Latest / Mike Check - A College Football Podcast / BIG GAME PREVIEW: FLORIDA VS AUBURN
Transcript
- Jackson: Auburn, Florida. Florida's a minus two and a half favorite on the road. this one's at six o'clock central time on Saturday night in Jordan Hare Stadium. This is this is one I went back and forth on a lot. Davis: Yeah. This is another game that has such a great storyline to it as well. You have the what used to be a rivalry, they don't play much anymore. Auburn, Florida. You have two coaches that know each other very well, coached against each other in the AAC with Alex Golish and John Summerall. You add on to that that Auburn just about hired John Summerall until he, you know, from all accounts backed out and went to Florida. Florida got their guy after losing out on the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes. I'm happy with who we got with Alex Golish, but they'll because of that, you know, storyline, they'll always kind of be tied at the hip. throughout the week the press has been asking about each other and both of them are You know, kind of being a little performative. Alex Gullish said, you know, we're not friends. And and Sumerall has said that if anyone on his family is rooting for Auburn, they're not family anymore. So no feelings lost. It's going to be it's gonna be an interesting one. I'm excited for it. And we didn't even Jackson: Yeah, I I think that Davis: talk football. None of that had to do with football, just storyline. Matthew Nowlin: Yes, yes. Jackson: Yeah. Getting into the football talk, I think the the the most glaring thing for me is the is the points per game, the two offenses. I know Florida has played nobody, but they're averaging fifty nine points a game, which is, you know, pretty good. Like Auburn on the other hand, I they played Baylor, but I mean forty three to eight against Southern Mass. I feel like they struggled a little bit in that game, if I remember correctly. That was kinda at the same time as Ohio State, Texas, so I wasn't like watching that super intensely, but the offense looks super sloppy against Baylor. Like, not good at all. I think this if this game was in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, I would be going Florida all day with that Auburn offense having to go on the road and play. But it's not I feel like Auburn plays well at home. Can can Byron Brown and in in that offense turn things round and score some points? I think that's kind of the biggest question of the game for me. Matthew Nowlin: And I think that's gonna start with how well they can run the ball. I Davis: Yeah. So Matthew Nowlin: know their the lines struggled a little bit to run the ball and Byron Brown's turned it over. Florida I believe is has had five turnovers. their defense has turned the other team over five times already, so that's a a positive for their defense. so Auburn's gonna have to overcome that. also though, Florida's got a starting quarterback who's making his first start in the SEC on the road in an extremely hostile environment. so they could come out slow or they may struggle throughout the whole game. You know, they look good against inferior opponents, but until you until f you see Florida put pads on pads with another SEC team, you really don't know what you have, so I think that's gonna be a big factor in the game. And I think that Auburn's gonna have to lean on their defense to get some pressure on Philo and make some make some plays, turn over, I think that's gonna be a huge part of them having success on Saturday. Jackson: Davis, you gotta have more to say. Davis: So Matthew talked about this being Aaron Philo's first start in the SEC. I believe that's what you said, right? Against an SEC opponent. So he has four Matthew Nowlin: Right. Davis: total starts under his belt. This will be Byron Brown's thirty-fifth. So a lot of experience. You know, Aaron Filo's gonna be going into a hostile crowd. They're definitely going to rely on the run game as they should. Jaden Baugh, probably probably the best back in the SEC, him or Kewan Lacey. Auburn's got a a good run defense led by Xavier Atkins at linebacker. it's kind of best on best when it comes to running the ball and run defense. I do worry about Auburn's offense. like you said, didn't look good against Baylor, but I think that there's some some question marks with Florida's defense. They d definitely haven't been tested at all. This game could go this game could go a lot of different ways. I think that Florida probably has the or I definitely think that Florida has the talent advantage, but Auburn has the quarterback advantage and the home field advantage, which, you know, definitely plays into effect. Matthew Nowlin: What do you what's your thoughts on the how raucous is the crowd gonna be? I mean, are are they pump is you're plugged into the Auburn Auburn community, are they are they gonna be pumped for this game? Is this gonna be a classic Jordan Hare night game? Davis: Yeah, there's no reason that this shouldn't be, you know, one of the more exhilarating crowds that's come through Auburn in the last honestly, probably dating back to twenty twenty one. I mean, there hadn't been a lot of hope for this Auburn program recently. haven't had really too many huge home games. I mean, obviously you have the Alabama Night game last year. That was a big one. But Even then Auburn's a five and six team at that point. So you really have to go back at least five years to