It’s only Week 3 of the 2017 NCAA Football season, but the SEC East champion could be decided Saturday. Two top-25 teams will duke it out when the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers travel to Gainesville to face the No. 24 Florida Gators. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on CBS (live stream).
Tennessee vs. Florida 2017 live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch online
It’s September, so expect some wacky magic from the Vols.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Gators are favored in their return to Gainesville. Hurricane Irma forced last week’s scheduled matchup with Northern Colorado to be canceled, costing the program a valuable tune-up game before jumping into its SEC schedule. They’ll be hungry for an important showdown with rival Tennessee, who used Week 2 to beat up on an overmatched Indiana State team.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Fla.
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: CBS Sports
- Odds: Florida is favored by 4.5 to 5.5 points, depending on the book
Tennessee vs. Florida news:
- Tennessee found a way to beat Georgia Tech despite getting outgained and outplayed in its season opener.
On the night, the Yellow Jackets had a whopping 535 yards on the ground, compared to Tennessee’s 148. Tech running back KirVonte Benson added another 124 yards and a touchdown to the effort.
But when Marshall had to throw, he was able to hit deep, averaging 24 yards per completion. Of his five completions, three went more than 15 yards, including one for 44 yards and another for 42.
Nussmeier has coached primarily from the sideline during his tenure with Florida, with McElwain explaining that decision in part as one meant to help the Gators’ young quarterbacks at the time — Will Grier and Treon Harris in 2015, and Luke Del Rio in 2016.
Six games saw Tennesse score seven points or fewer during the first half in 2016. All but one opponent averaged at least 12 points in the first half - the outlier being Tennessee Tech, who had a goose egg in their performance.
Also remember that UT was down 21-3 at halftime last year when they played Florida.
- Tennessee’s got its own trash can to dunk intercepted balls into. It’s not working out great!
Tennessee still has plenty to prove, even after a 2-0 start.
The Volunteers escaped their opener against Georgia Tech by the narrowest possible margin, taking advantage of the Yellow Jackets’ mistakes in a two-overtime, 42-41 victory. Tennessee was beaten in most aspects of the game but found a way to win -- a scenario that could rear its head again on Saturday afternoon. Both teams have their share of blue chip talent, but the Vols’ inability to turn recruiting wins into meaningful and sustainable victories on the field has been the bane of head coach Butch Jones’ existence in Knoxville.
Tennessee vs. Florida prediction:
You can never discount the one-time Champions of Life, as Tennessee’s season opener against Georgia Tech proved. The Volunteers are wizards when it comes to finding a way to win games in September and October, while Florida struggled in its only game of the season, a 33-17 loss to Michigan. Tennessee’s biggest weakness against Georgia Tech was its run defense, but the Gators managed just 11 yards on 27 rushes against the Wolverines. Florida isn’t built to exploit the Vols’ lapses — take Tennessee in a squeaker.
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