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Florida Football: Post-spring game-by-game predictions for 2019

By John Mitchell

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 01: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators throws a wrist band to a fan following a victory over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 01: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators throws a wrist band to a fan following a victory over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

The annual Florida/LSU game has become one of college football’s fiercest and most heated rivalries over the last decade. There’s been some off the field bad blood, and budding rivalries are always helped by close matchups on the gridiron, and those have been bountiful. The last five meetings have been decided by one score, and you would have to go back to 2011 to find a game that was decided by more than 11 points. I wouldn’t expect much different from this iteration in Death Valley.

There’s a decent chance that both teams enter this matchup undefeated, and LSU will be looking for payback for last season’s loss in the Swamp, its first of the 2018 season.

I think LSU is a legitimate playoff contender for 2019, buoyed by the second most returning production in the SEC. Ed Orgeron is looking to build off of the 10-win season in 2018, and he has the horses in the stable to push the Tigers to the next level.

LSU will have its traditionally stout defense, aided by potential All-Americans Grant Delpit and Michael Divinity. It’s the offense that could be the difference next season, though, as Orgeron is looking to push the tempo and put more points on the scoreboard next season.

Steve Ensminger is back as the offensive coordinator, but Orgeron went out and hired New Orleans Saints assistant Joe Brady to be the passing game coordinator. It was evident in the spring game that Brady brought several of the Saints’ concepts with him to Baton Rouge. Senior quarterback Joe Burrow looked comfortable running the offense, and if he can continue to build off of last season’s finish, he’s got the talent around him for LSU’s offense to be much improved.

Look for rising junior running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and incoming 5-star freshman John Emery to be featured prominently both in the running game and as receivers. One of the staples of Sean Payton’s offense in New Orleans the last couple of seasons has been to get the ball to Alvin Kamara in space any way he can.

Whether or not LSU has been able to find quality depth on both lines of scrimmage might be the difference in whether or not it can seriously contend with Alabama in the SEC West. In this matchup, that’s also Florida’s biggest question mark at the moment, too.

Much like the Auburn game, this is a neutral-field toss-up, but it’s tough to bet against the home team when you have two similar teams butting heads.

Pick: LSU 23, Florida 20 (6-1, 3-1)

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