The Gators certainly earned a bit of national respect for the way that it played last week. They lost to Alabama, but they gave the Crimson Tide one of their toughest regular-season games in a long time. With a struggling Tennessee team coming to town, many expect the Gators to build off that momentum and roll against the Volunteers.
But CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee is less optimistic. He thinks that UF will win the game, but he doesn’t see the Florida blowout that some people do. In his Week 4 picks, he chose UT to cover a 20-point spread.
Florida showed up in its close loss to Alabama, which makes this a prime letdown spot. Tennessee has found an offensive identity with quarterback Hendon Hooker, and its defense looked strong in the shutout over Tennessee Tech. There’s no doubt the Vols can handle Florida’s zone-read attack and keep this a two-touchdown game. Florida will be in control, it just won’t cover. Pick: Tennessee (+20)
The Gators could certainly be due for a letdown, and even in the game against Alabama, there were a number of concerning trends for the team. But this is a very good matchup for UF. Tennessee’s strength is run defense, but this is the toughest team it will face yet, and the Gators’ rushing attack, which ranks second in the FBS, shows no signs of slowing down.
Defensively, Tennessee has struggled against the pass this year, meaning this could be a prime opportunity for quarterback Emory Jones to build on his successes from last week and have a breakout game.
Still, Florida only has one win of 20 or more points in this series under coach Dan Mullen, and Tennessee will certainly be looking to make a statement after dropping a home game to Pittsburgh two weeks ago.
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