Chick-fil-A Bowl might be Florida’s highest remaining hope

Oddly, the Gators’ range of post-season destinations spans from the Sugar Bowl down to the Birmingham Bowl.

A Sugar Bowl run sounds improbable, but if Florida gets into the conference championship (reasonably possible) and pulls an upset against an SEC West power, the Gators are going to New Orleans. Florida is 0-3 against the West this season, but it only takes one game at that point.

Anyway, on to more realistic possibilities.

If Florida wins out to capture its division, it likely would sit behind no fewer than four teams from the SEC West (Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas). That would put the Gators in Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta if an SEC team does not play for the BCS national championship. If an SEC team is in the title game, Florida would then move up to the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.

If Mississippi State remains ahead of Florida (either in national rankings or consensus perception), the Gators would likely go to Gator Bowl in Jacksonville if they win their division.

Playing in the Chick-fil-A Bowl could pit Florida against the Miami Hurricanes. That bowl features the No. 5 SEC team against the No. 2 ACC team.

Worst case for Florida probably is the Music City Bowl in Nashville. That would happen if Florida finishes behind South Carolina and five teams from the SEC West.

Here is a look at the SEC’s bowl agreements and Florida’s outlook for each game, predicated on the SEC not getting a team in the BCS Championship (if the SEC gets in the title game, each subsequent conference team would move up one bowl game):

Bowl	Location	Date	Agreement	UF’s chances	Projected opponent
Sugar	New Orleans	1/4	#1 SEC vs. BCS	Nearly impossible	Boise State
Capital One	Orlando	1/1	#2 SEC vs. #2 Big Ten	Better shot at Sugar	Wisconsin
Outback	Tampa	1/1	#3/4 SEC* vs. #3 Big Ten	Same as above	Ohio State
Cotton	Arlington, TX	1/7	#3/4 SEC* vs. #2 Big 12	West team has priority	Missouri
Chick-fil-A	Atlanta	12/31	#5 SEC vs. #2 ACC	Likely if wins East	Virginia Tech
Gator	Jacksonville	1/1	#6 SEC vs. #4/5 Big Ten	Minimum goal now	Iowa
Music City	Nashville	12/30	#7 SEC vs. #6 ACC	Likely if MSU, S.C. roll	North Carolina
Liberty	Memphis	12/31	#8/9 SEC** vs. #1 C-USA	Doubtful	East Carolina
Birmingham	Guess.	1/8	#8/9 SEC** vs. #5 Big East	Requires total meltdown	Syracuse

* – Cotton Bowl is designated for the SEC West, Outback Bowl for the East. However, for example, the Outback Bowl could pick a West team instead, after allowing the Cotton Bowl to select its West team first (also works the other way around).
** – SEC league office determines its participants for the Liberty and Birmingham Bowls.