My humble opinion: Id choose Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. Now, its LSU. When Oklahoma and Texas join the league, how many conference games would you like to see each SEC team play in a season? fora rematch of the 2020 SEC Championship Game. The Gators will host the Seminoles in the regular season finale on November 27th, renewing the In many instances, the players on the two teams are friends off the field, due to having been high school rivals or teammates. This will be the first real test of the 2021 Why Ainias Smith's arrest is a brutal blow for an A&M team that already had a small margin for error, Will Anderson Jr. reacts to Jimbo Fisher's comments, idea of sitting out ahead of the NFL Draft, 4-star wide receiver narrows list to 3 SEC programs, Desmond Howard names college football's biggest 'sleeper' team, Former Alabama All-American named coaching intern for Falcons, Josh Heupel has a hilarious answer to 'Would You Rather' question at SEC Media Days, South Carolina receiver target sets commitment date, Deion Sanders explains why Jackson State is 'not ready' to play Alabama, Alabama commit nails long-range, crosswind field goal in training, 10 things I'm absolutely overreacting to after SEC Media Days, Comedian Joey Mulinaro hilariously parodies coaches' break room interaction at SEC Media Days, SEC Media Days 2022: Every SEC coach ranked by how many words said during opening statements, Former SEC Network, ESPN reporter joins Amazon's NFL coverage. (Tim Casey / UAA Communications), A top-12 class is OK as long as in-state ties strengthened, Prioritize the transfer portal to expedite the rebuild, More impressed than before, but I need to see more, No change; Ive been a believer since Day 1, Im now extremely confident in this administration, Dan Mullen received mixed reviews from Florida fans, but most agreed his tenure ended in disappointment. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Jones talked about his adolescence in Georgia in a press conference on Oct. 11, including his childhood rooting interest. Tebow got an early measure of revenge by doing a "telephone call" gesture to the Tiger Stadium crowd after an early touchdown put his team ahead. Really solid until everything blew up. midpoint of the season. Whether it be them [LSU], FSU, Georgia or Tennessee. I think the Ben Griffin Stadium is definitely up there for sure.. season for the Gators after they face two interstate matchups against FAU and USF. Gators in 2021, but none bigger than the worlds largest cocktail party on October 30th. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onGeorgia Bulldogs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. against LSU has to be one of the main games circled on the calendar for every Florida Every year, thats probably the biggest game of the year, especially when we head to their town or when they head to our town. Fans expect Napiers army to produce immediately, and with the $85 million Heavener Football Training Center opening this summer, thats a realistic goal. travel to Missouri in 2021 to take on the Tigers in their SEC regular-season finale. quarterbacks Emory Jones and Bryce Young- two talented QBs who hope to take the college FanPosts/FanShots are always welcome, even from FSU fans. (Kim Klement / USA Today). home in The Swamp. Because dollars will be gushing at some schools and merely trickling at others, theres a chance for a well-funded program to outperform its recent on-field production. Im sure we will hear about this again as we get closer to the showdown between these two SEC rivals. Gators will attempt to make a statement with a win against the reigning National Champs at Georgia comes Look at the following slides, and in the comment boxes at the end, give your answer as to who is the University of Florida football team's biggest rival. This rivalry has included national championship game meetings, an already fired coach (Ron Zook) ruining the naming of Bobby Bowden Field, the "Darnell Dockett/Earnest Graham game," hundreds of future NFL players and 1994's infamous "Choke at Doak," among others. Dude won. Losing Hopper, Diabate and Bogle means four of the Gators top six signees from 2019 have transferred. By finally getting the training facility completed, and by devoting big bucks to Napiers expansive staff, Stricklin and the administration have displayed a championship level of commitment. Former Florida Gators long snapper Brett DioGuardi breaks down the five most important matchups of UF's upcoming 2021 season. This rivalry is ingrained in players minds as soon as they first step foot on their respective campuses. Hell try to exact revenge this coming season. The two teams that met in the recent College World Series championship round also have a budding rivalry on the field, courtesy of one man. In fact, the Tigers have dominated the rivalry for the better part of the last decade, having won seven of the last nine and four of the last five matchups. again punch a ticket to the SEC Championship game. Its a tidy format in which a school would face every SEC opponent in two-year cycles. This may not be No. