Tag: The Athletic

Alec Lewis notices something different about this Vikings team following Week 8

Alec Lewis noticed a big change from the Vikings’ defense during the loss on Thursday.

Things can turn on a dime in the NFL. That’s been the case with the Vikings’ defense the past two weeks. The Lions’ loss wasn’t all that shocking, given how well both teams played, and Detroit has been a good team the past two seasons. But Minnesota was supposed to win in Los Angeles against a banged-up Rams team on Thursday night.

Instead, the Vikings dropped their second game in a row and fans had to watch the Minnesota defense get beat around. The Vikings’ defense was feared during the season’s first five games. Brian Flores had his team flying around and creating chaos on the field, but things changed on Thursday.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted the big change he saw from the defensive unit.

“For more than a season now, when the Vikings defense has been going well, you can sense his players are aware of this. They know how tentative their opponents are, too, having done their best to psych themselves up before exiting the bus at the stadium. The best comparison is a championship boxer who steps into the ring knowing he is capable of utter destruction.

“But the opposite can also be true. You can sense when the Minnesota defenders realize they are touchable that they no longer feel bulletproof. This was apparent late last season and was evident again after Thursday night’s 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
“The confidence, bordering on arrogance, had evaporated. The Vikings defenders returned to the sideline after allowing touchdowns, settled their helmets on the bench and stared out at the turf longingly, almost as if they couldn’t figure out how the magic had disappeared so quickly.”
Flores and Kevin O’Connell will need to right this ship if the Vikings are to be true contenders in the NFC this season. Minnesota has a stretch of games it can and should win, starting Sunday against the Colts.

Week 9 bye results in slight drop for Florida in The Athletic’s re-rank

The Gators lost a little ground but are still a top-50 team in The Athletic’s Week 9 re-rank.

The Gators got their second bye of the 2024 college football campaign in Week 9 as Florida prepares for its inter-state rivalry matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs — who also had a bye — in Jacksonville this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, the rest of the show continued on the collegiate gridiron, resulting in a few changes in the national standings. The Southeastern Conference, in particular, has had more twists than an M. Night Shyamalan movie this fall — and that once again was the case on Saturday.

However, despite sitting out the weekend on the sidelines, the Orange and Blue dropped a couple of spots in The Athletic writer Chris Vannini’s re-rank following Week 9.

Florida’s re-rank after Week 9

Vannini’s update has the Gators down from No. 46 last week to No. 48 following the bye. That puts them between the No. 47 Washington Huskies and No. 49 Oklahoma Sooners.

Compare that with USA TODAY Sports, which re-ranked Florida at No. 44 — one spot better than the previous week — and the CBS Sports re-rank, which has Napier and Co. at No. 50.

As far as fellow SEC schools are concerned, only Oklahoma (No. 49), the Auburn Tigers (No. 61), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 62) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 98) are ranked lower.

The Athletic’s Week 9 Top 10 re-rank

The Oregon Ducks maintain their top perch in the rankings this week, followed by the Georgia Bulldogs, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes, respectively, among the top five.

The Texas Longhorns stayed at No. 6, while the BYU Cougars and Tennessee Volunteers also maintained their Nos. 7 and 8 rankings, respectively. The Indiana Hoosiers enter the top 10 at No. 9 and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take up the final spot.

Coming up for the Gators

Florida and Georgia face off for a Week 10 rivalry battle in Jacksonville on Saturday, Nov. 2 with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. The pregame festivities will be featured on SEC Nation and the game will be broadcast on ABC.

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Gators receive high seed in The Athletic’s preseason Bracket Watch

Florida is a No. 5 seed in The Athletic’s preseason bracket watch with the regular-season tipoff less than two weeks away.

Florida basketball prepares for its third year under head coach Todd Golden and heading into the 2024-25 campaign, it appears that the Gators are picking up where they left off last spring.

The Orange and Blue start the season ranked No. 21 in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Poll, opening up the schedule in those respective top 25 rankings for the first time since 2019. They also log in at No. 28 according to the KenPom preseason rankings.

While the opening tipoff is still under two weeks away, the media has already started looking forward to the NCAA Tournament next March, including The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode who released his debut bracket watch with Florida seeded fifth in the West Region (San Francisco).

That matches the Gators up with the 12-seeded McNeese State Cowboys in Cleveland, Ohio, to open up the tournament.

