Sports Illustrated has released their predictions for Week 9 of the college football season, with the panel of analysts unanimously predicting Georgia to beat Florida in the latest edition of their historic rivalry.
Ross Dellenger, Richard Johnson, Pat Forde, Molly Geary, and John Garcia have more faith in the Bulldogs than the Gators. You really can’t blame them. Florida and Georgia are two programs in entirely different directions. Georgia is coming off their first national championship since 1980, having been on a roll in recruiting and on the field since Kirby Smart took over as coach in 2016.
On the other hand, Florida is at the beginning stages of a rebuild with first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] tasked with building a program on the ashes of previous regimes. Recruiting-wise, Napier is living up to the high expectations thrust upon him. Despite missing out on top 2023 cornerback recruit [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] earlier this week, Napier has put together a fantastic 2023 class, his first non-transition class.
While the future looks bright for the Gators, the present isn’t as kind. Sitting at 4-3, the Gators just don’t have the depth or talent to compete with the defending national champions. The Sports Illustrated crew is right to pick Georgia in this year’s edition of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
Let’s hope the gap shrinks by the time next year’s matchup rolls around.
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