ESPN FPI Labels Gators Schedule Third-Toughest in 2023

Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Zach Goodall

Florida faces a challenging mountain to climb during the 2023 campaign.

In 100 days, Billy Napier will lead the Florida Gators onto the gridiron for his second year as the head man in charge, looking to avoid a third straight 6-7 (3-5 SEC) record for the program.

However, several factors align against UF from taking that necessary step forward, including the immense personnel turnover from 2022 and the caliber of opponents it'll face.

According to ESPN's College Football Power Index, the Gators will take on the third-toughest schedule in the nation next season as they look to accomplish that endeavor.

They rank behind only Ole Miss and Minnesota. Five SEC teams fall within the top ten, including the Rebels (No. 1), the Gators (No. 3), Auburn (No. 5), Arkansas (No. 6) and Tennessee (No. 8) while 13 of the 14 rank in the top 30 — excluding only Georgia at No. 31.

Kicking the season off in Salt Lake City in the backend of a home-and-home series with the Utah Utes — which began in 2022 with a last-second Florida victory in Gainesville — the Gators will have the tall task of finding a rhythm quickly with a new piece under center at quarterback and new play caller defensively, Austin Armstrong, against the reigning Pac 12 champions.

SEC play begins in week three as Tennessee's high-octane offense travels to Gainesville before continuing in week five at Kentucky. The contests are broken up by buffers at home against McNeese State in week two and Charlotte in week four.

In the second half of the season’s slate, Florida will face off against three teams expected to contend for a championship in Georgia (Oct. 28), LSU (Nov. 11) and Florida State (Nov. 25). An Arkansas team looking to take a leap with talented, veteran signal-caller KJ Jefferson will travel to The Swamp to separate the bouts with the Bulldogs and Tigers.

As a result, several credible outlets project the Gators' expected win-loss total to finish equal to or below the six-win total they've garnered for two consecutive years.

ESPN, which ranks Florida as the No. 18 team on FPI, projects a 6.8-5.2 record for the orange and blue.

Consequently, year two is expected to be a daunting task filled with immense adversity for Napier and Co. to overcome.

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