ESPN's preseason prediction for Florida football's 2026 bowl game
· Yahoo Sports
Just two weeks stand between now and the opening kickoff of Florida football's 2026 season, and ahead of the return of the gridiron giants, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach released their first postseason projections for the upcoming campaign.
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Among the many prognostications offered in their preseason overview of what they expect to see in the College Football Playoff, as well as the many other bowl games this winter, was their outlook on the Gators' postseason possibilities. The two writers both agreed that the Orange and Blue will participate in the 82nd annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl held in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, Dec. 30, at EverBank Stadium.
Based on conference tie-ins, the game features a school from the ACC and the SEC. As for who Florida will play, Bonagura foresees a matchup against Clemson while Schlabach expects SMU to line up against the Gators.
Florida has played in the in-state bowl game nine times dating back to 1952, with seven wins over that span. The last time UF played in the Gator Bowl was in 2012 during Will Muschamp's first season on the sidelines, beating Ohio State, 24-17. The last time Florida lost a Gator Bowl game was in 1975, when Maryland snuck by Doug Dickey's squad, 17-13.
The Gators missed out on the postseason last year for the second time in three seasons. The last time Florida played in a bowl game was 2024, when Billy Napier and Co. beat new UF head coach Jon Sumrall and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl, 33-8.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: ESPN's preseason prediction for Florida football's 2026 bowl game