Gene Frenette: While Gators wait on Napier turnaround, Oregon hit home run with Lanning hire

Two years ago, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin opted to hire a presumably ascending coaching star in Billy Napier — whose pedigree included working under Alabama’s Nick Saban — and never bothered to interview another candidate.

It’s possible Napier might still turn out to be a good hire despite his 11-14 record and head scratching game-day management. We’ll see if firing two defensive position coaches in Corey Raymond and Sean Spencer this week for that unit’s abysmal production makes things any better.

Suffice it to say, Napier will go into 2024 likely sitting on the hottest seat in college football unless his recruiting class disintegrates and an exasperated UF administration elects to make a sooner change.

What makes the Gators’ rocky start under Napier interesting is that two weeks after hiring him in Nov. 2021, Oregon hired Dan Lanning, the former Georgia defensive coordinator. He succeeded Mario Cristobal, who bolted for alma mater Miami.

Lanning is 21-4, the second-best record among Power 5 coaches hired during that cycle, behind only Washington’s Kalen DeBoer (23-2). Lanning was also on Saban’s Alabama 2015 staff as a graduate assistant, though he had no head coaching experience like Napier (four years at Louisiana) before going to Oregon.

Still, the 10-game disparity between the won-loss records of Napier and Lanning is striking, especially since Lanning was an integral part of a national championship coaching staff at the time of Napier’s hire, albeit for Florida’s biggest rival.

Clearly, Stricklin was so fixated on targeting Napier that the thought of considering other candidates like Lanning was a non-starter. Even worse, Napier was given a whopping seven-year, $51.8 million contract, as opposed to Lanning accepting a six-year, $29.1 million deal to coach the Ducks.

This isn’t to suggest Lanning, whose team faces Washington on Friday night for the Pac-12 championship and a likely berth in the College Football Playoff, would have had the Gators contending for an SEC title by now.

But he for certain wouldn’t be three games under .500, especially if Lanning had been able to entice current Heisman Trophy candidate and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to transfer to UF from Auburn. Who knows if that happens with former Gator QB Anthony Richardson on the roster.

Still, Nix going to UF can’t be ruled out had his former Auburn offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, now the head coach at Arizona State, accompanied Lanning to Gainesville. That was a big factor in Nix going to Oregon.

All Nix has done is elevate the Ducks back to national prominence with a touchdown-ratio of 66-9 the past two seasons. Oregon hit a grand slam with the Lanning hire.

Florida is still waiting for Napier to build a sustainable winning product. He will be under a massive microscope for the foreseeable future.

Oregon’s program is miles ahead of the Gators. Stricklin better hope Napier doesn’t wait too long to close that gap.

HOF wait for Freddy T

It’s been a tough road for former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor to gain traction for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his supporters should not lose hope.

Plenty of inductees, including Taylor’s former teammate Tony Boselli, have endured a long waiting process to get into Canton. Considered the greatest offensive tackle of his generation, Boselli was eligible for the HOF for 16 years and rejected as a finalist five times before getting elected in 2022.

Taylor, who advanced to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive year this week, keeps hitting a major roadblock trying to get to the finals. That’s critical because it would force the HOF voters to discuss his career and allow Jacksonville voting rep Sam Kouvaris to present Taylor’s case to the electorate.

Candidates like Taylor rarely gain Hall entry the first time they reach the finals, often needing multiple attempts before being elected. But getting there is an important first step because it would raise his stock in the eyes of voters.

Keep in mind a maximum of only five modern-era candidates can be enshrined each year and there’s a long line of players with strong cases. About 80-90 percent of semifinalists are not HOF locks. With one or two first-time eligible players getting in almost every year, Taylor and many semifinalists face long odds to earn a gold jacket.

Yes, Taylor has more rushing yards (11,695) than any HOF-eligible back and only Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders join the ex-Jaguar in having a per-carry average of 4.5 yards with a minimum 2,500 carries. His highlights tape is also exceptional.

But Taylor is hardly the only productive player at a high-profile position to be waiting for an HOF bust. Jared Allen (136 sacks), John Abraham (133.5) and Leslie O’Neal (132.5) are No. 12, 13 and 14, respectively, on the all-time sack list, with more sacks than any eligible pass-rushers not in Canton. Abraham and O’Neal have never advanced to the finals, while Allen has been rejected three times as a finalist.

