Florida Has To End The Jimbo Fisher Curse

Florida will travel to College Station on Saturday to take on Texas A&M at Kyle Field. There is a catch, though, because the Aggies are coached by former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher, who the Gators are 1-8 against. The Aggies have also had the Gators number since joining the SEC in 2012, as they are 2-1 against Florida. However, the Gators did defeat the Aggies in 2012 in College Station 21-17. Florida and Texas A&M first met in 1962, and Florida won the first meeting 42-6. The Aggies lead the overall series 3-2 in the short history of the series.

The Gators history with Jimbo Fisher began in 2010 when he became head coach at Florida State, in Urban Meyer's last season in Gainesville. Fisher's Seminole's humiliated the Gators in Tallahassee 31-7 at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Gators only win against a Jimbo Fisher coached team was in 2012 in Tallahassee, when Will Muschamp was at the helm in Gainesville. Florida knocked off Florida State 37-26 that year and went on to play in The Sugar Bowl. The last time Florida played Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher was in 2020, the COVID season, but the Aggies knocked off the then second ranked Gators 41-38.

Texas A&M is having a disastrous season, and it all started with a home loss earlier this season to Appalachian State in week two. The Aggies almost beat Alabama, but have now had two consecutive SEC losses to South Carolina and Ole Miss. Saturday is a big game for both teams when they look at bowl eligibility, and this is a game that can go either way, depending on which team shows up. For the Gators it depends on which Anthony Richardson and which defense shows up.

Saturday is Florida's best chance for the Gators to end the Jimbo Fisher curse, and if they don't, then a win against him is not meant to be. Another thing I want to point out is that former Gators Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Steve Addazio from the Urban Meyer staff is currently the Offensive Line Coach on the Aggies staff. I remember he was not liked here in Gainesville, especially during the 2010 season.

I will make a prediction for Saturday, and A&M feels like they don't have anything to play for but the Texas Bowl at best. On the Gators side of things, Billy Napier is still in his first season and is building something in Gainesville. After what I saw against Georgia in Jacksonville, the game was closer than the score may have suggested, so I still saw some positives. I will take the Gators, not just because they are my team, but because they seem to be the better team in this one.

Florida 35 Texas A&M 24

Feature Photo Credit: David J. Phillip / Associated Press