GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we bring you our Friday prediction podcast for the Florida Gators vs. Auburn game in the Swamp.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre breakdown the keys for the Florida Gators on Saturday on both offense and defense.
Andrew and Nick also give you three players to watch for the Gators on Saturday, plus we pick several games around the country.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew: What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, rolling deep this week. Podcast #4 coming at you live. Hope you enjoyed all the content this week. Tom Green came on with us, and Billy Horschel came on with us, and Jason Campbell came on with us. I feel like we brought out own GameDay atmosphere to the podcast.
Nick: Yeah. I mean, people were probably surprised. Billy was very knowledgeable, and I know Jason Campbell is the enemy this week, but I thought he was really insightful. I think that turned out better than we had even hoped when we booked them as guests.
Andrew: Listen, I said this on the podcast about Billy, but he’s a smart guy. First of all, he’s a great ambassador for the University of Florida, but he genuinely knows this team, genuinely knows what’s going on with these guys. I thought it was great. Like you said with Jason Campbell, there’s no better person to pick a brain than a guy who’s been there, done that before, and that was Jason Campbell. He’s been in the Swamp. He’s thrown touchdown passes and everything else. He is the enemy, but, again, our job is to bring the best coverage, and I think we’ve done that so far, but today is just you and I chit chatting about this. Nick, Greg McElroy listens to our podcast, and he stole our idea this week.
Nick: What’d he do?
Andrew: He said that Florida has to use the game plan like they used against Mississippi State and LSU last year. Where’d he hear that from?
Nick: Hey, Greg.
Andrew: Yeah. What’s up, Greg?
Nick: Thanks for downloading and listening.
Andrew: Yeah. Thanks for downloading and listening. Listen, I like to think I’m pretty smart about the game, knowledgeable about the game. I think you do too. Listen, I’m not saying Greg McElroy makes my point anymore, but we continue to get this game, and, Nick, I know you’ve done this all week. I’ve had it all week. We’ve had radio shows, and people continue to ask, how does Florida win this game? I tell them, I don’t know that there is one particular way Florida wins this game, except for finding ways to get creative. We said that. We said that. We said that. I don’t know what that’s going to be. If I did, I’d be making Dan Mullen’s kind of money. You as well. There’s going to be some kind of wrinkle Dan Mullen throws that’s going to offset not being able to run the ball straight at Auburn.
Nick: Well, I think the area that, as I keep looking, like you said, all week. How does Florida win the game? You keep trying to find ways. You do that every week, but when you’ve got teams that are this closely matched it doesn’t hit you in the face.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: I really think, and going back to that Mississippi State game, if you look at what Florida did, they forced Mississippi State to drive the length of the field. It goes back to what you said earlier in the week. Make Bo Nix go on 12, 13, 14, 15-play drives to score.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: You do that by pinning teams deep. So, I think Florida’s biggest advantage is special teams. We saw it on HBO, punt team eats first. Auburn’s punt coverage team and their punt return team aren’t very good. Doesn’t look like they even practice it. Doesn’t look like it’s a priority for them. I think that’s where Florida can find their biggest advantage on Saturday is even if you’re only using a drive, let’s say you win the coin toss, you elect to receiver. Auburn has an 83% touchback rating, so we assume that they kick it in the endzone. Your drive starts on the 25. Even if you only get 15 yards, run six plays, and you’re out of there, Tommy Townsend can pin. All seven of his punts have been down inside the 20. So, you pin Auburn down on their 10.
Andrew: 90 yards.
Nick: Force it to go three and out. Now you start on your 45.
Andrew: Right. Yeah.
Nick: You start nickeling and diming, and now you’re making it easier on your offense. We don’t have to go 90 yards. If you go back to that Mississippi State game, I think they had 10 drives, and five of those 10 drives started inside their own 20.
Andrew: Yeah. I say this, and you can this for any big-time football game. The three keys to any big-time football game is who’s going to control time in possession, who’s going to have the least amount of turnovers, and who’s going to win special teams. If you know nothing about football, don’t watch it, don’t follow it, don’t get into it, but just turn the game on, you can write those three keys down on your refrigerator and go back at the end of the day and check it. I guarantee you 99% of the team that wins those three areas is going to win the football game. Happened last year at Mississippi State. Happened last year at LSU. Flip it. Didn’t happen in the Georgia game. Look what happened.
If you can do that in this game, and Billy Horschel threw a stat that you and I weren’t familiar with, but after going back and researching it, Billy’s right. Not that I didn’t trust him, but Box Nix is 27% under pressure. Maybe he forces it, maybe you get some easy turnovers there, or Auburn gets an easy turnover against Kyle Trask.
