Before the season began, Billy Donovan called UF’s 2012-13 non-conference schedule the most challenging in his 17 seasons as Florida coach.
Judging in January, the schedule has lived up to its billing. According to RealTimeRPI.com, Florida (9-2) takes an RPI of 17 into its final non-conference game Sunday at Yale. UF’s strength of schedule is 16.
Florida’s most impressive win of its non-conference schedule will surprise you. It wasn’t Marquette or Wisconsin. Instead, it was UF’s 66-45 win in Tampa over Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders (11-3) have an RPI of 37. Florida is 1-1 against Teams in the RPI Top 50 and 3-2 against Teams in the RPI Top 100. Wisconsin, off to a disappointing 9-4 start this season, has an RPI of 137. Marquette’s RPI is 60 and Florida State’s RPI is 99.
UF’s final non-conference game at Yale (242 RPI) will likely drop its overall schedule strength a bit, though a win would carry more weight because it’s a road game. Yale has struggled to a 3-10 start this season.
For those wondering, Georgetown’s RPI is 33. Florida’s canceled game against the Hoyas due to condensation issues on the deck of the USS Bataan could have given a boost to its schedule strength. The Gators led 27-23 at the half. Both sides contemplated finishing the game, but couldn’t agree on a date and location to complete the second half.
