imminent. Saturday: vs. Georgia State   No. 13 South Carolina: Way too much hype for the Gamecocks. LaNorris Sellers is a stud but there aren’t many studs capable of making big plays. Sellers is like Secretariat. The rest of the South Carolina roster is like a herd of Shetland ponies. The Gamecocks have to play at Missouri, at LSU, at Ole Miss and at Texas A&M. They get Oklahoma, Alabama and Clemson at home. A 6-6 or 7-5 season seems likely. Sunday: vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)   No. 24 Tennessee: When he was playing juco football Joey Aguilar was thinking about quitting football to become a firefighter. No, not the team that plays the Savannah Bananas, but a real firefighter. When he gets his first glimpse of an SEC defense (Georgia game three) he might want to start taking firefighting courses online. The Vols have a bunch of games they will find difficult to lose. They also have games like Georgia, at Alabama, Oklahoma and at Florida that they could see their doors blown off. Figure 7-5 or 8-4. Saturday: vs. Syracuse (in Atlanta)   No. 1 Texas: Arch Manning gets thrown into the fire immediately at Ohio State. On October 4, he will find out why Florida is the toughest place to play in all of college football. Later on the Longhorns will play at Georgia and a homer with the Aggies. If Arch is as good as his gene pool, then Texas will be on cruise control by Thanksgiving weekend. If not, the Longhorns could lose three games and the big money boosters will be talking about drilling for enough oil so they can buy out Steve Sarkisian’s contract.  Saturday: at No. 3 Ohio State   No. 19 Texas A&M: The Aggies will know plenty about themselves game three when they go to Notre Dame. Three weeks later they get the Gators. They go to LSU NS Mizzou back-to-back then they have the Gamecocks at home. This isn’t the toughest schedule but somehow, someway, the Aggies always find a way to lose two or three games they should win. History says the Aggies go 8-4 at best. Saturday: vs. UT-San Antonio   Vanderbilt: QB Diego Pavia thinks the Commodores could win the SEC and challenge for the national championship. Somebody send him to Quest Diagnostics and have some blood drawn. He’s on something because the schedule includes roadies to South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee. A repeat of last year’s 6-6 regular season record would be an accomplishment. That’s not a national championship, but Vandy measures football wins like dog years. Each win is like seven at Alabama. Saturday: vs. Charleston Southern

The Gators need a monster year off the edge by Tyreak Sapp (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Sunday morning:   The 15 th -ranked Florida Gators open the 2025 season with Long Island University Saturday night. Expectations are higher than they’ve been in years but even a brutal schedule is manageable. Here is a formula for winning 10 or more games in 2025. Win 10 and the Gators most likely make the College Football Playoff and possibly make it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game for the first time since 2020.   Offense DJ Lagway: Complete 65 percent, average a minimum of 8.0 per attempt and reduce interceptions (9 last year) to five or fewer. Lagway makes good decisions at the line of scrimmage, stays injury free and understands that running out of bounds is better than taking a big hit.   Running game: Average 200 yards per game (161.2 last year) and at least 5.0 per carry. Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson combine for 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns. KD Daniels becomes a Swiss Army Knife, a threat to run, catch the ball out of the backfield or line up outside.   Receivers: Average 14.5 yards or better per pass reception. J. Michael Sturdivant and Tre Wilson need to average somewhere near 20 yards per catch. Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III are factors in the passing game every game and Tank Hawkins becomes a scary deep threat. Tight ends Hayden Hansen and Tony Livingston need to catch at least 42 passes between them.   Offensive line: Give 16 or fewer sacks and dominate the fourth quarter so the Gators can grind and pound opponents into submission. Jake Slaughter handles nose tackles one-on-one and Austin Barber dominates edge rushers on the left side. Bryce Lovett becomes a consistent rock at right tackle and guards Knijeah Harris and Damieon George Jr. brutalize next to Slaughter.   Turnovers: Reduce from 19 last year to 12 or fewer.   Third down: Convert 45 percent or higher.   Time of possession: Help out the defense by averaging 33 minutes or more.   Defense Against the run: Give up fewer than 110 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Baylor transfer Brendan Bett and Michai Boireau make nose tackle a strength. Caleb Banks goes beast mode. Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles become tackling machines.   Against the pass: Allow 55 percent or fewer completions, fewer than 6.5 yards per pass attempt. Corners Devin Moore and Cormani McClain become one of the best tandems in the SEC while living life on an island. Safeties Sharif Denson, Bryce Thornton, Aaron Gates and Jordan Castell hit hard and are ball hawks.   Sacks: Last year the Gators had 19 sacks in their last four games to bring their total to 39. This year average at least four sacks per game in the regular season (48). Tyreak Sapp, George Gumbs Jr., TJ McCray, Kamran James and Jayden Woods require spend quality time in the opposing backfields.   Third down: Allow 35 percent or fewer third down conversions.   Turnovers: Last year the Gators recovered eight fumbles and picked off 16 passes. This year the Gators need at least 10 fumble recoveries and 17 or more interceptions.   Special Teams Field goals/Extra points: Trey Smack was 18-21 a year ago. This year no misses less than 45 yards and no more than three misses in 25 attempts. No missed extra points.   Kickoffs/coverage: Last year 75 percent of Smack’s kickoffs were touchbacks. This year needs to be 80 percent or better. Give up fewer than 20 yards on returnable kickoffs.   Punts/coverage: Urban Meyer used to tell Chaz Henry to “make it wet.” In other words, kick it so high that it brings down rain and is un-returnable. Tommy Dorman averages 45 yards or better and the Gators give up fewer than 5.0 yards per punt return.   Returns: Average a minimum of 25 yards per kickoff return and at least 13 yards per punt return.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama: Alabama’s projected starting line: C Parker Brailsford; G Geno Vandermark and Kam Dewberry; T Kaydyn Proctor and Wilkin Formby.  Saturday: at Florida State   Arkansas: Monte Harris, a 30-year-old who spent 10 years playing professional baseball including parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues, is battling for a starting job at wide receiver. Saturday: vs. Alabama A&M   Auburn: When the season begins, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels will be the backup QB to Jackson Arnold. However, freshman Deuce Knight is making enough strides that he could move past Daniels on the depth chart. Friday: at Baylor   No. 5 Georgia: The expected starters at wide receiver are California transfer Zachariah Branch, London Humphreys, who began his career at Vandy in 2023, and Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas. For a school that dominates the recruiting rankings, it’s interesting that none of its starting receivers are of the home grown variety. Saturday: vs. Marshall   Kentucky: Kentucky (7.5-point favorite) and its inexperienced secondary will be tested in game one by Tampa-born QB Tucker Gleason, who threw for 2,808 yards and 24 touchcdowns last year. Saturday: vs. Toledo   No. 9 LSU: Only one starter returns in LSU’s secondary, which will be challenged by Clemson QB Cade Klubnik, who threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns last year. The Tigers lost 20 of last year’s 34 sacks to graduation. The Tigers will be going against a Clemson O-line that returns all five starters. Saturday: at No. 4 Clemson   Mississippi State: Mississippi State’s defense, which finished dead last in the SEC a year ago, has been revamped. The Bulldogs will be going against a Southern Miss offense that finished dead last in the Sun Belt and 131 st nationally a year ago. Saturday: at Southern Miss   Missouri: Starting right guard Logan Reichert suffered a lower body injury that HBC Eli Drinkwitz says will keep him out 6-8 weeks. Backup center Tristan Wilson is expected to slide over and take over at right guard. Thursday: vs. Central Arkansas   No. 18 Oklahoma: The Sooners will have seven captains this season: QB John Mateer; C Troy Everett; DE R Mason Thomas; DT Gracen Halton; DT Damonic Williams; LB Kip Lewis; and S Robert Spears-Jennings. Saturday: vs. Illinois State   No. 21 Ole Miss: Starting QB Austin Simmons is only 19, but he already has graduated from Ole Miss. Simmons played in nine games as a freshman last year, completing 19-32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Saturday: vs. Georgia State   No. 13 South Carolina: The interior of South Carolina’s defensive line will rely heavily on transfers Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M), Troy Spikes (Georgia Southern) and Davonte Miles (Bowling Green). Monkell Goodwine and Nick Barrett are the only holdovers from last year’s defensive tackles. Sunday: vs. Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)   No. 24 Tennessee: Starting QB Joey Aguilar spent two years playing juco football, two years at Appalachian State where he was the starter, and then transferred to UCLA in the spring only to transfer to UT when former UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. Saturday: vs. SaturSyracuse (in Atlanta)   No. 1 Texas: Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell seems to have solidified his position as the backup quarterback. Last year at Troy he threw for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games. He also ran for five touchdowns. Saturday: at No. 3 Ohio State   No. 19 Texas A&M: The Aggie defensive unit should look like this for the season opener: DE Cashius Howell and Dayon Hayes; DT DJ Hicks and Albert Regis; JACK Rylan Kennedy; LB Taurean York and Scooby Williams; NICKEL Tyreek Chappell; CB Will Lee and Dezz Ricks or Julian Humphrey; S Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe. Saturday: vs. Texas-San Antonio   Vanderbilt: For the Commodores to improve on last year’s 7-6 record, they will have to improve on last year’s 318.4 yards of offense per game, which ranked dead last in the Southeastern Conference and 123 rd nationally. Saturday: vs. Charleston Southern   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   The Big Ten, which has been openly critical about 8-game Southeastern Conference football schedules, won’t have that dog to kick around after 2026. The SEC will go to a 9-game schedule next year and it has nothing whatsoever to do with being fair to the Big Ten, which plays nine games. The SEC switch is first and foremost about the money it will make by adding a conference game while likely eliminating the paycheck game with some unlucky sap from D1AA. Secondly, it’s about the best way to deal with scheduling for a 16-team conference. Every team will have three opponents which will be home-and-home permanently. The other 12 teams will be played home and home at least once every four years. The fans win. They get a real football game and they get to see every team in the league on their home field at least once every four years.   Big Ten commish Tony Petiti has been pushing for a 4-4-2-1 format for the College Football Playoff, that would guarantee four teams from the Big Ten and four from the SEC every year.  The ACC and Big 12 would only be guaranteed one team each in this format with the Group of Five getting one. Petiti isn’t talking about that final slot, which is essentially guaranteed for Notre Dame. The Big Ten still believes it can lure Notre Dame to join the Big Ten. Donkeys will fly first.   The Big Ten is going to lose this argument because the SEC, ACC, Big 12, Notre Dame and Group of Five all oppose Petiti’s proposal in favor of the Greg Sankey proposes 5-11. In the five 11 the five highest rated conference champions get in with 11 at-large selections.   Want to hear Petiti’s next genius proposal? He favors expanding the College Football Playoff to either 24 or 28 teams. Just what we need, mediocrity in the CFP, which is what that kind of expansion would ensure. Does anyone really want to see 7-5 teams in the playoff?   A better idea would be to stick with the current 12-team format for at least a couple more years. Tweak it a bit. Under the current format the four highest seeded teams get a first round bye but unlike seeds five through eight, they don’t get a home game. Their first game will be at a neutral site location as part of the bowl system. That’s unfair to their fan bases. If it means ditching four bowl games let it be, but give the fans of the top four seeds a home game.   Maybe in three or four years, expand to 16 teams. Instead of a 5-11 format, why not do something like a 6-10 or 7-9, which would allow more than one Group of Five conference in college football’s biggest dance.     Or maybe something like this. Reduce the number of Division I teams to between 90 and 96. Currently there are 68 teams that make up the Power Conferences plus Notre Dame. For a 96 team Division I, take the best teams from the American, Sun Belt, Mountain West, new Pac-12, MAC and Conference USA and merge them into two or three conferences. As for the leftovers, form a new Group of Five and fill it out with some new blood from the upper echelons of D1AA. Give them their own national championship. It’s win-win for everyone that way.   But, under no circumstance give in to the Big Ten. This is not a time for dumb ideas in college football and the Big Ten seems to be attempting to corner the

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:   On a cold, rainy day at the old Gator Bowl in 1975, the Gators were less than four minutes away from winning the Southeastern Conference championship when Vince Dooley called a tight end around bomb. Richard Appleby, a high school quarterback, took the handoff from Matt Robinson, pulled up and threw deep to sprinter Gene Washington. Florida corner Henry Davis had Appleby covered until he stepped in a puddle along the sideline. Davis fell down, Washington caught the bomb and nearly waltzed into the end zone to give Georgia a 10-7 lead after the extra point.   Florida still had a chance to win the game, but rather than go for a fourth down inside the Georgia 25, Doug Dickey sent in David Posey to try to tie the game with a field goal. Posey’s plant foot slid in the Gator Bowl mud and a makeable kick squibbed wide.   After the game, Douglas Adair Dickey stated, “Before you can win, first you have to avoid losing.”   One game, three my bads. Davis didn’t give up a touchdown before or after the Appleby-to-Washington bomb. Posey missed a kick he makes blindfolded on a dry field. Dickey was roasted in the press and by the Florida fan base that couldn’t believe the coach had bypassed a chance to win the game.   My bad. We hear it all the time. Name the sport, someone makes a mistake and too often what do we hear? My bad. Fans don’t like hearing it. Imagine what coaches think.   Billy Napier doesn’t want to hear another my bad. Monday he was talking about play in the secondary when the subject of my bad came up.   “ We need more consistency because, look, in the secondary you can play five plays just right and you make one mistake and it's points on the board up there and those folks in the Swamp are getting rowdy – and so am I,” Napier said.   On a football field, there is no place to hide in the secondary. Make a mistake and it’s obvious. To everyone.   When a player comes off the field after a blown assignment, the last thing Napier wants to hear ever again are the words my bad.   “The games are coming,” Napier said. “There’s no more ‘My bad.’ The consequence of my bad affects the entire team. So we have to play more consistency. ”   Although he was speaking about play in the secondary, Napier could have been talking about every player on every position on the team. What he’s looking for is focus, intensity and accountability on every single play. No excuses. Just get out there and do your job.   