Ask Farrell: Can Florida hang with Georgia this Saturday?
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Georgia was cruising through its schedule and it looked inevitable that the Bulldogs were the class of the SEC East and a showdown against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game was probable.
The Bulldogs won their first six games comfortably by double digits and scored more than 40 points in every game except when they beat Tennessee, 38-12.
Then LSU happened. Georgia traveled to Baton Rouge two weekends ago and was thoroughly whipped. The Bulldogs scored 16 points, all in the second half. They struggled to move the ball offensively and LSU won the game convincingly.
After a bye week, Georgia is coming into what used to be called “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” (before political correctness took over), looking to get back on track with a convincing win over rival Florida.
But the Gators are playing pretty good football, as well. After being beaten by what we now know is a quality Kentucky team in early September, Florida has blown out some teams including Tennessee, toughed out wins against Mississippi State and LSU and survived a scare at Vanderbilt.
The chatter early in the season was that Georgia was untouchable in the SEC East. But with Florida playing so well, that opinion might be changed this weekend in Jacksonville.
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to weigh in on whether Florida can not only cover the 7-point spread but beat Georgia on Saturday in one of the best rivalries in college football.
FARRELL'S TAKE
“I think this will be a close, low-scoring game and that Georgia pulls it out in the end. After Florida lost to Kentucky however, I would have told you Georgia would destroy the Gators, especially the way the Dawgs had been playing early in the season. But after the drubbing by LSU, a common opponent for Florida, I’m not sure there is as much separation as there was before.
"I still like the offensive balance of the Bulldogs and think they will have success in the run game, but the Florida defense, especially the pass defense, will make throwing the ball tough. Florida is playing with a new confidence and not making as many mistakes as we are used to seeing on offense. But I still think they struggle putting up points and that Georgia takes this one 24-20.”
