Podcast: Friday prediction podcast for Florida vs. Idaho

GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we bring you are Friday prediction podcast for the Florida Gators vs. Idaho game on Saturday at noon in the Swamp.

Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre give you the list of guys that will walk for senior day for the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Andrew and Nick also breakdown what the Gators need to have happen in order for them to make a new year’s six bowl game this year.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew:                 What’s up, Gator Country? Your man Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, Vandals-Gators, Saturday. Senior Day. Let’s go.

Nick:                         Let’s go indeed. It’s Senior Day for a lot of guys. I’m going to run through the list there. These guys have been through a lot. I’m talking about Khairi Clark and Cece Jefferson were recruited by Will Muschamp.

Andrew:                 Yeah.

Nick:                         They’re three coaches removed from what they thought when they got here. This senior class has been through a lot, a lot of frustration. As every Senior Day, I hope that when we get there there’s people in the stands and that these guys get recognized, because there’s a lot that goes into being a student athlete, even for a guy like Harry Quint Gornto and Jahin Lawrence, who are guys that are like Rudy. They just get beat up on during practice playing scout team for four years. A lot of what they do goes unseen, and they don’t get the recognition that a guy like a Jordan Scarlett or Lamical Perine or the scholarship players do. It’s a really cool day for them and their families.

Let me run through the list real quick. Khairi Clark, Ryan Farr, Kevaris Harkless, Martez Ivey, Cece Jefferson, Fred Johnson, Tyler Jordan, C’yontai Lewis, Dre Massey, Moral Stephens, RJ Raymond, Jorge Powell, Jon Gould, Nick Villano, Anthony Giglia, Harry Gornto, Jahin Lawrence, Brandon Reddick, Glenn Jarriel, and Danny Weldon.

Andrew:                 I feel like Jorge Powell has been here for like 25 years.

Nick:                         I think he was recruited by Steve Spurrier.

Andrew:                 He’s like the Grayson Allen of Duke basketball. Feels like good grief, man. How many years are you going to be here? C’yontai feels like that too. I mean, I know that’s one of the guys we cover, but, man. I mean, Jorge was here before Eddy was here.

Nick:                         Yeah. He was. For C’yontai, I mean, I still have those memories. You and I were down at IMG, and that was before his senior year of high school. He’s Gator chomping at Cam Newton, and he’s down there with his cousin, Bo Scarbrough, who’s now playing in the NFL. Redshirt senior. Yeah. 2014 was his first year.

Andrew:                 It’s crazy. When was Jorge Powell’s first year? I mean, legit, this is no joke. Is he in his sixth year? Because I feel like he is.

Nick:                         No. Jorge Powell’s first year was ’14. He’s a redshirt senior, so his first year was same. He was part of C’yontai’s class, that 2013 recruiting class.

Andrew:                 Okay. It just seems like he’s been forever. Poor Jorge. I agree with what you’re saying, what you said, Nick, and that is get out, come out early, support those guys. Whether they’re playing in the game, whether they’ve never played in a game, no matter what, guys like Harry, they’ve done a lot for the program. No telling how many different guys he has emulated in practice for other teams. You look at a guy like Jorge. Jorge had some moments where he had to be the guy. RJ Raymond, same thing. You just have several guys that we don’t tell a story about, and it’s not to say they haven’t done anything. I think it’s big.

Then you go to guys like Cece, a guy who never in a million years thought he would be sitting here on a Senior Day at the University of Florida but is here and is going to probably get a degree soon. Just huge for him. I just think that it’s big for the fanbase. If you’re not showing up to watch the game, show up and watch Senior Day and then leave and go home. For me, it’s important to pack the Swamp. Let those guys know that you appreciate them. That’s what makes college football so great, Nick.

Nick:                         It’s like I said, these kind of unsung heroes. It’s a great day for them and their parents. A lot of these guys aren’t scholarship guys, so their parents are paying their way, and they’re full-time students. Like I said, not getting the kind of recognition that the guys who are scoring touchdowns. It’s a great moment. I love watching parents sitting there and crying as their son comes out one last time. You get to hug your coach and hug your mom, give her some flowers. I just think the whole thing, the whole event, is something to watch every year. I make sure that I’m sitting there in the press box and watching it when it goes on.

