You know how that old urban legend goes?

Out of the blue, a woman feels a sharp pain in her left forearm.  Three thousand miles away, a brother she never knew she had slices his arm in a wood-cutting accident.  They simultaneously sense a connection and ultimately share a tearful reunion after discovering there’s a sibling out there they never knew they had.

The same is true in the world of college football.  Tommy Bowden, head coach of the Clemson Tigers, was fired today.  Or he stepped down, depending on which story you believe.  That means Tommy Tuberville, head coach of the Auburn Tigers, can’t be very far behind.

What, you ask?  Tommy Tuberville is not Bowden-kin, despite the uncanny resemblance.  I say prove it.

Let’s lay down some facts.  Bobby Bowden’s son Terry, once coached at Auburn.  His current son does not.  At least I don’t think he does.  Is it possible that Bowdens and their dopplegangers are taking over the world of college football like Invasion of the Bobby Snatchers?

I hereby propose the theory that these two head coaches, Tommy T. and Tommy B., are one and the same person, or at a very minimum separated at birth.  You know, kind of like how we never saw Bruce Wayne and Batman in the same room at the same time.

I continued promoting that theory until last year when the two schools, Auburn and Clemson, met in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.  Fittingly, that game went into overtime.  Of course it did.  The same man coached both teams.  It's like playing chess against yourself.  The Tommies briefly shared a post-game hand shake, like two worlds converging.  I maintain they did it with mirrors.

Which brings us to the Bowden firing.  As Clemson had underachieved this season, Baby Bowden is now out as head coach.  Most prognosticators picked Clemson to win a weak Atlantic Coast Conference rather handily.  They’re currently in fifth place out of the six teams in their division.  Behind the two-headed running back tandem of James Davis and CJ Spiller, Clemson promised to light up the scoreboard like Billie Jean King in a Geico commercial.  Clemson ranks 56th in points scored per game.

They got manhandled by Alabama in their season opener and lost their last two conference games to opponents they should have beaten, Maryland and Wake Forest.  Eerily similar, Tommy Tuberville has lost his last two conference games to teams he should have beaten, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.  Auburn finishes their season against Alabama.  Welcome to the Bizarro world.

Both Clemson and Auburn have three losses.  Of course they do.  They’re coached by the same guy.  Hopefully, Bowden’s firing at Clemson will give him more time to focus on coaching Auburn.  Tuberville could put these rumors to rest by hiring Bowden to replace his recently fired offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin.  Of course, we know that could never happen as it would require too many special effects.  Will the real son of Bobby please stand up?

Tommy Bowden coached ten years at Clemson, going 43-32 in conference, never making it to a significant bowl game.  His dismissal was probably long overdue.  His brother from another mother, Tommy Tuberville, still has to play West Virginia (Bobby Bowden’s alma mater), Georgia and the aforementioned #2 ranked ‘Bama, all very likely losses.

At this point, I’m afraid I’m going to need to see a birth certificate.  Or perhaps sneak in to the Bowden household unannounced on Thanksgiving to confirm Tommy Tuberville’s not there asking for a second helping of cranberry.

Like Clemson, Auburn’s season has been a disappointment.  Only a strong finish might be enough to justify keeping Tuberville at the helm.  However, his fate has already been sealed.  Separated at birth, with Tommy B.’s firing, Tommy T.’s can not be far behind.

The following article will be published in the November issue of Campus Talk, a magazine distributed in Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville and Tallahassee. If you're a local, pick one up and increase their circulation. They also have lots of pictures of pretty girls for extra motivation.

I was sitting at a local Campus Talk-approved watering hole when the gentleman beside me started going on and on about his fantasy football team.  Like I had nothing else better to do than listen to him discuss how he drafted the Redskins defense in the 7th round.

For those of you still unfamiliar with Fantasy Football… welcome to planet earth.  Sports fans, mostly men who think they are capable of running a professional sports franchise, gather once a year to draft football players at each position and field their own team.  Normally wings, beer and bad jokes are served, while guys who are too short, too slow and too uncoordinated to play the game, draft players they think will garner them enough yards, receptions and touchdowns to crown them Fantasy Football king.

Now, if this guy annoyed me, a football fan, after only a few brief minutes of hearing him talk about his third string wide receiver, it got me thinking how the wives, women and girlfriends of millions of men around the country cope with these very same conversations.