The Gators are 33-30 in the last five years. In Dan Mullen’s last two years, the Gators lost 11 games, seven by a combined 29 points. During Napier’s three years on the job, the Gators have lost 19 games, seven by a combined 39 points.   A play here, a play there and the Gators are 47-16. More consistency would have helped. So would fewer my bads.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama: HBC Kalen DeBoer will not name the backup quarterback to starter Ty Simpson. Redshirt freshman Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell have been fighting for the backup job … Jaylen Mbawke, who played in 12 games with 15 tackles as a DB last year, has played his way into the wide receiver rotation.   Arkansas: Depth issues along the defensive line necessitated Arkansas moving offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock (6-5, 319) to the other side of the ball.   Auburn: Chris Doering of the SEC Network says Auburn’s season opener at Baylor is “the most important season opener of any team in the SEC.”   No. 5 Georgia: Illinois transfer running back Josh McCray is back to full speed at practice. McCray gained 609 yards and scored 10 touchdowns for the Illini last season.   Kentucky: J.J. Hester, who caught 14 passes for 315 yards and one TD at Oklahoma last year, is emerging as the top wide receiver for the Wildcats.   No. 9 LSU: On his Thursday night radio show, HBC Brian Kelly said LSU spent “just about $18 million” to construct the 2025 roster.   Mississippi State: The O-line starters look to be LT Jacoby Jackson, LG Luke Work or Albert Reese, C Canon Boone, RG Luke Work or Albert Reese, RT Blake Steen.   Missouri: HBC Eli Drinkwitz plans to play Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and Sam Horn at quarterback in the season opener with Central Arkansas. “I want to see them in a game-day situation to make a final determination,” Drinkwitz said.   No. 18 Oklahoma: Greg McElroy wonders what happens if Washington State transfer QB John Mateer is as productive as another Wazzoo transfer, Cam Ward who played at Miami last year. If it happens, McElroy says, “I think Oklahoma could win the national championship.”      No. 21 Ole Miss: Oscar Bird is the third consecutive punter from Australia to kick for Ole Miss … The placekicker will be Western Kentucky transfer Lucas Carneiro, who hit 18-19 of his field goal attempts last season.   No. 13 South Carolina: South Carolina is the latest big name athletic program to leave Under Armour. The Post and Courier (Charleston) reports that the Gamecocks are on the verge of making the switch to Nike after 10 years with Under Armour.   No. 24 Tennessee: The starting O-line will be LT Lance Heard, LG Wendell Moi, C Sam Pendleton, RG Jesse Perry and RT David Sanders.   No. 1 Texas: Joey Galloway of ESPN doesn’t believe the hype surrounding Arch Manning. Galloway said, “It’s his team now. It’s his turn now. We need to see the leadership, see that on the field play and then I can get on board. But I just need to see it.” No. 19 Texas A&M: Until it’s clear that Le’Veon Moss is back 100 percent from his ACL tear, the Aggies will look to Rueben Owens to pick up the slack. A year ago Owens had 16 carries for 61 yards in two games.   Vanderbilt: Quarterback Diego Pavia is set to make more than $1.6 million this year.   SEC GOES TO 9-GAME SCHEDULE IN 2026   Finally. The Southeastern Conference will move to a 9-game conference schedule starting in 2026. Big Ten advocates are probably crowing that Greg Sankey and the Southeastern Conference caved to pressure by Big Ten commissioner, who has been ranting that it isn’t fair for the Big Ten to play nine conference games while the SEC plays eight. Nothing could be further from the truth.   This move is all about the money. Pure and simple.   Sankey wanted a 9-game conference schedule for 2024 but ESPN wasn’t ready for it and there were holdouts who were afraid they would miss out on a bowl game if they had to replace a D1AA opponent for another SEC game. Some of the holdouts are probably upset with the move for 2026, but the money has overridden most of the objections within the league. Instead of a paycheck game that no one will watch on SEC Network+ or ESPN+, ESPN/ABC/Disney will be guaranteed head-to-head SEC matchups. Under the 9-game format, every team in the league will have three permanent opponents and play the other 12 teams home-and-home at least once every four years. It will be far more competitive and it will eliminate scheduling bias. Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012. Georgia still hasn’t played a game at Kyle Field. Under the new format, Georgia won’t be able to duck and dodge.   Here are potential permanent opponents for all 16 teams: Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee, LSU Arkansas: Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, Florida Florida: Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee Georgia: Florida, Auburn, South Carolina Kentucky: Missouri, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt LSU: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Kentucky, Missouri Missouri: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State Oklahoma: Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M Ole Miss: LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina South Carolina: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss Tennessee: Alabama , Florida , Vanderbilt Texas: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Arkansas Texas A&M: Texas, LSU, Oklahoma Vanderbilt: Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   Urban Meyer will receive his College Football Hall of Fame Plaque at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when the Gators play Tennessee on November 22. I hope everyone takes notice of the fact that he’s being honored as a Gator and not as an Ohio State Buckeye. I also hope that the higher ups at the University of Florida decide to make this a two-fer and put Urban into the Ring of Honor. He deserves it.   I know there are Gators out there who are still bitching and moaning about the fact that Urban took the Ohio State job after spending the 2011 football season in an office in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I still hear the conspiracy theorists who try to convince me that Urban did UF wrong, that he faked illness so he could sit out the year before taking the Ohio State job.   Oh please. I often wonder if these people were abducted by the same aliens who snatched Bert Campbell. Fans of Richard Mulligan and Soap got that one immediately. The rest of you do your homework.   Here is why Urban Meyer should get a roar that should sound like a 747 taking off when he’s introduced at the Tennessee game. In six seasons at Florida Urban Meyer went 65-15. He won two national and two SEC championships. He had three 13-1 seasons. I remain convinced that if Carlos Dunlap doesn’t get arrested the Monday night before the 2009 SEC Championship Game that Florida goes unbeaten and wins a third national championship. In six seasons against Florida’s three biggest rivals, Urban’s Gators went 17-1 – 6-0 vs. Florida State, 6-0 vs. Tennessee and 5-1 vs. Georgia.   Here is further proof: During Urban’s six years only Boise State and TCU won more games and no offense to either school, but they didn’t exactly play an SEC schedule. In the years since Urban left, the Gators are 106-71, which is something close to the 40 th best record in the country. The Gators haven’t sniffed a national championship and they’re 0-3 the three times they made it to Atlanta.   Want a little more proof? Since Urban departed the Gators are 4-10 against Georgia, 11-3 against Tennessee and 5-8 against FSU. So, 17-1 against the rivals while Urb was the head coach, 20-21 for the four coaches who succeeded him. Making matters worse, Georgia has won two national championships, played and lost in the national championship game one other time and won three SEC championships. Florida State has won a national championship and Tennessee has made the College Football Playoff.   It isn’t Urban Meyer’s fault that Florida’s football program has been treading water since he left. If you want to point a finger, don’t point it at Urban. He’s not the one who hired the coaches who haven’t been able to restore Florida football to a championship level.

