Billy Napier entered last weekend's South Florida matchup full of confidence and pride as the Gators looked to cruise to their first 2-0 start in his four-year tenure.
He left with arguably the hottest seat in America, and he's certainly aware of how the fanbase currently feels about him.
ESPN's 'College Gameday' host Desmond Howard made his displeasure with the situation known to the audience, and he did it in the most brutal way possible.
The culture isn't there
In over seventy seconds of criticism, Howard directly called out one of the most vital things to a sustainable, winning football program: the culture. It's a particularly harsh blow for Billy Napier, who has consistently praised the program's improvement in that area during his tenure.
"But when you watch them against USF... lack of discipline, and that's a byproduct of the culture. I think they just have a culture there that's not indicative of winning, despite all the talent they have around them," Howard said.
"I think it's a culture issue, not a talent issue."@DesmondHoward on Florida's Week 2 loss to South Florida. pic.twitter.com/UWgenLaxrr
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 13, 2025
Howard's comment directly attacked Napier at his core, and his comments make Stricklin's decision to keep Napier look even more ridiculous than previously thought. Stricklin, who has consistently defended Napier, has also used Napier's changes to the program's "culture" as a way to defend three seasons of losses to inferior opponents, meaningless bowl appearances, and embarrassments to similar levels of competition, most notably against Texas A&M and Miami last season.
One now has to question: if Napier's culture is truly destroyed, what's the point of keeping him?
Maybe we'll finally get a resounding answer to fans' doubts later tonight, when the Gators take on third-ranked LSU.
Or maybe Napier will pull another rabbit out of a hat and continue to drag Florida fans on the cycle of mediocrity.
We'll find out tonight at 7:30 P.M. EST on ABC.