One of the big talking points for Florida Football heading into the 2024 campaign was their strength of schedule. The Gators entered the year with the toughest schedule on paper, and while it hasn't panned out as the toughest schedule in the country, Florida still has one of the ten hardest schedules in America.
At 4-5, Florida isn't in contention for a playoff spot so it is all semantics. But the team with the hardest schedule is trying to make the playoffs and feels they are being punished for it.
Florida Football: No Cupcakes
There were some shockwaves on Tuesday when Georgia was left out of a playoff position by the committee. The Bulldogs have wins over Clemson and Texas, but losses to Alabama and Ole Miss have them currently on the outside looking in ahead of their matchup with Tennessee.
Kirby Smart took to the Pat McAfee Show to express his displeasure:
"I don't know how much the committee values it. They're looking, I think, through a sample size of — they're looking at the game on the TV. They're not at the stadium, hearing the crowd noise, knowing the atmosphere that you're playing in. It's very different when you play on the road in our league, I think compared to some other leagues it's tougher."
"So I think the news Tuesday came out, and it's not something that we talk about, but it's like, 'OK, well what's the importance of the schedule, if we play a really tough schedule, is there value in that? I think there's value in that when you win and then when you don't or you don't play well, I don't know."
What Does This Have To Do With Florida?
There was discussion prior to the season that if Florida could go 8-4, they might be able to sneak into an at-large berth. We had said realistically that the number was 9-3, but judging by what the committee has done with Georgia, it seems like anything short of 10-2 wouldn't get in.
In case you are keeping score at home, Florida has essentially the same schedule next year in what is being set up as Billy Napier's do-or-die season.
It's just food for thought to monitor going forward as to whether or not playing a hard schedule gets rewarded in the end. As of now, Georgia has not been. Last year, Alabama was rewarded. And if Florida can ever get it together, the Gators would like to be rewarded too.