Warning! Warning! Warning!
The 13th ranked Florida Gators are heading into the eye of a trap-game hurricane.
Saturday’s gridiron battle with South Florida at The Swamp has all the ingredients to concoct Upset Soup.
Let us review the evidence, which actually reaches back into the 2024 season.
Is USF a trap for the Gators?
After a shaky start to the ’24 campaign, the Gators rallied with victories over LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State and Tulane, setting high expectations for this year’s team, which included a preseason Top 25 ranking.
Fast forward to last weekend and the Gators opened with a shellacking of Long Island University, which plays in the lower classified NCAA FCS division.
Now let’s look ahead to Sept. 13 when the Gators travel to Baton Rouge, La., to face the No. 3 ranked LSU Tigers in Death Valley.
In the middle of this pigskin scheduling sandwich is South Florida, which is an American Conference team that doesn’t inspire too much locker room emotion.
But take a closer look.
The Bulls went toe-to-toe with Alabama, then ended 2024 by winning a bowl game. They opened this season with an under-the-radar, 34-7 victory over then-ranked No. 25 Boise State.
Let’s tally it up. The Gators have a lot of confidence after whomping LIU 55-0, and they have a huge matchup next week with a team seemingly capable of winning the National Championship.
Wedged in the middle are the Bulls, who are looking for validation, recognition, and respect. They don’t see the Gators as a game but more of an opportunity.
Those pesky oddsmakers have tagged Florida as a 17.5-point favorite, which could breed complacency among players.
Gator Head Coach Billy Napier is well aware of this situation and knows South Florida has ability.
“South Florida has a really good football team,” Napier said Monday. “Coach (Alex) Golesh has done a really good job of evaluating high school players and doing a good job in the portal.
“This is a veteran team. A lot of upperclassmen that can contribute. The defensive group is stingy. They play with a lot of effort and toughness.”
“It’s a really, really good football team,” he added. “I’m impressed with the film of Week 1. Obviously, Boise is a well-established playoff team and for them (Bulls) to dominate the game and have control of the game from the jump was impressive. We are going to have to be at our best.”
Yes, the coach knows this is a dangerous opponent, but will his knowledge of South Florida transfer into the locker room?
“There’s just enough on this tape (game tape of South Florida-Boise State) to make us restless,” Napier said, adding, “This is a huge game for us. We totally understand the dynamic when it comes to this team.”
“We’ll have no issue getting the attention of the players. They have a really good football team.”
Take the points.