Is Florida the Best SEC Team That Nobody's Talking About?

One look at the odds from OddsShark.com on teams likely to win the College Football Playoff National Championship, and you'll see plenty of the usual suspects. 

Alabama and Clemson—last year's participants in the title game—are near the top at plus-700 and plus-750, respectively. Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Michigan are at plus-700 and plus-750, respectively, as well. Tennessee (+1400) and Georgia (+3300) are the two top teams in the SEC East, while LSU (+1400), Ole Miss (+2500) and Auburn (+3300)—yes, that Auburn—all are getting some Las Vegas love as well.

Where's the love for Florida?

You know, that team—despite some massive issues that included the suspension of former quarterback Will Grier in the middle of the season and injuries to a young and inexperienced offensive line—that managed to win the SEC East and remain on the periphery of the playoff discussion until rivalry weekend?

At plus-4000, the Gators are the best team that nobody's talking about. 

Why?

Because of last year's offensive struggles in the month of November? Because of the three-game losing streak to close the season? Because of quarterback issues that plagued head coach Jim McElwain's crew after former starter Will Grier was suspended midway through his redshirt freshman campaign?

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Those aren't good enough reasons to ignore McElwain, who recognizes that last year's late-season fade route has forced some instability that will help the program.

"Every day, you wake up and there's a new something going on," he said at SEC spring meetings in May. "I don't think you ever get comfortable. Usually when you get comfortable, that's when you get your tail beat."

Florida got its tail beat in those three losses—by 25 to Florida State, by 14 to Alabama and by 34 to Michigan.

Don't bet on that happening again.

With a stellar defensive line that features tackle Caleb Brantley and former hot-shot recruit Cece Jefferson at end, a linebacking corps that includes potential All-American Jarrad Davis and a secondary that not only has stars in Jalen Tabor, Quincy Wilson and Marcus Maye, but upgraded at defensive backs coach when McElwain hired Torrian Gray away from Virginia Tech.

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No, that defense didn't help the Gators down the stretch. But you'd probably get worn down too if you carried a team for three months.

Should the absence of a solidified starter really make a team an afterthought? Nope. Six of the last seven national titles have been won by first-year starting quarterbacks. Plus, if you consider Cole Stoudt as Clemson's starter in 2014, 10 of the last 14 starting quarterbacks in the national title game were in their first seasons as starting quarterbacks.

"It has more to do with the supporting cast around that person," McElwain said. "We were pretty fortunate when I was at Alabama [as offensive coordinator] to have Greg McElroy, but he had been in the program for a while. Same thing with AJ [McCarron] when he became a starter that first year. I don't know that it has as much to do with that particular position as it does with—what have you done for the other 10 guys on the offense."

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To win in college football, regardless of how exotic your offense is, you have to run and play defense. Florida has the latter part of that equation locked down.

The former should be just fine as well.

Junior college transfer Mark Thompson rushed five times for 46 yards and a touchdown in the spring game. While many will compare him to former Alabama running back and 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry because of his 6'2", 242-pound frame, the 26-yard touchdown run from the Orange and Blue Debut (1:45 mark of the video below) suggests that he's a little more nimble than Henry.

With Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite already in house, the Gators should—at the very worst—create a formidable running back committee that will ease the transition to the new quarterback.

That quarterback will likely be former Alabama and Oregon State signal caller Luke Del Rio, who sat out last year while learning the system. He completed 10 of his 11 passes and tossed two touchdowns in the spring game and looked fully capable of moving the chains and keeping the Gators defense well-rested on the bench.

Antonio Callaway is back in a limited capacity this summer and can workout at the complex, and a full-fledged return seems to be in the cards at some point either prior to the season or shortly after it begins. Dre Massey is a junior college transfer who looked solid in the spring game with 29 receiving yards and a touchdown, and an incoming receiving class that includes Freddie Swain, Joshua Hammond and Tyrie Cleveland should bolster depth and give Del Rio (or Austin Appleby, if he springs an upset) options.

What's more, Florida has a kicker now. It got so bad in Gainesville last year that McElwain held open kicker tryouts. But junior college transfer Eddy Pineiro made a splash when he connected on three of his five attempts in the spring game—with the three made field goals all coming from over 46 yards and the two misses being from 52 and 53 yards, respectively. 

A solid defense, the ability to create a functioning passing attack off play-action and a sound kicking game is a recipe for success.

If Florida can get by Tennessee for the 12th straight season—a game which will be on Rocky Top—a return trip to the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship Game should be in the cards. Florida owns the series with Georgia, and the rest of the schedule outside of LSU—which comes to "The Swamp" and has offensive issues of its own—is relatively easy.

Don't sleep on the Gators.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.