CBS Sports’ expert picks nearly split on Gators-Vols game

Florida football kicks off its 2023 Southeastern Conference schedule on Saturday against the visiting Tennessee Volunteers for this year’s edition of the storied SEC East rivalry. While this will be the final chapter of the divisional era for the two schools, the game is still a premier matchup in Week 3.

Ahead of the game, the CBS Sports college football crew submitted their predictions, with four of the seven picking the Vols while the other three went with the Gators. Chip Patterson, Barrett Sallee, Shehan Jeyarajah and Jerry Palm took the visitors; Dennis Dodd, Tom Fornelli and David Cobb all chose the home team.

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“These teams combined for 71 points last season as the Volunteers squeaked out a 38-33 victory in a game that featured nearly 1,200 yards of offense,” Cobb noted. “But both teams have since downgraded at quarterback and have questions to answer offensively. Tennessee’s critical downfield passing game is a work in progress, and Florida must prove that it can run the football better than it did during a Week 1 loss at Utah. With neither unit close to peak offensive capacity, the punters should stay busier this year.”

The crew’s composite pick took the under at 59 points.

The Gators host the Volunteers in the Swamp on Saturday, Sept. 16, for the SEC schedule opener between two historic rivals. The opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and the game can be watched on ESPN.

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