You can make a strong case that now-former Florida coach Billy Napier was doomed from the moment Niko Gramatica's 20-yard field goal as time expired gave USF an 18-16 victory at The Swamp.
Even though the 6-1 Bulls are ranked 18th in the new AP Top 25 poll and the Gators are nowhere to be seen, Florida fans -- filled with SEC hubris -- still probably can't believe the ragamuffins from Tampa came to Gainesville and left with a win. The Gators were 17.5-point favorites that night.
Florida's embarrassing loss to USF was yet another low point in Billy Napier's tenure in Gainesville.
— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall) September 7, 2025
After months of renewed optimism, it once again feels as if it's a matter of when not if the Gators are forced to make a change at the top, even if there's ample time to turn… pic.twitter.com/3Z0y2Ze98N
Florida ended Napier's tortured tenure on Sunday afternoon, a day after the Gators squeaked out a 23-21 Homecoming win over Mississippi State. It was the Gators' third win of the season against four losses.
After blowing out a tomato can from Long Island to open the season, the Orange and Blue diehards assumed that their Gators would start the season 2-0 before the "real" games began. Losing to USF completely flipped Florida's narrative.
Never mind that the Bulls had blown out 2024 playoff participant Boise State to open the season. And never mind that USF has a better quarterback in Byrum Brown than the Gators, a quick-strike offense, a ballhawking defense, and is better coached.
Florida fans believe the Gators should use programs like USF as hors d'oeuvres to pad the win total before the SEC season begins. When that doesn't happen, there is hell to pay -- and Napier just paid it.
After the Bulls beat them, the Gators lost two more games, and even after an upset win over Texas temporarily stopped the bleeding, the natives were preparing to march with pitchforks and torches. If Florida had beaten USF that night, the Gators would be 4-3 now, with a reasonable chance to become bowl eligible.
Instead, they're passing the hat to pay his approximately $20 million buyout.
Then, they have to hire a new coach, who will want extra dough for his staff, and so on. That's their problem.
Meanwhile, USF is cruising along after its 48-13 win Saturday night over Florida Atlantic. The Bulls racked up 522 yards of offense, and Brown accounted for four touchdowns -- three through the air, one on the ground.
That's 14 total TDs by Brown's arm and legs in the last three games.
The Bulls head to Memphis at noon on Saturday for another high-stakes American Conference game. The Tigers were stunned by UAB and fell from the unbeaten ranks, which means they will attack the Bulls with frenzied desperation. If USF wins, the Bulls remain a front-runner for an American Conference championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Alex Golesh is a hot name for teams looking to hire new coaches,
Maybe Florida should look at what USF is doing. The Gators might learn something.