So, for those girlfriends out there who have had enough of their man’s childhood fixation with running his own rotisserie team, we’ve come up with some valuable advice to help you make it through the season with a smile.

Go Shopping:  If your man zones out on Sundays, take his credit card and run to the mall for your own fantasy spree.  If he’s in a league where he gets paid out for success, tell him you were so confident in his ability to draft a winning team, that you were just celebrating his impending victory by buying yourself something nice.

Curb the Talk:  The last thing your man wants to hear is who was on Oprah this week.  Similarly, the last thing you want to hear is how many points Adrian Peterson earned him in Week Five.  Make sure he understands there’s a time and a place for such talk, and that’s away from you and with his friends.

Host Your Own Fantasy Party:  When your man gathers with his friends to argue whether Peyton or Eli Manning brings greater value, get your girls together for a sex toy or lingerie party.  Remind him that he’s not invited.  It’ll distract him from his football by wondering what you and your twelve hottest friends could possibly be doing with lace, lotion and a handful of batteries.  Now tell me which fantasy he’d rather be involved in.

The Player Cuteness Factor:  Careful with this technique for it could send your man into a jealous frenzy.  If he drafted Tom Brady or Reggie Bush, sit there with him as he’s checking their stats and tell him how cute the players look in their tight uniforms.  Again, this might warrant anger or even worse a hidden man-crush, so use this method only if you’re prepared for the consequences.

Walk Around Naked: If this tried and true technique doesn’t distract your man away his fantasy team, then it’s time to find a new man for his priorities are clearly out of whack.  Yes, ladies, football is important to us, but remind your man to keep things in perspective.  If skimpy lingerie isn’t more titillating than a Brett Favre six touchdown game, then it might be time to check your man into fantasy football rehab.

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em: Plenty of women have now joined fantasy football leagues.  However, if you’re not a football fan, grab some friends and create a fantasy league of your own.  Base it on Dancing with the Stars, Desperate Housewives or Sex and the City reruns.  Host a draft party and invite your friends over for wine and cheese.  Be sure to belch repeatedly for effect if your man happens to be in attendance.  You can allot league points for how many times the Housewives bag either a lawn boy, neighbor or someone else’s husband.  Or better yet, join his fantasy league and beat the tar out of him and his friends.  Then talk smack about how little he knows about sports.

Since I’m Tampa for the weekend, dog-sitting for my folks, I decided it would be in my best interest to attend Friday night’s USF-Kansas game at the New Sombrero.  While my friends wanted to go to Sunday’s Bucs-Falcons contest, for some reason I had a feeling the Friday night college game would be a little more exciting of an atmosphere.  If you had the good fortune of watching this game, it’s safe to say I was right on the money.

As I plan to watch the Ohio State-USC game this weekend with two rabid Buckeye fans (is there any other kind), to support their cause, I thought I’d re-up my currently inactive (due to lack of funds) sports book account.  It’s not necessarily that I think the Beanie-less Buckeyes can, or will, win.  It’s just not that often that you see a +360 moneyline for the number 5 team in the nation.  I figure, if the Buckeyes lose, at least I can somewhat pretend to commiserate with my peeps.  And if they win, I’ll be able to buy them a scarlet cocktail or two to celebrate.

Although I didn’t have any money in my account, the gentleman on the phone told me, that based on my recent activity, I had qualified for a $50 free play.  Since I was going to the USF-Kansas game anyway, and since I thought that line was off kilter, I decided to lay the fifty beans on Kansas and take the 4.  Are you kidding me?  A 12-1 Big 12 team, a four-point underdog to a team that lost three straight conference games last year and doesn’t even play in its own stadium?  I’ll take the points.  Far be it from me to question the mathematician, sports-genius freaks that set these Vegas lines.  I just thought Kansas was the better team.

Raymond James was rockin’ to a crowd of nearly 59,000 rambunctious and frequently tipsy, green-clad fans.  For a second, I thought I was in Eugene, Oregon for a Ducks game.

Not too long after the game began, though, the place became quiet. After the first quarter, Kansas was up 10-0 and would eventually lead 20-3.  The game was in hand, as was my bet.  Kansas QB Todd Reesing looked in total control as he led KU scoring drives on four of the first five possessions.  On the flipside, USF only scored on one of its first five.  Considering I had four points to spare and KU had added a 17-point cushion, I was feeling pretty comfortable about my wager.  The bourbon I had snuck into the stadium was flowing freely.

