Florida is higher than the seventh best team in the SEC, but will jump up to the conference’s No. 6 bowl contract because the SEC is likely to land two teams in BCS games.
If the Gator Bowl passes on Florida, it could be a precipitous drop. The Music City Bowl (Nashville) and Liberty Bowl might prefer nearby Tennessee or Kentucky over the Gators. That is unlikely, though, given how limited the Gator Bowl’s choices will be.
If the Gators go to the bowl named after themselves, they will face the fourth or fifth choice from the Big Ten. Illinois, Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern would be in contention to fill that spot.
At this point, bet on the on the Gator Bowl committee picking Florida vs. Illinois, which would pit the Gators against former coach Ron Zook. Zook coached the team from 2002 through ’04 before he was fired.
Here are the current bowl projections for the SEC:
| Bowl | Date | Site | Contract | SEC Team | Projected opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 1/10 | Glendale, AZ | BCS #1 vs. #2 | Auburn | Oregon |
| Sugar | 1/4 | New Orleans | SEC BCS vs BCS | Arkansas | UConn |
| Capital One | 1/1 | Orlando | SEC #2 vs. Big Ten #2 | LSU | Michigan St. |
| Outback | 1/1 | Tampa | SEC #3/4 vs. Big Ten #3 | S. Carolina | Iowa |
| Cotton | 1/7 | Arlington, TX | SEC #3/4 vs. Big 12 #2 | Alabama | Okla. St. |
| Chick-fil-A | 12/31 | Atlanta | SEC #5 vs. ACC #2 | Miss. St. | Florida St. |
| Gator | 1/1 | Jacksonville | SEC #6 vs. Big Ten #4/5 | Florida | Illinois |
| Music City | 12/30 | Nashville | SEC #7 vs. ACC #6 | Tennessee | Georgia Tech |
| Liberty | 12/30 | Memphis | SEC #8/9 vs. C-USA #1 | Kentucky | UCF |
| BBVA Compass | 1/8 | Birmingham | SEC #8/9 vs. Big East #5 | Georgia | USF |
