Florida Gators Season Win Prediction
The Florida Gators return a significant amount of starters from a year ago but questions remain at quarterback and along the offensive line. Will they win at least eight games in Dan Mullen’s first year in Gainesville?
The Odds
According to oddsmakers, the Gators have an over/under of 8 for the number of wins in the regular season for the 2018 season. The over carries odds of 2/3 while the under has odds of 6/5. Florida is also 70/1 to win the national championship.
A Look Back
Former coach Jim McElwain won the SEC East in his first two years at Florida but was out as coach before the end of his third season. The offense once again held the Gators back last season but off-field problems also plagued the program as several players were suspended, including the Gators’ starting running back, for alleged credit card fraud. McElwain was fired by October 29 and the team went on to finish the season with a 4-7 record.
Season Win Total Prediction
Mullen has an excellent history of developing quarterbacks. His resume includes Alex Smith, Joshua Harris, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald. But if the Gators are going to return to prominence, Mullen will need to work his magic from the trio of redshirt sophomores Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask, and early-enrollee true freshman Emory Jones. Franks, who started eight games last season, likely has a lead on Trask but the gap could be narrowed by the start of the regular season. Of course then you have Jones, a dual-threat quarterback that best fits Mullen’s offense (not to mention Mullen recruited Jones).
The defense, meanwhile, will once again be the strength of the program, highlighted by a nasty front and a pass rush that will only improve under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. Still, the Gators will only go as far as the quarterback position will take them. They’ll be improved under Mullen, but how many wins will that translate to?
Honestly, eight is probably a perfect number for this team and thus, I lean towards the over (that way, if they fall short of nine wins hopefully we get a push with eight). Quarterback problems or no quarterback problems, the schedule is favorable for UF. Charleston Southern, Kentucky and Colorado State are all winnable home games to start the season and the Gators also play winnable games versus Vanderbilt, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Idaho. That’s eight potential wins right there, provided Mullen can continue to win the games he’s supposed to.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Season Win Prediction: Over 8