Florida fans won’t need help finding the main event Saturday. Auburn is the one that matters. But with nine SEC games still waiting on the Week 3 slate, there’s still plenty to sort through before and after the Gators kick off their own conference stretch.
Some of these are easy passes. A few deserve a second screen. And one or two could actually shape how Florida fans feel about the weeks ahead.
At the bottom of the list is Kennesaw State at No. 15 Tennessee, a 7:45 p.m.
SEC Network matchup with Tennessee listed as a 35.5-point favorite. There’s not much reason to divert attention here while Florida is playing, even if some Gators fans are still annoyed they don’t get Tennessee on the schedule this year.
Troy at No. 20 Missouri lands just above it, mostly because Florida does have Missouri later in the season. But with a 7 p.m. start, a spot on SECN+, and Missouri favored by 26.5, it’s hard to justify much attention unless the former home of Jon Sumrall suddenly turns it into something strange.
New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma has a little more pull thanks to the intrigue around Oklahoma’s response after losing to Michigan last week.
Florida’s matchup with Oklahoma later this season gives the game some added relevance, too. Still, the 7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 slot keeps it buried under the Gators’ own game.
UTSA at No. 1 Texas, set for 8 p.m. on SECN+ with Texas a 30.5-point favorite, probably won’t be close. Even so, it has a chance to spill into the fourth quarter after Florida’s game if things run long enough for fans who want one more look.
Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M is a little more interesting at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN, with Texas A&M favored by 16.5. Kentucky showed last week against Alabama that it’s not ready for primetime, but Will Stein is trying to push the offense in a more aggressive direction, and the Wildcats still have time to sort things out before Florida sees them later in the year.
No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas, a noon ABC kickoff with Georgia favored by 24.5, climbs higher mostly because of the time slot. Arkansas is not expected to offer much resistance, and if Georgia starts fast, this one could be over well before halftime.
The game that probably draws the most national attention is No. 7 LSU at No.
8 Ole Miss. It’s set for 7:30 p.m. on ABC, with LSU a 3-point favorite, and if Florida weren’t playing, this would be the clear centerpiece of the day.
Around the country, it’s the game everyone will be talking about. Florida also gets Ole Miss next week, which makes it even more relevant.
The only real issue is the overlap with the Gators’ own game, though it still feels like a strong second-screen option.
Mississippi State at South Carolina, a 4:15 p.m. SEC Network game with South Carolina favored by 4, has the ingredients to sneak into the conversation as one of the day’s more interesting matchups.
Florida plays South Carolina next month, and the big question there is whether South Carolina is any good this season. The only catch is that the finish could line up right as Florida is kicking off.
At No. 2 on the watch list is NC State at Vanderbilt, a 12:45 p.m. SEC Network game with Vanderbilt favored by 3.5.
Vanderbilt still hasn’t fully rediscovered last year’s magic, but the start of five-star QB Jared Curtis gives this one some extra juice. It also works as a measuring stick for the SEC and ACC, and Florida fans will have reason to keep an eye on Vanderbilt with the Gators facing them later.
And then there’s the one game that might be the most fun for Florida fans to watch without caring too much about the result: Florida State in prime time. The hate-watch factor is real, and if FSU somehow pulls off another upset, Alabama fans will be melting down again. Either way, it’s the kind of outcome Gator fans can enjoy right before turning their attention to Florida’s own game.
In Other News...
Floridas SEC Opener Just Got Complicated For Two Key Newcomers
Floridas SEC opener against Auburn already carried the usual early-September pressure, and now it comes with a little more uncertainty for two newcomers who were expected to matter right away. Wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. and defensive lineman Emmanuel Oyebadejo are both listed as questionable after sustaining lower leg injuries in their season debut, leaving the Gators to sort through their first conference week with a couple of fresh faces in limbo.
Jon Sumrall has made the caution part of the message clear, stressing that there is no sense in pushing either player back too soon and inviting a setback. It leaves Floridas opener with a few moving parts on both sides, since Auburn has one player out and two more listed as questionable, but the Gators immediate focus is less on the Tigers injury report than on whether two important additions can be trusted to go at full speed. [Read more 🡒]
New Clue Reignites Debate Over Floridas Pursuit Of Lane Kiffin
The 2023 Florida coaching search still has a way of resurfacing, and a new book excerpt has added another layer to the debate over how close the Gators came to landing Lane Kiffin after the previous coach was fired on Oct. 19. The fresh account suggests Florida was an early frontrunner in that race before Kiffin ultimately ended up at LSU, a detail that fits into a search that has long been clouded by competing reports about where the Gators really stood.
Florida ultimately moved on and hired Jon Sumrall from Tulane, but the Kiffin connection keeps inviting second-guessing about what might have been. The differing versions of how his market unfolded have made the search one of the more debated episodes in recent program history, and this latest clue only sharpens the sense that there is still more to learn about how that process played out. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Walks Into A Familiar Auburn Test With More At Stake
Alex Golesh and Jon Sumrall know each other well enough for this to feel like more than just another SEC game. Their coaching paths have crossed before, and now they meet again with Florida heading into a tough road test at Auburn, where familiar faces and familiar schemes tend to make the margins even thinner. For the Gators, it is another chance to see how their latest version holds up when the opponent across the field already understands how much of this matchup can come down to coaching as much as talent.
Auburn will also ask plenty of questions of Floridas defense with Brown set to make his first SEC start after transferring from USF, a move that adds another layer to a game already loaded with familiar ties. Sumrall has already noted Browns improvement and acknowledged how difficult Auburn can be at home, which only heightens the stakes for Florida as it tries to leave with more than a hard lesson from another familiar Auburn setting. [Read more 🡒]