GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we predict the Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs game on Saturday in Jacksonville.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down the game and talk about how the Gators offense can score against Georgia.
Andrew and Nick also talk about the latest news regarding the suspensions, plus predict who the players to watch are.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew:What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, back, ready, Friday, for Jacksonville. Florida-Georgia. As I said on Monday, one of my favorite games of the year. Coming across that bridge is pretty cool. Seeing that atmosphere is pretty cool. I’m having a feeling we’re not going to talk about much football in this podcast.
Nick:Can we please just talk football?
Andrew:Do you want to just get it out of the way?
Nick:Yeah. Just get it out of the way.
Andrew:What are you thinking Jimmy Mac? What are you thinking, Coach?
Nick:You’re not. You’re not thinking. That’s the problem.
Andrew:What are you thinking, Coach? Just be quiet. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful manner. Coach is a grown man, but just be quiet, Coach. You dug yourself a hole.
Nick:Yeah. I think he just said something that he probably regretted saying, and he came out on Wednesday and said it wasn’t even something that had happened recently. It was something that happened in the past, but for whatever reason that day it was on his mind. It’s like he said. I think he said enough on Wednesday, as far as an apology, to kind of close the book on it.
Andrew:Did it close the book on it?
Nick:I think so. As far as needing to talk about it and needing to write about it, I think so. I think he learned a lesson, because the statement that the UAA came out with certainly did not back him. You’d expect a statement to say, “We’re working with Coach. We take anything like this very seriously, and we stand behind him.” The statement was, “He offered no further detail.” You’re kind of just like, what? What do you mean? To me, that disconnect was kind of like that’s not good. I think, for me, it’s like he addressed it, and let’s move on. There’s a pretty big game this weekend.
Andrew:I don’t think it’s passed, Nick. I don’t think it’s passed. I think it’s a situation where it’s going to take time. People are frustrated by it. Nick, I think the thing that bothers me, there’s two things that bother me with it. This was something that didn’t need to be mentioned. It was very uncharacteristic of Mac to mention it in the first place.
Secondly, what a poor job by the communications department at Florida. What a poor job. Had you left the last five words out where he said he did not offer any further details, this might have blown over on Monday. Part of me blames Mac for this thing, and then part of me blames the communications department. This was handled very bush league. This was handled very poorly on all parties, and it almost shows the world how separate the two parties are, and how there’s a mess in the department, Athletic Department. I think that is what makes this worse is that it now kind of shows an outlying problem.
Nick:I think they sent a message with that.
Andrew:Okay. That is?
Nick:It’s kind of like we’re not going to sweep this under the rug. Listen, we’re sending a message with this statement of this can’t happen. You know that this can’t happen. You messed up. I think they were sending a message to McElwain.
Andrew:You don’t get the impression that it was uncalled for?
Nick:On their part?
Andrew:Yes.
Nick:Well, we’re not behind closed doors. When they met with him and asked him for details, what was said? Obviously, not enough to make them happy.
Andrew:You don’t think it should have been handled behind closed doors between the two departments?
Nick:I think it should have. I think McElwain made the first step of airing the laundry to put it out there, and I think that was their way of sending the message, this can never happen again.
Andrew:I don’t know.
Nick:It’s almost like you put out the statement, like I said, we back him and this and that. It almost seems like just a slap on the back of the hand. Don’t do that again. The statement that they put out makes him answer more questions. It puts you in a position of you’re going to go out there and answer. You made this bed. You’re going to go out there and answer more questions, and then once you do that, and you come up with some sort of apology, or some way to back off of the statement, then we’ll go back. We’re not going to clean this mess up for you.
Andrew:I just personally think it should have been handled behind closed doors. I think when you get into a public fight it makes all parties look bad. Steve McClain looks bad. Florida looks bad. Everyone looks bad in this situation. People are saying that McClain and Mac now have problems. Some people are now saying Strickland and Mac have problems. It opens up a war of words that was unneeded.