At least this time the SEC coaches got it right when it comes to Jake Slaughter (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:   Well, at least the SEC coaches got it right with Jake Slaughter this time. Last December the coaches didn’t name Slaughter to either first, second or third team All-SEC and yet he was first team All-SEC by the Associated Press. Not only that, Slaughter was the first team All-American center on the AP, ESPN and Pro Football Focus teams. He was second team All-America for CBS Sports and College Football News.   When the SEC coaches came out with their preseason All-SEC team Tuesday, Slaughter was the first team center. Also named first team was left tackle Austin Barber. Defensive lineman Caleb Banks, placekicker Trey Smack and long snapper Rocco Underwood all made the second team. Defensive end Tyreak Sapp made third team.   In what can only be considered the surprise of surprises, Florida quarterback DJ Lagway was named to the third team. The first team QB is LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and the second team QB is South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.   What? No Arch Manning on either the first second or third teams? Athlon named him first team preseason All-America QB while Phil Steele had him as the third team QB. Lindy’s had Arch as the second team All-SEC.   PRESEASON COACHES ALL-SEC First team offense: QB: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU; RB: Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M, and Quintrevion Wisner, Texas; WR: Ryan Williams, Alabama, and Cam Coleman, Auburn; TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt; OL: Kaydyn Proctor, Alabama; Cayden Green, Missouri; AUSTIN BARBER, FLORIDA; DJ Campbell, Texas; and Fernando Carmona Jr., Arkansas; C: JAKE SLAUGHTER, FLORIDA   First team defense: DL: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina; Colin Simmons, Texas; Keldric Faulk, Auburn; and Christian Miller, Georgia; LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas; Whit Weeks, LSU; and CJ Allen, Georgia; DB: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Daylen Everette, Georgia; Michael Taaffe, Texas; and Jermod McCoy, Tennessee   First team special teams: PK: Peyton Woodring, Georgia; P: Brett Thorson, Georgia; RS: Barion Brown, LSU; KOS: Peyton Woodring, Georgia; LS: Beau Gardner, Georgia; AP: Zachariah Branch, Georgia   Second team offense: QB: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina; RB: Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma, and Caden Durham, LSU; WR: Aaron Anderson, LSU; Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri; and Eric Singleton, Auburn; TE: Oscar Delp, Georgia; OL: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M; Jaeden Roberts, Alabama; Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M; and Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M; C: Parker Brailsford, Alabama   Second team defense: DL: CALEB BANKS, FLORIDA; R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma; Tim Keenan III, Alabama; LT Overton, Alabama; LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama; Harold Perkins, LSU; and Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss; DB: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Will Lee, Texas A&M; Malik Muhammad, Texas; Domani Jackson, Alabama; and Keon Sabb, Alabama   Second team special teams: PK: TREY SMACK, FLORIDA; P: Jack Bouwmeester, Texas; RS: Zachariah Branch, Georgia; KOS: TREY SMACK, FLORIDA; LS: ROCCO UNDERWOOD, FLORIDA; AP: Zavion Thomas, LSU   Third team offense: QB DJ LAGWAY, FLORIDA; RB: Nate Frazier, Georgia, and Jam Miller, Alabama; WR: Zachariah Branch, Georgia; Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee; and EUGENE WILSON III, FLORIDA; TE: Miles Kitselman, Tennessee; OL: Earnest Greene III, Georgia; Xavier Chaplin, Auburn; Lance Heard, Tennessee; Joshua Braun, Kentucky; and Trevor Goosby, Texas; C: Conner Lew, Auburn   Third team defense: DL: Cam Ball, Arkansas; TYREAK SAPP, FLORIDA; Trey Moore, Texas; Zxavian Harris, Ole Miss; LB: Taurean York, Texas A&M; Arion Carter, Tennessee; and Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss; DB: Boo Carter, Tennessee; Isaac Smith, Mississippi State; Jalen Catalon, Missouri; and Bray Hubbard, Alabama   Third team special teams: PK: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss, and Alex McPherson, Auburn; P: Aidan Laros, Kentucky; RS: Zavion Thomas, LSU; KOS: Will Stone, Texas; LS: Ben Anderson, Oklahoma; AP: Martel Wright, Vanderbilt   TWO GATORS NAMED ON3 PRESEASON FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS Offense QB: Bryce Underwood, Michigan; RB: Gideon Davidson, Clemson; TE: Linkon Cure, Kansas State; WR: Jayvon Bogs, Florida State; Dakorien Moore, Oregon; and DALLAS WILSON, FLORIDA; OL: Michael Fasusi, Oklahoma; Juan Gaston, Georgia; John Mills, Washington; David Sanders Jr., Tennessee; and Isaac Sowells, North Carolina State   Defense EDGE: JAYDEN WOODS, FLORIDA, and Marco Jones, Texas A&M; DL: Elijah Griffin, Georgia, and Donta Simpson, Miami; LB: Bradley Gompers, Duke, and Riley Pettijohn, Ohio State; DB: Tae Harris, Georgia Tech; Graceson Littleton, Texas; DJ Pickett, LSU; Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse; and Devin Sanchez, Ohio State   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama: Running back Jam Miller’s injury is a dislocated collarbone. He underwent surgery to put it back in place but will miss at least the first three games. Earliest estimate is that Miller will return in time for Alabama’s September road trip to Georgia … With Miller injured, offensive coordinator has four running backs competing for the starting job. First game: at Florida State   Arkansas: Nobody is predicting much from the Razorbacks but HBC Sam Pittman told the Little Rock Touchdown Club, “We’ll surprise a lot of people … We got a really good football team.” … Depth at defensive tackle is a real concern for the Razorbacks per Pittman. First game: Arkansas State (in Little Rock)   Auburn: Taking a page from the UCF history playbook, Auburn is now claiming nine national championships. Auburn now claims the 1910, 1914, 1958, 1993 and 2004 national championships. Auburn went 6-1 in 1910 and was declared national champion both times by something called The Billingsley Report. Since the 1913 Tigers won the Billingsley national title with an 8-0 record, Auburn is claiming the 1914 title since it went 8-0-1. Nobody else thinks so. The 1958 Tigers went 9-0-1 but were on probation. Not even Billingsley thought the Tigers were national champs, not when LSU went unbeaten and was declared national champ by everyone with a pulse. The 1993 Tigers were on probation (imagine that) but they went 11-0 someone called the National Championship declared them national champs. In 2004, Auburn went 13-0 but was left out of the BCS. Southern Cal’s national championship was vacated, therefore Auburn claims the title since it was undefeated.  