GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Coming off a third straight loss to Florida State that felt completely hopeless, a 4-7 season and the psychological blow of missing out on Chip Kelly to a UCLA program that has topped eight wins just four times in the last 18 years, it's time to take a step back and evaluate the Florida program.

After eight years of futility -- seven under the previous two head coaches -- it's clear the entire program needs a major reset.

And while the commitment from the entire program needs to take a massive step up, ultimately that reset will boil down to the man in charge.

Yes, Florida's facilities have lagged far behind those of its peers. There are issues there and within the working top-level administration that have perhaps hit the profile of the job, a job that was considered a unanimous Top 5 gig in college football not that long ago. Perhaps perception of the job in the coaching ranks has been hit far harder than expected, as fans may quickly come to realize should the Gators be forced to go toe-to-toe with Nebraska for the hottest coach left on the market, UCF's Scott Frost.

Even so, though, there are signs that Florida's on-field results are as much about a broken mentality that started at the top but has trickled down to even the players themselves over the last decade or two, felt most acutely in the last seven years.

It started slowly, with a sense of entitlement building that even now at these current lows resonates loudly both within the fanbase and, until proven otherwise, in the very University Athletic Association itself.

Steve Spurrier came to Florida and inherited a relatively average program by historical standards and won at an incredibly high level. He sustained it long enough that fans and players alike grew accustomed to winning. Not just winning, but winning big.

There were some bumps along the way when Ron Zook took over, but ultimately Urban Meyer came in and reinforced the belief that Florida truly did belong as one of college football's elite, winning two national titles in six years to follow up on Spurrier's success.

But as it happened, a sense that 'this is Florida' slowly took hold and permeated every aspect of the program. The idea that simply being Florida and the sway that the Gators logo held meant winning and winning big, regardless of the circumstances.

Shoot, look no further than current players' comments. Asked whether seeing quick turnarounds at other places around the country (like UCF) gave him confidence Florida could execute a similar turnaround with a new coach, receiver Joshua Hammond trotted out that old, familiar line.

"We're Florida," Hammond said. "We don't really worry about all the other teams in the state or around the country. We try to focus on what we can control and how our season can go."

Maybe it's time to worry about those other programs just a bit.

Back in 2008, the construction of the $28 million James W. "Bill" Heavener Football Complex as the "Gateway of Champions" for the program said it all. The UAA touted it as a sign of its commitment to facilities and the program, a program that had changed the nickname of Gainesville from Hogtown to Titletown with an abundance of winning in the major sports.

Meanwhile, football programs around the country began to lap Florida, building multi-million indoor practice facilities, stand-alone football facilities and lavish amenities that put what the Gators had to shame.

By the time Meyer burned out under the lofty expectations that Hall-of-Fame coaches like he and Spurrier helped create in Gainesville, Florida suddenly found itself without the infrastructure to aid winning at the highest level in today's game.

It became an uphill task for the coaches that followed, rather than a situation where a new coach could walk in and have championship success in a short timeframe.

And then came the excuses.

Will Muschamp came in and inherited a team that still remembered what it was like to win at an elite level. The 2010 recruiting class that Meyer left had some of the same swag and had sniffed enough of the championship culture he created that it ultimately helped lead Muschamp to the very verge of the promised land, a No. 3 finish in the BCS standings in 2012.

Instead of pushing through that level to elite accomplishment and satisfying, even if only briefly, those lofty expectations of the fans, Florida laid an egg in the Sugar Bowl against Louisville, then things crumbled quickly in an injury-plagued 2013 season.

Muschamp was the first to start to unveil the sense of entitlement without accomplishment, lashing out at the fans with his now-infamous "get a grip" line to a fan following the 2013 Georgia game.

It was one of several events in the last few years that began to create an "us against the world" (where the world often included even UF's own fanbase) mentality that players haven't been able to let go since.

Jim McElwain came in and won two SEC East division titles. Rather than using that to spur his team to further heights, he seemed to get irate at the fact that most Florida fans didn't view that as a real accomplishment. Ironic, because McElwain himself complained that his players were too complacent after winning the division that first year in 2015 and that they were simply happy to get there.

Then he went and had the administration install SEC East division title signage in the Swamp, something that rubbed plenty of long-time fans the wrong way. It simply wasn't indicative of the true expectations at Florida.

From there it was a continual "woe is me" attitude from McElwain that ultimately led to his demise when he seemingly looked for even more sympathy by claiming death threats had been levied on those in his program.

The divide between 'Florida the Team' and 'Florida the Fanbase' has grown into a chasm over the last few years, partly understandable in the modern age of social media where fans have instant access to angrily tweet players or flood Facebook comment sections, but also partly a result of the leadership of the program encouraging a sense of unwavering support from the fans, even when the product on the field didn't merit it, then bristling if they didn't get it.

It was evident in quarterback Feleipe Franks' post-game comments on Saturday, fresh off a disastrous 18-39 passing day that saw him throw three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and one just a yard shy of a pick-six, while also being strip-sacked for a touchdown.

"No matter what I tell you guys, I’m going to go on to say the same thing and it’s going to be twisted around and things like that," Franks told reporters after the game. "A turnover is a turnover. It happens in the game. Tom Brady throws three interceptions, anybody does it. It’s just part of the game, part of playing quarterback. That’s what a lot of people don’t realize."

Umm, what?

Franks has continued to make comments about how the fans don't understand this or that, how he doesn't care if they hate him or what have you.

And look, we're not here to pile on Franks. But for as little as he's had in terms of help from a pitiful offensive staff and working with a decimated skill position group, isn't it time for a quarterback, the guy who is supposed to be a leader for his team, to step up and own it when you've had a terrible performance?

Right back to the whole "woe is me" and "us against the world" attitude that has penetrated the program.

It's a problem. A big problem. And it's not just Franks.

It's the program itself. Great leadership can help overcome those issues. Steve Spurrier didn't have any problem overcoming it. He demanded excellence. Urban Meyer didn't have any problem overcoming it. He refused to accept mediocrity.

It's time for the administration to take on the same attitude. Then find a coach who can bring that same attitude and get his players to adopt it as well.

There's nothing inherently wrong with entitlement. Don't let anyone tell you Florida fans are too spoiled. In fact, Florida's fanbase grew to have such high expectations because guys like Spurrier and Meyer won at such a high level and over such a length of time that it created an inherent attitude that when Florida stepped on the field, winning was mostly a formality.

The swag associated with the Gators came from success. From knowing there was a working plan to win. Execute, and it was simply over.

After a pitiful performance against Florida State and a whimpering end to the 2017 season, it's time for 'Florida the Program' to pick itself up of the mat and realize it's not simply entitled to success.

The great ones earn the right to be entitled. The Gators have a long, long way to go to earn it back.

But as two of the best coaches to walk through these halls prove, the right hire can make all the difference. Athletics director Scott Stricklin and the UAA need to identify that guy, move heaven and earth to bring him on board and then give him the keys to the kingdom when it comes to facilities, support staff and anything he needs to gain a competitive edge.

It's the only way they'll make Florida football fun again.

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Contact Thomas Goldkamp by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @ThomasGoldkamp.