It has now been over three months since the Michigan football team raised the national championship trophy back in January at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was a season to remember in college football as it was the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff, and it was also the last year of the Pac-12. There are going to be a lot of changes next season, and there have also been a lot of changes in this offseason already in terms of coaching moves and the transfer portal. Now, spring football is well underway, and a sense of hope has returned to college football fans. Florida football had their spring game a couple weekends ago, and Gators fans can't wait for the season.
Spring football is a special time of year as fans across the country get to see their new team in action for the first time. It's hard to tell much about a team from spring practices, but it's still fun to see the teams on the field competing against each other, and football fans are all eager for the new season to roll around. The first few months of the offseason are tough to get through and the football season seems so far away. Now, the weather is warming up, and you can sense that the new season is nearing. There is still a ways to go, but it's coming.
This next season of college football is going to be an exciting one, and there are a ton of reasons to be looking forward to it. There are a lot of changes coming to the game like rule changes, coaching changes, conference changes and playoff changes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new season will be the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone, and the Big Ten and SEC are going to be loaded. They both seem to be on the verge of forming super conferences.
The SEC will be welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the conference next year, and the Big Ten is getting a good crop of Pac-12 teams as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all joining the conference. Both the Big Ten and the SEC are going to be absolutely loaded next year, and it seems like more schools will potentially join the conferences in the future.
Next season, the College Football Playoff will look different as well as it is expanding to 12 teams. There will also be first round games on college campuses. More teams will have a chance to make the CFP, and there will be more games. It's going to be fun.
Florida football needs to show signs of life in 2024
The Florida football team is traditionally one of the better teams in the SEC, but it hasn't been like that lately, and it certainly wasn't like that last season. The Gators finished the 2023 season with a 5-7 record and they failed to qualify for a bowl game. That's not going to cut it. The team is starting to make some noise on the recruiting trail, but the only thing that matters is on-field results. You can get all the recruits in the world, but it doesn't matter at all if you don't win.
Billy Napier and his Florida football team have a crucial season ahead, and unfortunately for them, their schedule is giving them no favors. The Gators have an absolute gauntlet of a schedule next year that includes Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, Florida State, Texas and LSU. Their other three games are against Samford, UCF and Mississippi State. Finding success next season is going to be incredibly difficult.
Things aren't going to much easier in the future, either. This is life is the new-look SEC. It is easier to get into the College Football Playoff now after its expansion to 12 teams, but just finishing in the top-10 of the SEC is going to be a challenge. The road ahead looks extremely difficult for the Gators, and they are in danger of falling behind.
This upcoming season is obviously a big one for Florida football, and that means this offseason is crucial as well. The Gators have brought in some transfers this offseason that will make for some good position battles throughout the offseason. Here a couple to keep an eye on.
Quarterback
Graham Mertz is returning for Florida football next season which is huge for the Gators, and he will once again be the starting QB. However, the QB room is still one to watch this offseason because of some intriguing newcomers. Freshman DJ Lagway and transfer Clay Millen are behind Mertz, and that should make for some interesting storylines in the offseason.
First off, it will be interesting to see what the gap is between Mertz and his backups. Depth is important and anything can happen any week, so everyone needs to be ready and capable. If the gap is closer than people think, then maybe someone will push for that starting job a little bit.
It will also be interesting to see how Graham Mertz grows throughout this offseason, which is another reason to pay attention to the QB room. The QB is the most important position on the field, and if the Gators are going to find success with that schedule, Mertz needs to have a big year.
Wide receiver
One intriguing transfer that the Gators have coming in is Wisconsin wide receiver transfer Chimere Dike. He had a lot of solid years with the Badgers and should be a reliable receiver for Mertz. He is definitely going to have a significant role with this team, but it will be interesting to see just how big that role is, and that's a big reason why the WR competition is one to pay attention to this offseason.
Mertz needs to have reliable targets to be successful, so this is obviously a crucial position group and one that is vital to the success of the offense.
Next season is going to be a mighty difficult one for this Florida football team because of that schedule, but it also presents the program with a great opportunity. There are going to be chances for big wins week in and week out. The Gators don't need to win 10 games to have a successful year. They won just five last year. Finishing with seven wins with that schedule would feel like a big win for them.
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