Where does the rest of the SEC stand?

The Southeastern Conference has 10 teams in the bracketology, headlined by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who hold the top seed in the South Region, followed by the Auburn Tigers (2-seed, Midwest), Tennessee Volunteers (3-seed, West), Texas A&M Aggies (4-seed, East) and Arkansas Razorbacks (4-seed, Midwest) and Florida (5-seed, West)

Next up are the Kentucky Wildcats (6-seed, West), Texas Longhorns (7-seed, South), Ole Miss Rebels (9-seed, West) and South Carolina Gamecocks (10-seed, East). That 10-pack of schools ties the Big Ten for the most teams representing a single conference.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are among the first four out of the bracket while South Carolina has one of the last four byes.

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Florida moves up The Athletic’s college football re-rank after Week 8

The Gators crack The Athletic’s Week 8 college football re-rank top 50 after beating the Wildcats.

Billy Napier managed to turn down the temperature on his head coach hot seat on Saturday night thanks to an authoritative 48-20 homecoming win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the Swamp.

Florida looked good on both sides of the ball in Week 8, with a pair of freshmen leading the offense while the defense matched its entire interception total during the 2023 season in one night. It might have been the best overall effort by the Gators seen in quite some time.

The national sports media took note of the results and many have rewarded the Orange and Blue for the win, including The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, who submitted his re-rank of all 134 FBS teams once the dust finally settled.

Florida’s re-rank after Week 8

Vannini’s update has Florida improving 12 spots to No. 46 — one spot behind the Gators’ standing in USA TODAY Sports’ Week 8 re-rank. That puts Florida between the No. 45 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and No. 47 Virginia Tech Hokies.

As far as fellow Southeastern Conference schools are concerned, only Kentucky (No. 49), the Auburn Tigers (No. 81) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 93) are ranked lower.

The Athletic’s Week 8 Top 10 re-rank

The Oregon Ducks maintain their top perch in the rankings this week, followed by the Georgia Bulldogs, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes, respectively, among the top five.

The Texas Longhorns come in at No. 6, while the BYU Cougars, Tennessee Volunteers, LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers wrap up the nation’s top 10 according to the re-rank, respectively.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against Georgia on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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The Athletic calls win over Kentucky in Week 8 ‘good for Napier’

If anyone needed the definitive win in Week 8, it was Florida’s Billy Napier.

The Gator Nation was treated to one of the finest performances by the Florida football team in some time — on homecoming, no less — sending the Kentucky Wildcats out of Gainesville with their tails between their legs and a 48-20 defeat.

If anyone needed the definitive win, it was [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], who had resided on the head coach hot seat before the season even began and has continued to feel the flames rising around him. However, despite his recent success and the improved product witnessed on the field, his imperiled future still remains uncertain.

The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel had some final thoughts on Florida’s win over Kentucky after the end of Week 8 with a focus on the Gators skipper.

“Embattled Florida coach Billy Napier refuses to go quietly into the night. In the Gators’ first game since losing veteran quarterback Graham Mertz for the season with an ACL injury, they rode a pair of true freshmen to a 48-20 rout of Kentucky (3-4, 1-4 SEC),” Mandel begins.

“Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] completed seven passes, but five of them went for 40-plus yards, and running back [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag], making his first career start, ran for 106 yards and a program record-tying five touchdowns,” he continues.

“After an off week, Florida (4-3, 2-2 SEC) begins its long-awaited gauntlet of Georgia, Texas and LSU back-to-back-to-back. So it’s good for Napier he won this one.”

Coming up for Florida

The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against Georgia on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Billy Napier’s hot seat at ‘toasty’ level according to The Athletic

It is no secret that Florida’s Billy Napier is in one of the most perilous positions among college football head coaches.

It is no secret that Florida’s [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is in one of the most perilous positions among college football head coaches, facing an insane amount of pressure to win in his third season against one of the toughest schedules in recent memory.

Suffice it to say, the Gators skipper has been on the HC hot seat since before the season began and the temperature has only risen over the past few months. The future looks pretty grim as well.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman recently published an exhaustive look at which coaches sit on the hottest seats at the midseason mark and no list would be complete without Napier.

