Gator Country brings you a new Friday prediction podcast as we get you ready for the Florida Gators game against LSU on Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down the key match-ups in this game and what they think the Gators will do on offense.
Andrew and Nick also give you three players to watch for the Gators, plus predict games around the country including Gators vs. Tigers.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew: What up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, Friday before LSU. It’s game time. It’s time to play the hurricane game. Smack talk aside, 12:00 kick, let’s do this.
Nick: Noon kick. I’m ready to be in Baton Rouge. I’m ready to be, more importantly, in New Orleans on Thursday night. That’s good for me.
Andrew: Yeah. I think that this has been a good week for Florida overall. No trash talk from the Florida side, kind of letting whatever they want to say say, and kind of move on, and I think that’s been a good thing, a positive thing, for Florida. A couple of people has also told me that things have been well in practice, that it’s been a focused practice, and seems like everybody’s ready to go as far as the game goes. It seems like most people understand what’s at stake Saturday in Baton Rouge.
Nick: Joey Ivie said it, “If you can’t get up for this game, then you don’t love football. You need to look in the mirror and wonder what you’re doing.” Everything’s on the line. Florida with a win, Jim McElwain would become the first football coach to ever take his team back to back in the first two years to SEC Championship games. Nick Saban didn’t do that. Les Miles didn’t do that. Steve Spurrier, they didn’t.
Andrew: They did, but they didn’t, because they had it taken away.
Nick: Yeah. To me, it’s everything’s on the line. This is a rivalry game. There’s been so much trash talk. LSU’s called you out as men and said, “You’re afraid to come here and play us.” They’re questioning not just you as a football player. They’re questioning you as a man, and if you can’t find it in yourself to use that to focus on this week, and I mean that as in practice, can’t focus this week in practice to get yourself ready for Saturday, then what are you doing?
Andrew: Yeah. You think about that, and that’s the truth. I just said this to someone. I said, “You talk about these guys that are leaving, going to leave school early, whether that be Quincy, Tabor, Brantley, whoever it may be, you talk about that, and those guys have got pride too. So they’re going to go into this game pissed off.” I mean, Jalen Tabor’s one of the guys that I wouldn’t question how tough he is. He comes from Maryland. He looks like a bad man. Quincy, down in the streets in South Florida, I mean I understand Fort Lauderdale’s not as bad as some of the other places, but still you don’t question those guys integrity, and you don’t, any man, in my opinion, you don’t question that and don’t expect them to respond.
Nick: We’ll see what Florida’s made of. That doesn’t mean you go down there and you win, but if you go down there and lay an egg, then, yeah, maybe you were. Maybe they were right. You have to go down there and play like you’re ready to play. You have to play like you know what’s at stake, and it’s kind of a balancing act. We talk about it when I was playing baseball all the time. Okay, you’re playing for a championship. It’s a different game. You don’t treat it the same as every other game. This isn’t the same as playing Missouri. This isn’t the same as if you would have played Presbyterian. This is a different game. The stakes are different. It’s a rivalry game. You have to treat it differently, but also not let the moment become too big. If that makes sense.
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: Don’t let the stakes, and all those other things that you’ve used to help you prepare, don’t let that become something that makes you slow and tight, because you’re worried about it.
Andrew: Yeah. Just come out loose like you did in the Tennessee game, and I said this to someone yesterday, and that was, “Florida needs to come out and score first.” If they can come out and score first, relax themselves, calm the energy in Tiger Stadium down a little bit, let the defense get into a little bit of a groove, and go. I think you go in with that same recipe that you went in with Tennessee, and that is take the crowd noise out. Try to get off to a good start, a fast start, kind of like you did in the South Carolina game, where you get some early points. Do that, and then go and see where it is. You definitely like what Appleby does at the beginning of the game, and I think that, I do, I think Florida will come out okay on their first drive. If they can score, relieves a lot of pressure off their back.
