Just a pair of games remain on Florida football’s regular season docket and one remaining home game. That matchup comes this weekend in the Swamp against the Ole Miss Rebels who now stand between the Gators and a winning season.
The Orange and Blue are 5-5 overall entering the weekend with a 3-4 mark against fellow Southeastern Conference schools. The Rebs have amassed an 8-2 total tally with four wins in six tries in SEC play; Ole Miss is also ranked ninth in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his SP+ predictions for college football’s Week 13 slate, which favors the Rebels by 16.1 points over the Gators while giving Ole Miss an 84% chance of winning and a projected final score of 35-19. Compare that with the initial spread for the game (Mississippi, -6.6 points) for a difference of 9.5 between the two.
Billy Napier and Co. sit at No. 31 out of 134 FBS schools (9.0 overall rating) in the SP+ rankings coming into Saturday’s final home game, while the visiting squad is fourth in the nation (27.6).
About SP+ predictions
“SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to ESPN. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.
“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”
How to watch Gators-Rebels
The Gators play their final home game of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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