Florida Football: 2015 Game-by-Game Schedule Predictions

A new era of Florida football will officially begin in a few weeks as Jim McElwain starts to rebuild the Gators toward title contention in the near future.

Florida has plenty of reasons for optimism under McElwain, an offensive-minded head coach who had championship-level success as a coordinator in the SEC before a pair of bowl trips in three seasons at Colorado State.

The Gators return seven starters from a fierce defense, including an elite secondary that features star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.

But there are plenty of question marks in Gainesville, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Gators still have position battles to solve, and an offensive line that was ravaged by injury in spring practice only returns one starter.

With the 2015 kickoff less than three weeks away, let's take a game-by-game look at the Florida schedule and post some predictions for the Gators' first season under McElwain and his new staff. 

Sept. 5 vs. New Mexico State

Andres Leighton/Associated Press

Barring another lightning storm like the one that canceled the 2014 opener against Idaho, Florida should be able to start the season with a comfortable win against a bad Sun Belt team.

New Mexico State is coming off a 2-10 season—which included a 63-7 blowout loss to what turned out to be an average LSU team—but the Aggies do return 18 starters, so improvement could be in the cards. Ten of those starters are on a defense that ranked No. 116 nationally in total yards allowed per game.

One matchup to watch will be New Mexico State quarterback Tyler Rogers, who led the nation in interceptions last season with 23, against Florida's ball-hawking pass defense. NMSU ranked a surprising 52nd in total offense last season, but most of that was due to the defense's inability to stop opponents from scoring at will.

The Aggies will give Florida's rebuilding offense a way to ease into the 2015 season. While a 70-point outburst like the No. 1 Gators gave NMSU in 1994 shouldn't be expected, McElwain's attack will pick up confidence in this matchup.

Predicted Record: 1-0 (0-0 SEC)

Sept. 12 vs. East Carolina

Butch Dill/Associated Press

East Carolina should be quite familiar to Florida—the Gators defeated the Pirates, 28-20, in last season's Birmingham Bowl under interim head coach D.J. Durkin.

This year's ECU team has several noteworthy changes from the one Florida faced in January. Quarterback Shane Carden, star receiver Justin Hardy and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley are all gone from the Pirates Air Raid attack that ranked fifth nationally in total offense last season.

The Pirates return just 11 starters, in all, from last season's 8-5 team, with the biggest holes coming in the offensive backfield and the defensive front seven. Still, ECU returned only three defensive starters last season and had its best statistical season since 2008. 

Florida will look to carry its offensive momentum from the NMSU game into this one, as the Pirates will still look to light up the scoreboard with their new-look attack. The Gators' stout defense will hold off the visitors and give the offense enough room to secure a solid victory in Gainesville.

Predicted Record: 2-0 (0-0 SEC)

Sept. 19 at Kentucky

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After two nonconference home games, Florida will hit the road for the first half of "streak weeks" in the SEC East. The Gators have won 28 straight against a Kentucky program that is itching for a big win under head coach Mark Stoops.

Florida edged Kentucky by the slightest of margins last season, winning 36-30 in triple overtime. Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles had a good performance in the Swamp last season against Florida's pass defense, completing 24 of his 45 attempts for 369 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Towles will have his top receiver back this season, as well as lead rusher Stanley "Boom" Williams and four offensive line starters.

On defense, Kentucky is replacing two of its three starters from its defensive line, but the Wildcats have experience filling those gaps. A strong linebacking corps and secondary will give the Gators offense problems if they start to struggle for its first time away from home.

Kentucky will face Florida off what could be a tough road game against South Carolina, and that may have an effect on the Wildcats. Even with the question marks on the depth chart, Florida still has more talent than Kentucky across the board, and the Gators should extend their winning streak with an extremely tight road win in Lexington.

Predicted Record: 3-0 (1-0 SEC)

Sept. 26 vs. Tennessee

The second divisional streak on the line this season comes against the Tennessee Volunteers, who have gained a lot of hype this offseason as a potential SEC East title contender. They'll have to get through a road game in Gainesville, however, and the Gators have won 10 straight in this series.

This Tennessee offense should be much different than the one that only put up nine measly points against Florida in Knoxville last season. The Volunteers have vast experience and some much-needed depth on offense with nine returning starters—one of which is junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who didn't play against Florida but went 4-1 as a starter to close the 2014 season. 

Defensively, Tennessee should be a tough test against Florida's inexperienced offensive line, with five of the starting members of the front seven coming back for 2015. Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt were constantly in opponents' backfields last season, and freshman-star Kahlil McKenzie will have a few games under his belt by the time this matchup rolls around.

As Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee notes, Tennessee's offensive line is still an issue, but it should be stabilized heading into this matchup. The Volunteers are in a much better position to compete this season with their depth and experience, and they should show it this season with a victory in Gainesville.

Predicted Record: 3-1 (1-1 SEC)

Oct. 3 vs. Ole Miss

Life in the SEC rarely has any letup, and Florida will get that as the calendar flips from September to October. After a tough matchup against an improved Tennessee team, the Gators must host Ole Miss out of the conference's West division.

The starting quarterback job is still up in the air for head coach Hugh Freeze's uptempo offense. As Greg Ostendorf of ESPN.com writes, hyped JUCO transfer Chad Kelly still isn't guaranteed to take the reins in Oxford. Whoever wins the battle, though, will be able to lean on a deep corps of playmakers—led by returning receiver Laquon Treadwell—and an experienced offensive line anchored by Laremy Tunsil.

The Rebels have some holes to fill on their trademark "Land Shark" defense, but several of their biggest stars still remain—defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, linebacker C.J. Johnson and defensive back Tony Conner. Ole Miss will be able to put a lot of pressure on Florida's offense with the amount of talent it has back in 2015.

Ole Miss is balanced on both sides of the ball and will be coming off what should be an easy home win against SEC cellar-dweller Vanderbilt. The Rebels have too much returning talent against these rebounding Gators, who take back-to-back home losses.

Predicted Record: 3-2 (1-2 SEC)

Oct. 10 at Missouri

Missouri beat Florida last season in one of the weirdest games in recorded football history—the Tigers won in Gainesville, 42-13, while only putting up 119 yards of offense. It's a new year and a new regime for Florida, though, so don't expect another bizarre blowout for the defending SEC East champions.

The Tigers return just 11 starters this season, and the offense was hit hardest in the skill positions around junior quarterback Maty Mauk. Running back Russell Hansborough returns to lead the rushing attack, but Missouri's returning receivers only combined for 10 receptions last season.

On defense, Missouri's biggest calling card has been its line, and now it must replace all four starters under new coordinator Barry Odom. With Harold Brantley missing the 2015 season due to injuries suffered in an offseason car accident, the Tigers will have to rely on several inexperienced linemen to assist what should be a solid group of linebackers and defensive backs.

The disadvantage Florida will most likely have in the trenches due to its offensive line won't be as big against Missouri. With the defense attacking an inconsistent Mauk, Florida bounces back from back-to-back losses and records a surprising road win in Columbia.

Predicted Record: 4-2 (2-2 SEC)

Oct. 17 at LSU

Florida's permanent cross-divisional opponent, LSU, is at a crossroads heading into the 2015 season. The Tigers have plenty of blue-chip talent on their roster but struggled mightily last season with bad quarterback play and some inconsistent defense.

This year, all eyes are on the quarterback position once again as sophomore Brandon Harris and junior Brandon Jennings battle it out in Baton Rouge. If LSU can solve its issues at quarterback, the offense should be in fine shape with the likes of star running back Leonard Fournette and the promising receiving duo of Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre.

Defensively, LSU shifts to a somewhat different system under new coordinator Kevin Steele, who is bringing some 3-4 elements to a predominantly 4-3 program. The Tigers need new bodies to step up at defensive line this season in front of some big-time playmakers in linebacker Kendell Beckwith and safety Jalen Mills.

Florida has played some close games with LSU over the last few years, and this one could follow the same pattern. The Tigers should have an answer under center by their seventh game of the season, and the fierce home-field advantage in Baton Rouge gives the edge to Les Miles' team in this one.

Predicted Record: 4-3 (2-3 SEC)

Oct. 31 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)

Things have a tendency to get a little bizarre on Halloween, but it's going to be hard for the annual Florida-Georgia game to top what happened in Jacksonville last season, when the Gators ran for 418 yards to stun the Bulldogs.

Georgia once again should be the favorite heading into this neutral-site matchup, and a lot of that is thanks to its offense. No matter who the Bulldogs start at quarterback or wide receiver this season, they have superstar talent in the backfield—Nick Chubb, Keith Marshall and Sony Michel—and an incredibly experienced offensive line that should have more success than the 141 rushing yards it put up last season against Florida.

On defense, look for a second-year bump under coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. The Bulldogs are fierce on the edges with Jordan Jenkins, Leonard Floyd and Lorenzo Carter, but they'll need improvement from the heart of the defense that surrendered all those yards to the Gators in 2015. The secondary is experienced and will look to challenge whomever takes the starting quarterback job at Florida this fall.