That was until KU coach Mark Mangino appeared to eat his playbook, along with a pizza, a double cheeseburger or two, a healthy dose of potato salad and a milk shake to wash it all down.  I mean seriously, can this guy get any more rotund? 

USF suddenly began to take control of the ballgame.  After a Matt Grothe rushing touchdown minutes before heading into the locker room, USF soon looked Kansas-like, scoring on their first four possessions of the second half, three of which were touchdowns.  Their newly inspired defense forced four straight Kansas three-and-outs.  Chants of “U-S-F” filled the venue.  

Suddenly, my four points didn’t seem all that safe, if good at all.  Kansas had squandered a 20-3 lead and allowed USF to score 31 unanswered.  I left my seat, taking solace in the fact that it was a free play anyway.  With ten minutes to play and USF leading 34-20, the wager was a river of darkness.  I headed toward the door.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want USF to win.  I just wanted them to win by three or less.

Then Mangino must’ve seen a Hot Doughnuts Now sign at the end of the tunnel because all of the sudden, he started calling some plays.  On consecutive possessions, Reesing returned to his Heisman-contending form and led Kansas down the field for consecutive touchdowns.  Are you kidding me?  Only minutes ago this game was over, done with, kaput.  Kansas was getting called for useless personal foul calls and too-many-men-on-the-field penalties.  It didn’t look as if they had conceded.  They were just being beaten… soundly.   

But a big play or two later and Kansas had miraculously tied the game at 34.  The contest was back on, as was my wager.

At times during this game, both offenses were flawless, making timely big plays.  Reesing passed for 373 yards on 34-of-51 attempts.  Not to be outdone, USF QB Matt Grothe was 32-of-45 for 338.  That’s over 700 yards of passing, folks.  Kansas had TWO receivers, Jonathan Wilson and Kerry Meier, each with over 100 yards.  Someone call Steve Spurrier and remind him what his offense used to look like.

But in a game characterized by its offense, ultimately it was the defense that turned the tide.  Kansas had the ball back in its own territory and was driving with less than a minute left in the game.  After getting two first downs and needing not all that much more yardage to get into field goal range, Reesing let fly an ill-advised pass that was intercepted by safety Nate Allen.

Now keep in mind, I had no allegiance to either team and was there just to witness some good football and soak up the atmosphere.  Little did I know what I was in for.  With my four-point cushion, I had seen one roller coaster of a contest.  It was like betting heavy on every single dealt hand of poker, only to call re-raises with nothing in your hand.  Sometimes you’ll hit that flop, but more often than not, you’ll be watching your chip stack dwindle or raise in uncomfortable waves.  Within minutes, I had gone from feeling totally confident about my wager, to writing it off as a loss, to realizing it was back on again.

Remember, as Allen ran down the right sidelines after catching that interception, a touchdown would have cost me the game.  As tens of thousands of  fans screamed in excitement, I kept shouting “GET OUT OF BOUNDS!!! GET OUT OF BOUNDS!!!”

Well, he did.  USF ran one more play and allowed freshman kicker Maikon Bonani, who had missed from similar distance earlier in the game, to line up for a 41-yard field goal.  Needless to say, I was now USF’s biggest fan.  I didn’t want overtime.  With those two gun-slinging quarterbacks behind center, anything was bound to happen.  My blood pressure was higher than Mangino’s, which sounds like a great Italian restaurant around the corner.

Bonani ended up making the field goal, which tailed right before curving back in between the uprights.  I defy you to watch that field goal again and tell yourself that ball, after it left his foot, would give USF the victory.  Well, it did.  And the miniature Bonani was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.

Of course, my minimal wager paled in comparison to the range of emotions felt within that locker room and among USF’s student body that had just seen its school best a legitimate Big 12 opponent.  BUT, the wager did make the game significantly more enjoyable to watch.  Replay it in your head, thinking you had Kansas and 4 and try to contain yourself.

So congrats to Jim Leavitt and his program for a huge non-conference victory.  Congrats to the guy who told me I had fifty free dollars to play with.  Congrats to the odds makers who pretty much nailed that line right on the money.  And congrats to all those who dyed their hair green for the game.  And remember, folks, if you do choose to wager, please do so responsibly.  It might just be a worthwhile investment.