Evaluating Billy Napier’s hot seat status

“Florida doesn’t have a lot of patience with football coaches,” Feldman begins. “The Gators fired Dan Mullen, who’d won 29 games in his first three seasons but got the axe after going 5-6. Jim McElwain won 19 games in his first two seasons and then went 3-4 and got fired. Will Muschamp got four years. Ron Zook didn’t even get three. Napier went 11-14 his first two years after an impressive run at Louisiana.

“This season has been a mixed bag,” he continues. “The Gators got pounded by Miami in the opener in The Swamp but the team is still battling for Napier. That’s been a big plus, in addition to the tricky timeline now with CFP candidates potentially in play.”

But there is more than what has happened on the field. The school itself has been dealing with some significant issues as well, as “there’s been a ton of dysfunction around the university, all the way up to the university president fleeing.”

However, it is not all doom and gloom in Gainesville… yet.

“The good news: the Gators thumped Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., beat UCF by double-digits and almost upset Tennessee in Knoxville before losing in overtime. They have four top-20 opponents left, including two in the top five, vs. Georgia and at Texas.

“The only team with a losing record remaining is their road trip to 1-5 FSU. They just lost starting QB Graham Mertz for the rest of the season. Can true freshman DJ Lagway spark a strong second half to get Florida to 6-6? If they win this weekend against Kentucky, don’t rule it out.

“Temperature check: Toasty,” Feldman concludes.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators host the Kentucky Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this year’s homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Florida falls in The Athletic’s Week 7 re-rank despite forcing OT at UT

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades in the mind of The Athletic’s re-rank after Week 7.

College football’s Week 7 action included a good old-fashioned Southeastern Conference dogfight in Neyland Stadium, where the Tennessee Volunteers outlasted the Florida Gators in overtime, 23-17.

Coming into Saturday, the oddsmakers predicted the Vols as at least a two-score favorite on their home field, but SEC rivalry games have a way of turning sideways quickly. While [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s defense came to play, putting up their best effort of the fall, some suspect playcalling and mental mistakes once again doomed the Orange and Blue.

Now sitting at 3-3 overall with a 1-2 mark against conference competition, Florida remains voteless in both polls and also lost ground in some of the re-ranks, such as The Athletic’s Chris Vannini.

Florida’s re-rank after Week 7

Vannini’s Week 7 college football re-rank for all 134 FBS schools saw the Gators slip five spots from No. 53 to No. 58. This comes after leaping 13 spots the week prior after defeating the UCF Knights at home.

That puts Napier and Co. between the No. 57 James Madison Dukes and No. 59 Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Athletic’s Week 7 Top 10 re-rank

The Oregon Ducks took over the top spot this week, followed by the Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes, respectively, among the top five.

The Miami Hurricanes, Alabama Crimson Tide, BYU Cougars, Clemson Tigers and Iowa State Cyclones round out the top 10, respectively.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators host the Kentucky Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this year’s homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Florida improving but not moving up in The Athletic’s SEC Vibe Check

Florida had the No. 8 team in the country on the ropes all of Saturday night, but a loss means no movement in the latest SEC vibe check from The Athletic.

Another week, another disrespectful ranking from The Athletic’s Seth Emerson, who puts together the almighty Vibe Check.

The Florida Gators check in at No. 14 for a third-straight week, which feels a bit unjustified, but at least they weren’t dropped to the bottom two following a close loss to… checks notes… the No. 8 team in the country.

“Sigh. Even as the Gators keep showing fight and improvement, they can’t close the deal,” Seth Emerson of The Athletic wrote. “As the game was winding down, you looked at Billy Napier and wondered: Dare we say, he could be starting to save his job? But then the ending, ultimately not going for two and the win and the offense going backward in overtime … again, sigh.”

Emerson is the guy who is so close to getting it but refuses to cross the finish line. His own words point out that Florida is improving, and while a loss does hurt the “vibe” in Gainesville, it’s a bit curious to keep the Gators in the No. 14 position for three weeks in a row.

Things are getting better for Florida football. A win over Kentucky — which ranks 12th overall on this list — should do the trick for the Gators. Even the Georgia beat guy can’t deny that.

