SI's preseason prediction for Florida football's 2026 bowl game

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Week Zero is just around the corner, and preseason bowl projections continue to form across media platforms.

Plenty of football remains before the postseason picture becomes a priority; however, Sports Illustrated has released its latest bowl projections, offering a look at which 70 FBS teams will earn a spot in the 2026-27 postseason and go bowling.

For Florida, the projection brings insight into where the Gators could land in the program's first season under head coach Jon Sumrall. In the latest bowl projections, the Gators matched up with SMU in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

Florida has only played SMU four times and holds a record of 2-2 against the program. The most recent meeting was in 1978 in Dallas, Texas, where the Gators lost, 35-25.

The Orange and Blue have played in the Gator Bowl nine times with an impressive 7-2 tally.

Their first appearance was also their very first official bowl game on January 1, 1953, when they beat Tulsa 14–13. The program most recently played in the Gator Bowl in 2012, beating Ohio State, 24–17, under former head coach Will Muschamp in his first season.

The Gators' last bowl appearance came in 2024, when Billy Napier led the Gators to a win against Jon Sumrall and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl, 33-8. That game also took place in Sumrall's first year with the Green Wave.

Sumrall now takes over Florida and will look to get back into postseason action this season.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: SI's preseason prediction for Florida football's 2026 bowl game

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