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The Back Nine comes at you after a tough Saturday for the mighty Gators that was just a part — a big part — in a depressing weekend where only my Tar Heels made me happy (They are not really mine, but I rented them for the weekend).
10. What do you do about a problem like Florida? So many things to be proud of as fans. The Gators went in with a game plan and Billy Napier saying after the game that this was his first team that he felt could beat Georgia was kind of the way most Gator fans felt. And the game plan was working. Then. DJ went down and Florida had a second half in which it gained 78 yards. It was a little like last year’s FSU game or perhaps the 2013 season when Will Muschamp lost his starting quarterback and best defensive player within days of each other and could not recover.
11. Look, Georgia played on the same field. But why is it two years in a row that Florida is having key players go down because the turf is unsteady? I know Florida-Georgia will go back to Jax after spending time in Atlanta and Tampa, but how about having some solid ground?
12. The way Florida played in the first 10 minutes of that game was an “I told you so” for the Napier supporters. Of course, losing the game and having 12 men on the field and screwing up a special teams play was an “I told you so” for all of the detractors. The guy definitely has a lot of bad luck oozing through his blood vessels and the record is now 15-18 overall and I don’t see any way quarterback Aidan Warner is leading this team to any wins unless FSU decides to forfeit, which I guess is possible.
13. It’s really sad because this team was believing. The secondary I questioned in the preseason had six interceptions in the last two games. Lagway was starting to feel it a little bit and there was a path — one you would need multiple machetes to travel — to a College Football Playoff berth. Now, that’s gone and you’re playing for a bowl game and that seems a little lost as well.
14. And that will be where the tough decisions will have to be made. You see things are getting better with Napier, that we are finally seeing a roster that is clearly better. This will alarm some people, but I didn’t see a team on the field that didn’t belong with Georgia and believe me that was the first time since 2020. But, assuming they can’t win another game, 15-22 may just be too much. Sometimes you have to cut bait because you’re good at it and you can’t fish on your own. Boy, did I mess up that metaphor. We’ll see.
15. Because I have picked FSU in almost every game this year, I am boycotting the Semis this week. Dr. Football still went 3-2 on The Picks for an overall 26-22-1 record. Just Keep swimming:
- Not surprisingly, Florida is a 17-point underdog at Texas, although I imagine that spread will continue to rise. That’s three of the last four games where Florida has been a 16-point or more underdog and UF has been underdogs in all but two games at kickoff. This must be what it was like to be old school Vandy. Texas will cover.
- Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite against Ole Miss in one of two massive SEC games with huge CFP expectations. I miss those days. I’m going to take Ole Miss because I’m unimpressed with Georgia. There, I said it.
- In the other ginormous game, Alabama is a two-pint favorite at LSU. So, are these both loser-leaves-town games? I’ll take the Bayou Bengals. Leonard’s Loser … Alabama.
- Miami has to give 13 points at Georgia Tech and the Hurricanes will probably play down to the opponent, but I think they will cover late.
16. Everybody make an effort to vote. It’s what makes this country special. And that’s all I have to say about that.
17. And get over to the basketball game on Hacksonville where the mighty Gators start their season. Todd Golden was on my podcast Thursday and really likes his team, Of course who doesn’t in November?
18. The playlists got a lot of work this weekend with golf Friday and Sunday. These were a part of the big one:
- “Gild The Lily” By Billy Strings. I’m in a Nashville phase.
- “Sinking” by The Hushtones. OK, maybe not in a Nashville mood.
- And for a really old one “I Go To Pieces” by Peter & Gordon.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