Andrew:                 Exactly. Big game for them, against Idaho. I would like to see maybe a guy like Dre Massey get in there and get some touches. A guy who was going to be a big part of an offense two years ago, before having that injury. Would like to see him get in there and get some action. Maybe Kavaris Harkless get in there and get some action. It’s a good game to get some action for these guys.

I think Dan Mullen is a guy who really understands how much it means to these guys. You’ve talked about on Wednesday the stories of guys getting in there and scoring touchdowns when Urban was at Florida. I think that’s a big part. It’s something the great coaches and the better coaches do. Really show that you did what you did for the program, now we’re going to give you an opportunity to live a memory. You can turn the tv on to the grandkids and say, hey, grandpa scored a touchdown, or to the kids and say, hey, grandpa scored a touchdown in the Swamp.

Nick:                         Yeah. I mean, Javier Estopinan will never forget getting a touchdown, as a guy that played, I think, offensive line and defensive line and put in that work for four years. To be on really his day to be celebrated, he gets to get in there and get a touchdown. I think that’s incredible.

Andrew:                 Exactly. Big one.

Nick:                         Let Jorge kick a field goal this weekend.

Andrew:                 There you go. He had a few in his career. Again, big game for Florida for those reasons. Reasons we talked about as well, Nick, and that is a chance to play some of your younger guys. Dan Mullen said on Wednesday he expects Jacob Copeland to get back out there and play, for the first time this year. That will be big. Nick, you and I have a relationship with him. We know he came into Florida expecting to be playing very early. Definitely didn’t expect to be redshirting. Had that knee injury.

Listen, you and I have had so many people ask us, you said four weeks is what he was going to be out, four to six weeks. You and I both said, four to six weeks is when he’ll get back out there running. You never understand, you never know how your knee is going to react to cutting, to making that stop on a dime, to that kind of stuff. That’s the things that as an athlete you have to overcome. Not only do you overcome it physically, but you now got to overcome it mentally when it comes time for the game on Saturday.

Nick:                         Everyone’s different.

Andrew:                 Yup.

Nick:                         I’m over here knocking on wood. I’ve never had a surgery, but I remember I tore my labrum in my shoulder when I was playing baseball, and, to me, that was for a while it didn’t feel right. It was just kind of managing pain, and that’s not running and worrying. You go through 18 years of life, and you never have anything wrong, and all of a sudden, you do something you’ve always done, make a cut, and then your body gives out on you.

That’s the mental thing to me. You’re just thinking, my body gave out on me. What happened? How do I trust that again? I make that same cut that I’ve made a million times, is it going to happen again? Then you start thinking about then I can’t play, and I have to go to this rehab. I have to get surgery again. To me, it’s more so than the physical. It’s just Jacob getting over the mental part of even taking a hit on it. That’s something I didn’t have to worry about. I didn’t have to worry about anyone hitting me.

Andrew:                 The biggest thing is then you have to hope and not let yourself kind of go from running one way to starting to overemphasize something differently. Then you hurt a different part of your body. That’s a different way that you have to worry about. Excited to see him this weekend. You and I talked about it on Wednesday. We were excited to see a lot of guys play in the game on Saturday. I still don’t think Emory Jones plays. I may be wrong. If I am, I’ll admit it. Prediction, Nick. Emory play on Saturday?

Nick:                         Final prediction. No.

Andrew:                 Okay. I just think it’s a waste. I mean, that’s not to say he can’t get some good game action. Just I think that FSU game is so important, and then that bowl game is just so important for guys to play and play early. I think that that bowl game is when you really want him to play.

Nick:                         The bowl game, to me, is just a no-brainer. No-brainer. Then the decision is do we want to leave Feleipe in when the score is 38-0 or when the game is out of hand? Do we want to leave him in there and risk injury? Does he play every snap, and then do we play Emory against FSU, at FSU, and then in the bowl game? You’re really just picking between Idaho and FSU, in my mind, because the bowl game makes too much sense.

Andrew:                 I just think that FSU game is such an important must-win football game.

Nick:                         Yeah. Bad FSU team.

Andrew:                 Let me ask you this. I’m asking you this, and again, this is no disrespect to you at all. You don’t follow, you’re not as in touch with recruiting during the season as you are after the season. You know just from the outside looking in. If FSU wins on Saturday, in two Saturdays, over Florida, they’re going to go into recruits’ homes and say, everything Dan Mullen is telling you about his program being on the up and up is cool and all, but our program sucks. We need you, and we still beat Florida.

