What began as an exciting season for Florida football has taken a turn for the worse over the past two weeks following a pair of blowout losses.
First, Missouri routed the Gators on the road for their first defeat of the Jon Sumrall era, followed by a homecoming shellacking by South Carolina to essentially end any hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance. Fortunately, there is still a path to a bowl game appearance with just two more wins required to crack the .500 mark.
Now that the Orange and Blue's expectations have returned to earth, Athlon Sports' senior editor foresees Florida playing against Clemson in the Gator Bowl, according to his updated postseason projections after Week 6.
Florida has played in the Gator Bowl nine times dating
back to 1952, with seven wins over that span. UF previously participated in the Sunshine State event during Will Muschamp's first season on the sidelines in 2012, beating Ohio State, 24-17. The last time Florida lost a Gator Bowl game was in 1975, when Maryland shut out Doug Dickey's squad, 13-0.
The Gators hold the edge in the all-time series against the Tigers dating back to 1911, with nine wins, three losses and a tie. The last time the two schools faced off on the collegiate gridiron was in 1961 in Gainesville, where the home team prevailed, 21-17; Clemson's last victory came in 1954 — a 14-7 triumph in Jacksonville.
Athlon Sports' Week 6 bowl projection
- Bowl: Gator Bowl
- Opponent: Clemson
- Date: Dec. 30
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
- Conference matchup: SEC vs. ACC
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Athlon Sports projects Florida's bowl game after Week 6 loss
