Texas football game-by-game predictions for the 2024 season
Game 9: vs. Florida (Nov. 9)
Location: DKR (Austin, TX)
Florida traveling to Austin in Week 9 to face the Longhorns at DKR is one of the many incredibly difficult matchups the Gators have this upcoming regular season. ESPN's Chris Low tabbed Florida's 2024 regular season schedule as the most difficult that any Power 4 team has in college football this year.
Napier and the Gators have a whopping eight regular season contests against top-25 teams in the preseason Coaches Poll. If Florida winds up winning seven or eight games this regular season, there's actually an argument that's pretty valid that they could make for being in the 12-team Playoff contention conversation from an analytical resume and strength of schedule standpoint.
I don't know if I've seen a coach on the hot seat in as tough of a position regarding pressure to perform while facing this difficult of a regular season schedule in the SEC compared to what Napier and the Gators are dealing with this preseason. Florida isn't really in the CFP conversation in preseason discussions right now purely because of how difficult their schedule is.
That said, Florida's strength of schedule could have very well caught with them after facing likely at least a half-dozen ranked opponents by the time they're getting ready for Week 9 against the Longhorns in November. While Florida's top end talent is pretty good to make them competitive in all these difficult games this fall, their depth isn't quite as good, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
I think the Longhorns can benefit from getting a bye week before hosting the Gators and getting this matchup at home at DKR in a good atmosphere in front of the friendly crowd in the burnt orange.