Quick Look: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The full preview will come later this week, but for now a quick look at this week’s game.

There’s already talk about what could happen if Florida were to not only beat Alabama this week, but also LSU the following week. Talk about where such a run would put the Gators in the polls. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, but it’s definitely in the back of many minds. Hopefully it’s not in the minds of the Florida players and they are focused on one thing and one thing only right now – the Crimson Tide.

When the schedule was first announced, we knew this would be the first big test for the Gators. Sure Tennessee is a rival typically of epic proportions, but with the Vols struggling recently, it was the Tide that presented the first “big” game of the season. The fact that Alabama currently sits at no. 3 and no. 2 in the polls hasn’t lessened the importance of this matchup.

Want more? Sure you do. Last season, the Tide finished no. 10 and no. 11. In 2009, they went 14-0 and won the national championship. And in 2008, they finished no. 6 in both polls. Since Nick Saban took over in Tuscaloosa, Bama is 47-11 and 2-1 against the Gators. Last year’s 31-6 loss to the Tide was the first of three-straight losses for Florida and the year before, Alabama ran over the Gators in the SEC Championship Game. I didn’t need to remind you of any of that, but I did anyway. What you really need to know though is that Florida isn’t all that far off from competing with Bama as some would have you think.

Alabama is currently favored by between three and four points. If you subscribe to the theory that home teams in the college game already have a six- or seven-point advantage, then that’s a 10-point swing for the Tide at the moment. I’m fine with that and can understand why it’s so, but I also believe the Gators have a shot. These teams are surprisingly similar in terms of offensive production, so it might come down to the defenses. And that’s exactly where everyone thinks Bama holds to advantage.

The Tide defense has more talent than the Gators have seen and will do their best to shut down the run game and rattle John Brantley. We’ve talked about Brantley not having to be a hero, about him just having to manage games and not make mistakes, but it holds true more so in this game than any until this point. The run game will be featured, because regardless of how good the Tide defense is, no one is as fast as Jeff Demps and you’d be hard-pressed to find many capable of keeping up with Chris Rainey’s agility. Bama will attempt to slow down anything the Gators throw at them and that’s why Brantley playing smart is so important. He has to know that he doesn’t have to do it alone. Brantley needs to keep his head straight and make smart throws and not give the ball to the Tide. Be a game manager and not beat himself.

This game is the start of the rest of the season and the outcome could indicate where the Gators go. Come away with a win and confidence will be sky-high facing LSU. Let Alabama do what many outsiders might think they can and the season suddenly looks like it has a dark cloud heading its way. Every indication is that this will be a great one. Let’s hope it lives up to what we’ve made it in our minds.