Steve Spurrier predicts Florida will exceed expectations in 2024
Steve Spurrier is turning some heads with his thoughts on Florida’s 2024 season.
Ever since Florida’s 2024 opponents were announced, fans and media members have wondered how many wins the Gators will be able to manage.
Billy Napier is 11-14 in two seasons as UF’s head coach. In Year 3, his team will face 11 squads from Power 5 conferences. In addition to the 8-game SEC slate, Florida faces No. 10 Florida State, No. 19 Miami, UCF and Samford in nonconference play.
ESPN’s Football Power Index rates Florida’s schedule the toughest in the FBS for 2024. The simulation-based metric that measures team strength ranks the Gators the No. 20 team, but projects Florida to finish 6-6.
The betting markets are even lower on UF. At DraftKings Sportsbook, the over/under for Florida’s regular-season win total is just 4.5 victories.
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Spurrier, however, is optimistic that the Gators exceed those expectations. The Head Ball Coach recently visited with longtime Florida football writer Pat Dooley to talk about the 2024 college football season.
“I’m gonna pick the Gators to finish somewhere around fifth or sixth (in the SEC), win between eight and 10 games. Maybe nine. Something like that,” Spurrier said on Another Dooley Noted Podcast. “I think we have a lot of good players. If we can beat Miami in the first game and develop some confidence that we are good enough to win, and now let’s go do it, maybe that will sustain us throughout the course of the season.”
Eight wins would be Florida’s best showing under Napier and the team’s highest win total since 2020. The Gators have finished the last 3 seasons with losing records (6-7, 6-7, 5-7).
Napier’s squad hosts Miami in Week 1. The Gators are 2.5-point home underdogs at FanDuel Sportsbook. Florida will play its lone FCS opponent, Samford, in Week 2 before opening SEC play by hosting No. 20 Texas A&M. UF gets the last Saturday of October off before its daunting November finish of No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 13 LSU, No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 10 FSU.
Imagine if Coach Spurrier was our Offensive Coordinator. Heck…we’d be competing for another SEC Championship!
I honestly have no idea what happens this year. It boils down to how well the offense performs.
Absent SOS, I’ve always believed that convincing Kerwin Bell to come back to Florida as the OC would turn things around muy pronto. Of course, that’s not going to happen – but if we can play with more discipline on both sides this year, I’m totally in with Spurrier’s observation. This is not the same Gator team as last year – the winning habit starts this year or not, but if not, it’s going to be a road filled with deep potholes for sure.
Maybe, but the game has changed considerably in the last 25 years. SOS was an innovator, but everyone has caught up now.
True dat, but never, never ever underestimate the Old Ball Coach, JTF.
Yes Sir. I said “maybe”.
Not really Bazzaland, it boils down to how well the defense performs.
Our offense is solid
Speaking of the D and of course things that aren’t going to happen, another thing I’d love to see is for Charly Strong to come back as DC. As it is though, we’ll just have to wait and see – in a few days – if the defense has matured too. I sure hope so, because if they haven’…….
Lets hope that Ron has taught our guys how to tackle, that would be a nice start
I agree with the HBC that a win vs miamuh in the first game would set a tone of confidence but Its really hard to see 8-9 wins. On the flip side starting off with a loss in that game can get things rolling in the opposite direction. That schedule is just brutal. win 8-9 games and billy is in COY conversations IMO.
Sure fuzz, sure. Because that’s what the AP COY award always goes to a coach with 9-3 / 8-4 records…
Says no one ever
Curious, if I disagree with you on a Florida article does that make just me, or both of us…trolls?
Nahh, neither of you qualify as trolls in this one case. For an example of a troll see what 2021 said below
I’ll stay away from assigning troll status and just say that if the Gators scratch out 9-3 in the regular season, a good bowl win would result in 10-3. Do you really think that CBN wouldn’t be in serious conversation for COY under that scenario? With anybody except for the greatest internal, oxygen-thief-troll that ever suck air, your pal Gaga?
He’ll most certainly garner COY nominations but based on recent history, if he ain’t in the CFPs, he ain’t winning. 2016 is the last year a “darkhorse” with more than 1 or 2 losses actually won and that was because MacIntyre’s 10-4 record (10-2 regular season) included a Pac2 division crown. If Napier goes 9-3, doesn’t make the CFPs, or doesn’t win at least a SECCG birth, no he will not win.
Well you can count on at least one win so long as you play the Vols. They just aren’t very good
Nothing screams entertainment like the Ol’ Bourbon Coach and a freshly opened bottle of 1792Full Proof…
It was funny that he referred to the new Bama coach as “Jalen” DeBoer. And said Bama would beat Texas early in the year.
SOS is comedic gold, who doesn’t enjoy having a funny drunk at their party. He’s welcome over here anytime!
Just never forget that 11 and 1 record as the gator coach againt the dawgs hump .. or that 50 he hung on the pups in Athens :)
Yeah, he did lack a bit of class. Pretty sure Kirby could have hung 50 on the gators if he wanted.
I’m just scared
Coach knows football and he knows talent. His assessment of the talent level is encouraging. The biggest question mark is defense followed by special teams, both areas BN has addressed. On offense there has been questionable play calling, but we scored enough to win a few big games that were lost due to breakdowns in other areas.
Billy is working on a new gadget play called the Tight End Tater Toss. Will we see it versus Miami?
Anything is better than the bounce-off-the ceiling pass
LOL, forgot about that one! I disagree, can’t get much better than that one, palley
That was just one of the many underutilized talents of that Gator great AR15. Come to think of it a better play was the 20- 40 foot high heave to the stands above the end zone. Too bad Napier never had a receiver sitting way up in those stands
lol AR did have some special skills :D
A solid Florida offense would score on every possession.
Even if they scored on every 3rd possession, it would be an improvement over the past 2 years.
But the gold standard is scoring when your offense has the ball…..
Here’s hoping that Spurrier is right!
Anyone who can make a $19 cheeseburger actually THAT good has gotta be right! :)
We need to make it out to his restaurant soon :)