Nick:Yeah. It could have been handled differently. Monday of Georgia week, it’s not a story that we should be talking about, not something that I should have to write about. I think some people thought we enjoyed talking about this kind of stuff. I didn’t. I’d much rather be writing about football.
Andrew:I think that’s what kind of made me upset with Mac a little bit was you now directed attention at yourself instead of your football team. I thought the first part of Mac’s press conference on Monday was going really well, talking about recruiting, talking about the team, that kind of stuff. Then it went south, and it went into talking about him. It just is not a good look, in my opinion.
Nick:Yeah. It was a bad look all around. I don’t know what you’re thinking to say that.
Andrew:What do you think, Nick, going forward is the best way to get this done? Does Mac need to say anything else, or just let his play on the field work?
Nick:No. I think Wednesday was as close to an apology as will come with him. To keep bringing it up, I don’t think you’re going to get any more information about it.
Andrew:We’re not going to get into any more of that. That’s what we said. We spent seven and a half minutes of the first part of the podcast talking about what I call bullshit. Death threats are serious. I’m not trying to say they’re not. Death threats are very serious, and they happen everywhere in sports for stupid reasons. I hope and pray that whatever threats were received were just that, a threat, and that nobody is not dumb enough to actually do something, because this game, and any sports that we all take so serious, is not worth that kind of stuff. I personally hope that things were taken care of.
Nick:Listen, I know everybody gets paid a lot, there’s a ton of pressure on players and coaches, but it’s a game.
Andrew:Exactly. Let’s talk about the game on the field, Nick. This is something I wanted to talk to you about a little bit. Florida’s sitting 3-3 going up against a very good Georgia team. In my opinion, you shouldn’t be putting bulletin board material on Georgia’s wall in there. I think that there’s a difference in being confident and cocky. There’s a confident way of saying, “We’re going to be fine.” When you say, “We never lose to Georgia,” that kind of stuff, in my opinion, just wasn’t necessary. The stuff Chauncey Gardner said about Jake Fromm not being a good quarterback, that kind of stuff. In my opinion, I don’t know. I kind of want to say to myself, “What are you doing? What is the PR team doing to these guys to not get them to hush?”
Nick:Well, they’re not wrong. 21 of 27. Three in a row. When you look at the way the two teams are playing right now, might not want to say, “They might be the #3 team, but they can’t beat us. They can’t beat Florida.”
Andrew:Right. That’s what I’m saying. Do you think that at times they should just hush?
Nick:Yeah. I mean, I always like when people are honest, and we don’t get the coach speak. But your honesty has to come with some level of backing it up.
Andrew:Right. That’s what I’m saying as well.
Nick:Right now you’re a 3-3 football team. It’s good to be confident. It’s good to prepare and thing what you’ve done to prepare is giving you that confidence, but right now you’re 3-3 coming off two losses. I don’t know where the confidence is coming from, especially when you’re looking at this team. Georgia’s running the ball for 300 yards a game, and Jake Fromm doesn’t look like a freshman anymore.
Andrew:It’s not so much, Nick, about the confidence. All teams should have confidence. Florida should go into this game thinking they’re going to kick Georgia’s ass, vice versa. That’s the mindset of a team, and I think you would agree with that. My thing is the less you talk sometimes is the better. Let the actions on the field speak for themselves, and then come out and talk that trash. I just don’t know. I don’t like it as much.
Then again, you and I would complain if they were just saying, “They’re this, that, and the other.” Kind of in a no-win situation, I guess, a little bit. At the same time, it just seems like sometimes you wish you could tell them, “Listen, there’s a time and a place to talk. Right now is not the time.”
Nick:Yeah. You say stuff on Monday, and then reporters ask Georgia about it. They know about it. They’re comments were, “That’s just Florida. They talk.” Right now, Georgia’s on a little revenge tour. They haven’t lost to a team this year that they lost to last year. Florida’s on that list. Almost like, no need to put fuel in their car.