First game: at Baylor   No. 5 Georgia: Punter Brett Thorson, who tore an ACL in the SEC Championship Game against Texas back in December, is kicking but not in rush situations. HBC Kirby Smart is unsure if Thorson will be ready to go game one against Marshall. First game: Marshall   Kentucky: While the first team quarterback is unquestionably Incarnate Word transfer Zach Calzada, backup Cutter Boley has been impressive through Kentucky’s first 16 practices. Boley played in four games last season, completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns with four picks. First game: Toledo   No. 9 LSU: Backup quarterback Michael Van Buren has the index finger on his throwing hand in a splint but HBC Brian Kelly says it’s nothing serious. Kelly said X-rays and an MRI on Van Buren’s finger came back negative … The three offensive linemen who have nailed down starting jobs are left tackle Tyree Adams, right guard Josh Thompson and center Braelin Moore.  First game: at No. 4 Clemson   Mississippi State: The first team defensive unit so far: DE Will Whitson, NG Kalvin Dinkins or Jamil Burroughs, DE Trevion Williams, JACK Branden Jennings, WLB Zakari Tillman, MLB Jalen Smith, SLB Isaac Smith, CB Kelley Jones, CB Jet Jefferson, S Jahron Manning, S Brylan Lanier. First game: at Southern Miss   Missouri: HBC Eli Drinkwitz is expected to name a starting quarterback today between Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and fourth-year junior Sam Horn. No matter who is the starter, Drinkwitz says, “I feel comfortable with both those guys.” First game: Central Arkansas   No. 18 Oklahoma: If the Sooners were to play today the starting wide receivers would be true freshman Elijah Thomas, Southern Illinois transfer Keontez Lewis and sophomore Ivan Carreon. First game: Illinois State   No. 21 Ole Miss: Harrison Wallace, who caught 46 passes for 720 yards and four touchdowns as a Penn State starter in 2024, and De’Zhaun Stribling, who caught 52 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns at Oklahoma State, look to be starting at wide receiver along with returning starter Caden Lee … Although sons Cody and Parker are part of Mario Cristobal’s staff at Miami, Coach O seems likely to work for Lane Kiffin if he follows through with a desire to return to coaching. Coach O worked for Kiffin at Tennessee and at Southern Cal. First game: Georgia State   No. 13 South Carolina: Utah State transfer running back Rahsul Faison still hasn’t been cleared by the NCAA to play in 2025. Faison gained 1,109 yards and scored eight touchdowns last season … South Carolina has sold out of season tickets. First game: Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)   No. 24 Tennessee: HBC Josh Heupel said Joey Aguilar will start at quarterback bcause he “played well in scrimmages, had good command.” … Wide receivers Mike Matthews, Chris Brazzell and Brayton Stanley, who have missed several practices due to injuries, were back at practice Tuesday. First game: Syracuse (in Atlanta)   No. 1 Texas: After watching Texas practice, former LSU coach Ed Orgeron said, “Arch (Manning) is as close to or maybe as good as Joe (Burrow) as I’ve seen and I’ve never said that about anybody.” First game: at Ohio State   No. 19 Texas A&M: With Le’Veon Moss being brought along slowly (ACL tear last year), Rueben Owens, EJ Smith (son of Emmitt Smith) and freshman Jamarion Morrow are sharing the reps at running back. First game: Texas-San Antonio   Vanderbilt: HBC Clark Lea says the Vandy roster is “the best that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think just in terms of depth. Part of that is developmental, part of that has been strategic portal additions.” First game: Charleston Southern   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   As laughable as it seems that Auburn has claimed four national championships including a couple of years while on NCAA probation (1958 and 1993), give them credit for at least sticking up for their school, albeit more than 100 years after the fact in a couple of instances. It does make you wonder why it is the University of Florida doesn’t claim the 1984 New York Times national championship?   Yes, the Gators were hit with a serious NCAA probation but the New York Times considered Florida the best team in the country and therefore awarded UF its national championship trophy. Brigham Young won the trophy that year. The Cougars did finish as the only unbeaten team in the country, but BYU played a mediocre 6-5 Michigan in the Holiday Bowl prior to Christmas. Only diehard BYU fans think the Cougars could have even kept the score close against Florida, which for all practical purposes, was an NFL team.   Florida has never claimed the NYT national title even though it still has the trophy on display. Meanwhile Alabama claims a whole slew of national titles including 1941 when the Crimson Tide finished 20 th in the AP poll, but something called the Houlgate System made the 9-2 team the national champ. Georgia claims the 1942 national championship issued by Billingsley, Litkenhous Ratings and several others you probably have never heard of. Tennessee claims national titles in 1938, 1940, 1950 and 1967 that aren’t officially recognized. The 1967 title was awarded by the Litkenhous Ratings whatever that is.   Does Alabama have trophies for that Houlgate championship? Do Georgia and  Tennessee have a Litkenhouse trophy?   Why doesn’t Vanderbilt claim national championships from 1906, 1911, 1921 and 1922? Why doesn’t Texas A&M claim the national titles from 1919 and 1927 won by head coach Dana X. Bible? Texas has five national championships it doesn’t officially claim including one by Dana X. Bible (1941). Oklahoma has seven championships it claims and 10 it doesn’t.   If it’s the probation thing that keeps UF from claiming the 1984 title, Oklahoma won the 1974 national championship while on probation. Auburn now claims 1958 and 1993 titles won on probation.   It would be stupid to claim 1984 without a trophy, but the Gators have a trophy to prove it. So why not, Florida?

