JACKSONVILLE - Everybody is partying now, but half will be drinking away their sorrows five hours from now.
UF and Georgia renew their rivalry - if you can still call it that - at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium today at 3:30 p.m. in what used to be called the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
The Gators have won 15 of the last 17 meetings and come into this game as
the favorites again.
As opposed to UF's rivalries with Tennessee and Florida State and
Georgia's with Tennessee and Georgia Tech, the Florida-Georgia game has
not been very competitive or very exciting in recent years.
There have not been many memorable plays like "Run, Lindsay, Run" or
"Fourth and Dumb," and the hate is fading too.
UF freshman defensive end Duke Lemmens called it a "friendly rivalry" this week.
Here are some storylines heading into the game:
1. The SEC East race: UF and Georgia are among five teams in a logjammed
SEC East with two conference losses. The loser of today's game is likely
eliminated from the race to Atlanta.
2. Tebow for Heisman: With last week's five-touchdown performance, UF
quarterback Tim Tebow likely booked his plane ticket to New York for the
Heisman Trophy ceremony. Though he won't come out and say it, Tebow is
definitely looking to pad his stats today to help him become the first
sophomore to win the award.
3. Stafford's statement: While Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford has
improved this year, he has relied on his running game to win. Without
Kregg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown, who are both out with injuries, Stafford
might have the game in his hands for the first time in his career. A big
performance and a win over Tebow would give Stafford that statement game
he is looking for.
