The opening kickoff of Florida football’s 2024 campaign is less than two weeks away. With the start of everyone’s favorite fall sport on the horizon, the sports media are putting their final touches on their respective outlooks for the coming season.
It is no secret that the Gators face one of the toughest schedules among the collegiate gridiron giants but the standard deviation between success and failure is broad and wide. Looking to snap a three-season losing streak, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. are in desperate need of a .500 or better finish to their regular-season schedule.
Unfortunately, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini does not see that happening in his ranking of all 134 college football teams entering 2024. In it, he has the Orange and Blue at No. 35 with a projected finish of 5-7 after finishing No. 61 in his rankings for 2023.
National Poll results
Vannini’s ranking is somewhat consistent with the two national polls’ preseason standings. The US LBM Coaches Poll, released on Aug. 5, awarded Florida with 11 points, making it the de facto No. 38 team in the rankings. However, the Gators are voteless in the initial AP Poll.
It is worth noting that Vannini’s colleague at The Athletic, Stewart Mandel, predicts a .500 finish for the Gainesville gridiron gang.
Other SEC team rankings
The Georgia Bulldogs are ranked second in Vannini’s tally, followed by the Texas Longhorns (No. 4), Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 5) and Ole Miss Rebels (No. 6), respectively; the Missouri Tigers (No. 10) wrap up the SEC teams in the top 10.
The remainder of the conference schools in The Athletic’s top 25 are the LSU Tigers (No. 13), Tennessee Volunteers (No. 14), Oklahoma Sooners (No. 15) and Texas A&M Aggies (No. 23). Along with Florida, the top 50 also includes the Auburn Tigers (No. 34), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 44) and South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 45).
The Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 52), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 59) and Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 95) round out the conference programs ranked by Vannini.
Florida’s season opener for 2024
The Florida Gators and The Athletic’s 17th-ranked Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida, to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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