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images). A He was blindsided by Cam Newbauers mistreatment of womens basketball players. look to extend their current win streak versus FSU to three games with a win this season. When Arkansas and South Carolina joined the league in 1992, the SEC split into divisions and moved from a seven- to an eight-game schedule. Things needed to be shaken up after the LSU shoe game., He might be best suited as an OC or the HC of a smaller program. The most recent installment of this series was one of the more entertaining in its history. Which transfer portal departure will be missed most by the Gators in 2022? Mike Norvell and his team will When the season ended, UF fans were seen with bumper stickers that read "Gators 28, National Champs 3.". Florida quarterback Emory Jones actually hails from LaGrange, Georgia. It will be interesting Or would you like to keep it how it is now? The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Both teams are in the same conference, so it adds more meaning to the game, while the FSU-UF game involves more hatred but is a non-conference game. When Oklahoma and Texas expand the SEC, how would you prefer to see the conference aligned? : Edited, bumped. Throughout the years, this rivalry has been a big one for each school. A win here for Florida would cause a lot of national media and Sankey, the most powerful figure in college football, doesnt like the eight-team model thats most popular with our poll participants. Outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. was born in Stockbridge, Georgia, and was voted the Henry Herald Defensive Player of the Year, given to the best defensive player in Henry County. Georgia Bulldogs news fromFanSided Daily, Georgia football: 2022 will be MJ Shermans coming out party, Georgia football awards OC Todd Monken an outstanding raise, 30 Greatest Players from the Mark Richt Era, Buck Belues touchdown pass to Lindsay Scott in 1980. The contests often feature a plethora of future NFL talent, and adding to the rivalry has been the success the Crimson Tide has had recruiting in the Sunshine State. This is not the first time Cox has been vocal before the Georgia-Florida game. Other than the rematch of the SEC championship game versus Alabama, this years matchup 2021 NFL Draft and will have new faces in pivotal roles, including the battle will be between This matchup is always anticipated every year, regardless of the records of each team at the time. He also had to fire soccer coach Tony Amato after one season. Your task today, Bleacher Report readers, is quite simple. Despite losing key talents to the NFL, Georgia is returning several contributors from the 2021 National Championship season, such as Brock Bowers, Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo, and Stetson Bennett, who out-ran Cox on a play in last years game: Stetson Bennett with the WHEELS @GeorgiaFootball pic.twitter.com/e0lr2Yz6K7, CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 30, 2021. One more win over the Gators this season and LSU will tie the all-time series. How many teams would you prefer in the College Football Playoff? The two rivals proximity adds another interesting layer to the theatrics overlapping connections. 3 rival, or if Tennessee or another SEC team like Alabama is the No. He was committed to an unpopular retention of mens coach Mike White until Georgia stepped in with a bailout offer. win here for Florida would mark the first time the Gators have won back-to-back matchups into the season with high expectations and a talented 2021 recruiting class to go with it. He contends the SEC will only support a four- or 12-team Playoff. Maybe thats a problem, or maybe its negligible. Though UF has handled the 'Noles fairly easily in the past couple of matchups, this is one of if not How many teams does it take to legitimize a College Football Playoff? However, the recent LSU run narrowed the gap. Florida Football has plenty of rivals in the SEC. dropped back-to-back games to the Tigers in both Colombia and the Swamp. With college football at a crucial intersection, Im less optimistic about where the game is headed, unless we arrive at a place where winning remains at least as important to players as personal brand-building. With regard to the football program, however, I thought Stricklin made a decisive move by firing Mullen only 11 months after an SEC championship appearance. Being from Georgia, I was always a Georgia fan until a certain time I started going towards being an Ohio State guy.. However, the hatred still burns. Utah also wouldve squeezed into a 12-team bracket as an AQ after winning the Pac-12 with three losses. Through the first eight games of his senior season, the four-star prospect went 61 of 103 for 1,197 yards and 10 passing touchdowns. represent the SEC East again in Atlanta come postseason. Some of the most memorable moments in Georgia football history have occurred against the Gators, such as Buck Belues touchdown pass to Lindsay Scott in 1980and the iconic Gator Stomp celebration in 2007. Ive got a lot respect for Mullen regardless of how it ended.. I've read several posts on this site where some of you have mentioned teams you thought were Florida's biggest rival. Turned us from an unwatchable team under McElwain to a playoff contender in two seasons., Made UF football fun to watch again., Best available hire in a down year; not sure his flaws were knowable. It was always FSU. He became more unlikeable as time went on. In order to expedite the process, I will give you eight choices, listed alphabetically. He is the news editor at Saturday Down South. The feud has been marked in recent years by two who got away from the Gators. That being said, Georgia players already have some bulletin board material for their 2022 matchup with Florida. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21.

