Tennessee vs. Florida: Over/Under, Spread, Predictions and TV Info

No. 16 Florida and Tennessee will renew their rivalry on the "Third Saturday in September" when the Volunteers travel down to the Swamp in Week 3. The Gators have given first-year head coach Will Muschamp a 2-0 start to his stay in Gainesville behind a resurgent offense. The Vols haven't looked too shabby themselves, with sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray looking like the next great signal-caller in Knoxville. Florida owns a 21-19 edge all-time in the series, including wins in each of the last six meetings.

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida.

When: 3:30 PM ET

Watch: CBS

Spread: Florida -9, according to Bodog.com

The Gators are a solid pick here. They've won each of the previous six meetings, the last four by double digits.

Over/Under: 50 1/2, according to Vegas.com

This is a tough call, though I'd recommend the "under" in this one. Only twice in the last nine years have these two schools combined for 50 or more points. Both offenses have looked good thus far, but against inferior competition. Look for each team's attack to take a step back against defenses with quality athletes.

Key Injuries:

Florida will welcome Jeff Demps back into the fold this week. The 5'7" senior running back was knocked out of the Gators' 39-0 win over UAB by a shoulder injury but should be good to go against the Volunteers. Demps notched 126 total yards and two touchdowns in Florida's season-opening win over Florida Atlantic.

Tennessee may once again be without Ben Martin, this time on account of a sprained ankle. The defensive end has been plagued by injuries throughout his collegiate career, including Achilles tears in each of his legs. If Martin can't go, redshirt sophomore Marlon Walls will likely start in his place. 

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications:

Florida finds itself back in the Top 25 after a rough go of things during Urban Meyer's final run last season. A victory over the rival Vols would give the Gators a greater boost in the polls while setting them on a path to success in the SEC East.

The Vols, meanwhile, are on the verge of cracking the ranks of the ranked in both the AP and the Coaches' Polls. If Derek Dooley's squad can pull out a win on the road against the Gators, then Tennessee will likely find itself in the lower rungs of the Top 25 come next week.

Keys to Florida Win:

Stop Tyler Bray. Tennessee's California kid has been on fire in the early going, throwing for 698 yards and seven touchdowns in two games for the Vols. The Gators' young secondary has yet to be tested in romps over Florida Atlantic and UAB. Come Saturday evening, we'll have a better idea as to just how much Florida's defense misses former All-SEC safety Janoris Jenkins, who was dismissed from the team in April.

Keys to Tennessee Win:

The Vols can't allow the recent history of this series weigh them down. As previously mentioned, Tennessee has surrendered each of the last six meetings to Florida by an average of 16.2 points. If the Vols can truly put aside their past failures, they'll be that much closer to getting back on the right side of this rivalry.

Prediction:

Florida 28, Tennessee 20

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