Nick: I agree with what you’ve said. I think he’s an even keeled kid, but you never know until you’re in.
Andrew: This is the Swamp.
Nick: Yeah. Until you’re in that atmosphere. I really expect Florida, I have a story coming out Friday. You’re listening to it Friday, so story out today that Florida’s really making a push to have everyone there. I mean, they’ve sold the tickets, so they know how many tickets are out.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: They expect a crowd near 90,000, but they’re making a big push about getting everyone there. Be in your seat at 2:45. Be there for Two Bits. Be there for everything. You never know. He’s an 18-year-old kid. Yes, we’ve said all week, and we really do believe that he’s even keeled and that the moment won’t be too big for him, but you never know until you’re there, until you’ve got 94,000, 92,000 people, 90,000 people screaming at you, and you can’t hear. The ground is vibrating because of how loud it is. How do you react if you throw an interception and the place turns into an insane asylum?
Andrew: Well, if it’s 17-10 in the 4th quarter, and you’re Bo Nix, and your running game’s not going, you may take that throw that you wouldn’t take in a normal game. Guess what? That turns into the pick six that Brad Stewart had that put the nail in the coffin for LSU last year. Those moments are there. I’ll say this. I have been, and you have been, critical of the student section, but when the Swamp is right, not too many teams can come in and win.
Nick: I agree with that. I’m really excited. Just as a fan going to games, I was at Jarvis Moss’ Cock Block. I think that’s probably the loudest. I was at Tebow’s Senior Day. That was really loud. I mean, that was a drubbing of Florida State. So, yeah, it’s loud, but it’s not like the intensity.
Andrew: Constant.
Nick: Yeah. It’s not the constant, that Florida-South Carolina game with Jarvis Moss’ block.
Andrew: The loudest I’ve ever been, Nick, was when Florida played LSU with the Percy tip pass.
Nick: That game was nuts. I was in Gainesville for that game, but I wasn’t at the stadium. I think I fricking heard the stadium though in the apartment I was at.
Andrew: I think the stadium shook the whole day. So, yeah, when the Swamp’s right, it’s loud. I continue to say that. This is going to be a 20-17, 21-17, 24-17. I just think that the game stays in that range right there. I do think this is two teams that are very evenly matched. Here’s a couple stats for you though. First meeting for Florida and Auburn since 2011 when Auburn won. First meeting at top 10 opponents since ’97.
Then here’s two stats, one for Florida, one for Auburn. Florida, 24 sacks, tied for second most in FBS. Auburn has 91 quarterback pressures. That’s also tied for second in FBS. Which defensive front seven makes the difference on the quarterback? I don’t think that either team is going to run the ball very successfully, so which offensive line is able to block the opposing front seven the best? Which team is able to allow their quarterback time to throw? Which quarterback is smart enough to hit the hot route to Lamical Perine or to Auburn’s tailbacks or hit Schwartz, whatever it may be for Auburn? You could almost say this is a game that is going to come down to offensive line and quarterback, just as much as we say it’s going to come down to front seven.
Nick: Yeah. I don’t think Auburn’s pass rush, I mean, it’s definitely not the same as their run stopping ability.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: I could be wrong, but I feel comfortable saying I think Kyle Trask, for the most part, will have a clean pocket on Saturday. I think.
Andrew: I mean, I’m not going to sit here and tell you you’re wrong, but I do think that it’s going to be cluttered at times.
Nick: I mean, he’s going to get touched. I’m not saying his jersey’s going to look like he just put it on in the fourth quarter, but I think he’ll have time to throw.
Andrew: He has for the most part. But again, when we look at Tennessee, their front seven is nothing like Aurburn. Kentucky, nothing like Auburn. Miami’s decent, but nothing like Auburn. Where does that go? We’ll see. I mean, if that’s the case, and Florida’s able to figure out a way to offset the running game by different things, Florida could be in for a good day.
Nick: Yeah. I’m just trying to think. I mean, Florida’s not running the ball.
Andrew: Not right at them.
Nick: But Auburn can’t just sell out against the past, because then Florida, I mean, Lamical Perine, Damien Pierce, Malik Davis, those guys are liable to take 160 if you’re sleeping. So, it’s not like Auburn’s like, Florida can’t run, so we’ll just sell out against the pass.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: You can’t do that. They still have to be sound in their game. I mean, I just think that they’re just built better as a run stopping team.
Andrew: Are they going to run Steve Spurrier’s play?
