Despite a 10-game road losing streak, including a 9-game SEC road losing streak, I am not surprised that we are a 3.5-point road favorite. Dating back to a 43-20 loss to Georgia on 10/28/23, Florida has lost 6 consecutive games against Power 4 teams, including 3 consecutive home games against Power 4 teams. From the beginning of 2018 through the first 9 games of 2020, Dan Mullen had won 24 of his first 30 games against Power 4 teams, but since the infamous shoe throw in a 37-34 home loss to LSU on 12/12/20, Florida is 10-24 (2-9 at the end of Dan Mullen's tenure, 1-0 under interim head coach Greg Knox, and 7-15 under Billy Napier) in their last 34 games against Power 4 teams.
From the beginning of 2018 through the first 9 games of 2021, Jimbo Fisher had won 25 of his first 37 games against Power 4 teams, but since our 29-19 road loss at Ole Miss on 11/13/21, we have gone 7-15 (7-12 at the end Jimbo Fisher's tenure, 0-2 under interim head coach Elijah Robinson, and 0-1 under Mike Elko) in our last 22 games against Power 4 teams, including 10 consecutive road losses. Also, we have lost 3 consecutive games against Power 4 teams, dating back to our 42-30 loss at LSU on 11/25/23.
Both Texas A&M and Florida lost home openers to nonconference Power 4 opponents by 10+ points each, and both are desperate to start 1-0 in SEC play to snap lengthy losing streaks against Power 4 teams. Hopefully, we snap a 10-game road losing streak and a 3-game losing streak to Power 4 opponents with a win at Florida. That would give us our first road win since a 35-14 win at Missouri on 10/16/21, 1064 days or 152 weeks later. Otherwise, a loss at Florida would extend our road losing streak to 11 games and our road winning drought past 3 years and at least 1099 days or 157 weeks by our next true road game at Mississippi State on 10/19. Also, our losing streak to Power 4 opponents would extend to 4 games.