Swampcast discusses Florida football SEC opening dud vs TAMU
The Sun’s Kevin Brockway and David Whitley wrap up Florida football’s 33-20 loss to TAMU at The Swamp
The Florida Gators stink. Let us not equivocate. And Billy Napier’s seat boils. The question becomes: Whom to hire? Start with Lane Kiffin, but what about when he says no?Eliah Drinkwitz’s coaching candidacy would be red hot after his success at Missouri.Texas football should be ranked No. 1, not Georgia, but Bulldogs aren’t in panic mode.
The Florida Gators stink. Let us not equivocate.
Because they stink, and because this is coach Billy Napier’s third season, and because he had losing records in his first two seasons, and because he’s not recruiting well, Napier very likely will be fired this season. Let us also not equivocate on that.
“It’s disgusting,” Napier said of Florida’s performance after its 33-20 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. “I mean, ultimately, that’s my fault.”
At least Florida fans agree with their coach on that.
Napier would be due a buyout of more than $25 million if he’s fired after this season. The buyout would be $28 million he’s fired now. When the time comes, money won’t be an object, as reported by USA TODAY’s Matt Hayes on Saturday.
The Gators would become the guinea pig for hiring a coach within the expanded playoff era. Hiring a coach from a playoff-qualifying team would be a challenge, because of the timeline.
First-round playoff games will occur on Dec. 20-21. That’s after the early signing window and after the offseason transfer sweepstakes begin.
Ideally, Florida would have a new coach in place by early December, to stem the tide of outbound transfers and allow maximum time for portal shopping.
Before we consider potential candidates, let’s discuss a few general particulars: Programs often hire the opposite of what they had before. Napier succeeded as a Group of Five coach. He’d never been a Power 4 head coach. He’s a low-key guy whose M.O. centered on “The Process.” His teams weren’t just bad. They were boring, too.
So, who’s the opposite of Napier?
7 candidates on my mind for Florida Gators
1. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss): Kiffin would be the closest thing to the second coming of Steve Spurrier. He’s a wonder for Ole Miss. His high-scoring offenses and “Portal King” ways would be a 180-degree pivot from Napier. Trouble is, he’s been too good. The Rebels probably are bound for the playoff. Also, Kiffin is well-compensated by Ole Miss, and he’s got a well-oiled NIL machine. Good luck stealing him away.
2. Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri): Drinkwitz’s career is red-hot. He’s won 14 of his past 16 games, and he’s skillfully navigated the NIL landscape to make the Tigers a player. He built Missouri into a playoff contender. His trash-talking personality would provide a livelier ride than the Napier experience. Best-case scenario for Florida if it desires Drink: Missouri goes 10-2 but gets snubbed by the playoff committee.
3. Jedd Fisch (Washington): He’s a Florida alumnus who, many moons ago, worked as a graduate assistant for Steve Spurrier. He knows offense and transformed Arizona’s program before flying the coop for Washington. He left a Heisman-caliber quarterback at Arizona for the Huskies, so why not leave UW for his alma mater?
4. Alex Golesh (South Florida): Golesh, 40, is the youngest coach listed here. He’s never been a Power Four coach. That doesn’t mean he’d be Napier 2.0. He’d come with the Josh Heupel playbook that’s made Tennessee a success. Golesh runs the warp-speed spread offense the Vols use. He was Heupel’s coordinator at UCF and Tennessee.
5. Lance Leipold (Kansas): The Jayhawks won’t make the playoff, so Leipold would be available. He’s a respected program builder who won at places where success doesn’t come easily (Buffalo, Kansas). Trouble is, Kansas (1-2) might be headed for a losing season. That would strip Leipold of some cachet.
6. Andy Kotelnicki (Penn State offensive coordinator): He’s one of the nation’s highest-regarded offensive coordinators. A longtime Leipold aide, he steered KU’s offense to great success the past two seasons. Early returns at Penn State look promising. Some program will take a chance on Kotelnicki as a head coach. But would Florida risk a guy with no head coaching experience after Napier’s flop?
7. Jamey Chadwell (Liberty): Chadwell, a career winner, took what Hugh Freeze left at Liberty and made it better. Like others on this list, he’s sharp-witted on offense. The risk: He’s never worked any position on a Power Four staff.
Who’s No. 1? Doesn’t matter, but should be Texas Longhorns
I don’t have an AP Top 25 ballot this season. If I did, I’d vote Texas No. 1.
The Longhorns (3-0) don’t have one good quarterback. They have two. Their defense is tough, and they’ve got maulers on the offensive line.
Texas manhandled Michigan in Ann Arbor in Week 2, and that performance impressed me even though the Wolverines are a clear downgrade from their 2023 undefeated squad.
Considering No. 1 Georgia’s ugly 13-12 win at Kentucky, I’d hoist Texas to No. 1.
What’s wrong with Georgia?
Hitting the Georgia panic button would be an overreaction. Fact is, Kirby Smart’s program has made winning ugly on the road a habit. Georgia’s road victories against Missouri and Kentucky in 2022 and at Auburn and Georgia Tech last season wouldn’t hold up well in a beauty contest.
To the extent Georgia faces a problem, former Bulldogs player David Pollack touched on it Saturday with this post on X: “I see a lot of really good players on offense, but I don’t see a lot of great.”
Three and out
1. Want an eighth name to consider as Florida’s next coach? I give you Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield. The Tigers enjoy the inside lane for the Group of Five playoff bid after beating Florida State to improve to 3-0. I’ve already mentioned the potential issue of trying to hire a playoff-bound coach, but a Group of Five coach would be likelier to leave a playoff qualifier than a Power Four coach who believes he can win a national championship (see Kiffin). Silverfield is from Jacksonville, Florida, and played on state championship teams at The Bolles School.
2. Heck, I’ll give you a ninth name: Kansas State’s Chris Klieman. Unlike others I’ve mentioned, Klieman’s expertise resides on defense, but, his track record is excellent, and the Gators need defense, too. If Florida eyes Big 12 candidates, I could argue Klieman would be a stronger choice than Leipold. After all, he’s 3-0 against Leipold.
3. The latest “Topp Rope” 12-team playoff projections remain unchanged: Georgia (SEC), Ohio State (Big Ten), Oklahoma State (Big 12), Miami (ACC), Memphis (Group of Five), plus at-large selections Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Penn State, Oregon and Utah. Next up: Missouri, Southern Cal.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
The “Topp Rope” is his football column published throughout the USA TODAY Network.
Subscribe to read all of his columns. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, and newsletter, SEC Unfiltered.
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Publish date : 2024-09-15 06:11:00
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