Florida (The State of) Football

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN PANTHERS 2023 Record: 4-8 2024 FPI Projection: 4-8 2024 Over/Under: 4.5 BIGGEST GAME: at Florida Atlantic (September 14) The Shula Bowl returns after a year off and it's always the biggest game on FIU's schedule. The overall results of the series haven't been pretty. FAU has a 16-4 lead overall and a six-game win streak. The average score over those six games? 48-15! The Golden Panthers will be decisive underdogs when the teams meet in a couple of weeks, but they need to keep it somewhat competitive. TRAP GAME: vs. Sam Houston (October 22) FIU was able to jump on Sam Houston in the Bearkats first season in FBS. In fact, the 33-27 victory was the Golden Panthers' only win in their final eight games. Now Sam Houston knows what to expect and the former FCS standout program might be pretty good in their second FBS season. FIU has some very winnable games at home that could put them in position for a bowl. This is a game they need to win. POT...

FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS 2023 Record: 4-8 2024 FPI Projection: 7-5 2024 Over/Under: 6.5 BIGGEST GAME: at UTSA (October 19) If Florida Atlantic is having a solid season like I expect, the Owls should be about 5-1 going into this game. UTSA feels like the team to beat in the American this year with a bunch of returning starters. The Roadrunners also don't lose at home, where they are like 23-4 under coach Jeff Traylor. But I like FAU having a puncher's chance in this game. The offensive line should be gelled and the defensive line, the expected strength of the team, should be firing on all cylinders. A win here puts FAU in position to really make noise in the conference TRAP GAME: vs. Army (September 7) The good news for FAU is that this game is early in the season. The bad news is a week after playing a large Big Ten team (Michigan State) you have to get ready for the triple option. Army is always a difficult draw for teams that rely on speed like FAU because they force you to ...

SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS 2023 Record: 7-6 2024 FPI Projection: 7-6 2024 Over/Under Total: 7 BIGGEST GAME: at Florida Atlantic (November 1) This was a tough one because USF fans will swear up and down it's not a big game and they don't consider FAU rivals...and on the latter point they are probably correct. But perception is everything and USF is in a position to move forward and become a more appealing option for the next expansion. That means they can't have a repeat of the 56-14 loss to FAU. It's hard to sell the Bulls as a program deserving of P4 expansion opportunities if they are taking 40-point whippings from the Owls.  TRAP GAME: at Southern Miss (September 14) As long as the Bulls are fairly healthy coming out of the Alabama game and not looking too far ahead to the Miami game, they should be able to handle the Golden Eagles with relative ease. But given where the game sits on the calendar and the potential of a beaten up team after playing Alabama, this could be ...

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES 2023 Record: 13-1 2024 FPI Projection: 9-4 2024 Over/Under Total: 9.5 BIGGEST GAME: Clemson (October 5) This was a close one between Miami and Clemson, but at the end of the day there's a still a good chance that whoever wins between Miami and FSU will have to go through Clemson again, so let's see if FSU's 31-24 overtime win over the Tigers was a one-year thing or the start of a back-and-forth rivalry. It was a gutsy win by FSU, who needed a defensive touchdown and a last-second missed FG from Clemson to get to the final score. I thought it was a good win because Clemson saw FSU coming, had a great gameplan and still came up short. Now FSU knows it can beat Clemson and will want to do it again in front of the home crowd.  TRAP GAME: at SMU (September 28) SMU is a first-year ACC program and while I think the Mustangs have a very good chance to be a top five team in the conference this year, they will also deal with some growing pains later in the s...

UCF KNIGHTS 2023 Record: 6-7 2024 FPI Projection: 7-5 2024 Over/Under Total: 7.5 BIGGEST GAME: Colorado (September 28) Yeah, you better expect Deion Sanders' return to the state of Florida is going to get a lot of attention. UCF should be 3-0 going into the game. Colorado's schedule is a little more tricky, but 4-0 is a possibility. If that happens, you might as well shut the area down for four hours on the final Saturday of September. Wherever Deion goes is going to draw attention, but Shedeur Sanders is a top quarterback prospect and Travis Hunter is going to be an early Heisman candidate. The environment for this game is going to be exciting and it's a great chance for UCF to make noise on the national stage.  TRAP GAME: at Iowa State (October 19) The Big XII schedule wore down UCF in their first year of the conference because they just struggled to stay healthy on the lines week after week. The Cyclones catch UCF after games against Florida and Colorado, so I wonde...

