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Three things Florida Football fans learned on Saturday

Florida had the week off before taking on Georgia next week

By Benjamin Henderson

Oct 26, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti walks back to the locker room after beating the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti walks back to the locker room after beating the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images / Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
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The Gators had the week off as they prepared for their annual matchup in Jacksonville against Georgia, so Florida Football fans had the opportunity to watch some other games around the country.

The following are three things Gator fans learned from the action on Saturday.

The Curt Cignetti Hype Train Rolls On

One of the newer names to pop up as a potential head coach for Florida if the Gators move on from Billy Napier is Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti. If you are not familiar with him, Google him. He wins.

In seriousness, Cignetti took over an Indiana program that had nine total wins over the last three seasons combined. While it is his first Power Four head coaching job, Cignetti has the Hoosiers at 8-0 following a 31-17 win over Washington.

There are plenty of red flags as to why Cignetti wouldn't fit at Florida, including being 63 years old and the fact their strength of schedule to get to 8-0 has been marginal.

But again, this program had nine total wins over the last three seasons and has a 68% chance to make the playoffs.

Florida's 2024 Wins Are Not Holding Up

There has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not Florida is turning a corner. The Gators have won three of their last four games, including a 48-20 win over Kentucky last week.

Let's take a gander at how the four teams Florida has beaten did on Saturday:

  • Samford - Lost to The Citadel 28-11. Samford is now 3-4 on the season
  • Mississippi State - Lost to Arkansas 58-25 and gave up 673 yards in the process. They are now 1-7.
  • UCF - Lost 34-24 to BYU and had the ball for just 19:45. They are now 3-5 on the season.
  • Kentucky - Lost to Auburn 24-10 and gave up 498 yards. They are now 3-5 on the season.

Florida's four wins have a combined record of 10-21.

LSU And Ole Miss Are Beatable

There seems to be a belief that Billy Napier will keep his job if Florida can go 6-6. It's not what we here at Hail Florida Hail would advise Florida's administration should do, but unfortunately, we are not the ones who would have to pay the buyout.

When mapping out where Florida can get two more wins, the first is from FSU, which looked inept on offense against Miami.

Florida is a double-digit underdog against Georgia and will probably be a double-digit underdog against Texas. That pattern could repeat against LSU and Ole Miss, but as Saturday proved, neither team is a juggernaut in 2024.

Ole Miss kept their playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind win over a pedestrian Oklahoma squad. If they can run the table, which would require a win over Georgia, the Rebels probably get into the postseason. But Ole Miss plays Georgia the week before Florida, so a loss to the Bulldogs could deflate the Rebels.

LSU, meanwhile, is also in a position where it will need to run the table to be in the playoff conversation after it blew a 10-point lead to Texas A&M. The Tigers go on a bye before playing Alabama in a playoff eliminator game. If LSU loses that game, one could convince themselves of a narrative where the Tigers come out flat the next week against the Gators.

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