Despite hard times in Gainesville lately and not even making a bowl game last year, there is an outside chance the Florida Gators could make the College Football Playoff in 2024. In this article, we analyze how this could happen for Billy Napier’s Gators in his third season despite the toughest schedule in the country.
Could the Florida Gators win 9 games this year and qualify for the postseason in college football?This possibility was suggested by Brandon Olsen, host of the LockedOn Gators podcast, although he cautioned that it “won’t be easy or even likely.”
How strong is the Florida Gators’ schedule ranking in 2024?
According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Florida will have the hardest schedule in the nation in 2024. Connelly forecasted Florida’s SOS to be.743 in 2024 using his own SP+ rating system. According to Connelly’s statistics, this equates to 8.92 victories from a program ranked in the top five, which the Gators are not. And that’s where the issue lies.
A 9-3 record and a postseason bid for the Gators would be extremely difficult to come by given that their schedule in 2024 may be the most challenging in college football history, but it is still feasible. I mean, isn’t that the main reason they play the games?
As with any squad, there is a road, though. Although Olsen said it is extremely unlikely given all the controversy surrounding the Florida program and their performance in recent seasons, there is a chance.e.
How does college football playoff expansion help the Florida Gators?
Olsen says that the Gators should embrace the toughest schedule because this will be good for the resume when it comes to the college football playoff. And the fact that the CFP expands to 12 teams this season is in the Gators’ favor.
As of right now, nine of the Gators’ 12 opponents are ranked teams heading into the 2024 season, so strength of schedule could definitely be in their favor at the end of the season if they are fighting for one of the final playoff spots.
What games can the Florida Gators afford to lose in 2024?
Olsen points out that the only non-power four team the Gators play in 2024 is FCS opponent Samford, which is very rare.
Based on rankings, the most likely losses on the Gators’ schedule would be Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas who are placed first, fourth, and sixth, in that order.
Olsen notes that the Gators have a good case if they can win the remaining games against every other team they play, including the six other teams that were placed in the top 25 in the preseason. He is also not in error.
It is not impossible, even though there were no power 4 three-loss teams that, according to standings at the end of the regular season, would have advanced to the postseason in 2023. And if head coach Billy Napier can pull everything together in 2024, the Gators might just be the first to do it based on Connelly’s schedule ranking.
Next. Billy Napier’s Job Status: What you Need to Know. Billy Napier’s Job Status: What you Need to Know. dark
