In what many believed was UF's year to make a run to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the program's history, this season's lofty expectations for the Gators have failed to reach fruition after back-to-back one possession losses to LSU and Alabama.

While the season ended in a way nobody around the program wished it had, Florida remained in position for a New Year's Six Bowl and can end the 2020 campaign on a high note against a quality opponent for the third year in a row.

“We’re excited to be part of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic," UF Head Coach Dan Mullen said. "It’s such a historic bowl for us and for Florida to be a part of it. It’s exciting to get to play a great opponent in Oklahoma, very quality football team, well coached, a lot of skilled players, a lot of talent.

"They’ve built the program that we’re trying to make sure we get up to that level, which is competing for championships on a regular basis. They’ve been able to do that over the last several years. Hopefully we’re getting to that level where year in and year out we’re competing for championships. Should be a lot of fun."

The seventh-ranked Gators (8-3) and sixth-ranked Sooners (8-2) will face off for the first time since UF defeated Oklahoma — the only meeting between the two teams — in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game.

Standout tight end Kyle Pitts has already opted out of the bowl game and Mullen said on Tuesday that there may be one or two more opt-outs coming soon, but that everybody else is ready to compete.

"We have competitors. We have guys who want to compete. We have guys who want to play for the love of the game," Mullen said. "We have guys that are going to play in this game, guys that love playing football, they love to compete, they love to be out there playing. It’s an opportunity to go do that. It’s an opportunity to go do that in a huge game, on a national stage, against a great opponent."

Florida's defense has faced some of the country's best quarterback talent in Kellen Mond and Mac Jones, But Oklahoma boasts a signal caller with playmaking ability that rivals both.

Spencer Rattler is ninth in the country in passing yards with 2,784 and has shown the ability to use his feet to complement his arm. The redshirt freshman has five rushing touchdowns on the year to go along with his 25 passing TDs.

As an offense, the Sooners are scoring 41.8 points per game, which is ninth in the country. The only other team the Gators have faced that scores more is Alabama. The Crimson Tide — second in the country scoring 49.7 PPG — racked up 52 points and 605 yards in the SEC Championship Game.

"He's a guy that you can tell is getting more comfortable in the system," UF defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said of Rattler. "Understanding more about where to throw the ball, where to go with it relative to the formations and what the defense is giving you. And then he has the ability to make plays with his feet. He can pull it in the run game. He can extend plays in the pass game to get guys open.

"I think the one thing that we'll have to be conscious of is the word "plaster" this week, meaning that even though when you're playing zone, if he continues to scramble you're going to have to basically match the guy in your area and cover him man-to-man because he really can extend plays for guys to get open, which creates explosives."

Mental mistakes and an inability to get off the field has doomed Florida's defense in its last two losses, but the players aren't interested in living in the past at this point of the season.

Senior linebacker James Houston IV seemed especially excited to get a chance to play the Sooners at Big 12-friendly AT&T Stadium.

"I don't think we're too much worried about home-field advantage," he said. "This is more about what we want to put on film, going out and showing what the Florida Gators can do. Showing that Oklahoma is a good matchup, but they're not on our level. They're not SEC. They're not the Florida Gators, so we should put on a good show."

Quarterback Kyle Trask made it pretty clear on Tuesday. He didn't confirm whether or not he'd be entering the NFL Draft, but he did all but confirm his status for the Cotton Bowl.

"I'm most likely 100 percent playing in the bowl game," he said.

Trask's final game as a Gator could be challenging at times against the Sooners' defense. On that side of the ball, they're ranked 20th in the country in total defense (333.6 YPG) and 30th overall in scoring defense (21.9 PPG).

Oklahoma has held its last six opponents to under 30 points, while the Gators have yet to score under 30 points at any point this season. Obviously, something's has to give next Wednesday.

“They're very active defensively," UF offensive coordinator Brian Johnson said. "I think on the front end, they do a great job of pursuing the football and shedding blocks, not staying blocked long and making plays in the back field. And in the secondary, I think particularly at corner, they have great ball skills. They play with great patience. They’ve got great footwork, and they make plays on the ball when it's in the air. Definitely a huge challenge for us. You know, our guys are excited for the opportunity to go out there and compete on the big stage.”

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