The "take it one game at a time" mantra is an often-used cliche in sports, and sure, the Gators' first goal of many this year is to come out of the season-opener with a victory over UMass. But there's no denying that this season's contest against Tennessee - set to take place in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 24 and tabbed by ESPN as the matchup with the highest stakes in 2016 - carries a little extra weight in what has been a recently lopsided rivalry between both teams.
After capturing the SEC East crown last season, the Gators haven't received the type of love this preseason you'd expect for a divisional champion following a disappointing close to the 2015 campaign plus the departure of a couple notable faces. Meanwhile, the Volunteers, who closed strong last year and return an array of talent on both sides of the ball, are once again the preseason darling and are projected by many outlets as this year's SEC East favorite and a top-15 team.
The ESPN Football Power Index has Tennessee ranked fifth, ahead of Florida at No. 18, and gives the Volunteers a 57% chance of winning the division crown over Georgia (30%) and Florida (10%). Also, Golden Nugget casino oddsmakers have Tennessee favored against Florida and winning more regular-season games than any other team in the SEC.
“Yeah, I don't know, I'll have a meeting with our guys and see if they want to play those games or forfeit them," UF head coach Jim McElwain quipped about the Tennessee and Georgia games Monday.
Florida players aren't ready to buy into the Tennessee hype, especially after winning their 11th consecutive game against the Volunteers last year. After all, the last time UT won against UF, a good portion of the players on both squads were still in elementary school.
In an offseason filled with trash talk coming from both sides, Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis took the latest jab Monday, saying, "It’s one of funnest games every year, because we win."
"We always win, and it’s always crazy. It’s always nerve-wracking," Davis continued. "It’s always a fun game because we compete. I love playing in The Swamp, but I really enjoy playing there too because their school and fans are loud."
In recent years, the Florida-Tennessee rivalry has been quite heated. After trailing 9-0 at the end of the third quarter against the Volunteers on the road in 2014, UF swapped Jeff Driskel for Treon Harris, who then led a 10-0 rally to edge out a Gators victory.
Who could forget what happened last year, when a 63-yard touchdown reception by Antonio Callaway on 4th and 14 late in the fourth quarter helped erase a 13-point deficit and give the Gators a 28-27 win in what was one of the greatest finishes in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium history.
"We’ve got to look back at what we did last year, and you kind of leave room for all of these analysts to talk about these other teams by the way we played that game last year," Davis said. "Especially looking at Tennessee, we made that one too close for comfort. You look at the year prior to that, it was the same way. We have to go out and we have to handle business and make sure that we execute in a different way to make sure that they’re talking about Florida all year long.
"After that, anything can happen at any time. We know that we’ve got to work to set ourselves up to put ourselves in the best situation. That’s a prime example that we always look at that anything happens so don’t ever quit."
Florida players had plenty to say about the Tennessee game during SEC Media Days, but the Volunteers avoided that discussion as much as they could during their appearance Tuesday.
"Every game is important," Tennessee linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. "You can't slip up in college football. It's not like basketball where you can lose a few games and get by. We come out with a mentality that any given Saturday anyone can be beat. We're focused on ourselves, having each other's back, developing all from an internal standpoint. From the outside there's dissecting the schedule, but we just come in to work and know everything will handle itself."
Added UT defensive back Cameron Sutton: "I don't really get into that or get involved in that. That's not my priority or something I worry about, but obviously we see it because a lot of our guys are connected to social media and it's something we cannot really turn ourselves from, but we have a lot more to worry about than just that."
Regardless, both teams should enter September's matchup with a chip on their shoulder - Florida, as it tries to defy national expectations and win its 12th straight against the Vols, and Tennessee, as it looks to get over the hump and snap the Gators' winning streak in this rivalry.
"You see it, you hear it all the time, every year," Florida safety Marcus Maye told reporters Monday, including ESPN. "It is what it is. I guess they feel like we lost a lot of pieces, but I feel like we're just as talented with the guys that are stepping in for them. We're always going to be the Gators, and they're always going to be Tennessee, so what you see is what you get."
Offensive tackle David Sharpe added on the UT hype: "It’s kind of a head-shaker, but you know, we’re definitely motivated about it and we’ve definitely circled the Tennessee game on our calendar."
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20/16 FOR 2016 SERIES:
PT. 1: Return of Powell from foot injury adds weapon to slot
PT. 2: Lewis brings pass-catching threat to tight end position
PT. 3: Dawson aiming to make impact at nickelback spot
PT. 4: Pair of five-stars should play key roles as sophomores
PT. 5: Anzalone's health a question mark moving forward
PT. 6: Goolsby poised for strong season at tight end position
PT. 7: Cox an underrated presence along UF defensive line
PT. 8: Sharpe an important leader along Gators offensive line
PT. 9: Callaway, Cleveland promising faces of wide receiving corps
PT. 10: High expectations surround Tabor entering junior year
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