Check out the watchability rankings for Florida football's top 2025 matchups
Check out the watchability rankings for Florida football's top 2025 matchups
The upcoming schedule for Florida football's 2025 campaign appears to be an exciting one — as well as immensely challenging — as the Gators look to build on their success last season.
It took Billy Napier three seasons to snap the program's three-season streak of finishing under the .500 mark, breaking through with an 8-5 final record thanks to some superlative efforts on both offense and defense. Among those wins were a few thrilling finishes that will live long in the lore of the Orange and Blue.
As for the upcoming season, Florida has a handful of games that CBS Sports writer Will Backus selected for his watchability ratings for every week on the 2025 college football schedule. Specifically, there are seven matchups that ranked among the following tiers:
Tier 1 : Become one with your couch: Put your phone on do not disturb. Tell your loved ones not to be concerned if they don't hear from you until Sunday. Make sure your fridge is stocked.
: Become one with your couch: Put your phone on do not disturb. Tell your loved ones not to be concerned if they don't hear from you until Sunday. Make sure your fridge is stocked. Tier 2 : Finish that project you've been putting off: So long as it doesn't take you away from the house and also doesn't take you all day.
: Finish that project you've been putting off: So long as it doesn't take you away from the house and also doesn't take you all day. Tier 3: If you HAVE to plan for a fall wedding: Not ideal, but you could make it work during these weeks if absolutely necessary. Still, keep a screen handy.
Florida at LSU (Tier 1): Week 3
"SEC play starts with a bang this season. Florida's a College Football Playoff dark horse thanks to a strong offseason under coach Billy Napier. The Gators will have a real chance to prove their worth against an LSU team with national title aspirations," Backus offers.
Florida at Texas A&M (Tier 1): Week 7
The Aggies embarrassed the Gators in the Swamp last season during the program's championship reunion weekend, marking TAMU's second win in three tries at Florida Field. However, UF also has two wins in three tries at Kyle Stadium and will be looking for revenge — as well as a much-needed victory to wrap the first half of the season.
Florida vs Georgia (Tier 1): Week 10
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is perennially the top matchup on the Gators' schedule, and while UGA has held the edge in recent years, UF looked like it had a chance in last year's game before DJ Lagway was knocked out of the game before the end of the first half. A healthy quarterback, along with the offseason's reinforcements, nearly guarantees an epic battle in Jacksonville.
Florida at Miami (Tier 2): Week 1
"Last season, Miami used an early-season immolation of Florida to catapult itself to a 10-win season. Could the Gators do something similar this in a pivotal year for Billy Napier and the program?" Backus rhetorically questions.
Florida at Ole Miss (Tier 2): Week 12
"Both Florida and Ole Miss have playoff upside in 2025 — and both could very well make it — but a head-to-head result could prove crucial when deciding at-large bids," Backus notes.
Florida vs Texas (Tier 3): Week 6
"This is one of those weeks, earlier in the season, where the conference pairings don't move the needle much. Florida could make a real statement against Texas," Backus said.
Florida vs Tennessee (Tier 3): Week 13
"College football's rivalry weekend is one of the most exciting weeks in sports. The week beforehand? Not so much. Plenty of power football programs tend to schedule a "cupcake" opponent — one that it should beat with ease — in this spot after a long and arduous regular season," Backus concludes.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
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