Florida football: Five possible bowl opponents for the Gators
By Sean Doty
2. Baylor Bears
Bowl: Sugar Bowl
Path to Matchup: Georgia wins SEC championship, either Clemson loses ACC championship or Ohio State loses Big Ten championship, and LSU makes the playoffs.
Why Florida Fans Should Want This: First off, chaos in college football in practically a commonality.
Should either Clemson or Ohio State experience an upset defeat in their respective conference championship games this evening, the playoff picture itself would be in complete disarray. Not only would Oklahoma become a lock for the playoffs in that scenario, but most likely the playoff committee would choose a one-loss LSU over a one-loss Clemson or Ohio State.
While it would not help out Florida’s playoff bid for this season, this type of chaos would further propel the eventual expansion of the college football playoff.
In terms of Florida’s bowl projection, it would send the Gators to the Sugar Bowl against Big 12 runner up Baylor. These two programs have only met once before, with the Gators emerging victorious in a 13-12 clash back in 1960.
Both Florida football and Baylor have two of the most efficient passing offenses in the country. Overall, Baylor is ranked inside the top 35 in both total offense and scoring offense.
Like Mullen, third-year head coach Matt Rhule is a strong candidate for coach of the year. After dealing with a 1-11 season in his first year at Waco, Rhule brought the Bears back into a positive light by going 11-1 in the regular season. Losing twice to Oklahoma by a combined deficit of 10 points is all that has kept from being this postseason’s Cinderella team.
Should the Gators be paired against the Bears this bowl season, it would mark Florida’s first appearance in the Sugar Bowl in six years. It would also present an opportunity for Dan Mullen to showcase Florida’s progression on offense against a Baylor defense that is ranked no. 39 overall.
Probability: Wishful, but most likely improbable. Both Ohio State and Clemson have two of the most talent-rich rosters in the nation and are both double-digit favorites to win their respective conference championships this evening. Even if one of these two teams were to lose, the Bulldogs would also have to pull off an upset against the Tigers in Atlanta with a depleted receiving core.