Andrew:Exactly. That’s where I’m at. I think they’ll both come out confident, and they’ll both come out ready to play. At least you would hope so. Florida’s questionable at times with how they come out of the locker room.
Let’s talk a little bit about Feleipe Franks, Nick. Mac praises the work of Jake Fromm and Georgia with their quarterback play. Maybe take some notes?
Nick:I asked him Wednesday. I said, “You guys have been very complimentary of Kirby and the job that Georgia’s done with their freshman quarterback.” My question said, “Do you feel like you guys have done the same and put Feleipe into positions where he can be successful?” He starts talking about that they have a great running game. I rephrased it and asked him again. “Do you see anything that Georgia’s doing with Jake Fromm that helps them out that you could take away?” “Well, they’ve had a great offensive line.” I throw my hands up in the air. Okay.
Andrew:Right. My thing is, and I spoke to some people about this. I was talking to some of my buddies that are in the coaching fields, and some are at the college level, about Franks. They were like, “Listen, find a way to go into this game with just a simple playbook of this is what it is. This is what that is. Find a way to make Feleipe comfortable.” You’re going to run the ball this game. You’re going to. That’s Florida’s way of doing things. They’re going to go into this game. They’re going to run the ball. Find Feleipe a way to get comfortable.
You’re going to have to take deep shots. If you don’t take deep shots, you’re going to get blown out in this game, because they’re going to shut down the running game if you don’t. You’ve got to find a way for Feleipe to get comfortable enough. Someone told me it’s almost, “Feleipe, you know where you’re going to go with the ball pre-snap, because that’s what you do. If that play’s not open, here’s a check down. Hit it. If not, run the ball.”
Nick:You got to start using his legs, I think.
Andrew:It’s kind of what Kirby said on Wednesday during the teleconference. He goes, “I think the coaches realized how athletic Feleipe Franks was on that 79-yard run.” Maybe. You and I called for it last week, or the week before. Where did the game plan that they used with Austin Appleby go? It was the zone reads, that kind of stuff. When Appleby came in, I would say it was the last four games, maybe, Nick, that they started really doing that with. Especially the Florida State, the Alabama, and the Iowa game. He was running the ball. It was effectively. I mean, it was effective. It wasn’t a ton of yards, because Austin Appleby’s not the athlete Feleipe Franks is. It was still there. It was still something they had to respect.
Nick:Exactly. That’s the thing. Last week, or two weeks ago, against Texas A&M, when you take out Kadarius Toney, and you take away Tyrie Cleveland, you just don’t have the weapons. You become an easier offense to prepare for and to defend. If you add in a weapon of now it’s not just once in a blue moon the quarterback is scrambling, but there’s some designed things here. Now we really have to prepare for a quarterback that can beat us with his legs. Then you’re talking about having to spy a linebacker. It just opens up the field more. If you have a guy that can do it, don’t hamstring him and tell him he can’t. I’m not saying they told him, “Don’t run,” but let him know, “We are totally cool with you taking off and running a little bit.”
Andrew:That’s what I was going to say. It also allows the defense not to just kind of submerge on the running back. It makes the defense have to stay in their lanes, and not just collapse. We talk about that with Florida’s defensive line. They like to just collapse on the ball carrier a lot, and it hurt them with Kellen Mond. That’s a thing that I think you can do some things with Franks. They’re doing it with Kadarius Toney, and the only difference is everybody knows Kadarius is going to run. Make them think that with Feleipe.
I say this a little bit as well. Get Feleipe out of the pocket a little bit. See if they’re able to settle him down, I guess is the best way to say it. Allow him to get out and only have to see half the field. I don’t know what it is, but you have to do something with Feleipe. I know there’s going to be someone who says, “They shouldn’t have to do that.” They do. Feleipe’s the quarterback. That’s all they got right now. Until next year, when they have a healthy Del Rio back, until they have Matt Corral in, and until they have Kyle Trask back, that’s all they have right now. It’s Feleipe. He isn’t able to read the whole field.