Nick: No. I don’t think so.
Andrew: I think they do.
Nick: I don’t think so.
Andrew: I think they do, and I think that Mullen will come out postgame and say that was Coach Spurrier’s play call. Just watch, Nick.
Nick: I don’t know how often that actually happens. I don’t think …
Andrew: I think that might have been a little scripted.
Nick: Might have been. We got HBO here. Let’s get Steve to go down and draw up a ball play real quick. I mean, Spurrier’s a coach. I don’t think there’s anything he likes doing more than drawing up ball plays, maybe hitting golf balls, but those are up there. Listen, if Steve Spurrier comes down into your office and wants to draw up a ball play, he’s drawing up a ball play. You’re not telling him no. Unless it’s your boy Jim McElwain.
Andrew: Not to got off subject a little bit, but I thought HBO did an incredible job. I love those things. Love Hard Knocks. Love those things. I thought they did an incredible job of really showing. Everyone takes for granted what these guys go through on a day to day basis, but I thought HBO did a good job.
Nick: I mean, HBO’s incredible. That was an incredible show. They did such a good job. Really, I think the hardest part probably to watch, but probably the part that people needed to watch, was I think they needed to see Feleipe. They needed to see his teammates over at his house. Needed to see Feleipe getting emotional. First off, Megan Mullen, she’s an incredible woman and incredible person to have in these guy’s lives.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: Just to see. It’s so easy to forget that these people are human. Everyone’s so passionate about University of Florida and wants Florida to be great, but you forget that these are kids. These are people under helmets. To see Feleipe breaking down crying.
Andrew: First surgery, that’s scary.
Nick: Yeah. I think that was really well done. The whole thing was really well done, but I think that was probably the most powerful moment of the show.
Andrew: Funniest moment of the show was when she told Dan, I checked with compliance, and it’s okay I take him dinner tonight.
Nick: That’s like actually a thing.
Andrew: Yes. I know it is.
Nick: That’s how screwed up the NCAA is. She would literally have to call compliance and be like, hey, the kid has a broken leg, can I bring him chicken noodle soup? Call compliance, because I don’t want the kid to be ineligible to ever play or to have to miss games, because you did a nice thing for him.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: NCAA’s a joke.
Andrew: That’s something the NCAA would definitely do. They would definitely rule him ineligible over that. I mean, you can just go ahead and bank that, that would be something they would do.
Nick: They’re a clown show.
Andrew: Anyway, I thought that was pretty funny that that was said. That’s that on the HBO. I just wanted to hit on that real quick and talk about that. I thought that was a very well put together show. I would be down for a yearlong thing for that.
Nick: Oh yeah.
Andrew: Mike Leach is going to be awesome.
Nick: I wish they were there last week.
Andrew: Yes. With the fat people joke?
Nick: Oh yeah.
Andrew: Or the mascots, talking about the mascots fighting each other. That was pretty good. I liked that. I would be down for that. I think that is good. HBO has a way of doing that. ESPN did their little thing with Alabama, and it was okay, but HBO knows what they’re looking for, knows what they’re doing there.
Anyway, back to the game though, Nick. We talked a lot about Florida on offense. Let’s flip it. Let’s talk Florida defense for a second. Obviously, you have Jabari back this week. You have Jonathan and Moon. You have all those guys that are going to be able to get after the passer there. If you’re Todd Grantham, and someone asked me this yesterday on a radio show, they said, does Todd Grantham need to change up what he does, blitzing? I said, no, Todd Grantham is who Todd Grantham is. You need to be Todd Grantham from the get-go. I say that in that the Towson game it looked like he slowly tried to get into his game plan. I’m all for Todd Grantham saying, balls to the wall start to finish.
Nick: Yeah. I mean, Towson was driving. I mean, Dan Mullen said it on the HBO show. He said, that was pathetic, that was Florida Gator ball. He said, other than …
Andrew: The quarterback dropping the ball and giving it to you.
Nick: Quarterback dropping the ball and giving it to you, they should have had points. He’s right. So, I don’t know what it is. As much as we’ve talked about how good they are in the second half, 100% with you. Don’t give Auburn a 30 minute gift, and then say we’ll just figure it out in the second half. Come out of the gate.
It’s not like Todd Grantham isn’t doing anything all week. Screw it, I guess we’ll figure out what they’re doing in the first quarter, second quarter, you know. He’s not doing that. But you got to figure it out. You can’t let Auburn have 30 minutes of free football running around.