Nick: Absolutely. Get an early lead. Florida’s not built to come back. The offense, the way that it’s constructed, the way that they’ve been playing, they’re not built to get into shootouts, and they’re not built to come back from being down. Get an early lead. Let everyone kind of go, okay. Once you score, I mentioned it last week, when you score in that first drive, you’re talking about scripted plays. We talked about how Nuss does well with scripted plays, but when you score in that first drive it gives you that little bit of confidence of, our coaches told us, we did this, if we do A, B, C, and D, we’re going to be successful.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: We just did it on that first drive. They knew what they were talking about. Of course, you trust the game plan going in, but it gives you that little extra kick of confidence, like game plan was right. This game’s ours. Getting ahead is something big. Getting that crowd out of it. You don’t to have a situation where first play of the game, pick six on offense for Florida.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: Now the crowd’s crazy, and you’re playing from behind.
Andrew: Yeah. Don’t do that at all. I think that, I think like you said, it’s the scripted plays are good, and if Florida is able to come out and just play pitch and catch, you know. Just play pitch and catch, and get the passing game going enough to where you’re able to run the ball. I mean, at the end of the day, Florida needs to own time in possession. You could stop Fournette. You could stop Guice, but act like, for instance, Bama. When Bama shuts them down, their defense is great, let’s not get it wrong, but they also own time in possession, and that’s what Florida needs to do is own the time in possession as much as they can. So those 10 plays, 70 yard drives that take seven minutes are what you want this weekend at Baton Rouge to go in, and back to Fournette and Guice, you got to stop them. If you stop them, make Etling beat you. I don’t have confidence Etling beats you, but make him beat you. That’s where I look at things.
Nick: Yeah. Before we get into that, let’s get some, want to get Eddy out of the way? Dive into it.
Andrew: Yeah. Just don’t know if there’s anything here.
Nick: That’s what I’m saying, just get it out of the way. We need to address it on the podcast, and before we get too into this I want to just get it out of the way.
Andrew: Okay. Yeah. Go ahead.
Nick: Eddy Pineiro was, not arrested, Eddy Pineiro was cited for causing property damage by Alachua County police. It was an incident that happened on October 7th, so before the South Carolina game. Multiple witnesses saw Pineiro kicking and pushing two different scooters and ripping off the side mirrors. Pineiro drove away, but later admitted the incident to university police. The damage to the two scooters is estimated at $800. It’s a misdemeanor.
Jim McElwain was asked yesterday about Pineiro not playing, because there were rumors going around that he would miss the game this week, wouldn’t travel with the team to LSU. McElwain was asked if Pineiro would play. He said, “I’m planning on it. Did he do something?” Said there were rumors, said we spent too much time on message boards, and that Eddy kicked the heck out of it. Kicked the heck out of the ball on Wednesday, so it’s an incident that happened before South Carolina. I don’t think you then go and say, “Well, he played last week, just days after having the incident, and now we’re going to not play him.”
Andrew: Okay. Here’s my take on it, because this is where I get pissed off. First of all, it happened on damn November 7, that’s damn two weeks ago. I understand everybody’s got to report it. Great. Don’t make a damn big deal out of it. He kicked a damn scooter. Who cares? Nick, I mean, let’s just be real here. I mean, it’s not like he got busted for smoking weed. It’s not like he was drinking and driving. It’s not like he shot a BB gun and busted out a window. He kicked a damn scooter. Make him pay the damn $800 and be done with it. Let’s not make it like he’s a damn criminal here. He’s a college student.
I told you this off the air, and that is that I’ve had several people tell me that the dorm that the football players live in, that a bunch of people park their scooters there and stuff, and it gets tough for guys to park their scooters. He probably just got pissed off. He kicked the scooter. He probably didn’t think anything about it. He admitted to it. He didn’t hide it, didn’t do any of that. He wasn’t arrested. He was just charged with that. Pay the money, be done with it, and let’s go. I mean, this is where I think you can get pissed off at things, what’s going on, if he gets suspended. Other schools don’t suspend him. Florida, do the right thing. Don’t suspend him. I don’t expect him to be suspended. Be done with it. He kicked the scooter. Make him pay the fine. All things good. Let him go kick the game winning field goal.
Nick: Is this the most appropriate, if we’re talking about players getting in trouble, is this the most appropriate player getting in trouble, a kicker getting in trouble for kicking stuff that he wasn’t supposed to kick?
