It sure feels like Florida's season is over, but don't worry, there's still one more chance for the Gators to frustrate the hell out of you before next year.
There's no marquee bowl appearance to cap 2010 for UF, but there are still a few intriguing possibilities out there. As of me writing this, it looks like the best quarterback in Florida history is going to lead Auburn to an SEC title, and this is good news for the Gators' bowl projection. An Auburn win puts the Tigers in the BCS Championship and leaves an at-large spot for another SEC team (Arkansas), thus bumping all the mediocre teams like UF up a spot.
Here's the breakdown of what I expect:
The Sugar, Capital One, Cotton and Outback Bowls are all out of reach, leaving the Chick-fil-A, Gator and Music City Bowls as the three most likely destinations (in order of prestige). People-who-supposedly-know-things have been saying it'll be Florida-Penn St. in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, and the Gator Bowl certainly seems to be the favorite.
I know, I know, all you're really wondering is "CAN FLORIDA PLAY MIAMI SO WE CAN ALL STOP FIGHTING IN THE COMMENTS SECTION AND FIGHT IN REAL LIFE?!?!?!" Unfortunately, it doesn't look likely. The Chick-fil-A and Music City Bowls are both SEC vs. ACC, but the chicken-themed one is a bit lofty for both Florida and Miami, while they're both a tad too good for the trip to Nashville.
An Auburn loss could get the Gators closer to the Music City Bowl though, so pull for that if "The Battle For The Title Of Florida's Second-Or-Third-Best Team" is what you want to see.
So, if it's going to be the Gator Bowl, which Big 10 powerhouse do you want to see UF go up against? No question in my mind that Illinois would be the most fun (ZOOK!), but the Nittany Lions would be a good draw because they suck too, and Florida could close out the season with a win against a big name.
Also, let's say you're Urban Meyer and you get offered a Music City Bowl spot against a .500 Georgia Tech team. Any chance you try to reject the bid and send a message? Meyer won't (and UF wouldn't let him), but would you?
P.S. If Miami and Florida do end up playing each other, I'll pick a bar and we'll have a Gator Clause get-together. I'll have police on standby.
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