Andrew: Let’s also say what it is, and that is the first half for Florida was very, very sloppy defensively.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: Many, many missed tackles that didn’t happen in the second half. Many, many penalties for holding, that kind of stuff, that just didn’t need to happen.
Nick: Yeah. It’ll be interesting to me, on the defensive side of the ball, is there any rust with Shawn Davis coming back, CJ Henderson coming back, Jabari Zuniga coming back. Is there any rust these guys need to shake off? Ventrell Miller, with Auburn’s running game, getting him back, I think that will be huge. Miller and Reese, with Auburn’s running game, those are two guys that need to be able to play. Auburn’s going to make you defense sideline to sideline, and we always talk about those guys being downhill, gap stuffers. They’re going to have to defend or run with these guys horizontally, sideline to sideline. So, I think those two guys are your best run stoppers at linebacker, but is there any rust for any of these guys? What do you think?
Andrew: I don’t know.
Nick: Maybe not the guys that only missed a week, but CJ Henderson’s been out for three weeks. Jabari Zuniga’s been out for three weeks.
Andrew: I mean, maybe. Maybe. We’ll see. CJ Henderson though, he seems like a seasoned vet, like he could roll out of bed and figure out a way to play ball. Maybe a little bit with Jabari. The good thing for him is you can limit him a little bit, because you have Moon stepped up. You’ve had some guys step up there, so I think that’ll be okay. Ventrell Miller maybe a little bit, but I’m going with Amari Burney though, Nick. I just feel like Amari Burney is going to be the guy who is difference maker there. You talk about wanting to get sideline to sideline. No offense to Ventrell Miller, I like Amari Burney running sideline to sideline with anybody.
Nick: Yeah. I think as I was talking about it I started thinking, sounds like you’re talking about Amari Burney and not the other two guys.
Andrew: I mean, again, do I think Ventrell is going to be key? Absolutely, because they are going to do that. Auburn likes to, I say this, and it’s power football, but it’s not power football. Basically, they like to do what Florida likes to do at times, and that is line up and just go straight at you with the quarterback. That’s where Ventrell Miller and David Reese and James Houston, that’s where all those guys are going to be needed in this game. I agree with you. I don’t know though if I see as much of a rust from those guys as maybe I see from Jabari, just because that’s a different thing of having to snap count, getting off the ball, that kind of stuff. With an ankle injury, how much can he time the snap, that kind of stuff? That make more sense?
Nick: Yeah. We said it right when the injuries happened to both CJ and to Jabari. It was kind of like, look at the schedule. Would you like to have him for Kentucky? Yeah. Do you need him for Tennessee? No. Do you need him for Towson? No. So, it was kind of like if you can not use them and let them rest until Auburn, that’s what you need. That’s exactly what Florida was able to do.
Andrew: Yeah. You would think it would pay off. Again, we’re baseball guys, but we always hear in baseball if a guy feels good and ready to go today, rest him, and he’ll feel great tomorrow. That’s kind of how it is with CJ. He was ready to go for Kentucky. Okay. Sorry, sit down. Excuse me, he was, yeah, ready to go for Kentucky. No. Ready to go for Tennessee. Sit him back. No reason to play him against Towson. He should be extra ready to go this week in the Auburn game.
Nick: He’s a competitor. I think some of that was just protecting him from himself. Like you said, he wasn’t physically ready to go. I mean, he could have played. If it was a National Championship that Kentucky week, he could have played.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: But kind of just protecting him from himself and saying, listen, first off, we’ve got bigger games. Second off, you’re going to be in the NFL this time next year, so don’t go out there and be stupid.
Andrew: Yeah. Exactly. I feel like, and I had someone on the radio tell me, there’s not a person on this team that can stop Anthony Schwartz. I said, give me CJ Henderson. I think that’s where CJ Henderson, I would love to see CJ Henderson and Anthony Schwartz, or CJ have to chase Anthony Schwartz down. While Schwartz has the track speed, CJ Henderson has football speed.
Nick: See, that’s the one thing. I said instead of a coin toss, go back old XFL style and just put CJ and Schwartz on the goal line, and put a ball at midfield and say, go get it. A lot of people were like, Anthony Schwartz has like an actual elite USA Olympic team track speed.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: He’s statistically, if you go back and look at their high school track numbers, and Schwartz missed a lot of the track season last year with an injury, but Schwartz is faster. I’m like, yeah, but there’s something about on a football field, in pads racing.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: Next to somebody. That’s a little different, I think.
Andrew: Yeah. It is. Listen, that’s not to discredit Anthony Schwartz, because that’s a fast, fast human being. Like you said, there’s a difference between football speed and track speed. I would see it. I’d pay to see that. I think the biggest thing for Florida is keep Anthony Schwartz in front of you.