Andrew: At least he made contact. Austin Hardin would have probably…
Nick: Austin, this would have never happened to Austin Hardin.
Andrew: No. He’d have missed. He’d have missed. He’d have kicked the engine, and he’d have broke his foot.
Nick: Maybe that’s why he didn’t play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
Andrew: No. That’s because he was dancing and sprung a leg. Lordy. Injury wise, little bit of good news, Sharpe, Cece, and Tyler Jordan all are expected to play. Mac made it seem like Jordan may not start, may be the backup. I’m not sure how much I believe that there. Cece playing, and we’ll see on Sharpe. I’m still not sold that I want Sharpe playing left tackle instead of Martez.
Nick: My interesting thing is what do you do with David Sharpe?
Andrew: I mean, do you play him at left tackle over the…
Nick: I said this today. Why not? Why not leave the line as it was at the end of the game last week? Leave it that way, and see. It’s kind of like what you said before, you know what I mean? You’ve already seen what the current, like the starting line, has done.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: TJ McCoy graded out as a 76 last week from Pro Football Focus.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: I thought he played well.
Andrew: Yeah, I thought he played well. You know, I told you this, I think it was on Monday when we were talking about Harkless, and that is Harkless isn’t a guy that can play tackle, because he can’t go against the speed rush, but I did feel like he did okay inside, and I feel the same way about Martez. I feel like Martez maybe isn’t strong enough to withhold the bull rush, but he’s able to block the speed guy. He’s able to, you know, in case of a bull rush, he can, but what I’m saying is he’s more appropriate to play tackle than he is to play outside, or inside.
So I can’t tell you that I like Ivey moving back inside. Arden Key is a monster outside. I’m looking forward to him and Martez going at it, and seeing what’s up. So I’m not sure, and I hate to say this, but I do question the toughness of David Sharpe. I do question how much David Sharpe loves the game, how much David Sharpe wants to win for the Gators. No doubt in my opinion with Martez. I don’t think you can argue my questioning.
Nick: No. That’s what I was going to say. I was going, like, yeah, basically.
Andrew: That’s what I’m saying. You can’t argue that, and that’s a gut punch, and maybe that’s me taking another little shot at David Sharpe. Maybe. I don’t, but once again, I don’t think so.
Nick: You’re not talking about him as a person. You’re talking about his as a football player. So you’re not taking a shot at him. You’re just saying, I think there’s someone that can do that job better.
Andrew: Yeah. I think there’s a guy that actually wants to play. Just saying, I think there’s a guy.
Nick: So the line then would be this, because it wouldn’t be the same line. So I misspoke there. It wouldn’t be the same line. The line then would be, Ivey, Harkless, McCoy, Tyler Jordan sliding back in at right guard, so you lose Fred Johnson there, and then you leave big Waany out at right tackle.
Andrew: I don’t know. I don’t know if they move. I don’t know if Jordan goes to guard or if he goes to center. That is the question that I don’t know, boss. I don’t know what you do there. I guess it’s one of those things that depends on who they feel more comfortable with. Is it Fred, or is it TJ?
Nick: Yeah. That’s basically your decision, right?
Andrew: Yeah. Here’s the thing. I don’t know that answer. I haven’t been as down on Fred at guard as I have been, and I haven’t seen enough of TJ inside to make me believe that he can withhold Greg Gilmore, those big tackles that LSU’s going to bring to the front. So I haven’t, that’s my question mark is I haven’t seen that enough to let me know if I’m fully comfortable with him there. I will say this. If Jordan’s hobbled, you may just want to stick with the two.
Nick: I would have to see like how hobbled, because I would take a slightly hobbled Jordan over Fred.
Andrew: Right, but what I’m saying is if he’s 50%, you stick with what you got. That’s what I’m saying. I mean, we’ll see. Give me your key though. I’ll tell you mine. I’ll go ahead. I’ll go with my key. My key is winning the line of scrimmage. Whoever wins the line of scrimmage wins the game, and that is the way I look at things. I think if Florida is able to get a push up front, and their D line is able to get a push up front, Florida has a chance to win the game. If LSU dominates up front, then I think LSU wins running away.
