Eliminated from the SEC title race, Florida appears to be headed for the Chick-fil-A Bowl or the Gator Bowl.
If the Gators end up in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, their opponent could be Miami, which would make everybody but Urban Meyer very happy.
The Gators currently sit behind six SEC teams, including Mississippi State, in terms of record and perception. However, the Chick-fil-A Bowl might find it hard to resist inviting Florida ahead of the Bulldogs, especially if the committee can match the Gators up against Miami. That would be profitable game in terms of tourist revenue, ticket sales and TV ratings.
Florida and Miami met in Atlanta in 2004, with the Hurricanes winning 27-10. Their next scheduled regular-season game is Sept. 7, 2013 in Something-Something Stadium in Miami Gardens.
If Florida slips to the Gator Bowl, look for the Gators to line up against Iowa in a rematch of the 2005 Outback Bowl. Florida won that game 31-24.
Here are the current bowl projections for the SEC:
| Bowl | Date | Site | Contract | SEC Team | Projected opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 1/10 | Glendale, AZ | BCS #1 vs. #2 | Auburn | Oregon |
| Sugar | 1/4 | New Orleans | SEC BCS vs BCS | LSU | Boise St. |
| Capital One | 1/1 | Orlando | SEC #2 vs. Big Ten #2 | Alabama | Ohio State |
| Outback | 1/1 | Tampa | SEC #3/4 vs. Big Ten #3 | S. Carolina | Michigan St. |
| Cotton | 1/7 | Arlington, TX | SEC #3/4 vs. Big 12 #2 | Arkansas | Oklahoma St. |
| Chick-fil-A | 12/31 | Atlanta | SEC #5 vs. ACC #2 | Florida | Miami |
| Gator | 1/1 | Jacksonville | SEC #6 vs. Big Ten #4/5 | Miss. St. | Iowa |
| Music City | 12/30 | Nashville | SEC #7 vs. ACC #6 | Georgia | North Carolina |
| Liberty | 12/30 | Memphis | SEC #8/9 vs. C-USA #1 | Kentucky* | UCF |
| BBVA Compass | 1/8 | Birmingham | SEC #9/9 vs. Big East #5 | No eligible team* | UConn |
* – If Tennessee beats Kentucky in the season finale, Tennessee likely would be bowl eligible and take the Liberty Bowl spot, knocking Kentucky down to the BBVA Compass. Tennessee needs to win its final two games (at Vanderbilt, vs. Kentucky) to be bowl eligible.