Paul Finebaum Says Major College Football Coach Facing 'Beginning of the End'

The upcoming game between the Florida Gators and the Texas A&M Aggies is a major game not receiving enough attention. Head coach Billy Napier's job could be on the line after two consecutive losing seasons despite receiving support from the Gators' athletic department up to this point.

Florida's athletic director, Scott Stricklin, expressed confidence before the opening game that he believes Napier will have a long tenure at Florida. However, this statement was made before Napier and the Gators suffered a 41-17 loss to their in-state rival. Florida will now face Texas A&M, which is under the leadership of a new coach in its first year.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes a loss for Napier could mark the beginning of the end for his tenure at Florida.

"A loss, to me, would seem like the beginning of the end," Finebaum said. "

It's worth noting that the Gators had a solid bounce-back performance with a commanding 45-7 victory over Samford last weekend. With starting quarterback Graham Mertz unavailable, true freshman and former five-star quarterback D.J. Lagway delivered an outstanding performance. Lagway completed 72% of his passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns.

Napier has been non-committal on who the starter will be this weekend, as Mertz is expected to be back. Instead, he said the Gators will do what's "in the best interest of the team." Napier might have to go down swinging for a game like this because if the Gators end up losing and Finebaum is correct, it could mean the end of Napier's time at Florida.

Related: Paul Finebaum Names College Football Coach Who Appears Overwhelmed