Nick: Yeah. I think you also need to win the turnover battle. Florida’s offense doesn’t have, so I was saying this. I think Florida and LSU kind of play each other conservatively. In that, in playing conservatively, Derrius Guice and Leonard Fournette can break off a 75 yard run, no problem. Florida can’t do that, so it’s kind of like, yeah, we’re both going to play the same conservative game. Whoever makes the first mistake, oh shoot, 7’s gone, in that game plan. They have that kind of big play game breaking ability that Florida hasn’t shown. So to me, you’re going to have to get that from somewhere else. If the offense can’t do it, you need to have it on special teams. If you’re not getting it on special teams, something on defense. Last year that catalyst, that spark, was Antonio Callaway. Callaway had what? Three receptions for 100 yards? I’m pulling it up right now.
Andrew: Something like that.
Nick: And he had a punt return for a touchdown.
Andrew: Right. Yeah.
Nick: So last year you got that spark from Callaway. Against LSU he had one punt return, 72 yards, takes it to the house. Receiving, three for 100. I don’t know if you can get that kind of spark on offense, but you need to find that game breaking ability on defense or on special teams. If you can find it on offense, good. I just don’t have any confidence that you can.
Andrew: Right. Yeah. I mean, that’s the way you got to look at it. I mean, you’re going to have to get creative with it. I don’t expect Fournette to go for 200 or LSU to run for 300 or anything like that. I don’t expect anything like that. I do think it’ll be a conservative game. I do think it’ll be an ugly game, and I do think it’ll be one of those 21-17 kind of games, 24-17 type of games. Special teams are going to be huge. Once again, it’s going to be huge. That is why Eddy traveling this weekend is monstrous.
Nick: Yeah. Special teams are going to be huge. Not letting them have anything in the return game. Not letting them, or being able to count on a kicker is also huge.
Andrew: Yes. Exactly. We have some buy or sell questions. I know you got some as well.
Nick: I got a ton.
Andrew: Let’s go. Let’s knock these bad boys out.
Nick: Alright. Let me pull this up. Buy or sell, the real DBU (obviously Florida) gets more interceptions than LSU.
Andrew: Man. I’ll go yes, 1-0.
Nick: That’s a copycat. I’m copying you. I’m going yes, 1-0.
Andrew: I don’t expect Florida to put Appleby in position to do that, unless it’s a late game situation, but I’ll say 1-0, Florida.
Nick: Next one, buy or sell, holding Fournette and Guice to under 175 yards.
Andrew: Under 175 yards. Man. I’ll say I’ll buy that.
Nick: Buy it?
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: Really?
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: Yeah, I’m selling that. Absolutely.
Andrew: You think they go over 175?
Nick: Yeah. 100%.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: Last year Fournette on his own, let me see. Last year Fournette against Florida had 180 and two touchdowns.
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: Freshman against Florida, he had 140 and two touchdowns.
Andrew: I’m going to stick with it. I’m going to have confidence in my guy, David Reese.
Nick: Alright. That’s a loss for you. We’ll keep moving on. Buy or sell, LSU will attempt more than one trick play.
Andrew: Absolutely. Absolutely they will. I’ll buy that.
Nick: I’m going to sell.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: This ain’t Les Miles. This ain’t your Les Miles Tiger team.
Andrew: Yeah, but it’s still, yeah, we going to go out there. Win the game. Ed Orgeron.
Nick: Buy or sell, C’yontai Lewis has a touchdown.
Andrew: Buy.
Nick: Buying it?
Andrew: Yes.
Nick: I’m going to buy it too.
Andrew: Okay. I have a couple too.
Nick: I got a couple more. Buy or sell, Austin Appleby over 200 yards passing.
Andrew: Over 200 yards passing. If Florida’s going to win the game, he’ll have to be, but even if not I think he will. I think he will be.
Nick: I’m going to go buy as well.
Andrew: 200 is not that much.
Nick: 200 is not, like you shouldn’t be happy about a 200 yard day. Happy with a win, but 200 yards.
Andrew: He had that the first half the other night.
Nick: Yeah. Not really moving the needle there.
Andrew: Yeah. Is that all yours?
