Someone Else Thinks Florida Will Win Big





From College football predictions:



"No. 12 Tennessee at No. 17 Florida (Noon ET, Sat.)

This rivalry has produced a large knapsack of classic games, including the Gators' 14-13 Gator Bowl win over the Vols in 1969. (Isn't it a blatant conflict of interest for a team called the Gators to play in a game called the Gator Bowl?). Florida's 20-18 win in 1976 was a dandy, too, as was the 62-37 shootout in '95, the Gators' 35-29 victory the next year, Tennessee's OT triumph in '98, and all three games from 1999 to 2001, with the average winning margin being less than a field goal.

Will this week provide another game deserving to be archived? Probably not. The only way the Vols can manage to hang with the Gators in the Swamp is to somehow find another year of eligibility for Jamal Lewis. That's not going to happen, and even if it did, it's doubtful Brian Billick would allow his record-setting running back to moonlight as an 'amateur.' (Use of quotes required because most SEC football stars earn more than the NFL minimum. Oh! That's a cheap shot!).



Pick: Florida will take numerous shots (clean, not cheap) at Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen. The Gators had Miami bottled up pretty good and we're staring at an early-season 'statement' win, until Brock Berlin started to light it up against his former team. Clausen is experienced and solid, but he won't be able to find a rhythm like Berlin found during the late stages of the Orange Bowl showdown two weeks ago, and the Gators will win this one with a little room to spare. Florida 32-17. "