No. 1 Georgia will look to stay on track for the College Football Playoff and exact revenge on its rival when it squares off against Florida on Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs are 7-0 and have one of the best defenses in a decade, giving up just 3.57 yards per play and 6.6 points per game.
The Gators, meanwhile, are 4-3 and are coming off of a wild 49-42 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge two weeks ago. While coach Dan Mullen isn’t on the hot seat, per se, there’s added pressure now that his team has seemingly fallen short of expectations. Beating the Bulldogs would go a long way to restoring good faith for Mullen in Gainesville.
Both teams have had two weeks prepare for the this one, so expect some wrinkles from both coaches once their teams hit the field. Let’s break down the game and make picks straight up and against the spread.
Georgia vs. Florida: Need to know
Quarterback questions at Georgia: Stetson Bennett IV started the last three games as JT Daniels recovers from a lat injury, and the offense hasn’t missed a beat. Coach Kirby Smart said this week that he will determine his starting quarterback after watching how the two practice and learning what Daniels is able to handle from a health standpoint. With that said, it doesn’t seem to be that big of an issue. Both quarterbacks have proven that they can consistently take the top off of opposing defenses, work off play-action and not put the stout Georgia defense in bad situations.
Florida has its own QB controversy: The quarterback question at Georgia is a luxury. For Florida, it’s much more of a concern. Emory Jones has started all seven games, but has been so inconsistent that the calls for Anthony Richardson have transformed into a dull roar. Mullen has been non-committal on who will take the first snap, but there’s no doubt that the Florida faithful won’t be happy if it’s Jones. Either way, this Georgia defense will look to rattle whoever takes the snaps.
Pressure on Mullen: The fourth-year coach has one SEC East title and three New Year’s Six bowl appearances, but frustration with some of his decisions is growing in Gainesville. He retained defensive coordinator Todd Grantham after last season despite a woeful year on that side of the ball, drawing the ire of the fanbase, and the 49 points LSU scored two weeks ago didn’t help. That, coupled with the unwillingness to give Richardson a shot as the starter, has put some pressure on a coach thought to be a “quarterback whisperer.” He is, by no means, on the hot seat. But if he doesn’t turn this season around, things could get sketchy next year.
How to watch Georgia vs. Florida live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 30 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: TIAA Bank Field — Jacksonville, Florida
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Georgia vs. Florida prediction, picks
Featured Game | Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Florida is about to be a broken team and Georgia will shatter it into thousands of pieces. Florida has a quarterback problem, and that’s never a good sign this late in the season. On top of that, it’s going up against the top defenses in the country. Georgia will run a vanilla offense because it won’t feel threatened and the defense will hold the Gators in single-digits. Prediction: Georgia (-14)
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