No. 20 Tennessee will roll into Gainesville on Saturday night for a rivalry matchup against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Neither team is in the playoff contention, but there’s still a lot of pride – and a streak – to play for in this one. Tennessee has not won in Gainesville since the 2003 season, and head coach Josh Heupel is 0-2 in The Swamp since taking over the Volunteers’ program.
Can Tennessee break the streak and inch closer to a 9-win season? We’ll have to wait and see on Saturday night to find out.
Despite the lopsided records in comparison, with Tennessee at 7-3 and Florida at 3-7, the predictions may be a bit closer than the average college football fan might expect. Tennessee is the better team; Florida currently has an interim coach. But as On3 Sports’ J.D. PicKell said in his preview, the Gainesville Gators are essentially the Vols’ boogeyman. Could this be a ‘throw the record book when rivals meet up’ type of game? Does Tennessee have more to play for?
Tennessee is the betting favorite heading into the game:
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Here’s a look at some of the expert predictions from around the media landscape as Tennessee prepares for a primetime matchup against the Gators on Saturday night:
CBS Sports (UT -4 Spread/Straight Up)
- Tom Fornelli: Florida/Florida
- Chip Patterson: Tennessee/Tennessee
- Brandon Marcello: Tennessee/Tennessee
- Joh Talty: Tennessee/Tennessee
- Richard Johnson: Florida/Florida
- Shehan Jeyarajah: Tennessee/Tennessee
- David Cobb: Tennessee/Tennessee
- Brad Crawford: Tennessee/Tennessee
- Chris Hummer: Tennessee/Tennessee
- James Parks: Tennessee 27, Florida 24
- FL hits spread, game hits the under
- John Feltman: Florida +4
- Zak Herbstreit: Tennessee, UT cover
- “It’s who is going to make less mistakes, in my opinion, wins this game. And then whoever wins the rushing battle in this game. And, in my opinion, I think Tennessee, with Bishop, overall has the better talent at running back. So I think, at the end of the day, and I don’t want to jinx you guys so Tennessee fans, don’t come at me here, but I think Tennessee gets it done.”
- J.D. PicKell: Tennessee, UT cover
- “We’re in lockstep here, man. I think that when you talk about 20-year-plus, and the drought that it was, I know Tennessee fans are still feeling like this is the boogeyman for them of sorts, I think Tennessee breaks the streak, man.”