MIAMI HURRICANES 2023 Record: 7-6 2024 FPI Projection: 8-4 2024 Over/Under Total: 9 BIGGEST GAME: Florida State (October 26) The Seminoles have taken three straight in the series and that includes a 45-3 beatdown at Hard Rock Stadium in 2022 that could've been much worse. Miami is a much different team now and showed some of that real fight in last year's game when the Hurricanes fell short 27-20 in Tallahassee with Emory Williams playing quarterback. Three years into Mario Cristobal's tenure and he thinks he has the roster to make some noise in the ACC and even nationally. Well in order for that noise to be taken serious the Hurricanes will have to beat the Seminoles on the final Saturday of October. TRAP GAME: Virginia Tech (September 27) Many of the things being said about Miami in the third year of the Cristobal level are being said (albeit a little quieter) about Brent Pry in his third year at Virginia Tech. The Hokies closed strong last season, going 5-2 down the ...

FLORIDA GATORS 2023 Record: 5-7 2024 FPI Projection: 6-6 2024 Over/Under Total: 4.5 ( Eds Note: Win total is 4.5?!?! Yikes ) BIGGEST GAME: Miami (August 31) In a season where the Gators have next to no margin of error, they have to come out of the gate ready to play against a team with a lot of experience and size and expectations. The good news is the game is at home, it's going to be a hot, steamy mid-afternoon game with a crowd that will be rabid and fighting heat exhaustion all at once. Miami provides a heck of a challenge for a team that honestly could've used a much easier opening week to make sure the new parts all work together. There's a lot to unpack with this game. Are the Hurricanes as good as we think they are? Can D.J. Lagway give the Gators some real hope in his first game? Does the losing coach of this game survive the season? Like I said there's a lot to unpack.  TRAP GAME: at Mississippi State (September 21) If Florida is going to get to a bowl ga...

This was a little more challenging than last year and it's still challenging enough to the point of where I'm not ready to release the Group of 5 Team. That will probably happen in a couple of days.  It's a 46-player team with 23 players on each side of the ball. I made a few adjustments from last year, adding a hybrid posiiton on offense and a return specialist. The defense stayed the same for the most part. Let me know what you think? Top 25 team? Top 10 team? Playoff team? Hmmm playoff team sounds weird, but it's here now.  OFFENSE Quarterbacks (2): Carson Beck, Jr., Georgia (Mandarin);  Rocco Becht, R-So., Iowa State (Steinbrenner) Running Backs (2): Jaylan Knighton, Sr., SMU (Deerfield Beach); C.J. Donaldson, Jr., West Virginia (Gulliver Prep) Wiide Receivers (5): Jayden Higgins, Sr., Iowa State (Westminster Christian);  Xzavier Henderson, Sr., Cincinnati (Christopher Columbus); Jimmy Horn, Sr., Colorado (Sanford Seminole); Pat Bryant, Sr., Illinois (Atlantic...

Here's a list of the players drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft that grew their craft under the lights of Florida High School football. Thanks to Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services for compiling this: ***** First Round 8th – QB Michael Penix, Falcons (Tampa Bay Tech) 17th -- EDGE Dallas Turner, Vikings (Saint Thomas Aquinas) 22nd --CB Quinyon Mitchell, Eagles) (Williston) 24th -- CB Terrion Arnold, Lions (John Paul II Catholic) Second  Round 36th -- DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Commanders, (Clearwater Central Catholic) 64th -- CB Renardo Green, 49ers (Wekiva) Third Round 94th -- DE Jalyx Hunt, Eagles (University) 99th -- S Kamren Kitchens, Rams (Miami Northwestern)  Fourth Round 109th -- DT Brandon Dorlus, Falcons (Deerfield Beach) 116th -- DT Jordan Jefferson,Jaguars (Navarre) 118th -- LB Tyrice Knight, Seahawks (Lake Gibson) 130th -- CB T.J. Tampa, Ravens (Lakewood) Fifth Round 146th -- CB Jarvis Brownlee, Titans (Carol City) 151st -- S Jaylon Carlies, Colts (West Orange) 168th -...