Nick:                         That’s the message. Look, we’re rebuilding. We’ve beaten them five years in a row. We’ve beaten them in seven of the last eight years, and we had a terrible team this year. They still can’t beat us.

Andrew:                 Right. Exactly.

Nick:                         Come here, and you’ll never lose to Florida. That’s Willie’s message if you lose to Florida State next week.

Andrew:                 Exactly.

Nick:                         I have a question for you. I saw it on Twitter yesterday, and I want anyone listening, hit us up on the message board or tweet at us, if I tell you, this is a hypothetical question, if I tell you UCF and Florida are playing in a bowl game, and you can only win one of those games, do you want to beat UCF or do you want to beat Florida State?

Andrew:                 UCF is not a threat to Florida in recruiting. You beat Florida State.

Nick:                         This is, I think, more of like a fan thing, because …

Andrew:                 Oh, you don’t want to lose to UCF.

Nick:                         You never want to lose to Florida State. I think my thinking, if I put myself in the fans’ shoes, my thinking is, shoot, lose to FSU, beat UCF, because we play FSU next year. I don’t know when Florida will play UCF again. They’re not going to schedule them. It’s really like a lose-lose situation. It’s a no-win situation for Florida. You beat UCF, you’re supposed to, but you don’t beat UCF, and those Twitter wars that have been happening between Florida and UCF fans, what do you say back them if you lose to UCF?

Andrew:                 Here’s the thing, Nick. You got to win both. I mean, I get what you’re saying, and you better beat Florida State.

Nick:                         You got to pick one.

Andrew:                 I said Florida State. Just, to me, UCF is whatever. You got to beat Florida State. You just have to. That’s just all it is to it. You have to beat Florida State for recruiting. There’s just no if, ands, or buts about it. This is a must-win football game against a rival, against Florida State. You think about it, and I’m saying this, and you may have a different opinion of this. You and I have talked about this in the past. We can debate it some more or whatever. I consider every year Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, and Florida State Florida’s four rivals. I think you can say legitimately it’s Tennessee, Georgia, Florida State. I consider LSU one, just because of how important it is. Could be wrong. Whatever. Just say that those four are the games. If Florida was to win the Florida State game, Dan Mullen can walk away and say in Year 1 he was 3-1 in rivalry games.

Nick:                         Okay.

Andrew:                 In my opinion, that’s a key. Right?

Nick:                         Yeah. It is. It was just a hypothetical game. Dan Mullen has made those rivalry games as big as they should be.

Andrew:                 Right. For me, you judge football coaches by how good they are in those rivalry games.

Nick:                         That’s where you can get fired. You can be okay and have nine wins every year, but you lose to Tennessee, you lose to Georgia, you lose to FSU too many times, and those are the games. Boosters that are paying big money, they don’t like losing those games.

Andrew:                 Gene Chizik won a national championship and got fired very quickly. Because why?

Nick:                         Couldn’t beat Bama.

Andrew:                 Couldn’t beat Bama. Gus Malzahn, as bad as Gus Malzahn is, he almost got fired last year, but he beat Bama and kept his job, because of beating Alabama. I mean, now that all looks like a mistake, and I think we all agree it was a mistake. Still, he kept his job because he won a rivalry game against Alabama.

Nick:                         Hey, that’s a serious shot. Have any Bama coaches gotten fired because they couldn’t beat Auburn?

Andrew:                 Shula.

Nick:                         Shula. That’s right.

Andrew:                 Shula. What was it? Six in a row or seven in a row? I think that’s what it is. Something like that. It was a lot. It was up there. Again, I just think, and you and I have said this in the past, and we don’t have to beat a dead bush, but the thing that Dan Mullen does different is he attacks these games as games that are very important to him. These games are, rivalry games are different games. It’s not just another week. It’s a different week, and he attacks it that way. Again, I think that that is a huge, huge difference. Again, that’s what can make or break a football coach, and that’s what makes or breaks recruiting.

Nick:                         You said it multiple times. I understand that it’s a big deal. You say it multiple times, one game isn’t, shouldn’t be or isn’t the determining factor in a recruitment, but I think what you’re saying is, and you’re making bigger, is that there’s the streak and how bad FSU has been this year. Here’s some numbers about how bad FSU has been.

