Florida Football 2024 Preview

another uh football season is upon us and you ready to go absolutely I've been waiting 6 months for this I'm ready bring it on so for those of you just tuning in we're talking Florida Gator football season 2024 big year ahead my name is D I've been a Florida G Gator football fan for a lot of years I grew up in Jacksonville Florida first football team I ever rooted for and then I have with me probably one of the most Die Hard Gator fans I've ever met Skyler yeah so what's up guys I'm Skyler um I currently live in Melbourne Florida I'll be a a high school senior this year um my mom graduated from the University of Florida in 1979 we've had seasoned tickets my entire life so I've been brainwashed into loving the Florida Gators but they're great I love them and I love talking Gator football so let's do this thing and I can attest to that because everything they own in their house is orange and BL um and my my only the only thing I can say about being brainwashed in the Florida Gator football is one of Kevin K Cosner's cousins her name was Laura Cosner she brought me free Florida Gator stuff she's friends with my parents she brought me free Florida Gator stuff as a kid to brainwash me into and so I've paid attention to him through all the years I can't put up with the Florida heat so I'm not in Florida right now I'm too old to deal with that but I do watch from afar so uh this year sec new look uh more teams what what's uh what are you excited to see with the the addition of Oklahoma and Texas into SEC well first things first um you of course very excited sec's always been one of the best conferences in the country my opinion I might have a little bit of SEC bias but especially with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma I think there's really no question with the addition of them you have Georgia you have Alabama you have LSU you have Tennessee you know all the big name schools so I think what this really adjusts is even more competitiveness during the regular season um for those who don't know SEC was split between the SEC East and the SEC West with divisions they've done away with that so now going into the conference Championship it's whatever the top two teams are in the conference and I think that's really going to push competitiveness in the regular season battling for those top two spots oh well but no that's a great clarification I mean when you have when you only take the top two teams then you can't be in a you know if you're half of the division isn't as strong that year you can't Coast you gotta you got to do everything you can to stay at the top and I love it I I'm you know same thing here I I think it's hard to uh to contest that the SEC uh is the number one you know conference in in the nation I think everybody you talk to would agree with that especially in terms of national title dominance I mean look at the last 20 years how many the teams have been out of the SEC the majority right whether it's Alabama or Florida or whomever um so yeah so this season the Florida Gator schedule when you talk about competitiveness uh a lot of different I was looking at 247 Sports earlier today number one hardest strength of schedule Florida Gators this year so tell me a little bit about your thoughts let's go through each game and discuss they open on August 31st in Miami or no at the swamp against Miami what are you thinking about this game well before I start anything I just want to say as a Gator fan and what I've seen the last two years I absolutely terrified for this schedule um we went two years ago we went six and seven and last year we went five- seven missing out on a bowl game so coming into this year with the toughest schedule in the country is very nerve-wracking to say the least um but to jump right into things like you said start off 3:30 game um in the swamp against Miami big game Miami's got some um some big transfers coming in specifically cam Ward at quarterback position I think their offense is going to be very tough to stop but first game in the swamp 3:30 I think that place is going to be rocking jumping back to a couple years ago I'm sorry to do this to you but we did beat Utah in the swamp true very true so I I think you know opening weekend it's going to be rocking it's going to be loud um I think Florida does does steal that one at home and I think they start off one and0 okay you know Pam Ward great talent got to watch him play at Washington State um I think with the turnover there and a lot of the turmoil didn't quite wasn't able to quite reach a ceiling fantastic player H Mario Chris Ball as well fantastic coach especially on the lines um so I think he brings a lot of grit and a lot of toughness to Miami it's maybe lacking in previous years uh but I think Florida does pull out a close game to start the season because of the fact that Billy nap's on the hot seat you mentioned the the Su or the the mediocrity of the last two years especially by Florida Gator standards I mean Utah did beat them to start last season just let you know for those of you who don't know I live in Utah so I went to the University of Utah uh so I that that is the team I I probably hold closest to my heart most of the time but when it comes to any other team of the country Florida Gator are the ones I watch and that's that and so Skyler Skyler's my nephew so we uh we go back and forth on this and have a good time with it um but the uh yeah with Billy Napier I mean I I was really optimistic about his hire I think this is year three really trying to see some progress if he can get that first win it'd be a great launching pad for uh for his ability to endure at Florida so next game on the schedule we got sford so I mean you know this might be the the reason they have toughest schedule in America this year you know but uh I'm just being sarcastic but this game I I think this is kind of a a small talking point it's a good tuneup game um any thoughts sad on on the Sanford game I agree it should be a breeze um I do want to mention a couple years ago um Billy nap here's first year we were on the downfall back half of this season we actually played Samford I want to say second to last game and we we down 14 to them at halftime and then we came back and won 70 to 52 so um not really important but you know Sanford FCS school should be a breeze yeah I think I think hopefully uh that one's a good tuneup