The last time the Gators faced a gauntlet of a schedule with a young head coach and ended with a decent record was 2003. They were led by second-year coach Ron Zook, who coached the Gators to a first-place tie in the SEC East, an Outback Bowl berth, and an overall win–loss record of 8–5 (.615). The Gators faced the following ranked teams:
- #21 Florida at #3 Miami (FL) - lost 33-38
- #17 Florida vs No. 12 Tennessee - lost 10-24
- Florida at #6 LSU - won 19-7
- Florida at #11 Arkansas - won 33-28
- #23 Florida vs #4 Georgia - won 16-13
- #11 Florida vs #9 FSU - lost 34-38
- #17 Florida vs #13 Iowa (Outback Bowl) - lost 17-37
The Gators went 3-3 against ranked teams in the regular season under a second-year coach. All three victories were as underdogs, all on the road or as the visiting team on a neutral field. The Gators will likely face 7 or 8 ranked teams in 2024 with third-year coach Billy Napier at the helm. Maybe history will somewhat repeat itself and Florida wins 6 to 8 games in the 2024 gauntlet.
- #21 Florida at #3 Miami (FL) - lost 33-38
- #17 Florida vs No. 12 Tennessee - lost 10-24
- Florida at #6 LSU - won 19-7
- Florida at #11 Arkansas - won 33-28
- #23 Florida vs #4 Georgia - won 16-13
- #11 Florida vs #9 FSU - lost 34-38
- #17 Florida vs #13 Iowa (Outback Bowl) - lost 17-37
The Gators went 3-3 against ranked teams in the regular season under a second-year coach. All three victories were as underdogs, all on the road or as the visiting team on a neutral field. The Gators will likely face 7 or 8 ranked teams in 2024 with third-year coach Billy Napier at the helm. Maybe history will somewhat repeat itself and Florida wins 6 to 8 games in the 2024 gauntlet.
