[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Florida’s 2021 season was so disappointing that it fired a coach who entered the year with almost complete job security, as far as we know. After an overtime loss to Missouri that dropped the team to 5-6, coach Dan Mullen was fired.
UF has already hired his replacement in Billy Napier, but it was the interim coach Greg Knox who got the job done on Saturday, beating rival Florida State as home underdogs. The game wasn’t pretty, but the Gators became bowl eligible in a 24-21 win that had the added bonus of ending the Seminoles’ season.
After that performance, Florida rose in the USA TODAY Sports weekly re-rank, though it’s still far below where this program needs to be. The Gators moved up six spots but still sit at No. 65. That’s one spot below Marshall and one spot above MAC East champion Kent State.
It also makes the Gators the lowest-ranked team in the SEC other than 2-10 Vanderbilt, which is practically unprecedented for this program but also understandable considering the fact that this team was the first in school history to go 2-6 in SEC play.
UF will hope to get things turned around sooner rather than later under Napier, but for now, this team enters a bowl game despite ranking in the middle of the FBS pack.
[lawrence-related id=62702,62667,62597,62547,62544]
[listicle id=62648]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.