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Tennessee at Florida Football Odds & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

tn florida 01709 Remember when Lane Kiffin said that his Vols would beat Florida when he was announced as Tennessee’s new head man? Whether a bad joke or sheer stupidity to fuel the fire of the reigning national champs, the time has come to see how Kiffin’s boys will fare against the best team in the country when the SEC rivals meet in Gainesville this Saturday. College football odds makers don’t expect this one to even be close, listing Florida as a 29.5-point favorite with the total set at 52.

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The Florida Gators enter this week’s contest 2-0 with a pair of lopsided victories over Charleston Southern and Troy to improve their winning streak to 12 games, which is tied for the longest streak in school history. Lane Kiffin’s Vols enter this week’s matchup at 1-1. The offense looked impressive in a Week 1 win over Western Kentucky, but it wasn’t anywhere to be found in last week’s 19-15 loss to UCLA. The all-time series is all evened up at 19 games a piece, but Florida has had the edge of late with four straight wins.

The offensive side of the football was Tennessee’s weakness in 2008. It looked like the team may have turned a corner, though, when it racked up 657 yards and scored 63 points in Week 1. However, the team struggled immensely against the Bruins in Week 2, scoring only 15 points on 208 yards of offense. The Vols also turned the football over four times. QB Jonathan Crompton threw for just 93 yards and three interceptions. Now the Vols face a Florida defense expected to be one of the best in the country.

If Tennessee is going to have a chance to pull off the shocking upset or even keep the game competitive, it will have to rely on its stingy defense and a conservative offensive approach geared toward not turning the ball over. That means tailback Montario Hardesty will likely be Tennessee offensive focal point. He has 249 yards and two scores already this season.

As I already mentioned, the defensive side of the football is where the Vols excel. While the offense struggled against UCLA, the defense held the Bruins to only 186 yards. The unit is led by All-American safety Eric Berry, who came up with 10 stops against the Bruins. Berry is a big play guy who can change a game from the defensive side of the football on any given play. He will likely have to come up with at least one of his patented big plays for the Vols to have a shot this week. If you think odds makers have spotted the Vols too many points, bet Tennessee at +29.5 at BetUS.

After playing a couple warm up games, the Gators will finally face a BCS opponent with comparable athletes. The biggest difference I see is that Tennessee doesn’t have a Tim Tebow. The former Heisman Trophy winner appears poised to make a run at winning another one. He is off to a fast start, completing 64 percent of his pass attempts for 425 yards and five touchdowns. In all, the Florida offense is averaging 59 points and 643.5 yards through the first two games. Wide receiver Riley Cooper and tight end Aaron Hernandez have done their part to fill the shoes of All-American Percy Harvin. The two receivers have combined for 305 yards and two scores through the first two weeks. Four capable players can star on any given day in the ground game. I’m referring to Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Emmanuel Moody and Tebow.

Defensively, Florida hasn’t been tested at all, allowing just 4.5 points per game and only 231 total yards per contest. This unit is led by All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes. With as poorly as Crompton played last week, there’s no question in my mind that the Gators will ask him to beat them through the air. If you think the Gators send a message to Tennessee and the rest of the country with at least a 30-point blowout win, bet Florida at -29.5 at BetUS.

*Note: Jimmy Boyd likes what he sees in Saturday’s college football lineup. Make sure you pick up his Saturday NCAA football picks package for a big day on the college gridiron.

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