Florida Football: Ranking Gators’ 2020 opponents by toughness

The best of all the non-conference opponents Florida will face this season is New Mexico State and while the Aggies may top the other two, they’re not exactly setting the world on fire.

New Mexico State sits at No. 10 because they, like South Alabama, are coming off a 2-10 season and there’s little separation between the Aggies and Jaguars. I gave New Mexico State the nod because Doug Martin has more experience at head coach there and might finally right the ship, but he’s just 22-63 in seven seasons.

This is the put up or shut up year for Martin. The fact that this game is sandwiched between league opponents also makes it a tougher matchup.

There was talk that Derek Mason would be firmly on the hot seat if he didn’t turn things around in 2019, but even after a 3-9 season, he returns as head coach for a seventh year. He’s just 27-47 as head coach, following James Franklin’s successful years with the program. Something has to give in 2020 or else he may be out the door.

It doesn’t look promising for the Commodores, however. They’re projected to finish in dead-last in the SEC East again and that may have something to do with the fact that they’re starting a freshman quarterback.

Vanderbilt almost beat Florida in Dan Mullen’s first year in a battle in Nashville, but don’t expect a close battle this time around.