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Florida Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

By Connor Muldowney

TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 26: Florida Gators players get ready before the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 26: Florida Gators players get ready before the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 26, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 29: Chauncey Gardner #23 and Marcell Harris #26 of the Florida Gators celebrate after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field on October 29, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 29: Chauncey Gardner #23 and Marcell Harris #26 of the Florida Gators celebrate after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Field on October 29, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /

2017 schedule

WEEK DATE OPPONENT LOCATION
1 Sept. 2 vs. Michigan Arlington, Texas
2 Sept. 9 vs. Northern Colorado Gainesville, Fla.
3 Sept. 16 vs. Tennessee Gainesville, Fla.
4 Sept. 23 at Kentucky Lexington, Ky.
5 Sept. 30 vs. Vanderbilt Gainesville, Fla.
6 Oct. 7 vs. LSU Gainesville, Fla.
7 Oct. 14 vs. Texas A&M Gainesville, Fla.
8 Oct. 21 BYE WEEK
9 Oct. 28 vs. Georgia Jacksonville, Fla.
10 Nov. 4 at Missouri Columbia, Mo.
11 Nov. 11 at South Carolina Columbia, S.C.
12 Nov. 18 vs. UAB Gainesville, Fla.
13 Nov. 25 vs. Florida State Gainesville, Fla.

The season won’t get off to the easiest note for the Gators as they will be forced to play Michigan, a presumed top-10 team, in Arlington. For that game, though, seven Florida players have been suspended, which makes it that much more difficult for the Gators.

Florida will then host Northern Colorado, which should be an easy win, before starting off SEC play with a home game against Tennessee. The Gators will travel to Lexington to face off against Kentucky before hosting three straight SEC contests prior to their bye week. Through the first seven games of the season, the Gators will have one true road game.

After the bye week, the Gators will face off against Georgia in another neutral site contest in Jacksonville. They then end the SEC regular season on Nov. 11 in the second straight road game, both are winnable. Florida caps off the season with two consecutive non-conference games.

The Gators host UAB on Nov. 18 which should be a sure win, but then they also host Florida State the following week which could have major postseason implications.

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

Prediction: 8-4, 6-2 SEC

It’s tough to really predict the Gators’ 2017 record given the uncertainty with depth following a half-dozen suspended players, but I’ll take a stab at it anyway. I say the Gators lose two non-conference games against Michigan to start the year and Florida State to end in. In the middle of all that, Georgia and LSU will be the two SEC contests in which the Gators will falter in. Although I do believe South Carolina will give the Gators fits, but they will find a way to win a close one. Overall, an 8-4 season isn’t too shabby for an unproven team.

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