Florida vs. Florida State
Saturday’s rivalry showdown between No. 5 Florida State and Florida will be a war of the wounded as both teams enter the high-stakes showdown following injuries to their star quarterbacks last week. The Seminoles need a win to keep their College Football Playoff ambitions on track, while the Gators need a win to achieve bowl eligibility.
FSU ended a three-game losing streak in the series last season with a thrilling 45-38 home win, but now it travels to UF’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to face its most hostile away environment since a Sept. 23 win at Clemson place. How the Noles handle the challenge with backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker will likely determine where they stand in the CFP rankings when they face Louisville in the ACC Championship Game next week.
Florida has lost four straight since going 5-2 (3-1 SEC) with back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and South Carolina. But a win over Florida State would help salvage some momentum from coach Billy Napier’s second season and keep the Gators’ streak of five straight bowl appearances alive. The effort is led by redshirt freshman quarterback Max Brown, who played in last week’s loss at Missouri after starter Graham Mertz left with a broken left collarbone.