Andrew:                 Well, it’s perception. It’s the perception of how FSU has been. You and I talked about this before. All your programs go through highs and lows. Florida was the king of the state for years. Florida State’s been kind of the king of the state the last few years. Florida State and Miami are heading in different directions than Florida right now. This is your chance for Florida to go out and crown yourself the king of the state. I don’t care what UCF says. You crown yourself the king of the state in the big three by beating Florida State on Saturday.

Nick:                         Yeah. Then you crown it when you break UCF’s winning streak in the Fiesta or the Peach Bowl.

Andrew:                 Okay. Let’s go ahead. Let’s talk about that.

Nick:                         Real quick. FSU. 129 FBS teams. FSU is 119th in turnover margin. 124th in red zone offense. 127th in rushing offense. 128th in yards per carry. 128th in 3rd down conversion. 128th in tackles for loss allowed, and 128th in penalties.

Andrew:                 Wow.

Nick:                         Good night. That is awful.

Andrew:                 That’s bad, my friend. That is bad. Nick, we talked about this the other day, but Florida State has 41 straight winning seasons. That’s on the line this year, this week.

Nick:                         Got to win. We’ll predict that game, but you got to win Boston College and win Florida, and neither of them look very winnable.

Andrew:                 Exactly.

Nick:                         Although, those 4-8 jokes are coming back full circle.

Andrew:                 Oh yeah.

Nick:                         They’re coming back full circle. I know Gator Twitter has kept the receipts on those.

Andrew:                 Don’t piss in somebody else’s cereal if you’re not sure your team is going to be good the next year. Let’s go ahead, and let’s talk about this, Nick. Obviously, everyone knows the Florida-Idaho. We usually break it down more on Friday, but there’s just not nothing else to break down. I’m sorry. I don’t mean that no disrespect to the Vandals.

This game is big for Florida for some reasons. I think that’s why, and I hate to say if you win the game 50-0 or you win it 35-0 it looks worse, but you want to go out and make a statement on Saturday to the committees. Again, does it really matter? It’s Idaho. They suck, so if you score 70 does it really make you that much better of a team? No. Still, it’s perception. Florida’s battling right now, Nick, to be in the top 12 for that New Year’s Six bowl game. If you’re in the top 12 in the final College Football poll, you get a New Year’s Six bowl game. Florida is what, 13 right now?

Nick:                         13.

Andrew:                 So, there is a lot of games around the country. You wrote a story about it, so I want you to break that down for us, Nick, of who you’re rooting for, that kind of stuff, this weekend. Before that, I just wanted to say, to say Dan Mullen goes to a New Year’s Six bowl game Year 1, being top 12 in the playoff, it’s a success.

Nick:                         Even if you don’t go to a New Year’s Six bowl, you’re going to finish the regular season with nine wins, most likely.

Andrew:                 Again, that’s that. Go ahead and say that, and then I’ll explain why I understand some people who say it was a successful year, but maybe not a successful year. Go ahead and explain that, and then I’ll come back.

Nick:                         100% successful year. Listen, if lose the next two games and you finish 7-5, not a success.

Andrew:                 Let me say why some people, and I get it, some people have said it’s not a successful year, because you’re still going into next year talking about the same problem of who your quarterback is. You didn’t solve the problem of the quarterback play. I kind of set myself up for that in a little bit, because in the off season I said records didn’t to me as much as showing a better offense. I mean, the offense has been so much better for Florida overall. The number say that and everything else. While I do get, and I understand, yes, Florida still doesn’t have a quarterback going into next year. I get that and all, but I still think you have to call it a success for the most part.

Nick:                         I think the only, I don’t even know what the real argument would be to say that it wasn’t a success. You know what I’m saying?

Andrew:                 Right.

Nick:                         I feel like any reason a fan would tell me that it’s not successful, I think there would be something to point out to kind of like shoot that down. Okay. You didn’t beat Georgia. You weren’t expected to beat Georgia this year.

Andrew:                 Right. That’s what I’m saying. Like I said, I personally set that up, set myself up for that question, in the off season when I said it’s a successful year not really because of the record, but because of how you do with the offense. I do think the offense got better, but if I’m using my own argument, you could say they didn’t fix their quarterback play, so that’s that. That’s all I’m saying. I kind of set myself up to hear that argument.

Nick:                         Okay.

Andrew:                 Go ahead. Tell everybody where Florida things stand in the New Year’s Six bowl, rooting wise, all that good stuff.