Also, what’s up with 2-4 (0-3) Auburn staying a spot ahead of Florida? Are the vibes really that high on a bye week after a loss? Maybe with Jawjuh blinders on…

Week 7 SEC vibe check rankings

  1. Texas Longhorns (6-0, 2-0 SEC)
  2. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-2, 2-1)
  3. Texas A&M Aggies (5-1, 3-0)
  4. LSU Tigers (5-1, 1-0)
  5. Arkansas Razorbacks (4-2, 2-1)
  6. Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1)
  7. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1)
  8. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1)
  9. Missouri Tigers (5-1, 1-1)
  10. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 1-2)
  11. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3)
  12. Kentucky Wildcats (3-3, 1-3)
  13. Auburn Tigers (2-4, 0-3)
  14. Florida Gators (3-3, 1-2)
  15. Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-5, 0-3)
  16. Oklahoma Sooners (4-2, 1-2)

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Gainesville this week for a homecoming matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats. Kickoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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The Athletic picks Florida to cover spread as underdogs at Tennessee

The smart money isn’t on Florida pulling off an upset against Tennessee this week, but The Athletic’s experts like UF to cover the spread.

Florida isn’t favored to win against Tennessee this week, but the experts at The Athletic think that the Gators will cover the plus-15.5 spread set by BetMGM.

For those who don’t burn their hard-earned money on sports gambling, Florida needs to lose by 15 points or less, or win outright, to cover the spread.

Austin Mock, Dan Santaromita and Chris Vannini all picked Florida against the spread, while David Ubben stood alone picking Tennessee.

“Florida’s defense has allowed nearly 400 yards per game so this could be a classic get-right game for Iamaleava and Tennessee,” Santaromita wrote. “There is more hope in Gainesville after the 3-2 Gators picked up wins by multiple scores against Mississippi State and UCF the last two weeks.”

The Gators have a long history of beating the Volunteers, winning 17 of the last 19 meetings, including a 29-16 win over a then-11th-ranked Tennessee team last September. However, the Vols did win Knoxville two seasons ago during the first year of the Billy Napier era.

Florida vs. UCF football betting odds

The Vols are favored by 14.5 points over the Gators according to BetMGM — down one point from Wednesday’s midweek update. Here are the full odds as of noon ET Friday.

Team Spread Over/Under Money Line
Florida +14.5
-110		 O 56.5
-110		 +475
Tennessee -14.5
-110		 U 56.5
-110		 -650

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Next up for Florida

The Gators head to Knoxville next week to resume Southeastern Conference play against the Tennessee Volunteers. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire

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The Athletic: Wisconsin Badgers a ‘dangerous trap game’ for a top Big Ten opponent

The Athletic: Wisconsin Badgers a ‘dangerous trap game’ for a top Big Ten opponent

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman named the Wisconsin Badgers as a ‘dangerous trap game’ for the No. 4-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

The two square off on Oct. 26, just two weeks from Saturday. Wisconsin first plays at Rutgers (Oct. 12) and at Northwestern (Oct. 19) before returning home for the premier showdown.

Related: Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 6: Stage is set for Oregon vs. Ohio State

Penn State, meanwhile, is now entering the gauntlet part of its schedule. It travels to USC (Oct. 12), has a bye week, travels to Wisconsin, and then hosts No. 2 Ohio State (Nov. 2) in its biggest game of the season.

The trip to Wisconsin is sandwiched between those two defining games for Penn State. That is a crucial part of the criteria of being a true ‘trap’ game, along with the Badgers not being up to their normal high-end standard.

Here’s what Dochterman wrote about the Nittany Lions’ upcoming trip to Madison, Wisconsin:

The Badgers are out of the limelight but Camp Randall Stadium will be rocking as usual. Penn State has won the last five in this series and comes off a bye. That history can work against the Nittany Lions, especially because this game comes one week before hosting Ohio State. Look past Wisconsin (3-2) at your own risk.

Again, Penn State plays Wisconsin the week before the biggest game on the schedule. That creates a danger, one which is only accentuated by the fact that the Badgers and their fans will view the matchup as one of the biggest on their remaining schedule.

In other words: Penn State’s ‘Super Bowl’ is Nov. 2 vs. Ohio State. Wisconsin’s ‘Super Bowl,’ however, may be its contest against Penn State.

The potential upset win would be season-changing for the Wisconsin Badgers. It would make bowl eligibility a near-certainty, and give Luke Fickell a premier victory in his second year in charge. Fickell is still trying to build his program at Wisconsin. A win over a top-5 team would be a big help for that cause.

The Badgers upcoming games against Penn State and Oregon will be at the top of mind when the calendar turns to late-October. For now, the Badgers need to take care of business against Rutgers and Northwestern over the next two weeks.

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