when there's a you know, teams that are on the right trajectory to when you can like get get a good crowd. So I'm expecting a a very ruckus crowd. Jackson: Yeah, and and when we covered both of these teams on our SEC overview podcast, we kinda talked about this being a turning point for both teams as far as like going forward the rest of the season. You know, if you're Auburn, you still have at Tennessee, at Georgia, LSU at Ole Miss, at Mississippi, who is, you know, shown to be decent, and then at Alabama. And then on the other hand, for Florida, you go Ole Miss at Missouri, at Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma. So it doesn't get any easier for either of these teams. I feel like playoff aspirations aren't necessarily like the standard right now for these teams, but I think both of Auburn and Florida like expect to at least make a bowl game and and be somewhat like competitive in the league. So, Davis: Yeah. Jackson: I think especially if you're Auburn with this being at home, it's it's kind of a must win for Goalish to kind of get the program turned around and and get headed in the right direction. So yeah, big game, big game on the planes this weekend. Matthew Nowlin: Yeah, and I think that's kind of a common topic with a lot of these SEC games 'cause we on to the nine nine game schedule and then the emergence of some of these teams that you weren't expecting necessarily be good. I mean, Mississippi State coming out of nowhere, I know Missouri people were low on, but you know, they had a decent game last week and then you have Auburn and Florida with with new coaches with a lot of expectations. So I think a lot of SEC teams are finding themselves in these positions early on in the season where, you know, they have a big game and a tough schedule to close out the year on the tail end. So these these big games early are gonna matter and are gonna impact the these team seasons. So it they're they're not taking them lightly. Jackson: Yeah, especially with games that are against like with two similar teams. Like I wouldn't say Auburn playing Texas is kind of you know, Auburn's kinda playing with house money there, but with these two teams are are very, very similar. The storylines for the programs are similar. So yeah, big big game for both for both sides. As far as picks Davis: It's a measuring stick game. Jackson: go, yeah it is, for Matthew Nowlin: Mm-hmm. Jackson: sure. Matthew Nowlin: And it's so early. I mean, neither of these coaches are expected to turn their team around the first you know, this is the third game of their tenure. neither one of them is expected to do that right away, but to win a game like this could be a springboard and to your team gaining more confidence and that trickling into potentially more wins later later in the year. Jackson: far as picks go, I feel like everything I've said has kind of pulled me towards picking Auburn here, but I'm gonna go Florida. I I like what I've seen from their offense. I know it's against two, Mickey Mouse schools for lack of a better term, but their offense has been good. Philo's looked good. on the other hand, Auburn has played one not so good school and then Baylor and I don't think they looked great in in either game. So until I see it from Auburn, I'm gonna take Florida. Davis: Yeah, so when we did our SEC preview a couple weeks ago, I put this as a fifty fifty game for both teams. Auburn has maybe not lived up to the expectations I had with due to the Baylor game. Thought that was closer than it should have been. Florida haven't really changed my mind about Florida. You know, they've done what they're supposed to do. They've left their starters in late in games to run up the score, but that that that's fine. I think my head is kind of leaning Florida, but this game's a night game in Jordan Hare. Y'all know all too well there's gonna be some magic that'll happen. Give me Auburn plus two and a half. Jackson: Yeah, I forgot you didn't put a pick in. Davis told our graphics guy that he did not know who he was gonna pick. So instead of he he's relying on the Auburn magic for Matthew Nowlin: Mm-hmm. Davis: Yeah. I I I told I told Millich. Yeah, that was that was a decision that I made in the moment. Jackson: this one. Yeah. Matthew Nowlin: I think that's fair. lots you know, there's good points to pick both teams in this game. I went back and forth on this one as well. I think that it being a home game for Auburn with a lot on the line at night, I think that's a lot going for them, going in their favor. I do question whether or not their offense can perform consistently enough to win the game. I think Florida's an unknown commodity 'cause again they've played their Mickey Mouse schools, but part of being an unc known commodity is they could underperform or they could overperform. and they could be the real deal. I think they'll lean on their run game to start and I think Philo figures it out late in Florida. Florida gets the win. Davis: If Philo has a decent game, just a decent game, Florida should win. Matthew Nowlin: Yeah. I I like their skill guys. Davis: If Auburn's gonna win, they need to make it difficult for Philo. It's gonna be tough to stop the run. They need to create some turnovers, get after him, have him see the ghost. If they don't do that, I don't I don't Matthew Nowlin: That's Davis: see a way that Auburn can win. Matthew Nowlin: Yeah, I think that's the key for that. Make Pilo uncomfortable.