On August 31, 2022, the head coach Billy Napier era began with a prime-time national TV game against the defending Pac-12 champion Utah Utes. A sellout crowd was thrilled by a 29-26 thriller that got Florida Gators off to a magical start. However, when three losses followed, the reality of Napier’s challenge set in. Florida hired Napier because the program was stalled under predecessor Dan Mullen. So it seemed. Mullen was celebrated as a College Football betting hero just a few months before he was fired during the 2021 season.
College Football Team Preview 2023 Florida Gators
| Odds to Win National Championship: | +20000 |
|---|---|
| Odds to Win SEC Championship: | +8500 |
| Over/Under Win Total: | 5.5 |
2023 Florida Gators Schedule
- Aug 26 OPEN DATE
- Sept 2 at Utah
- Sept 9 McNeese
- Sept 16 Tennessee
- Sept 23 Charlotte
- Sept 30 at Kentucky
- Oct 7 Vanderbilt
- Oct 14 at South Carolina
- Oct 21 OPEN DATE
- Oct 28 Georgia (in Jacksonville)
- Nov 4 Arkansas
- Nov 11 at LSU
- Nov 18 at Missouri
- Nov 25 Florida State
2023 Florida Gators Preview
Namely, Dan Mullen was celebrated as a hero just a few months before he was fired during the 2021 season. Mullen went 10-3 and 11-2 in his first two seasons at Florida. And in 2020, he nearly upset the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game. Next September, Mullen lost another close one to the Tide. That was the peak of his Florida sportsbook career. He was fired a few weeks later. Fans screamed after Mullen came off as lazy about recruiting. Accordingly, that is life at Florida and the SEC.
As Florida’s head coach, Billy Napier’s brief College Football Betting honeymoon is over. And should he flame out again in 2023, he may not see 2024. Dan Mullen’s Florida career is a warning from history. Spoiled Florida fans have no patience. They are entitled and believe that every season should end with an SEC title, at the very least. No coach escapes the Gator Chomp. Including national championship winners. Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer departed out of exhaustion from trying to feed the beast’s insatiable appetite.
Florida expects success at a high level. But patience is needed as second-year coach Billy Napier begins Year 2 of his rebuilding effort in Gainesville. After a disappointing 6-7 record last fall, the Gators must replace quarterback Anthony Richardson and standout lineman O’Cyrus Torrence.
Meanwhile, Florida must generate improvement on a defense that ranked near the bottom of the SEC. The development of Wisconsin transfer quarterback Graham Mertz behind a solid offensive line and ground game holds the keys to the ’23 season. Also, the schedule is not kind for Napier’s team, with non-conference matchups against Utah and Florida State.
Napier entered the offseason on the heels of a three-game skid. Including Florida’s first loss at Vanderbilt since 1988. Avoiding three straight losing seasons for the first time since the 1950s is not a given. Napier has improved his roster’s talent and depth. But he needs Mertz to improve and for both lines to solidify.
Of course, the Gators have to play LSU. Of major concern is that against the loaded Tiger team, the game is on the road. On the positive side, the other game against the West is at home against Arkansas. There’s no Alabama to deal with. Additionally, Texas A&M isn’t on the schedule. And there’s no Auburn, Ole Miss, or Mississippi State.