Florida Football Season Preview: Biggest Opponents, Possible Upsets, and More

Florida Football is nearly here. However, while it lingers on the horizon, there is still a painful number of weeks for fans to wait. For now, one can only imagine what will take place after the opening kickoff. It will be a big year for Jon Sumrall, who will be leading the charge in his first full season with the team.

With so much on the line, every matchup could serve as an introduction to the pros and cons of the head coach. Here’s a look at moments that will push him the hardest and give him the biggest opportunities to prove himself.

Top 3 Biggest Opponents On Florida’s Schedule

One of the biggest games of the year will be the team’s first: Florida Atlantic. The Gators will be in a solid position to win, but if Jon Sumrall’s team takes all four quarters to win the contest or drops the first game of the season, the stink of the loss will follow the team for weeks. As the first game of the year, extra eyes will be on the sport, which means more eyes on Sumrall’s squad.

The only game of the season scheduled to be played on a Friday this year will be the team’s final matchup of the year on Nov. 27 at Florida State. The contest will take place on Black Friday, when much of the country will be free from work or school obligations. As such, more will be tuned in by default to see Sumrall’s squad end the regular season on a high or low note.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hot and cold over the last three years, but with starting ticket prices above average per ESPN, it’s clear that the demand to see the contest is already high. The Sooners are a nationally followed program, which will place a greater spotlight on Sumrall on television.

3 Games Where Jon Sumrall’s Squad Will Fall Short

Jon Sumrall’s quarterback situation isn’t nailed down heading into the season, which means the coach is likely to have his hands full against the most hyped team of the year. The Gators will face Arch Manning’s Texas Longhorns on the road on Oct. 17. The matchup kicks off a brutal stretch, which means Sumrall’s focus might be split between the opponents. As such, he could be spread too thin.

It doesn’t get any easier the following week as the Gators will face the Georgia Bulldogs on Halloween at a neutral site. That might be a net advantage for Sumrall’s team, but it still places the rebuilding Gators against a team that hasn’t had a losing season since 2010. Put simply, the odds are low that Sumrall will catch the team napping, especially with the holiday matchup and neutral field underlining the matchup for Kirby Smart.

Trinidad Chambliss is likely entering his final college football season. After fighting tooth and nail to get back on the college gridiron, he will have every reason to pull out the stops in the Gators’ final matchup of September against Ole Miss. The Gators might still be finding themselves at that point in the year, which could make things even harder for the coach.

Overview

The Gators have little reason to expect a disaster, but it’s clear that the team’s ceiling is not as high as fans might hope. In its first full iteration under Jon Sumrall, a competitive start to the season will give way to a deck stacked against Florida starting on Oct. 17 with matchups against three historically tough opponents.

If Florida can emerge into mid-November at least one game over .500, the program will have a chance to end the season with its head held high. Here’s a look at the full slate of games, courtesy of ESPN.

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