The Gator Nation is gearing up for the Southeastern Conference football schedule opener between Florida and Tennessee inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this Saturday in the continuation of a once-storied rivalry.
The Volunteers come into the matchup ranked just outside of the top 10 and expected to compete for the SEC title while the Gators are still figuring things out in head coach Billy Napier’s second season on the sidelines. The program has been mired in mediocrity of late, finishing under the .500 mark in the past campaigns and facing one of the toughest schedules among Power Five schools this fall.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman took a look at the SEC slate for the coming weekend and presented his picks in comparison to the betting lines. He predicts a final score of 31-20 in favor of Tennessee with the following justification.
“The Vols sputtered last week against Austin Peay, but they still didn’t look as lost as Florida did at Utah in Week 1,” Feldman offers. “Tennessee has more athletes and is still playing with more confidence than the Gators and should cruise here. Florida’s defense hasn’t faced an attack anything like Joe Milton and the Vols.”
The Gators host the Volunteers in the Swamp on Saturday, Sept. 16, for the SEC schedule opener between two historic rivals. The opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on ESPN.
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