Napier Cannot Afford a Loss to LSU

Throughout his tenure with the Florida Gators, head coach Billy Napier can almost say that he's seen it all.

Between the crushing lows and utter humiliation, to heartpounding wins, Napier has had anything but stability and consistency. Remember, the word "almost" applies. Napier lacks a bunch of signature moments. Granted, he did beat LSU and Ole Miss in the Swamp a year ago.

Yet, neither one of those could carry as much weight as staring down the SEC schedule and making an early example of LSU in the beginning of the conference season. Once upon a time, Florida was the conference bully, smacking teams around while rising to the occasion. Now, those moments haven't happened in earnest since Urban Meyer left, but the Gators have 60 minutes to change their narrative.

The Big Moment

Death Valley brings challenges and opportunities for all of the Gators, staff, and players. This week, Napier spoke about hoping young players don't fade from big moments.

“I think it’s about the veterans kind of setting the tone," he said. "Look, these guys nowadays, they’re well traveled, they went and watched games all over the country, they’ve sat in every one of these venues, and some are more prepared, they’re more mature, they’ve got more composure, it’s not too big for them, and Vernell [Brown III], I think, fits in that category.

“We’ve been fortunate here lately to have some young guys that even go to another level. I try to flip the script with the team; I think you can use the venue to take your game to a different level.”

This game cannot be a nervous endeavor for Napier, where he calls plays in a tense manner that prohibits the offense from opening up. The Gators' upcoming schedule change perception for Florida and Napier with LSU, Miami and Texas up next, and Georgia on the schedule.

However, the road games at the third-ranked Tigers and fifth-ranked Hurricanes and the neutral site matchup with the sixth-ranked Bulldogs carry more weight as rivals, and the Longhorns still possess that new team smell as far as the SEC is concerned.

At this moment, Napier owns a 20-20 record at the University of Florida, showing he has been a mediocre coach at an SEC school that was formerly an elite program. 20-20 is good for an average NBA team or home runs/stolen bases for a baseball player. For a coach at Florida, the alumni and fans demand more, evidenced by a Facebook group titled "Fire Billy Napier."

The USF loss brought out the heat, but a loss against LSU, even though the Tigers are ranked third in the nation, could signal the beginning of the end. Napier needs to win the game. Save the close game or moral victories. This game serves as yet another barometer of where Napier resides.