As Week Three of the college football season approaches, athletic directors nationwide have blessed us with a delectable amount of non-conference football match-ups which give the keen observer an indication as to which conference boasts the best overall talent.  Non-conference play will reach it climax this Saturday night as Ohio State limps in to USC.  One of these two programs has played in five of the last six national championship games.  The vest against the best.  And although Beanie Wells isn’t (allegedly) 100%, could we really ask for anything more? 

Not to be outdone is the less heralded, non-conference match-up this Friday night that pits two, top-tier major conference teams against one another:  # 13 Kansas vs #19 South Florida.

When it comes to forming opinions about the conferences and their strengths, here’s what we’ve learned so far….

USC, the best team in the Pac-10, if not the nation, went on the road to Virginia, a bottom tier ACC team, and clobbered them 52-7.

Illinois, an up-and-coming Big Ten team, played Missouri, a top-tier Big-12 team, and lost 52-42 at a neutral site in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.

Alabama, an underrated SEC team, played Clemson on a neutral site and manhandled what was largely expected to be the best team in the ACC.

MWC front-runner, Utah, went on the road to Ann Arbor and beat a mid-tier Big Ten team in Michigan.

East Carolina, a surprisingly good Conference USA team, upset traditional ACC powerhouse, Virginia Tech, then beat the highest ranked Big East team, West Virginia, the following week.

UCLA, a possible Pac-10 contender, knocked off a middle-tier SEC team, Tennessee, who traveled cross-country in their opener only to lose a heartbreaker in overtime.

Another middle tier SEC team, South Carolina, hosted a poor ACC team in NC State in the season’s opener and shut them out, 34-0.

Kentucky, a mid- to bottom-tier SEC team went on the road and beat a Brian Brohm-less Louisville team, 27-2.

Fresno State, likely the best team in the WAC, flew to New Jersey to beat up on Greg Schiano and the Ray Rice-less Rutgers Scarlet Knights, however, after last night’s home loss to UNC, which gave Butch Davis his first road victory, that Fresno State victory seems a touch less impressive.  We’ll know more about Fresno State - the best college football team in the nation whose initials are FSU - this weekend when they host Wisconsin.  Is there anyone who doesn’t think Schiano should have taken that Miami job when he had the chance?  

 We’ve seen Florida, a top-tier SEC team take care of a mid-range ACC team in Miami… at least in the fourth quarter.

And Ole Miss, a bottom-tier SEC team lost on the road to possibly the best team in the ACC in Wake Forest…. barely.

So what have we learned? 

We’ve learned that PAC-10 fans still think their conference is on a par, if not better than, the SEC.

We’ve learned that the Florida-Georgia game will once again mean something.

We’ve learned that the “Big House” should no longer be called that until Michigan can win a home opener.  

We’ve learned that the best teams in the ACC and the Big East are simply not that good.

We’ve learned that if Ohio State gets run off the field by USC, the Big Ten will continue to be criticized as a conference.

We’ve learned that after consecutive losses in national championship games, going into Saturday’s match-up against USC, we’ve seen a new, concerned Buckeye fan… one that harkens back to the John Cooper days prior to a big Michigan game.  (Where’s the confidence, guys??)

We’ve also learned that the outcome of the OSU-USC game will likely mean that one BCS champion will come out of the conference whose team wins that game.  The other will likely be the SEC Champion once again.  Unless the Big 12 features an undefeated team.  Then one major conference will once again be slighted.

Prepare yourself for another wild weekend, college football fans.  One in which the college football landscape will simultaneously become more clear, yet more muddied.

On a day when Ohio State was leading its home opener 13-0 early and LSU led last year’s giant-killer Appalachian St by 31 points at halftime, it appeared at least early on that Hawaii would give the Florida Gators a fight.  Florida won the coin toss and deferred to give Hawaii the football to start the game.  The Rainbow Warriors then proceeded to drive down the field and take what seemed like a lot longer than three minutes off the clock before having to punt.  The Gators were unable to score on their first possession.

Florida's first quarter woes continued as they were once again unable to stop the Rainbow Warriors on their next possession.  That was until Ahmad Black ended a promising Hawaii drive with an interception in the end zone.  Twelve minutes into their season, the Gators had already committed five penalties and looked like they had plenty of kinks to work out on both sides of the ball.  Hawaii had controlled the ball for 8:46 of the first quarter, running 17 plays.

