2008 Florida Gators football team

2008 Florida Gators football
Consensus national champion
SEC champion
SEC Eastern Division champion
Florida Cup champion
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record13–1 (7–1 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorDan Mullen (4th season)
Offensive schemeSpread option
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Strong (6th season)
Base defense4–3
CaptainLouis Murphy
James Smith
Brandon Spikes
Ryan Stamper
Tim Tebow
Phil Trautwein
Home stadiumBen Hill Griffin Stadium[1]
Seasons
← 2007
2009 →
2008 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$#   7 1     13 1  
No. 13 Georgia   6 2     10 3  
Vanderbilt   4 4     7 6  
South Carolina   4 4     7 6  
Tennessee   3 5     5 7  
Kentucky   2 6     7 6  
Western Division
No. 6 Alabama x%   8 0     12 2  
No. 14 Ole Miss   5 3     9 4  
LSU   3 5     8 5  
Arkansas   2 6     5 7  
Auburn   2 6     5 7  
Mississippi State   2 6     4 8  
Championship: Florida 31, Alabama 20
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida, campus. They were led by fourth-year head coach Urban Meyer.

After clinching the SEC East, the Gators defeated then top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 31–20 in the SEC Championship Game to win their eighth conference title. They capped their season by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS National Championship Game 24–14. The Gators finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. Of the team's 120-player roster, 30 members went on to have stints in the NFL.[2] Bleacher Report has often named the 2008 Florida Gators as one of the greatest college football teams of all time.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ University of Florida Sports Information Department. "Florida 2008 Media Guide" (PDF). floridagators.com. University Athletic Association, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Breakdown: 2008 Florida Gators – one of the greatest teams in college football history | OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news, analysis, schedules and scores". June 17, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  3. ^ Leigh, Brian. "Urban Meyer Says His 2008 Florida Team Was 'Best to Ever Play the Game'". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Kenyon, David. "The 10 Best College Football Teams of All Time". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  5. ^ Wallace, Greg. "Ranking the Top 10 Greatest College Football Teams Since 2000". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 27, 2023.