Michigan vs Florida: Preview, predictions, TV channel and more
In an interesting Big Ten/SEC clash, the Michigan Wolverines and Florida Gators will square off in an early battle of ranked teams
Perhaps one of the more intriguing games of the opening weekend of the college football season, the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines will travel south to take on the No. 17 Florida Gators in a neutral-field battle.
Both teams are expected to be relevant players in the College Football Playoff discussion this year, and this early season showdown between the two could have ripple-down effects on the entire season and could be a deciding factor come the end of the year.
This will only be the fourth ever meeting between the Gators and Wolverines, with Michigan winning the first three. Their most recent matchup came in the Citrus Bowl following the 2015 season, where the Wolverines pummeled the Gators 41-7 on New Year’s Day 2016.
Michigan is coming off a heartbreaking end to the 2016 season. The Wolverines lost a close one to Iowa on the road and then ended the year in Columbus with an overtime loss, thanks in large part to a controversial call that went Ohio State’s way. The Wolverines return just five starters combined from a year ago, but have still received national recognition heading into 2017.
Florida is looking to return to the SEC championship game, but this time with a more realistic shot to take the conference title. The Gators came out of the weak SEC East last year in a division that appeared no one wanted to come out of.
Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Michigan vs Florida game:
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Date: Saturday, September 2
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Arlington, TX
Venue: AT&T Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
One of the most compelling stories of the opening week of college football is how the Florida Gators will perform following the suspension of seven players, including star receiver Antonio Callaway. Fellow starter and defensive end Keivonnis Davis was also suspended.
Adding on to the preseason mess, wide receiver James Robinson and linebacker Ventrell Miller were also caught with marijuana on campus last week. While Callaway and Davis were the only real starters suspended for the opener, these issues create a thinner depth chart for the Gators and put a lot of pressure on those going out their for the first snap. Florida’s keys to the game are as simple as they can get: Stay composed and confident.
Related Story: 7 Gators suspended for season opener
For Michigan, only five starters return on a very inexperienced team. Fortunately, they have Jim Harbaugh leading the way- who is surely going to have his team ready to go in Arlington. Michigan returns some experience at the quarterback experience in Wilton Speight, although Harbaugh has been reluctant to fully commit to a starter.
The Wolverines will need someone to step up and make a big play or two. With the likes of Jabrill Peppers and Jake Butt gone to the NFL, that “next man up” mentality will need to apply to the rest of the roster.
Prediction
With both teams at full strength, the edge would like be given to the Gators. Antonio Callaway’s presence on the field would be quite the handful for the inexperienced Michigan defense. Without that big play weapon on the field, expect a back-and-forth game that will come down to the wire.
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The popular opinion would be to lean towards the veteran Florida team down in SEC country, but a gut feeling indicates that someone unexpected is going to step up for the Wolverines and seal the deal- perhaps freshman kicker Quinn Nordin?
Final score: Michigan 24, Florida 21