Vanderbilt Commodores at No. 10 Florida Gators
Line: Florida -26; Over/Under: 49; TV: ESPN
Saturday, Nov. 9 at Noon ET; Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; Gainesville, Fla.
Believe it or not, despite the Florida Gators losing to the Georgia Bulldogs, this game technically has SEC East implications for Tennessee football. Yes, the Vols are technically alive, and the Vanderbilt Commodores upsetting UF would all of a sudden give them a very real shot at winning the division.
Anyway, Florida is trying to rebound from that devastating loss, and they are hoping to dominate a Vanderbilt team that is just not good. For Dan Mullen’s second team, a 10-2 record and New Year’s Six bowl, potentially finishing 11-2, is still on the table. There’s no shame in that given what he inherited.
Following an upset win over the Missouri Tigers, Vanderbilt looked like they had turned a corner for a half against the South Carolina Gamecocks. But then they fell apart and managed to lose an ugly one 24-7. Now, at 2-6, they have to win out for Derek Mason’s team to miraculously make a bowl game, which is extremely unlikely.
Prediction
Last year, Florida beat Vanderbilt by 10. This year, the Vols are the only FBS team they beat by more than their spread over Vandy. They will win this game, but Vanderbilt coming out desperate early and UF not being up for the game after last week’s loss will allow the ‘Dores to give them a scare. So Florida wins but fails to cover, resulting in a defensive game hitting the under.