ESPN moves Florida up in bowl projections after Texas upset

Florida’s upset win at Texas gave the Gators’ postseason outlook a noticeable boost in ESPN’s latest bowl projections.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach both project Florida to play an in-state bowl after its 27-24 comeback win over then-No. 7 Texas. Bonagura projects the Gators to face Pittsburgh in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, while Schlabach has Florida meeting Nebraska in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Bonagura’s projected matchup with Pitt would take place Dec. 30 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, with kickoff scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN. Schlabach’s Florida-Nebraska matchup would be played the following day at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, with a noon kickoff on ESPN.

Both projections differ from ESPN’s outlook entering Week 7. Bonagura previously had Florida facing South Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl, while Schlabach projected the Gators against Baylor in the Liberty Bowl.

Florida improved to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play with Saturday’s win in Austin, rallying from a 17-3 deficit to snap a two-game losing streak. The Gators now sit one win away from bowl eligibility, with five regular-season games remaining.

ESPN’s latest projections also show how quickly Florida’s outlook changed after one of the season's biggest wins. The win noticeably improved Florida’s postseason outlook, shifting the Gators from lower-tier bowl projections into potential matchups with Pitt and Nebraska in Jacksonville and Tampa.