Nick:                         So, I wrote a story about it, because I said, when the rankings came out on Tuesday, Florida has a real chance to get to a New Year’s Six bowl. Somebody was like, how? I was like, they’re 13th. The way the bowls work, the committee’s sole goal is to get the top four teams in the country. Just to pick those teams right, and they do the plus one playoff. After that, the New Year’s Six bowls, which there’s only four of them, so I don’t know why they’re call sixed. I’m guessing they’re including the playoff games. That would make it six. And only two of them are on New Year’s Day. Those are the next prestigious bowls. If you’re putting bowls into tiers, which they are, because you look at payout and stuff like that.

Andrew:                 Bowl gifts.

Nick:                         Yeah. We might actually get a bowl gift if Florida can make a New Year’s Six bowl. It would be the first one we get.

Andrew:                 We got one at the Outback. It was a football.

Nick:                         Yeah. We got that football. So, it’s more advantageous for schools to get to those bowl games. It’s more prestigious. The money that we mentioned. After those four teams, 5-12 fill those four games. There’s bowl tie-ins, so the highest ranked SEC team that’s not in the playoff will go to the Sugar Bowl. Same thing with the ACC. Clemson would be the ACC champion, but they’re in the playoff. Alabama will be the SEC champion, so they’re in the playoff. Then the next highest ranked team, which will probably be Georgia, Georgia would get a Sugar Bowl berth. LSU is probably still going to be ranked ahead of Florida, and they will get into a New Year’s Six bowl. Really Florida’s chance here is jumping Syracuse. Syracuse is ranked 12th. Florida is ranked 13th. Syracuse has to play Notre Dame this week.

Andrew:                 Right.

Nick:                         If you jump Syracuse, and then you beat FSU, I don’t see Florida dropping for finishing the next two games 2-0. If you’re ranked 12, you’re going to a New Year’s Six bowl. For Florida, when you look at all the conference tie-ins to bowl games, that would put Florida either in the Fiesta Bowl or in the Peach Bowl. The teams, both matchups get me going. Both matchups get my juices flowing. UCF, after seeing all the junk talked all year long between UCF fans and Florida fans, and having gone to UCF, I would love to see that matchup. I’ve already said I think it’s kind of a no-win situation for Florida, but the other one would be against West Virginia, and Will Grier gets to face the team that he started with.

Andrew:                 And to finish his career. That would be cool. The only thing I didn’t like, Nick, is UCF versus Florida in the Fiesta Bowl, that’s going to be so lightly attended. I would like to see that in the Peach Bowl.

Nick:                         You just want to go back to Atlanta.

Andrew:                 No. I mean, I don’t think I would be able to go to either one, because that should be Orlando.

Nick:                         Both of those games are December 29th.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Barring some kind of change in the schedule, shouldn’t be able to go to either one. You know what I’m saying? I would like to see those two fanbases be able to collide and tailgate and talk smack and everything else. I just don’t see a ton of fans going all the way to Arizona to do that. I mean, maybe UCF fans would attend it a little bit more than Florida fans would, but I don’t think Florida fans would attend that game as much.

Nick:                         Last time they were out there in Glendale they won a National Championship.

Andrew:                 You just said the reason though. They won the National Championship. It’s a lot easier to get your fanbase to attend a game when it’s a National Championship.

Nick:                         Right. For selfish reasons, I would like to go to Glendale. I’ve never been. I’ve been to Arizona one time, and it was a layover on my way out to the Opening back in 2013. Was it 2013? Yeah.

Andrew:                 Will Grier’s year.

Nick:                         I had like a five hour layover, so when I landed in Phoenix it said it was like 120 degrees outside. I walked through security just to walk outside and see what 120 degrees felt like.

Andrew:                 It feels hot.

Nick:                         Feels hot.

Andrew:                 Yeah. The difference is it’s different than Florida heat. It’s dry heat.

Nick:                         It is. Yeah. Felt like when you’re preheating the oven, and you open the oven and you put your face down too quick. That hot air from the hits you, that’s what it felt like.

Andrew:                 I mean, I get that. I think it would be cool for the guys to be able to go out to Arizona to the Fiesta Bowl. I think, from a bowl standpoint, or from an attendance standpoint for the bowl game, I think you would be better off having that in the Peach Bowl. I also will say this. I mean this in no disrespect to the Peach Bowl, but when I think of the Peach Bowl I just don’t think of prestige bowl game. It used to be an okay bowl, but not that. I do wonder this though. Would the Peach Bowl rather take someone else, since they just took UCF last year?

