Four of the top-five ranked teams are not in action this weekend and there are only two matchups between top-25 programs on the slate.
One of those two, however, would stand out even on a week packed with ranked matchups as games between Florida and Georgia need no introduction.
The 97th instalment—according to Georgia, the 98th according to Florida—of one of the most storied rivalries in college football carries with it huge implications both for the SEC and for the College Football Playoff.
Florida arrives into the weekend as the No. 6 ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, with Georgia two spots below and as was the case last year—when the Bulldogs were No. 7 and the Gators were No. 9—both teams have one loss to their name.
The Gators lost to then-No.2 ranked LSU earlier this month, while the Bulldogs plummeted all the way to No. 10 after losing at home to South Carolina.
As such, whichever of the two team comes on the losing side of the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” can kiss its CFP hopes goodbye.
It would take an upset of almost unprecedented proportions to see a team with two regular season losses finishing in the top four and have a shot at securing a spot in the national title game.
Conversely, the winner will be in the driver’s seat to wrap up the SEC East and subsequently take on one between Alabama and LSU in the SEC Championship Game.
The Crimson Tide and the Tigers collide next week in one of the most-eagerly awaited matchup in years, but unlike the Gators and the Bulldogs the loser should have a second chance.
According to FiveThirtyEight projections, Florida would have a two percent to make the playoff should it lose on Saturday and drop to 7-2.
Georgia’s hopes would stand at one percent, should it slip to 6-2. Meanwhile, the loser of Alabama and LSU still retains an 18 percent chance to make the top four.
There is little to choose between Florida and Georgia, but the Gators have been boosted by the return of star pass-rushers Jon Greenard and Jabari Zuniga.
Florida leads the SEC with 29 sacks and the duo will be crucial to put Jake Fromm under pressure.
The Bulldogs quarterback has not passed the 300 passing yards mark in the last five games and threw three picks in the loss to South Carolina three weeks ago.
Getting to Fromm, however, will be no easy task for the Gators, as Georgia has allowed only four sacks this season, the best figure in the country along with Air Force.
It will be interesting to see whether the Bulldogs rely on Fromm, or whether they will opt to keep the ball on the ground. Georgia leads the SEC with an averages of 6.07 yards per carry and ramming the ball down Florida’s throat seems a logical step, given the Gators have given up a combined 435 rushing yards in the last two games.
Here’s all you need to know ahead of Saturday.
When and where is the game?
The Florida Gators take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, November 2, with kick-off scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
As it’s been the case in all but two occasions since 1933, the two rivals will collide in neutral ground in Jacksonville, Florida.
The game will be played at TIAA Bank Field, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, which has hosted the game since 1995.
TV coverage
The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
Live stream
A live stream will be available via CBS’s digital platforms and fuboTV.
Series record
Georgia holds a slight lead in the all-time series between the two programs, winning 51 times to Florida’s 43.
The Bulldogs have won the last two meetings against the Gators, defeating them 36-17 a year ago in Jacksonville, Florida, and 42-7 in the same venue a year earlier.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, Georgia is a 6.5-point favorite and is 22/25 to cover the spread, while Florida is a 37/20 underdog.
The over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 46.