Florida-Tennessee is once again an important early-season SEC East matchup, if not necessarily for the reasons you might have expected. The two still aren’t great teams, but the rest of the division is so awful that the winner of this game could find itself in pretty decent shape to make a run at winning the division.
How to watch Florida vs. Tennessee: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
The Gators travel to Neyland Stadium with a lot on the line for both teams.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Though both of these programs have fallen from the heights they achieved in the 1990s and 2000s, Florida has maintained the upper hand in this rivalry. The Gators have won the past nine meetings, the longest streak either side has owned since they first met in 1916.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Both Florida and Tennessee are unranked. Florida is 2-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. Tennessee is 2-2 overall and 0-1 against conference foes.
Vegas: Florida opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but the line has moved in the home team’s direction. The Vols are now 2.5-point favorites.
Weather forecast: Upper 50s and clear at kickoff.
Two things at stake
The winner of this game is still in the thick of the race to win the SEC East. The loser has to try to win out in the division and hope to steal a win from an SEC West foe. Good luck with that.
Will a loss be enough to get Will Muschamp fired? Probably not on its own, no. But it wouldn’t bode well for the Gators’ chances of winning enough games to keep their head coach in Gainesville for another season.
One big matchup
Tennessee's passing defense vs. Florida's passing offense: Led by cornerback Cameron Sutton, Tennessee's secondary is arguably its biggest strength. The Volunteers held Georgia's Hutson Mason to 147 yards passing and picked him off twice. Sutton will be matched up against Florida receiver Demarcus Robinson, who represents the Gators' biggest playmaking threat on offense. But will Jeff Driskel be able to get him the ball? Florida's junior quarterback went 9-of-28 for just 93 yards against Alabama two weeks ago. Yikes.
Further reading
For more on the Florida Gators, visit Alligator Army. For more on the Tennessee Volunteers, visit Rocky Top Talk. For more on all 14 teams in the SEC, visit Team Speed Kills.
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