Nick: Even if he is in front of you, he can get behind you quick.
Andrew: Well, yeah. But again, what’s key number two, or one of the keys, play fundamental ball. Tackle. If you tackle Anthony Schwartz, he’s not going nowhere.
Nick: Yeah. That goes back to what we said. Don’t let Auburn have big chunk plays. Make them earn it.
Andrew: Right. If you make them earn it, they’re going to …
Nick: I mean, they might come out and earn it.
Andrew: They may. If they do, then you tip your hat.
Nick: Make them earn it. Don’t give it to them.
Andrew: Nick, you want to pick players first, or you want to pick some games?
Nick: Did you have a recruit list?
Andrew: Yeah. Let’s go to the recruit list real quick. Big, big weekend for recruiting. When you talk about this game, you expect this to be a big game. It’s one of those weird schedules, and, Nick, you and I have talked about this. Your home schedule, let’s face it, is pretty shitty. I mean, you’re not bringing anyone big in for the Towson game. The Tennessee game was an early game. So, it’s like what are you doing here as far as big visitors list? Well, you got one. You got GameDay in town. Homecoming. Throwback uniforms, a rocking crowd. So, they loaded it up.
The big three. There’s big three visitors for official visitors. EJ Smith, the son of Emmett Smith. You got offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil from your STA boys. Then Zykeivous Walker from Georgia. Those are your three big ones that are your official visitors. EJ Smith’s a guy, everyone wants to say he’s Emmett’s son, he should be a lock. Well, he grew up in Texas. Florida needs to make up a ton of ground there. Dumervil is a Florida, LSU battle, and then Walker is Florida, Georgia.
Maybe the biggest two visitors are unofficial visitors, Nick. That’s offensive tackle Isaiah Walker, and then CJ Henderson’s younger brother, Xavier Henderson. Walker, he’s on commit watch every time he comes on campus. You’ve talked to him a ton, Nick, just as much as I have. Florida leads big time there. Little Henderson is a Florida, Clemson battle. Clemson’s starting to slide down a little bit. Florida’s starting to slide up a little bit. Big, big one there for them.
Then the athlete that I think a lot of people don’t know too much about is out of Alabama, and you know I love my Alabama boys. Dee Beckwith, Nick. H back guy that Florida’s recruiting. They just offered him in basketball too, so he’s a two-sport guy potentially. A really big name.
Then a couple on the defensive side of the ball. You got Alabama defensive tackle commit Jason Jones, and then Darnell Harris down from Booker T, Nick. Interesting guy. Was a 2021 guy, was a five-star big time guy, and he was reclassified to 2020, so he’ll be on campus this weekend.
Nick: You said Dee is 2020 or 2021?
Andrew: Who’s that?
Nick: Dee Beckwith.
Andrew: 2020. He’s a 2020 guy. Then another name, we were talking about this before we went on the air, Nick. I was trying to confirm this, but confirmed as official visit, a five-star defensive end out of North Carolina in Desmond Evans is coming on campus this weekend. First time coming on campus. A guy that Florida has had some momentum with, but he just hadn’t visited. North Carolina feels really good. He’s a legacy up there, but Florida is going to get him on campus for the first time. #1 player in North Carolina. Nick, when Florida’s good, they’re going to North Carolina and getting players.
Nick: Yeah. Who have they gotten from North Carolina?
Andrew: Bullard.
Nick: Jon Jon. Humphries. That was back to back five-stars.
Andrew: Yeah. Brandon Spikes.
Nick: Were they both the #1 players in their class?
Andrew: Yes. For that state. Yes.
Nick: For the state.
Andrew: Yeah. I mean, don’t forget Brandon Spikes.
Nick: That’s true.
Andrew: Don’t forget Brandon Spikes. When DJ Durkin was at Florida, he was in there racking them up.
Nick: Yeah. North Carolina should have hired DJ.
Andrew: Another day for another time. I like DJ Durkin. I thought he was a fabulous recruiter. I don’t know what he did on the field up there, but whatever.
Nick: Dan Mullen’s going to be busy Saturday night. The entire coaching staff. You have a football game and lot of recruits. I think there was more pressure, I mean, there’s a ton of pressure. It’s 10 versus 7. It’s the beginning of a really tough four-game stretch. You don’t want to go out there and have a terrible game with that kind of recruit list. You don’t want to go out there and have Auburn come in and kick the barn door down.
Andrew: Worst thing is to get blown out.