A thirty-four yard Tate Casey reception later and the Gators finally looked like the offense of yesteryear.  Gator fans then got their first look at track star Jeffrey Demps, who scrambled for a ten yard reception.  Shortly thereafter, Tim Tebow reminded the 88,000+ eager fans in the Swamp why he’s last year’s Heisman winner.  From the nine yard line, Tebow scrambled right, then left, on a busted option play to score what appeared to be a touchdown.  Instant replay revealed he had stepped out-of-bounds on the one yard line.  One play later and eighteen minutes into their season, Tebow handed off to Brandon James who scored the first of assuredly many Gator touchdowns this season.

Less than one minute later, Florida delivered a Major Wright cross to Hawaii’s hopes as he stepped in front of Greg Alexander pass and ran it back for pay dirt for a 14-0 lead.

A flustered Hawaii soon seemed incapable of moving the football as the new-and-improved Gator defense settled in comfortably, forcing another punt.  With five minutes left in the half, Brandon James reminded fans why he is one of the nation’s most exciting special teams players by returning a Hawaii punt 74 yards for a touchdown.  In the very first half of their season, Florida had already scored one offensive, one defensive and one special teams touchdown.

The wheels continued to come off for Hawaii as another turnover, resulting from a play which new head coach Greg McMackin chose not to review, resulted in a touchdown from one of what promises to be Florida’s most exciting playmakers on the very next possession.  A thirty-three yard touchdown run from Chris Rainey, with some outstanding blocking by Riley Cooper, allowed him to waltz into then end zone untouched.  Hawaii could not get into the locker room quickly enough to grab the concessionary, white towel.

At halftime, the Gators led 28-0 with Heisman hopeful Tim Tebow accounting for none of the Gator scores.

Coming out of the locker room, the Gator offense once again stalled, as they were forced to punt on fourth and fifteen from their own 25.  That was until Coach Meyer called Chas Henry’s number for a fake punt, who ran seventeen yards for the first down to keep the floodgates lodged wide open.  On the very next play from scrimmage, Jeff Demps ran between the tackles, sixty-two yards to the amazement of even his coaches.  And just as fans were starting to complain about Tebow’s lack of numbers, on the ensuing Gator possession, he hit Louis Murphy for a 48 yard touchdown pass for his first of the season.  42-0 Florida.

In mop-up duty, big Cam Newton added another rushing touchdown to increase the Gator lead to forty-nine.  A late 80-yard interception, again by Ahman Black, gave the Gators an even 28 points in the second quarter and 28 points in the third.  Even Hurricane Fay didn’t bring this much rain in North Florida. The Gators ended up victorious by the final score of 56-10.

After a rusty first quarter, the Florida Gators finally showed they dressed to impress.  Even the stoic Urban Meyer was seen smiling in post-game interviews.  Florida came out with something to prove and showed they’re deep at every position.  The backfield, whether running the option or between the tackles, boasts a variety of superstars that could start for any other program in the nation.  Four different Gators scored on the ground and none of them were named Tim Tebow.  While the receiving corps remains a question mark, the backfield is talented enough to keep opposing secondaries honest.  And Tebow is still the toughest quarterback in the nation to bring down.  Although he only finished the game 9-for-14 for 137 yards passing and 9 carries for 37 yards, one got the impression he’s only getting his feet wet.  This Florida team won’t need him like they did last season.  Special teams also played well and Brandon James proved he’s a constant threat.  The Gator defense, a question mark all of last season, forced six turnovers and led many to believe Charlie Strong has turned things around.  Hawaii led in time of possession, only because the Gator offense continue to score at a rapid-fire face.  Including interception and punt returns, the Gators had five scoring possessions under :38 seconds.

The Gators face University of Miami Hurricanes next weekend in Gainesville at 8 pm in front of what could be a record crowd.  The Gators have not beaten their in-state rivals in nearly thirty years.

Football season is upon us and, once again, Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators field a team with national championship aspirations.  While they’ll only admit to setting their sights on an SEC crown, a BCS bid would likely go hand in hand with that accomplishment.

Last year, only one year removed from winning the second national championship in school history, the Gators (9-4) had what, by their standards, could be considered a disappointing season.  While featuring a quarterback who had arguably the most productive season in college football history, the Gators were still saddled with several weaknesses, including a porous and inexperienced secondary and an inconsistent rushing attack.

