The Florida Gators during the 2023 season finished with a 5-7 record under head coach Billy Napier. In SEC Conference play, Florida finished with a 3-5 record in SEC Conference play and they hope to be better in that department this season.
College football is a little bit over three months away. Napier hopes to be much better in year three for the Florida Gators or there could be some problems. Before the month of November, the Florida Gators will have a favorable schedule and some of the teams they face in SEC play before November are the Mississippi State Bulldogs on September 21, the Tennessee Volunteers on October 12, and the Kentucky Wildcats on October 19. After the Kentucky game, the Gators will have a bye before the gauntlet of the schedule in November. That is something that will make or break their season depending on what their record is before then.The Florida Gators Will Begin their five-game Brutal Stretch With the Georgia Bulldogs on November 2
The Gators will begin a five-game gauntlet on the road on November 2 against rivals Georgia Bulldogs. Florida a season ago got smoked against Georgia 43-20. The Florida Gators will need to be competitive in this one. Georgia has a great chance to be the best team in the SEC Conference this season.
This game is going to be a quarterback mismatch with Carson Beck projected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Beck for Georgia can also be in the running for the Heisman Trophy. As for the Gators, Graham Mertz is projected to be the starting quarterback this season.
Kevin Brockway of the Gainsville Sun said about the Gators facing the Bulldogs this season by saying:
“It’s not a must win for the Gators, but Florida needs to show it has closed the gap somewhat with a competitive game after falling by 23 points last season and 22 points in 2022. Last year’s Georgia loss sent Florida on a five-game tailspin that cost UF a bowl trip for the first time since 2017. Keeping Mertz upright will be one of the keys of the game, as he was sacked five times and lost a fumble last season against a relentless Georgia pass rush. Former UF running back Trevor Etienne facing the Gators for the first time in a Georgia uniform will add even more spice to the matchup.”
Other than Georgia, Florida will be on the road against the Texas Longhorns the following week. The Florida Gators will also have to face the LSU Tigers, the Ole Miss Rebels, and the Florida State Seminoles. Every single team that Florida faces in November this year will very well be in contention for the expanded college football playoffs.
If the Florida Gators want to grow up, they will have to earn their stripes then. Texas made it to the college football playoffs a season ago after winning the Big 12 Conference. Florida State should have been in after going undefeated in the ACC, but Florida Gators’ SEC rivals Alabama Crimson Tide made it instead.