It's been a long ride back for Lakeland's Cormani McClain (Chris Spears photo)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Unlike the previous three years when his press conferences were running over with platitudes, there is something remarkably different about Billy Napier this August. There is an air of self-assurance in the way he’s dealing with the media. He doesn’t gush about a roster that he has carefully constructed from the ground up but when he answers questions, it is like those old E.F. Hutton commercials. Remember them? “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.”   When Billy Napier speaks these days, it’s best to listen. It’s sort of like last summer when Todd Golden confidently declared “We’ve got some dudes” one July morning over breakfast at the Mi Apa eatery on 34 th Street in Gainesville. Now, Billy is too conservative and much too wise to go into a whole lot of detail about his 2025 Florida football team, but he does indeed have some dudes.   A lot of them in fact. Enough that he believes this could be that breakout year Florida fans have been waiting for ever since he was hired from Louisiana back in December of 2021. It has taken two seasons of heartbreaking and often confounding losses, a season salvaged by four consecutive wins at the end of 2024 and careful evaluation to find players that fit exactly what he’s trying to accomplish to get to this point.   Talent? There is plenty and if quarterback DJ Lagway can stay healthy the Gators will have the ability to light up scoreboards. The Gators might not have to win games in shootout fashion because this is year two with the Godfather of the Creeper, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. The defensive lights came on in November of 2024. If Ron Roberts history repeats itself, then this will be a year in which the defense is formidable.   “I think we’re on a mission here to play championship caliber defense … We are on an absolute mission to play defense at a high level ,” Napier said Monday evening at a Heavener Center press conference. Napier explained how the defense continually improved during his four seasons as the head coach at Louisiana. Roberts was his defensive coordinator the first two seasons (2018-19). In year one, the Ragin’ Cajuns gave up 34.2 points and 435.4 yards per game. Year two, they gave up 19.7 points and 371.8 yards, a difference of two touchdowns and six first downs per game. Year one, Louisiana was No. 97 nationally in total defense, No. 105 in scoring defense. Year two, the Ragin’ Cajuns were No. 47 in total defense, No. 18 scoring defense.   Roberts moved to Baylor in 2020 where the Bears gave up 29.2 points and 383.4 yards per game. In 2021, the Bears gave up 18.3 points and 346 yards, a difference of a touchdown, a field goal and four first downs per game. Year one, Baylor was No. 48 in total defense, No. 62 in scoring defense. Year two, Baylor improved to No. 32 in total defense, No. 10 in scoring defense.   Once Roberts took over the defense from co-coordinator Austin Armstrong last year, the defense improved markedly. In the final four games, the Gators gave up an average of 13 points and 321.8 yards per game. In those four games the Gators had 19 sacks (39 for the year) and 12 forced turnovers (25 for the year).   Now that the Gators have gotten the hang of the creeper defense that Roberts runs, there is reason to expect defense played at the championship level of which Napier speaks. This is year two and Roberts defenses historically improve. Just like the offense, there is no shortage of talent on hand to get the job done.   But an exceptional offense and a defense capable of such disruption are no guarantees of a championship team. Talent alone rarely gets the job done. Championship teams learn to park any and all sense of entitlement at the door and leave it there. Eliminate the what’s in it for me attitude and the betterment of the team becomes the driving force.   "I would say that's one of the things I'm most proud of about our football team,” Napier said. “We don't have those issues, in my opinion, we don't have distractions. I think that these guys appreciate everyone's role within the organization, how they treat people. As simple as it sounds, leaving your space clean before you go home and having a healthy respect for the people that take care of the building, as simple as that sounds. How you treat the equipment staff, how you treat the academic staff, the trainers, the video staff, everyone that is here way before you get here, and they're here way after you leave here. They're here to serve you. I think we have an emphasis on treating those people with respect and gratitude. And hopefully that sticks, and they can take that with the rest of the way. But I do think that's one of the good things about this team. Nobody feels entitled with what they have."   The combination of a team that has the right attitude and talent at all levels is very, very dangerous. Talent alone doesn’t get the job done, but a team that has more than enough talent and few, if any distractions, can go a long way.   When Napier surveys his team, he sees one that is aware of what it will take to compete for and possibly win a championship.     “ I think they've bought into the fact that hey, look, we have ability,” Napier said. “There's enough talent here to go toe-to-toe with anybody, and it's gonna be about the character of the men that are leading the team and that are representing the team.   “And look, there's no guarantee. You have to invest the entire offseason, and then you have to prepare each week, and then you're presented with an opportunity to go toe-to- toe and compete. And you have to earn it on the field in that three or four hour block, right? So there's no promise. It's just an opportunity and you gotta go make the most of that.”   There is no promise of a championship here, but the opportunity certainly has presented itself. The Gators play eight teams that made it to a bowl game a season ago. Seven of the teams on the schedule are currently ranked in the Associated Press top 25. The Gators will open the season ranked No. 15. Starting with the third week of the season, the Gators have a 4-game gauntlet that is easily the toughest any team in the country will face and three of the four games are on the road – September 13 at No. 9 LSU; September 20 at No. 10 Mi ami; October 4 No. 1 Texas; and October 11 at No. 19 Texas A&M.   Against a schedule this tough, the Gators have to be driven by a team-first mentality. What’s in it for me attitudes are contagious, capable of destroying team chemistry like a plague. They create doubt and destroy the kind of trust it takes for all 11 players on the field to work together as a cohesive unit.   “So I think the mentality here is that we know the competition is coming and it's important that we prepare a certain way to be in the best position when we do get to the game. And then spot the ball, and we have to earn it one play at a time, one possession at the time, and play complimentary football and hopefully that leads to winning football.   “So, there's no promises in this game. You prepare, and then you go compete, and you gotta go earn it with the time comes. So we could do everything perfect, but there's no promise of getting the outcome you want when you get to the game. So I think this group understands that, and they look forward to competing this fall.”   Lagway update: “Today this is the most, he took team reps today which was good and obviously he was hitting. He had a great full stack of throws last week four days in a row, didn’t scrimmage but did quite a bit of work that day, so yeah he’s feeling much better and he’s moving around well.”   Progress since fall practice began: “ I think we went into training camp with kind of some assumptions about, you know, where we needed to make work. I think we've seen some of those things come to light. We need to get healthy. You know, I think some of those positional battles that we talked about, I think we have made progress in those areas.”   It's been a good training camp: “I like where we're at. I think the training camp has been positive. We got to get a few healthy here down the stretch. But in general, it's a greater good game. You gotta go to the deep water, you know, and I think we did that. There's always gonna be some casualties that come with that, but I think, overall, we got out of it pretty healthy, and I feel good about where we're at."

