Florida Gators path to a New Year’s Six Bowl Game

When the initial College Football Playoff Poll was released the Florida Gators were the top-ranked two-loss team in the country and one place ahead of undefeated UCF. Four days later the Gators would lose in dominating fashion to Missouri and their hopes at sneaking into the playoff or into a New Years Six Bowl were dashed.

However, while Florida dropped in the Coaches and Associate Press Polls the CFP Poll was kinder, dropping Florida just four spots from No. 11 to No. 15.

A win over South Carolina and the Gators are now ranked No. 13 in the country, most notably leapfrogging over Kentucky (17th), a team that beat Florida back in September.

The way the CFP Poll works is first setting out to find the four beat teams in the country. Those four teams play a plus-one, single elimination playoff to determine the National Champion. The selection committee’s goal is to get these four teams right. This year the two playoff sites are the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, both played on December 29 with the National Championship being played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The new system eliminated the old BCS Bowl games. After the four teams that are picked to play in the playoff the rest of the New Years Six Bowl games are decided based on the final CFP poll.

The New Years Six Bowl games in 2018 are as follows
Fiesta Bowl – December 29
Peach Bowl – December 29
Sugar Bowl – January 1
Rose Bowl – January 1

The next eight teams after the playoff teams will be sent to these bowl games with some consideration given to conference tie ins.
Sugar – SEC vs. Big 12 when Sugar Bowl is not a semifinal game
Rose – Pac-12 vs. Big 10 when Rose Bowl is not a semifinal game
Orange – ACC vs. highest ranked SEC/Big 10 non-champion or Notre Dame when Orange is not a semifinal.

So, there are eight teams looking for bowl games, however, the Sugar would take the highest ranked SEC team (Florida is behind Alabama, Georgia, and LSU). Assuming the Alabama machine is oiled regularly it will continue motoring on to its final destination in Santa Clara against Clemson. In that situation Georgia would be sent to the Sugar Bowl as the highest ranked SEC team. LSU will be favored in each of their last two games of the season (Rice & Texas A&M) and in position to be in a NY6 bowl game.

If things play out as they have that would put three conference champions (Alabama, Michigan Clemson) in the playoff along with Notre Dame in as an independent, with Georgia and Ohio State taking up the first two NY6 slots. Any other Power 5 champion would be if they’re not in the playoff, hello Oklahoma and Washington State. The highest ranked Group of 5 team is also in, c’mon down UCF Knights.

That leaves three spots. Right now LSU, West Virginia and Syracuse are ahead of Florida. The Orangemen play Notre Dame this week and Florida could potentially jump over No. 12 Syracuse after a loss to Notre Dame.

Essentially the Gators need to win out (Idaho/FSU) and hope for some kind decisions from the committee. They’re definitely a real contender to find a home in a NY6 bowl game, which would be an incredible turnaround from a team that didn’t even go to a bowl game in 2017.

It could even set up a matchup with instate, self-proclaimed 2017 National Champions, UCF.

College Football Playoff Ranking (11/13/18)
1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Michigan
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. LSU
8. Washington State
9. West Virginia
10. Ohio State
11. UCF
12. Syracuse
13. Florida
14. Penn State
15. Texas
16. Iowa State
17. Kentucky
18. Washington
19. Utah
20. Boston College
21. Mississippi State
22. Northwestern
23. Utah State
24. Cincinnati
25. Boise State

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC

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