Billy Napier is a dead man walking. The Florida Gators head coach gave no signs of turning things around in 2024 with his press conference at SEC Media Days, and by the time they visit Tennessee Football, they could potentially already be 1-4.
Think about it. Napier said the program is still a “work in progress” at the event. He’s in his third year there! Now, not all of this is his fault. UF is a mess administratively, and the recent issues with Colorado Buffaloes transfer Cormani McClain only make it look worse.
The point is, though, Florida is done, and Napier will be done before the year is over. Tennessee Football has a new concern for 2024, and it’s one of the other teams in Dallas for the Southeastern Conference event Wednesday. I’m not talking about the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Jeff Lebby is ready for primetime. The new Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach is taking over with an offense that is more cutting-edge now than the late Mike Leach’s system was. He’s a combination of what Josh Heupel ran with the Vols and Lane Kiffin with the Ole Miss Rebels.
Both coaches had Lebby as their offensive coordinator at one point, and it happened to be during one of the most successful seasons of each of their careers (Kiffin in 2021, Heupel in 2018). Now, he has a chance to take everything he’s learned and use it against them.
At the big media circus in Texas, with the Longhorns there to steal the show, Lebby made clear he’s not ready to cede power in the state to Kiffin. He called Kiffin’s recent posts about him “childish,” and MSU linebacker trashed their “come to the sip” phrase, saying it’s the Magnolia State is the Bulldogs’ state.
To add to his confidence, he brought with him to Media Days the quarterback he personally went and picked out this offseason from the portal, Baylor Bears transfer Blake Shapen. Lebby wants everybody to know that his offense is about to take over the league.
On Nov. 9, MSU travels to Tennessee Football. They’ll likely have an around .500 record, but they will be the league’s most dangerous team. Part of that record will have involved them beating Florida at home in September. Book it. With a bye after that game, they can be all in on it too.
Simply put, UT has to be careful. Heupel and co. slipped up two years ago against Spencer Rattler, Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Lebby-Shapen combo will be way more dangerous. Wednesday at the podium with them was just the first taste.
