3 reasons why Georgia will beat Florida and 1 why they won’t
By John Buhler
Georgia football may have what it takes to beat Florida football for the fourth year in a row.
Georgia football is a slight favorite over Florida football, but don’t tell that to Dawg Nation.
For the sixth year in a row, the annual rivalry series between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs will likely decide who represents the SEC East in the SEC Championship. While Georgia has won the last three meetings down in Jacksonville, Florida is certainly on the rise under third-year head coach Dan Mullen. It could go either way, but here is why Georgia will find a way to win.
3. Recent rivalry success gives Georgia the extra confidence it will need
Okay, this one seems a little trivial, but it does matter from an overall morale standpoint. People may be saying all week that this is the year Florida gets back in the win column in Jacksonville and that Georgia has no chance because of its lackluster offense. However, most of the players on this Georgia football team have not experienced a loss to Florida in this rivalry series, and that matters.
The only time the Dawgs have lost under head coach Kirby Smart was in his first year with the program in 2016. Unless someone is a redshirt senior, he has not experienced a loss vs. the arch rival Gators. In short, the players on this team know what it takes to win this high-stakes game and what is on the line. If they want to get back to Atlanta, the Dawgs have to win on Saturday.
And this is not just about Georgia’s recent success in Duval, it is about Florida’s inability to get it done the last three times it has ventured near the Banks of the St. Johns River. Mullen has not beaten Smart or the Dawgs in Jacksonville before. Conversely, the only players on the Gators who have defeated the Dawgs are super seniors in their final year of eligibility. It has been a long time.
Ultimately, it is more about Florida coming out and taking care of business than Georgia coming out flat. Georgia has led in every game this year and had a shot at upsetting the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa a month ago. The Dawgs do not have to play perfect on Saturday to win, though it will help. As for Florida, doubt may seep in if the Gators do not play well in the first two quarters.