After a much-needed bye week, Georgia Football now turns their attention to the Florida Gators. Can the Dawgs win in Jacksonville and take control of the SEC East?
It’s finally here. The Georgia Football team and Florida will square off this weekend in Jacksonville in one of college football’s best rivalry games. And as both teams enter this game ranked in the top 10, the stakes in this game are as high as they’ve been in six years.
Georgia must win this game to maintain control in the SEC East. A win against Florida and then Kentucky next week would give the Dawgs an SEC East crown for the second consecutive season. If the Dawgs lose to the Gators, any lofty postseason goals the team has will be firmly out of reach.
The Dawgs have really had to take a hard look in the mirror since the loss to LSU. This game against Florida gives the team the perfect opportunity to prove to the college football world that the LSU game was a fluke and that this Georgia team is still a national championship contender.
Kirby Smart has this team ready. I expect the Dawgs to come out of the gates with anger and force to take control of the Gators in this game. Georgia and Florida both have formidable defenses which could set up for a low-scoring battle similar to the 2012 game between these two teams.
All eyes will be on the quarterback situation for the Dawgs. Will Jake Fromm show that he’s shaken off his poor performance from LSU or will he continue to struggle? When and how often will we see Justin Fields? Georgia needs to have excellent quarterback play to win this game.
Both teams will have some success running the ball in this game but I believe an explosive play or two in the passing game could be the deciding factor in the end. If the game is a close contest, special teams could also come into play. If that’s the case, Georgia gets the edge because of Rodrigo Blankenship. Georgia will grind out a close win in this game and move on for a chance to clinch the SEC East against Kentucky next week.
Prediction: Georgia 24, Florida 20
Georgia and Florida play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on CBS.