It was a weird year for the Southeastern Conference in a lot of ways, ranging from its league-only schedule in response to the coronavirus pandemic to the defending national champions the LSU Tigers having an extremely off year. Of course, the Alabama Crimson Tide taking home the 2020 title was not much of an aberration, but there were many other factors that were certainly off the beaten path.
Among the mystery and intrigue was the Florida Gators, who were serious contenders for a College Football Playoff spot after its win over their rivals the Georgia Bulldogs, after which it coasted into the SEC Championship Game.
Or so they should have.
A loss to the disappointing Tigers in the final week of the regular season sent the team into a tailspin from which it simply could not recover, falling into a three-game losing streak to conclude the campaign. But on the way to the end, the Gators had a few memorable moments — both good and bad.
Here is a look at how The Athletic’s SEC beat staff, consisting of G. Allan Taylor (Florida), Seth Emerson (Georgia), Brody Miller (LSU), Josh Kendall (South Carolina) and David Ubben (Tennessee), felt about Florida’s high points, low points and a preview of next season’s conference rankings.