The biggest injustice for Taylor isn’t him not being in Canton. It’s waiting to reach the finals so his legitimate case can be discussed by the voters.

Will ‘Bama create chaos?

The easiest decision for the College Football Playoff committee would be having the top four teams — Georgia, Michigan, Washington and Florida State — staying perfect and remaining in the 1-2-3-4 positions.

But if fans want chaos, the ultimate CFP conundrum would be Georgia getting knocked off by No. 8 Alabama for the SEC Championship, with Florida State winning the ACC title over Louisville and No. 7 Texas beating Iowa State in the Big 12 championship. The Pac-12 champion would likely get in even if No. 6 Oregon, a 9-point favorite, avenges its only loss to Washington.

Here’s one dilemma: who gets the fourth spot in the event Michigan, the Pac-12 champ and FSU claim three slots? Or if FSU and Georgia both lose, and Texas (with a head-to-head win over ‘Bama) wins, that could open the slim, incredulous possibility of both teams coached by Kirby Smart and Saban not being in the Final Four.

Now, if Texas loses the Big 12 game, does idle No. 6 Ohio State sneak into the Final Four (giving the Big Ten two teams) if the other scenarios remain the same?

One thing seems certain: the CFP would lose a ton of credibility if it excluded a 13-0 Jordan Travis-less FSU. Leaving out an unbeaten Power 5 champion, even if it wins ugly against Louisville, is unconscionable and unprecedented.

But without Georgia losing, or the unthinkable of Michigan falling to massive underdog Iowa in the Big Ten championship, the chaos will be minimal and likely non-existent.

Let FSU enjoy harmless tradition

The social media firestorm over Florida State players first using scissors to remove a small square of sod from the end zone at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium after its 24-15 win over Florida, then pulling it out by hand, is another example of fan overreaction to a heated rivalry.

It was ridiculous for a UF police officer to act like a bar bouncer and try to discourage the Seminoles from taking away a small piece of history.

Everyone knows it’s long been an FSU tradition to take a piece of sod after a big road win. So let the Seminoles enjoy their moment, but FSU should extend the same courtesy to the Gators or any opponent who wins at Doak Campbell Stadium and wants to remove sod from that field.

Relax, folks. Barring vandalism or property damage, players deserve to have a little harmless fun celebrating a big victory.

Quick-hitting nuggets

Based on their per-game production averages, running back Travis Etienne is on pace for 1,122 yards, while receivers Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley are tracking to finish with 1,176 yards and 1,025 yards, respectively. The only time in Jaguars’ history when it had three non-quarterbacks eclipse 1,000 yards came in 2000 with running back Fred Taylor (1,399 yards) and receivers Jimmy Smith (1,213 yards) and Keenan McCardell (1,207 yards). …

When the Golden State Warriors blew a 24-point lead Tuesday night and lost 124-123 to the Sacramento Kings, it felt like more confirmation that no amount of heroics by Steph Curry, Draymond Green or Klay Thompson is going to resurrect an NBA dynasty. Sure, it’s only one-quarter the way into the season, but the Warriors (9-10) are too old and have nowhere near the margin of error they once did. Keeping the band together one last time isn’t going to end well. …

Returning to competitive golf Thursday after an eight-month absence at the Hero World Challenge, it was obvious Tiger Woods looked rusty, not rejuvenated. A 3-over-par 75 is no big deal after such a long layoff due to fusion surgery on his right ankle. But Woods is going to continue having a hard time contending anywhere unless his body allows him to play on more than just a periodic basis.

Pigskins picks

Jaguars over Cincinnati Bengals by 13 (EverBank noise decibels); Tennessee Titans over Indianapolis Colts by 1 (dying playoff dream); San Francisco 49ers over Philadelphia Eagles by 3 (NFC Championship appetizers); Louisville over Florida State by 1 (CFP selection headache); Georgia over Alabama by 7 (dynasty extensions); Oregon over Washington by 10 (cold dishes of revenge); Michigan over Iowa by 24 (mercy rules). Last week: 6 right, 1 NBA In-Season Tournament.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Right call: Oregon hit home run with Lanning hire, Florida waiting on Napier