The #11 Florida Gators host their SEC East rival Tennessee Volunteers for the 21st time in the 51st all-time meeting. The Mighty Gators boast a 30-20 record in the series and have won 15 of the last 16 meetings including an active four-game winning streak.
Florida’s rushing offense is ranked #2 in the nation with 335.7 rush YPG and will be tested against the country’s #5 rushing defense, which is only 54.3 rush yards allowed per game). Overall the Gators have the #8 offense with 552.7 YPG. Tennessee has the #17 defense, having only showed 265.0 yards per game. Granted, Florida’s statistics have been padded against FAU and USF. Likewise, Tennessee’s statistics have been padded against Bowling Green and Tennessee State. The lone Gator loss was against #1 Alabama in a fiercely contested 29-31. The Vols lost 34-41 to Pitt in a game where they led the Panthers 10-0 in the first quarter only to squander the lead.
The Gators are favored by 19 and the over/under is at 64. The Gators have been leaning towards the under and have fallen short of the point spread, so I will predict a 32-14 victory for the Gators.
I’d like to think we’ll beat YOUR predicted spread, E—, but overall I will of course TAKE the win. I’m already on record with a bigger margin for our side there in The Swamp. I think we win this time with more talent, depth, and clear-eyed purpose team-wide; if I’m wrong, especially about that last part, then I am wrong about a host of positive signs of growth and maturation that I believe now has us on the cusp of reentering that “CFB Elite” we have longed to rejoin, and only truly began to believe was achievable with Mullen’s arrival—his strong hand, steady and unique TEAM-building.
We’re nearly there—but it still depends NOT just on finally, repeatedly breaking through in the BIG GAMES, but in “holding serve” in all the rest.
Like this one; so yes, “a win is a win”, but HOW we win these kind of games rightly sharpens the picture, reflects on who we are, where we’re going, and how fast we’re GETTING there.
We’ll take the win regardless, assuming it comes, but its quality, how we recover and come back after LAST week’s close loss, is a crucial mark of who we really are and are coming to BE.
Even against an improving Volunteer squad, these Gators, at home in the Swamp, are “GOOD ENOUGH”, “better enough” I think to win going away. Now they need to go out and show us, show THEMSELVES the very same.