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DALLAS — The Florida Gators will be better in Billy Napier’s third season. It just won’t show up much, if at all, in the standings.
That’s my official preseason stance, as reflected in the SEC predicted order of finish I submitted this week as part of the conference’s media days. I put the Gators 12th in the new-look 16-team SEC.
The Gators will benefit from Graham Mertz’s second year under Napier, a deeper roster with more experience and offseason staff changes that addressed every issue from last year’s 5-7 disappointment. But any hope of optimism requires a minimization of what looks like the toughest schedule in the nation (and maybe the hardest in program history). Nine opponents are in the top 25 in ESPN’s SP+ advanced metrics. Seven are conference foes, and the lone exception is at one of the most underrated road environments in the country (Mississippi State).
Another way to look at it is to compare Florida to teams in the same tier, like Kentucky. The Wildcats visit Florida on Oct. 19 the week after hosting Vanderbilt; Florida is Kentucky’s fifth Power Four opponent. Kentucky will be the Gators’ sixth opponent from a major conference, and their matchup comes a week after Florida’s trip to Tennessee. Those factors played a role in my ballot.
Why Georgia will win the SEC
The Bulldogs and Texas were the easy top two teams in the division-less league. Georgia earned the edge based on Kirby Smart’s track record and years of elite recruiting. The addition of Florida transfer Trevor Etienne to the backfield doesn’t hurt.
Georgia’s schedule is also tough without the help of a watered-down SEC East. The Bulldogs could lost to Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee and/or Alabama. But they have enough depth and talent to make it to the league title game and knock off the Longhorns there.
Team I’m…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sec-football-predictions-where-picked-130000661.html
Author : Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Publish date : 2024-07-20 13:00:00
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