When No. 8 Georgia and No. 6 Florida meet Saturday in their annual rivalry game there will be plenty on the line besides bragging rights. Not only will it be the only top 10 matchup of Week 10, but the loser will likely be eliminated from College Football Playoff contention. Both teams are coming off of bye weeks and enter game with one loss.
The Gators have developed some offensive consistency as quarterback Kyle Trask has come along following the injury to Feleipe Franks, and should be healthy on the defensive side now that linemen Jabari Zuniga and Jonathan Greenard have had time to get back to 100 percent. The Bulldogs should get wide receiver Lawrence Cager back, which would help a receiving corps that has struggled mightily over the last month.
So who wins this storied rivalry game on the banks in Jacksonville? Let's take a closer look at what to expect from both teams and make some expert picks straight up and against the spread.
Storylines
Florida: The Gators bounced back from the tough loss at LSU earlier this month by pulling away for a big win at South Carolina the last time out. The most important thing to come out of that game was that Florida's rushing attack actually looked like a force for the first time. It averaged 5.13 yards per carry -- its best mark against a conference foe this year -- against a stout Gamecocks defensive front. That'll be key against the Bulldogs, who have the best rushing defense in the SEC (85.71 yards per game). On the other side of the ball, the Gators have been stout against the rush (124.13 YPG), and will have to shut down D'Andre Swift and Co. in order to test Georgia's weakness -- its wide receivers.
Georgia: Conservative play-calling has been the subject of consternation ever since the loss to the Gamecocks earlier this month, but a bye week is the best time to look in the mirror. When Georgia does, it'll see an offense that thrived when it went up-tempo in the fourth quarter to tie South Carolina and was so effective against Notre Dame that multiple Fighting Irish players dropped to the ground with "injuries" to slow the pace down. Georgia's defense totaled just four tackles for loss over the last two games after notching 11 against Tennessee on Oct. 5. One of the biggest storylines of the game will be how that front seven does against a relatively inexperienced Florida offensive line.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 2 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: TIAA Bank Field -- Jacksonville, Florida
TV: CBS | Connected TV: CBS All-Access
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Game prediction, picks
I have faith in coach Kirby Smart to adjust to Georgia's glaring problem and pick up the tempo knowing that it not only will wear down Florida's defense but will increase the likelihood of Swift and the running backs getting free. When that happens, quarterback Jake Fromm will work off play-action and take advantage of one-on-one matchups. The Georgia defensive front will pressure Trask and force him into enough mistakes to allow Georgia to pull away late in the fourth quarter. Pick: Georgia (-4.5)
So what CFB picks can you make with confidence in Week 10, and which line is Vegas way off on? Visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,200 in profit over the past four seasons.
