The excitement following Florida’s 48-20 win over Kentucky has begun wearing off, and the existential dread that comes ahead of a meeting with Georgia is starting to sink in.
Okay, things aren’t that bad, but it’s safe to say the “vibes” are down in Gainesville as the Gators begin their collision course with four straight ranked opponents. As a result, the Orange and Blue are ranked 10th in the latest SEC vibe check from The Athletic.
“The momentum is slow, but Billy Napier might be doing enough to earn another year with the Gators,” Georgia beat writer for The Athletic Seth Emerson wrote. “If it’s a close call, you would think he’ll be back, given he has an interim president and an athletic director invested in him. But getting clobbered in Jacksonville by Georgia on Saturday quickly could derail all of that.”
The world expects Florida to get “clobbered” on Saturday, but Florida’s defense improved a lot throughout October. That’s not to say the Gators will be the Dawgs this week, but a 16.5-point spread might be an easy cover for UF.
Whoever wins this game will likely move to the top of the vibe check rankings in Week 10. Georgia lost the throne while on bye, following a big win for Texas A&M over LSU, and Florida upsetting its biggest conference rival for only the second time in eight seasons (2020) would be huge for obvious reasons.
Week 9 SEC vibe check rankings
- Texas A&M Aggies (7-1, 5-0 SEC)
- Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1)
- Tennessee Volunteers (6-1, 3-1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (5-3, 2-2)
- Arkansas Razorbacks (5-3, 3-2)
- Texas Longhorns (7-1, 3-1)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2, 3-2)
- Ole Miss Rebels (6-2, 2-2)
- Florida Gators (4-3, 2-2)
- LSU Tigers (6-2, 3-1)
- Auburn Tigers (3-5, 1-4)
- Missouri Tigers (6-2, 2-2)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-7, 0-5)
- Oklahoma Sooners (4-4, 1-4)
- Kentucky Wildcats (3-5, 1-5)
How to watch Florida vs. Georgia
The Gators go up against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.
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