CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1996 Florida

12–⁠1 (8–⁠0 Southeastern Conference), coached by Steve Spurrier, finished No. 1 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Florida in 1996, game by game: won vs. Louisiana 55–21; won vs. Georgia Southern 62–14; won at No. 2 Tennessee 35–29; won vs. Kentucky 65–0; won at Arkansas 42–7; won vs. No. 12 LSU 56–13; won vs. No. 16 Auburn 51–10; won vs. Georgia 47–7; won at Vanderbilt 28–21; won vs. South Carolina 52–25; lost at No. 2 Florida State 21–24; won vs. No. 16 Alabama 45–30; won vs. No. 1 Florida State 52–20+65−3Won 55–21 vs. Louisiana+34LouisianaWon 62–14 vs. Georgia Southern+48Georgia SouthernWon 35–29 at No. 2 Tennessee+6No. 2 TennesseeWon 65–0 vs. Kentucky+65KentuckyWon 42–7 at Arkansas+35ArkansasWon 56–13 vs. No. 12 LSU+43No. 12 LSUWon 51–10 vs. No. 16 Auburn+41No. 16 AuburnWon 47–7 vs. Georgia+40GeorgiaWon 28–21 at Vanderbilt+7VanderbiltWon 52–25 vs. South Carolina+27South CarolinaLost 21–24 at No. 2 Florida State-3No. 2 Florida StateWon 45–30 vs. No. 16 Alabama+15No. 16 AlabamaWon 52–20 vs. No. 1 Florida State+32No. 1 Florida State
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Aug 31vsLouisianaW 55–⁠2183%
Sep 7vsGeorgia SouthernW 62–⁠1494%
Sep 21at2TennesseeW 35–⁠2944%
Sep 28vsKentuckyW 65–⁠090%
Oct 5atArkansasW 42–⁠779%
Oct 12vs12LSUW 56–⁠1376%
Oct 19vs16AuburnW 51–⁠1074%
Nov 2vsGeorgiaW 47–⁠785%
Nov 9atVanderbiltW 28–⁠2189%
Nov 16vsSouth CarolinaW 52–⁠2588%
Nov 30at2Florida StateL 21–⁠2441%
Dec 7Bowls & playoffvs16AlabamaSEC Championship GameW 45–⁠3064%
Jan 2Bowls & playoffvs1Florida StateSugar BowlW 52–⁠2049%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Florida State 52–⁠20 in the Sugar Bowl; No. 1 in the final AP poll; Southeastern Conference champions.

In program history: The 2nd-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 116 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 4
  2. Wk 2: 4
  3. Wk 3: 4
  4. Wk 4: 4
  5. Wk 5: 4
  6. Wk 6: 1
  7. Wk 7: 1
  8. Wk 8: 1
  9. Wk 9: 1
  10. Wk 10: 1
  11. Wk 11: 1
  12. Wk 12: 1
  13. Wk 13: 1
  14. Wk 14: 1
  15. Wk 15: 1
  16. Wk 16: 4
  17. Wk 17: 3
  18. Final: 1

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1996.

National championsNo. 1 in the final AP poll, and a title the school claims

Southeastern Conference champions8–⁠0 in the conference, won the SEC Championship Game

Led the nationDanny Wuerffel: passing touchdowns (39 TD); Reidel Anthony: receiving touchdowns (18 TD)

Heisman TrophyDanny Wuerffel, QB; also the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien, Unitas Golden Arm and Campbell Trophy

Jim Thorpe AwardLawrence Wright, FS

3 consensus All-AmericansDanny Wuerffel, QB; Ike Hilliard, WR; Reidel Anthony, WR

Record
12–⁠1
Conference
8–⁠0 first in Southeastern Conference
AP final
No. 1 peak No. 1
Points
611–⁠221
Coach
Steve Spurrier
Elo
1862 +155 this season
SP+ rating
37.0 No. 1 of 111; offense No. 1, defense No. 13
SRS
31.2 No. 2 of 111 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Carl Franks
Defensive coordinator
Bob Stoops
Offense
Fun and gun
Defense
4–⁠3

Drafted in 1997

The 1997 draft
Rd 1Ike Hilliard WRNew York Giants
Rd 1Reidel Anthony WRTampa Bay Buccaneers
Rd 4Danny Wuerffel QBNew Orleans Saints
Rd 5Jeff Mitchell CBaltimore Ravens

All-SEC

10 first team

First team

From Wikipedia’s 1996 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1996 Southeastern Conference standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Florida8–⁠012–⁠11
Tennessee7–⁠110–⁠29
LSU6–⁠210–⁠212
Alabama6–⁠210–⁠311
Auburn4–⁠48–⁠424
South Carolina4–⁠46–⁠5
Georgia3–⁠55–⁠6
Mississippi State3–⁠55–⁠6
Kentucky3–⁠54–⁠7
Ole Miss2–⁠65–⁠6
Arkansas2–⁠64–⁠7
Vanderbilt0–⁠82–⁠9

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.