Look, lightning could strike twice for Florida, and the Gators may record another big-time upset of the Bulldogs following their bye week. But at this point in the preseason, the better pick is Georgia and its star talent on both sides of the ball.

Predicted Record: 4-4 (2-4 SEC)

Nov. 7 vs. Vanderbilt

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Once again, after back-to-back losses, Florida will face an SEC East opponent that should be a favorable matchup—especially at home. Last season, the Gators had no issues with Vanderbilt, and one can expect a repeat of that this year.

That's not to say Vanderbilt should be improved. On paper, the Commodores will have experience, with 17 returning starters. But those starters didn't put up much of a fight in SEC play last season, especially on an offense that was the nation's fourth-worst last season. Florida's defense should feast on this unit.

Vanderbilt's defense looks like it has more potential for improvement in 2015. The defensive line returns several leaders, including a healthier Caleb Azubike at defensive end. Stephen Weatherly had 12.5 tackles for loss last season to lead the linebacking corps, and all four starters in the secondary should be back for 2015.

The Commodores hung with some SEC East teams last season but ultimately fell short in every single conference contest. While they should be improved in head coach Derek Mason's second season, Florida should handle them in the Swamp.

Predicted Record: 5-4 (3-4 SEC)

Nov. 14 at South Carolina

This season's meeting with South Carolina and Florida legend Steve Spurrier should be intriguing at this point in November. Both teams will face an uphill battle in the SEC East this year and have some tough cross-divisional opponents. 

South Carolina's bright spot last season, the offense, may take a step backward this season. The Gamecocks don't have a solid answer at quarterback—although it should be settled by the time they face Florida—and receiver Pharoh Cooper is the only true star returning on that offense. The play-calling, which Spurrier will completely handle this season, makes South Carolina a dangerous offense, but replacing so much talent is going to be a challenge.

The Gamecocks defense was abysmal last season, a far cry from the performances it enjoyed when Jadeveon Clowney terrorized backfields. The good news is that South Carolina returns most of its starters from that unit and picked up a few instant-impact JUCO players to step in the gaps on the defensive line.

A lot can change between now and November, but this should be the year Florida wins one of these close encounters with Spurrier and South Carolina. A third road win in the division—all of them being good-looking matchups for this rebuilding program—puts Florida at .500 in SEC play again and gives McElwain momentum heading into 2016.

Predicted Record: 6-4 (4-4 SEC)

Nov. 21 vs. Florida Atlantic

STEVE COLEMAN/Associated Press

Before squaring off with Florida State, the Gators will take on an in-state foe that should be a much easier one to handle in Florida Atlantic.

The Owls return only 12 starters from a 3-9 squad, but several key players return, including senior quarterback Jaquez Johnson. The dual-threat signal-caller has his top two backfield partners returning for the 2015 season and will be behind an offensive line that has three returning starters.

Florida Atlantic's defense got obliterated last season by several strong offenses, including Nebraska (784 total yards), Alabama (620) and Conference USA foe Marshall (546). The secondary will be a major point of emphasis, as the Owls lose three top players who combined for 83 career starts.

With 10 games of experience behind them, Florida's offense should be able to move the ball well against FAU, and the defense ought to cruise in this one. The Gators get another comfortable nonconference victory ahead of their meeting with the Seminoles.

Predicted Record: 7-4 (4-4 SEC)

Nov. 28 vs. Florida State

Even with Florida's woes under Will Muschamp, the Gators were one of the closest teams to snapping rival Florida State's unbeaten streak in the 2014 regular-season finale. This season, they'll look to get that major victory under McElwain—and a home game against the Seminoles would be the perfect time.

Jameis Winston threw three interceptions against Florida's defense last year, and chances are Florida State will replace the former Heisman winner with Notre Dame transfer Everett Golson. He's had some brilliant performances in the past, but he also struggled with ball security. The winner of the FSU quarterback battle will have plenty of explosive weapons in the passing game and an almost brand-new offensive line.

The defense will lead the way for the Seminoles in 2015. Although there are a few question marks up front—especially with linebacker depth—Florida State boasts one of the best secondaries in the nation with Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Hunter, Nate Andrews and big-time freshman Derwin James.

Both Florida State and Florida's offensive lines will have almost an entire season of experience by the time these two teams meet in Gainesville. The Seminoles' offensive firepower looks like it will be too much for the Gators this season, but don't be surprised if this one is another close game.

Predicted Record: 7-5 (4-4 SEC)

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.