Kickoff: 3:30pm
Weather: Sunny, 87 degrees
Television: CBS
Series History: 40th meeting, UF leads 20-19.
Line, O/U: Florida -14, 46 O/U
We had to start off this gameday thread with Chris Rainey's line, right? Threatening girlfriends is not good, but an out of context "Time to die" is perfect for today's Florida-Tennessee game. Today is also our first Championship Mode game of the season. (Remember, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and FSU are Championship Mode games in addition to SEC and BCS Championship Games.)
Rainey's suspension is a dark cloud hanging over the Gators. Of course, the Vols have their own dark cloud with NCAA investigations of football, basketball and baseball. But the Vols didn't lose a starter between last week and this week like UF did.
I worry about Championship Mode games because things like Rainey's suspension mean so much in rivalry games. It can throw off someone's concentration, and a distraction becomes a loss. (See the 2009 SEC Championship Game.) I also worry because UF has won five consecutive games in the series. Eventually, the Vols will win again. Between that, a home game for the Vols, and Florida's disciplinary problems (at least Will Hill is back), it all adds up to a better than normal chance for the Vols to win.
Alligator Army will be in Championship Mode in historic Keystone and hopefully celebrating later in gorgeous South Tampa. Follow us here or on the twitter @AlligatorArmy for sarcastic remarks and our love letters to Omarius Hines' legs.