Florida Football needs to do more than "be competitive" against Tennessee on Saturday
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs out of the tunnel with the team as fireworks and fire shoot out of towers before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 5, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5659,h_3183,x_0,y_1658/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F213%2F01j9vnrg5236sdxzvzqa.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs out of the tunnel with the team as fireworks and fire shoot out of towers before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 5, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Coming off of two straight wins, the vibes for Florida Football are better than what they were a month ago. But as we have written earlier this week, beating Mississippi State and UCF are one thing, but the reality is that the fate of Florida's season is decided by teams like Tennessee.
It may seem unfair to expect a win when the Gators are entering this Saturday as a 14.5-point underdog, but Billy Napier and crew are long past getting a pat on the back for moral victories.
Florida Football: Just Win
Appearing on the Always College Football Podcast, ESPN commentator Matt Barrie was ask if there is anything Napier can do to win back the Gators fanbase. We here at Hail Florida Hail for example have made our case that Napier needs to get his walking papers, but Barrie seems to think there is a silver of hope he can pull it back.
"The only way to stabilize the situation is to pull him into an office. Are we heading in the right direction? Do recruits want to come play at Florida? Are we on par with the rest of our SEC peers?
If the answer to thank is yes and they are competitive on the field, don't make a move unless the guy you know you are getting can take you to the next level.
They came out of the bye week and looked good against UCF. Winning breeds confidence. It's still Florida, there is still talent. Napier and Florida were just handed a blueprint by Sam Pittman. Here's you beat Tennessee.
I would even go a step further, I would love to see them be competitive."
If Florida BEATS Tennessee, what does that mean for Billy Napier and @GatorsFB??@MattBarrie weighs in 🗣️#GoGators pic.twitter.com/yRRVutnPmz
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) October 9, 2024
To the point Barrie is making, this is still Florida, and there is still talent on the roster. Don't forget the 247 Sports Talent Composite ranks Florida with the 12th-best roster in the country.
But it's that talent that's also the reason why just "being competitive" isn't good enough. Florida has the 12th-best roster in the country and yet is a 14.5-point underdog against a Tennessee squad that is ranked as the 17th-best roster.
That speaks volumes for how sluggish out the gate the Gators have been in 2024. Beating Tennessee won't atone by itself for getting blown out by Miami and Texas A&M. And earning a moral victory against Tennessee, but not an actual victory, isn't going to wash those stains away either.
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