Nick:Do you think we see Malik Zaire this week?
Andrew:Maybe in a package.
Nick:Right. I certainly don’t mean as extended playing time. Do you think we see some creativity? That’s allowed. With Zaire.
Andrew:No. First of all, that word’s illegal. You might be getting prosecuted for saying that. I certainly would hope so. You’ve had two weeks. I mean, is there not something you can do with Malik? I say this, and I say this jokingly, but not jokingly. You have no offense. You have to find a way to get creative, trickery. You have to find a way. I know people are going to say, “Just run your offense, and let Feleipe get ready.” Listen, Feleipe’s not your quarterback next year. Secondly, Feleipe can’t run your offense. Third, if you do run that offense, you’re going to get blown out in this game, and you’re not going to win very many games to end the season.
Nick:You mentioned before, before I asked about Zaire, about Feleipe, rolling him out and taking away half the field. I almost don’t know if that even, I think that might end up hurting you more than it helps you. You know what I mean? I think that’s easily adjusted to in game.
Andrew:Yes and no.
Nick:Now all of a sudden, it’s he rolls out, and okay. It’s going to be tough for him to roll out to his left, so we know if they’re moving the pocket, they’re probably moving it to the right. I think you can start in-game planning for that.
Andrew:Right. Again, yes and no. I think you can get creative enough to do that. Obviously, you can’t do it every play, but some. I don’t know. Again, you and I aren’t getting paid the $1 million Doug Nussmeier is, or the $4 million Mac is, or $3 million, whatever Mac’s salary is, to do that. You have to come up with something, and you have to use that dirty word you just said, creative. You have to get creative.
Nick:That dirty word.
Andrew:It is dirty. What do you think? What do you think is the way to win this game?
Nick:That was going to be my question for you. How do you see, what’s the best way to attack Georgia? We had a good story about they’ve been susceptible, or are susceptible, to getting beat deep. Getting Cleveland back would certainly help that. Other than a few plays, that hasn’t really been something that you do well.
I think you need to run the football effectively, which Florida has shown that they can kind of take over games if they just commit to it. You’ve got two running backs. The offensive line starts building some momentum. You’ve shown that you can sustain drives with long, 13-play drives, where you’re running the ball eight times, nine times. Then, defensively, it’s the same story as last year. Stop the run, and make the freshman quarterback beat you with his arm.
Andrew:Exactly. Don’t allow him to sit back in the pocket. Put some pressure on him, and make him throw the ball. That’s the way it is. Chauncey, if you’re so good about knowing what he’s going to do, make a play. You haven’t made a play all year, but make a play.
My thing is that you better come into this game playing disciplined football on defense, and playing turnover free ball on offense. If you go into this game and Florida commits multiple turnovers, it’ll get ugly. If they go into this game and they don’t play sound defense, where they play fundamentals, staying in their lanes, that kind of stuff, they’re going to get ran over. That is just the nature of it. That’s what it is. When you’re a team, and I’m saying this and people may get on me for saying this, but when you’re playing a team that is more superior than you, you can’t make mistakes.
Nick:Yeah. Do you think this team is superior? Obviously, they’re playing better now, but on paper.
Andrew:Yes.
Nick:It is a situation like the past couple years, when you looked at FSU’s roster and Florida’s roster, and you’re like, “No. These aren’t the same teams.”
Andrew:I don’t think that it’s a talent gap, per say.
Nick:That’s what I was asking.
Andrew:I think it’s more of a what can this team do. Like it or not, quarterback is where things go on offense, and if you’re not doing good on offense, then it’s the quarterback. That’s where it is. Is the quarterback there? Then vice versa on defense. It’s safety play. Safety play’s been bad. I don’t think it’s a talent gap. I think both teams are very talented. I think it’s right now Georgia’s creativity and their game planning and their play calling is more superior than Florida’s.
I think that the confidence level is much more superior on Georgia’s side than it is on Florida’s side. Florida goes into this game, I mean, you and I say they should have confidence, but do you? If you’re an offensive player, do you really have confidence that Feleipe is going to win you this game?
