On Saturday, two 4-4 football teams will meet in Columbia. While they have the same record, they feel different. South sits at 4-4 and most people that follow the sport objectively thought that they would be around that mark. In fact, most people would have pegged the games they have won and the ones they have lost exact. Coming into year 1 under Shane Beamer, I think most people around college football thought they would be between the 4 and 6 win total. Based on that majority held belief South Carolina still has something to play for. How about the trajectory of their opponent?
Early in the season, Florida looked like they would be for real. The Gators had a valiant performance in which they came within two points of beating Alabama in Gainesville. At that point, it was easy to think Florida was a legit top 10 or 15 team. However, since then they have dropped three games. One was to #1 Georgia which was to be expected. The other losses were to a solid 6-2 Kentucky team and an upset loss to LSU. Florida has changed trajectory mid-flight in this college football season.
With all the trending in the wrong direction, Florida doesn't have much to play for. However, they do have one thing and that thing maybe Dan Mullen's job. Hot seat rumors are swirling around Mullen's future in Gainesville. Certainly 4-4 doesn't cut it in Gainesville. However, Florida has four winnable games left on their schedule to finish out. It will be on Dan Mullen to see if he can get his guys to "circle the wagons" around him and play to save his job. On the flip side of that, a loss to South Carolina might seal Mullen's fate either end of the year or maybe sooner.
Florida has owned the series with South Carolina since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992. The Gators are 29-9 all time and from 1992 through 2004, Florida never lost in the series. Since 2005, Florida is 10-5 vs South Carolina. A big chunk of South Carolina's total wins in the series, came when they took four of five from 2010 through 2014. Most recently, Florida is 5-1 in the last six. It'll be a night game in Columbia on Saturday with kickoff set for 7:30 PM. It may well serve as the best opportunity for South Carolina to get a win that nobody expected coming into or even the first few weeks of the season. We will find out if South Carolina is more motivated or if Mullen can get his players to buy in and play to keep him around. In the past, when we have seen Florida at the 4-4 mark after 8 games, it seems they have always kind of mailed it in, it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
