Paul Finebaum eviscerates Florida fans for handling of Billy Napier

Paul Finebaum calls out Florida fans for dumbing down expectations in the Billy Napier era.

Florida is a blue-blood college football program for a reason, so let’s not lower our expectations.

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum caught up with his colleague Matt Barrie on The Matt Barrie Show to discuss what is going on with Florida fans and their undying love for an unproven Billy Napier. While he was an outstanding head coach previously at Louisiana, the Gators went 6-7 in his first year in Gainesville, and seem to be light years away from overtaking arch-rival Georgia in the SEC.

For a program that has won three national titles in the last three decades, Finebaum is perplexed.

"“If they lose the opener to Utah, their schedule is problematic. They have Kentucky and Tennessee in the first few weeks of the year, so it’s entirely possible that they have three losses before they have to take on Georgia and Florida State.”"

While Florida fans understand this rebuild will take some time, the Gators did not give the same sort of respect to Napier’s predecessor in Finebaum and Barrie’s ESPN colleague Dan Mullen.

"“They act like he [Napier] inherited a program that had been shut down 25 years, while Mullen was in the SEC Championship Game before he got fired the next year. The standard at Florida used to be to win it all, so Napier has the advantage of dumbed down expectations.”"

If Florida finishes second in the SEC East to Georgia, that would a fantastic season for the Gators. However, if they finish fifth or worse around the likes of Missouri and Vanderbilt, that is not good…

"“Florida fans are cannibalistic. They may talk a good game on Aug. 14, but they don’t talk the same game on Dec. 15.”"

Here is the entire conversation Finebaum had with Barrie on The Matt Barrie Show about Napier.

Keep in mind with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC next year, Florida cannot afford to lose prowess in a league it has long been a gold standard of excellence for. Just figure it out, Gators…

Paul Finebaum annihilates Florida fans for way being too lenient on Billy Napier

While Florida could definitely improve under Napier in year two, who is getting worse in the SEC East? Georgia is the preeminent power across the entire sport. Tennessee has not looked this good since the latter part of the Phillip Fulmer era in Knoxville. Shane Beamer has South Carolina cooking. Heck, even Mizzou and Vandy are looking up under Eliah Drinkwitz and Clark Lea as well.

Yes, the league will go division-less in 2024 upon Oklahoma and Texas’ arrival. That might help other teams across the league, but probably not Florida. Although the Gators would lose LSU as its cross-divisional rival, they are still going to have to play the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M with greater regularity. An evening out of the schedule does not help Napier out at all.

Ultimately, Florida needs to go around 8-4 and finish no worse than fourth place in the SEC East for us to have any belief that Napier will get this thing turned around. I would not advocate for firing him after only two dismal seasons, but the Gators could be left behind if they replaced a non-recruiter in Mullen with a non-winner in Napier. Thus, this is a most critical season for the Gators.

Clearly, Finebaum expects for the honeymoon phase of the Napier era to end after a loss to Utah.