CBS Sports has released its ranking of all 41 bowl games this postseason, with the Florida Gators’ matchup against the Oregon State Beavers coming in as the No. 7 game this bowl season.
Oregon State had a very successful season, finishing with a 9-3 record for their best mark since 2012 while also becoming bowl-eligible for only the fourth time since 2009. Their three losses came in Pac-12 play at the hands of USC, Utah and Washington — three of the top teams in their conference.
They finished the regular season with a 38-24 upset win over their rival, the Oregon Ducks. They played spoiler in that rivalry game, as the Ducks needed a win to make the Pac-12 championship game. Oregon State now has a chance to win ten games for the first time since 2006.
The Gators will field a depleted roster, with multiple players having left the program via the transfer portal. Some of the Gators’ top producers from this year, such as [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] and [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], have also left the program after declaring for the NFL draft. With the bowl game less than two weeks away, reinforcements via the transfer portal and early signing day will not arrive in time for the matchup.
Here is what CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli had to say about Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl.
To get that win, it’ll have to get past a Florida team with a high ceiling. Florida opened the year with a win over Utah, and while it was impressive, it probably raised expectations too quickly. The Gators came back down to earth in SEC play, finishing with a 3-5 mark, and went only 2-4 in the SEC East. The Gators will be trying to pick up a seventh win to finish over .500, but that would have been more likely if QB Anthony Richardson, who was projected by many to be a first-round NFL Draft pick, didn’t decide to skip this game.
The Las Vegas Bowl will be played at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST with the game broadcast on ESPN.
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