However, this game has been and I could totally understand that logic if UF actually played Miami on a regular basis, like Miami wants to do. It would set up an in-state round-robin season that determines the true state winner, but I guess the schedule makers at UF have different ideas and that argument can be saved fora different time. At the extremes, the Love for this megaconference outweighs the Hate handily. What best describes your feelings about Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC? (The divisional setup is almost certain to become a relic now that the NCAA plans to remove them as criteria for staging a conference championship game.). Still, as long as Steve Spurriers walking the earth, Vols-Gators needs to be a thing. The schools, barely over 300 miles apart, battle each fall as power shifts from decade to decade. 190. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Regarding it, Georgia football and Florida do not need much motivation for their annual meeting in Jacksonville. GAINESVILLE, Fla. Who should be Floridas permanent rivals in the new SEC scheduling format? on Jul 11, 2011, 11:08am EDT The Georgia-Florida game is set for October 29th at 3:30 p.m. All rights reserved. Eight other Gators hail from the Peach State according to the team roster, with notables including safety Trey Dean III, running back Dameon Pierce and linebacker TyRon Hopper. However, the faction of voters who expect to like college football less outnumbers the group who anticipates liking it more. Being in separate divisions, they don't play as often as they used to, but when they do, the matchups generally are heated. The tally currently sits at 33-32-3 in Floridas favor. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). Thats why you come to Florida to play in big ball games and great rivalries.. Some 142 of the nations top 200 recruits remain uncommitted, and the Gators are in the hunt for a cluster of five-star players. He had one bad season and stuck his foot in his mouth about recruiting. In 2007, Wes Byrum, a product of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Tigers a 20-17 victory in The Swamp. There were several options here as there is a bit of a drop off after those top four games. We support responsible gambling. From what I understand as a FSU fan, the UF-Georgia rivalry is similar to the FSU-Miami rivalry. Did the ACC champs deserve a chance to play for a national title after losing to Western Michigan and Miami, and facing the countrys 69th-rated schedule per Sagarin? three-game skid against the Tigers and return back to Gainesville with a big-time win at the The Georgia rivalry is sacred and fans made that crystal, listing the Bulldogs on all but one ballot. Would you want to play them every season and rotate home/away every season? Cant wait to get the win. In a 2020 interviewwith1st and Ten Florida, he saidthat this game would be personal to him while also expressing how he couldnt wait for Florida to get a win.

They face Tennessee every year, Georgia and the Gators play annually on a neutral site, normally to decide the SEC East. during the regular season especially in Ben Hill Griffin. Would you be willing to donate to a group that creates NIL opportunities? football world by storm. However, I believe that this is a game that Florida has dropped in the past due to lack of Like UF, the Tigers own three national championships, two of which have come since 2003. The game has had many names over the years: Georgia-Florida, Florida-Georgia, Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and the River City Showdown (we can forget about that last one). to get back to Atlanta. Defensive back Jalen Kimber announced his decision to transfer to Florida a few days after the national championship game. This year's prime example likely will be 'Bama tailback Trent Richardson, a Pensacola native who could be a Heisman Trophy candidate. Florida's Brenton Cox Jr. (1) played for Georgia to begin his collegiate career, and Trey Dean III (0) grew up in the Peach State. We got a bunch of rivalries. After the one that counted, he ran up and down the field doing the Gator chomp. The Gators will look to avoid a After the stunning upset in the Swamp the previous year, the Gators should Floridas 2023 class currently has four commits it ranks 37th nationally and ninth in the SEC though were approaching a phase that should bring big movement. Richard Gouraige also noted that the games always take place in two of the biggest and loudest stadiums in the SEC. Follow him on Twitter at @BrianOlmo0211. At SEC Media Days next season, we could be talking about a rivalry thats a dead heat. At the very least, its another variable than Florida can use to offset the negativity around last seasons 6-7 record. Went from very promising to very disappointing very quickly., He brought us back from the dark, boring days of Mac and gave us some memories that will last forever. Florida, meanwhile, has a rebuild on its hands as they try to become an SEC and National title contender once again. Regardless, the overseers of the game must be savvy: There are some aspects that need updating, along with other points of tradition that fans arent willing to obliterate. cannot have any resemblance to last seasons final SEC game, against an uninspiring (LSU) Tigers team, if the Gators have aspirations My name is Brett DioGuardi, and I am a former Second-Team All-SEC long snapper for the Florida Gators. When Miami won its first national championship (in 1983), there was just one blemish on its recorda 28-3 opening game loss in Gainesville. Your favorite player on the current roster is: One reader said his favorite player is anyone that can block or make an open-field tackle., Another answered, I dont really have one, and thats a problem.. Networks love the Florida-LSU series, which has been staged annually since 1971, but the Tigers could be synced up with Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M. During his time with the Heard County Braves, Jones played in the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game. My humble opinion: What fans do with their expendable income is their business, so Im not judging anyone who contributes whether its buying a