STATE OF FOOTBALL: Billy Napier learns quickly where to place blame . . . in the mirror

Seems like the self-flogging fad will continue among football coaches. Just verbally, so far, but the season is young.

Like those corporate junkets and training videos, there must’ve been a recent coaching workshop, stressing the best way to deal with a loss — put the blame on yourself and spare the feelings of your players.

Publicly, anyway.

In the college game, this seems rational, given the need to recruit 5-star teenagers who might shy away from a maniacal deflector. Also, given the immediacy of the new-age transfer portal, you don’t want to lose a nasty linebacker because he’s sensitive to Saturday critiques.

With that, here’s the most recent sampling, from right here on the Pigskinned Peninisula, where many a coach has had plenty of practice prostrating himself behind the podium and promising to be a better coach, if not a better human.

• Florida’s Billy Napier, after last Saturday’s loss to Kentucky: “I think coaching is a lot like teaching. When the students don’t perform as well as you want them to, I think as a coach and as a teacher you gotta take a good look in the mirror. That's what I’m going to do and our coaches are going to do.”

• UCF’s Gus Malzahn, following the Knights’ ineptitude while losing to Louisville:  “Probably the biggest take, when I look at the thing, is the penalties. Of course, that falls on me as a coach. I've got to get it corrected. Last week I stood up here and said our penalties are going to get corrected and it didn't happen.”

• Even after a 30-7 win over Southern Miss, Miami’s Mario Cristobal took some self-inflicted shots: “We certainly want to play more polished, more precise football, so we have to practice better and we have to keep coaching better. We hurt ourselves. We blocked a guy through the sideline . . . we have to do a better job of coaching.”

Now let’s move on to our state rankings and picks.

For what it’s worth, I went 5-1 in last week’s college picks. The only miss was UCF’s loss to Louisville, and in keeping with the aforementioned theme, yes, I’m blaming Gus Malzahn.

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Rank & File: 'Canes face angry Texas A&M; Florida Gators should go to 2-1 

The weekly ranking (and this week’s picks) of Florida’s seven big-league college football programs, based on results versus expectations, current trends and yesterday’s broad market benchmark . . . 

1. Miami (2-0): at Texas A&M. Avantae Williams has had an eventful college football career since leaving DeLand High in 2020. He was apparently quite unhappy with lack of playing time last week, and Cristobal is putting out that fire while hoping to tap the defensive back’s potential. “We’re gonna choose not to create narratives and drama out there in our program,” the coach said. As if he didn’t have enough issues, he's facing an irate bunch of Aggies this week — Aggies 27, ’Canes 23.

2. FSU (2-0): at Louisville (Friday night). Baby steps, you know. The Seminoles once again appeared under the “Also Receiving Votes” header in this week’s AP top-25 poll. But they actually dropped two spots, from fifth to seventh, on that list following an idle week. Yep, this is what it’s come to. Louisville’s win in Orlando should help FSU’s degree-of-difficulty factor with voters — ’Noles 23, Cardinals 13.

3. Florida (1-1): USF at home. They’re preaching patience in Gainesville. No, really, they are. They like to talk of Kirby Smart going 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the SEC in his first season at Georgia six years ago, as if that’s embarrassing and something many of them wouldn’t sign up for right now in 2022 — Gators, 42, Bulls 12.

4. FAU (2-1): UCF at home. This is your yearly reminder of why FAU’s teams are called the Owls. Florida Atlantic’s campus is near the Boca Raton airport, which is terrain owls enjoy, for whatever reason. Anyway, the campus was designated a burrowing owl sanctuary in 1971, and if you’re ever nearby, watch your step — owls leave a slick reminder of where they’ve been — Knights 23, Owls 13.

5. UCF (1-1): at FAU. The Knights stepped in it plenty last week, so they ain’t scared. Correction, Owls hit the PAT — Knights 23, Owls 14.

6. USF (1-1): at Florida. South Florida got one of the wins it's supposed to get this year, beating Howard last week, 42-20. “I’m not going to downgrade this win at all,” said coach Jeff Scott. Hell no, not when it’s your fourth in three-plus seasons — still got Gators, 42-12.

7. FIU (1-1): Off this week. Panthers get a week off to game-plan and scheme a way to visit Western Kentucky next week and maybe, just maybe, beat the spread.

Sunday School: Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen back on tweeting terms!

Ranking the state’s three NFL teams and offering a fully rational idea of what to expect this week . . . 

1. Tampa Bay (1-0): at New Orleans (1-0). Well, that was big news. No, not the road win in Dallas. Not Tom Brady extending his longevity records at 45. The biggest headline was Gisele Bundchen’s pregame tweet of support to Tom and the Bucs. Bucs return home next week and cameras will be focused on the Brady suite, looking for continued support of the in-person variety. Until then — Bucs 30, Saints 20.

2. Miami (1-0): at Baltimore (1-0). Miami’s defense came up big in last year’s win over Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. You assume the Ravens have taken a look-see at that game film and adjusted accordingly. You also assume, for time-of-possession's sake, the Dolphins need to improve their run game from last week’s 23-for-65. Let’s give more weight to Assumption #1 — Ravens 27, Dolphins 23.

3. Jacksonville (0-1): Indianapolis (0-0-1) at home. Quick turnaround on a rematch from last year’s season finale, when the Colts bombed out of the playoffs with a shocking loss in Duval. That one got Carson Wentz shipped to D.C. and led to the Matt Ryan signing. All signs point to a revenge win for Indy. In fact, it has that too obvious feel to it — Jags 31, Colts 24.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Gators' Billy Napier plays the (self) blame game; Tom Brady still good