Nick: I think we’re looking at the same ones now, so you can go ahead.
Andrew: Go ahead. You can just read them off. Go ahead.
Nick: Buy or sell, Leonard Fournette rushes for 200 on his own.
Andrew: Sell.
Nick: You better sell. You said they weren’t going to average 175, or combine for 175.
Andrew: That’s what I said, so sell.
Nick: Sell. Go ahead.
Andrew: Buy or sell, 25 and 22 split all the carries.
Nick: Sell.
Andrew: I will sell that, but I do think Mark Thompson’s time is more limited this week than it was the past week.
Nick: Yeah. You’re not going to have a game where all four of them are healthy and available to play, and only have two of them play. I just don’t see it happening. Not saying it shouldn’t, but I’m saying it’s not, that’s not going to happen.
Andrew: I do think it gets cut down a little bit. Let’s see, buy or sell, Florida has five explosive plays at 20+ yards on offense.
Nick: You know my answer.
Andrew: Yeah. It’s sell.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: I’m selling as well.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: Buy or sell, Appleby finds the end zone through the air and on the ground. That’s an interesting one. What you got?
Nick: I’m going to sell.
Andrew: You’re going to sell.
Nick: I don’t think he gets the rushing touchdown.
Andrew: I’m going to sell as well. The real DBU will have at least two interceptions. We both already answered that. So that’s all I got. You got any more?
Nick: Nope.
Andrew: You got any that you want to throw out there?
Nick: Buy or sell, I will have more than five drinks on Thursday night on Bourbon Street?
Andrew: That’s a buy.
Nick: I will also buy that.
Andrew: That’s a buy.
Nick: Buying that all day long.
Andrew: That’s cheating, because you can make or break that.
Nick: I was buying it, so I made you pick first.
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: I would have bought it anyway, even if you had sold.
Andrew: Yeah. Here’s one that I have for you. Buy or sell, there are six field goals attempted in the game.
Nick: Buy.
Andrew: You’ll buy that?
Nick: Yeah. Six is a really high number, but I’m going to buy it.
Andrew: I am also going to buy that. I think both teams have three. So I will buy that. Alright, that’s all mine. Do you have any more, or have anything else you want to say? You want to go pick ‘em games next, or you want to go pick our players?
Nick: Let’s pick the games, because the games are kind of not very good games this week.
Andrew: Are we going to save the Florida/LSU game till last, at the end of the show?
Nick: We can do that. I don’t even know who I’m picking yet. So that’s where I stand on that.
Andrew: Okay. Go ahead. You wrote the games down. Tell them out.
Nick: Missouri at Tennessee.
Andrew: Go ahead.
Nick: Tennessee’s going to win this football game.
Andrew: Yeah. Unfortunately, Rocky Top wins, and probably pretty bad. Probably pretty bad. Missouri’s a really bad football team.
Nick: Missouri’s terrible. Ohio State at Michigan State.
Andrew: Buckeyes.
Nick: Yeah. I added this game because Michigan State plays tough at home, but I think Ohio State and Michigan are destined to go, basically a playoff playing game.
Andrew: Well, that is now if, you got to have Penn State lose.
Nick: Yeah, that Penn State win over Ohio State is looming large.
Andrew: So you got to have Penn State lose somewhere around here. Alright. I’ve also got Buckeyes.
Nick: Oklahoma at West Virginia, matchup of top 25 teams.
Andrew: Oklahoma wins.
Nick: Oklahoma wins. If Will Grier was the quarterback, West Virginia, but Oklahoma wins.
Andrew: Congratulations to Will though, he had his baby, or his wife had the baby.
Nick: Congratulations. I think fiancée. I don’t think they’re married yet.
Andrew: Okay. I thought they were married. I thought she changed her name.
Nick: Maybe. I don’t know. I watched a video earlier today, it has nothing to do with anything, but I watched a video today about, from the BBQ Pit Boys, stuffing an alligator. They had this entire alligator skinned, and they put like Thanksgiving stuffing in it and cooked it. Looks fantastic.
Andrew: There you go. Is that the last game we have?
Nick: No. Arkansas at Mississippi State.
Andrew: Arkansas.