LIU arrives to the Sunshine State in less than two weeks, but to quote Coach Napier there is still grass to mow.  By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host-The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Receiver Eugen Wilson III (Chris Spears photo) The Florida Gators have enjoyed a drama free offseason for the most part as a four game win streak to close the season gave the Gators an 8-win season for the first time since 2020. While the absence of participation by quarterback DJ Lagway has been a talking point for many this offseason the quarterback is thought by many to be the best in the SEC if healthy. Yet outside of the obvious, Lagway’s health, there are still a few things the Gators must take care off before the school formerly known as C.W. Post arrives to The Swamp on August 30th. 1.     Get everyone not named DJ Lagway healthy as well- In the next two weeks the athletic trainers at Florida could be the most important folks on campus as the Gators will look to ensure that the minor injuries to some of the Gators most important pieces are available as soon as possible. Names like Eugene Wilson III, Dallas Wilson, LJ McCray, and Pup Howard are just as important as Lagway when it comes to what the Gators do best and all have dealt with injuries that have limited them during fall camp. Should the injuries continue to linger it could affect the Gators ability to fine tune the small things that can win or lose close football games.   2.     One voice, one sound (especially on defense)- The Gators clearly had communication issues both on and off the field that led to confusion and disconnect early in the season for the defense. While the issues seemed to clean themselves up late in the season, the Gators brought in three new defensive coaches who at face value have fit in well. The key will be for Ron Roberts, now the sole play-caller on defense to make sure all three levels are on the same page when the Gators line up against some of the nation’s top quarterbacks.   3.     Finalize rotations- Right now everybody gets a turn, but in the next two weeks the rotations at defensive line, wide receiver, and in the secondary will need to be established. On paper this is the deepest and most talented roster the Gators have fielded in five years. Who goes where and when will need to be made clear to make sure the afore mentioned communication issues are a thing of the past. Personnel groupings will be key for the diverse offenses and defense the Gators will face, and the initial tree shaking will need to be done with confidence and clarity by Coach Napier and staff.   4.     Lighten up but keep competing- For three seasons many questioned how hard the Gators were practicing in preparation for their opponents. While Coach Napier would never admit it, he did agree that the Gators needed to compete more in practice. To Napier’s credit, that competition seemed to produce a more physical and focused football team late last season. As the Gators break camp with some key injuries there could be an unintended lack of intensity in order to make sure no one else ends up in the cold tub. The Gators will need to be mindful to scale back the physical contact while keeping things lively and competitive as they prepare over the next two weeks. Led by one of the nation’s best at quarterback and a roster ranked in the Top 10 in talent index the Gators are expected to certainly eclipse the 8 wins from 2024. Should the Gators clean up the little things, get fairly healthy, and maintain their edge, the 2025 version looks to be as good as advertised. Still, there is grass to mow, leaves to rake, and getting it all bagged up before the Gators reintroduce themselves to the college football world and the Florida faithful.

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:   For the first time since he’s been Florida’s football coach, Billy Napier has a legitimate Southeastern Conference roster, one that is capable of winning nine or more football games. Yes, yes, the schedule is brutal, but it was last year, too, and the Gators won eight games. This is a better football team than the one that went 8-5 a year ago, largely because the Gators have front line talent and more depth than they’ve had in Napier’s three previous seasons.   There is a theory that every SEC team has at least 22 SEC-caliber players. That means a player who could suit up and make the two-deep on nearly every team in the league. If all you have is 22 SEC-caliber players you’ll win three or fewer games. If you have as many as 33 SEC-caliber players you can win anywhere from four to six games. Depth will get the best of you in the fourth quarter if that’s all you have. Teams that have between 33 and 44 SEC-caliber players will typically win seven or eight games, nine if they catch a break.   To win nine or more games you’ve got to have at least 44 players who can flat out play. Those with more than 44 are the ones that challenge for championships. There will be injuries in a 12-game SEC schedule so the teams that win 10 or more games and compete for championships will typically have somewhere around 50 players ready to play.   Florida has 44 players who could play for anyone in the SEC. Are there enough beyond the 44 that make up the 2-deep that would enable the Gators to sustain momentum if and when injuries hit? The Gators play eight teams that made a bowl game a year ago, seven that begin the 2025 season ranked in the Associated Press top 25. Against a schedule that difficult depth will be challenged.      With just 12 days to go before the Gators run out of the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium tunnel for their season opener with Long Island University, there are legitimate concerns about Florida’s depth. While there have been no reports of season-threatening injuries, there have been far too many missed practices and snaps due to injuries since August camp began. Will some of these injuries cause important players to miss games once the season begins?      The single most important question surrounds DJ Lagway, who as of last Friday, hadn’t taken a live snap against a defense that rushes the passer. Lagway just turned 20 last week so he’s young and still needs those practice snaps. The only way to develop timing with receivers and to read defenses is by taking snaps against a live defense. Is he just so skilled that the missed time won’t faze him?   If the injuries of August are all minor and don’t carry over into the season and Lagway is healthy enough to play at a very high level, then Napier has a roster capable of winning nine games. At least for the next 12 days, Gator fans will be holding their collective breath. GATORS HAVE FEWEST TRANSFERS IN THE SEC   Here are the transfer numbers for the 16 SEC teams: Florida 6; Tennessee 7; Georgia 10; Alabama 11; Texas 11; Texas A&M 14; South Carolina 17; LSU 18; Auburn 20; Vanderbilt 20; Oklahoma 21; Missouri 22; Kentucky 25; Arkansas 28; Ole Miss 31; Mississippi State 32.