The Florida Gators felt they deserved a chance to play in the national title game after finishing behind Georgia in the SEC East division. The Bulldogs lost to Alabama in the conference title game, giving the Crimson Tide and Notre Dame a BCS championship matchup that many in college football were hoping for and Florida left wondering what might have been.
The fourth-ranked Gators instead will settle for a Sugar Bowl matchup against the Big East champion Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday night at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Louisville enters the game 10-2 following a win in the regular season finale against Rutgers to clinch a spot in the BCS. Head coach Charlie Strong remains with the team despite being one of the hottest names for jobs around college football and will face off against a team that he once coached for in the Gators. Strong was the defensive coordinator for Florida when the team won two BCS championships.
"You look at those jobs, but I have a great job here," said Strong to the Associated Press. "The stability of this program is always going to be solid and they're going to do everything to make this one of the best programs in the country."
Strong was named Big East coach of the year award with Rutgers' Kyle Flood this season after leading the Cardinals to a share of the conference title. Strong was with Florida when the Gators recruited many of the players on the team, meaning he will have at least some insight when it comes to matchups and positional battles.
"I'm just happy for this program to get to a BCS bowl game," Strong said about Louisville. "I don't really know if it really matters who we play. I love the University of Florida but I'm just so happy for our players."
Louisville has its eyes on a national championship after starting the season 9-0 and pulling out a tough overtime win against Cincinnati and a 45-17 win against Temple, but stumbled the next two weeks, losing to Syracuse and Connecticut. The Cardinals salvaged the season with a 20-17 win over Rutgers, but were forced to play in the Sugar Bowl after Northern Illinois rated higher in the BCS rankings, taking the Orange Bowl spot against Florida State.
The Cardinals have relied on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater all season, but he had to come off the bench against Rutgers after breaking his wrist and injuring his ankle. The sophomore toughed it out in the finale, completing 20 of 28 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns to help Louisville rally for a win.
"That was a gutsy performance," Gators coach Will Muschamp said. "His efficiency as far as completion percentage is off the charts. So he's a guy that gets the ball in the right spots and is obviously very accurate with the football and he's a winner."
Bridgewater has been the most dynamic player for Louisville, throwing for 3,452 yards and 25 touchdowns with just seven interceptions while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes. He threw a touchdown in every game apart from the opener and has a season-high five touchdown passes against Temple in the 45-17 victory on Nov. 3.
The Cardinals have been without junior running back Senorise Perry for the final two games and will rely on Jeremy Wright to pick up the slack. The junior was shut down against Rutgers, gaining only 17 yards, but had 100 against Temple while averaging 10.0 yards per carry. DeVante Parker has been the best wideout for the team, making 38 receptions for 712 yards and nine touchdowns.
Louisville will have a tough time against a Gators defense that is ranked third in the nation in scoring with just 12 points allowed per game. The secondary will give Bridgewater a heap of trouble throughout the game due to All-America safety Matt Elam, who has combined with the Gators defense to allow just five passing touchdowns while making 19 interceptions.
"We have played very good defense throughout the year," Muschamp said. "Offensively, we have done some nice things. We have to be more consistent in getting the ball down the field vertically, but been real pleased with this team."
Muschamp has led the Gators to four wins over teams in the top 12 of the final BCS standings and has been one of the most impressive teams in the nation while going 11-1, including 7-1 in the SEC. The lone conference loss was against Georgia on Oct. 27 when the Gators were defeated 17-9 in Jacksonville. Had Florida won that game, they would have had the chance to play in the SEC championship game against Alabama for a shot at the national title game.
"We have a really tough football team," the coach said after a 37-26 win at Florida State on Nov. 24, according to the Associated Press. "We should be playing for the national championship."
The Gators offense is scoring just 26 points per game, but hasn't had to be explosive for Florida to be successful. Running back Mike Gillislee has been the primary playmaker for the Gators, rushing for 1,104 yards and 10 touchdowns to help Florida rank 34th in the nation in rushing yards.
The senior has rushed for at least 122 yards in two straight games and has scored three touchdowns during that span. He had a season-high 148 yards in the opening win against Bowling Green and is averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry this season.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel has been a solid game manager for the Gators, keeping the offense moving while not turning the ball over. The sophomore has thrown for just 1,471 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, but has just three interceptions and is the second leading rusher with 404 yards and four touchdowns.
Driskel had one touchdown in the finale against Florida State and threw for a season-high four touchdowns in a 44-11 win over South Carolina on Oct. 20. The quarterback will be matched up against a Louisville defense that is only giving up 23 points per game, but it has looked vulnerable over the final stretch of the season while losing two of three games.
Louisville hasn't made the BCS since defeating Wake Forest in the 2007 Orange Bowl for its first-ever appearance, while Florida returns to a BCS bowl for the first time since 2009. The Gators are making their seventh appearance in the BCS, which is only behind Ohio State and Oklahoma for the most in college football, according to the Associated Press.
Prediction: Florida 38, Louisville 21. The Gators play in the tougher SEC and have had a much harder schedule than Louisville. The Gators are still annoyed that they aren't playing in the national championship and will look to take out their anger on Louisville. The Cardinals will play hard for their coach and to prove that they belong in the top-tier of college football, but Florida is just too talented, The Gators have won four in a row, while Louisville has played in too many close games this season. The Cardinals have very little room for error and will need Bridgewater to be Heisman-like on Wednesday night. The Gators will give the passing offense a tough test, as they rank first in the country in passing efficiency among defenses.
