Everyone knows the Florida Gators are getting ready to face one of the toughest college football schedules in the country, but just how tough does the 2024 team have it?
According to CBS Sports, the 2024 Florida Gators are preparing face the toughest regular-season schedule of the century.
No, really. Billy Napier enters Year 3 in Gainesville with an 11-14 record, and finishing the season even one game closer to the .500 mark would be cause for celebration.
“The Gators face 11 power conference opponents — even playing 10 is usually regarded as bold for SEC teams — and have a nightmare November,” CBS sports writer David Cobb said. “While Samford should be a gimme in Week 2, you can’t comfortably circle any other games as automatic wins.”
Florida begins the season with Miami and September brings Texas A&M and Mississippi State. A much-anticipated game against UCF kicks off October before the meat of the SEC schedule — Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss with just one bye week.
Finally, Florida fights for state supremacy against Florida State to close out the season. Eight of those teams ranked inside Dennis Dodd’s post-spring top 25.
Of course, preseason rankings don’t matter much once the season is played. Florida’s schedule may end up nowhere near as daunting as it has been hyped, but that would require several teams to collapse. The assumption is that most of Florida’s opponents this season will finish the season ranked.
The 2014 Arkansas played eight ranked teams throughout the season, only six of which ended the season ranked. That Razorbacks team placed fifth on the list. CBS Sports named the 2011 LSU, 2019 Auburn and 2017 Maryland teams Nos. 2-4 on the list, respectively.
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