Nick:                         It was UCF-Auburn?

Andrew:                 Yes.

Nick:                         It’s almost, it’s supposed to be a prestigious bowl. There’s a lot of history in the Peach Bowl as well, but Auburn goes there last year, and they don’t want to be there.

Andrew:                 No. They don’t at all. Anyway, we’ll see. Real quick, Nick, Gator fans should be rooting for Notre Dame to lose, or to win against Syracuse.

Nick:                         And win big.

Andrew:                 And win big. Some other games to watch are Texas. That’s a big one to watch. You don’t want Texas to be able to slip up there and take over Florida’s spot. Let’s see here. I’m trying to think. Don’t want Texas to win. You definitely wouldn’t want an Idaho team to win. You want UCF to win this week, because you don’t want Cincinnati to kind of hope up there as well. Not that they would, but you don’t want them to hop up there. I’m trying to think here. That’s really it, to be honest with you. Then you’re hoping for no upsets in conference games, conference championship games.

Nick:                         Yeah. I read a story from our friend Richard Johnson at SB Nation, and he wrote a story that made me at least start to think that maybe Syracuse could pull the upset this week. If Syracuse beats Notre Dame, that’s it for Florida in the New Year’s Six bowl. Hello Outback or Capital One, Citrus, something like that.

Andrew:                 Right. Exactly. It’ll be interesting to see that one. You can’t have any upsets in conference championship games as well, because the conference championship would then go to that school. For instance, if Georgia was to upset Alabama, which I think both then would probably go to playoffs, so that wasn’t a good argument. Let’s just say if someone was to upset Clemson, they would get a spot in the New Year’s Six bowl, while the conference champion would also get a spot. You don’t want to have any upsets to have it taken away from your spot.

Nick:                         Yeah.

Andrew:                 Any final thoughts on this before we start picking some games and picking our players? For me, I’ve said all I needed to say about Idaho. You just got to go out and play your game. Just start early and get your guys fresh for that FSU game next week. Little bit of a crazy week with the holiday, all that good stuff. Nice to get a little breath of fresh air.

Nick:                         One thing is Idaho’s punter …

Andrew:                 Oh brother.

Nick:                         And kicker are the same person.

Andrew:                 Really?

Nick:                         Don’t get hurt during pre-game, because I don’t know what you would do punting or kicking.

Andrew:                 I haven’t asked you this, Nick. Who’s the better runner, Tommy or Johnny?

Nick:                         I’m not going to drive a wedge through the family. It’s the holiday season. Now is not the time for that.

Andrew:                 Johnny was the fastest runner on the year, faster than Zeke and somebody else. Good grief. That’s pretty cool. The Townsends are good people. Johnny is such a good guy.

Nick:                         Johnny and Tommy both, and I’m sure dad Clay is very pleased with what Johnny is doing and what Tommy is doing, and their other son, who is in medical school.

Andrew:                 They’re planning on bringing bank. Yeah. Let’s go ahead, Nick. Let’s pick some games around the country here real quick. Let’s start with that Notre Dame-Syracuse game.

Nick:                         I’m going to go with Notre Dame. Richard almost talked me into predicting the upset here, but I’m going to go Notre Dame.

Andrew:                 I still think Notre Dame is not very good, but I think Syracuse is really not any good. It’s at home at Notre Dame. I think Notre Dame is just going to be too much. I think neither one of them are very good. I say this. Notre Dame will not keep it close if they have to play Alabama in a playoff game.

Nick:                         No. Right now they wouldn’t have to. They would play Clemson right now.

Andrew:                 Right. It would be a blowout.

Nick:                         Michigan would get the brakes beat off them.

Andrew:                 Oh Lord.

Nick:                         That’s a very good Michigan defense. I would like to see that matchup. I think Alabama wins. I would not pick Michigan, but I would like to see.

Andrew:                 Alabama still going to score 40.

Nick:                         I want to see what Michigan’s defense can do, especially given time. I think Don Brown is a hell of a coach, hell of a defensive coach. I’d be interested in that. I mean, that Alabama is a machine, so you don’t want to be the 4th ranked team.

Andrew:                 No. Who do you want to pick next?

Nick:                         Go back to the top of our list here. Let’s go #20 Boston College at FSU. The line is only 1.5.

Andrew:                 What the hell are they thinking?

Nick:                         Boston College only favored by 1.5.