and then they get to go to a team that I think is really intriguing Texas or I guess they get them in their house so Florida plays first three games at home they get Texas A&M at home what are you thinking about Texas A&M this year you know you know I I really don't know what to think about Texas A&M any year you know the last two years they started in the top 25 they had okay Seasons um I think they finished with eight wins last year um but I I think this year they're going to be good they're going to be tough team to beat but again I think we have him at home I think it was in college station I think that would be a loss but again in the swamp tough place to play home crowd um I think the gator still one at home you know and that this is a tough one I I agree it Texas A&M is one of those conundrums in college football I mean jimo Fisher won at Florida State I know that uh you know he was he recruited great talent at Texas A&M but they never could put it together so they got Mike ELO coming in and you know he's he's had a lot of success in turning on programs that really haven't been traditionally football programs um so to see with talent in the cupboard I think bodess well for his odds for and his success there at Texas A&M but I I'm with you I think being at the swamp three games in a row I this first home stand three games if they win that Miami game I think they win the other three if they lose that Miami game I think the wheels start to fall off early um so this one's a tossup for me I really think that if if the Miami game goes the way of Florida then so does the the A&M game and then we get you know the first three games everybody's warming up in the country everybody's a little bit Rusty and and you get to as you get into the actual season we start to see what uh what teams are made of so what are your thoughts about uh about game four on the schedule here as they go into the their first road test against Mississippi State you know it this it's a tossup for me um Mississippi State it is a tough place to play they got the cowbells um more El so I I'm going to give us the edge on this because of our quarterback Graham Merz he'll be a senior this year he's had a ton of experience he had a great season last year um so I think on the road I think the Florida Gator will go in there I think we're going to win by a touchdown okay you know I I like the optimism I think that uh game against Mississippi State it's once again I think a lot of Florida's games this year are going to be toss-ups um I just I think that you know it's difficult to see where things are going but I I I really believe in Napier I don't know why a lot of Florida fans probably slap me upside the head and say you know he hasn't shown it on the field but it takes some time I've seen other coaches that when you when you have some time to put your system in place and you have the background and the expertise to understand the game of football then good things start to happen as you create a culture uh Graham Merz having a second year in the system he looked great at times I mean there were times where he looked like a top tier quarterback in times where things kind of fell down um he has Eugene Wilson on the outside I like their ability to spread the field uh by this game four Montell Johnson should be healthy Montell Johnson is a beast of a running back um you know yeah I I think they go on the road and beat Mississippi State um Mississippi state is a team that's also trying to find itself and after uh you know Mike Leech being gone um trying to identify how they you know grow as a program uh so I I think that Florida is able to take this one and start a really optimistic 4 and0 I I mean if you told most Gator fans 4 and0 to start the season I think they Tak in a harbe absolutely absolutely especially with this Gauntlet of a schedule can ask for a better start okay so now we get the battle for uh for Supremacy within the space shuttle World UCF every UCF person I've talked to they love the fact that hey this is our our University is is by Cape canaval you can see the shuttles launch you from a distance and they have that that view over I think their 50 yard line is even lined up with cape canaval or something so uh but you know un University of Florida's been turning out Engineers for years so battle for the State of Florida at least from a you know a central Florida perspective um always great talent at UCF Gus Malon fantastic coach he gave a lot of teams the business this last year um even though they didn't finish a lot of those games what are you seeing with this game UCF comes into Florida or into Gainesville yeah I think I I agree with you earlier I think that Miami game is one of the most important games of the season if not the most important I think this one's the second most I think a win here if things go the way we have we hope them to and expect them to we'll start out 5 and0 and the next week we go into Tennessee always a tough place to play one of the the hardest in the country um so again starting out 5-0 a lot of confidence going into Knoxville I think with the win against UCF I think we have a chance at beating Tennessee and frankly for the rest of this season as well if we lose to UCF I think that's where things start to go downhill um the back half of the schedule is brutal absolutely brutal um so I think we're going to get the win I think again it's going to be a I think it's going to be a single digigit win and I think we carry that confidence into Tennessee the next week yeah I I think that you know Superior Talent uh wins this game you know there was some stat I saw a while back that 70% of the time the team with the highest rated roster wins the game um UCF has gained ground in in recruiting over the last several years but I think their depth is not enough to match Florida's depth uh Florida typically has a lot of athletes on the roster even guys that maybe haven't heard of they come in and you're like man that guy's faster than half the starter another team um so I I think that they do pull out a close game especially being at home like you mentioned at one big point when you mentioned Miami being a big game as well as UCF the ability to gain and maintain foothold in the State of Florida recruiting I think winning those games is very important because local athletes I mean you know it living down there they're all watching these games and