GAINESVILLE — There’s an adage in college football, less true today in the era of big-money openers, but lingering nonetheless, that the season doesn’t begin until the air feels a bit crisper, the days a bit shorter and the calendar turns to October. What’s the Greenday song? “Wake me up … when September ends”?

The early dates with Tennessee have for two decades altered the conventional wisdom for the Florida Gators, but even with the Vols looming each September, college football season in Gainesville rarely felt “real” until a great Tennessee team rolled into town or the calendar flipped to October and the sweat-stained, sticky swelter of summer in central Florida began to recede.

That is, until this season.

Nothing about this Florida football team has been conventional.

Heading into Saturday’s date with Vanderbilt in The Swamp, the Gators have faced a season’s worth of adversity, controversy and disappointment, let alone one September’s worth.

In July, at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama, the hallways were filled with hope and swagger from the back-to-back East Division champs, who told a believable story about taking the next step and staying competitive with Alabama in the Atlanta championship game.

This would be the year the Gators built on the back-to-back East Division championships and took the next step to college football playoff contender. But almost as quickly as the team plane landed back in Hogtown from Hoover, things went sideways and summer’s optimism grew slowly dimmer.

Marcell Harris, the team’s captain, best tackler and All-SEC safety, tore an Achilles in mid-July, ratcheting up pressure on what already promised to be an otherwise young, unproven secondary. A gruesome blow to be sure — but every team and coaching staff suffers through injuries, even vital ones. The Gators would miss Harris, but Florida so often finds a way defensively. They’d collectively band together and be fine, most convinced themselves.

Then more.

On the edge of summer camp, and with the program’s most difficult opening opponent in a generation looming in Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan, the team lost perhaps its best player, Antonio Callaway, to a suspension. Suspected of defrauding the university and potentially others, six other players were suspended with him but Callaway’s was easily the toughest to bear.

A Title IX investigation exonerating the star wide receiver the year prior and a spring misdemeanor marijuana charge were supposedly in the rearview, clearing Callaway for a season’s worth of redemption and a high draft selection next April. Instead, he was “suspended indefinitely,” and as the facts started to drip out from various outlets and sources, perhaps gone forever. The passing game Florida fans felt would have as many weapons at its disposal as it has had in a decade, had lost its best one before the first snap.

Still, this is why Jim McElwain and his staff flipped the offensive roster after Will Muschamp and his revolving door of offensive coaches left them Will Grier, Brandon Powell and an island of misfit toys. That’s what this staff was hired to do. Coax productive play from the quarterback position, utilize playmakers and we’ll be fine, Gators fans suggested.

Then more.

Two days before the team left for Dallas and the Michigan game, with an offensive gameplan designed for a freshman quarterback largely installed, the team lost Jordan Scarlett, a big part of that gameplan, as a late addition to the list of credit card fraud suspensions. It’s hard to reinstall or alter a game plan in one practice, but at least Florida had recruited well at running back and had quality depth. Hard isn’t impossible, Gator fans said, not entirely convinced.

Then a crushing defeat.

In Dallas, Florida was outgained by 300 yards and fortunate to be down only 9 late when a Malik Zaire fumble in the end zone led to a Michigan touchdown, sealing the Gators’ doom and providing a somewhat more appropriate, though perhaps still kind, score line.

Then a hurricane.

In addition to allowing a brutal opening loss to linger, Florida now had to contend with players concerned about homes and family members, a lost home game and all its attendant repetitions, the lost revenue in the city of Gainesville itself, and a wounded, hurting locker room ahead of a rivalry game.

Then a miracle.

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The “Heave to Cleve” saved a football team from what seemed like an inevitable defeat in overtime, after a game the Gators were a yard from putting away before a fumble and touchback nearly got away. The Gators were redeemed, but the fans weren’t satisfied, the noise in the system growing, the natives restless.

Then a fourth-quarter comeback, orchestrated by a former walk-on quarterback.

Luke Del Rio settles the Gators in a frenzied atmosphere in Lexington, on a night the highly-touted freshman Feleipe Franks played frazzled. Down 13 with 10 minutes to go, the Gators snatch victory from defeat, a testament to Del Rio’s resilience, and Florida’s toughness. But even in victory, doubts about the Gators grow, both nationally and, worse, within the fan base.

As Georgia rips off win after win, imposing its will on opponents behind a strong running game, savvy freshman quarterback and stout defense, the Gators’ hopes to repeat in the SEC East are written off. Georgia-Alabama is deemed inevitable. Never mind that Florida has defeated Georgia teams comprised of largely the same personnel three years running, by the average score of 30-11, regardless of whether Treon Harris or Luke Del Rio is under center. The Dawgs are stock you buy. The Gators are stock you sell.

Then again, an extended homestand.

Florida returns home to The Swamp, with a new quarterback and an improving defense, and three SEC home games in succession before the bye week and the Cocktail Party.

Three games and with them, a chance to write the story of the season ahead of them.

Amidst all the drama, despite the injuries and hurricanes and suspensions, the Gators are 2-1 and 2-0 in conference. They’ve been outplayed, outnumbered, undermanned and left for dead. And yet they are 2-0 in conference, warriors who haven’t quit. The season has been, to date, an emotional slingshot, drawn back and ready to either be launched into the stratosphere or broken at the band. Whatever the turbulence of August and September has brought, it is in the rearview. What matters is the next game.

Vanderbilt is up first, and under James Franklin and now Derek Mason, the Commodores have been a tough out for Florida. They are tough on defense; have a capable, veteran quarterback; a star running back; a good coach; and a disciplined, talented defense. They will arrive in Gainesville hopping mad after being embarrassed a week ago by Alabama. They will be ready.

Wake me up when September ends.