Andrew:                 What the hell are they thinking?

Nick:                         I don’t know.

Andrew:                 I mean, the only thing is at one point in the week it looked like FSU may be without their starting quarterback and running back, but both practiced. Boston College wins big. At FSU too.

Nick:                         Yup. Boston College for me as well. Mark that down for both of us. Miami at VA Tech.

Andrew:                 Both teams suck, but Miami sucks worse.

Nick:                         You’re off the Richt hype train that you’ve been on all year.

Andrew:                 Let me tell you about it. Go, Hokies, go.

Nick:                         I’m going to go Miami with the … No, I’m not. VA Tech.

Andrew:                 I mean, I think it will be a close game.

Nick:                         It’s a tough place to play.

Andrew:                 It’s a tough place to play, and Miami is just so bad. They’re so bad.

Nick:                         Not a night game. It’s a 3:30 game, but still a tough place to play. Out there in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Andrew:                 With sand, the sandstorm and all that good stuff. Go, Hokies, go.

Nick:                         Go, Hokies, go.

Andrew:                 I don’t know what their thing is. I mean, Lee Corso shoots the gun or something when he picks their games. I don’t know.

Nick:                         That will be the next game we pick. GameDay is in Orlando.

Andrew:                 They had nothing better to do.

Nick:                         Top 25 matchup. #24 Cincinnati at #11 UCF.

Andrew:                 Just because I want to see the Twitter fight of Florida-UCF, I’m going with the Golden Knights.

Nick:                         Golden Knights win another one. They score 30 again. This is UCF all day.

Andrew:                 I just want to see the matchup, so go Knights.

Nick:                         Iowa State at Texas. 16 versus 15.

Andrew:                 I’ve went back and forth. I don’t really think either team is that good, but Iowa State, I’m not buying it. Hook ‘em horns. Tom Herman, maybe he says something to Zach Smith on the way out. Hook ‘em.

Nick:                         Yeah. Okay, cool, hook ‘em.

Andrew:                 Okay. Cool. Hook ‘em.

Nick:                         That’s my pick. Okay. Cool. Hook ‘em.

Andrew:                 Hook ‘em. There you go. Hook ‘em.

Nick:                         Zach Smith is a lunatic.

Andrew:                 He is a lunatic.

Nick:                         Here’s one. No rankings, but I thought it would be interesting, at least for a Florida fan perspective. USC at UCLA. It’s a big rivalry game. USC, of course, has Clay Helton, somebody who we were watching closely four years ago when McElwain was hired as somebody Florida was looking at, on the hot seat. Versus Chip Kelly, somebody who Florida fans wanted to be their coach, and probably glad that he’s not your coach right now.

Andrew:                 What’s his record?

Nick:                         What is UCLA’s record right now? They’re not bowling. I know that. I’m pulling it up. They are 2-8.

Andrew:                 Okay. I was wondering if they won one or two games on the year.

Nick:                         2-8. They beat Cal, whooped Cal 37-7, and beat Arizona, 31-30.

Andrew:                 Okay. The fighting Chip Kellys.

Nick:                         Really?

Andrew:                 I think Clay Helton is in trouble.

Nick:                         Okay. I’m going USC.

Andrew:                 I think they’re in trouble. Levi Jones. Remember that name, Nick? Kicked off the team, and they had no reason for why.

Nick:                         I’m sure there was a reason.

Andrew:                 I mean, yeah, but they didn’t have, didn’t release anything and didn’t say anything, like that. Pretty interesting. Give me the fighting Chip Kellys. Go Bruins.

Nick:                         #25 UAB at Texas A&M.

Andrew:                 Go ahead. Make your pick.

Nick:                         I’m going A&M.

Andrew:                 You’re going A&M.

Nick:                         Aggies at home.

Andrew:                 Give me the fighting Bill Clarks of UAB. Jimbo goes down. 9-1, #25 ranked, UAB Blazers go out to Aggie land with a W. Go. Go. Not buying the upset?

Nick:                         UAB is having a great year. Already won the Conference USA.

Andrew:                 First time ever.

Nick:                         Their loss was to College of … Excuse me. Coastal Carolina. Not a great one.

Andrew:                 I’m not sure.

Nick:                         No. That is not great. Gave up a bunch of rushing yards. I mean, shoot. When you scheduled this game, I don’t know when this game was scheduled, because UAB didn’t have a team four years ago.

