Florida tumbles in ESPN's latest bowl projections after second loss

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Just two weeks after entering the College Football Playoff conversation with an emphatic win over Ole Miss, Florida is now projected to land in the Gasparilla Bowl.

The Gators are no longer part of the projected 12-team playoff field, according to ESPN analyst Kyle Bonagura, who sees Jon Sumrall's program taking on South Florida at Raymond James Stadium. Fellow pundit Mark Schlabach has UF taking on DJ Lagway and the Baylor Bears in the Liberty Bowl — both of these scenarios are a far cry from where many saw the Gators heading after being ranked in the top 10.

Prior to being knocked off by South Carolina last week, the Gators were pinned against more prominent opponents like SMU in the Gator Bowl or Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Playoff predictions from the pair of analysts still include a host of SEC teams, including Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss.

While not the ideal destination for Florida, Bonagura's projection does create an intriguing matchup with an in-state foe in USF that came into the Swamp last season and shocked Florida. It would surely be an enticing draw for Gators fans, not to mention a short travel day. The same goes for a date with Baylor and a chance to face off against the former five-star recruit who decided to leave Florida last offseason.

While Florida has already matched its win total from last season, it's difficult not to think the Gators were destined for the CFB playoff after racing out to a 4-0 start. A statement win over the Rebels briefly established UF as an SEC surprise and legitimized optimism around Sumrall's presence and culture shift.

The narrative has reversed in Gainesville as the Gators must now pull off a massive upset on the road against No. 6 Texas to avoid a three-game skid. The Gators are now staring into the teeth of their schedule, with No. 1 Georgia, Oklahoma and No. 15 Kentucky waiting in consecutive weeks to come.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida tumbles in ESPN's latest bowl projections after second loss

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