Nick:I don’t. Maybe the guys in the room do, but from what I’ve seen, no, sir.
Andrew:You know what I’m saying? Where do you draw confidence from? The last few years, sure. This is a completely different Georgia team.
Nick:Different teams. That’s why it’s always a tight game. I’ve said it jokingly. Listen, I watched Will Muschamp and Treon Harris win this game. I watched Treon Harris beat Georgia twice. Anything can happen in rivalry games, and weird things happen in Jacksonville. But it’s like you said, Florida’s got to play.
Andrew:Mistake free ball.
Nick:Perfect. Mistake free. You’ve got to create turnovers too. Create some turnovers. Florida’s the only team in the country that hasn’t forced a fumble this season.
Andrew:That’s part of that loose, prevent D they play. You and I can argue about that all day. I don’t feel like arguing about it today with you on it, but it’s part of it. They have to play aggressive ball. I mean, in this game, Georgia’s going to score points. You have to be aggressive. You can’t sit back and allow Georgia to bring the fight to you. Take the fight to them. Brandon Spikes, bring that fire that Brandon Spikes had of I’m going to knock you in the face, and I don’t care.
Where’s that fire from Vosean Joseph that was knocking the shit out of Danny Etling at the goal line last year? Where is the monster hits that we were so accustomed to seeing from David Reese at times? Where is that? I say this, and I hate to pick on these guys in the defensive line, because they’re playing so good of ball, but where is that monster hit that just get up and be jacked? I don’t like so much the celebrating, but it seems like there’s no energy. Where is that pride on the special teams of the Chris Thompson, who he would get a personal foul every now and then for hitting the punt returner, but just knocking the shit out of the punt returner?
Nick:Florida probably can’t get too many 15-yard penalties, but I know what you mean.
Andrew:You know what I’m saying though?
Nick:Yeah. I know what you mean, but who is that player?
Andrew:That’s a question.
Nick:I would have trouble pointing to a guy.
Andrew:I don’t know who the leader of this football team is. We’re in what, Week 7, Week 8?
Nick:Going into Game 7, Week 8.
Andrew:Technically, Week 9, because you have a missing game. Week 9 of the college football season, and about what, Week 14, 15, six weeks of fall practice? I don’t know who your leader of your football team is. I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t begin to tell you who the leader of the offense is.
Nick:I would say it needs to be …
Andrew:Martez Ivey.
Nick:He’s such a quiet guy.
Andrew:I would almost say it was TJ McCoy.
Nick:I don’t think it is. I’d say Lamical Perine might need to be that guy, but that’s also kind of not his style.
Andrew:It would have probably been a Jordan Scarlett or Antonio Callaway.
Nick:Yeah. Jordan Scarlett was really stepping into that role before he got in trouble. We can get into that.
Andrew:Let’s go ahead and get into that. Seven of the nine look to be likely to be getting pretrial diversion. Go ahead and explain that process of what pretrial diversion is, Nick. Give it to us in layman’s terms. Don’t try to talk to us in legal terms.
Nick:You’re basically entering into a contract with the state attorney. You’re agreeing to meet A, B, C, and D. If you do all the things that are in that contract, the state attorney, essentially, drops the charges against you. No record. You’re not going to jail. It gets dropped. If you fail any of those at any point, the state attorney can and will bring the case back up. It’s kind of like being on probation. You’ve got to meet certain criteria, and as long as you do that, keep your nose clean, you’re good. This is felony pretrial diversion, pretrial intervention, so that’s a huge thing. If you can’t stay clean and meet what’s in that contract, you’re looking at a felony on your record. That’s misdemeanor possession of marijuana. That’s a big deal.
I think the only two that will have a hard time getting it are Jordan Smith and Kadeem Telfort, because they have multiple instances of credit card fraud. The other guys it was all just one incident. Right now, let me run through. They’re all coming through one at a time.
Andrew:Antonio Callaway.
