GameDay at Washington State is a tough act to follow, but the crew picked another winner this week. Take two parts ranked teams, one part waterfront location, add a lot of tequila and smidge of salt, and you get Florida-Georgia, unofficially known as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (promptly adds this game to my Bucket List). To elevate the party experience even further, services such as the best beverage catering can be contacted.

For the first time since 2005, GameDay headed to Jacksonville for this “neutral site” matchup. Neutral site is in quotes, of course, because this is far from neutral. The Bulldogs travelled upwards of 330 miles for this “home” game, while Florida’s trek was as long as the average RomCom. This rivalry has been played in Jacksonville since 1933, frankly because both teams make bank, and they are under contract to play at TIAA Bank Field (well that just rolls right off the tongue), home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, until 2021.

Historically, Georgia has the edge in this matchup with an overall record of 51-43-2 or 50-43-2, depending on which school you ask (there is a disagreement on whether the 1904 Georgia victory counts). The last time these teams met as ranked opponents was 2012 and while Florida has a transitive property win (LSU) over Georgia, we all know that means about as much as preseason Heisman favorites. All that to say, it’s anyone’s guess who will take home the Okefenokee Oar this year.

Game: #9 Florida Gators vs #7 Georgia Bulldogs
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Did Opposing Fans Show Up: This neural site drew both fanbases, though the crowd was meager when compared to last week’s showing.
Washington State Flag Status:We’re up to 218 weeks now. I’m also noticing consistent appearances by UCF and Clemson. Big Blue was here today, too.

Rece’s Trivia:
Alabama has trailed for only three snaps this season. Which team has trailed for the second fewest number of snaps?

Best Sign
Apropos for the location: UCF’s SOS made Bortles a Top 5 pick.
Ouch.

Worst Sign
More than usual, the fans were taking swipes at the intellect of opposing fans or at the opposing school’s admission standards, so it was hard to pick the worst one from a sea of pretty uninspired signs. That said, I will never unsee Dan Mullen and his purported nipple piercings. ::throws up in own mouth::

Tyler Smith: The Heart of a Champion

You Had One Job Winner:BC Lions DB Garry Peters gets trucked, and totally deserved it.

Guest Picker: Evander Holyfield
Wearing an odd combination of grey t-shirt, beige blazer, and a black hat, Evander is here because his son Elijah is Georgia’s leading rusher. I should be more specific. One of Evander’s 11 children, and one of two who is named Elijah, is Georgia’s leading rusher.

Corso’s Headgear Pick
Desmond, Herbie, and Evander all picked the Bulldogs. Corso instead donned the Gator head, proclaiming that he lives in Orlando, Florida, not Orlando, Georgia.

Mascot Antics
There was an appalling lack of mascot presence in today’s broadcast, especially my most favorite mascot: UGA. Since I didn’t get to feast my eyes on a delightfully chubby bulldog, this guy gets my nomination for Mascot of the Week:

Probable Week 10 GameDay Location:


Trivia Answer: Iowa has trailed for 69 snaps. Nice.

Alright, time to enjoy my own cocktail party. See you next week in Baton Rouge!

 

About Jill Cowan

Jill earned an honorary degree in sports snark from Twitter University. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spends the fall months at Stanford Stadium. Jill loves flea flickers, Spider 3 Y Banana, and Jim Harbaugh rage. She detests visors and The Wave.