When the final whistle of the 2019 Orange Bowl blew, hopes for Florida Gators football was at perhaps the highest they had been since Urban Meyer’s peak 10 years ago.
In his second season, former Meyer offensive coordinator Dan Mullen had led the Gators to back to back ten-win seasons, capping each year with a New Year’s Six bowl win each year. And with an experienced and efficient quarterback and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball returning, 2020 was supposed to be the year the Gators returned to their height, returning to the SEC title game and making their debut in the College Football Playoff.