Florida Bowl Projections after Week 13: Exploring Gators' postseason chances
The Florida Gators were able to shock the then-No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels in Week 13, pulling off a 24-17 upset to improve to 6-5 overall, and 4-4 in SEC play. It marked their second consecutive win against a ranked conference opponent after they beat the then-No. 22 LSU Tigers 27-16 in Week 12.
The Gators are just one of five SEC teams that have failed to enter the AP Top 25 Poll at any point of the year. They have played the role of the conference's spoiler as they essentially ended two teams' College Football Playoff hopes in back-to-back weeks.
While they have had an up-and-down season, Florida's recent stretch allowed them to clinch bowl eligibility. Rules stipulate that FBS teams must finish with at least six wins and a winning percentage of at least .500 to earn bowl eligibility, with only one win against an FCS opponent counting towards those numbers.
Here's a look at which bowl game the Gators could play.
Florida Bowl Projections after Week 13: Exploring Gators' postseason chances
The Florida Gators are officially bowl eligible as they improved to 6-5 with their Week 13 win. The Gators began the season with three consecutive games at The Swamp, however, they went just 1-2 over that stretch. They suffered blowout losses to the Miami (FL) Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies, split up by a blowout victory over the FCS-level Samford Bulldogs.
The Gators then improved to 3-2 with wins over the Mississippi State Bulldogs and UCF Knights before suffering their third loss against the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 7. After rebounding with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats, the Gators suffered back-to-back losses to the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns to fall to 4-5 with two ranked opponents remaining on their schedule and little room for error.
While Billy Napier appeared to be on the hot seat, the Gators shocked both the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels. Florida will have a chance to improve to 7-5 during their Week 14 rivalry matchup with the Florida State Seminoles. Despite a difficult schedule that included eight opponents who were ranked during the season, they have stepped up to the challenge.
The most common projection is that the Gators will wind up in the Gasparilla Bowl, which will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 20. That could, however, change over the final week of the regular season.