Florida vs. Alabama: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
For Nick Saban's No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide to secure a 23rd straight win in an SEC opener, he must move past close friend and Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Both SEC powers enter undefeated but certainly not unscathed. Saban still has things to figure out under center, while Muschamp must turn things around quickly after a close call against a lesser team last weekend.
A win for Alabama means legitimacy in the playoff hunt. A win for Florida signals an upward trend in Muschamp's job security, not to mention a clear sign things are on the mend after a 4-8 campaign and five losses in the conference a year ago.
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As seems to always be the case between the two, much rides on the outcome of what is sure to be a competitive encounter.
Finding the Spark
Technically speaking, this one has the look of a blowout.
Alabama has cruised through three opponents (West Virginia, Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss) by a combined score of 126-35, and the team seems to have found a leader in senior quarterback Blake Sims, who already has 646 passing yards and four scores with another 102 and two on the ground.
But really, something feels off.
Alabama will be down two safeties for the matchup with the Gators, a team led by junior signal-caller Jeff Driskel. More importantly, Saban himself does not seem so sure about the quarterback position, which is a bad thing going into a showdown with Muschamp's defense.
“I think we're going to have to make a decision on a week-to-week basis on what gives us the best opportunity to win,” Saban said, per Fox Sports' Stewart Mandel.
So far, the statistics seem to back up that logic:
| Blake Sims | 48 | 64 | 75.0 | 646 | 4 | 14 | 102 | 2 |
| Jake Coker | 20 | 31 | 64.5 | 248 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 0 |
Still, it is a dangerous game to play against an SEC team, let alone Florida.
Muschamp's side does face a similar dilemma, though, as it needed triple overtime last week to upend Kentucky, 36-30. Keep in mind that went down in Gainesville, the Wildcats won all of two games last season and none in the SEC and the Gators shot themselves in the foot with eight penalties.
The most concerning thing for Florida, though, is the continued lack of explosiveness on offense against top-tier competition. Kurt Roper’s offense scored six points against LSU last year. Against Missouri? 17. All of 14 against South Carolina. Worst of all, just seven against Florida State.
Should that trend continue, the Gators are in for a long day Saturday on the road.
Strong Connections, Weak Results
Remember when this was one of the sport's top rivalries?
The foundation is certainly still there, and it starts at the top with the coaches.
Muschamp is a descendant of the Saban coaching tree and was his defensive coordinator at LSU before serving with him in that not-so-memorable NFL stint with the Miami Dolphins. Now a head coach himself, this version of the rivalry has happened once in 2011, where the former assistant was topped 38-10.
Really, though, for this one to capture the imagination of the globe as it used to, Muschamp's side has to experience a quick uptick in quality. The insider knowledge has Roper feeling confident at least, as captured by Zach Abolverdi of Gainesville.com:
Then there is Saban, who has a perspective that sounds like it comes from the heavy favorite in the matchup (which he is), per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel:
Again, the framework is in place for this to be something special. But until Florida can keep pace, even with an Alabama team that does not resemble the dominance of past dynasty years, this is but another SEC contest in which the Crimson Tide are the heavy favorite.
When: Saturday, September 20, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Television: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 52
- Spread: Alabama (-16)
Team Injury Reports
| Thomas Holley | DT | 08/18/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | hip |
| D.J. Humphries | T | 09/07/2014 | is expected to miss 2-3 weeks | Out | ankle |
| J.C. Jackson | CB | 09/11/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | shoulder |
| Jake McGee | TE | 09/07/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | leg |
| Jeremi Powell | LB | 09/04/2014 | is expected to miss 3-4 weeks | Out | knee |
| Denzel Devall | LB | 09/15/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Florida | Probable | shoulder |
| Kurt Freitag | TE | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Florida | Questionable | toe |
| DeAndrew White | WR | 09/15/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Florida | Probable | shoulder |
| Jarrick Williams | S | 09/02/2014 | will miss at least one month | Out | foot |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | 09/15/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Florida | Probable | hamstring |
Injury reports via USA Today.
Prediction
Believe it or not, there are things to like about the Gators.
Driskel is back under center after missing a chunk of last year due to injury and already has 542 yards and four scores through the air while completing 63.6 percent of his passes. On the flip side, Vernon Hargreaves III is one of the best corners in the nation and sure to be a hot commodity at the pro level soon, which means Alabama wideout Amari Cooper and Co. will have some issues moving the ball.
Alabama appears vulnerable, but that may simply be the subconscious desire of a nation tired of seeing the Crimson Tide in contention nitpicking at perceived issues more than anything.
The fact remains that Alabama has arguably the most talent on any roster in the nation and is at home against a team that struggled with Kentucky last week. Offense might be limited, but it will favor Saban's team, as expected.
Prediction: Crimson Tide 23, Gators 13
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
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