Florida projected to 2017 Outback Bowl against Nebraska

SB Nation's first bowl projections for the 2016 season by Jason Kirk dropped on Tuesday, and they feature Florida in a familiar place and up against a familiar-ish foe: The Outback Bowl against Nebraska.

Kirk is obviously spitballing a bit, given that it is still June and we haven't even heard about things like suspensions for failed drug tests, affray, and stealing stuff from teammates violations of team rules for opening games in the fall. (He also has Tennessee in a New Year's Six bowl, which is definitely an expectation someone can have for a team that hasn't won 10 games since Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy!)

But Florida making the Outback would likely mean that Florida is somewhere within the second tier of SEC teams, and would also extend the inexplicably brag-worthy streak of consecutive bowl games in January for the Gators, given that it is the only of the second-tier bowls with SEC ties — the Citrus and TaxSlayer being the other two — to be played in January, with the other two taking place early on New Year's Eve.

Of course, December 31, 2016 is a Saturday, and January 2, 2017 is a Monday, so an appearance in the Outback might be a bit harder for Florida fans to swing this year. Some of us have jobs!

If Florida were to play in the Outback Bowl, it would be making a fifth-appearance in the Tampa-based bowl. Florida is 2-2 in previous appearances in the bowl.

A matchup against Nebraska would be Florida's first meeting with the Huskers since some game in early 1996 that I don't really remember all that well. Florida is 0-2 against the Huskers in program history.