Florida's 18-16 loss to South Florida at The Swamp left Gators fans stunned. It was the latest blow dealt to the fanbase under BIlly Napier, and in an all-too-familiar format.
Awful clock management in crunch time, confusing play calling, lack of preparation, and a lack of discipline led to an embarrassing on-field production in the first real game of a season that many thought could be the one where the Gators break through.
Instead, they'll be scrambling just to become bowl eligible.
ESPN's FPI forecasts 12-and-done season for Gators
At this time last week, Florida stood as the 12th-best team in the country with the 13th-best odds (30.8 percent) of making the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.
Now, ESPN's metrics scoff at the idea of Florida making the 12-team playoff.
The Gators have just a 4.6 percent chance to make the CFP.
But the playoff is the last thing on Gator fans minds right now. If Napier can't beat USF, how can he compete with the eight ranked teams left on the Gators' schedule?
ESPN's FPI doesn't like Florida's chances, giving the Gators a 40.9 percent chance to make it to six wins and become bowl eligible.
That's the second-worst odds of any SEC team through Week 2, only ahead of the 1-1 Kentucky Wildcats.
While the talent level certainly isn't that of the second worst team in the SEC, there's a legitimate concern for how the Gators will fare in conference play.
The assumed sophomore leap for DJ Lagway didn't show up in Week 2, an offensive line that was supposed to be one of the best in the country hasn't looked the part. And above all, Florida's players and coaches didn't step up when it mattered.
If there's any silver lining, it's that the Gators have been here before -- a damning indictment of the Billy Napier era -- as they were able to rally late in the 2024 season with back-to-back ranked wins over LSU and Ole Miss as part of a three-game winning streak to end the season with seven wins.