Sports Illustrated names Florida the SEC’s biggest ‘wild card’ team
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
Wild card teams are unknowns. Although they are talented, there are several questions looming ahead of the opener. However, usually, if teams can put some key pieces together, wild card teams could boom.
Sports Illustrated named the Florida Gators as the SEC’s biggest wild card team for 2016. The Gators were one of five college football teams mentioned.
Here are some of the high points from the site about the Gators:
With starting running back Kelvin Taylor gone and the transfer of quarterback Will Grier (who would have been suspended for half the season anyway), the offense will (again) likely struggle, even with a strong and young offensive line. Should coach Jim McElwain clear suspended star receiver Antonio Callaway, then presumed new starting quarterback Luke Del Rio will have one weapon. The question is whether Del Rio, unlike the since-transferred Treon Harris, can regularly get Callaway the ball.
The quarterback play for the Gators doesn’t have to be spectacular. Of course, it needs to be adequate with timely and accurate passes. There’s enough talent on offense to make the quarterback position just a piece of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle. The quarterbacks in Jim McElwain’s offense don’t have to be heroes; they just have to make sure they don’t lose games.
SI.com likes the Gators talented defense and notes that it could be the SEC’s best this season.
The media site also sees a path that Florida could have a big regular season, lose to Florida State and still make the College Football Playoff. However, if the Gators do get to the big dance, they will have to likely win the conference championship.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
