"Classic example of getting screwed by schedule" - CFB analyst predicts ill-fate for Billy Napier's Florida under DJ Lagway in 2025

Florida experienced a sudden resurgence in the middle of the 2024 season after a slow start. Billy Napier led the Gators to an 8-5 finish, off a couple of crucial late-season wins. This was largely influenced by DJ Lagway, who took the starting quarterback role after Graham Mertz's injury.

The way the Gators ended the 2024 season has raised a lot of hopes for what they can achieve in 2025, with many touting them for a College Football Playoff spot. However, college football analyst Mike Bratton is quite skeptical about their playoff projection due to the quality of teams they'll play.

“The main drawback here is Billy Napier, of course, but we love the quarterback,” Bratton said on “The SEC Podcast” on Sunday (Timestamp: 39:05). “I think the offensive line is going to be solid; defensive line is solid. Running backs: Jadan Baugh may be the breakout star of the conference. You said it yourself, underrated receivers. Defense turned the corner last year."

“Schedule's a gauntlet. It's been that way. They're maybe the classic example of getting screwed by the schedule. Otherwise, I may have them in the playoffs. I think they're playoff caliber, but I do think they fall just short of the playoffs because of this schedule.”

Florida will face the same conference schedule as it did last season, but venues are flipped this time. This means the Gators will play LSU, Texas A&M and Ole Miss on the road while hosting Texas and Tennessee alongside their rivalry game with Georgia. They also have Miami and Florida State in their non-league schedule.

---

Shane Cousins is skeptical about Florida’s resurgence hype

There was a lot of hype around the way Florida carried itself against the odds last season. However, Shane Cousins is not sold on the team's widely applauded performance. The analyst noted on “The SEC Podcast” that the Gators played top teams that had been weakened.

“I thought last year, at the end of the season, was a vast improvement,” Cousins said (Timestamp: 40:52). “But I also thought the teams they were playing, it was kind of the opposite. There were teams going the other way. It wasn't Week 6 Ole Miss. It wasn't Week 4 LSU.

“I watch that Arkansas game. If that same football team had left Arkansas and went down there to Florida, I don't know if Florida would have won that game. And that's why I'm worried about too much credit, because sometimes we give too much credit and sometimes we put too much pressure on the football team.”

Billy Napier and the Gators have a lot to prove next season amid the hype and skepticism they are facing. The coach had a lot of fan calls for his firing in 2024 after the unimpressive start to the season. He will be looking to avoid those scenarios in the upcoming season.