Andrew:                 I think it was just scheduled when it came back, when they came back, and it was a game that A&M picked up. Yeah.

Nick:                         A&M sitting there at 6-4 with losses to Clemson, Bama, Mississippi State, and Auburn. I just don’t see the upset here. Great UAB story. Bill Clark should get Coach of the Year consideration. I just don’t see it.

Andrew:                 I’m going with my boy, Bill Clark. Louisville, if you’re looking for a good football coach and old homeboy from Purdue doesn’t take it, give Bill a call.

Nick:                         Okay.

Andrew:                 There you go. Nick, let’s go. Let’s pick our players.

Nick:                         We can do this real quick. We’re both picking Florida.

Andrew:                 Is there a spread out?

Nick:                         Let me look that up for you.

Andrew:                 I haven’t seen one.

Nick:                         It’s got to be gigantic, if there is one. Let’s see. Betting line released. 39.5 point favorite.

Andrew:                 39. Wow. What’s the over-under?

Nick:                         60.

Andrew:                 60. Okay. Florida covers.

Nick:                         I’m going to go Florida covers and the under.

Andrew:                 Okay. Let’s go. First pick, Nick. Go ahead.

Nick:                         Back to the well, Jachai Polite.

Andrew:                 He finally gets back on track?

Nick:                         He plays well against these teams.

Andrew:                 Okay. Going back to the running game. 22 gets back in the zone, Lamical Perine. What’s that? We lost you.

Nick:                         I looked up the offensive line. They have three offensive linemen. Two of them are guards, so Jachai really wouldn’t be going up against them. Only three offensive linemen that way more than 300 pounds.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Jachai is going to have a big game. Who’s your second pick?

Nick:                         Some undersized guys. David Reese is my second pick. Idaho likes to run the football, and I see David Reese having a big day, big tackle day.

Andrew:                 Okay. I’m going with the freshman corner to get his first INT of the year. Mr. Trey Dean III on the board.

Nick:                         Are you ready for my last pick here?

Andrew:                 Uh-huh.

Nick:                         C’yontai Lewis.

Andrew:                 Wow. Wow.

Nick:                         Senior Day. We talked about Dan Mullen and this being an opportunity to honor some seniors, to give some guys who don’t play all that much the football. I think C’yontai Lewis is one of those guys that they try to get in the end zone. C’yontai, his last game in the Swamp. Let me see. No touchdowns this year. He had one last year, three in his career. Five career touchdowns.

Andrew:                 Wow.

Nick:                         None this year. Only four catches this year. I think they make a concerted effort to get C’yontai Lewis the ball and get him in the end zone.

Andrew:                 Okay. It’s Senior Day, but it’s freshman day. The knee is fine, and Jacob Copeland gets a touchdown.

Nick:                         Okay.

Andrew:                 That’s my pick. X factor, Nick. Who you got?

Nick:                         That would be two first touchdowns on the year, one for a senior and one for a freshman.

Andrew:                 Also, Kadarius had his first touchdown in the Swamp last Saturday.

Nick:                         I’m going to go Kadarius Toney as a guy that will have a game.

Andrew:                 Okay. This should be a good game for him. He can do his thing and run away from all these fellas. My X factor in the game is 27. I think Perine and Scarlett leave the pads in the locker room in the second half, and Damien Pierce has his first 100 yard game.

Nick:                         Has he been close? I think he’s been close.

Andrew:                 I think he’s had 80 a couple times, right? Once or twice?

Nick:                         He had that big run.

Andrew:                 I think he’s had 80 once or twice. I know Charleston Southern I think he had 87?

Nick:                         Pulling it up right now. He has had 87. That was against Colorado State. He had 75 against Charleston Southern. 63 against Tennessee.

Andrew:                 Okay. Yeah. All those. Nick, that’s the picks. We’ll be back on Monday. We’ll recap this, get ready for rivalry week. Let’s do this. Big holiday next weekend. Hope everyone has a good holiday next week as well. Tell everybody where they can find us, and we’ll get out of here. See everyone then.

Nick:                         www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast is there in audio and transcript form. Find the podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts. Search @GatorCountry and hit subscribe there. Never miss an episode. Do your social media thing. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. Find me @NickdelaTorreGC and him @AndrewSpiveyGC.

Andrew:                 There you go. Guys, we appreciate it. As always, chomp, chomp and go Braves.

Nick:                         You stay classy, Gator Country.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.