Nick: Can’t happen.
Andrew: I mean, that would be the worst thing. I say this, I don’t think Florida gets blown out in this game.
Nick: I don’t see that.
Andrew: That would be the worst thing. Somebody said, if Florida loses, all these recruits are going to go elsewhere. That’s not necessarily the case. I always say, one game likely doesn’t change a recruit’s mind one way or the other. For me, have the Swamp packed. Have it rocking. Show a great atmosphere there, and then have a good showing on the field, win or lose.
Nick: There it is.
Andrew: The big two tackles, Isaiah Walker and Marcus Dumervil, I said there was other guys that were maybe higher, in my opinion those two guys are the two guys Florida needs. I like Gouriage, but I just think they need some tackles to come in and play early.
Nick: Yeah. Gouriage might be, right now I think Gouraige could start Saturday, but it’ll be at guard. I think John Hevesy likes having Stone Forsythe and Nick Buchanan on either side of him, just in case something happens. When you’re playing tackle, you’re kind of out there on your own.
Andrew: Right. I mean, this definitely isn’t the game to be trying things out and hoping for.
Nick: Right.
Andrew: Let’s go pick some games.
Nick: Not a great slate, but we got a couple top 25 matchups. We’ll pick them and see how we do.
Andrew: Okay. Let’s go.
Nick: Week 6. #14 Iowa at the big house playing #19 Michigan.
Andrew: Iowa in Michigan. Go Hawkeyes.
Nick: I didn’t know Iowa was that good. I haven’t really been following.
Andrew: They’re always in that top 20 it seems like, Nick. I don’t know why, but they just always seem to be in that range.
Nick: I’m going to go, I think Iowa beats Michigan when they’re not supposed to. When Michigan’s undefeated 10-0, and they go to Iowa, and it’s like a weird 8:00 p.m. kickoff, and all of a sudden, Iowa wins.
Andrew: It’s cold.
Nick: Yeah. Where the hell did that come from?
Andrew: Right.
Nick: I think Iowa is supposed to win this week, and they won’t. Go Michigan.
Andrew: Must-win for Harbaugh?
Nick: Is this a must-win against Iowa? No. Iowa’s not a rival. He needs to start beating his rivals.
Andrew: He just needs to start winning games, Nick.
Nick: Does a loss to Iowa help? No. But you lose to Iowa and beat Ohio State at the end of the year, no one cares that you lost to them. You beat Michigan State again, no one cares that you lost to Iowa. They’re Michigan fans. They’re not going to be happy about it, but it’s not a rival. He needs to start beating his rivals. He’s getting blown out or losing to the Michigan States and the Ohio States. That can’t happen.
Andrew: Right.
Nick: Get blown out by Wisconsin. My goodness.
Andrew: Yeah. Okay. What we got next?
Nick: Next game, #25 Michigan State at Ohio State.
Andrew: Michigan State. Justin Fields runs away.
Nick: Yeah. Ohio State is going to crush Michigan State. They’re a really good football team. Ohio State’s good. Jason Day’s kind of just picked right up.
Andrew: Yeah. I mean, picked right up with a potential Heisman trophy.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: Not too bad.
Nick: How did Georgia let him go? I don’t get it.
Andrew: I don’t know either. I think they got maybe up that payday a little bit for him to be the guy next year. Should I say that?
Nick: You’re causing trouble. Both got Ohio State. Virginia Tech, the Hokies are down playing at Miami Dolphins stadium that the Hurricanes are renting. Virginia Tech at Miami.
Andrew: Virginia Tech’s trash. So is Miami, aren’t they? They both got one win or two wins? Or do you know?
Nick: I don’t know.
Andrew: It’s not pretty. It’s a home game. I’ll go Miami, and I don’t feel confident at all on that.
Nick: Virginia Tech beat Old Dominion, and then beat Furman, and then lost to Duke 45-10.
Andrew: And Duke’s not very good.
Nick: They beat Delaware, and they beat West Virginia earlier in the year.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: West Virginia’s not very good though.
Andrew: I still got Miami.
Nick: Okay. I’m going to take the Hokies.
Andrew: I mean, I hope the Hokies win.
Nick: You’re a big Miami fan, so I understand why you picked them. Makes sense.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: Speaking of teams you’re a fan of, Georgia at Tennessee.
Andrew: By the way, Nick, we have got to talk about Jeremy Pruitt’s video.
Nick: Jesus. Yeah. Go ahead.
