Florida vs. Georgia, Game Thread: What if?

The Florida Gators might lose to the Georgia Bulldogs on this Saturday in Jacksonville (3:30 p.m., CBS Sports or CBS All Access). That would be what you would expect from a team that won just four games a year ago, and lost to this same team by a 42-7 count.

That would be what you would expect from a Florida program that had fallen on fallow times and out of national contention as Georgia reaped the benefits of being the lead dog in its talent-rich state by marrying that talent with good coaching. That would be the outcome that makes the most sense — even though Georgia lost its last game, and Florida has won its last five in approximately five different ways, improving all the time.

But what if Florida wins?

Florida, not Georgia, could command the SEC East. (Well, along with Kentucky?)

Florida, not Georgia, could be in position to make a College Football Playoff run.

Florida, not Georgia, could be poised to be a national fixture for years to come.

That’s what’s on the table today, for Florida — an opportunity to run the table and do things thought of as deeply unlikely at best in August. That’s how a win could change everything.

Florida has to go through Georgia to get that win.

But what if it does?

Go Gators.