The college football landscape has seen some significant changes in recent years thanks in large part to NIL and the transfer portal. As a result, the tides turn on teams much more quickly than in the past which has rendered the polls mostly moot.
ESPN staff writer David Hale proposed a solution to this conundrum by splitting all 134 FBS teams into 20 ranked tiers. Among those listed are the Florida Gators, who landed in Tier 8: In need of a vibe shift.
“Florida returns a bunch of good players, but its schedule is so arduous, the Gators could take a big leap forward and still miss a bowl — potentially leaving [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] as the first Florida head coach to depart Gainesville without a 10-win season since [autotag]Ron Zook[/autotag],” Hale offers.
“It’s never good when Florida fans are forced to remember the Zook era.”
Other Tier 8 teams
Joining the Orange and Blue in the eighth tier are a pair of SEC peers in the Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats. Additionally, the Iowa Hawkeyes, Maryland Terrapins, North Carolina Tar Heels, TCU Horned Frogs and Wisconsin Badgers are also among the eight Tier 8 teams.
Florida’s season opener for 2024
The Florida Gators and No. 19 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.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.