Paul Finebaum Reveals Why He's Losing Faith In One SEC Team This Season

The Florida Gators were a dominant force in the 2000s, clinching two national championships in a three-year span. However, their success has dwindled since the early 2010s.

The Gators' lack of success has snowballed, leading to three straight losing seasons and only four 10+ win seasons since 2010. ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes the Gators will have a better season this year than last year. However, he questions what that improvement really means because he considers last season a disaster.

Finebaum believes the outcome of two of Florida's first three games will be crucial. If the Gators lose the first game to Miami, he will lose all optimism for the season.
"Florida has to win against Miami and Texas A&M," Finebaum said. "I think a win vs. Miami, and there's enthusiasm, there's excitement and there's I hope and I think that that can translate to a winning season, but a loss there and I have no optimism whatsoever."

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) gauges team strength and is designed to be the most accurate predictor of a team's future performance for the remainder of the season. According to the FPI, the Gators are projected to have a 6-6 record this season, which would be a slight improvement from their 5-7 record last year.

The FPI ranks the Gators at No. 11 in the SEC. It's unclear whether this performance would be sufficient to keep head coach Billy Napier's job at Florida or if the Gators will have to pursue a new coach in the offseason.

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