Andrew: First of all, he’s not wrong, in that that stuff doesn’t happen at a lot of places. Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, yada, yada, Jeremy Pruitt would have never gotten called at 4:30 in the morning to come pick up one of his players. So, he’s not wrong in that, but you can’t do what you did, Jeremy. You can’t call out the police on a body camera. That looks bad. Looks really bad.
Nick: We’re not picking, I mean, no, it doesn’t look good. Then the recorded conversation. I forget, what was the student athlete’s name? It was the DB.
Andrew: Yeah. I don’t even know.
Nick: I can’t remember his name. The recorded conversation on the way to the jail is not good either.
Andrew: No.
Nick: We’re not, obviously we’re not picking just this game, because there’s no way Tennessee is beating Georgia. We’re picking it against the spread. We don’t do it often, but we’re doing it today. Georgia’s -24.5 at Tennessee. Do the Bulldogs cover? Do they win by 25 at Neyland?
Andrew: I’m going to surprise you here, Nick. I’m going to say they do not cover.
Nick: Yeah. I’m with you.
Andrew: I don’t think they cover.
Nick: I was going to just switch it up, just pick Georgia, just because you picked them, but that’s a lot of points. Screw it. We’ll do it. It’s a dumpster fire in Tennessee.
Andrew: It’s a dumpster fire, but 24.5.
Nick: That’s a lot of points.
Andrew: That’s a lot of points in an SEC game. Think about it. If it’s 31-7, they don’t cover.
Nick: Yeah. But there might be 30,000 people at that stadium Saturday.
Andrew: I don’t know. Tennessee fans have nothing else to do in life.
Nick: I’d rather pull weeds than go watch that public humiliation.
Andrew: What’s our next one?
Nick: Cal at Oregon.
Andrew: Cal’s sleeping and doing okay.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: Where’s it at?
Nick: How good Oregon? It’s in Autzen Stadium. It’s at Oregon. Cal’s second in their division, in the Pac-12 North. It’s a big Pac-12 game. I’m pulling Cal’s schedule up right now. They’re 4-1, with the only loss coming to Arizona State last week, and Arizona State is a surprising team. I think everyone laughed at the Herm Edwards hire, and it doesn’t look bad anymore.
Andrew: Right. Oregon wins. I don’t believe in Cal.
Nick: Yeah. I mean, obviously …
Andrew: Pac-12 sucks in general.
Nick: Yeah. There’s been a bunch of talk about the Pac-12.
Andrew: They need that California law to pay players to help them.
Nick: Well, Florida’s going to do it too.
Andrew: Every state will eventually do it, because they’ll … don’t think Alabama’s not close behind from doing it. Nick Saban’s meeting with the governor right now probably.
Nick: Miss Terry’s cooking the governor dinner tonight.
Andrew: Yeah. Or he’s telling the governor, I don’t care what you say, this is what’s going to happen.
Nick: Yeah. We both take Oregon. We’ll do our players before we go, we’ll save our Florida-Auburn pick for last. We’re doing players.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: I am up first, and I think, obviously I talked about keys. We talked about keys to the game. We talked about where is Florida’s edge? Kyle Pitts, until proven otherwise, he’s a freak. He’s a cheat code.
Andrew: Throw him the ball.
Nick: He’s uncoverable. Throw him the ball. Just throw it in his vicinity.
Andrew: Put it up there. Let him go get it. Well, if Kyle Pitts is going to have a big game, the Texas gunslinger is going to have a big game. Kyle Pitts, who had a fake birthday on HBO.
Nick: That was hilarious. If you didn’t watch the HBO show, the team starts singing Kyle Trask Happy Birthday after practice, and Tyrie Cleveland walks up. He goes, “You’re a September baby?” He goes, “My birthday’s in March, but I’ll take it.” That was a little awkward. That was funny.
Andrew: That’s a compliance violation if he got money.
Nick: I’m going to go, listen, I’m going to pick him every week if you let me. I’ll go back and figure out how many times I’ve taken him. Let’s see. I’m picking Jon Greenard. I’ve picked him, I think, every week since … picked him Week 4. You stole him. No. I picked him Week 4, Week 5, and I’m picking him Week 6.
Andrew: I picked him Week 2, I think.
Nick: He does it for me every week. Jonathan Greenard, just stacking W’s.
Andrew: I’m going to go with Mr. Reliable. Mr. Bowling Champion. Mr. Hot Sauce, and just Mr. All-Around Reliable. Who looked 40-years-old on there. Josh, I think you needed to shave a little bit or something. You looked a little old on HBO. Josh Hammond is going to get me a W.
Nick: Josh Hammond just looks like an uncle.
