With every passing day, the future looks bleaker for the Florida Gators. The program has made up its mind to get rid of its current HC Billy Napier. They already got crushed by one Texas, Texas A&M on September 14. While they are yet to get over the 20-33 loss trauma, another Texas is getting geared up.

Although more than a month is left for Napier’s Gators and Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns to face off, the analysts have already come up with their big prediction. And no brownie points for guessing that their playoff chances are pretty low. While it was expected that the Gators fanbase would team up and safeguard their program, they rather hinted at something even worse.     

Billy Napier and Co.’s slim chances against Texas

The countdown has already started for the big day. And the platforms have turned their prediction meters ON! On September 21, the Florida Gators page tweeted a snapshot of ESPN’s analysis that read, “ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Florida a 3.8% chance to win @ Texas.” Yikes! 

While the Gators did manage to keep their boat afloat, beating Mississippi State Bulldogs in a 28-45 iconic feat, decision-making is something Napier struggles with which might stop him from using his players’ potential. Already the HC has been thrown under the bus for adopting an unusual quarterback plan where both DJ Lagway and Graham Mertz played. This decision would plague the program since it would stop the QBs from getting into a rhythm.

Well, very well knowing that Sarkisian’s Longhorns are on the opposite side, Napier needs to be extra careful instead of experimenting at the last moment. Even though Texas QB Quinn Ewers got benched due to injury, they have their backup QB and Heisman race prospect Arch Manning to hold the reins.

Till now, the Longhorns faced 4 games and have won all four of them. That’s what makes Florida fans believe that Napier’s squad would not even stand a chance in front of Sarkisian’s crew. 

Billy Napier’s three years of disappointment leave fans without any optimism 

Napier entered his third season but the Gators are yet to know the taste of success. Now that the fans are under the belief that as long as their current HC will be there, Florida will stay unlucky, they refused to come up with any sort of praise for the HC. Plus, going by their schedule with games lined up against power-packed programs like UCF, Tennessee, and Georgia, it’s going to be an uphill ride for the Gators. This realization was enough for a fan to realize that even 3.8% chances against the Longhorns seem to be too much, “That actually seems high.” While another fan couldn’t control his laugh seeing the percentage which would be beyond Napier and Co.’s reach, “This is a hilarious graphic.”

Another fan sent a prayer since victory against Texas would be no short of a rare phenomenon, “God, if we won, that would be a miracle in itself.” With Sarkisian’s brilliant plan of action at play paired with Manning and Co.’s talents, it is a match made in heaven in Texas. Forget 3%, a fan scored the chances as less as 1% having the full belief that will be the end for the Gators this season,  “That looks optimistic. I give Florida a 1% chance. I am 90% Florida’s scoring streak ends soon. Go Gators.” Well, the next one in line is the UCF Knights who feature the best rushing attack in college football with an average of 375.7 yards while the Gators will be facing them with 188.8 rushing yards per game average. So it does not appear that Napier’s team will make it to the playoffs unless a drastic turnaround happens. 

Fans can’t be blamed. Billy Napier got not one, not two, but THREE SEASONS to prove himself and yet failed. Losing all hope, a fan commented, “From someone who’s followed this Program and this coach the last 3 years…I’d say that’s a little high.” Now, will it be a smooth run for Steve Sarkisian’s squad to break the Gators, or will Billy Napier turn around giving the Longhorns a tough time? Let your opinion pour in!

Meanwhile, in case you want to know anything apart from the 2024 kick-off, you can learn about NIL and the NFL this season from the Think Tank podcast with Dawg Sanders.