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 8 Alabama: Starting running back Jam Miller is expected to be out awhile after undergoing surgery for what has been described as an upper body injury. Alabama is hopeful Miller will be back in uniform for the Georgia game in Athens September 27. Miller gained 668 yards and scored seven touchdowns last year. First game: at Florida State   Arkansas: Running back Rodney Hill remains in a non-contact jersey. Right now the top running back is New Mexico State transfer Mike Washington, who gained 725 yards and scored eight touchdowns last year … Defensive tackle David Oke, a transfer from Abilene Christian might miss the season opener due to a meniscus issue. First game: Arkansas State (in Little Rock)   Auburn: Despite the defense dominating in scrimmages, Hugh Freeze isn’t concerned. “Our offense is really talented,” Freeze said after the Friday scrimmage. “It’s scary. It really is … I wouldn’t be alarmed at all … The offense has made plays. The defense has just controlled things more often, that’s all.” First game: at Baylor   No. 5 Georgia: At Georgia’s Saturday scrimmage, Gunner Stockton got limited reps. Redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi got a large number of reps with the No. 1 and No. 2 offensive units. First game: Marshall   Kentucky: Transfers Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell are the top two tailbacks. McGowan gained 823 yards and scored three touchdowns last year at New Mexico State. Dowdell gained 614 yards and scored 12 touchdowns at Nebraska … Incarnate Word transfer Zach Calzada has established himself as the clear No. 1 quarterback.   First game: Toledo   No. 9 LSU: LSU finished dead last in the SEC in rushing yardage last year. Brian Kelly has put emphasis on the running game in fall camp. Friday, Kelly said, “We have to be committed to those situations where everybody knows you’re running it and you still run it. I think that’s what we’re going into this season with: that mindset of there’s gonna be times that you know we’re running the ball and we have to impose our will on you.” First game: at Clemson   Mississippi State: HBC Jeff Lebby sees the defense making big progress through the first three weeks of practice. Following Saturday’s scrimmage, Lebby said, “I thought the energy, the toughness, the attitude the edge … man we are getting close to where we want to be from that standpoint. We got to continue to play cleaner and play better and create depth.” First game: at Southern Miss   Missouri: HBC Eli Drinkwitz has yet to make a decision on who will be the No. 1 quarterback, which is a battle between Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and Sam Horn. “I don’t have the timetable yet on the decision,” Drinkwitz said after the latest scrimmage. Over on the O-line, All-SEC guard Cayden Green has moved over to left tackle with Michigan transfer Dominic Guidice flopping from right guard to left guard. Redshirt junior Curtis Peagler has moved into the right guard slot. Three-year starter Connor Tollison is the center and Wake Forest transfer Keagan Trost is the right tackle. First game: Central Arkansas   No. 18 Oklahoma: Running back Jaydn Ott was dressed out for Oklahoma’s Saturday scrimmage. Ott didn’t participate in the scrimmage, but was involved in every other aspect of the practice … The starting offensive line right now is RT Michael Fausi, RG Heath Ozaeta, C Troy Everett, RG Febechi Nwaiwu and RT Logan Howland. First game: Illinois State   No. 21 Ole Miss: Tackles Jayden Williams and Diego Pounds didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage. Guards PJ Wilkins and Delano Townsend were both injured. Townsend’s injury appears to be quite serious. First game: Georgia State   No. 13 South Carolina: Tackles Josiah Thompson (LT) and Cason Henry (RT) are returning starters on the offensive line, but the three interior positions are still up for grabs. Troy transfer Boaz Stanley seems to be the starter at center with Wake Forest transfer Nick Sharpe the right guard. Trovon Baugh, who got some starts last year, is fighting for the starting job at right guard. First game: Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)   No. 24 Tennessee: Joey Aguilar, last year’s starting QB at Appalachian State, who came to UT via UCLA, will start game one for the Vols. Aguilar won the job after battling with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre. At App State last year, Aguilar threw for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. First game: Syracuse (in Atlanta)   No. 1 Texas: The Longhorns have so much depth that HBC Steve Sarkisian says, “Defensively, we have 15-16 starter type players.” A year ago, Texas led the SEC in total defense (283.4 yards per game) and finished third nationally. First game: at Ohio State   No. 19 Texas A&M: Here is the 2-deep on the O-line: LT Trey Zuhn/Deuce Featheree; LG Chase Bisontis/Blake Ivy; C Mark Nabou/Koli Faaiu; RG Ar’maj Reed-Adams/Tyler Thomas; RT Dametrious Crownover or Deuce Featheree. First game: Texas-San Antonio   Vanderbilt: At Saturday’s scrimmage, quarterback Diego Pavia completed 9-14 passes for 87 yards. Gabe Fields (57 yards, 1 TD) was the top running back and Edwards Witt (4 catches, 58 yards) was the top receiver. First game: Charleston Southern   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   For its participation in the sign stealing scheme that covered multiple years, the NCAA fined Michigan $20 million, gave Jim Harbaugh a 10-year show cause and added one game – next year against a cupcake opponent, mind you – to the self-imposed 2-game suspension already levied on head ball coach Sheron Moore.   Big freaking deal.   Once again the NCAA shows that it’s all hat, no cattle. Michigan built a national championship program thanks to a sign stealing scheme that told the Michigan coaches what the other team was going to do whether on offense or defense. Jim Harbaugh can claim until he’s blue in the face that he didn’t know what was going on but he’s such a control freak. Most non-Michigan people would say that when it comes to stealing signs, Harbaugh’s lips moved so therefore you know he’s lying.   Michigan got a national championship out of it and most Michigan boosters would agree that it was a fair trade. This bit about Michigan’s name has been smeared is a load. The only thing that bothers the people who write the checks is that Michigan got caught. Even if the NCAA had vacated the championship do you think they would have cried foul? Of course not. Everybody in the world saw what happened on the field and that’s the only thing that matters.   The NCAA should have lowered the boom on Michigan. The consequences of wholesale cheating by Michigan are the equivalent of a pimple on an elephant’s butt. The athletic departments at schools like Kent State or Western Kentucky might go belly up if hit with a $20 million fine, but for Michigan a few phone calls start the bank wires that cover the fine. A deterrent for a school of Michigan’s stature would be the loss of 30 scholarships and limiting roster size to 65 for the next three years.   Once again, as it did when it had North Carolina dead to rights over an academic scandal that was carried on for 18 years, the NCAA chose to punt. As much as we need a new organization to replace the NCAA, this case makes us understand why there hasn’t been any significant movement in that direction. A new organization might have the teeth and the nads to stick it to cheaters. With the NCAA, if you have a big enough name you get a slap on the wrist with a Q-tip.