ESPN just dropped their preseason bowl game predictions for Florida football, and man, are they setting the stage early! We’re talking about the 82nd annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, with kickoff set for Wednesday, December 30, at EverBank Stadium. That’s a long way off from season start, but the conversation is already heating up about where the Orange and Blue will land.
Who’s Getting This Party Started?
So, ESPN’s big guns, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, both zeroed in on the Gator Bowl for the Gators. This game traditionally pits an ACC squad against an SEC powerhouse, which is always a showdown you wanna see. But here’s where it gets spicy: Bonagura’s got Florida squaring off against Clemson! That’s a heavyweight battle right there, right? Schlabach, on the other hand, is leaning towards an SMU matchup. Talk about two totally different vibes, coming from the same network! One’s a classic ACC rivalry feel, the other feels a bit more unexpected. Which one would you rather see?
A Bowl History Lesson (and Why It Matters Now)
Get this, Florida’s no stranger to the Gator Bowl. They’ve played in this in-state classic nine times since 1952, racking up seven wins along the way. Seven wins! That’s a pretty sweet track record for an event held practically in their backyard. The last time they absolutely crushed it in the Gator Bowl was back in 2012. That was Will Muschamp’s first season, and they took down Ohio State with a solid 24-17 victory. Remember how good that felt for the fan base? You bet! It wasn’t always sunshine, though. Their last loss in this bowl came way back in 1975, when Maryland snuck past Doug Dickey’s crew, 17-13. Can you even imagine that? A loss like that would sting for decades. And let’s be real, the Gators *missed* the postseason last year. That was the second time in just three seasons, a tough pill to swallow for fans who expect to see their team playing deep into winter. Their last actual bowl appearance was in 2024, when Billy Napier and the squad beat Tulane, 33-8, a team coached by Jon Sumrall, who’s now the new UF head coach. Wild, right?
With just two weeks until the 2026 season officially kicks off, these early predictions are straight-up fuel for fan speculation. Will it be Clemson’s tough D, or SMU’s offensive firepower? It’s time to see if the Gators can make these early projections a reality. Get ready!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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