STATE OF FOOTBALL: Gators, Seminoles over-hyped? And what's up with Tom Brady and Gisele?

Here in the State of Football home offices, we’re not totally against change.

In fact, we rank it just ahead of Interstate 4 and just behind a call to the warranty center.

We didn’t have to be pulled into it screaming like grandpa entering Yankee Candle.

And that’s why, while keeping one of the tried and true, we’re slightly — yes, just slightly — updating another.

Our weekly ranking of the Pigskinned Peninsula's seven big-time college football programs — officially known as Division I’s FBS — will remain largely intact. But as for the state’s two professional teams and one semi-professional franchise, we’ll also rank them from 1 to 3, which really shouldn’t take much time.

For both groups, we’ll also predict the outcome of the upcoming game.

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And by we, I mean me, a guy whose football picks should be taken with a silo of salt. There’s your disclaimer, by the way, in case you tinkle away the rent and come at me for damages.

(A nod to my personal and sotted representation, the venerable F. Lee Barley.)

Let’s get started . . .

Rank & File: Gators, Hurricanes debut at No. 1 on the Peninsula

The weekly ranking of our seven big-league college programs, based on results versus expectations, current trends and, frankly, hunches.

It’s easy to get caught up in all the emotions out of Gainesville and Tallahassee, as well as the latest version of renewed optimism in Coral Gables. And UCF fans already claiming the 2022 Heisman for John Rhys Plumlee.

We'll try to quickly sober up and treat this with clearing eyes.

T1. Florida, 1-0. Kentucky at home Saturday. From 1987 to 2017, this was automatic for the Gators, but the past four meetings have produced a 2-2 split. Lots of hype in Hogtown after that dramatic win over the Utes. Too much hype, maybe — ’Cats 26, Gators 20.

T1. Miami (1-0).  Southern Miss at home Saturday. The Hurricanes brought us the turnover chain and created a cottage industry. New coach Mario Cristobal has taken it away, and let’s hope all the others follow that trend, too, and not just because Oregon State now has the Turnover Chainsaw — U 42, Golden Eagles 13.

3. UCF (1-0). Louisville at home Friday. Louisville is one of those programs that’s pretty good for a while, briefly very good, then it’s “hey, what happened to Louisville?” After a lopsided loss to Syracuse last week, we know where things stand — Knights 40, Cardinals 19.

4. FSU (2-0).  Off this week. The Seminoles are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Lots of excitement after that win over LSU, but man, the clumsy play call (and fumble) that nearly cost them . . .

5. FAU, (1-1).  Southeast Louisiana at home Saturday. Former UM quarterback N’Kosi Perry is off to a great start in Del Boca Vista. Nothing to indicate he’ll slow down this week — Owls 32, Lions 10.

6. USF (0-1).  Howard at home Saturday. Baylor transfer Gerry Bohannon is the sixth different QB to start for Bulls’ head coach Jeff Scott. The Scott Era is just 23 games deep, by the way. Bohannon might not stick, but it won’t be due to anything that happens this week — Bulls 33, Bison13.

 7. FIU (1-0). At Texas State Saturday. It took a while, but the Panthers finally learned how to properly schedule season openers. Last week they opened with Bryant, and you can’t tell me you didn’t have to Google that one. The previous two openers brought Jacksonville State and Long Island U. Next year: Father Lopez — Bobcats 26, Panthers 14.

Sunday School: Has Tom Brady met the irresistible force?

You don’t need to channel Jimmy The Greek to properly rank Florida’s three NFL franchises.

Sure, it could change over the coming weeks, but for now . . .

1. Tampa Bay. At Dallas Sunday night. Lots of talk about Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen having opposing views about his continued stiff-arming of Father Time. Safety blitzes are peach custard compared to marital discord, so let’s hope all’s well with these kids. Meanwhile, however — Cowboys 27, Bucs 24.

2. Miami. New England at home Sunday. It’s rarely this crystal clear, but fact is, the first few weeks of the 2022 season will tell the tale on Tua Time. Might as well buy the optimism for now, but all the same, sneak a now-and-then glance at the QB draft class of 2023 to see how things are going — Dolphins 20, Pats 19.

3. Jacksonville. At Washington Sunday. Jags fans are forgiven for looking at new Washington QB Carson Wentz and shuddering at the thought. Wentz wasn’t viewed at quite the can’t-miss level as Trevor Lawrence, but pretty damn close. Now, he’s in resurrection mode. Things are bound to get better for the Jags this year, but how could they not? — Commanders 23, Jags 20.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Gators, Seminoles over-hyped? Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen on same page?