Desmond Howard offers a scenario where a 2-loss Florida team could make the Playoff
By Keith Farner
Published:
There are some legitimate scenarios where a second SEC team could make the College Football Playoff. Much of that depends on Notre Dame beating Clemson a second time, which would conceivably eliminate the Tigers. But ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard outlined a path for the Florida Gators.
Even with a second loss, Howard explained on “College Football Live” this week how Florida plays against Alabama could determine their chances at the CFP.
“When you look at the firepower of the Florida Gators, watching them play offensively just excites you,” Howard said. “It jumps off the screen. You’re looking at Kyle Trask, he’s a legitimate Heisman contender, he might be the front-runner, him, Mac Jones, however you want to slice it. Kyle Pitts is another guy who’s just a special talent. … So when you look at Alabama you want to put someone on the field that you believe can match in a shootout with Alabama. And I think that would be the Florida Gators.”
Texas A&M is another SEC team that has given some people a theory to promote a second SEC team, but Howard said don’t count out Florida even if it loses in Atlanta.
“If they play a tough SEC Championship Game against Alabama, maybe take them into overtime, and let’s just say Clemson loses again to Notre Dame, I think you’re gonna see some people clamoring for Florida to get into the College Football Playoff final four,” Howard said. “So don’t count the Gators out even if they lose, if it goes into overtime, similar to what happened to Notre Dame and Clemson. Then people may say, ‘Hey, I think Florida is one of the top four teams in the country.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
