Florida’s overtime win against Ole Miss on Saturday was far from impressive, but it was enough to get the Gators back into the Last Four In of the bracketology prediction from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. But after a nine-point win against Georgia on Wednesday night in which the Bulldogs overcame a big lead to make things interesting late, UF finds itself back on the outside.
In the latest bracket from Lunardi, Florida is once again among the First Four Out and, more specifically, it is currently listed as the First Team Out. It has found itself here before this season, and with a brutal four-game stretch on the horizon, making the postseason is far from a given for the Gators at this point.
Though UF is not currently in the field, the SEC as a whole still fares well, with six teams projected to make the dance. Auburn is no longer the top overall seed after its first conference loss to Arkansas on Tuesday, but it remains a projected No. 1 seed. There’s been no change for Kentucky, either, as the Wildcats remain a No. 2 seed.
Tennessee is also staying put at No. 5, but it’s joined by Alabama on the five-seed line after the Crimson Tide rose a spot. Arkansas is also moving up and is now a projected No. 6 seed, while LSU remains in place as a No. 7 seed.
The Gators are the league’s best hope for a seventh bid, as Mississippi State now ranks among the Next Four Out and Texas A&M, who has no Quadrant 1 wins and has lost its last seven, is nowhere to be found.
This upcoming stretch for Florida features road games against Kentucky and the Aggies before it returns home to take on Auburn and Arkansas. It could likely be underdogs in all of those games, and we’ll have a much better idea if this team is going to make the tournament after the conclusion of the gauntlet.
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