The Athletic’s Week 9 picks are lining up with Georgia in Saturday’s Florida-Georgia matchup, with the No. 3 Bulldogs projected to beat No. 20 Florida by 11.5 points.
That spread has not scared off the panel. Seven of the nine experts picked Kirby Smart’s team to cover, while two sided with the Gators to keep things tight. The SEC has been a tricky league to handicap lately, too, with six ranked teams falling to unranked or lower-ranked opponents over the past two weeks.
Georgia enters off a home loss to Auburn, but the Bulldogs still carry the edge in this rivalry. They have won five straight against Florida and eight of the last nine, with seven of those victories coming by at least two touchdowns.
Florida, meanwhile, is coming off a road upset of Texas and will also be rested after a bye week. The same is true for Georgia, setting up a meeting where both teams get an extra week to reset before Saturday.
For Florida to have a real shot at cashing in as an underdog, Buster Faulkner and the offense will need to get the run game going early and keep finding ways to get Doak Walker Award hopeful Jadan Baugh involved. On defense, Brad White’s group will need the same kind of pressure that worked against Manning, when Florida sacked him five times and forced two fumbles in the upset win.
“Georgia is a double-digit favorite, but there was plenty of doubt cast on the Bulldogs last time out in a shocking home loss to Auburn. Florida, meanwhile, has epitomized the SEC with an up-and-down season. Blow out Ole Miss, get destroyed by Missouri and South Carolina, then win at Texas,” wrote sports betting editor Dan Santoromita.
The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta because EverBank Stadium is undergoing renovations.
The Athletic’s Florida-Georgia predictions:
Matt Baker: Georgia -11.5
Mark Cooper: Georgia -11.5
Seth Emerson: Florida +11.5
Sam Khan Jr.: Georgia -11.5
Austin Mock: Florida +11.5
Dan Santaromita: Georgia -11.5
Daniel Shirley: Georgia -11.5
David Ubben: Georgia -11.5
Georgia -11.5
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Florida Just Made Its Biggest Offensive Decision Before Georgia
Aaron Philo is back in the spotlight at the right time for Florida, and the Gators have made their call for the Georgia game. After Philo was sidelined by injury and Tramell Jones Jr. stepped in to lead a recent upset win, the quarterback situation had become one of the biggest questions hanging over the week. Now the job goes back to Philo, who helped fuel Floridas strong start to the season before the setback.
The timing matters because Georgia brings the kind of defense that can expose even small flaws in an offense. Florida is banking on Philos return to steady the group against the top-ranked unit on the schedule, while Jones surge has only added intrigue to the decision. For a rivalry game with plenty at stake, the Gators are choosing the quarterback they believe gives them the best chance to match Georgias pressure and keep the offense moving. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Heads Into Georgia With One Huge Question Still Unanswered
Floridas trip to Georgia comes with the usual rivalry pressure, but there is a bigger football question hanging over the Gators as they try to sort out a season that has gone from impressive to baffling and back again. Joel Klatt pointed to that week-to-week inconsistency, noting that Florida has paired significant wins with puzzling losses while still showing enough talent to make this one feel live.
The matchup also puts the spotlight on how Florida wants to play it, because the ability to run the ball and lean on a strong defensive line could go a long way toward keeping the game on script. Even so, the quarterback picture remains unsettled, with no starter announced and Tramell Jones and Aaron Philo both listed as questionable, leaving one of the teams most important decisions open as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Florida May Be Getting A Massive Boost Right Before Georgia
Floridas passing game has been searching for consistency while the receiver room works through injuries to Eric Singleton Jr. and Vernell Brown III, a hit that has shown up in the offenses overall effectiveness over the last few games. The two bring different traits to the field, and when both are available, the group gives the Gators more options in how they can attack downfield and on the perimeter.
As Georgia looms, there is at least some reason for optimism that the receiving corps could be getting closer to full strength at just the right time. If that trend holds, it could open up more of the game plan Florida has been unable to fully lean on lately, with the real question being how quickly those pieces can be worked back into rhythm before the rivalry game arrives. [Read more 🡒]