Being a teenage SEC football fan in the late 90s, you knew THE conference rivalry in those days was Florida-Tennessee. It always factored into which team made the SEC championship game then from the East division.
For a long time the rivalry was dead. Florida reached the mountaintop for a time and have thoroughly dominated the Vols, which has only won once since 2004. But Tennessee is formidable this year and is currently ranked 11th in the AP poll.
The Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier (SOS doesn’t like OBC and he’s an alpha so respect the man) reminded the world “you can’t spell ‘citrus’ without UT.” The Citrus Bowl isn’t an awful consolation prize though. Is current Florida coach Billy Napier edging into that territory? It sure seems like he’s calling the Vols’ Henson Hooker a “system QB” here.
Tennessee sure seems primed for a win but some Florida fans aren’t having it. Let’s see what the boards have to say.
There’s mostly a positive vibe on the Tennessee boards but recent history has some Vols fans skittish.
Message boards really need trigger warnings. I still see Peyton leading the band in my nightmares. My hatred of him is regrettably hard to maintain but it’s a war I’m willing to wage. Meet me by the playground at 3:15, Peyton.
Florida fans are a mix of hardcore Chads and doomed losers.
So you’re saying there’s a chance…?
One poster expects a return on the investment of Billy Napier. I have concerns about the sustainability of the Gators’ current market projections but I do believe Florida has the opportunity for growth given the current climate. Let’s circle back in a few years when we can unpack the data and see if Billy Napier has moved the needle at all.
Florida fans aren’t optimistic about stopping Tennessee’s offense though, which is averaging more than 550 yards per game.
Tennessee fans have been utterly desperate to be back where they are now on the national stage. The atmosphere should be hyped with College GameDay showing up and their Vols entering the game as the favorites. Tennessee will be explosive offensively so if its defense can frustrate Florida QB Anthony Richardson this turns into a devastating rout for the Gators. It could get so bad Smokey might actually behave like a normal dog and not be just a good boy statue. This is the first of three huge home games for Tennessee and they’ll roll into the next one against Bama 5-0 after beating LSU in Death Valley. The Vols are finally legit so let there be carnage in the SEC East.
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