The 2024 college football season officially kicks on Saturday with four games on the Week 0 slate this weekend. Ahead of the opening of the collegiate gridiron schedule, USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg put together his record projections for every team — both overall and intraconference.
Myerberg’s projections included the Florida Gators, who face a brutal schedule as third-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] looks to snap three-straight losing seasons dating back to his predecessor. He foresees a 5-7 finish for the Orange and Blue along with a 2-6 record against Southeastern Conference peers, which is consistent with many of the oddsmakers.
That ties Florida with three other teams — the South Carolina Gamecocks, Arkansas Razorbacks and Mississippi State Bulldogs — for 12th place in the 16-school conference.
“Georgia. Texas. Alabama. LSU. Mississippi. Tennessee. Oklahoma. (We could keep going.) It’s obvious the SEC is the strongest conference in the FBS, a few steps ahead of even the very impressive Big Ten,” Myerberg notes.
“While the Bulldogs are the preseason favorite, there’s little room separating teams in this top group. Down the conference standings, Texas A&M is picked to get back into bowl play under new coach Mike Elko, Auburn is pegged for a rebound in Hugh Freeze’s second year and Florida is expected to struggle to get to six wins against a brutal schedule.”
Florida’s season opener for 2024
The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.