http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Top-ranked-LSU-Tigers-beat-Florida-Gators-100811
One of the best defensive slugfests we may witness all season, look for the Bayou Bengals and Gators to absolutely tee off on each other in a battle of field positions that should be quite the thrill.
The electricity will be in the air at the Swamp despite it not be a night game, but LSU is not the only one with an elite defense.
The Gators are absolutely loaded with stars left and right on their roster, nearly identical to LSU. Matt Elam, Josh Evans, Jon Bostic, Antonio Morrison, Lerentee Mccray, Omar Hunter, Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, Jelani Jenkins (he’s back!!), Michael Taylor, Jaylen Watkins, and Marcus Roberson are quite the bevy of stars.
The Gators defensive speed form sideline to sideline will be nothing that LSU has seen all year and you would obviously have to go back to the BCS title against the Tide to draw comparisons (though quite frankly no BCS team had that caliber of a D).
LSU reaches back with the likes of Sam Montgomery, Ki-Ki Mingo, Bennie Logan, Anthony Johnson, Eric Reid, Tharold Simon, Kevin Minter, Lamin Barrow, Jalen Mills, Craig Loston and Lavar Edwards (Deion Jones/Luke Mencie split as third LB) answer right back with authority however.
All of these players mentioned will be playing on Sunday’s in the near future, but many will be future stars at the next level thanks to their relentless speed that simply kills. Obliterating quarterbacks is something that is always on the chores list for Les Miles and Will Muschamp.
That is why the play of the quarterbacks will be something to drool over since they are both dead ducks in the pocket if they cannot escape the oncoming pressure.
Jeff Driskel will be starting in already his third ever hostile environment, and that is big with Zach Mettenberger heading into just his second nasty crowd.
While both teams rely heavily upon their two stud backfields, managing their mistakes is easily the keys to the game.
Mettenberger has Spencer Ware, Kenny Hilliard and Michael Ford to share the onus, but the loss of Alfred Blue (knee) for perhaps the rest of the season is not an easy loss to overcome.
That said, 270-pound bulldozing fullback J.C. Copeland will be licking his chops regardless of the competition he is facing off against. The Gators are so rangy thanks to their elite defensive line that they too have been teeing off on the competition.
As much as I am looking forward to Texas-West Virginia and Georgia-South Carolina, this is the game that I cannot wait for.
Alabama and Florida State may have the two best defenses (UGA, SC not far behind), but the Gators and Bayou Bengals may prove us all wrong in this sexy matchup.
Think Ravens-Steelers in a bloodbath that could decide a BCS title and it also could decide nothing with the gauntlet of an SEC still ahead. That is what makes this sport so untouchable!
The regular season is simply electric that every game matters and in the SEC there are always more games that keep on coming. Nobody knows who is going to prevail because colossal battles that we witness can often change in the blink of an eye.
LSU still has Alabama on the schedule whereas the Gators have South Carolina, Georgia and Florida State still (both LSU-UF could be squaring off again in Atlanta).
All of those just mentioned above happen to be six of the seven best teams in the country, period. While the receivers (Odell Beckham, Kadron Boone, Jarvis Landry against Frankie Hammond, Jordan Reed and Quinton Dunbar will be intriguing since neither have posted gaudy stats).
Driskel against Mettenberger, two lunch pal defenses, East versus West and Muschamp against Miles are just a few of the absurd matchups that we are fortunate to see on Saturday.
Network: CBS
Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
Experts Pick: LSU by 2.5
Danny V’s Pick: Florida 23, LSU 17