saying hey if ucf's winning maybe I should go to school there instead of going to University of Florida Maan has the experience ucf's now in a power four conference I guess is where we're at people are talking about going to power three you know who knows so um yeah so we're we're power four that's weird to say uh but you know so ucf's power four in the Big 12 uh so that I think it's a big game for Florida to win but I think they do win that UCF I think still needs to figure out how to close close games and this one will be close on the road um I think it'll be a difficult uh game so jumping to the game that you're already excited about you're already talking about so Five-0 Florida goes into Tennessee they go going into Tennessee what are some of the keys of this game I think we get a little more in depth on this game this is a beginning of a a brutal stretch for the Gators anyone paying attention we mentioned they have the hardest schedule in America and this is where it begins all these other games you know they're they're decent opponents but the back half as we go through it you will with every game be like ouch that's that's gonna be a tough game to recover from because there be Blood Sweat and Tears on the field every game so Tennessee traditional rival ah well you know Tennessee again I mentioned it one of the toughest places to play in all of college football stay holds 100,000 people I just I don't see Florida going in there on their Turf and winning like you said it's a very big rivalry um I I don't remember the exact stat in the last 20 years I think Tennessee's only beaten us two or three times so you know you know Tennessee is going to be out to to get us um I think this year Tennessee's just got the better roster um top top down I think they're just better Talent um so I think Tennessee takes that one I think Florida gets the first loss of the Season uh you know what I'm gonna go chalk with you as well Florida did beat Tennessee last year 29 to 16 um I remember watching that game you know Merz looked pretty solid it was a I think he got knocked out of the game partway through didn't he and then he came back or it it was a pretty heated game um but it was uh yeah but Florida was able to pull it off at home as as you mentioned this game is on the road um I think it is a loss as well we don't want to sound too much like Florida homers here gota be realistic I think that a uh you know I think that a five in one start is uh is looking pretty good um let's see so five and one going so we got Miami Stanford Tex Texas A&M Mississippi State UCF Tennessee 5- one start is what we have for anybody joining in um now going to University of Kentucky if you ask me in years past about this game well University of Kentucky's coming to Florida if you asked me in years past about this game I'd say Florida wins at hands down ky's a basketball school but the last few years have showed us that Mike Stop's team can play um so what what are you thinking with with the University of Kentucky well Kentucky homecoming game um again we get them in the swamp I think again a close win um I think single digits Kentucky especially as of late like you said they're much better program in years past um we Florida actually had I want to say a 31 game win streak against them which they unfortunately ended in 2018 in the swamp so hopefully we can get that going again but I think I think think it's a a win for the Gator okay all right I I I um I actually think that Kentucky takes this one I think this be a surprised if they lose that second game um or that that sorry that sixth game against Tennessee I think it's a little bit hard to rebound and Kentucky catches them flat footed uh and and we go five five and two to start the season and then we get uh we move on to one of the biggest games of the year H the largest cocktail party in America as they say um Florida Georgia do you see the Georgia machine slowing down this year I don't I think they're the best team in the country I think they have one of the best chances to win the national championship this year I this is actually November 2nd this is on my birthday I'm gonna be going up with my family going to the game in Jacksonville um for those who don't know it is a neutral sight game every year it's in Jacksonville Florida um but I I don't see Florida winning this game I think it's a double digit loss I think we lose by a couple touchdowns yeah I'm with you um and we haven't really been giving score predictions but uh I'm looking at you know maybe a 31 to 14 type of game um unfortunately yeah Georgia is just they're just rolling and maybe when we have the Georgia game going one of my buddies Jason he's a big Georgia Bulldog fan he's from Georgia maybe we'll have him on and see if he'll he'll chat with us a little bit um you know maybe we don't want him to chat with us he'll talk trash the whole time yeah I don't know about that now now this game is interesting so so we so I've got five and three right now you've got them at at six and two um with Texas Florida gets in the first year of Texas being in the SEC Florida goes to Texas uh which will be a new venue new team to prepare for what do you think about sarkeesian Squad and the chances of Florida pulling an upset because Texas is also a team that's highly thought of amongst the amongst the college football world yeah I'm I'm very high on Texas this year um I Georgia actually goes to Texas this year they play each other I think Texas actually steals that one I think that's Georgia's one loss I think those two also meet in the SEC Championship so I think Texas and Georgia are the two best teams in the SEC this year I think on the road at Texas and Austin it's just going to be too tough for the Gators I think we take another loss there yeah uh you know I I don't think there's much to contend with here you saw that Texas team last year I mean they were able to go in and and uh and take it to Alabama beginning of the season um they had a few hiccups along the way um but Texas is just an Elite Squad uh they they they look beefy up front I mean they they look good and so I think Texas wins this game pretty handily Florida I think they're going to be reeling so I've got them at five and four You' got them at six and three and then uh they get to go home and have LSU come into the swamp great game love the atmosphere at this game oh usually a late night game ESPN