Florida’s football program is amidst a doldrum not seen in nearly eight decades after its third-straight losing season — the second under sophomore head coach Billy Napier. While the Gators have struggled to get in gear following the departure of Dan Mullen, the schedule has done them no favors either.
The Orange and Blue finished with a 5-7 record this past fall after a gauntlet schedule that was among the most difficult in the nation. Playing in the Southeastern Conference is a tough enough task, but the non-conference schedule was brutal as well.
Guess what, Florida fans? Next season does not look any better.
College Sports Wire’s Ryan Haley recently ranked all 16 member schools’ slate of matchups for 2024 — including newcomers Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners — with Florida landing the most difficult path through the autumn months.
“Good luck, Billy Napier,” Haley begins. “After an 11-14 record in his first two seasons in Gainesville, the Florida coach could be staring down the barrel of a prove-it season and this is a brutal one.
“The Gators’ 2024 opponents had a combined record of 102-44 last season, and each of Florida’s last five opponents are all within the top 13 of this year’s College Football Playoff rankings,” he continued. “The only team on Florida’s schedule that failed to win six games in 2023 is Mississippi State, and that’s a road conference game.
“There’s a reasonable chance as many as 10 of these teams will be ranked at some point next season.”
Haley’s opinion echoes that of ESPN’s Bill Connelly.
“What was just about the hardest schedule in the country is getting harder,” Connelly predicted.
Good luck, Gators fans.