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Florida’s 2025 hopes ride a fine line between contender and catastrophe

ByBenjamin Henderson|
Apr 12, 2025; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier looks on while Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh (13) walks by before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2025; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier looks on while Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh (13) walks by before the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Whether it's humans or computers, predictions for the Florida Gators have been all over the place heading into 2025. CBS Sports just released a list of what they think could be the ceiling and the floor for the Gators, and it falls in line with what all these predictions have laid out.

For Florida's ceiling, they think the Gators could go 10-2 in 2025. We here at Hail Florida Hail have said all along that if everything clicks and DJ Lagway stays healthy that Billy Napier and crew could absolutely go 10-2 and make the playoffs.

We would also argue anything short of the playoffs is a disaster, but more on that later.

But CBS also feels that the floor for the Gators in 2025 could be 6-6. This is also completely fair and falls in line with what Urban Meyer projected. In Meyer's projection, he envisioned six for-sure wins and two for-sure losses, with four other games serving as a toss-up.

If Florida wins all those toss-up games, then Florida finishes 10-2. If Florida loses all of those, they are 6-6, and hence why their floor is so low.

Gator fans need to accept there is variance heading into 2025

The reason why the ceiling is so high, even with the daunting schedule facing Florida, is because of Lagway and the offensive weapons he is surrounded by. The offensive line will have continuity, the running back room is as deep as it has ever been, and the wide receiver room all looks explosive.

There are a couple of weak spots on defense, notably the depth at defensive tackle, but most seem to think that Florida can continue the momentum it used to close out 2024.

But beyond the schedule and a couple of weak spots, the biggest reason why people keep putting the floor at 6-6 for Florida is because of Napier. We've beaten this horse dead ten times over, but the reality is that Napier has to prove he isn't going to have a game-costing coaching gaffe, and he has to prove Florida isn't going to have its annual come-out flat game.

Avoid those pitfalls and maximize the offense, and Florida could go 10-2.

Fall into the same trap as the past three seasons, and Napier will need to update his LinkedIn after going 6-6.

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