Massachusetts: UMass suffered through back-to-back 1-11 seasons in 2011 and 2012. However, former head coach Mark Whipple returned to Amherst in 2014. He had coached the Minutemen when the school was an FCS member from 1998-2003. Whipple led the school to a national championship in 1998 but left after 2003 to be an NFL assistant. UMass has gone 3-9 in each of the last two seasons under Whipple, running a pass-oriented attack behind QB Blake Frohnapfel. This year's offense will feature a dual-threat QB in sophomore Ross Comis. Defense remains an issue though, as last year's team allowed 31.4 PPG, which is the best since UMass allowed 27.9 PPG back in 2011.

Florida: The Gators open 2016 ranked 25th in the AP's preseason poll, coming off a a 10-4 season, including capturing the SEC East title. However, after opening 10-1, Florida was outscored 97-24 in a season-ending, three-game losing streak. The 2015 season was Jim McElwain's first in Gainesville and even with the team's late-season fade (don't forget, it came vs. Florida St, Alabama and Michigan), the year had to be considered a big success considering Florida was a combined 11-13 in 2013 and 2014.

The pick: Florida's 2015 season turned after six games when starting QB Grier was suspended for the remainder of the year. The Gators averaged 32.2 PPG during its first six games but just averaged 12.8 PPG in its last six. Florida will likely want to open the 2016 season in a big way, much as the team did in 2015 (scored 61 points against New Mexico State in McElwain's debut). Is there any reason to think Florida won't take UMass "to the woodshed?" Florida is an 8* play.