Paul Finebaum feels Florida is feeling most angst among SEC teams

As the SEC enters a new era this season, a few fanbases are reaching their breaking point. If you ask ESPN’s Paul Finebaum which school currently has the most angst at the moment, his answer would be the Florida Gators. The first two years of Billy Napier have not been up to par and Year Three is projected to be one of the toughest college football has ever seen.

Times used to be different in Gainesville, though. Finebaum remembers when Florida fans thought they were up there with the SEC’s best over multiple decades.

“I am used to a Florida fanbase that always felt like it was on the same level as Alabama,” Finebaum said during Thursday’s episode of Andy Staples On3.

Finebaum and Staples brought up an old saying by Dan Jenkins about the Gators — “The arrogance of Alabama and the tradition of Wake Forest.” This was popular before the program had any kind of success and at one point, the on-field success backed the level of arrogance a fan in the SEC might have.

But it’s been nearly two decades since then.

“It was before Steve Spurrier,” Staples said. “I think the tradition level has risen considerably. The arrogance level was at an all-time high after Urban Meyer’s second national title. It’s dropped quite a bit.”

While the current struggles truly began when Dan Mullen was the head coach, Napier has not done much to pump enthusiasm into the program. Two years have resulted in two losing seasons, with the latest being 5-7 in 2023.

And then you look at the 2024 schedule and your eyes immediately move toward the infamous closing stretch. Florida will have a bye week on Oct. 26 before ending the season with Georgia, at Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, at Florida State.

Sheesh.

Finebaum has noticed a different tone in Florida fans when they call into the show. Through their voices alone, he can tell everyone is holding their breath over the next few months.

“When you do a show like ours, you don’t want to go — There is Mildred from Sarasota. ‘Paul, you think we’re going to be any good this year?’ I mean, I want them to call in and bust chops. I can’t imagine living in that community right now and trying to be a journalist.”

One thing Florida fans have been holding out hope for is the work Napier has done on the recruiting trail. The Gators will finish with the No. 10 class in the country per the On3 Industry Team Rankings. QB DJ Lagway and DL LJ McCray, both of whom are ranked inside the top 10, are the crown jewels of the class.

But at some point, the wins are going to have to stack up on the field. And for the time being, the Florida fans are as angsty as anybody out there.