Billy Napier and the Florida Gators earned their sixth win of the 2024 campaign on Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. That gives the Orange and Blue a guaranteed .500 or better finish that also puts it in the postseason picture.
Many doubted this fall’s edition of Florida football, with the overall consensus calling for a four-win season that would give the Gators their first four-year losing streak since… well, basically forever ago. To be fair, Napier and Co. faced the toughest schedule in the country which has proven to be every bit as difficult as expected, but they survived the SEC pressure cooker gauntlet with a pair of upsets.
Now that the seal is broken and Florida is eligible for a bowl berth, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach offered their predictions for potential December matchups. Neither of the options is particularly exciting, but when the bar for success was finishing with six wins, the Gators Nation will have to be happy with what it can get.
ESPN’s bowl predictions for Florida
Bonagura projects a Florida matchup against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. That game is scheduled to be played on Friday, Dec. 27 at either noon or 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Schlabach foresees a trip to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, against the TCU Horned Frogs on that same day. ESPN will also broadcast that game and kickoff is set for 7 p.m ET.
Next up for Florida
The Gators wrap up the 2024 regular season schedule in Tallahassee for their annual rivalry game against the Florida State Seminoles. The game will take place inside Doak Campbell Stadium and will kick off at either 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET; broadcast details have yet to be determined.
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