Florida football among Athlon Sports’ 2022 most improved programs
Athlon Sports has released their projections of college football’s most improved programs for the 2022 season, with the Florida Gators making the list.
It’s no secret that the Orange and Blue were two separate teams last year. There was the team that started 4-2, with one of those losses at the hands of eventual SEC champion Alabama by a mere two points and the other a one-possession road loss to a gritty Kentucky team. Then you have the team that lost five of its last seven games, with its only wins coming against an FSU team that was not sure who its quarterback would be for the entire game and an FCS Samford team that was winning by seven at halftime.
Needless to say, the Gators are a prime candidate for “Most Improved” in 2022.
Athlon Sports has the Gators finishing 7-5 and 4th in the SEC East. At first glance, that doesn’t look like too much of an improvement from the 6-6 regular season Florida had in 2021. Yes, the Gators go from .500 to above .500, but the improvement will be seen by being competitive on the field rather than in the win/loss column.
Florida’s schedule lends itself to some natural obstacles (vs Utah, at Texas A&M, vs Georgia in Jacksonville) but there are a lot of games that can go either way, making a 7-5, or even 8-4 season, a real possibility.
If Billy Napier can have the Gators playing tough, eliminate self-inflicted mistakes, and can keep the positive momentum he’s had on the recruiting trail as of late, Florida could certainly be a favorite for most improved in 2022, despite the incremental improvement on paper.
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