The anticipation for Alabama week is likely to be tempered by the way Jeff Demps limped off the field Saturday or by how many Gators offensive linemen needed to be helped to the sideline.
We know that Demps has at least a sprained foot and got x-rays during the Kentucky game. UF is notoriously secretive with player injuries, so Demps will be somewhere between 100 percent and 0 percent for the Bama game. Although, Demps thinks he will be ready. (HT: Timmy) If Florida loses Demps, it puts a great burden on John Brantley to move the chains. Emmanuel Moody and Mike Gillislee will be asked to make additional carries, as will Trey Burton, but Brantley will also be losing a trusted receiver.
The offensive line should be a greater concern. Guard James Wilson should return to provide some depth, but Urban Meyer said that each of the linemen had knee or ankle injuries on Saturday. Mike Pouncey, Carl Johnson and Xavier Nixon all had to leave for at least one play. They were able to continue, but that was against Kentucky, who is not exactly the quality of Alabama.
On defense, Brandon Antwine, Dominique Easley and Lawrence Marsh were all held out against Kentucky. Should they be healthy enough, they will provide defensive line depth, especially if UF runs a 5-2 to stop the Bama running game. Towards the end of the Kentucky game, we saw how the Gators started to struggle on the line. With the adrenaline pumping for a primetime game, players will need to be changed often to keep them fresh. I think we will continue to see Sharrif Floyd and Ronald Powell get time, as happened against Kentucky.