Billy Napier and Mario Cristobal, Old Friends are Fierce Foes on Saturday

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal are both feeling the heat ahead of their matchup on Saturday.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier needs a win at home against Miami to quiet the critics, for a spell, anyway. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Billy Napier and Mario Cristobal held two of the three biggest football universities in the state of Florida. They'll meet on Saturday when the Florida Gators host the Miami Hurricanes at the Swamp.

They share commonalities and differences that make Saturday's game line up perfectly. Neither would fly to Ireland, only to lose to a double-digit underdog in Georgia Tech. Both are feeling their seats get warm.

However, the winner of Saturday's game will quiet a few of the naysayers. Meanwhile, the loser of this contest will endure a little louder scream of protest from the fanbase. 

Old Friends

On Tuesday, Napier detailed his working relationship with Cristobal during media availability. Both enjoyed simultaneous stints at Alabama from 2013-2016.

"I had tremendous respect. Very passionate," Napier said of Cristobal. "I think he took pride, tremendous pride, in his role. I love his family. Just a great human being. We were in the trenches on offense. We were in the trenches together in recruiting. There's certainly a relationship there. It's an added element to the game, to some degree."

Ready to Go

This week, Cristobal discussed the meaning of this game on WQAM in Miami. He appears cognizant of the true meaning of this game. 

"We've been focusing on our opponent since, man...we always implemented something in the spring, in the summer," said Cristobal. "And then for us it's finding out the players that really, the ones that give us the best chance to win. A lot from spring all the way to the summer in camp. We feel pretty settled on the guys who are going to play in terms of who is actually going to start, but we'll let that play out during the week at some positions. But for the most part, we have a really good idea of who's going to be playing."

Discussing if players fully comprehend the depth of this rivalry.

"They do," he continued. "They've known since that game's been on the schedule. Everybody has, right? Our alumni, their alumni, everybody across the country. Again, the noise, the juice, the hype that's going on around us, the most important thing for us is the work. It's making sure every single day that we're focused on winning that particular day to get better and go get it done."

Shared Past Put Aside

Forget the years at Alabama or recruiting against each other as current in-state rivals. While each coach wants to win, Billy Napier exudes a strong need to win this game for many reasons. First, starting 1-0 versus a decent team boosts confidence. Next, winning an in-state home game, in front of recruits bodes well for the recruiting stronghold that is the state of Florida. Lastly, winning this game brings Napier to the forefront and could possibly grant him grace from the fan base.

At least until next week. That's the nature of Florida and the SEC.