The 1 Thing Florida Must Do to Beat Tennessee and Save Will Muschamp's Job

Let's run down a list of things Florida head coach Will Muschamp can put on his resume.

Fix the offense? Nope.

The Gators are tied for 10th in the SEC in yards per play (5.90) despite the move to a more uptempo style with new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper.

Keep the stellar defense performing at a high level? That's not happening either.

The Gators rank next to last in the SEC in total defense (415.7 YPG).

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Beat your biggest conference rival? Nope.

Muschamp is 0-3 as Florida's head coach against Georgia, a series that the Gators dominated since George Bush was president.

The first George Bush.

What does Muschamp have left to hang his hat on? A nine-game Florida winning streak over Tennessee is pretty much the only thing left, and even that looks tenuous at the moment. The Gators will walk into Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon as 2.5-point underdogs, according to OddsShark.com.

If that streak goes the way of the dodo bird as well, Muschamp will no longer be fighting to keep his job, he'll be fighting to earn it back for the rest of the season. As Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples notes, that'd be similar to the situation Michigan head coach Brady Hoke finds himself in—minus the concussion debacle, of course.

"

He's got to beat Tennessee. Otherwise, they'll have the same week. RT @Tarheel1101: Muschamp owes Hoke a thank you.

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) September 29, 2014"

For the Gators to spring the upset, they're going to have to fix their pass defense.

Thought to be a strength coming into the season, Vernon Hargreaves III and the rest of that defensive backfield has been lit up like a Christmas tree this season, giving up 287.7 yards per game through the air and 409 passing yards per game against conference foes.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Changes are coming in the Florida defensive backfield.

"Brian [Poole]'s repping some in the nickel," Muschamp said in quotes emailed by Florida. "Duke Dawson's repping some at the safety position. Between Jalen [Tabor] and Quincy [Wilson] at corner, trying to find the right combination there and continuing to rep Marcus [Maye] in the nickel and at safety as well. Keanu Neal has done a nice job with some things and Jabari [Gorman]. We're just continuing to find the right combination."

Muschamp better figure out the right combination in a hurry, because Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley can sling it all over the field.

The wide receiving corps of Marquez North, Josh Malone, Pig Howard, Jason Croom and the rest of the Vols are deep, talented and versatile. Florida state can bring pressure and prevent that, right? Georgia tried, got pressure on Worley, and it didn't matter. All Worley did was throw for 264 yards, three touchdowns and miss two-thirds of the third quarter with an elbow injury.

"Justin Worley, I think, is playing very well," Muschamp said in quotes emailed by Florida. "Completing over 60 percent of his passes, averaging about 250 yards a game. They've really improved themselves at the receiver position."

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

If Florida can shut down Tennessee's passing game, it'll not only help them win on Rocky Top, but also help Muschamp stay employed.

The defense is the most fixable problem Florida has right now. With Hargreaves, Tabor, Gorman and the rest of that crew, the talent is there and the coaches have proven that they know how to get the most out of their defensive backs.

If that happens, it will take some pressure off the offense. 

Quarterback Jeff Driskel was in a horrible position against Alabama. The defense was a sieve, and forced Driskel and Roper into a tough spot where they had to open things up on the road in a hostile environment.

Fix that, and maybe the offense can make enough plays to help the Gators win some games and keep Muschamp employed.

Maybe.

Barrett Sallee is the Lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.