Nick: We’re picking all the same teams. I got Arkansas as well. Washington State on the road at #10, newly #10, Colorado.
Andrew: Washington State.
Nick: Really? You think the Leach’s boys goes out on the road and gets a win.
Andrew: Yeah. Not trusting the Buff.
Nick: Alright. I’m going with Colorado. That’s our only, that’s our last game before Florida/LSU, and that’s our only discrepancy so far.
Andrew: Alright. So it’s my turn to pick first, and I’m going for the well twice, 33. David Reese gets the win, stops Fournette.
Nick: I’m going back to the well, Brower County, 954. I’ll pick him again next week against Florida State, since I get to pick first, Jordan Scarlett. Leads the team in rushing, and I think he finds the end zone.
Andrew: Yeah, I do too. My next one is going to be Caleb Brantley. Brantley will be the force inside. Brantley gets it.
Nick: It’s going to be a line of scrimmage game, like you said. I’m going to go with Nick Washington.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: Are you intrigued by my pick?
Andrew: No, because I’m not going to lie, if you didn’t pick him second I was going to pick him third.
Nick: Okay. Florida will be without their top three leading tacklers this week, Davis, at 56, Anzalone, 53, Marcus Maye at 50. Fourth on that list, the new leading tackler for the Gators, Nick Washington. I think he has a big game stat wise, because Leonard Fournette and those boys are going to be getting to the second level.
Andrew: Alright. I’m going to go back to the well again, and hit Kylan Johnson.
Nick: Taking the other linebacker.
Andrew: I am going to take the other linebacker.
Nick: My last player, my last pick is, I didn’t tell you, kind of let it simmer, but I think I’m going to go C’yontai Lewis, because I think he gets that touchdown, as we predicted.
Andrew: Okay. I was going to go Eddy, but I haven’t picked Eddy all year, and I just didn’t want to jinx him.
Nick: You really have some kind of like premonition, some kind of dream that Eddy Pineiro was kicking the game winning field goal.
Andrew: I really do. I really do. I’m telling you, there is something. I don’t even know, because when I make my pick here in a minute, I mean, I’ll let you know the score. So I’m not even sure that that’s, I don’t know. I just really was going to pick him, but I didn’t want to, we’re baseball guys.
Nick: Superstitions and jinxes are real.
Andrew: We’re going to have some breaking news on Gator Country podcast right now. I have just been told by a Florida spokesperson that the situation with Eddy Pineiro has been aware, and it has been handled. Eddy Pineiro will be in uniform and traveling to Baton Rouge this weekend.
Nick: There you go. Kicking scooters.
Andrew: There you go. Alright, Nick. Let’s go. Pick time.
Nick: You want me to go first?
Andrew: Yes.
Nick: Man. I’m going to do it. I’m going to go ahead and pick Florida to win this week.
Andrew: What’s the score? Do they cover?
Nick: They definitely cover.
Andrew: They cover, yes.
Nick: I’m picking them to win outright, so they definitely cover.
Andrew: Do you have a score?
Nick: I never have a score.
Andrew: Okay. Man. Nick, this hurts. I’m going to go LSU.
Nick: Wow. Spivey, full heel. Spivey turns full heel.
Andrew: Yeah. I’m going LSU, 24-13.
Nick: 24-13.
Andrew: Let me say this. Can I explain myself when I say this?
Nick: Go ahead. You’ve got plenty of explaining to do to your loyal fans.
Andrew: I am nervous about this game. Nick, how many times have I told you this week I’m nervous? I am seriously nervous about this. I just don’t know where, why I’m so nervous about this game. I think this game is a program changing game for Florida in a lot of ways, and so I just don’t know why I am. I was confident as hell going into that Arkansas game, and you know that. I was confident as hell going into the Tennessee game. I’m not confident in this game. Don’t shoot me, because I’ve been wrong. I was wrong on the Ole Miss game. I full heartedly want Florida to win, full heartedly want them to win and get back to Atlanta. I love going to Atlanta, so I’m hoping I’m wrong. I’m just nervous about the game, and I’m hoping that I can get some good fortune to Florida.
Nick: This would be Jim McElwain’s biggest win, not even close.
