As we kick off another season of the Misery Index, it’s an apt moment to consider the nature of choices. Whether we want to admit it or not, we find ourselves in this painful spot due to a mix of decisions—some made by us, others entirely out of our control.

Every college football enthusiast has opted to invest their joy, finances, and time into supporting a particular program. Sometimes this choice comes from attending the school, or it may have been a tradition passed down from previous generations. At some point, every fan who feels overwhelmed every Saturday made a deliberate choice to become emotionally invested in a sport featuring young adults competing fiercely over an oddly shaped ball.

Yet, there’s a catch that usually comes to light too late: as a college football supporter, your happiness hinges largely on the decisions made by others. To make matters worse, many of these choices will appear regrettable in hindsight.

This brings us to the University of Florida, which has a reputation for questionable decisions.

Over the past 25 years, no other college has taken as many drastic chances with coaching as the Gators. They replaced the legendary Steve Spurrier with an unprepared Ron Zook, who struggled for three uninspiring years. They bought into Will Muschamp’s hype, despite him being a better coordinator than head coach. Then there was Jim McElwain, who was hired through a dubious process involving a leaked meeting on a private plane, and was ultimately fired after disputes arose regarding threats made against his family. Lastly, Dan Mullen enjoyed three successful seasons before being let go at the first sign of trouble.

Now, we find ourselves with Billy Napier, who represents the fourth head coach for Florida in merely 11 seasons and may be facing a buyout soon.

In the fall of 2021, Florida chose to dismiss longtime SEC champion Mullen ($12 million buyout) and bring in a new coach whose contract would be significantly more expensive ($51.8 million over seven years, with 85% of the remaining salary guaranteed in the event of termination) and who had less experience than Mullen.

This isn’t exclusive to Florida; many schools replace their departing coach with someone who might have less experience but often brings fresh energy. New coaching hires tend to be more exhilarating for fans when there’s less past performance to analyze. Administrators often think: “If he can produce a 40-12 record with two top-20 finishes at Louisiana, just imagine his potential at a school with resources like Florida!”

However, more than two years into Napier’s tenure, with an 11-15 record and a crushing 41-17 defeat at home to No. 19 Miami in Week 1, it’s clear that this line of thinking was misguided.

What officials at Florida should have considered is whether Napier’s success at Louisiana really correlated to the challenges he would face at Florida. At Louisiana, Napier enjoyed top-notch facilities, a substantial budget, and the most skilled roster in his conference. While he achieved numerous victories deserving recognition, the circumstances were quite favorable for him.

Florida operates under a different set of parameters. Yes, the Gators have a history of national championships and plenty of nearby talent, but they don’t hold any significant advantages over other SEC schools.

Florida is not, and has never been, a straightforward path to a national championship. The only coaches who have succeeded—like Spurrier and Urban Meyer—are among the best in the game. Others have found it challenging to meet the demands of the role. The main point is that while success is possible at Florida, there’s no guarantee of it. Exceptional performance is necessary.

Since his arrival in Gainesville, Napier has not even demonstrated average capability. If his third season with the Gators resembles the disappointing and uncompetitive performance against Miami, it’s unlikely he’ll return for a fourth year, leaving the university’s administration and boosters with more decisions to navigate. And there’s no assurance they’ll make the right choices.

This is why Florida tops the inaugural Misery Index of 2024, which measures the unhappiest fan bases weekly.

Four Others in Distress

Virginia Tech: As a Hokies fan, you’ve endured the contentious conclusion of Frank Beamer’s tenure, the frustrating Justin Fuente era, and the bottom fallout during Brent Pry’s arrival. You hoped you were finally turning the corner after making a bowl game last season and returning the most starters in the ACC. You eagerly prepped those “We’re SO back!” memes for your group chats. Then, the 34-27 overtime loss to Vanderbilt hit hard.

Clemson: Dabo Swinney made headlines this week by halting live callers on his weekly radio show, which isn’t surprising following the “Tyler from Spartanburg” debacle last fall when a critical caller triggered a lengthy defensive monologue from him. If Swinney thought fans were overly harsh on him after a mediocre nine-win, 4-4 ACC season, it might be better for him to avoid direct conversations with them for now.

Directly to them this season. Just six years back, Clemson’s closest contender was Alabama. However, due to Swinney’s lack of growth as an offensive coach and his unwillingness to embrace the transfer portal, Clemson now struggles to keep up with powerhouses like Georgia. If Saturday’s 34-3 defeat against the Bulldogs is any indication, the disconnect between Swinney and Clemson’s supporters is set to escalate this year.

UConn: Reports suggest that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is interested in bringing UConn aboard, and the university seems open to exiting the Big East. To facilitate this potential move, the Huskies would not participate in football for a few years, allowing them time to enhance their competitiveness. However, let’s be realistic: decades might not suffice. Some fans may soon criticize coach Jim Mora for a lack of clear advancement after Saturday’s 50-7 defeat to Maryland. Unless Mora can somehow relocate UConn’s campus to a place like Florida, this trend is likely to continue in the Big 12 or any other conference.

New Mexico State: Although the Aggies might seem an unusual choice for this list, the transfer portal has introduced significant challenges for many college teams. The truth is that much of New Mexico State’s top talent has transferred to Vanderbilt. After last season’s 10-5 outcome, head coach Jerry Kill resigned, only to take on a role as a senior offensive advisor and chief consultant to head coach Clark Lea at Vanderbilt. Additionally, quarterback Diego Pavia, last year’s Conference USA offensive player of the year, followed him to Nashville. This quick shift helped Vanderbilt, which had a dismal 2-10 season last year, secure a win against Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, New Mexico State found themselves in a tough game at home against Southeast Missouri State.

Struggling, but not quite at rock bottom

Michigan: It’s somewhat worrying that the expected successor, Alex Orji, didn’t secure the starting quarterback spot after camp, with former walk-on Davis Warren taking the reins for Saturday’s matchup against Fresno State. Although the final score was 30-10, Michigan only led by 13-3 heading into the fourth quarter, finishing with merely 269 yards of total offense. After last year’s national championship, Michigan fans are right to be anxious about a potential downturn, especially following Jim Harbaugh’s departure.

Houston: Expectations for Houston this season were already low, but Willie Fritz’s debut only seemed to diminish them further. The Cougars’ stadium saw many fans leave early during a 27-7 loss to UNLV, where they managed a mere 38 rushing yards. Following a 2-7 conference record last season under Dana Holgorsen, it appears the Big 12 will not treat this team kindly once more.

South Carolina: On Saturday, the Gamecocks’ lackluster performance during a slim 23-19 victory over Old Dominion may have gone unnoticed. South Carolina accumulated just 288 yards of offense and scored their two touchdowns following 3-yard and 6-yard drives after recovering fumbles. They face one of the most challenging schedules in the SEC, lined up against LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Missouri, plus tough away games at Kentucky and Vanderbilt. That’s daunting.

UCLA: Although DeShaun Foster’s debut as head coach didn’t end in a loss, the Bruins were close to a setback in Hawaii, narrowly winning 16-13 thanks to three field goals in the last 16 minutes. Foster, who played running back at UCLA before his NFL career, got this job mainly because he was already part of the staff and there was no prominent candidate. Is he ready for the big stage? Saturday’s showing might not instill confidence in fans right away, but starting the season 1-0 is certainly better than going 0-1.