NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Dec 22, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; A general view of an endzone pylon during the first half of the Gasparilla Bowl between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the UCF Knights at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
College football’s bowl season is finally here and this year the Florida Gators will face the Tulane Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl. For Billy Napier and Co., this game is the culmination of a monumental effort this season to get over the hump and back into the postseason.
The Orange and Blue finished with a 7-5 overall record thanks to three straight wins to wrap up the regular-season schedule — including two over-then-top-25 teams. The achievement ends a three-year losing streak, which was the longest the program had endured since the 1940s.
The Green Wave went 9-4 this fall including a blowout loss to the Army Black Knights in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game last weekend.
USA TODAY Sports writer Eddie Timanus recently put together his rankings of 35 non-playoff postseason matchups based on what he believes will have the highest entertainment value. His was pretty bearish overall.
Gasparilla Bowl ranking
According to Timanus’ rankings, the Florida-Tulane matchup in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl comes in at No. 28 out of the 35 total games listed.
“The matchup here is a lot less attractive than the records might indicate,” he notes. “The Green Wave’s promising year wound up in a series of disappointments including transfer exits, while the Gators made a surprising push late and will now look to carry that momentum into the offseason.”
How to watch Gasparilla Bowl
The Gators will face the Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl held inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 20. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Follow…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/usa-today-sports-ranks-florida-162652965.html
Author : Gators Wire
Publish date : 2024-12-14 16:26:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
