Florida football's postseason outlook became much brighter after its Week 7 upset of Texas. The Gators had been in contention for a College Football Playoff bid after their four straight wins to start the season, but a two-game skid quickly put the brakes on those prognostications.

While there is still a legitimate chance Florida will make its first-ever playoff appearance this winter, the current trajectory has the Orange and Blue heading to one of the top non-CFP postseason games, according to CBS Sports writer Brad Crawford. In his latest bowl projections, he has the Gators headed to the Citrus Bowl to take on Iowa in Orlando on January 2, 2027.

"Credit to Jon Sumrall's team for not backing down despite trailing by 14 points at Texas during the first half. They wilted under pressure the previous two weeks before posting their second win of the season against a top-10 opponent," Crawford offers.

"Instead of a three-game skid entering the open date before Georgia, Florida (is) back in the top-25 after the win and is very much alive in the CFP discussion. The consolation prize would be a short trek from Gainesville to Orlando if the Gators fail to get in. What a wild year thus far in the SEC."

Florida has played in the Citrus Bowl and its previous iterations, the Tangerine Bowl (1946-1982) and Capital One Bowl (2002-2013), a total of six times throughout the years, with a pair of wins against four losses. The two victories came in 1980 — a 35-20 triumph over Maryland — and in 1998, when Steve Spurrier's squad beat Michigan State, 21-6. The four defeats occurred against Miami (OH) (1973, 15-7), Michigan State (1999, 37-34) and Michigan twice (2007, 41-35; 2015, 41-7).

The Gators and Hawkeyes have faced off on the collegiate gridiron four times dating back to 1983 — all of them bowl games — with the former prevailing thrice. Florida won the showdown in the 1983 Gator Bowl, 14-6, as well as in 2005 (31-24) and 2016 (30-3) in the Outback Bowl, while losing to Iowa in the 2002 Outback Bowl, 37-17.