Florida vs. Tennessee – Game Time, TV Schedule, Line, Preview, Predictions
It's usually strange to say that the fourth game a team plays is a must-win game, but this may be a must-win for Florida. After this, the Gators have a stretch of three SEC contests against ranked opponents, and while none of those games are on the road, there's a chance that Florida loses all three. If the Gators don't go into the most difficult stretch of its schedule with some momentum, we could be looking at a team that will struggle to become bowl eligible.
Unfortunately for Florida, this has the potential to be a trap game. Neyland Stadium is always a difficult place to go play, but unlike the past few years, it presents another challenge: Tennessee is a much improved football team, and the squad has a really good chance of making it to a bowl game for the first time since 2010-11. Florida needs to look out, because Butch Jones' team is going to come to play on Saturday.
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2014
Time: 12:00 PM EST
TV Channel: SEC Network
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)
Betting Line: Tennessee -2.5 (via 5Dimes)
Prediction: This game is so tough to pick, because it's very difficult to get a read on both teams. Tennessee played out of its mind against Georgia last week, and nearly upset the Bulldogs, but the only other Power 5 school it played was Oklahoma, and the Sooners were unrelenting against the Vols. However, the two games it was supposed to win -- Utah State and Arkansas State -- Tennessee won and barely even broke a sweat. Are the Vols as good as they played against Georgia? If so, Tennessee can take down the Gators.
If Tennessee is confusing, then Florida is a total enigma. The Gators wiped the floor with Eastern Michigan, needed three overtimes to beat Kentucky at home, and got demolished against Alabama. Sure, Florida's offense looks much better than it did last year, but it still hasn't looked great, and the defense hasn't played up to its considerable potential yet. There's also a ton of pressure on head coach Will Muschamp and starting QB Jeff Driskel, as people have been clamoring for a change at quarterback. Perhaps this is the weekend that Driskel comes out and silences his doubters.
In the end, Florida is coming off of a bye and is probably furious that it hasn't received any respect this season. While Tennessee is a solid, well-coached team, Florida is more talented, and it just needs to put it all together. It also helps that the Gators have won the last nine meetings between these two schools. While we expect UT to go bowling at the end of the season, give us the Gators on Saturday in what should be an entertaining game.
