It’s a billing that Don King himself would have been proud to promote, but Jalen Tabor and the No. 19 Florida Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) have provided enough hype for Saturday’s meeting in Knoxville.
“This is one you circle on your calendars, don’t get me wrong,” Tabor said. “It’s Tennessee-Florida. SEC East.”
The Gators will travel to Knoxville on Saturday to take on the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (3-0, 1-0). It is just the first time since 2012 and only the second time since 2007 that the two schools will meet as top-25 ranked teams. ESPN’s College Game Day will be there, the 37th time the show has featured the Gators, more than any other school in the country.
Despite Florida’s 11-game winning streak the Volunteer faithful have been vocal this offseason and they are supported by the guys who build big, shiny casinos out in the desert — Tennessee opened as a 7.5 point favorite.
“You hear it all the time, every year,” senior safety Marcus Maye said at SEC Media Days “It is what it is. I guess they feel like we lost a lot of pieces, but I feel like we’re just as talented with the guys that are stepping in for them. We’re always going to be the Gators, and they’re always going to be Tennessee, so what you see is what you get.”
The Volunteers have fallen well short of their preseason expectations. Tennessee narrowly escaped its season opener against Appalachian State, went down two scores to Virginia Tech before a comeback and then looked hapless in a 28-19 win over 27-point underdog Ohio at home.
The Gators’ had a season opener hiccup against UMass but rebounded with a drubbing of Kentucky and a shutout of North Texas. Florida’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the country giving up just 129.7 yards per game. The Gators are also leading the country with 16 sacks and as a scoring defense (4.7) points per game. Tennessee’s offense has been less than impressive. Joshua Dobbs is ninth in the SEC passing (162 ypg) and Tennessee has the SEC’s 11th ranked offense (351 ypg).
Throwing a curveball into this year’s edition of the rivalry is how the two teams will hobble into the weekend. Florida will be without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio, who sustained a knee injury against North Texas and starting right guard Tyler Jordan. Tennessee’s list of injuries is longer than its current list of injured players.
Tennessee will be without All-SEC cornerback Cam Sutton (foot) and could be without starting linebacker Jaylen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder). Additionally, Butch Jones listed linebacker Darrin Kirkland as “doubtful” for the game this week. The trio makes up the core of the Tennessee defense, not only the most talented players but leaders as well.
The injuries haven’t and won’t damper the excitement of the game this week. It’s Florida-Tennessee in the big ole football stadium dedicated to General Robert Neyland, where Tabor stuck to his prediction that the Gators will extend their winning streak.
“Why would I ever go into a game saying feeling like we gonna lose? No matter how many games we’ve won before it’s the 2016 Gators vs. the 2016 Vols. Everything else go out the window,” he said. “It’s going to be a good game. Everybody going to be tuned in, 3:30 CBS, it’s what you want.”