Florida Gators Football: Outback Bowl Will Set Tone For The Future
Though some have downplayed its importance, the Outback Bowl will set the tone for the future of the Florida Gators football program.
The 8-4 Florida Gators football team will take on the 8-4 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Outback Bowl. Though the obvious goal is to win, the long-term ramifications are bigger than simply winning a trophy.
After months of devastating injuries and unpredictable results, head coach Jim McElwain can stabilize the future of the football program in just one game.
Florida enters the Outback Bowl at 8-4 overall and 2-3 over the course of its past five games. It defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 20-7 and the LSU Tigers 16-10, but has three ugly losses surrounding those two wins.
Florida lost lopsided games by scores of 31-10 to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 31-13 to the Florida State Seminoles, and 54-16 to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Excited to be Tampa Bay bound for the @outbackbowl! Ready to get back on the field this week to start bowl practice. #GoGators pic.twitter.com/sF9oqlVVaM
— Jim McElwain (@CoachMcElwain) December 13, 2016
With the 8-4 Hawkeyes next on the schedule, the Gators have a chance to exorcise demons and win a big game in Tampa, Florida.
Winning a bowl game won’t make up for losing to Florida State or falling in the SEC Championship Game. It’d end an era on a high note, however, as the likes of Caleb Brantley, Jarrad Davis, Teez Tabor, and Quincy Wilson could all be first-round selections in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That’s a reason to be proud and devastated, as one could very easily make a case that Brantley, Davis, Tabor, and Wilson have been Florida’s best players during the 2016 college football season.
Florida will also lose senior standouts such as Austin Appleby—a graduate transfer—Bryan Cox, Ahmad Fulwood, Joey Ivie, and Marcus Maye. With those massive changes on the horizon, the 2017 Florida football team projects to be completely different from the 2016 squad.
In order to do right by the players who have helped Florida survive this transitional period and emerge as contenders, the Gators need to win this game.
Just as significant as honoring the players who are preparing to depart is the task of preparing for the future. Florida projects to have a new quarterback in 2017, as well as a number of stars who will need to be replaced on defense.
In order to avoid regression, the Gators must end this season with a victory and create positive momentum.
Off the field, Florida will be competing for high-profile recruits before National Signing Day arrives on February 1. It will also be grooming players for the future, which makes setting the bar high and sending a message to the country a necessity.
The Gators have far more riding on this game than just another win or loss.
A win could set the tone for the future of the organization.
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