Andrew: Yeah.
Nick: Not even close. Not even is the same tier as the other wins. This creates its own tier of biggest wins, as Florida’s head coach, as probably just as him being a head coach.
Andrew: Yeah. So let me ask you this. What makes you confident in the game?
Nick: I’m not.
Andrew: You just went on Florida.
Nick: Yeah. I’m not confident.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: I’m not confident in my pick. I’m not confident in my pick at all. I could see, I mean, Florida wins close. Florida doesn’t have the ability to blow out LSU. LSU has the ability to blow out Florida. I think Florida just wins in a close game.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: It’s just like a gut feeling. I don’t know.
Andrew: I mean, I’ll be the first person to, I’ll give you a big old hug, Nick, if Florida wins. I have no problem.
Nick: I am going to call you. You’re taking like the easy way out. You picked LSU, and you’re like, I hope it’s like a reverse jinx.
Andrew: Yeah. It’s one of those things like I see this game going either way. I truly do. I truly do. I don’t think Florida gets blown out, and I don’t think LSU gets blown out. I just don’t, I don’t know. If this game’s at home, Nick, I pick Florida. I do. I pick Florida. I really do. It’s one of those things, and I say it, and I would be a liar, and I wouldn’t be cool if I didn’t say the same thing that I said about Tennessee. Until it happens, I can’t pick Florida. Same thing, I mean, I couldn’t pick Tennessee. Same thing I say about this game. I can’t, to be honest with you, next week in Florida State I’m probably picking Florida State, just because they haven’t beaten Florida State.
Nick: I won’t give my pick away, but I don’t know about that.
Andrew: Now, if Florida wins this weekend, I may change. It may change. I will say this, and here’s the thing. I do feel better about this game than I did on Saturday and Sunday of last week, and Monday. Hearing how focused they were, hearing how the team is going, hearing how the senior leadership and these juniors feel about this game, I do feel more comfortable about this game. I’m just saying LSU, because they haven’t beaten them. Maybe that’s a chicken way of me going about it. I don’t know. I don’t know. Come get me. I don’t care. I want to say, I want to admit I’m wrong on Monday.
Nick: I think you’re taking the easy way out. Just say, I pick LSU, and then eat crow if you got to eat crow.
Andrew: I will. Call it the easy way out, whatever it may be. It’s what I got. It’s what I got. Here’s the thing, and I promise you this, Nick, I will not give you hell on Monday for picking Florida if LSU wins, because I won’t be in a good mood. I’m just saying. I won’t give you hell about it, because I won’t.
Nick: Alright. Okay. That’s what we got.
Andrew: I’m going to get hell for this.
Nick: Yeah. And you should. And you should. That’s all we got. It’s going to be a fun, I think a really fun week. I think Florida has a chance, even though Spivey doesn’t think that.
Andrew: No. I think Florida has a chance. I don’t think Florida doesn’t have a chance. I’m not telling you that.
Nick: Even though Andrew Spivey thinks that Florida doesn’t stand a chance in hell this weekend against LSU, I think the boys in orange and blue have a chance. They have what it takes to come home with a win. I might be the only person in the country.
Andrew: Maybe. Alright, Nick. Tell people where they can find us on Saturday, because there’s one thing for sure, we’ll only be bringing the bang up coverage, and you know you guys got the breaking news on here. It won’t be breaking tomorrow, but we did break it on here. We were the two people that didn’t believe the message board rumors and say that he was suspended all the time. So there you go. Tell the people where they’ll find the best news out there, and we’ll get out of here.
Nick: www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast you’re currently listening to is there on the site. It’s also on iTunes. You can go ahead and subscribe there. You’ll never miss an episode. You can follow us on social media, @GatorCountry on Twitter. @GatorCountry on Facebook. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. Follow me on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. @NickdelaTorreGC on Twitter. He’s @AndrewSpiveyGC on Twitter. Appreciate you guys, and if you’re in town this weekend, let us know. We’ll come and say what’s up.
Andrew: Do that for sure. Guys, as always, Mark, Butch, take them Ls this week. Go Braves. Chomp, chomp, and I hope I’m wrong.
Nick: You stay classy, Gator Country.