small monthly subscription or writing a multi-million dollar check. I just happen to be aligned with the 8 percent of you whod prefer Clemson and FSU joining the SEC instead, because theyre better fits culturally and geographically. To which he answered: Oh yeah, man. Last year for example, Pitt wouldve received the last bid in a 12-team field. We reveal your answers today in the second half of The Athletics latest Florida fan poll. How has your opinion of Scott Stricklin and Floridas athletic department changed since the firing of Dan Mullen and the hiring of Napier? Personally, Ive never donated to my alma mater because I believe there are worthier causes in this world. Now that some collectives will be facing IRS and NCAA scrutiny, the landscape figures to keep shifting and need more info crowd may expand. My humble opinion: Im also on board with a nine-game conference schedule, and I think the ACC follows suit to instill symmetry throughout the Power 5. One thing is for sure this years game between the Gators and Tigers will be one of the more intense games of the entire SEC season. Save for two games in the 1990s when the Gator Bowl was being renovated for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" primarily has been played in Jacksonville (an interesting note is the game played in Gainesville saw the Bulldogs start a former walk-on safety named Will Muschamp). The redshirt junior took down his former team, contributing three total tackles and a tackle for loss, and looks to secure a second straight win against the red and black. Floridas breakout performer in 2022 will be: The five-star recruit out of Lakeland in 2020, Bowman has only 23 touches through two college seasons at Clemson and Florida, with zero touchdowns. 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. But thats as deep as I care to go. This game shouldnt be anything similar to the high-scoring affair it Felt like he couldnt handle the media and expectations of being head coach at UF., Impressive. Now, the two schools will face off in Gainesville this year on Floridas homecoming, which will surely make the rivalry even more heated. They also won the most lopsided game of the series, a 58-3 curb-stomping in 1993. am going to touch upon what I believe are the five most important games for UF in this For us, its a great thing. However, what I don't understand is why some UF fans claim Miami to be one of the top three rivals. But at the same time I'm a huge sports fan, especially college football, so I spend time reading sites from all around the country to better educate myself. was in Mercedes Benz stadium last year as both teams will look to showcase much-improved defensive fronts.

Terrible CEO of the program., Could not keep the linemen in-state. Fatal., Occasional brilliance marred by apathy.. Which Gators player will break out this fall? It took place in 2007 and was preceded by LSU supporters getting ahold of UF quarterback Tim Tebow's cell phone number and leaving him hundreds of messages. Alligator Army, a Florida Gators community, By chrisnole propel the Gators to an immediate contender in the college football world. I particularly fear the game could devour itself if a few big-time programs break away to form an NFL Junior Varsity. Its scary to envision what game days in Starkville, Morgantown, Fayetteville, Tempe and The Little Apple would look like if those schools are relegated to second-tier status. Berlin added to the fury by mocking Gator players and fans with the Gator chomp after the 28-point rally was complete. A six-team field no AQs, simply the six highest-rated teams would add an extra round of games and allow the top two seeds to recover from their conference championships. Also, I'm curious if you guys think Miami is the No. He played in 13 games as a true freshman before transferring to Florida in 2019. Mine is clearly an endorsement of Nick Saban, who despite a string of injuries at the skill positions managed to split last years two meetings against Kirby Smarts generational team. On September 18th, Nick Saban and company will make the trip down to Gainesville, Florida Makes it more interesting.. It has stayed at eight ever since. But when you go five or so years without playing a particular team, I think it's hard to consider that team a rival. The folks who voted for South Carolina and Kentucky typically did so instead of LSU. Sunshine State rivalry after a year of absence amid the coronavirus pandemic, in which the entire SEC played a conference-only schedule. Keeping divisions also might mean Alabama and Auburn moving to the East, and Mizzou switching to the West in order to balance out the two sides. This one's probably going to be fun in the comments. look to have a big bounce-back season after an abysmal 3-6 record in 2020. At SEC Media Days on Tuesday, Florida OL Martez Ivey said the LSU game on Saturday, Oct. 7, is the one the Gators are circling on their calendars, and not just because its homecoming. Its certainly worth considering Auburn as a permanent rival, a team Florida has faced 85 times their second-most common opponent behind Georgia (100 meetings). About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The former five-star prospect and No. No two teams have played each other more in the Southeastern Conference championship game than Florida and Alabama. Honestly, was on track to be very successful until this last year. Thanks again to the 377 subscribers who participated in the 29-question survey: What school do you foresee winning the most SEC titles during the next five years? My humble opinion: The 2023 recruiting class marks the first one in which NIL offers will be flowing from every major program. look to improve after a fourth-place finish in the SEC West this past year. The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. The most logical scheduling models have Tennessee and LSU becoming the other permanent opponents for Florida in the new-look SEC.

With all due respect to Cox, Kimber, Billy Napier, and the rest of the Gators, animal cruelty likely wont happen to the Dawgs when these two teams play. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. Included in last season's run was a blowout victory in Gainesville.