From the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian State one week to Rocky Top the next. Knoxville, Tennessee, is the focal point of college football in Week 4. The No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers host their hated SEC rivals, the No. 20 Florida Gators.
The Gators are riding a five-game win streak in the series but are 10-point underdogs in this year’s matchup. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, it’s the first time the Volunteers have been favored by more than five points since 1978. Florida, however, is 5-3 in the series as an underdog.
The rivalry has a rich history of featuring top players like Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow and birthed one of former Florida coach Steve Spurrier’s classic zingers. After beating Tennessee in four consecutive seasons from 1993 to ’96, Spurrier said, “You can’t spell citrus without UT,” referring to the Citrus Bowl, which was, at the time, the bowl destination for the SEC’s second-highest-ranked team.
The 2022 Volunteers enter the game undefeated, but their only real test came in a 34-27 win over the then-No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers. The Gators are 2-1 after surviving home wins over the then-No. 7 Utah Utes and South Florida Bulls but losing on the road to the Kentucky Wildcats.
College GameDay is live from Tennessee. Here are the best signs from Saturday:
.@TexasFootball is typing … 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/iigFPjJXis
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
😂 @GatorsFB fans are ruthless pic.twitter.com/4v1HFFVoJn
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
OUCH 🥴 pic.twitter.com/5bNnLlsEUQ
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
Say no more pic.twitter.com/8NDtRMiZou
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
Leaked DMs to @UTSmokey_00 😍 pic.twitter.com/lx3UwLugO8
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
Technically true 😬 pic.twitter.com/VIqNSXshfM
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022
nice try 😅 pic.twitter.com/HcuaA6UUGx
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 24, 2022