The Florida Gators might have a winning record, but the pulse of the fanbase might not reflect that right now. At least, not according to USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken, who had Billy Napier’s squad atop his Week 10 Misery Index.
The Gators lost at home to Arkansas, a team that was on a six-game losing streak, in overtime after kicker Trey Smack pushed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right in the closing seconds of regulation. It was the Razorbacks’ first-ever win in Gainesville.
Florida is now 5-4 on the season, but the Gators have lost back-to-back games. With a closing stretch of LSU, Missouri, and Florida State, three teams a combined 22-5 on the season, bowl eligibility no longer seems assured for a team that started 5-2.
Wolken touched on an anecdote from Napier’s days at Louisiana-Lafayette when he asked his players to donate $50 dollars to the athletic department, citing it as an example of how the newest Florida coach loves saying the right thing but insisting his execution always leaves something to be desired.
“What’s Florida’s identity? What are the Gators actually good at? And why is Napier clinging to his offensive play-calling duties when the offense hasn’t been very effective?” Wolken wrote.
When you compare the Gators to their biggest rivals like Georgia looking for a third consecutive national title or Florida State’s playoff aspirations, it’s easy to see why a winning record might not have a winning feeling in Gainesville.