Realistic Expectations For Florida Football In 2016

What are realistic expectations for the Florida Gators in the 2016 college football season?

The Florida Gators are going to go 12-0 in the regular season, trounce the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game (or whoever represents the West in the SEC title) and then go on to win the College Football Playoff. Who’s with me?

While Florida has the talent to do just that in the 2016 college football season, the above statements might not be that realistic. Therefore, you might be wondering, what are realistic expectations for the Gators in the upcoming season?

Seven wins? Eight wins? Nine wins? 10 wins?

First things first, hopefully Luke Del Rio is the man for the job at the most glorious position in the sport, which is quarterback. Head coach Jim McElwain recently gave Del Rio the keys to the offense.

Nonetheless, Florida is a fringe top-25 team entering 2016. Even the almighty Coaches Pool has it down as No. 25 in the preseason poll. In fact, this squad is also ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 entering the new year.

Here’s another thing Florida fans are likely afraid of entering the season: The Tennessee Volunteers. Yes, the Gators have dominated Tennessee in recent years, but head coach Butch Jones has done one heck of a job with that program, and it appears that this will be the year when his hard work pays off.

For the record, Tennessee is being predicted by many to win the SEC East. Of course, the Georgia Bulldogs and Gators will put up quite a fight as well.

Realistically, the Gators should have no problem winning seven of their games. A road contest against the Arkansas Razorbacks will be a challenging test, but let’s just say Jim McElwain’s guys come out on top in that one. Under that thinking, Florida would have eight wins to its name when the regular season comes to a conclusion.

Florida’s toughest opponents on paper: Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and Florida State.

Splitting those four games would be quite the feat. After all, and according to the Coaches Poll, Georgia is ranked No. 16, Tennessee No. 10, LSU No. 6 and Florida State No. 4. Words like brutal and cruel come to mind when thinking about Florida’s schedule, but it plays in the SEC. In the SEC, cupcake schedules don’t exist. (Side note: Florida doesn’t even have the toughest schedule in college football, not even by a long shot.)

Realistically, Florida will lose to Tennessee and Florida State on the road. The Tigers might have some quarterback questions as well, and the Gators might get that game at home, but running back Leonard Fournette, who is likely the best player in the sport, is back.

Realistically, Florida drops a game to LSU, which is something Gators fans do not want to hear.

Let’s say Florida takes the contest against the Bulldogs. That would leave them with nine wins on the year. Considering how vicious Florida’s schedule is in 2016, a 9-3 record isn’t too bad, but titles are still expected in Gainesville. If this team has three losses at the end of the regular season, the College Football Playoff will surely be out of the picture, but the SEC title game might be a possibility.

Until a quarterback emerges for the Gators — hopefully Del Rio takes the position and runs away with it — they will be a solid defensive team that struggles on offense. Only time will tell if that will be the fate for Florida once again in the 2016 college football season.

A 9-3 record might be pushing it for some fans, and it might not be enough for others, but it is at least realistic entering the new year.

What do you think?