An early-season SEC showdown pits the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) against the #11 Florida Gators (2-0) with more than bragging rights on the line. Both teams have playoff hopes, and there could easily be a rematch in Atlanta come December for the SEC Championship Game.
Kickoff on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at the Swamp in Gainesville, and the game will air on CBS.
Alabama has taken the last seven in this matchup since Tim Tebow beat Nick Saban’s Tide on the way to a National Championship during the 2008 season.
In December, the Tide beat the Gators 52-46 in the SEC Championship Game, their third straight win in this series to come at the SECCG. The teams last met in the regular season in 2014; a 42-21 Bama win, and the last game in the Swamp was a 38-10 Tide win in 2011.
Bryce Young Off to Historic Start
The Tide have lost three regular-season games since 2016 and are ranked #1 with wins over Miami and Mercer to start the season. Saturday’s contest counts as their first true road game and the first start in a hostile environment for quarterback Bryce Young.
The Heisman favorite threw for 344 yards against Miami and 227 on 19 passes against Mercer. He has seven touchdowns on the young season, the most ever for an Alabama quarterback in his first two starts. The offensive line will have to do its part to keep Young clean on Saturday and keep the crowd from having an impact.
Top targets for Young include John Metchie III and Jameson Williams. Metchie has 11 catches in two games, while Williams is averaging 22.4 yards per reception. Youngsters JoJo Earle and Agiye Hall provide depth and additional weapons for Alabama.
Brian Robinson Jr. is the latest in a long line of talented running backs. With 130 yards, he leads the way, with Trey Sanders and Jase McClellan getting chances as well. Florida is holding teams to 2.6 yards per rush this season and will attempt to make the Tide one-dimensional.
New Look Gators Ready for the Challenge
Facing Alabama is a big step up for a ranked Florida team that has feasted on FAU and USF so far this season. Gone are playmakers like Kyle Pitts, Kyle Trask, and Kadarious Toney. They will also be without linebacker Ventrell Miller on Saturday after he got hurt against USF last week.
The Gators will use two quarterbacks against the Tide as they have in both games this season. Emory Jones will start, but Anthony Richardson has been the more dynamic signal-caller so far in 2021. Jones completes 63 percent of his passes but has four interceptions, while Richardson is averaging 21.2 yards per play as a dual-threat.
Florida’s ground game leads the nation at 381.5 yards per game, and both quarterbacks will run the ball along with a stable of backs. Only one team has run for more than 150 yards against Alabama the last two seasons, and they have allowed just 155 yards so far this year. With the passing game questionable at best, Florida will have to be at the top of their game to move the ball with the Tide.
Florida has struggled in the secondary so far this season though Kaiir Elam can be a lockdown corner. They have allowed 64 percent passing in two games, and last year they allowed 21 plays of more than 31 yards. Mac Jones torched the Gators for 418 passing yards last December, and Young will attempt to follow a similar game plan.
Betting Analysis
- Alabama -15 (-110). -650 Moneyline
- Florida +15 (-110). +460 Moneyline
- Total: 60 points. Over -110. Under -110
Florida’s defense will need to be flawless and force turnovers for the Gators to pull off this upset. Alabama has gashed the Gators for 52 and 54 points in the last two meetings, and they have the weapons to dominate this matchup again. The crowd can be a factor if Florida can keep it close early.
FREE PICK: Over 60 points (-110)
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