The start of a new college football season means fans are brimming with expectations — both good and bad — but where exactly do Florida fans stand entering Year 3 of the Billy Napier era?
The Athletic conducted its annual Hope-O-Meter ahead of Week 0, and the Florida faithful is closer to a 50-50 split than many would expect. Gators fans voted 54% pessimistic, which is solid considering Florida is coming off its worst finish since 2017.
The detractors are loud, though, and it is hard to ignore their criticisms of the program.
“Billy ain’t it,” one pessimistic Florida fan wrote in. “Inflexible. Boring high school offense. Cannot and will not make adjustments. Terrible in-game decision-making.”
But not everyone in Gator Nation is feeling the doom and gloom after three straight seven-loss seasons.
“If they could have tightened the screws just a quarter-turn last year, it would’ve been 7-5,” another fan said. “Definitely expect improvement this season, though not sure how that reflects in the record with our schedule. Offense should be good, defense remains a question mark. But I’m hopeful.”
Noting Florida’s schedule is important for anyone trying to analyze whatever the Gators manage this season. Florida played eight preseason top-25 programs, leading some to believe that the Gators are up against the toughest college football schedule in the 21st century.
Life is all about perspective, and so are sports. Some Gators fans will be disappointed with anything but a playoff experience, while others will celebrate reaching bowl eligibility like it’s a national championship.
One thing is for sure, though. Florida needs to win two of three against in-state programs this year. Florida State, Miami and UCF are on the schedule, which means a clean sweep lands UF on top of the in-state rankings.
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