Where the Gators Stand in Latest Bracketology Update for ESPN

The Florida Gators might have taken a tip rankings but their status for the tournament remains rock solid

The Florida Gators remain a top team in the tournament projections | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The No. 3 Florida Gators dropped a spot in the AP Poll despite winning the last six games they’ve played in. They were moved down in favor of the new No. 2 Duke Blue Devils. In that stretch, they have beaten the No. 1 Auburn Tigers as well as the No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldogs, both on the road. Here is where ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them with just four games remaining.

Florida’s Projected Bracket 

Lunardi currently projects the Gators to be in the West region as a 1-seed. They would not be an automatic qualifier which is given to the conference champion. That he has given to Auburn. The West region’s games would be held in San Francisco. The first opponent the Gators would face if everything ended now would be Quinnipiac who currently leads the MAAC conference. 

After what should be a win for the Gators, they will face the defending champions in UConn. UConn has struggled this season and even dropped out of the top 25. But this will be a fun matchup as these two teams are the last two programs to secure back-to-back national championships. The Huskies did it in the last two years and the Gators did it in 2006 and 2007. 

Assuming the Gators get past the Huskies, they will likely face 5-seed Mississippi State or 4-seed Michigan. While the Gators have not played Michigan, they have played Mississippi State, a game they won by 13 in Starkville. 

Say the Gators get past Michigan/Mississippi State in the Sweet 16, they then would face 2-seed Iowa State in the Elite Eight. Iowa State has been one of the more complete teams this season and could make it through their side of the bracket. But what about 3-seed Texas A&M? Texas A&M hasn’t been very convincing in any of the games that actually matter. They are 4-4 in games against ranked opponents and have three losses from unranked teams, two of which are outside the SEC. 

If the Gators were to get past the Cyclones, they would have gotten through their bracket and would face the winner of the South region. That could be anyone from Auburn, Houston, or Kentucky. 

Remaining Schedule 

The Gators have just four games left on their regular schedule. They will face the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens before returning home to face the  No.12 Texas A&M Aggies on College GameDay in Gainesville. After that,  they head back out to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide. Their final game will be against the Ole Miss Rebels.