The bye week for the Florida Gators has officially come and gone, so it’s time to gear up for the long-awaited meeting in Jacksonville with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.
It’s safe to say the vibes are exuberant in North Florida.
Although the Gators were on a hiatus, The Athletic included Florida football in its top 5 for the weekly SEC “vibe check.”
Senior writer Seth Emerson keeps a close eye on the powerhouse conference and likes to rank the football programs based on the overall “vibes,” meaning how good the team is and how the fan base is reacting.
Emerson ranked the Gators at No. 5, even though head coach Billy Napier and his squad were simply resting at home and enjoying some game film.
The senior writer still has faith in the football program and thinks the Florida faithful shares the same feeling. He references former UF coach Steve Spurrier, who’s also high on the Gators, per usual.
“Native son Tom Petty’s birthday was last week,” Emerson said. “And Gators fans are runnin’ down a dream: Graham Mertz looks like the best version of his Wisconsin self, and Steve Spurrier is crowing that, ‘We’ve got a chance to beat Georgia. And if we do that, we’re right in the middle of winning the Eastern division.'”
“And he’s right! About all of that! Also, Billy Napier’s recruiting keeps going well, getting top-100 (defensive lineman) LJ McCray on Saturday,” Emerson wrote. “Maybe the good feelings hit a wall in Jacksonville — Georgia is a three-touchdown favorite for a reason. It’s good to be king, as Petty also sang. But the Gators are in a much better place than they were when the season started. They aren’t free fallin’. (Sorry.)”
McCray is a five-star recruit from Daytona Beach, Florida and is ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2024 and No. 2 at his position. The high school senior live-streamed his commitment on YouTube.
The Gators will challenge the Bulldogs on Saturday in Jacksonville for The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. EDT and will broadcast on CBS Sports.
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