The 2008-9 season brings another year of promise to the Gainesville faithful as the Tim Tebow-led Florida Gators have as good a chance as anyone to bring home a conference and potentially national title.

Quarterbacks:  Tim Tebow has become the poster boy for college football.  After a record-setting season in which he became the first quarterback to both rush and throw for twenty touchdowns, Tebow is in position to become only the second player behind Ohio State’s Archie Griffin to win back-to-back Heisman trophies.  Such a task will not be easy.  Not only will he continue to have a target on his back, he likely will not have the carries he did last year.   Nor will Coach Meyer want to keep him in harm’s way.  With seemingly unlimited options in the backfield, Tebow will see decreased carries and likely an increase in pass attempts.  Redshirt Freshman John Brantley are Cameron Newton continue to battle for the back-up role with Brantley leading the way ever so slightly.  Neither should see serious playing time unless Tebow gets hurt or the Gators hold a considerable lead in any given contest.

Backfield: The Gator backfield may be as talented and as deep as it’s ever been.  Florida features speed, speed and more speed.  And with Meyer’s lack of tolerance for the fumble, he will look to platoon whoever can hold on to the football until deciding on a feature back.  With Percy Harvin still recovering from an ankle injury, USC transfer Emmanuel Moody will likely get the bulk of the carries.  However, with Kestahn Moore, Mon Williams, the lightning quick Chris Rainey and even Brandon James, Meyer and Tebow will have a full arsenal of weapons from which to choose.  The question is not whether they’ll be able to score, but whether they’ll be able to control enough clock after consistently running past their opponents. 

Receiving Corps:  Florida was dealt a blow when they lost Cornelius Ingram to injury, but as is the case at most big play positions, Florida simply reloads.  Aaron Hernandez and Tate Casey will catch the bulk of the passes from the tight end position and Louis Murphy is ready to step into the role as senior leader of the wide receivers.  With an ailing Percy Harvin, Meyer will either have to get imaginative or hope that some of his youth will step up to contribute some big plays.

Offensive Line:  The Gators stand 6’3” to 6’6”  and weigh 310 lbs across the board.  Phil Trautwein, Jason Watkins and Jim Tartt are all seniors and twin brothers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey shore up the rest of the line.  Tim Tebow is tough enough to bring down as it is.  With that amount of protection, he should have plenty of time to hit his wide open speedsters. 

Special Teams:  The multi-purpose Brandon James once again highlights the Florida special teams.  The 5’7” James is a highlight reel waiting to happen and is a threat to put six on the board every time he touches the ball.  Kicker Jonathan Phillips is now a senior and sophomore punter Chas Henry was money in the bank last year… that is when the Gators had to punt.

Schedule:

Aug 30 – Hawaii

Sep 6 – Miami

Sep 20 - @ Tennessee

Sep 27 – Ole Miss

Oct 4 – @ Arkansas

Oct 11 – LSU

Oct 25 – Kentucky (HC)

Nov 1 – Georgia (Jacksonville, FL)

Nov 8 - @ Vanderbilt

Nov 15 – South Carolina

Nov 22 – The Citadel

Nov 29 - @ Florida State

One familiar with Florida’s traditional schedule will notice a few glaring changes.  In-state rival, the University of Miami, is back on the schedule.  UF hasn’t beaten Miami since 1985 and will be looking to exact decades of revenge against a rebuilding Miami team.

Traditionally, Florida would schedule two cupcake teams before their conference opener against Tennessee.  This year, they have a bye the week before that contest.  They have additionally abandoned their October of doom, deciding to mix in a home game instead of a month of consecutive road games that usually resulted in at least one loss.  Their conference road schedule is favorable, traveling only to Knoxville, Fayetteville and Nashville.  The Florida/Georgia game is held in Jacksonville at a neutral site.  As always, Florida finishes its season against the Seminoles.

Outlook:  While no SEC schedule can be considered easy, the Gators’ is not overly intimidating.  If they can escape a tough match-up in Knoxville, they shouldn’t be seriously tested until Georgia, assuming they can handle LSU in the Swamp.  The Gator offense, which finished third in the nation in scoring last year with 42.5 points per game, should put up similar numbers, meaning their defense just needs to be functional.  Even with number one ranked Georgia in their division, with this amount of talent, anything less than an appearance in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game, will considered a disappointment for this Florida team.