fireworks the whole nine yards you know a great rivalry what do you think about Florida's chances of picking up a w I'm I'm actually really excited for this game um I know a lot of people are high on LSU this year I'm I'm not buying all of it I think they will be a top 25 team but I don't think they're going to be top 10 I think they'll be kind of lower maybe High Teens into the 20s I think I think Florida steals this one at home I think they get their seventh win against LSU um they're going to be rocking the all black uniforms this year hopefully we can get a win with them oh yeah but I I think Florida takes this one you know I I agree with you I think this is a great chance for them to pick up some momentum finishing off the season um that you know with Jaden Daniels leaving for the NFL trying to find a new quarterback is not that easy people think that you can just plug and play but I mean we're talking uh you know young folks that have you know for the first time going playing in front of you know 70 80 990,000 fans that's not easy um and no matter even though this is later in the season I think LSU struggles last year Jaden Daniel single-handedly pulled them out of a lot of games where their defense couldn't stop anybody but Jaden Daniels able to outscore him in a track meet type game uh if that's how this game plays out I don't think LSU has a chance I think that Florida wins if it's a track me Style game if it's a slugfest you know it five yards in a cloud of dust type or three yards in a cloud of dust type game I think it's anyone's game but I don't think it's gonna be that way um I I think the Florida polls this out and is able to uh to go to six and four on my radar uh seven and three on yours and then uh we get a finish once again hardest schedule in America get a oh Miss Lane kein man yeah there's no uh there's no rest for the wicked man it's h every every game is uh is brutal so going playing a great team like Old Miss who really could win the conference I I don't think they will I'm with you that Texas and uh that Texas and um oh my gosh and Georgia are the top two teams in the league but miss is no slouch they might be number three yeah I agree um I think Miss is the third best team in the conference maybe Alabama I think there it's kind of a toss-up between those two UMAS L keff and high-powered offense I think they're going to put up a lot of points on our defense um I think I think they come into the swamp I think they beat us um I don't see us betting at miss this year you know Miss they have experience you know Jackson dart at quarterback still they have a lot of the same players in place R kein I think this is his third year now and every year he's had quite a bit of success it seems like they've grown every year so I I really I agree with you I think they win this game handily um even though it's at the swamp um you know that that would put Florida um you know in a precarious situation I think going in once again to to play Florida State to finish up the season um Billy Napier on the hot seat I mean do you think if Billy Napier only has six or seven wins at this point in the season do you think he's still there I think I think again it's a tossup I think it's going to really depend on how the team plays um when we play teams like Georgia Texas Miss Florida State and LSU of course um if we're close if we're battling um or if it's just a blowout I I think it's going to depend on how the team plays how we perform and if it's poorly I think he's out yeah yeah I I agree with you I Florida I've I've been at those games where people are calling for the coach's head and and this is like when they have a nine- win season you know so here we are on on the brink of another 50/50 you know 500 type season um going into Florida State on the road in Tallahassee how do you see this one finishing out I think unfortunately I think the Gators don't take this one I think they end the season with a loss at their biggest instate rival Florida state they're a good team very strong defense um I think it's going to be close just because that rivalry um last year we ended up losing by nine points at the swamp year before that we lost at FSU by a touchdown so it's I think it's going to be close but I think Florida State takes this one you know only thing I can say to you is you got to have faith you know that's the I I I really think that we have the same record um with the Gators winning seven games going seven and six this year but I think they do it in a different way I think they beat Florida State to finish the season um if Billy Napier is still there I think they're out there slugging for their coach trying to save his job even if it doesn't work um and I think they win this game rivalry games are always always you know highly contested I think with um with the quarterback at at Florida State leaving um that he right he left us here right yeah that's thought I thought he was senior last year I want to make sure off with with that with him leaving I think that it's always tough to just put a new guy in um especially in a a rivalry type context unless he's you know the second coming of of Tim TBO type of player I I don't see a brand new quarterback coming coming in with the Poise needed to win a game like this especially when the other team has a more experienced quarterback and Graham Merz I think Florida wins this game finishes with a win H we both have seven and six records for the Gator this year I don't think that keeps Billy Napier's job unfortunately I think they do go a different route um your thoughts yeah I I agree um again I think it's going to depend on how the team performs throughout the season um and the losses if it's close or if we get blown out um as well as the bowl game I'm assuming we do win six or seven games we'll be in the bowl game um so we'll see how we perform in that one um so yeah you know I I think you're right it it probably does depend on how the games look um if they're close then maybe you know saves his job if if these are a lot of Heartbreakers rather than blowouts um but yeah 7-6 year it's still progress so that said hopefully the gat continue to build on that no matter which direction the coaching change goes hope that gives everybody a good overview of the season and uh we'll catch you on the next episode talking a little bit more in depth about uh about the team and who to look out for [Music] my