{"id":71532,"date":"2025-01-09T10:30:49","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T15:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=71532"},"modified":"2025-01-09T00:20:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T05:20:23","slug":"gators-early-2025-look-toughest-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2025\/01\/09\/gators-early-2025-look-toughest-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Gators Early 2025 Look: Toughest Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Florida Gators finished the 2024 season with quite some momentum. Winning their last four games in a row<\/a>, they surprised many by earning eight wins. With their brutal schedule and subpar start, not much was expected of that group. Banding together, they showed that the players are bought into Billy Napier and his plan. Now, looking ahead to 2025, unfortunately, the schedule does not get much easier. Quite similar to last season, their schedule features plenty of top-25 teams. Four games, in particular, stand out for the Gators’ early look toward 2025. These four games will decide the fate of this football team. Anything better than a 2-2 record and Florida could find themselves in the College Football Playoffs. This team proved that they have talent, now they must put it all together in the most important year of Napier\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

Four Games to Define the Season<\/h2>\n

Natural Rival<\/h3>\n

If the Gators want to be the best in the SEC, they must knock off the best in the SEC. The Georgia Bulldogs have been the class of the conference, even in an up-and-down 2024. Despite the blemishes along the way, the Dawgs still came out on top in the SEC Championship. Many fans of Florida feel that this 2024 matchup was the game that got away<\/a>. Leading early in the game, quarterback DJ Lagway<\/a> left with an injury, forcing third-stringer Aidan Warner<\/a> into the game. Eventually going on to lose, had Lagway played, this could have been a different story. Now comes the 2025 affair, which could have massive playoff implications. The Dawgs figure to start Gunner Stockton<\/a> at quarterback after the departure of Carson Beck to the NFL. Adding some high-tier receivers in the portal, this could be a classic shootout in Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

Hostile Territory<\/h3>\n

Despite the 8-5 record, things weren\u2019t always looking up in Gainesville. Florida was handed an early loss by the Texas A&M Aggies<\/a>, which spiraled them to a 1-2 record. Eventually getting their act together, this game did take place in the Swamp. With an early look towards 2025, the Gators this time must travel to College Station. One of the most hostile environments in the country, Lagway will be surrounded by constant noise. Taking place a week after the Texas game, there will be no chance for rest. The Aggies return quarterback Marcel Reed<\/a> to a talented offense that gave the Gators trouble. Cooling off at the end of the year, the Aggies led the SEC midway through the season. Coach Mike Elko should have his group ready to compete after a strong transfer portal class. This game may come down to the battle of dynamic quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

Revenge Tour<\/h3>\n

The lowest point in the 2024 season came against the Texas Longhorns. Taking place in Austin, this game was an absolute beatdown<\/a>. Even though the Gators were missing a multitude of starters, it was still a bad look. Now getting the Longhorns in the Swamp, Florida should have revenge on their mind. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is expected to declare for the draft, leaving the talented Arch Manning<\/a> in his stead. This matchup takes place in week six of the college football season. By this point, fans will have a clear picture of this Florida squad. With early matchups against LSU and Miami, Florida won\u2019t have much time to breathe. A group that seems to have found their rhythm under Napier<\/a>, that Texas loss should have left a foul taste in their mouths. With a team returning most of their starters, experience will no longer be an issue.<\/p>\n

Death Valley<\/h3>\n

During the 2024 season, the Gators matchup against the LSU Tigers was the game that turned their season around<\/a>. Sitting at 4-5, they scratched and clawed their way to a season-defining victory. Unfortunately, when taking an early look at 2025, fans will notice that the Gators must travel to Death Valley. One of the most feared environments in college football, this stadium will be loud from the first whistle. Eager to avenge their last loss, the Tigers will be playing with a sense of anger. Returning quarterback Garrett Nussmeier<\/a>, this offense should once again be productive. The good news for Florida is that last year, their defense played the game of the season. Caleb Banks<\/a> and this defensive line should once again apply constant pressure. This will be the Gators’ first true test of the year and will go a long way toward defining the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n

After taking an early look at the 2025 season, the Gators will be tested throughout. An easier start to the season<\/a>, the period after the first bye week will be crucial. Taking on Texas and Texas A&M in back-to-back weeks could be incredibly difficult. Despite all the momentum this Florida team has, they are by no means a powerhouse. With the SEC beginning to level off, every team is much more evenly matched. Napier will have to do his best coaching job to ensure the team survives another tough schedule. With early playoff hopes, everything will become clear in week three. With a huge showdown against the LSU Tigers, this will be their chance to send a message. A win here and they could find themselves as an early title contender. However, if the blemishes begin to pile up, questions could quickly resurface regarding Napier\u2019s job security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Florida Gators finished the 2024 season with quite some momentum. Winning their last four games in a row, they surprised many by earning eight wins. With their brutal schedule and subpar start, not much was expected of that group. Banding together, they showed that the players are bought into Billy Napier and his plan. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5059,"featured_media":71535,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10906,8,2,3],"tags":[34747,7159,6734,334,244,8010,7180],"class_list":["post-71532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cfb","category-fbs","category-featured","category-sec","tag-2025-college-football","tag-billy-napier","tag-carson-beck","tag-college-football-predictions","tag-florida-gators","tag-mike-elko","tag-quinn-ewers"],"modified_by":"Kate Pearson Halyburton, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5059"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71532"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71536,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71532\/revisions\/71536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}