Nick:Antonio Callaway. Keivonnis Davis. Richard Desir-Jones. James Houston. Ventrell Miller. Jordan Scarlett. Rick Wells. Those seven have been offered pretrial intervention.
Andrew:Right. The news that we’re getting is, again, Smith and Telfort will not qualify. Those guys are likely to probably spend some time behind bars, in my opinion.
Nick:That’s a real tough situation. Their lawyers are in a tough spot, because basically …
Andrew:It was a lot.
Nick:Basically, the state is looking at Smith as he’s the ringleader, so you treat him differently. He also has another case going on with the apartment complex that’s separate. You got a bunch of stuff going on. Good luck with pretrial diversion. Maybe we can work something else out, but they view the person as the ringleader, and they treat that person differently. Then Kadeem Telfort, 30.
Andrew:You bought hot fries with somebody else’s credit card.
Nick:Yeah. It’s going to be a tough learned lesson for him.
Andrew:It just is a tough situation for Mac to be in with these guys, because this has been such a popular case. What do you do going forward?
Nick:What is the perception going to be?
Andrew:The perception’s going to be, and I say this, and I say this for just one person. I mean, I don’t hate that I single it out. I shouldn’t even think that. How you do allow Antonio Callaway back on your football team?
Nick:He makes your football team better.
Andrew:Strike three. You’re out.
Nick:I hear that.
Andrew:Just saying. Strike three. You’re out.
Nick:You’re in a tough spot at 3-3. You need to win some football games.
Andrew:Let me ask you that then.
Nick:Need to get to a bowl game.
Andrew:Let me ask you that then. How long do you expect this to take place? They still got to meet with the student advisory board.
Nick:I think they do. I need to double check on that. That’ll be in my story, so check on Gator Country. I think they do, but I’m not 100% sure.
Andrew:Right. See, I believe they do as well. Once that happens, then they’re allowed to play. How long do you have to play? Guys like Callaway still have to go through the mandatory NCAA practice where they’re going to have to recondition themselves.
Nick:Yeah. People are asking, like can they play this week? No.
Andrew:They could. It’d be a terrible decision for your football team. If you’re Josh Hammond, or you’re Freddie Swain, and you got to sit behind Callaway, you’ve got to think, “He just is gone forever, and comes back?”
Nick:Listen, they’re not in your plans.
Andrew:I’m asking you that. If you’re a player, how do you take that? You know what I’m saying? You’re saying perception. How do you take that, those guys coming back?
Nick:I think they’re still friends. You know what I mean?
Andrew:Friends or not, you’re taking somebody’s spot.
Nick:I think at the end of the day they want to win football games. Jordan Scarlett helps me do that. Antonio Callaway helps me do that. I’m looking at this from like a totally different, not a moral standpoint, but I think they’re teammates. Listen, I’ve seen guys on the football team around Gainesville hanging out with the guys that have been suspended. They’re still friends. Did they mess up? Absolutely.
Andrew:They didn’t just mess up though, Nick.
Nick:Did they make the football team worse? Are guys probably mad about that? Yeah. These are still their friends. Your friends mess up, and you talk about it, but at the end of the day, you’re still friends. I think the majority, a big majority, of the players would just welcome these guys back.
Andrew:I don’t know, me, if I was still in my coaching position, would take this matter, because of the fact that I think you lose control of your team. You lose control of your football program, and you set a bad example, if you allow these guys back.
Nick:You would not allow any of them back?
Andrew:I don’t think so. It’s tough. I think at some point or another you have to set an example. Listen, you can’t just run rampant, get pretrial diversion.
Nick:Is this a blanket policy, or a case by case? Like a James Houston, good kid, came. Made a mistake. Did it one time. Are you kicking James Houston out? He’s different than Antonio Callaway, who you’ve had to deal with every single year he’s been here.
