2023 Gator Football Predictions

 I always like to start by copying what I wrote in last year’s post!

It's going to be a rough year in Gainesville for the first-year coach. He’s going to be brining in a new system, which might be better or worse. He’s going to be starting a QB who’s never been the starting QB at the beginning of a SEC season or played an entire season without getting injured. There’s a new staff on defense, that can only get better right? There are transfers and new additions. In short we just don’t know how all this is going to come together until we see on the turf at the Swamp for real.

So hopefully they finish 8-3 and play in a decent bowl, maybe even a New Year’s Day trip to Orlando, Jacksonville, or Tampa. But don’t be too surprised if they finish 6-5 and go to another who cares bowl in the middle of December.

It all depends on how well AR plays and how well Billy Napier and his staff adjust to SEC football. Only time will tell. Gator fans be patient. Saban’s first year at Bama was a rough one, this one may be too! Let’s hope the rest of his time in Gainesville takes the same trajectory as his former boss’ did!

So they finished 6-7 while losing the last three games and losing 5 of the 7 by ten points or less. Anthony Richardson proved to be an incredibly talented football player but not a good enough Quarterback to win in the SEC on a regular basis. He may become that with the Colts but he just wasn’t that polished yet. Still think about the fact that one play or two at the most could have turned a horrible season for Gator fans into a glorious one. Those guys just didn’t know how to win the close games. Most of those players are gone now!

Year two will still be a rebuilding year and Gator fans will need to be patient. We will still have to eat a lot of crow from the rest of the SEC. But I honestly believe that the team will be better this year. Maybe not as gifted athletically but still better as a team. Let’s see if we can get this one right this year!

I don’t think this year’s success or failure lands on the back of the signal caller. I think it falls on the broad shoulders of a rebuilt offensive line and the health of the stable of running backs. Think back a few years to the Alabama teams that featured the running backs as stars and the QB as a game manager who would make a few plays to talented WR’s. I think that’s where this team will hang it’s hat this year.

They start with a road trip to Salt Lake City. The smart money would bet on the Utes getting some revenge from last year’s loss in the Swamp. I think just like last year, this will be the best game plan of the season for the Gators and I think they have a better than 50% chance of leaving the thin air with a win. With the whole summer to plan for this game, I think the staff comes away with a surprise win.

Week two should be another win or the first one for the Gators. McNeese may put up a fight but I believe we will run at will against them. If we don’t it will be a long season for sure. Gators start 2-0 with the Creamsicle bunch coming to the Swamp.

This one is the swing game for me. I honestly think the Vols will have the more talented team. But talent doesn't always win in the Swamp. The Vols got the win last year, but it was much closer than it probably should have been. If I had a crystal ball and really knew how effective our run game and new defense would be, I would be more confident. But for now, I’ll stick with a Gator win just because I can’t give the pansy color team a win in Gainesville until they prove they deserve it.

Week four is another paycheck game for the Gators against the Forty Niners. Not the ones from San Francisco either. For the third Saturday night in a row, the Swamp should be rocking and the team should take care of this one easily. 4-0 or 3-1 depending on what has happened in week 1 and 3.

The first SEC road trip goes to the Bluegrass state. I don’t think the Gators will play well on the turf on the road and I think this will be a disappointing loss for many Gator fans. It will be close and if we have progressed more than I think, we could win this one too. I just am going to be realistic and say we either lose this one or the one to the Vols.

Vanderbilt rolls into town for homecoming. The Gators will not drop another egg like last year. They will handle the Dores in the Swamp. I think they just didn’t know that Vandy always plays the Gators hard last year. They do now!

The Gators hit the road to Columbia, the east one, for the next game. This one could be really interesting. I don’t think they will be as good as some predict, but if they play like they did the last two games of last season, they could easily beat the Gators. I just don’t think Rattler is a consistent QB and our defensive unit will be better this year. The Gators enjoy some fried chicken again.

The Game is the next week. I don’t think the Gators have enough horses to run with the Beast of the East yet. Hopefully it will be closer, but I think the Dogs continue their winning streak against the Gators this year.

The Hogs come to the Swamp to start November with the Gators sitting at 6-2. It will be a good game and the team that doesn’t turn it over will be the winner. I think that will be the Gators. If it was being played in the land of Walmart, I’d go the other way.

The Gators travel to LSU and I think they will play well. Knowing the SEC they will make it a night game and the young Gator team will not be able to overcome the hostile Cajun crowd and what should be a pretty good LSU team.

Back to back trips to the West side of the SEC even though Missouri is in the Eastern Division, means an early start time for the Gators. I think the Gators will find a way to shrug off a slow start and win a close game for their second victory in a stadium in a city name Columbia for the year.

The SEC won’t capitulate and move the game to Friday this year! The Noles will come to town full of themselves. They may even be a top five team with the cupcake ACC schedule they have. And they have some talented players. This one should be a return to the days when this game meant something. And it may mean whether FSU has a shot at the bigger prize. I think the Gators will spoil the celebration for the Noles and pull the upset in the Swamp.

So, I’m predicting a 9-3 year optimistically. I could easily see it being 7-5 with a couple of bad breaks here or there. I think the Gators will do better in a bowl game this year because they won’t have as many guys sitting it out but for me the only bowl games that count are the ones in the playoffs. The rest are just glorified spring games for those coming back next year. Let’s hope the expansion of the playoffs helps more teams have something to really play for in the last few weeks of the year.