The Florida Gators aren’t high on many analysts’ short list of SEC contenders, but they have one supporter among the media talking heads. SEC Network’s Greg McElroy voiced his support of head coach Billy Napier and the Gators on SEC Now before Napier took the podium at SEC Media Days.
McElroy: Gators “The Most Disrespected Team in the League”
There isn’t much optimism about Florida’s chances in 2024 coming from outside the program. The Gators’ win total opened at 5.5 on most markets and has dropped in some places to just 4.5. However, Greg McElroy thinks some of the pessimism from outside the program is due to the schedule, not the team.
Florida’s schedule is ranked as the hardest in the country by most metrics and includes one of the hardest five-game finishes to the year you’ll ever see. The Gators play at Georgia, at Texas, go back home to play LSU and Ole Miss, then finish at Florida State.
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But McElroy thinks the team is much better than people think, even implying that Vegas has it wrong.
“I think Florida is the team being most disrespected in the entire league,” McElroy said. “I like their chances of getting to seven (win) more than their chances of only winning four.”
McElroy went on to say the Gators are “much closer” to where they need to be, adding that Napier is only in his third year with the program.
That’s significant, given Florida’s own fan base is split about whether Napier is the man for the job after he started 11-14 in his first two seasons in Gainesville. The Gators will look to avoid a fourth-straight losing season in 2024.
If the Gators are to get to seven wins, they’ll need to pull off at least one upset, something McElroy said they have the talent to do. McElroy even implied Florida could beat “a playoff team” in 2024.
It’s talking season, so McElroy’s comments shouldn’t be too surprising, but the former Alabama quarterback certainly took the contrarian route when talking about the Gators.
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