Andrew:I think it is kind of a case by case thing. Like Rick Wells. This is his second incident that is pretty big. Antonio Callaway, this is strike three, four, five, six, seven. God knows how many. I guess it is kind of a case by case thing. From a public perception, you can’t allow Antonio Callaway back on your football team. Cannot allow Antonio Callaway back on your football team, because if do that, then you have to allow everybody else to get strike nine.
Nick:It almost seems like, in Callaway’s case, how good are you, and I’ll tell you how many chances you get.
Andrew:I don’t care how good he is. He ain’t worth the chances. I’m sitting here today, and I’m telling you, Nick, and you can disagree with me. People on Twitter can disagree with me. If Antonio Callaway was not a part of this football team after the three strikes he’s already received before this, this incident wouldn’t be as bad as it was.
Nick:Certainly.
Andrew:Just saying what it is. Nick, let’s go. I know you got some games to pick for us this week. What you got? Give them to us.
Nick:The games are rough this week, bro.
Andrew:They are. They’re rough this week. Not a good schedule. What you got though?
Nick:We’re going to do Oklahoma State at West Virginia. 11 vs. 22.
Andrew:West Virginia. The fighting Will Griers.
Nick:I always pick with the fighting Will Griers.
Andrew:Big scoring game?
Nick:Yeah. With those two offenses. That’s a noon game actually too.
Andrew:Okay.
Nick:Biggest game of the week.
Andrew:Okay.
Nick:Penn State at Ohio State.
Andrew:Man, I went with Michigan last week against Penn State, just because I didn’t know how good Penn State really was. This is at Penn State too, right? No. It’s at Buckeyes.
Nick:At Ohio State.
Andrew:Ohio State don’t have a quarterback. Penn State.
Nick:I got to call my buddy out. He walked in last week. He’s a Michigan fan. He goes, “I have a good feeling about this game. 21-20.” I said, “Yeah? Okay.” Did not happen that way. That’s not how the game went down. I’m going to go Ohio State, just because it’s at home.
Andrew:Okay. We’ll see.
Nick:I don’t feel super confident.
Andrew:I don’t feel super confident either team. I’m a little unsure. I think both still have a little bit of question marks.
Nick:I got another one for you. Life champions, without John Kelly, at Kentucky.
Andrew:Kentucky.
Nick:I’m also going Kentucky.
Andrew:This is just another nail in the coffin for Butch.
Nick:Does he make it all the way to the end of the year?
Andrew:Yes.
Nick:Then they’re getting John Gruden, right?
Andrew:Yes. John Gruden’s coming up. Chuckie Doll’s coming to Knoxville.
Nick:Man, these are stinkers all across the board. What do you want to pick? We can do last one, another top 25 matchup. #4 TCU at #25 Iowa State.
Andrew:TCU. Matt Campbell’s hot at Iowa State though. That joker is coaching some good ball. He’s going to get a good job at the end of the year. Iowa State’s going to make that a close game.
Nick:Ames, Iowa. They would storm the hell out of that field if they won.
Andrew:Absolutely. I got one for you, Nick. Who do you got right there, first?
Nick:TCU.
Andrew:Okay. I got one for you. Does Alabama cover the 50 point spread on the bye week?
Nick:Yeah. Alabama beats the bye by 50.
Andrew:Okay. That’s all that matters. Let’s pick our players before we do this. I think it’s my turn to go first. I’m rolling the dice with the running backs. Lamical Perine.
Nick:I’ll take Davis.
Andrew:I wanted the duo, man. I wanted the duo for fantasy football.
Nick:I’m not going to let that happen.
Andrew:I’m going to roll the dice again and say Marco Wilson, pick. Finally gets a pick. I think Florida’s defense will make them throw the ball a little bit, and Marco gets a pick.
Nick:Okay. I’m going to go with Cece Jefferson.
Andrew:Okay. I’m going to, my third one …
Nick:This is his last go around probably. I think we see some inspired football from Carl.
Andrew:Okay. I’m going to roll the dice and go with Jabari.
Nick:Zuniga.
Andrew:Yes, sir.
