College football is back, Florida has FAU on deck, and Gator fans still have a full SEC slate to sort through. Some of it is easy to toss aside.
A few games deserve a quick glance. And one matchup sits at the top of the list because it carries the most Florida intrigue of all.
That’s Auburn vs. Baylor, the No. 1 watch for Gators fans in Week 1.
Auburn is the opponent Florida gets in Week Three, so there’s already a natural reason to keep an eye on the Tigers. The bigger draw, though, is DJ Lagway.
Florida fans will want to see if a new environment is enough to unlock what he can become.
After that, the list gets even more compelling with No. 9 Ole Miss vs.
No. 24 Louisville on Sunday night.
It’s the only SEC game this week featuring two ranked teams, and the timing makes it easy to circle. The main question is whether Ole Miss can keep the magic going now that Kiffin is gone.
The answer, at least from this perspective, isn’t obvious.
There’s also a strong case for checking out East Carolina at No. 13 Alabama at noon on ABC.
Alabama being a 28.5-point favorite feels like it lands in a strange place: somehow too small, somehow too big. East Carolina went 9-4 last year, so this one could have some life if the Tide aren’t sharp early.
Florida fans looking for a little more context around the league can also keep Texas State at No. 5 Texas on their radar.
That one comes at 3:30 PM on ESPN, with Texas favored by 30.5. It’s one of those games where Florida may have a better shot than plenty of people want to admit, but it will be fighting for attention with Auburn.
Another Friday-night option is UTEP at No. 10 Oklahoma.
Because it’s on Friday, it’s more watchable than it would be on a crowded Saturday, and the 41.5-point spread still leaves room for a quick look before turning away. Florida fans can probably do the same with Missouri State at No.
8 Texas A&M, though that one starts at 7 PM and runs directly into the Gators’ own game.
South Carolina’s opener against Kent State is worth mentioning, too. Shane Beamer’s situation is part of the backdrop there, and the schedule starts soft before getting much tougher in a hurry. Kentucky’s meeting with Youngstown State is the closest of the SEC games involving an FCS opponent, so it has at least a little hate-watch potential by default.
Then there are the games that are mostly background noise unless you’re a true all-day viewer. Tennessee’s matchup with Furman comes with a massive 46.5-point spread, and Arkansas hosting North Alabama is really only notable because it leads into Florida’s opener. Vanderbilt against Austin Peay and Mississippi State against UL-Monroe fall into the same category: hard to justify when Florida has its own game going on.
Georgia’s game against Tennessee State is a little more interesting only because it’s Georgia, and Florida still has the Bulldogs on the schedule. Missouri’s Thursday night game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff owns the biggest spread of the week at 54.5, but the early timing and lack of real intrigue keep it near the bottom.
So the Week 1 SEC watch guide for Florida fans is pretty clear: keep Auburn-Baylor at the top, stay tuned for Ole Miss-Louisville, and use the rest of the slate as a menu of background options while the Gators get rolling against FAU.
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