Florida football vs. LSU ranked among The Athletic’s Top 10 games for Week 12

Florida football’s matchup with the LSU Tigers on Saturday was noted by The Athletic as the sixth-most intriguing game in Week 12.

And there’s a reason for that.

LSU has found themselves in an absolute must-win game after suffering a blowout loss in Death Valley last week against the Alabama Crimson Tide. A Tigers win keeps their slim hopes of reaching the SEC Championship alive.

But, the Gators are looking to play spoiler makers. And they still have a shot at bowl eligibility with two more wins. So it’s not like Florida’s season is over (yet).

The Gators hope to bounce back and gain momentum as head coach Billy Napier announced on Thursday that freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is expected to return from injury.

Sports writer Justin Williams included the Florida-LSU matchup in his list of the Top 10 college football games in Week 12.

Here’s what he had to write.

What The Athletic said about the matchup

“If you’re wondering why this game, between two teams that got thumped last week, is this high on the list, it’s because there remains a rather plausible roadmap by which LSU can still make the SEC Championship Game,” Williams wrote. “But that would require the Tigers to win out the rest of the regular season, starting with a trip to Gainesville.

“Florida hopes to have freshman quarterback DJ Lagway back from injury, and LSU is in need of serious defensive soul-searching after getting diced up by mobile quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Jalen Milroe in back-to-back losses, allowing a combined 80 points and 11 rushing touchdowns to Texas A&M and Alabama.”

The Athletic’s Top 10 Week 12 games

10. No. 23 Missouri at No. 21 South Carolina

9. No. 20 Clemson at Pitt

8. No. 13 Boise State at San Jose State

7. Arizona State at No. 16 Kansas State

6. No. 22 LSU at Florida

5. No. 1 Oregon at Wisconsin

4. Kansas at No. 6 BYU

3. Utah at No. 17 Colorado

2. No. 3 Texas at Arkansas

1. No. 7 Tennessee at No. 12 Georgia