Billy Napier and the Florida Gators are heading to a bowl game this year after missing out on college football’s postseason in 2023. This time around, the Orange and Blue will be playing in the Gasparilla Bowl for the second time in four years, with the Tulane Green Wave slated as their opponent.
The Green Wave went 9-4 this fall but faltered down the stretch, losing their last two including a blowout loss in the American Athletic Conference title game. The Gators finished just 7-5 but beat a pair of top-25 schools en route to three straight wins to wrap up the regular season.
So how do the experts feel about this game? Who has the edge in this battle between these two bayou-based schools?
USA TODAY Sports picks for Florida-Tulane
Six members of USA TODAY Sports’ writing staff consisting of Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken unanimously picked Florida to prevail over Tulane in Tampa.
Gasparilla Bowl game ranking
According to Timanus’ rankings of 35 non-playoff postseason matchups based on what he believes will have the highest entertainment value, the Florida-Tulane matchup in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl comes in at No. 28.
“The matchup here is a lot less attractive than the records might indicate,” he notes. “The Green Wave’s promising year wound up in a series of disappointments including transfer exits, while the Gators made a surprising push late and will now look to carry that momentum into the…