Andrew: Uncle Josh. That’s what we’re going to start calling him?
Nick: Uncle Josh. Uncle Hot Sauce.
Andrew: Uncle Hot Sauce. The bowling champion.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: By the way, did somebody tell Trey Grimes he don’t have to throw it so hard?
Nick: You got to throw it hard.
Andrew: Bowled like a maniac.
Nick: You got to throw it hard.
Andrew: I know, but he was throwing it a little too hard. He was throwing it through his spin. Go ahead.
Nick: Punters are people too. Tommy Townsend is going to be one of the reasons that Florida is successful on Saturday.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: Get pumped up, Spivey.
Andrew: I don’t doubt that.
Nick: Picking a punter! I’m going three for three this week.
Andrew: I should go Evan McPherson.
Nick: Three for three.
Andrew: I should go Evan McPherson, but I’m not, because the pressure is going to be on your boy Jonathan all day long, and the tension’s not going to be turned to Mr. Jabari Zuniga. Jabari with the W on his game back. He’s going to have a big day. He says, I’m back, nation. Here it is.
Nick: All right.
Andrew: I’m going to throw a curveball at you real quick, as always. We always do this on big games. One player that’s not talked about. You didn’t want to pick him, but could have a big key. Mine’s Evan McPherson.
Nick: Freddie Swain.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: Punt returns and on offense.
Andrew: Freddie Swain’s a lot like Josh Hammond, those guys that are Mr. Reliable. I like it. I like it. Nick, give me your pick for the game.
Nick: I’m going Florida. I’m picking the Gators to beat Auburn. I think it’s a close game, 21-20, 24-21, in that realm.
Andrew: 24-21, in that realm. You said you were going to give us a prediction, so there you go. I’m going to give you a surprise pick. Who do you think I’m picking?
Nick: I think you’re picking Auburn.
Andrew: You think I’m picking Auburn. Well, not so fast, my friend. I am not picking Auburn. I should, because when I pick against Florida they win, but something just tells me Dan Mullen’s going to be ready, and it is going to be a 24-21 ball game, with McPherson hitting a game winner.
Nick: Wow. You’ve got Evan McPherson pulling a Wes Byron.
Andrew: I do.
Nick: Running away from it and chomping all up and down the field.
Andrew: Yes. I have a game winner. I don’t know why. All week I have said on every radio episode I’ve been on, 24-17 Auburn, but I just woke up this morning having a good feeling that the Gators are going to win. The Gators are going to win, Nick.
Nick: Say it one more time for the people in the back.
Andrew: The Gators are going to win the game, Nick.
Nick: Well, we’re going to have a lot of people mad at us if we got their hopes up and Florida doesn’t win.
Andrew: Well, it is what it is. You know it is what it is. Most exciting thing on Saturday though will be watching our man Billy Horschel. Good luck, Billy. Don’t trip.
Nick: Yeah. Thanks for coming on.
Andrew: Yeah. Thanks for coming on. There you go. Nick, tell everybody where they can find us. We’ll get out of here. We’ll have plenty of coverage on Saturday. We’ll have plenty of stuff from recruiting. You’ll have plenty of stuff from the game. You name it, we’ll have it. We’ll be back on Monday. We’ll be wrapping this Gator victory up in a bow tie and talking about Death Valley.
Nick: Exciting week. Still got more coverage on the website, so check it out. I’ll be out GameDay on Friday, so I’ll write a story from talking to, I’m not sure who they’re going to make available, but I’ll be talking to some people that are on the set and on camera on GameDay. They’re setting it up, so if you’re in Gainesville, you can go out, check it out. Closet of the Americas are setting up the stage and the set right now.
As always, find all of your Gator news at www.GatorCountry.com. The podcast is there, audio and transcript form. The podcast is everywhere and anywhere you consume your podcasts. Just search Gator Country. Never miss an episode. Subscribe. Do your social media thing. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. You can follow me @NickdelaTorreGC, and he’s @AndrewSpiveyGC.
Andrew: There you go. I’ll be stressing about my Bravos, but that’s okay. My blood pressure will be a little high, but it’s all right. We’ll figure it out. Always find a way to win. Anyway, guys, we appreciate it. Thank you for the great week. I hope you guys enjoyed the coverage all week. Like Nick said, there’s plenty more to come. If you haven’t checked out the Billy Horschel, Jason Campbell podcast, let us know. If there’s anybody you want to hear from next week, talk LSU, let us know. As always, chomp, chomp, and go Braves.
Nick: You stay classy, Gator Country.