Oddly, the Gators’ range of post-season destinations spans from the Sugar Bowl down to the Birmingham Bowl.
Do they even do Gatorade showers at the Music City Bowl?
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):
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| 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.