Nick:My third is going to be Chauncey Gardner. I’m going back to it. I think he’s up there, top 2 in tackles, and I think he has a good game.
Andrew:Whatever. If he leads the team in tackles, and also leads the team in missed tackles, you’re not getting a win.
Nick:I’m just going to count all those as tackles and double up.
Andrew:Brother. Before we go to our pick, Nick, I want to go back to something. We’re taping this on Thursday. News is rolling in. It looks like the first week in November is going to be the pretrial hearings and stuff for all these guys.
Nick:They’ve all agreed to it, but then you have to go …
Andrew:Sign the papers.
Nick:The papers are signed. The agreement’s signed, but you still have to go to court. Then what’ll happen is Hudley Johnson, or whoever the attorney is for each individual player, and Bill Cervone, or somebody from his office, go to the judge, in this case it’s Judge Pena. They say, “We have come to this agreement. The state attorney recommends that the judge lets them do pretrial diversion.” That’s kind of just a formality, but you have to go through that. The judge has to sign off on it. You have to have a court date.
That’s another thing, when people are saying, can they play this week? No. Yes, they’ve agreed to it, but it hasn’t been made official. They haven’t been officially placed in the program.
Andrew:Right. Exactly. Nick, who you got? Bulldogs-Gators.
Nick:I got Georgia.
Andrew:Explain.
Nick:I think what this whole thing with the death threats, and how negative everyone and everything around the program has been, I think there’s a bunker mentality with the players, and you’ll see them come out and start the game fast, start the game pissed off. I think there is something to them thinking, “Georgia can’t beat us. They don’t. We will find a way to beat Georgia, because that’s what we do.” I think there’s something to that. Do I think they should have talked about it on Monday? Probably not.
I think there’s something to that, so I think Florida starts off fast, but this team is one that there’s just so many ways that the offense finds ruts, can’t sustain drives when the defense is on the field. I worry about missed tackles with these Georgia running backs and keeping contain. I think Florida starts strong, but Georgia wins the game.
Andrew:Georgia, 35-10 in the game. The week has not gone Florida’s way. Florida’s kind of feeling sorry for themselves. Feleipe forces some turnovers. 35-10, Georgia.
Nick:What kind of heat is on the seat after a 25-point loss?
Andrew:Scorching. Especially after the week you’ve had. Scorching hot. The only way that was going to be taken away from him, period, was the change that was going to be made during the bye week. That wasn’t there. You see the rift that’s out there between Strickland and Mac, the UAA and Mac, that kind of stuff. The heat only gets hotter. The UAA is going to have to come out with something to push these away. It’s an ugly game in Jacksonville, Nick. I look at this game as Florida-Alabama last year, in that Florida has no business being in this game.
Nick:You think nothing crazy can happen?
Andrew:No. I’d love to be wrong. I’d love to see a good game. Don’t see it. For people who follow along with us, I think, Nick, you can agree with this, this is probably the lowest I’ve been on this football team in a long, long time.
Nick:Yeah. You’re down in the dumps on the team.
Andrew:Make me believe something, Nick. I’m tired of seeing a team that comes out acting like they don’t want to play. What do you say?
Nick:If you can’t get up for Georgia. This is one of those games, like I said against LSU. If you can’t get up for Georgia …
Andrew:Something’s wrong.
Nick:Something’s wrong.
Andrew:Something’s wrong. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us. We’ll get out. We’ll see everyone on Monday. If you’re in Jacksonville, holler at Nick and I. We’ll be there.
Nick:www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast is there in audio and transcript form. Podcast is also on iTunes. @GatorCountry, search that. Subscribe. Never miss an episode. Do your social media thing. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. I’m @NickdelaTorreGC. He’s @AndrewSpiveyGC.
Andrew:There you go. As always, if you’re looking for a coupon code, hit one of us up. We’ll give that to you, and get you on Gator Country. We will see everyone on Monday. As always, go Braves. Chomp, chomp.
Nick:You stay classy, Gator Country.