Tennessee goes to Gainesville to take on the Gators, while the Wildcats head south to play the Gamecocks in Columbia.
It’s Week 3 of the college football season. That’s early, I know, but two pivotal games in the SEC East may go a long way towards separating pretenders from contenders.
Tennesse vs. Florida
This is a fascinating game for several reasons. First, Florida comes into the game not having played since the Week 1 disaster against Michigan. That’s because Hurricane Irma forced cancellation of last week’s game against Northern Colorado–a game that would have been great “Get Well!” in prep for the Vols. Unfortunately, the game didn’t happen, which means the Gators haven’t played in two weeks. On the other hand, Tennessee will have played three games in a 12-day stretch.
UF’s Felipe Franks (photo, Tampa Bay Times)
On the field, the Gators face another problem: they got whooped by the Wolverines. The final score would have been worse had it not been for the fact that the secondary accounted for 14 points with two pick-sixes. The offense must improve for the Gators to compete with Tennessee. Can QB Felipe Franks play well enough for the Gators to have a chance? That’s a big question.
Meanwhile, the Vols are 2-0, including a nice OT win over Georgia Tech. But, let’s face facts: the Yellow Jackets moved the ball up and down the field against the Vols, mostly on the ground. The Gators won’t display the same option threat as did the Yellow Jackets, but Tennessee will still have to improve on D to win on Saturday. Another question is how the young, Tennessee QBs will play. I say, quarterbacks, because you never know who will play against a hungry and talented Gator defense.
Prediction: Florida 23 Tennessee 10
Kentucky vs. South Carolina
2-0 teams take the field in Columbia on Saturday when Kentucky takes on South Carolina. Many experts may not have made this a red circle game, but the game may turn out to be just that. That’s because the teams typically at the top of the SEC East have flaws. That circumstance opens the door for other programs.
Jack Bentley, USC (photo, The State)
South Carolina comes into this game with a SEC East road win against Missouri, which puts the Gamecocks a step ahead of the game. USC QB Jake Bentley has looked great so far–so much so that Heisman talk is starting in Columbia–talk that will only accelerate if he plays well and the Gamecocks get off to a 3-0 start (2-0 in the conference).
On the other side of the field, UK hasn’t looked all that great in its two non-conference wins (Southern Miss and Eastern Kentucky). But two wins are two wins. I believe Kentucky has more talent than South Carolina, too. A win would huge for this long-struggling program. It would put the ‘Cats on top in the SEC East race.
Prediction – South Carolina 31 Kentucky 27
