It is no secret that second-year head coach Billy Napier faces an uphill battle in his sophomore season in the Swamp. The general consensus among the sports media heading into the 2023 campaign is that Florida football has one of — if not the most — difficult schedules among Power Five schools.
CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm recently took a look at the toughest and weakest nonconference schedules entering fall football season, including Power Five and Group of Five schools. Unsurprisingly, the Orange and Blue hold the Southeastern Conference’s toughest path ahead.
Here is what Palm had to offer on the Gators’ grueling challenge on the nonconference gridiron.
The Gators start the season at No. 14 Utah as the Utes will be looking for revenge after losing at UF last season. Florida also has its traditional season-ending rivalry game at home against Florida State. The only other team playing two nonconference opponents highlighted in the preseason rankings is South Carolina (No. 9 Clemson, No. 21 North Carolina).
The good news is that the other two teams Florida faces from outside the SEC are the McNeese Cowboys (Week 2) and the Charlotte 49ers (Week 4), both of whom pay a visit to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this season. Neither should too many problems for Napier’s boys.
Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.
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