Florida Football: 3 reasons to buy stock in the Gators in 2022

A manageable schedule

Florida’s schedule is difficult but it’s not as bad as it looks. The Gators have three preseason top-10 teams on the schedule in Utah, Texas A&M, and Georgia.

Only one of those games is at home and that’s the season-opener against Utah. That will be one of the most fascinating games on the schedule that week because Utah is trying to prove it is a playoff contender while the Gators hope to show they’re back.

It’s a winnable game for Florida. For one, Utah will have to travel a long way and the Swamp isn’t an easy place to play, especially with the temperature and humidity taken into account.

Utah also isn’t a team you’ll see listed anywhere close to Florida in terms of the blue-chip ratio. Yet, the Utes are extremely well coached and have Cam Rising, a really talented QB.

That’s why Richardson is such an X-factor. If he delivers on his potential, it changes the calculus for Florida in 2022. The game against Georgia feels like the most difficult to me, followed by A&M.

The game against Tennessee is also on the road but that’s winnable too and would be a huge momentum booster. Missouri, South Carolina, and Kentucky all head to the Swamp, and if the Gators can hold serve at home or even just lose once, the game in College Station could be for a New Year’s Six Bowl.

I don’t see Florida winning it. But 9-3 seems very realistic or 8-4, which would still be a two-game improvement. Napier will prove to be a home-run hire and 2022 is just the first step.